Psychic Bond
by
Chapter 1
Bo and Luke Duke. The Duke boys. Two cousins closer than brothers. If you saw one of them, then you could count on the other one being right there by his side. They were inseparable. They had been all of their lives. They were so close that some people teased them about being joined at the hip. They even shared what appeared to be a psychic bond with one another. They always knew when the other one was in trouble or in danger and they often finished each other's thoughts or sentences. It could be unnerving to be around them sometimes if you weren't used to it. The boys had shared the bond all their lives so to them it was second nature. They were devoted to each other and to the rest of their family, their Uncle Jesse and their cousin, Daisy.
The boys were fishing at Hazzard pond but the fish didn't seem to be biting so they were discussing one of their favorite topics: girls. The boys were both popular with the all the girls in Hazzard County . They were both handsome young men in the prime of their lives with lean muscular builds from their years of working on their Uncle's farm. But there the resemblance ended. Luke was the oldest and more responsible of the two cousins. He had dark brown curly hair and sapphire blue eyes. Bo was four years younger with baby blue eyes and feathered light blonde hair. He was the more impulsive of the two and often acted first and thought about the consequences later.
“So who are you taking to the dance Saturday night?” Bo asked his cousin glancing at him with a huge grin.
“I don't know.” Luke said “Probably Jenny Sue.” He named a local girl that he'd dated occasionally in the past. “Who are you taking?”
“Mary Anne Wilks.” Bo told him with a satisfied smile. He had been trying to get a date with the pretty little brunette for weeks. But her father had been hesitant to let her go out with one of the infamous Duke boys even though she was over eighteen and old enough to decide for herself.
“How'd you manage that?”
“Just kept asking till I broke down her resistance.” Bo answered him with a grin. “She just couldn't resist that good ole Duke charm.”
“Or Duke modesty, huh?” Luke couldn't resist teasing his younger cousin. Both boys laughed good naturedly. Modesty was not one of their virtues. “You just better make sure you don't come home with another rear end full of buckshot….you had enough trouble explaining that to Uncle Jesse the last time.”
“Hey, I didn't know Ole man Miller was gonna come out to the barn and catch me in the hayloft with Patsy.” Bo said defensively “She told me he was gone for the weekend.”
“Yeah and Uncle Jesse wasn't too thrilled with that excuse when he was picking them pellets out of your backside either.”
“I sure don't wanna have to do that again anytime soon.” Bo said with a chuckle “I couldn't sit down for two weeks.”
“You're lucky Uncle Jesse didn't take a switch to ya. Then you wouldn't have set down for three weeks.”
“I think the only reason he didn't was cause he figured that picking buckshot out of my ass was punishment enough.” Both boys laughed again at the memory. It was funny to them now but it sure hadn't been when it happened. Bo had only been sixteen at the time and relatively inexperienced when it came to running from irate fathers. But Bo had learned his lesson the only hayloft he made out in now was the one at the Duke farm.
“The fish ain't biting.” Luke said, shoving himself to his feet and grabbing his pole. “Let's call it a day and head home.”
“Yeah, I think you're right.” Bo agreed, standing up too and gathering up his fishing. As the boys started walking back towards where they had parked their car, they suddenly heard the sound of an explosion close by. “What heck was that?” Bo asked looking to his older cousin as he always did for the answer.
“Sounds like somebody's doing some blasting.” Luke said with a frown. Blasting was prohibited in the area because of the honeycomb of old mine shafts that ran through the area, some of them highly unstable. Any kind of blasting in the area could cause those shafts to cave in unexpectedly, endangering the community. Before Bo could respond, both boys felt the ground beneath their feet trembling and then it suddenly caved in around them. Both boys screamed as they felt themselves falling. They seemed to fall forever before finally hitting the ground, both of them getting knocked out for a few moments. .
Bo struggled to open his eyes wondering why it was so hard to force open the lids. As he became more aware of his surroundings he felt the pounding in the back of his head and wondered why he had such a terrible headache. Other parts of his body hurt too and he found himself wondering if he'd been in a fight. He couldn't seem to remember. Finally he managed to force his eyes open and looked around, trying to get his bearings. He found himself in a small cavern with steep rock walls and automatically felt claustrophobic. “Luke?” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Luke? Are you okay?” When there was no answer from his cousin, Bo turned his head looking for Luke. It was a move he instantly regretted as a sharp pain shot through the back of his head and he almost blacked out. As his vision slowly cleared and focused, Bo suddenly realized that he didn't see Luke beside him. “LUKE!” he screamed with an edge of panic creeping into his voice, forgetting about his own injuries in his concern for his cousin's welfare.
Luke heard Bo's scream just as consciousness slowly began to seep back into his mind and he moaned softly. He tried to move but found himself pinned beneath a large pile of debris, sharp claws of pain ripping at his body. “Bo?” he yelled back
“Luke, where are you?” Bo's voice called out frantically as he tried to figure out where Luke was by the sound of his voice.
“I don't know..….close.”
“Are you okay?”
“I can't move…” Luke told him trying to keep his voice calm and level “I need you to help me.” Luke could tell that he was hurt badly. His right leg had been alive with a fiery pain and now it was going numb and he could feel a crushing weight in his chest. Bo followed the sound of Luke's voice over to a pile of rocks. He started to move the rocks, knowing somehow that Luke was on the other side of that pile. It took several minutes but finally Bo was able see Luke, partially buried by the a pile of debris on the other side of the rocks. There was enough light coming in from where the ground had caved in above them to see clearly and Bo could see Luke's blood on the rocks.;
“Luke!” Bo said, trying to keep the panic and fear from showing in his voice. He quickly made his way to his cousin's side and knelt beside him. Luke's skin was unnaturally pale compared to his usual tanned appearance and there was a deep gash over his left eye that was bleeding heavily. Bo couldn't tell if he had any other injuries because the rest of his body was buried in debris from his chest down, including a huge support beam that was lying across his stomach.
“Hey, Bo…” Luke said softly as if talking hurt him. He made a feeble attempt at a smile which quickly turned to a grimace of pain.
“Just hang on, cuz…” Bo pleaded anxiously, gently slipping one arm under his cousin's head. “We're gonna get out of here....” Luke nodded slowly and then closed his eyes, drifting away from Bo and back into the darkness where he couldn't feel the pain anymore.
Chapter 2
”Luke?” Bo said anxiously, shaking his cousin's shoulder gently “Come on, Luke. Wake up.” There was no response so Bo tried again “Luke….come on. Wake up. Please…” his voice took on an almost pleading tone as he shook Luke's shoulder again trying to get him to open his eyes. “LUKE DUKE! WAKE UP!” Bo yelled, his anxiety level shooting through the roof when he couldn't get Luke to open his eyes.
He caught his breath when he saw Luke's eyes open just a slit, not much but enough for Bo to see the blue of his pupils. “Luke…” he coaxed more gently “Open your eyes….please…” He held his breath as Luke slowly opened his eyes a little more, not completely but enough for Bo to realize that Luke at least heard him. He knew that he had to try and keep Luke awake as much as he could until someone found them. “Luke, you gotta stay awake. Okay?”
Through the thick fog that clouded his mind, Luke could hear Bo's insistent voice urging him to open his eyes. Not that he really wanted to. He preferred it where he was. It was quiet and safe in the darkness. The closer Bo's voice drug him towards consciousness, the more it hurt. He tried to retreat back into the darkness and he could have but Bo wouldn't shut up. Reluctantly and very much against his own will and better judgment Luke forced his eyes to open. He groaned knowing it had been a mistake as soon as a wave of pain swept over him almost taking his breath away. He turned his head to look at his cousin's relieved face. He could see the fear in his baby blue eyes that Bo was trying so hard to keep under control.
“S'kay…Bo…” Luke whispered automatically. Even in his own injured state, his first concern was still for his younger cousin. Luke tried to reach out a comforting hand to his cousin but stopped when even that small movement made the pain even worse. He groaned softly, choking back the bile that rose in his throat.
“It's okay, Luke…” Bo whispered gently. He reached out to brush a strand of hair back from Luke's face. “I'm right here with ya, cuz…...”
“It hurts…” Luke moaned softly, trying to take shallow breathes so it wouldn't hurt so much to breathe. He was all busted up inside, he could feel it but he didn't want to tell Bo how badly he was hurt. It would only scare him even more than he already was.
“It's okay...…just try not to move around any…” Bo said trying to calm himself as well as his cousin. “Uncle Jesse will come looking for us if we don't get home soon….”
“I know…” Luke said biting back the groan that tried to escape his lips as the pain in his chest became almost unbearable. He knew that he had to remain calm so Bo wouldn't panic. But it wasn't that easy to do since Luke was close to panic himself.
