Plane Crash
by
Thanks to Mrs. Luke Duke for the original idea for this story. Although she wanted the boys involved in a car accident and stranded in a blizzard, I took the liberty of having them on a plane that crashes instead.
Chapter 1
Bo sighed as he looked at the calendar. Three more days until Christmas. He missed Hazzard and the family. He wanted to go home for the holidays but him and Luke just didn't have the money. They had been driving on the NASCAR circuit since September and they were just starting to get some recognition but not much money. The entry fees normally took what little extra they had. Although they tired to stay close to home since that's where a lot of tracks were, they had come to the Michigan International Speedway for a special ceremony honoring some of the legends of the NASCAR circuit.
Bo hated the weather in Michigan . It was cold and windy. For a southern boy who was used to winters where it seldom got below 30 degrees at night and hardly ever snowed more then a light dusting, this weather really got to him. He was depressed and homesick. He looked over at his cousin who was lying on the bed asleep. Annoyed at Luke for being able to sleep when he couldn't, he picked up his pillow and threw it at him.
“Hey!” Luke said as the pillow hit him in the head “What the heck are you doing, Bo?”
“If I can't sleep then neither can you.” Bo told him sullenly
“What's that got to do with anything?” Luke asked, throwing his pillow back at him and hitting him squarely in the chest.
“I wanna go home for Christmas.”
“So do I.” Luke said with a sigh “But we can't. We don't have the money.”
“I know that….but I still wanna go home.” Bo said in a cranky voice and sounding like a whiny two year old.
Luke muttered a few choice words under his breath and rolled over trying to go back to sleep. But Bo wanted to sulk and he wanted to sulk to Luke. So he threw his pillow at him again.
“Dang it, Bo!” Luke said starting to get irritated. He picked up the pillow and threw it back at Bo. “Cut it out, will ya?” Bo glared at his cousin but backed off. He recognized the familiar warning tone in Luke's voice. Bo flopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, counting the cracks in the plaster. He knew by the sound of Luke's breathing that he had fallen back to sleep. And he knew better to wake him again. Luke tended to get cranky when Bo kept him awake just because he didn't feel like sleeping.
A knock on the door caught Bo's attention. He hurried to answer it before the noise woke Luke up again. Charlie Harris, a friend of theirs from the circuit, was standing in the hallway. He greeted Bo with a huge grin “Hi, Bo.” He said
“Hey, Charlie….” Bo said stepping the hallway and quietly closing the door so they wouldn't disturb Luke. “Whatcha doing here?”
“Actually, I got a surprise for you and Luke.”
“A surprise for us?”
“More like an early Christmas present.” Charlie told him “I got a friend that lives here in town that has his own private plane. And well….I know how much you and Luke miss your family and wanna be with them for Christmas….so my friend said he'd be glad to fly you two down there for the holidays and then pick you up and bring you back after New Years. Free of charge from me to you and Luke.”
“That's great!” Bo said in a happy voice “Wait till I tell Luke!”
“He can leave tomorrow morning if that's okay with you two.”
“You bet it is!” Bo said enthusiastically
“Great. His name is Benny Martin and he'll pick you up here around eight o'clock .”
“Okay, thanks Charlie. You have no idea how much this means to me and Luke.”
“Oh, I think I have some idea the way you talk about your family.” Charlie told him with a laugh. “I'll catch you later. Have a good time at home”
“We will.” Bo said. He opened the door and went back into the motel room. Unable to resist, he went over to Luke's bed and pulled the covers off his cousin with a loud “Yeehawwwww.”
“Bo Duke! I'm gonna kill you!” Luke yelled his eyes blazing with anger at being woke up again.
“Hold on, cuz!” Bo told him holding up his hands in mock surrender. Like all of the Dukes, Luke had a volatile temper and it didn't take much to get him riled. Plus Bo had already been irritating him all night and not letting him sleep. “I got some good news! We're going home for the holidays!”
“Now how in the devil are we gonna do that?” Luke demanded in a sullen voice, glaring at his younger cousin.
“Charlie arranged it with a friend of his that has his own plane. He's picking us up in the morning and flying us back to Hazzard and then he's picking us up after New Years to bring us back. No charge.”
“Are you serious?” Luke said in a suspicious voice not in the mood for one of Bo's jokes which weren't always that funny to anyone but him.
“Of course I'm serious. I wouldn't be waking ya up to tell you if I wasn't. I don't wanna get my head bit off for nothing.”
“Good…then maybe you'll go to bed now and let me get some sleep!” Luke growled, grabbing the covers away from him and punching his pillow instead of Bo. He rolled back over to go to sleep swearing under his breath that if Bo woke him up one more time before morning, he really was going to kill him.
Chapter 2
Early the next morning Bo was up and rearing to go. They were going home for the holidays. He waited impatiently for Luke to wake up. Finally he couldn't stand waiting any longer. “Luke?” he said, shaking his cousin's shoulder “Hey, Luke…come on get up.”
Luke groaned and pulled the covers over his head “Go away, Bo.” He said sleepily.
“Come on, Luke.” Bo coaxed. “It's time to get up. We're going home for Christmas. Remember?”
“Alright,” Luke mumbled, blinking his eyes and sitting up on the edge of the bed. He ran his hand through his thick dark brown hair and scowled at his cousin. “I'm up. Are you happy now?”
“I will be as soon as we're on that plane headed for home.” Bo told him. He pointed to the suitcase lying on his bed. “I already got some stuff packed.”
“Good.” Luke muttered, shoving himself to his feet and heading for the bathroom. “Then finish packing and leave me alone.” Bo looked at his cousin with an arched eyebrow as Luke went into the bathroom and slammed the door. He sure was in a bad mood this morning. Maybe I shouldn't have kept waking him up last night Bo thought to himself. He heard the shower start running and smiled as he went back to packing their clothes.
Luke had just come out of the bathroom when there was a knock on the door.
Bo opened it to admit a man in his early sixties with gray hair and watery blue eyes. He smiled at the two boys and said, “I'm Benny Martin. Charlie's friend. I hear we're taking little trip to morning to a place called Hazzard , Georgia .” He held out his hand and shook Bo's hand and then Luke's hand.
“That's right.” Bo said enthusiastically “We're going home for Christmas.”