Bo knew that Luke was hurt and probably hurt pretty bad. He was hurt himself but he knew he wasn't hurt as bad as Luke. His head still pounded and he knew he probably had a concussion and from way his chest felt some bruised or cracked ribs. But he knew he had to stay alert enough to care for his semi-conscious cousin. He wondered if he should trying moving some of the debris off of Luke but decided against it, realizing that he would probably only cause Luke unnecessary pain if he did and he couldn't do that. Besides in his own weakened condition, Bo knew he'd never be able to move the support beam that was lying across Luke's stomach and pinning him to the ground. He curled up against Luke as best he could using his body heat to keep him warm.
Luke coughed slightly, a trinkle of blood appearing at the corner of his mouth. The cough made it feel like his chest was being ripped apart on the inside. He tried to keep the pain from showing too much on his face so he wouldn't worry his youngest cousin but Bo still flinched when he saw the blood on Luke's lips. “Luke, please don't die….” Bo said in a childlike voice.
“S'kay…” Luke said in a seriously weakened voice. “Just ….hurts so bad….”
“You have to hold on, cuz…..just a little bit longer.” Bo said fiercely. “Cause I ain't gonna let you die….If you die, I swear I'll never forgive ya…”
Luke couldn't help but smile at Bo's choice of words. But he also couldn't make him a promise that he knew in his heart he might not be able to keep. He had never lied to Bo and didn't want to start now but he also didn't want Bo to realize just how badly he was hurt. Luke could feel his life slipping away and it scared him. He didn't want to die but he didn't know how he could live either. There was a part of him that knew he wouldn't last much longer if someone didn't find them soon. But he didn't want to tell Bo that. The pain seeping through his body made it hard to concentrate on anything else even the sound of Bo's voice. Luke felt himself slipping back into the darkness and he welcomed it as a release from the pain.
“Luke….no….don't do this again….” Bo said in a pleading voice as he watched Luke slip back into unconsciousness. He felt the tears gathering in his eyes as he held his seriously injured cousin closer. Bo raised his eyes towards heaven and said in a loud, clear voice “Lord, please don't let Luke die…..he don't deserve to die….not here…not like this….take me if you want too….not him. Please, god….take care of him till somebody finds us.” Lowering his head, Bo let the tears fall without shame.
Bo had never felt so afraid or so alone in his life. Luke had always been the strong one, the protector, the one who watched out for Bo. Now the roles were reversed and Bo had to be the one to protect and take care of Luke and he didn't know if he was up to it or not. He didn't know if he was strong enough. He knew that he would lose it if anything happened to Luke. If Luke died here in this place, then Bo knew that he would want to die too. Luke was his best friend, his blood brother, a part of his very soul. Without Luke by his side, Bo would lose the best part of himself. He was determined not to let that happen. He would make a deal with the devil if that was what it took to keep Luke alive.
Luke's breathing sounded labored and seemed awful shallow. Bo figured he had some broken ribs that were causing him pain when he breathed. He just hoped there wasn't any internal bleeding. Bo knew that could get bad in a hurry. “Don't you dare die on me. Ya hear me, Luke Duke?” Bo said even though he doubted if Luke could hear him right now. Bo's own head still hurt but it had eased to a dull throb that was annoying more than anything else. “Come on, Luke…” he said in an almost pleading tone “Dang it,
Cousin……please wake up.” Luke moaned softy but didn't open his eyes.
Bo looked up at the sky. It was starting to get dark. He wondered if Uncle Jesse was looking for them yet. Someone had to find them soon. Luke couldn't wait much longer for medical attention and there wasn't much Bo could do for him. Bo tried to choke back the tears that threatened to start falling again at any minute. Someone had to find them, they just had to. He stretched out beside Luke as best he could and rested his head against his older cousin's shoulder. “Stay with me, cuz….” He whispered “Please just stay with me….” His eyes slowly closed as weariness overtook him and he slept.
____________________
He opened his eyes to find Luke staring back at him, those sapphire eyes filled with pain. “Luke!” he exclaimed happily “You're awake!”
“No, Bo…” Luke told him “I'm not awake…you're dreaming.”
“You can't leave me, Luke….I won't let you.” Bo said, tears falling down his cheeks unnoticed “If you die….then I'll die too….”
“No….you won't.” Luke told him “I need you to promise that if anything happens to me….you'll be okay…..you'll take care of Uncle Jesse and Daisy…”
“I can't promise that…” Bo said desperately “You have to keep your promise….you promised me a long time that you'd never leave me…..”
“Bo…..I may not be able to keep that promise this time….” Luke said with a heavy sadness in his voice “......If someone doesn't find us soon….I may not make it.”
“Don't say that!” Bo cried “Please don't say that…...”
“You have to be strong, Bo…I can't help you this time. You're on your own…..” With those words, Luke suddenly disappeared leaving Bo alone in the cave.
‘LUKE!!!” Bo screamed as loud as he could
____________________
Bo jerked awake, his heart pounding in his chest, as he instinctively drew closer to Luke. He felt a cold chill running down his spine as he remembered the dream in vivid detail. It wasn't the first time he'd had a dream like that and he knew that it somehow had to do with the almost psychic connection that he shared with Luke. Somehow even in his injured condition, Luke was trying to communicate with Bo. Some folks would have told Bo that he was crazy but this had happened too many times before for Bo to take it lightly.
Chapter 3
A soft almost whimpering sound caught Bo's attention. Snapping out of his stupor, Bo eyes focused his attention on Luke's face in alarm. His breathing sounded even more labored than before and his face was covered with a light sheen of sweat. Bo tried to stay calm “Luke!” he said urgently, hoping to get his cousin to respond “Can you hear me?” Luke made no response other than a soft moan so Bo tried again “Luke…come on, wake up.” There was still no response even though Luke did try to turn his head towards the sound of Bo's voice. “It's okay, cuz…just stay with me…okay?” Bo said trying to soothe him even though he didn't even know if Luke could even hear him or not. He tried to keep the fear he felt from creeping into his voice. Being afraid wasn't going to help Luke.
Bo lay there beside Luke, listening to the sound of his breathing. It was the only reassurance that he had that Luke was still alive. He'd tried to get him to wake up but no matter what Bo said or how hard he tried, Luke just wouldn't wake up again. Bo could hear Luke's breathing getting weaker. He could sense that Luke was dangerously close to dying and that thought terrified him. Bo didn't hold out much hope anymore for rescue any time soon, at least not soon enough for Luke. Bo closed his eyes and let his mind drift back to happier times, away from this place and the pain of watching his cousin die in his arms.
____________________
“He's done, cousin!” Luke exclaimed happily with a huge smile on his face. “We did it! Ain't it something?” The two boys threw their arms around each other's shoulders as they surveyed their handiwork. Months of hard work. Their stock car they had built themselves from the ground up. “What should we call him? He's gotta have a name.”
“The General Lee.” Bo said with a grin “He's the General Lee.”
“The General Lee.” Luke repeated “I like it. The General Lee it is.”
“Yeehawwwww…..” Bo yelled excitedly “Let's go for a ride, cuz!”
He slid beneath the wheel while Luke climbed in on the other side to ride shotgun.
“Hit it, cuz!” Luke told him with a grin
“You got it!” Bo said turning on the powerful engine and stomping on the gas. “Hold on!” The car flew across the field heading for open ground filling both boys with excitement and joy, an adrenaline rush like nothing else they had ever experienced before.
____________________
Bo's eyes anxiously searched the faces of the passengers climbing down off the bus. Finally he saw the face of the person he was looking for. Luke. Luke was okay. He was home. He wasn't dead after all. He kept his promise and came back. With a whoop of joy, Bo ran to the young Marine and threw himself at his older cousin, almost knocking him to the ground.
“Luke!” Bo yelled happily as he gave his cousin a huge bear hug “You're okay. You came home just like you promised!”
“Yeah, cuz.” Luke said in a tired voice and a huge smile “I'm home. I kept my promise. I told you I'd come back and I did.” The four long years he had been gone were finally over. Luke was back home. Back in Hazzard where he belonged.
____________________
Sixteen year old Luke put his arm around his fourteen year old cousin's shoulders and held him as the preacher said the words over Aunt Martha's grave. Everybody was crying and Uncle Jesse was so sad. Bo wondered if anything would ever be alright again now that Aunt Martha was gone. Would they still be a family just like always?
As if he had read his thoughts, Luke leaned in close and whispered in Bo's ear
“No matter what happens, cuz….you and I will always have each other. I'll never leave you, Bo….I promise.”
Bo buried his face against his cousin's shoulder as he stated to cry. He didn't want anyone to see his tears, especially Luke. Luke's approval and love meant everything to Bo. He needed it almost as much as the air he breathed. When he was with Luke, Bo felt like he could do just about anything. He knew that Luke would always be there to catch him when he fell and pick him up again. He knew that Luke loved him unconditionally and Bo loved Luke the same way. They may only have been cousins but they were closer than brothers, bound together by a unique bond unlike anything either one of them shared with anyone else.
____________________
“Is it gonna hurt, Luke?” eight year old Bo asked with just a trace of fear showing in his eyes.
“Just a little.” Twelve year old Luke replied “But not much. Trust me.”
“I trust you.” Bo said and he did. He always trusted Luke. Luke was his idol. He held out his hand. He bit his bottom lip nervously as Luke took out his pocket knife and opened the blade. He flinched, trying hard not to cry, as Luke make a shallow cut across the palm of Bo's right hand just deep enough to make it bleed.
He watched in silence as Luke made an identical cut across the palm of his left hand also drawing blood. Luke reached out and clasped Bo's hand with his, holding tightly, their blood mixing together from the cuts on their palms.
“Cousins by blood, brothers forever by choice.” Luke said solemnly
“Cousins by blood, brothers forever by choice.” Bo repeated just as solemnly.
Luke held their hands together for several minutes and then let go. He pulled a hanky out of his pocket and carefully wrapped it around the cut on his palm. Bo pulled out his hanky from his pocket and Luke helped him to tie it in place on his own palm.
“Now we're blood brothers for life.” Luke told his younger cousin with a grin
“Blood brothers for life.” Bo repeated with a happy grin, throwing himself into his older cousin's arms with a giggle. He laughed happily as Luke suddenly tossed him down onto the straw in the hayloft and started tickling him with his fingers.
____________________
Four year old Bo sat down on the ground crying loudly and looking at his scraped knee. Suddenly, his eight year old cousin, Luke was there, wrapping his arms around Bo tightly. “It's okay, Bo.” Luke said gently “We'll take you in the house and have Aunt Martha fix you right up in no time.”
Bo tried to smile through his tears, trusting his older cousin to make it all right again. He felt Luke lifting him up in his arms. Bo wrapped his arms around Luke's neck and held on tight, burying his face against his cousin's shoulder. He just knew that things would always be okay as long as Luke was around. Luke would always be there to take care of him and protect him. Luke was his hero. He was his big brother even if everybody else kept telling him they were just cousins.
____________________
Bo fought back the tears as he wondered if there would be any more happy times ahead for him and Luke or if he all would have for the rest of eternity were his memories of his cousin. And the pain of losing him that would end up destroying Bo too.
Bo drifted in and out of a uneasy sleep. Luke was getting steadily weaker, his breathing getting shallower with long pauses between each breath. Bo tried to force Luke to keep breathing with the sheer force of his own will power, trying desperately to give his dying cousin some of his strength to just hold on a little while longer.
____________________
Bo was back at the farm sitting in the hayloft with Luke. Luke was quiet, lost in his own thoughts and not paying much attention to Bo. Finally, he turned to Bo with a deep grief etched across his handsome features, his sapphire eyes cloudy with pain, and whispered,
“I'm dying, Bo….you have to accept that.”
“NO!” Bo yelled, refusing to listen “YOU CAN'T DIE! I WON'T LET YOU DIE!”
“You don't have a choice, Bo…..neither do I. “ Luke's eyes filled with tears as he gently reached out to touch his cousin's cheek “I don't wanna die…..I don't wanna leave you, or Uncle Jesse or Daisy…..But I just can't hold on any longer. I'm too busted up inside…..”
“But as long as you're still alive there's a chance…..there's always a chance…”
“Bo, it would take a miracle to save me now and I think I'm fresh out of miracles this time….”
“But if you die….I'll be all alone…..”
“I know and that's one reason I haven't left yet……it's your love that keeping me from dying……but in a little while even that won't be enough……”
“Why?” Bo cried, tears filling his eyes as his heart refused to accept the inevitable.
“Because my bodies not strong enough to keep fighting…….I'm too weak…..and it's too hard to keep trying……let me go, Bo. Let me go in peace….”
“NO! I'LL NEVER LET YOU GO! DO YOU HEAR ME, LUKE DUKE? I'LL NEVER LET YOU GO!”
____________________
Bo woke himself up with his own screams. Tears poured down his face, as he quickly leaned down to make sure that Luke hadn't died yet. Bo felt a surge of relief when he felt the faint softness of Luke's breath against his cheek. He was still alive even if it wasn't by much. And as long as he was alive, Bo absolutely refused to give up hope.
He shifted positions so that he was cradling Luke's head in his lap. Gently he stroked his cousin's cheek, talking to him quietly. Desperately reminding him of all the things he had to live for. Trying to find a way to force Luke to keep trying, to keep fighting, to use that Duke stubbornness to go on living.
Bo had track of time. He could no longer remember how long they had been trapped in this cold, dark place. Luke was almost dead, he was barely breathing and Bo knew it wouldn't be long now until it was all over. He sighed and began to sing softly just to break through the silence. Suddenly, he thought he heard noises coming from overhead.
“IS SOMEOENE UP THERE?” Bo yelled desperately hoping that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. .
“BO?” Uncle Jesse's voice yelled down into the darkness.
“UNCLE JESSE!” Bo yelled back in a relieved voice. . Tears began running freely down his face as he turned his attention back to his cousin. “Ya hear that, Luke? Uncle Jesse's here! We're gonna get outta here! You're gonna be okay!” For a moment, Bo felt his heart stop. He couldn't tell if Luke was breathing anymore. Frantically, he leaned down and detected just a trace of a breath against his cheek. “Hang on, Luke!” he cried “You can't give up now! Please, not now!”
“ HOLD ON WE'LL GET YOU OUT OF THERE!” Jesse yelled down to Bo. “IS LUKE OKAY?” Bo didn't reply not sure of what to say and Jesse took Bo's silence as a bad sign. Cooter backed his tow truck as close as he could to the edge of the caved in ground and lowered a chain down into chasm. Jesse and Daisy stood by watching anxiously, as Cooter climbed down the chain into the pit to help the boys.
When the boys didn't arrive home by nightfall Jesse and Daisy had immediately started looking for them. They had enlisted Cooter's help and had started searching the back roads in the area. It didn't take them long to find The General Lee parked alongside the road near Hazzard Pond but no sign of the boys until Daisy noticed the caved in area halfway between the pond and the road.
“Bo, are you okay?” Cooter asked as he reached the bottom of the shaft and saw Bo holding Luke in his arms. “Is Luke okay?”
Bo looked up at Cooter, the response locking in his throat. He shook his head and said “He's hurt, Cooter….he's hurt real bad.”
“It'll be okay, Bo.” Cooter said quietly, taking in Luke's condition as best he could. He knew they were going to need help to get Luke out of there without injuring him any worse than he already was. “You just hang on? Okay?' Cooter said turning his attention back to the younger Duke boy. “We're gonna get the two of ya out of here right quick. Can you stand up?”
“Luke?” Bo whimpered, reluctant to leave his injured cousin. Cooter put a comforting hand on Bo's shoulder and said “Let's get you out of here and I'll stay down here with Luke. Okay?” Bo nodded and slowly released his hold on Luke. With Cooter's help he stood up. His legs felt too weak to support his weight, and Cooter caught him before he fell to the ground. Cooter led him over to the chain and helped him to stand on the wide hook. Once he was sure that Bo could hold on without losing his balance, Cooter yelled to Jesse “TAKE IT UP!” Jesse hit the button to raise the chain and it slowly moved upwards. He quickly helped Bo to solid ground.
“UNCLE JESSE?” Cooter yelled back up to the surface as soon as he saw that Bo was safely out of the shaft.
“YEAH?” Jesse yelled back
“CALL AN AMBULANCE AND GET THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OUT HERE RIGHT NOW! LUKE'S HURT BAD AND WE'RE GONNA NEED HELP GETTING HIM OUTTA HERE!” Cooter tried to keep his voice calm not wanting to upset Jesse and Daisy unnecessarily.
Jesse didn't need to be told twice. Leaving Bo in Daisy's care, he ran back to her jeep to call for more help. Meanwhile, Cooter began carefully moving as much of the debris off of Luke's lower body as he could. He couldn't tell if his friend was still alive or not but he wasn't going to leave him down here.
After about ten minutes, Cooter heard the sirens as the ambulance and the fire truck arrived. Within minutes, two firemen were climbing down into the old mine shaft to join Cooter. Between the three men, they were able to remove the rest of the rocks and debris that covered Luke's body including the support beam. One of the firemen leaned down and pressed his fingertips against the side of Luke's neck. Glancing at his partner, he said “We've gotta get him outta here now or we're gonna lose him!”