“That's what I hear. Well, if you boys are ready…we better git going.”
Bo grabbed their suitcase and they followed Charlie outside to a battered brown Chevy that was parked at the curb in front of the motel. The three men climbed into the car and Charlie turned on the ignition, pulling into the flow of traffic and heading for a private airstrip.
At the airstrip, Charlie led the way to a red and white Piper 260 Comanche. It was a twin engine 4 seater air craft with a cruise speed of 185 MPH. Charlie put their suitcase in the storage compartment in the belly of the plane and the three men climbed into the plane. Bo rode shotgun since he was taller than Luke and sitting in the front gave him more room to stretch out his legs. Luke sat in the back seat directly behind Bo. Luke had flown in similar small aircraft while in the service but Bo had never flown in a small plane before (Other than a two seat crop duster that a friend owned back in Hazzard) and he was visibly nervous.
“Don't worry, Bo…” Luke said leaning forward and putting his hand on his cousin's shoulder “You won't notice it for long if we crash.” He grinned getting a little dig in at his cousin for keeping him awake the night before.
“That's not funny, Lukas!” Bo said in a high voice that betrayed his anxiety.
“Don't worry, Bo.” Benny said with a chuckle “I promise not to crash this baby.”
He reached for the mike and requested clearance from the tower. When he got it, he slowly taxied into position and started down the runaway gradually picking up speed. The plane lifted gracefully into the air and they were airborne. Once they were in the air, Bo started to relax, looking out the windows amazed at the view below him.
“How will it take us to get there?” Bo asked, excited as kid about going home for the holidays.
“About 3 or 4 hours.” Benny told him “You'll be having supper with your family tonight.”
“Yehawwwww.” Bo exclaimed with a huge grin. His rebel yell echoed loudly in the small enclosed cabin of the plane.
“Okay, Bo….” Luke said with a laugh “Chill out a little, okay?” Luke was just excited to be going home for the holidays. He was homesick too. He missed Hazzard just as much as Bo did. He couldn't wait to see Uncle Jesse and Daisy, along with the rest of their friends. But unlike his more impulsive and reactive cousin, Luke was more reserved and laid back.
The three men made casual conversation as the small plane headed for Hazzard. Bo and Luke told Benny about them driving with the NASCAR circuit and entertained him with stories about life in Hazzard. Benny told them that he was originally from a small town in Arkansas so he was familiar with the southern way of life. His daddy had even run moonshine for awhile. He laughed when the boys told him that they were ex-ridge runners.
As they crossed into Kentucky , the sky turned dark but Benny didn't seem to be alarmed. He told the boys that he was used to flying in bad weather and not to worry if things got a little rough. Bo's face turned a little green at that idea but he decided to keep his mouth shut. The dark sky soon turned into a full fledged blizzard making it impossible to see, Benny had to rely solely on his instruments to continue flying. Bo was white as a sheet and Luke was a little nervous himself.
Suddenly Benny muttered a curse under his breath and started turning dials and pressing buttons. “Hang on!” he said sharply “We got a problem. We just lost an engine!”
Neither Bo nor Luke had to be told twice, they were hanging on and they were praying. Benny grabbed the mike and pushed the transmit button “This is Cobra 2486 declaring a may day! Repeat May Day! I have an engine out and we're going down!” Keeping his eyes on his controls he told the boys “Put your head between your legs and kiss your asses goodbye…we're going down, boys!”
Both Luke and Bo assumed the crash position with their heads down between their legs and their arms covering their heads. They were both terrified as they felt the plane spiraling out of control and heading for the ground. They heard the ripping of the metal around them and then there was a tremendous jolt followed by nothing but darkness.
Chapter 3
Bo fought his way out of the darkness clouding his mind. He moaned softly as his eyes slowly fluttered open. He cried out in pain when he tried to shift positions in his seat and felt a sharp stabbing pain in his left side which he knew meant he had probably broken some ribs. It took a few minutes for his mind to clear enough for him to remember where he was and what had happened. He heart started pounding frantically in his chest when he remembered that the plane had crashed.
His eyes quickly darted towards the pilots seat and then he quickly looked away. Benny was obviously dead. His head was twisted at an odd angle and his face was covered with blood. Suddenly, Bo remembered that Luke had been sitting in the back seat. Despite the pain in his side, he turned in his seat so he could look behind him. Luke was lying across the back seats, still out cold. His face was pale and there was a deep gash over his right eye that was bleeding freely.
“Luke!” Bo called out loudly trying to rouse his unconscious cousin “Luke, can you hear me?” When Luke didn't respond, he tried again “Lukas Kristopher Duke!” he said loudly using Luke's full name. “Come on, cuz….wake up!” Still no response. Bo started to get scared worried that Luke was seriously injured. “Luke, dang it! Wake up!”
He cried urgently. Tears of relief gathered in his eyes when Luke coughed softly and moved slightly. At least he wasn't dead. Taking a deep breath, he tried again to get Luke to open his eyes “Luke, come on! Open your eyes!”
Luke's eyes slowly opened and he struggled to focus his gaze on his cousin's face. His lips moved forming Bo's name but no sound came out of his mouth. “Luke, are you hurt?” Bo said, watching his cousin closely.
“My head hurts like hell….” Luke said in a weak voice “And I think I broke some ribs.”
“So did I.” Bo told him “And you must've hit your head, you got a pretty bad gash on your forehead.”
Luke raised his hand to touch his head and then looked at the blood on his hand with a puzzled frown. He was confused and disoriented and his whole body seemed to hurt. “How's Benny?” he asked
“He didn't make it.” Bo told him shaking his head
“What about the radio? Can you use it to call for help?”
Bo glanced at the control panel and shook his head “No, the whole control panels all tore up.” He looked back at his cousin and said with an edge of fear in his voice “What are we gonna do, Luke?”
“Bo, you have to stay calm…” Luke told him in a quietly soothing voice. He couldn't afford for Bo to get hysterical right now. Luke had always been the strong one, the one who took care of and protected his two younger cousins and he automatically slipped into that role now. He knew he was seriously hurt but he also knew he couldn't let Bo know just how badly he was injured. He knew that his younger cousin was already close to the edge. Summoning every ounce of will power that he possessed, Luke forced himself to sit upright in his seat. He bit the inside of his cheek so hard that it bled as his body screamed in protest as soon as he moved.