“SEND DOWN THE LITTER BASKET!” his partner yelled back up the shaft. A few moments later, the other firemen still above ground lowered down the specially make stretcher with the high webbed sides that they would need to get Luke out of the shaft. One of the firemen took the backboard out of the basket and laid it on the ground beside Luke's body. Cooter stood by watching anxiously as the two firemen gently rolled Luke over onto his side, careful to keep his neck and spine as straight as possible. They slid the backboard underneath him and then rolled his body back over onto the board. Before transferring him into the basket, they put on a neck brace and used heavily weighed sandbags to hold his head in position. Once they were ready, they lifted the backboard up off the ground and placed Luke in the basket.
“TAKE ‘EM UP!” One of the firemen yelled. Slowly the basket was pulled back up towards the surface. The two firemen jerked on the ropes that had lowered them down into the shaft. Once they were back on the surface, one of them threw down a rope to Cooter so that he could climb out. Once the litter basket was on the surface, the paramedics took over. They rapidly carried Luke to the waiting ambulance.
“LUKE!” Bo yelled as soon as he saw his cousin's body. He tried to get to his injured cousin but Jesse wrapped his arms around him, holding him tight.
“It's gonna be alright. Let them take care of Luke now….” Jesse told him in a soothing voice as he tried to calm Bo's fears. He carefully slipped one arm around Bo's waist and started leading him towards the waiting ambulance. When they reached the ambulance, one of the paramedics reached out a hand and helped Bo to climb inside. He sat Bo down on a bench that ran along one side of the vehicle and started examining him.. Luke was still lying in the litter basket on the other side of the ambulance directly across from Bo with the other paramedic frantically working on him. The paramedic tending to Bo reached out to close the doors just as Jesse yelled “We'll meet you and Luke at the hospital!”
As the ambulance started to pull away with the siren blaring and the lights flashing, the paramedic tending to Luke suddenly said in a frantic voice “We're losing him!” Bo screamed and tried to stand up to get to his cousin only to be restrained by the other paramedic. He struggled trying to push him away until he felt a sharp sting as the paramedic injected something into his arm. The last thing Bo heard as he sank into the darkness was one of the paramedics saying “He's not breathing…….”
Chapter 5
Bo stared into the bright light that almost blinded him. He could see Luke standing there, looking at him with a sad look in his eyes. “Luke! You're alive! You're okay!”
“No…Bo….I'm not okay.”
“You're not dead….are ya?”
“Not yet….but I'm not exactly alive either…I'm kinda in between right now.”
“Then you have to come back…you can't leave….”
“I don't know if I can… it hurts too bad when I try….”
“Don't do this to me, Luke….please! I need you!”
“Take care of yourself, cousin……” with those words, Luke slowly faded away
“NO!” Bo screamed ‘COME BACK! LUKE, COME BACK!”
____________________
“Come back…..Luke….come back…” Bo muttered as he tossed his head from side to side, his body twisting on the narrow bed.
“Bo!” Jesse said, gently reaching out to shake his youngest nephew's shoulder “Wake up, son!”
“Come back, please come back!” Bo kept muttering, refusing to open his eyes.
“BO!” Jesse said sharply “Wake up!” He shook Bo's shoulder harder this time, more insistently.
Bo's eyes flew open, looking around the room desperately before settling on Jesse's face. His baby blue eyes were confused and filled with terror. Almost desperately, his hand reached out and clutched at Jesse's shirt “Luke! Where's Luke?” he cried frantically.
“Shhhhh…..calm down.” Jesse said quietly trying to soothe him. “Luke's still in surgery. We don't know anything more than that right now….”
“Then he's still alive?” Bo asked in a hoarse whisper ‘But in the ambulance…..”
“I know….they lost him twice on the way here but they got him back both times…” Jesse told him “But that's all I know right now….”
Bo laid his head back on the pillow trying to calm the frantic pounding of his heart. He took several deep slow breathes trying to relax but his mind refused to cooperate. The images of the dream were still too vivid in his mind. “I gotta see Luke…” Bo said trying to sit up but Jesse gently pushed him back down on the bed.
“You stay put. The doctor said you got a concussion and some bruised ribs….” Jesse told him “So you're gonna stay in that bed until the doctor says you can get up.”
“But Luke….” Bo started to argue with his uncle, his fear for his cousin showing clearly in his voice.
“Luke ain't going nowhere either…” Jesse told him gently “You took good care of him, boy. He stayed alive as long as he did because of you…..now it's out of our hands and it's up to the good lord to decide what happens to Luke.”
“I tried, Uncle Jesse….I really tried…..” Bo said, starting to cry.
“I know you did, son…I know you did.” Jesse gently pulled the young man into his arms and held him tightly, letting him cry. Bo leaned his head against his Uncle's shoulder, feeling safe and secure in his embrace just like when he was a child. But he knew that this was not something that Jesse could just kiss and make go away like when he was a kid.
“How long do I have to stay in this bed?” Bo asked when he regained control of his emotions and calmed down.
“The doctor said at least until tomorrow.” Jesse told him
“But Luke….”
“The doctor will let us know as soon as he has any news about Luke.” Jesse assured him “Now you settle down and get some rest.”
Bo glanced over his Uncle's shoulder anxiously as the door to the room opened but instead of a doctor with news about Luke, it was Daisy with a cup of coffee for Uncle Jesse. “Hi, sugar,” she said, as she handed the coffee to Jesse and leaned down to give her youngest cousin a kiss on the cheek. “How are you feeling?”
“I'm fine. It's Luke I'm worried about.”
“I know. We all are. But the doctor's are doing everything they can.” She told him Although Daisy seemed calm, Bo could see the anxiety and worry in her eyes and hear the unshed tears in her voice.
“How long has Luke been in surgery?” Bo asked suddenly realizing that he didn't know how long he had been unconscious before Jesse woke him up from his dream.
“Almost six hours.” Jesse told him
Bo gulped. He knew that was a long time, Luke had to be hurt a lot worse than Bo had been able to see. Instead of relieving his fears, Jesse's news only made them worse. He wondered if his dream really was a premonition. Was Luke trying to tell him that his body was just too weak to pull through in spite of the doctor's best efforts? Bo closed his eyes and frantically searched for that psychic connection that he shared with Luke but he couldn't feel Luke's presence the way he usually could and that scared the hell out of him.
Daisy reached out and gently touched the back of Bo's hand. “Honey, it's gonna be okay. Luke's gonna make it…..you have to believe that.”
“Daisy, you didn't see how bad he was hurt….” Bo said, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. “I could feel it, Daisy…..I could feel him dying in my arms….”
Before Daisy could answer, the door opened and this time a doctor did step into the room. He looked at the three anxious worried faces that stared back at him and said,
“I'm Doctor Lewis. Are you Luke Duke's family?”
“Yes.” Jesse spoke up “I'm his Uncle Jesse and these are his cousins, Daisy and Bo. How is Luke?”
“Mr. Duke, perhaps we should discuss your nephew's condition in private.” The doctor suggested
“Whatever you have to tell me about Luke, you can say in front of Daisy and Bo. They're his family too.” Jesse said firmly.
“Very well……your nephew's condition is extremely critical. He actually died in the ambulance on the way here and the paramedics were able to bring him back. And he died two more times on operating table and we brought him back….but I'm not sure that we did him or you any favors because to be honest, I do not believe he's gonna to survive…..his injuries are just too severe and too life threatening. He's on complete life support and I'm here to ask you if you want us to continue to maintain him on life support or just turn off the machines and let nature take it's course.”
Daisy and Bo stared at the doctor, stunned by his bluntness. Bo started to tell him what he thought of him but was cut off by Jesse's gravelly voice “That's my nephew you're talking about, Doctor and as long as he's alive….you better keep him on life support unless you can prove to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's gone….” Jesse glared at the doctor, his eyes narrowing dangerously “I wanna know exactly what his injuries are….regardless of what you think his chances are.”
“Alright, Mr Duke, if you insist.” The doctor said in a mildly irritated voice. He was obviously a man who wasn't used to having his professional judgment questioned especially by a backwoods redneck from some hick town. “He has a dislocated shoulder, six broken ribs, and his right leg is broken in four places. One of the broken ribs punctured his lung causing it to collapse. He also has a very serious head injury with a fractured skull. He had a ruptured spleen and damage to his liver both of which caused massive internal bleeding. Both kidneys are severely bruised and there could be some permanent damage. There was tear in the sack that surrounds the heart which filled with blood and caused his heart to stop beating four times before we got it repaired. There was also a perforation or rip in the lower bowel which caused seepage into the abdomen which presents the danger of him developing peritonitis.
The surgery to repair all of the damage was extensive, he required several transfusions during surgery and that can cause complications since his blood type is so rare. His body is severely weakened and can't function on it's on without the machines. He can't breathe on his own, his heart rate is unstable and his blood pressure is very erratic. At this point, we can not stabilize him as well as we would like. ”
When the doctor finally stopped his listing of Luke's injuries, the Dukes were all stunned and as they realized just how critical Luke's condition was and that it was a miracle that he had survived this long. But Dukes didn't give up and as long as there was any hope at all, they would keep on fighting and they would refuse to let Luke give up fighting for his own life. Even though from what the doctor said it looked like it would take a miracle for Luke to survive this.
“Thank you for your honesty, Doctor.” Jesse said “Can we see him?”
“No, not at this time. He's being set up in the ICU right now and I am not allowing any visitors unless we can get his condition more stabilized.”
“Now wait just a minute…” Bo said angrily, irritated at this doctor's entire attitude.
“Bo!” Jesse said in a mildly warning tone. He looked at the doctor grimly “I expect you to let us know as soon as we can see Luke”
The doctor smiled thinly and left the room without saying a word. As soon as the door closed behind him, Bo snapped “He can't do that! If Luke's gonna die…..we got the right to see him! I don't care what that dang doctor says!”
“Bo's right, Uncle Jesse.” Daisy said, her tears welling with tears “That doctor doesn't even care about Luke…..he thinks he's gonna die anyway!”
“Now settle down both of you.” Jesse said “I'll give Doc Applebee a call and see what he can do. Meanwhile, this Doctor Lewis is in charge and we'll have to do what he says.” In a grim voice he added “For now anyway….”
Chapter 6
Mark Applebee looked at the proud and stubborn faces of the Duke family. He had been their family doctor for years and was a childhood friend of Jesse. When Jesse called him with news of Luke's tragic accident, he had immediately gone to the hospital in Capital City where Luke had been taken. (The Tri-County Hospital was closer to home but the one in Capital City was better equipped to care for someone in Luke's condition.)
Once he had arrived at the hospital, he had spoken to the doctors in charge of Luke's care and review the medical charts so that he would be up to date on Luke's present condition before meeting with the family.
Bo had been released from care that morning, so he was sitting with his family in the empty office that Doc Applebee had ushered them into so that they could talk in private. Knowing how worried and upset they were, Doc dispensed with the small talk and got right down to business.
“I know that Doctor Lewis already told you the extent of Luke's injuries. Any of them could still be potentially life threatening in Luke's present condition. It's a miracle that he's survived this long….but I also know how much of a fighter he is and he's gonna have to fight to make it through this. Right now the machines are the only thing that's keeping him alive but that's only because his body is so weakened from the trauma that it can't function on its own. I do think as he gets stronger and his body starts healing…..he will be able to survive without being on the machines.”
“That other doctor said they were having trouble even with the machines.” Jesse said gruffly, trusting the family doctor and friend to explain that to them better.
“Yes, they were having trouble getting Luke's vital signs to stabilize. And his blood pressure, heart rate and breathing are still all erratic. But again….I think it's just because of the trauma his body has been through and that should correct itself too as he gets stronger….the biggest problem right now is keeping him alive long enough for his body to start healing and for him to regain some strength so he can start fighting back on his own.”
“So he could still die even with all the machines doing the work?” Bo questioned anxiously.
“Yes....he could. The human body can only sustain so much injury and still survive no matter what we do as doctors and Luke's body has exceeded those limits already. The stress and severity of the injures themselves and then the surgery to repair the damage all put additional stress of his heart and all of his other major organs. But I won't lie to any of and give you false hope….it is highly unlikely that Luke will survive this.” He looked at Jesse. Even though Luke was an adult, Jesse was still considered his closest next of kin and would make the final decisions concerning Luke's care “You have the option of removing him from life support at any time and simply letting nature take its course. At this time, there is still brain activity…so by law he is still considered medically alive but if at some point, the brain activity should stop and he becomes brain dead, then I would advise you at that point to remove the life support because he will never recover or function on his own again if that happens.”
“Doc…” Jesse said choosing his words with care “If Luke does by some miracle pull through this….will he be the same as he was before?”
“There's no way of knowing that right now. A lot of that depends on Luke and his own will to live and if there are any complications or any kind of permanent damage from his present injuries. He does have a serious head injury and there is some concern about that.”
“Can you fix it so we can see him?” Bo asked
“It's already done.” Doc Applebee told them with a smile. “As a matter of fact I'll take you to the I.C.U. myself as soon as we finish up here. I also wanted to let you know that Dr. Lewis had withdrawn himself from the case and Dr. Gibson is now Luke's primary doctor. He's an old friend of mine and he'll make sure that everything humanly possible is done to get Luke thru this and to keep him as comfortable as possible.”
“Thank you, Doc.” Jesse said gratefully
“Now there are just a couple of things I want to go over with you before we go up to the I.C.U.” Doc told them “You will each be allowed to see Luke for 15 minutes once every two hours….that's standard procedure in the I.C.U. And only one of you at a time will be allowed into the room. Now, there are a lot of machines in there and that can be a little unnerving and they are all hooked up to Luke's body in some way. Just remember that those machines are monitoring his condition at all times and they are what's keeping him alive right now. There are also a lot of bandages and his leg is in a traction cast. And at the moment, he is a deep coma which is partially medically induced, so he's not going to respond to you. He's also receiving two different IVS. One of them is blood and the other is a combination of normal saline and medication. He's also being fed intravenously at the moment. His appearance is going to be quite a shock and I want you to be aware of that and be prepared.”
They all nodded to show that they understood what Doc had just told them. He ushered them out of the room and down the hallway to the elevators. He pushed the button for the third floor where the I.C.U. occupied the entire floor. The first thing they saw as they stepped off of the elevator was the nurse's station to the left and the family lounge to the right. Doc led them over to the lounge area. Every effort had been made to make sure that family members had a comfortable place to wait when they had a family member in the I.C.U. There were two plush comfortable couches and several equally plush chairs, including one recliner. There were two coffee tables with magazines stacked on top and another smaller table to one side with a coffee pot, Styrofoam cups, and a selection of sweet rolls sitting on it. There was a big screen TV and telephone on the wall for the families use. A small sign on the wall pointed the way down a short hallway to the restrooms and the snack machines.
“Who wants to go in first?” Doc asked after the family was comfortably settled.
“Let Bo go first.” Jesse said “And then me and then Daisy.” Bo gave his Uncle a grateful look as he turned to follow the doctor past the nurse's station and into the ICU unit itself. Each patient in the unit was in a separate private room. Each room had an observation window where visitors could look into the room even if they couldn't go inside. Luke was in the room closest to the nurse's station, an indicator as to the seriousness of his condition. Doc opened the door and stepped aside to let Bo go in. Bo caught his breath when he saw his eldest cousin for the first time. Even though the doctor had warned them, it was still a terrible shock to see Luke in his present condition. He was almost as white as the sheets he was lying on and he looked so small and fragile somehow. It seemed as if half the room was full of machines and they were all either making some kind of noise or flashing readouts across their screens. It seemed like the only part of Luke's body that wasn't covered by bandages was his face and even that didn't look natural. It was swollen to almost twice it's normal size and both of Luke's eyes were bruised. The top of his head was even heavily bandaged. And there were tubes and wires attached to his body everywhere it seemed. There was also a respirator stuck in his mouth, almost covering the lower part of his face. Bo shuddered at the sight. Bo hated hospitals and he hated needles and to him Luke looked like something out of one of those horror movies he used to watch as a kid. It was unsettling to say the least.
Bo slowly walked over to the bed and found a small place on Luke's left arm that didn't seem to have anything attached to it that he could at least touch. He reached out and gently rubbed that small section of skin. It seemed cooler than usual to the touch, not the warmth he was used to feeling when he was close to Luke. That was one of the things he'd always liked when he was little and climbed into bed with Luke. Luke had always been warm. “Hey, cuz….” Bo whispered in a cracked voice. He cleared his throat and tried again, this time in a little stronger voice “You're gonna be okay, Luke…..you're in the hospital and they're gonna take real good care of you.” Bo's eyes shifted to the one machine that he knew monitored Luke's heartbeat, watching the jagged lines that skipped across the monitor and listening to the steady beeping sound it made. As far as Bo was concerned, that was the most important machine to him. As long as it was beeping and those jagged lines were present, then Luke's heart was still beating.
It's hard to carry on a conversation with someone who isn't responding but Bo was good at talking, so he spend the next fifteen minutes talking to Luke about anything that popped into his head. Luke was always telling Bo that he talked too much but he didn't think that Luke would mind too much this time. When his time was up, Bo left so that Jesse and Daisy could have their turn with Luke.