“You okay, Luke?” Bo asked noticing how white Luke's face had gotten. Luke nodded his head unable to trust his voice at that moment to speak. He took several deep slow breathes to try and bring the pain down to a more manageable level. He laid his head back against the seat as a wave of dizziness swept over him. “I'm gonna try and come back there with you.” Bo told him in a determined voice.
“You be careful.” Luke told him. He didn't try to talk him out of moving into the back seat with him. The truth was Luke needed Bo beside him right now. “Don't forget you're hurt too….”
It took some doing and some maneuvering around but Bo finally managed to climb over the front seats and settled into the seat beside Luke. Luke smiled at his cousin weakly and for the first time Bo saw just how full of pain his older cousin's eyes were. “Luke?” he said in an edgy voice
“Shhh….” Luke told him “I'll be okay. We just need to stay in here and out of the weather till somebody finds us…”
Startled Bo looked out through the cracked windshield of the plane and saw the blizzard that was raging outside the downed aircraft. Suddenly, he realized how cold he was and he started to get scared. “Luke….what if they don't find us?” he said looking at his cousin for reassurance and comfort just like he had always done since they were children.
“They'll find us….” Luke told him “We just need to give ‘em some time…”
Chapter 4
“Bo?” Luke said quietly, he couldn't talk very loud because of the pain his chest.
“Yeah?”
“Look around and see if you can find any supplies….food, water, a first aide kit…anything we might be able to use.”
“Yeah, Okay.” He glanced at his older cousin worriedly. He didn't like his color, Luke was still too pale. He was obviously in pain but he kept insisting that he just had a bad headache and some broken ribs. Bo had a feeling that Luke wouldn't tell him if he was hurt any worse than that. He wouldn't want to worry Bo or scare him any more than he already was.
There wasn't a lot of room to move around in the small cockpit, especially when you're six feet four, but Bo managed to rummage around until he found a first aide kit, several bottles of water, some crackers, and some canned tuna. He also found a couple of blankets and some signal flares.
Sitting back down in the seat beside Luke, he opened the first aide kit and took out some cotton swabs and alcohol. Carefully he cleaned the gash on Luke's forehead. Luke winced and tried not to cuss even though the alcohol burned like hell. The gash was still bleeding slightly and it looked awfully deep. Bo found some makeshift butterfly bandages in the first aide kit and gently put three of them on the gash to help hold it shut.
When he was finished cleaning Luke's head injury, he opened a bottle of the water. Slipping one arm behind Luke's head, he held the water up to his lips so he could take a drink. Luke drank some but it made him cough violently. Bo patted his back gently “You okay, Luke?” he asked in a concerned voice
“I'm fine…” Luke said when he found his voice again. He leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. He wasn't sure how long he could keep the truth about his condition from Bo. He was positive that he was bleeding inside and probably had a concussion too. And he couldn't feel anything from the waist down or move his legs.
Bo wrapped one of the blankets around Luke and used the other one for himself. It was getting colder in the cockpit. Outside Bo could see the snow blowing into large drifts. The nose of the plane was already half buried. He was getting really scared but he was trying not to let it show. He touched Luke's shoulder looking for reassurance but Luke did not respond. Bo realized that either he had fallen asleep or he was unconscious again. Bo couldn't be sure which. Too tired to think about it right now, Bo curled up in his seat and leaned his head against Luke's shoulder, drifting off to sleep.
Bo wasn't sure what had awakened him until he realized that Luke was restless and mumbling under his breath. “Luke?” Bo said anxiously, gently shaking his cousin's shoulder. It took several seconds for Luke to respond but finally he slowly opened his eyes. They were cloudy with pain and he looked feverish. Bo quickly felt his forehead. He was burning up. “Luke?” Bo repeated his name trying to get his older cousin to talk to him so he'd know he was okay.
“Bo…” Luke finally said in a weak barely audible voice. “I don't feel so good…..”
“It's okay, cuz…” Bo said. He grabbed one of the bottles of water and opened it. Grabbing a rag he found lying on the floorboard, he wet it and gently wiped Luke's face trying to make his cousin feel better. “You got more than just a headache and some broken ribs, don't ya?”
Luke slowly nodded his head “Yeah, I think so….” He admitted. He looked at his cousin “Bo, listen to me….it's cold in here and it's gonna get colder….promise me…whatever you do, don't fall asleep…”
“Sure…but why?”
“Because…if you get too cold and fall asleep…then you won't wake up again…” Luke told him “No matter what….you stay awake…..”
“Luke, don't talk like that….you're scaring me….” Bo said trying to keep the fear from showing in his voice.
“Don't worry about me, cuz….” Luke told him with a feeble attempt at a smile “I'm not planning on going no where yet….” In spite of his words, Bo was still worried. He knew that if Luke was hurt inside that could be dangerous without medical attention soon. But he didn't know how they were going to get out of here. The blizzard was still going on and the drifts were getting higher by the second.
Bo shivered and pulled the blanket closer around him. It was getting colder inside the plane as the temperature dropped outside. Bo's stomach growled reminding him that it had been hours since he'd last eaten. Picking up a can of the tuna, he pulled the tab to open it and then opened a pack of the crackers. It wasn't much but it would have to do. Bo used a cracker to scoop out some of the tuna and ate it hungrily. He offered some to Luke who shook his head refusing to eat.
Luke continued to get weaker until he was barely able to talk. Bo touched his face, his skin was cold and clammy but at the same time, he was still running a fever. “Luke?” Bo said, gently shaking Luke's shoulder “Come on, Luke…you gotta stay awake.”
“Bo….listen to me.” Luke said, struggling to get out the words he needed to say. “You're gonna have to go find…help….or we're both gonna die here….”
“I can't do that, Luke!” Bo said in a startled voice “I ain't gonna leave you here by yourself. I'll take ya with me….”
“You can't do that…and we both know it….” Luke told him “I ain't in…no shape to go anywhere….besides…I couldn't if I even if I wanted to…”
“Come on, Luke…” Bo said, not wanting to listen to what Luke was saying “We'll figure something out….I ain't leaving ya here by yourself!”