Chapter 7
Bo stood at the edge of the hole looking down into the shaft where he and Luke had fallen. A crew would be coming in later that afternoon to fill in the hole but Bo had to come here before they did and see this place one more time. He picked up the length of rope he had taken out of the General Lee's truck and securely tied it to the front bumper. Tossing the other end into the shaft, Bo grabbed hold and slowly lowered himself over the edge. Moving slowly, he climbed down the rope into the shaft.
When he reached the bottom, he slowly walked over to where Luke had been pinned under the debris from the cave in. From the sunlight shining down from above, he could still see Luke's blood on the rocks and even more blood on the ground where the lower part of his body had been pinned. So much blood….way too much blood. Bo felt a sick feeling deep in his gut wondering how Luke could have lost so much blood and still managed to live as long as he had. He figured that maybe the weight of the debris on his body had had something to do with it somehow. Bo knelt down and reached out his fingertips to touch a patch of blood. Even after three days, it was still sticky to his touch.
Finally, Bo heaved a deep sigh and shoved himself to his feet. Grabbing the rope, he pulled himself back to the surface and stepped onto solid ground. He pulled up the rope and untied it from the General's bumper. Coiling the rope back up, he took it back and tossed it back into the trunk. He gently ran his hand along the smooth gleaming side of the stock car he had built with Luke. The General Lee. With its bright orange paint job, the big black 01 trimmed in black on each door and the confederate flag painted on the roof with the name General Lee written above each door, the General was as well known in Hazzard County as the boys were. Slowly Bo climbed into the car through the window on the driver's side. As he reached out to turn on the ignition, he found himself wondering if Luke would ever ride shotgun in the General Lee with him again. The powerful engine roared to life and Bo pulled away heading for Capital City and the hospital to be with Luke.
Bo had been at the hospital since their rescue until that morning when he finally agreed to return to Hazzard with Jesse and Daisy just long enough to shower and change clothes. Now he was on his way back to the hospital. He had to be there with Luke as much as possible until Luke either died or he recovered. The bond that had always held them together, held them together still, even though at the moment, Bo could not feel Luke's presence like he usually did. But he had a feeling that had to do with the medically induced coma that Luke was being kept it. It was blocking their connection somehow. But that didn't stop Bo from trying to reach out to Luke with his mind to somehow reassure him and comfort him, to let him know that he wasn't going through this ordeal alone.
Jesse had agreed to let Bo return to the hospital only because he knew he wouldn't be able to stop him anyway. Those two boys had always been inseparable and this time would be no different. And Jesse knew that if anyone could get through to Luke in his present condition that Bo could. And that the special bond they shared would hold Luke to this life and give him the strength to go on fighting to live. It was a bond that Jesse had never questioned. He had shared a similar bond with Luke's father until the day he died. And Jesse more than anyone knew the strength and the power of that bond.
When Bo arrived at the hospital, he parked the General and went into the building, taking the elevator to the third floor. When he walked up to the nurse's station to let the nurse on duty that he was there, she asked him to wait in the lounge so the doctor could speak to him.
“Why?” he demanded anxiously “Is Luke okay? Has something happened to him?”
“Please, Mr. Duke.” The nurse told him “If you'll just have a seat in the lounge, I'll page the doctor for you.”
Realizing that he had no choice, Bo walked over to the lounge but was too nervous and worried to sit down, so he started pacing the floor anxiously, trying to control the fear that gnawed at his stomach. A few minutes later, he saw a middle aged man wearing a white jacket walking towards him.
“Are you Mr. Duke?” the man asked with a smile, holding out his hand to shake Bo's hand as he introduced himself “I'm Doctor Gibson, Luke's doctor.”
“Is Luke okay? Is there something wrong?”
“Why don't we go back to my office so we can talk?” the doctor suggested. Reluctantly Bo followed him down a short hallway to his office and stepped inside. As soon as the doctor closed the door behind them, Bo repeated his questions about Luke.
“We had to take Luke back into surgery a little while ago. As you know one of the injuries he sustained was a rip in the bowel which caused the contents of the bowel to seep into his abdomen. Unfortunately, that caused him to develop peritonitis which is basically a very serious infection. We will have to remove the infected portion of his bowel and possibly a portion of his intestines.” The doctor paused to give Bo time to absorb that information before continuing “My biggest concern is that Luke may not be strong enough to survive another major surgery this soon. And if he does survive….there could very well be further complications.”
“Like what?” Bo asked trying to choke back the lump that rose in his throat
“The shock of another major surgery this soon could cause heart failure. If he survives the surgery itself, we will be monitoring his condition very closely for at least the next seventy-two hours. If he makes that long without any further complications, then we'll go from there.”
“How soon will you know if he makes it through the surgery?”
“He'll probably be in surgery for at least three or four hours. I will keep you posted on his progress.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Bo said “I have to call my family and let them know.”
“Of course.” The doctor said, showing Bo back out to the family lounge.
Bo immediately went to the phone and dialed the number for the Duke farm. Jesse's voice answered on the first ring.
“Duke Farm. Jesse Duke speaking.”
“Uncle Jesse, it's Bo. They had to take Luke back into surgery.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, his voice cracked and the tears threatened to overflow.
“Daisy and I are on our way.” Jesse told him “Just hang on till we get there.” With that Jesse hung up without saying goodbye and Bo went back to pacing the floor.
Jesse and Daisy arrived in record time. Even though it was normally an hours drive to Capital City , they arrived in forty five minutes. Joining Bo in the family lounge, they began their vigil waiting for news on Luke's condition. It was almost five hours before Doctor Gibson finally came out of the I.C.U.
“How's Luke?” Bo asked immediately as soon as the doctor joined them. “Is he okay? Did he make it through the surgery?”
The doctor held up his hand to stop Bo's questions so that he could respond. In a quiet, calm voice he said “He's back in the I.C.U. He did make it through the surgery but it's too soon to tell how his body is going to handle the shock of another surgery this soon after the last one. His vital signs are erratic again and we are having trouble getting his heart rate to stabilize but I've ordered some medication that hopefully will help with that. There is a possibility that we may have to put in a temporary pacemaker to take some of the strain off his heart, at least for now.”
“How soon can we see him?” Jesse asked
“It'll be at least another hour or so.” The doctor told them. “Just try to make yourselves comfortable. I'll have one of the nurses to let you know as soon you can see him.”
Jesse and Daisy nodded while Bo went back to his pacing.
Chapter 8
Daisy smiled as she waited on the customers lined up at the bar but the smile hid her sadness and concern over her older cousin. It had been a week since the accident and although Luke was still holding on, there was no real change in his condition. Daisy knew that because his injuries were so severe, it would take a long time for his body to heal but she was starting to feel the stress. They all were.
Cooter came up to the bar and greeted Daisy with a warm smile. He ordered a beer and leaned against the bar. As Daisy sat the mug down in front of him, he said,
“How's Luke doing?”
“About the same. There's no real change.” Daisy told him unable to keep the sadness out of her voice.
“But he's still alive…that's good.”
“Yeah….I know. It's just so hard to see him lying there hooked up to all them machines.”
“I know it is, darling. But those machines are helping keep him alive so he can get stronger and his body can heal.” Cooter reminded her
“I know that.”
“How's Uncle Jesse and Bo holding up?”
“Uncle Jesse's doing okay and Bo spends all his time at the hospital with Luke.”
“Can't say that surprises me.” Cooter said with a grin “Just so y'all know, Rosco arrested them guys that were doing the illegal blasting that caused the cave in.”
“Good. I hope they get some time in jail for what they did and not just a big fine.”
“Yeah…me too… turns out they been doing illegal blasting all over the state.”
“How are you holding up?”
“Okay…I guess. It's just so hard ya know?”
“I know it is. I'm worried about him too. Everybody in Hazzard is worried about him and praying for him.”
“I know. The ladies from the church brought a bunch of food out to the house.”
“Well, I bet ole Luke surprises all them doctors.”
“I hope so…but I'm scared, Cooter….I'm scared of him dying and I'm scared of what'll happen to my family if he does….Bo would lose it….I know he would.”
“Yeah, I know….them two are almost too close sometimes.” Cooter said understanding perfectly. “What does the doctor have to say about Luke?”
“He still keeps telling us not to get our hopes up too much….that he doesn't think Luke'll make it…..he's just busted up too much inside.” Her eyes filled with tears and she blinked rapidly to keep them from falling.
Cooter saw the tears and reached out to gently cover her hand with his. “I know it's hard but you gotta keep hoping…..cause without hope you ain't got nothing. And I'd still put my money on Luke. That boy's a fighter and he'll fight to stay here with his family.” Seeing how upset Daisy was, he asked “How soon do you get off work?”
“In an hour.”
“Why don't I hang around and drive you home? You're in no condition to be driving.”
“I'll be okay. I've got Dixie .”
“And I got my truck so I can hook Dixie up to the back. I ain't taking no for an answer. I'm driving you home.”