“Bo, listen to me…” Luke said quietly but firmly “I'm hurt inside….and I'm gonna die if you don't get some help….ain't nobody gonna find us otherwise….” He paused to catch his breath “Besides….I can't move my legs….”
“What?” Bo exclaimed in alarm. He looked at his older cousin his eyes reflecting his fear and uncertainty. “Luke…I can't do it! I can't leave you….”
“You have to.” Luke repeated “If you don't….we're both gonna die….”
“Luke….” Bo said trying to hold back the tears that gathered in his eyes “Don't make me do this…..”
“You have to. It's our only chance….” Luke looked into his cousin's eyes trying to make him understand that they had no other choice. Finally, Bo nodded even though he still didn't like the idea. “Find anything you can use….to take with you.” Luke told him. The effort of simply talking was tiring him out. He leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes, not to sleep but just to rest for awhile.
Bo searched the cockpit again. He found some cookies, another blanket, a flashlight, a sleeping bag and some matches. Bo and Luke were both wearing heavy down jackets they had bought in Michigan so Bo decided he wouldn't need the blanket or the sleeping bag. He found a canvas bag and put some of the crackers, some of the water, the matches and the flashlight inside. He took the extra blanket plus the one he had been using, as well as the sleeping bag and wrapped them all around Luke to keep him warm.
He opened the bag of cookies and a bottle of water and sat them both within Luke's reach in case he decided to try and eat something while he was gone.
As Bo prepared to leave he put his hand on his cousin's shoulder and said “I'll be back as soon as I can and I'll bring help too.”
“I know you will….” Luke said with a crooked smile “Just…hurry. Okay?”
“You bet.” Bo said, giving his cousin an awkward hug. “You just stay alive till I get back.” Although Bo tried to keep his tone light and joking, he was scared to death to leave Luke alone like this. He was afraid that even if he did find help it would too late for Luke.
Chapter 5
Bo shoved open the cockpit door and, with one final look back at his cousin, he stepped outside. The snow had stopped but the air was cold and frigid. There were large drifts almost four feet deep in some places. Bo had no idea where they were but they seemed to have crashed in a heavily wooded area. Bo knew he had to find a highway so he could get help. Even though Bo was hurt himself, he knew that Luke's injuries were a lot worse. He was terrified that even if he did find help, it might be too late for Luke by the time they got back.
Taking a deep breath, Bo started walking towards the north for no particular reason other than that was the direction they had been coming from when they crashed. As he struggled his way through the snow, Bo marked his trail so he could find his way back to the crash site. He took care to leave his markings high enough on the trees that they wouldn't get covered by the snow if it drifted any more or if it started snowing again. Bo didn't make as good a time as he would have liked, wading through the drifts was slowing him down.
Bo stopped to blow on his hands. He already felt half frozen and he'd only been outside for a couple of hours. He began to wish that he'd brought along the sleeping bag instead of leaving it behind. Being from the south, he wasn't used to the northern weather. He was ill prepared to be tramping around in a blizzard. Even though he knew they were somewhere in Kentucky , the weather was still cold and unpredictable. Bo blinked, shading his eyes against the glare of the sun on the snow. It might be pretty but it sure as hell was cold. The surface of the snow crunched underneath his boots as he kept walking.
His stomach growled reminding him that he was hungry. He pulled some crackers out of the bag he was carrying and starting eating them. Suddenly, he stopped and listened. Somewhere in the distance he could hear the sound of traffic. He must be close to a road. His heart beat with excitement as he picked up his pace. It would get dark soon and he didn't know if Luke could survive a night alone in the crashed plane especially since the temperature was bound to drop even further once the sun went down.
It took another half hour of steady walking before he came out of the woods and found himself standing alongside a highway. He started waving his arms when he saw a blue sedan coming towards him. He grinned happily as the car pulled to a stop beside him. Bo jerked open the door and said anxiously, “Mister, I need help. My cousin and I were in plane crash and he's still stuck in there….”
“Well, git in….git in.” the driver said “I'll take you to the sheriff's office.”
“Thank you, sir.” Bo said crawling into the front seat and closing the door. The car heater had never felt so good. “I really appreciate this. My name's Bo Duke.”
“Willie Mikesell.” The driver told him with a grin “With that accent you sure ain't from around here.”
“No, sir.” Bo told him “I'm from Georgia .”
“You're a long way from home.”
“Yes, sir. We were on our way home for Christmas when the plane crashed.”
“I assume you were on a private plane and not a commercial flight.”
“Yeah. A little four seater.” Bo winced as he shifted positions in the seat.
“You okay, son?'
“Yes, sir. I think I might have broke a couple of ribs is all.” Bo told him
“Well, then I should get you to a doctor.”
“There's no time for that!” Bo said “We gotta get help for my cousin. He was hurt real bad.”
“Alright, don't worry. We'll get ya to the Sheriff first.”
Ten minutes later, Willie pulled up in front of the sheriff's station. The car had barely come to a stop before Bo was out the door and running inside for help. Bo grabbed the first officer he saw and told him what had happened.
“Where's the plane at, son?”
“I'm not sure.” Bo said “It was woods. I could show if you can get me back to where I was picked up at. I marked the trail.”
“Where was that?” the officer asked
“On Route 19 near Miller's Road.” Willie volunteered.
“Let's go, son.” The officer told Bo “I'll radio for a search and rescue team to meet us there.”
“Thank you, Willie.” Bo said “For the ride and all your help”
“Any time. I just hope your cousin is okay.” Willie told him with a firm handshake goodbye.
Bo hurried outside with the Sheriff and climbed into the front seat beside him. It felt strange to be sitting in the front seat of a patrol car for a change instead of the back.
Twenty minutes later they pulled up in front of the woods Bo had come out of when he discovered the road. A search and rescue team and an ambulance arrived within minutes of the sheriff's arrival. The search team consisted of the sheriff, 2 search and rescue members and two ambulance attendants. It was starting to get dark which would make finding the way back to the crash site more difficult.
While the sheriff and the search and rescue team discussed the best way to conduct the search and to get Luke back to the ambulance, one of the paramedics insisted on checking Bo over. He confirmed what Bo already suspected. He had some broken ribs, along with some bruises, scraps and cuts. The paramedic taped his ribs tightly so he'd be more comfortable. Although the paramedic advised him to take it easy, Bo knew that he couldn't rest until Luke was rescued.