Daisy smiled knowing there was no use arguing. “Okay. I'd appreciate that…then you can stay for supper.”
“Who's cooking? You or Jesse?”
“Uncle Jesse. He's making crawdad bisque.”
“Then I'm definitely staying for supper.” Cooter told her with a soft chuckle. Jesse's crawdad bisque was almost as famous as his shine. Cooter sipped at his beer while Daisy went to wait on some other customers. When she got off work, Cooter walked her outside. He backed up his truck and hooked her jeep up to the backend to tow it back to the farm for her. When they got to the farm, Jesse smiled warmly when Cooter came into the house with Daisy.
“Cooter gave me a ride home so I wouldn't have to drive cause I was a little upset.” Daisy told Jesse as she opened the cabinet and started sitting the table “So I invited him to stay for supper.”
“Good…there's plenty to go around.” Jesse said, as he lifted the lid on the pot sitting on the stove. The delicious aroma of his bisque filled the air making Cooter's mouth water. Once Daisy had the table set, Jesse spooned out each of them a bowl of bisque and sat it on the table. They all sat down and bowed their heads while Jesse said grace. When he had finished, Daisy passed around a basket of fresh homemade rolls and they began to eat. As usual the bisque was delicious. Daisy made sure to put back a bowl for Bo. She would take it to the hospital for him when they went there the next day.
During the meal, they tried to keep their conversation light, talking about their day, Cooter's work at the garage, everything except what was really on all of their minds. Luke. They were all worried about the oldest Duke boy. He was such a part of all of their lives that they each knew things would never be the same if he died.
To Jesse, he was his oldest child, in Jesse's eyes a son and not just a nephew. He was the one who loved the land and the farm as much as Jesse did. He was the oldest, the one Jesse had always depended on to help with his younger cousins and Luke had taken that responsibility very seriously. Jesse was very proud of the man that Luke had become. To Daisy, Luke was her big brother. The one who was always there to take care of her and watch out for her. He was the one that she knew she could go to with any problem and he would be there to listen. He was the one who had taught her how to fight so she could defend herself and he was always the first one to come to her aide if she needed help. He gave her strength and courage when she needed it the most. He was always the leader, the one Daisy and Bo looked up to and tried to be like. To Cooter, Luke was his best friend. They had been since third grade. They'd gone fishing, hunting and camping together. As they got older, they worked on cars together. They talked about girls, racing and just about everything else. Cooter knew he could always count on Luke to have his back in a fight or to just be there when he needed a friend. Luke was the best friend a man could have. He was loyal, dependable and trust worthy. And like all the Dukes, if he gave you his word, you could count on it because a Duke's word was binding and they never broke a promise. If anything happened to Luke, they would all lose someone who was a very important part of their lives.
They had just finished eating when the phone rang. They all exchanged anxious glances as Jesse stood up and hurried to the phone. “Duke farm. This is Jesse Duke talking.” He listened for a moment and then he said “We're on our way.” Hanging up the phone, he looked at Daisy and Cooter's worried faces and said “We have to get to the hospital. They had to take Luke back into surgery.”
“What happened?” Daisy asked as she jumped to her feet
“He bleeding inside again….Bo said the doctor doesn't know if they can get it stopped or not this time….”
“Y'all be careful.” Cooter said as he followed them out of the house “And you let me know as soon as you hear anything,”
“We will.” Jesse promised as him and Daisy climbed into her jeep with Jesse behind the wheel for another hurried trip to the hospital.
Chapter 9
Daisy, Bo and Jesse all stood around Luke's bedside in the I.C.U. The doctor had bent the rules and agreed to let all three of them in the room to be with Luke. He didn't tell them that it was because he expected Luke to die before the night was over. He was still hooked to the machines that were keeping him alive but his heart rate and other vital signs still refused to stabilize. And with three major surgeries in a little over a week, his body just couldn't take any more trauma.
Daisy reached out and gently touched the side of her cousin's face. He was so pale and white he didn't even look like Luke. His face was still swollen and so was the rest of his body. He looked as if he put on twenty pounds because of the swelling. The doctor told them it was because his body was retaining fluids from the IVs. He had ordered additional medication to try and bring it down but so far it hadn't helped much.
Bo had dark circles under his eyes from spending his nights sleeping in a chair in the family lounge and spending the rest of his time either pacing the floor or setting by Luke's side as often as he was allowed in the room with him. The strain and worry showed in his face but he refused to give up. Hope was all he had left in spite of what the doctors kept saying. His eyes kept drifting to the monitor that showed Luke's heartbeat. One minute it seemed to be steady and then the next minute it would either speed up or slow down. The doctor was still talking about putting in a pace maker to help regulate his heartbeat but so far he hadn't done it, not wanting to subject Luke to yet another surgery.
Jesse was worried about Luke but he was just as worried about Bo. Bo refused to leave the hospital unless Jesse forced him to and then he only went home long enough to shower and change clothes, then he went right back to the hospital. The boys had always been close but sometimes Jesse found himself wondering if they weren't too close. He worried about what would happen to Bo if Luke didn't make it. Bo had always been the most sensitive of the three cousins, the one whose feelings got hurt the easiest. He wasn't afraid to show his emotions, unlike Luke who was the most closed off of the three. Somehow the two boys had always balanced each other out. They told each other everything and Bo was the only one that Luke was really open with about his own feelings. But Bo also relied and depended on Luke. Without Luke, Bo would be lost and alone. And Jesse was scared to death that if Luke died, he could end up losing both of his nephews because Bo wouldn't want to go on without Luke. Jesse been doing a lot of praying since the accident and he hoped that god saw fit to answer his prayers.
They were all so wrapped up in their own thoughts that it took a minute for the loud even sound of the heart monitor to catch their attention. They all looked at the monitor anxiously, their hearts jumping into their throats, when they saw the flat line on the monitor screen. Suddenly, the room started filling up with nurses and other medical personnel. One of the nurses ushered the family out of the room, shutting the door firmly. They gathered in the hallway, peering into the room through the observation window. They watched fearfully as one of the nurses pulled down the sheet to just below Luke's waist, while one of the doctors in the room turned on the heart defibulator machine and squeezed the gel on the paddles. They couldn't hear what was being said in the room but they could see it all too clearly.
The doctor rubbed the paddles together to spread around the gel and then pressed the paddles against Luke's chest, one on his left side over his ribs and the other one just over his right nipple. Daisy hid her face against Jesse's shoulder as the force of the electrical current surging through his body forced Luke's body to arch up off the bed. The doctor paused and glanced at the screen but the monitor remained in a flat line. So he shocked Luke again. Still no response. When he tried for a third time without any response, he reached over and turned up the dials increasing the strength of the electrical current. Two more times he tried to revive Luke without success. He was ready to give up when he decided to try it one more time. As he applied the paddles for the sixth time, the line on the monitor suddenly jumped and then went back into a jagged line as Luke's heart started beating again. The anxious family watching through the window all sagged in relief. They had been certain that they had lost Luke. Both Bo and Daisy leaned heavily against Jesse for support. They continued to watch as the doctors and nurses tended to Luke. Finally someone noticed the family watching through the window and hurried over to close the blinds. A moment later, one of the nurses came out of the room and said “Please, go back to the lounge. The doctor will be out to talk to you as soon as he can.”
“Uncle Jesse….” Bo stated to object. He wanted to stay right where he was until they let him back into Luke's room. Jesse stopped him with a gentle shake of his head.
“Let's go wait in the lounge like she said.” Jesse told him gently. He put an arm around his youngest nephew's shoulders and gently guided him down the hallway towards the family lounge. The family sat down and tried to calm down as they waited for the doctor to come out and tell the latest news on Luke's condition. It was almost an hour before they finally saw Doc Applebee walking down the hallway towards them. They were all surprised wondering what Doc was doing here since he wasn't Luke's primary doctor at the moment.
“Jesse….” Doc said with a faint smile as he sat down in one of the chairs facing the sofa where the family was sitting. “Doctor Gibson asked me to talk to y'all about Luke.”
“What about Luke?” Jesse asked anxiously. “He's still alive isn't he? His heart didn't stop again, did it?”
“No, he's still alive but this whole situation has put a tremendous strain on his body, especially his heart……even though they were able to bring him this time….the next time he won't be so lucky. And even if by some miracle he does pull through this…..there could be permanent damage to his heart. We just don't know yet.”
“Is that all?” Jesse asked sensing that Doc had something else to say to them.
“No….Doctor Gibson wants to make Luke a no code.”
“What does that mean exactly?” Bo asked suspiciously not liking the sounds of that.
“It means that if something happens again like what just happened….they won't do anything to try and bring him back. They'll let him go.”
“NO!” Bo yelled. He looked at his uncle with a pleading look in his eyes and in his voice “Uncle Jesse, you can't let them do that!”