Finally, the search party started into the woods with Bo leading the way. Using his natural instincts and his tracker skills, Bo retraced his steps to the site of the crash using the carefully marked trail he'd left earlier. With the darkness hampering them, it took them almost 4 hours to make their way back to the downed plane. Bo felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach when they finally reached the crash site. The plane was almost completely buried under a drift of snow. Bo and the other rescuers began digging with their hands to clear the doorway to the cockpit. When they finally got to the door
Bo jerked it open and climbed inside.
Luke was slumped sideways in his seat with his eyes closed. One of the paramedics climbed into the plane and immediately started checking Luke's vital signs. “Is he okay?” Bo demanded anxiously trying to keep his voice steady “Is he still alive?”
“Barely,” the paramedic told him, still attending to Luke. “But he won't be if we don't get him to the hospital immediately.” He yelled at his partner for assistance. Bo was forced to step back outside as the two paramedics prepared to remove Luke from the plane. Bo watched anxiously as the two paramedics finally carried Luke's body out of the plane. He was so pale and so still, not moving or responding in any way as they lay him on the portable stretcher the paramedics had brought with them. Bo kept remembering what Luke had told him about not falling asleep because of the cold. He prayed fervently that Luke would wake up from this sleep.
Chapter 6
Once the paramedics had Luke out of the plane, they laid him on the portable stretcher they had brought with them and covered him with a specially made heating blanket that they carried with them to use in cases of severe hypothermia. They also started a saline solution to help deal with dehydration. Bo could tell that Luke's breathing was extremely slow and shallow, not a good sign. One of the paramedics noticed it too and put an oxygen mask over Luke's nose and mouth to help him breathe. Bo tried to hide the fear that clutched at his heart, the fear that kept whispering in his head and telling him that they may have found Luke too late to save him.
Finally they were ready to head back to the road and the ambulance. The two search and rescue workers carried the stretcher, while the paramedics walked along beside it, checking on Luke's vital signs every few minutes. Bo walked beside the stretcher too holding tightly to Luke's hand which was as cold as ice. It was close to midnight before they finally reached the road. As the paramedics loaded Luke into the ambulance, Bo climbed in beside his cousin and sat down on one of the built in benches.
The warmth inside the ambulance combined with his own weariness and lack of sleep since the accident, immediately made Bo drowsy. He struggled to stay awake as the driver turned on the sirens and sped towards the hospital. Bo could hear the other paramedic talking to the hospital on his headset. Although he was talking in a low voice, Bo still made out a word now and then. Words that chilled his heart. Concussion, severe hypothermia, possible internal injuries, comatose, unresponsive.
Bo had dozed off for a second when the excited voice of the paramedic jarred him awake. He opened his eyes in time to see that the paramedic had ripped open Luke's jacket and his shirt to expose his chest and was shocking him with a pair of paddles. Bo's heart jumped into his throat as Luke's body jerked upward from the electrical shock that surged through his muscles. Bo knew that Luke's heart had stopped and that the paramedic was trying to get it started again.
Finally, the paramedic stopped shocking him and knelt back down beside Luke. Bo heard him telling the hospital that Luke's heart was beating again on its own. Bo sagged back against the wall as relief washed over him. Licking his lips, Bo asked,
“How much longer till we git to the hospital?”
“About five more minutes.” The paramedic told him
“Which hospital are you taking him too?” Bo asked suddenly remembering that he had no idea where he even was.
“The Lexington Trauma Center.” the paramedic told him. At least now Bo knew that he must be just outside of Lexington , Kentucky . He made a mental note to call Uncle Jesse and Daisy as soon as he got to the hospital. They had to be told about the plane crash and about Luke's condition. He just hoped he wouldn't have to call them with the news that Luke didn't make it.
In a matter of minutes, the ambulance pulled up to the emergency entrance to the Lexington Trauma Center . Bo followed the attendants as they rushed Luke into the emergency room. A nurse stopped Bo before he could follow Luke through the swinging doors into the trauma unit itself.
“I'm sorry, sir but you'll have to wait out here.”
“But you have to let me go back there with him!” Bo said anxiously “I have to make sure he's okay!”
“Sir, the doctor will come out and let you know how he is as soon as they finish examining him.” The nurse said in a soothing voice. To distract Bo from his concern about Luke, she said “Why don't you come over here and sit down so I can get some information for our records?”
Knowing he had no choice, Bo reluctantly followed her to a small desk in the corner of the room and sat down in a chair. The nurse smiled and sat down in front of her computer screen. “Alright,” she said “Let's start with the patient's full name.”
“Lukas Kristopher Duke.” Bo told her “But he likes to be called Luke.”
“Birthday?”
“ September 9 th , 1960 .”
“Address?”
“ 19 Old Mill Road . Hazzard , Georgia .”
“How was he injured?”
“We were in plane that crashed.” Bo told her
“Does he have any allergies?”
“Yeah, he's allergic to penicillin.”
““And your relationship to the patient?”
“He's my cousin.”
“Are you his closest next of kin?”
“That would be my Uncle Jesse.”
“So I assume his parents are deceased?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“Alright, that's all I need for now. If you'll have a seat I'll make sure the doctor talks to you as soon as he has any information for you about your cousin.”
“Where's a phone I can use? I have to call home and tell ‘em about Luke.”
“Just down the hall.”
“Thank you, ma'am.” Bo said, shoving himself to his feet. He walked down the hall until he found a row of pay phones. Taking a deep breath to calm his ragged nerves, he picked up the receiver and dialed the operator. When she answered, he told her that he wanted to make a collect call and gave her Uncle Jesse's phone number and his name.
It took a few minutes for the connection to be made and for Jesse to accept the charges, then Jesse's voice said cheerfully,
“Bo! How are you, boy?”
“Jesse…” Bo said, unable to continue and unable to keep his voice from cracking.
“Bo, what's wrong?” Jesse asked immediately picking up on the panicked sound in Bo's voice even though all he'd said was Jesse's name. “Where are you?”
“I'm at the Lexington Trauma Center in Lexington , Kentucky . “ Bo managed to tell him
“Are you hurt? What about Luke? Are you boys both alright?”
“No, sir….Luke's hurt real bad…and I'm scared…” Bo said, finally letting his tears fall freely.
“What in tarnation happened?” Jesse demanded
“We were flying home to surprise y'all for Christmas.” Bo told him “And the plane went down.”
“What?” Jesse yelled. It took him a moment to calm down and lower his voice to a lower register “Are you hurt too?”
“Just some cuts and bruises and some broken ribs.” Bo told him “I don't know about Luke yet….we just got to the hospital a little bit ago and they're still examining him….but I know it's bad….”
“You hang in there, Boy. Daisy and I will be there just as soon as we can.”
“Yes, Sir.” Bo said “Please hurry…” He hung up and leaned his head against the wall for a moment, then raised his hand to wipe away his tears. Turning, he walked back to the waiting room hoping to hear some news soon about Luke.
Chapter 7
Time passes slowly when you're in a hospital waiting for news about a loved one.
Minutes seem like hours and hours seem like days. It had been over five hours and Bo still hadn't heard anything about Luke. He was sitting in his chair with his face buried in his hands, when he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw his Uncle Jesse, Daisy and their good friend, Cooter Davenport, standing beside him. Bo bounced to his feet and threw himself into his Uncle arms, finally giving way to the emotions that had been overwhelming him since the crash. Jesse took his youngest nephew in his arms and held him close, comforting him as best he could.
“Still no word on Luke?” Jesse asked gently, helping Bo sit back down in his chair.
“No, sir…nothing.” Bo said shaking his head as he struggled to regain control of himself.
“Coot, Daisy….you stay here with Bo.” Jesse said gruffly “I'm gonna see if I can find anything out about Luke.” Daisy and Cooter both nodded and sat down on either side of Bo. Jesse walked over to the nurse's station and said, “I'm Jesse Duke. My nephew, Luke Duke, was brought in over five hours ago and there still hasn't been any news. Can somebody tell me how he is?”
“Just a moment, sir and I'll see what I can find out for you.” The nurse told him. Jesse waited impatiently while she picked up the phone and talked to someone on the other end. Hanging up, she looked at Jesse and said “The doctor will be out to speak to you shortly.”
Jesse walked back over to where the others were sitting. Daisy looked at him anxiously and said, “Any news?”
“The nurse said the doctor should be out to talk to us soon.” Jesse said somberly. All the way to Lexington from Hazzard, he had prayed for both his nephews but especially Luke. He just hoped that the good lord saw fit to answer those prayers.
“Luke's dead, isn't he?” Bo asked, voicing his greatest fear suddenly afraid that Jesse knew but wasn't telling him.
“No, and don't you even go thinking like that.” Jesse told him firmly.
Daisy put her arm around her youngest cousin and tried to comfort him. Everyone knew how close Bo and Luke were. If something happened to Luke, Daisy didn't think Bo would be able to handle it. They were bound together by a love that went beyond anything Daisy had ever seen before. It was if they were different parts of the same person at times. They even shared an almost physic bond at times, knowing what the other one was thinking and feeling their pain or knowing when they were in trouble. It was unnerving at times to be around them when that physic link kicked in. All the Dukes shared that physic link to some degree but it was definitely the strongest between Bo and Luke.
Unnoticed by any of them until he spoke, a doctor had walked up behind Jesse. He said, “Are you the Duke family?”
“Yes.” Jesse said turning around to face the other man “How's Luke? How's my boy?”
“Is he still alive?” Daisy asked
“How bad is hurt?” asked Bo
The doctor held up his hand to stop them from all asking questions at the same time. In a calm voice he said, “Let's step into my office so we can privately.”
Numbly, the Dukes and Cooter followed the doctor past the nurse's station to a private office down the hall. As they all settled into chairs facing his desk, the doctor sat down and looked at them solemnly. “Luke is still alive but we almost lost him several times. He was in severe hypothermia when he was brought in and we had to get his body temperature back up before we could address any of his other injuries. That's why it's taken so long to tell you anything. Right now, his condition is stable and I'm hoping that it stays that way. We did have to do emergency surgery to stop some internal bleeding. He had a lacerated kidney and some damage to his liver, both injuries which cause massive bleeding. It took us awhile to get the bleeding under control and we had to give him several units of blood to replace what he'd already lost.” The doctor paused to let what he had told them so far sink in, then he continued “He does have a head injury but we don't know yet just how bad it is. We'll be running some tests tomorrow. He also had a collapsed lung and some severely bruised ribs. Right now, he's in a coma and I have no idea how soon he'll wake up. His body has been through a severe trauma and the coma is
to be expected under the circumstances.”
“Can we see him?” Jesse asked
“Not yet. They're still getting him set up in the ICU. I'll have one of the nurses let you know when you can see him….but only one at a time and for no more than ten minutes each.”
He stood up indicating that the meeting was over and ushered the Dukes and Cooter out of his office. They went back to the waiting room to wait some more. They huddled together, sharing their worry and their concern together as a family. Cooter included. He may not be a Duke by blood but he was a Duke at heart.
Suddenly, Jesse seemed to remember that Bo had been in the same accident as Luke and in spite of Bo's agitated objections Jesse insisted that Bo be checked out too just to be on the safe side. A nurse escorted Bo, still protesting loudly, back to an examining room. The family was still waiting to be allowed to see Luke when Bo rejoined them over an hour later. Bo told them that the doctor had told him that he had three cracked ribs, several bruises and cuts, and a mild concussion. Although the doctor had wanted to admit him at least overnight, Bo had refused. For another hour they waited, then finally a nurse came out and told them that they could see Luke.
Jesse went in first. At first glance, Luke appeared to simply be sleeping. Until you took into account the machine monitoring his heartbeat, the oxygen mask still over his nose and mouth, and the IV running into his left arm. His normally healthy tan was faded out leaving his face looking pale and drawn. Careful not to disturb any of the lines or tubes surrounding him, Jesse gently reached out and took Luke's hand in his. Although the doctor had said that they had brought his body temperature back up to normal, his hand still felt cold to the touch and his skin felt clammy.
“Luke, its Uncle Jesse. You're in a hospital but you're gonna be just fine. Your family is all here with you.” Jesse rubbed Luke's hand, knowing he probably couldn't feel it but trying to comfort him in some way just in case there was a part of him that could feel or hear.
Daisy went in next. She hated seeing either one of the boys hurt. You'd think she would have been used to it by now but she was never prepared to see one of them lying in a hospital bed looking so vulnerable and helpless, especially Luke. He was the strong one, the one who protected them and took care of them. “Hey, cuz.” She whispered, bending down to kiss his cheek. “You better wake up soon and get out of here before Bo steals all your girlfriends.” She blinked back her tears “I love you, Luke….”
Bo went last after Cooter declined to see Luke. This was a time for the immediate family and Cooter didn't want to intrude on their time with Luke. Bo sat down beside his cousin's side and felt the tears burning his eyes. “Don't do this to me, Lukas.” He said in a broken voice “You can't leave me…you promised a long time ago that you wouldn't and I'm holding you to that promise.” He grasped Luke's hand tightly trying to send him some of his strength. “And I ain't leaving here until I know you're gonna be okay, so you better wake up soon.” All too soon, his ten minutes were up and a nurse was telling him it was time for him to leave.
Chapter 8
The family and Cooter spent the night at the hospital, each family member taking their ten minutes once an hour to see Luke. In between times, they dozed fitfully in the chairs in the waiting room. Cooter slipped away for a few minutes and called a friend of his who lived in Lexington . After explaining the situation to him, Cooter's friend happily volunteered to let the family stay at his house as long as they needed to. Cooter knew he would have to return to Hazzard in a couple of days, he couldn't be gone from his business much longer than that. When he had learned about the accident, he had volunteered to come with the family to the hospital to help drive and to help pay for gas. He had also suspected that they might be in Lexington for awhile and he had planned on calling his friend to arrange a place for them to stay out of respect and friendship for the family. Friends like the Dukes were hard to come by and Cooter loved every one of them as if they were his own blood kin.
When he returned from calling his friend, he discovered that Bo had finally fallen asleep with his head resting on Jesse's shoulder. Daisy was sleeping too, curled up on one of the couches. Only Jesse was still awake. Cooter sat down beside him and said softly so he wouldn't disturb Bo or Daisy. “Uncle Jesse, I called a friend of mine who lives here in town and he said y'all can stay at his place as long as you need to. And I wanna let you know that me and those two cousins of mine will make sure the farm gets taken care of until y'all get back to Hazzard too.”
“Thanks, Cooter.” Jesse said sincerely. Jesse was a proud man and he refused to take anything that felt like it was charity but he knew that Cooter's offer was made out of friendship and not pity so Jesse felt nothing but gratitude. He had been worried about being able to stay in the Lexington until they knew if Luke was going to be okay. The family didn't have much money and they could barely afford a motel room for one night, staying any long period of time would have been out of the question.
The next morning, Cooter took Daisy and Jesse to meet his friend, Ben Jones, so they could all get acquainted and the two Dukes could get something to eat and some decent sleep for a few hours. Bo stayed at the hospital adamantly refusing to leave. Even though he was injured himself, he forgot about his own discomfort and pain, focused entirely on Luke. Like the rest of the Dukes, Bo had a stubborn streak and once his mind was made up about something it was impossible to change it.
Bo sat with Luke as often as the nurses would let him. There was no change in Luke's condition other than the fact that the oxygen mask had been removed. He still looked like he was simply sleeping but he just wouldn't wake up. And it wasn't because Bo didn't try to get him to. Bo tried everything, he coaxed, he pleaded, he bargained, but Luke wouldn't open his eyes.
Later that afternoon, after Daisy and Jesse had returned to the hospital, the doctor informed the family that the results of the tests they had run on Luke had come back. They were all negative. Luke had a concussion but it wasn't a serious one and his other injuries weren't life threatening now that the internal bleeding had been stopped. The doctor was confident that the coma had been caused by the hypothermia. But the longer it took for Luke to wake up, the less likely it was that he would wake up any time soon. The family continued to sit with him coaxing him to open his eyes but he remained unresponsive to them.
He was moved out of the intensive care unit three days later and into a private room. His vital signs were strong and stable, his other injuries were healing, but he still wouldn't wake up. But the Dukes didn't give up they sat with him almost constantly now that they were no longer restricted to ten minutes each once an hour. And they talked to him, telling him stories from when they were kids, talking about Hazzard, anything and everything they could think of to try and get him to respond in some way and open his eyes but nothing seemed to work. Daisy and Jessie went back to Ben's house most nights to rest but Bo stayed at the hospital unless Jessie forced him to go with them so he could at least shower and change clothes. Most nights, Bo slept in a chair at Luke's side.
One day blended into the next without any change in Luke's condition. His body was healing but he was still locked away somewhere in the darkness of his own mind. After two weeks in the hospital, the doctor met with the rest of the family to bring them up to date on Luke's condition. The three Dukes gathered in his office and waited anxiously for the doctor's report.
“Physically, Luke's body is almost healed.” The doctor told them “And all of the tests we've ran have come back negative. There is no medical reason for him to still be in a coma.”
“Well, what does that mean?” Bo demanded in an irritated voice
“It means we don't know why he won't wake up.” The doctor told them. He sighed “Or if he'll ever wake up.”
“No…..” Daisy cried, burying her face against Uncle Jesse's shoulder. Jesse put his arm around her and tried to comfort her, even though his own heart was breaking at the thought of Luke not waking up anytime soon.
“Is there anything you can do?” Jesse asked
“No, I'm afraid not….all we can do is wait but we can't keep him here indefinitely. He's strong enough and stable enough that he can be transferred to a facility closer to your home. I already took the liberty of doing some checking and there's an excellent facility in Atlanta that he could be transferred to.”
“Another hospital?” Bo asked
“No, it's a long term care facility.” The doctor told them “Their specialty is taking of patients in Luke's condition. He doesn't need that much medical intervention any longer.”
“Uncle Jesse…” Bo said “You can't put Luke into a place like that…”
“Now Bo,” Jesse said trying to keep his own voice calm “I think what the doctor is trying to tell us is that we don't have much choice right now. Is that right, doc?”
“I'm afraid so. As long as he remains in a coma, he's still going to need twenty four hour care, just not the intensive medical care he's been receiving here. And the sooner he can be transferred the better.”
“How soon could you do that?”
“I could make the arrangements today and he would probably be transferred by ambulance in a couple of days.”
Jesse nodded somberly as he made a decision that he hoped was the right one. “Then do what you have to do. I want whatever is best for my boy.”
“Fine. I'll make the arrangements today.” The doctor wrote down some information on a slip of paper and handed it to Jesse. “This is the name, address and phone number of the facility. There's also a contact name on there.”
Jesse thanked the doctor and accepted the piece of paper from her. As the three Dukes left the office, Bo looked at his uncle angrily and said “How can you put Luke in a place like that?”
“Bo, you heard the doctor.” Jesse said in a tired voice “We can't take Luke home, not the way he is now. He still needs more care than we could give him. I don't like it any better than you do, but we ain't got a choice.”
“Uncle Jesse's right.” Daisy said even though her eyes were filled with tears. “I don't wanna see Luke in a place like that either, but what else can we do?”
“It still ain't right….” Bo said sullenly “It just ain't right.”
Chapter 9
Three days later, Luke was transferred by ambulance from Lexington to a long term care facility just outside of Atlanta . The rest of the Duke family had gone home the day before. Late the following afternoon, the facility called to let them know that Luke had arrived and was now in Atlanta . The woman Jesse spoke to asked the family to wait until the following day before they came to the facility to see Luke so that the staff would have time to get him settled in. She told Jesse that she would meet with them at ten o'clock the next morning to explain the facilities role in continuing with Luke's care.
Shortly before ten the next morning, Bo pulled the General Lee into a large parking lot in front of a facility called “Indian Falls” It was a long one story building with spacious well cared for landscaping. Inside it was obvious that care had been taken to keep the facility from looking like what it really was. The colors were bright and cheerful and there was even a dog wandering through the halls. And most of the staff was dressed in casual clothes instead of uniforms, identified only by the name badges pinned to their shirts. But in spite of the efforts to camouflage the purpose of the building, the Dukes still knew why Luke was here.
A pretty brunette with blue eyes and a trim figure saw them come in and went up to them immediately. “You must be the Duke family.” She said with a welcoming smile. “I'm Linda Manning, Luke's case worker. Why don't we go back to my office so we can talk for a bit and then you can see Luke.”
The family followed her down the hallway to a corner office. She ushered them inside and closed the door. The office was tastefully decorated with a couch and three comfortable chairs instead of a desk and the usual office furnishings. A computer sat on a stand in one corner of the room. It could easily have been someone's living room instead of someone's office. The Dukes sat on the sofa with Linda sitting in one of the chairs across from them.
“Alright, first of all I would like to tell you that our facility is designed specifically for the care of patients in Luke's condition. Our goal is to do whatever is necessary to help Luke come out of the coma and get back to his normal life as soon as possible.”
“Then you think he's gonna wake up?” Bo asked anxiously
“I'm sure he will…eventually. Unfortunately there is no way to predict when that will happen. Most people are only in a coma for a short period of time, a few days or few weeks. Luke has already been in a coma for almost three weeks. That's not good but now that he's here, hopefully we can help change that. Our staff will be able to work more closely with him and provide more stimulation than they could have done at the hospital. And we want you as his family to be involved in that process as much as possible.” She paused to consult some notes and then continued. “Now, for the time being Luke still has a catheter and is still being tube fed. His position will be changed every hour to prevent bedsores and a physical therapist will be working with him, exercising his muscles and his arms and legs to prevent the muscles from contracting. That's the kind of special care that they couldn't give him in the hospital but it's also the kind of special care he needs right now.” She smiled at the family encouragingly “I know that this has to be hard for you but Luke is in the best place for him right now. Our success rate in this type of case is higher than any other facility of this kind in the state. Now, one more thing, then I'll show you where Luke's room is. I don't want you worrying about the cost for Luke being here. Our facility is set up to accept certain cases on a free care basis and I have initiated the paperwork to make Luke one of those cases. Now, are there any questions?”
“No, ma'am.” Jesse told her “We'd just like to see Luke now.”
“I know you would so please come with me.”
They followed her out of the office and down a long hallway to room 615. Inside, they found Luke lying in a regular single bed instead of a traditional hospital bed. A second bed sat along the opposite wall. There was also a small love seat and a sofa arranged in one corner with a TV sitting on a stand. As with the rest of the facility, care had been taken to keep the room from looking like a traditional hospital room. Even the catheter and the tube inserted directly under Luke's collarbone for his tube feedings were skillfully hidden. Luke himself was dressed in a tee shirt and sweat pants instead of a hospital gown. “We try to keep things here resembling a home atmosphere as much as possible” Linda told them with a smile. “And any of you are welcome to spend the night any time you want. That's what the extra bed is in here for.”
“It's not anything like I thought it would be.” Daisy admitted
“That's the way we want it.” Linda told her “I think it's more comfortable this way both for the family and for the patient. I'll leave you alone now so you can visit with Luke. We don't have any set visiting hours here you're welcome to come by anytime day or night to be with Luke.” With a final smile, she excused herself and left the room.
“Well, it is a nice enough place.” Jesse said
“At least it doesn't feel so much like a nursing home.” Daisy admitted, feeling more comfortable about Luke being here now that she had seen the facility.
“It still ain't right.” Bo said gruffly “Luke still shouldn't be here.”
“Bo, none of us wants him to have to be here.” Jesse said gently “But maybe this place really can help him.”
Bo walked over to his cousin's side and took his hand. In a resigned voice, he said “I'm sorry, Uncle Jesse. I didn't mean to snap at ya. I want Luke to get better too….I just don't like the idea of him being in a place like this. It makes me feel like everybody's saying he ain't never gonna wake up again.”
“You can't think like that.” Jesse said, crossing to his youngest nephew's side and gently caressing his shoulder “You have to believe that Luke's gonna get better.” Bo suddenly broke down in sobs and turned to throw himself in his Uncle's comforting embrace. Jesse made soft soothing sounds and rubbed his back as he let his nephew shed his tears of fear and desperation. He knew how strong the bond between the boys were and how lost and alone Bo felt without Luke there by his side. Jesse found himself praying that this place could bring Luke back to them so they could be a family again.