“It's your call, Jesse. I can't tell you what to do. You have to make the decision.”
“I can't do it….” Jesse said softly “I can't just let him go….not as long as there's any chance at all of him pulling through this….I won't let them do that.”
Doctor Applebee nodded his head somberly. He wasn't surprised. He had told the other doctor that this was probably what the elder Duke would say. “I'll let him know your decision.”
“Can we see, Luke?” Bo asked
Doc shook his head. “Not anymore tonight. Come back tomorrow….you all need to go home and get some rest.”
“I ain't going no place. I'm staying right here.” Bo insisted
“Bo, you heard Doc…..they won't let any of us back in to see Luke tonight. You need to come up with us and get a good night's sleep. We'll come back first thing in the morning.” Although Jesse's voice was gentle, his tone made it clear that he wasn't going to let Bo argue about it any longer. Reluctantly, Bo nodded his head silently agreeing to do what his Uncle wanted.
Chapter 10
A pretty young nurse was in Luke's room when Bo walked in the next morning. Bo automatically looked up at the heart monitor, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the familiar jagged lines dancing across the screen. He glanced back at Luke and immediately noticed that the swelling had gone done, his face looked more natural now.
“How is he?” he asked the nurse quietly
“Still hanging in there.” She told him with smile “Actually, there is some good news….his vital signs seem to have stabilized and the swelling is going down.”
“That's great.” Bo said with a smile “We could use some good news for a chance.”
“That doesn't mean he's out of the woods. He's still in very critical condition.” The nurse reminded him “But in cases like this even little signs of improvement mean a lot.”
“You got that right.” Bo said softly, as he pulled up a chair and sat down at his cousin's side. He reached out to gently touch Luke's hand, careful not to disturb the IV stuck in the back of that hand. “Hey, cuz….” He said softly “I'm here….”
“You know there's always the chance he can hear you even with all the medication they have him on.” The young nurse told him with an encouraging smile.
“I hope so…” Bo said with a tender smile at his unconscious cousin.
“He's lucky to have such a supportive family….it really helps in cases on this.” The nurse said. “Call me if you need anything.”
Bo nodded almost absently as she left the room. “I don't care what they say, cuz…” he said fiercely “I know you're gonna pull through this….cause I ain't gonna let you go…..not unless you take me with you….” Bo knew what he was saying and he knew how it sounded. But he had already made his mind that if Luke did not survive this then he didn't want to go living either, not without his best friend, his brother and his soul mate. If Luke died, Bo would find a way to join him as soon as he could. “So I guess you better make it through this…..or Jesse's gonna end up burying us both….” He whispered. Bo bowed his head to hide the tears that flooded his eyes even though there was nobody else in the room to see him cry.
After fifteen minutes, the nurse came in to tell Bo he had to leave until his next chance to visit in two hours. He hated to leave Luke's side but he didn't argue. At night, the third shift nurses often let him stay over his allotted time but the day nurses and second shift nurses were stricter. Bo wandered back out to the family lounge and tried to watch some TV but couldn't keep his mind on anything for very long.
_____________________
Bo was walking through the field behind the barn. The fog was so heavy he could barely see more than a few feet in front of him. He was looking for Luke but he couldn't find him. Still, somehow he knew that Luke was out here somewhere.
“LUKE!” he yelled frantically “WHERE ARE YOU?”
“I'm here….” Luke's voice suddenly said somewhere in the fog but it sounded like he was a long distance away. Bo could barely hear his voice.
“WHERE?” Bo yelled “I CAN'T FIND YOU!”
“I don't know where I am.” Luke said, his voice sounding even farther away
“YOU SOUND SO FAR AWAY!”
“You don't have to yell….I can hear you.”
“I can't hardly hear you though….” Bo said lowering his voice to a normal tone. He sighed in frustration “Keep talking so I can find you….”
“I can't…..they're calling me….they want me to go with them….”
“Who does?”
“My parents…..”
“NO! You have to stay here! You promised!”
“I know…..but I don't think I can keep that promise this time….”
“You have to! If you leave…..then I'll come after you…..”
“You can't do that, Bo….”
“Yes, I can….you won't be here to stop me.”
“No……I won't….” Luke said, his voice fading away
“LUKE DUKE!” Bo yelled loudly “YOU COME BACK HERE! YOU AIN'T LEAVING TILL WE SETTLE THIS!” But only silence answered him. Luke was gone and Bo didn't know where.
____________________
Bo woke up with a start. He didn't even realize that he had dozed off. For those few moments as he first awoke, he could still feel that strange connection he had always shared with Luke. It was the first time since Luke had been in the hospital that Bo had felt that connection. But as he became more alert, the connection was gone. Bo glanced at the clock on the wall. He still had over an hour before he go and sit with Luke again.
Aimlessly, he shoved himself to his feet and made his way to the snack machines. He dug some change out of his pocket and got himself a coke and a candy bar. He went back into the lounge and sat down to eat his snack. He looked up, his eyes widening with alarm when he saw Doctor Gibson walking towards him. Instantly, Bo bounced to his feet and met him half way.
“What's wrong? Is it Luke? Is he okay?”
The Doctor held up his hand to stop Bo's barrage of questions. There was a disturbed look in his eyes as he told Bo, “I think you should call your family and get them here as quickly as possible.”
“Why?” Bo demanded, trying hard to breath through the sudden lump that risen in his throat, choking him. He could feel a steel band of fear tightening around his chest.
“Luke's taken a turn for the worst. His vital signs are starting to deteriorate. I'm gonna let the family stay with him until….” He paused reluctant to finish his sentence. Finally, he competed his thought “Until it's over…..”
Chapter 11
Jesse and Daisy came to the hospital immediately as soon as Bo called them. Now the family was gathered around Luke's bedside, watching and waiting and doing more then a little praying. They each took turns talking to Luke, trying to keep him with them through the force of their love. The heart monitor was showing an erratic heartbeat, it sped up, then slowed down, then sped up again. One in awhile there were long pauses between the beats. Doctor Gibson had told them that Luke's brain had suddenly swollen putting pressure against his brain stem and slowly killing him. Surgery was not an option, the damage had already been done and it was irreversible. It was only a matter of time before they lost Luke. His body was just too weak and too broken up inside to keep fighting and to stay with them any longer no matter how much they wanted him to. It was a reality that none of them wanted to face or accept, especially Bo. Now all they could do was wait for the inevitable.
Bo's eyes had taken on a glazed vacant look that worried Jesse to death. He knew how Luke's death would affect Bo. His youngest nephew would fall apart and need to be watched closely to make sure that he didn't try to harm himself. Luke was so much a part of Bo's world that without Luke Bo wouldn't have much reason to want to go on without him. Jesse silently prayed that he wouldn't lose Bo too before this ordeal was all over.
The nurse's came in every fifteen minutes to check on Luke's vital signs and even they appeared to be quiet and subdued. They had all come to like the Duke family and they had all been hoping the dark haired young man would pull through this. They tried to maintain their professional composure but more than one of them had tears in their eyes as they tended to the dying young man.
The nurse's came in every fifteen minutes to check on Luke's vital signs and even they appeared to be quiet and subdued. They had all come to like the Duke family and they had all been hoping the dark haired young man would pull through this. They tried to maintain their professional composure but more than one of them had tears in their eyes as they tended to the dying young man. Two nurses had already requested to be transferred to another unit. This case and this family had affected them so profoundly that they no longer wanted to work in the I.C.U.
Morning stretched into afternoon and then afternoon stretched into evening. None of the remaining family members left the room except for bathroom breaks. They all wanted to be there with Luke when the end came. By eight o'clock that evening, his heartbeat had slowed down noticeably and the color had faded from his face, leaving it pale and ashen looking. And his skin seemed cold to their touch as his body began to shut down.
Around ten P.M. Doc Applebee came into the room, accompanied by Doctor Gibson. They both looked at the grieving family with compassion and concern. Doctor Gibson did a quick examination and then looked at the family and slowly shook his head letting them know that the end was near. The two doctors remained in the room with the family, waiting along with them. At midnight , the heart monitor flat lined and an alarm started sounding loudly. Doctor Gibson reached out to turn off the alarm just as Bo let out an unearthly scream and fell to his knees, screaming uncontrollably as he realized that it was over. Luke was gone. The sound carried into the halls and several of the nurses started crying too as they realized that it was over.
Jesse knelt beside his youngest nephew, ignoring the pain in his knees, and gathered Bo into his arms, his own tears falling down his lined and weary face. Daisy slumped to the floor beside her Uncle and her cousin and buried her face in her hands, crying hysterically. Doc Applebee immediately turned his attention to the family while Doctor Gibson began shutting off the machines that had kept Luke alive this long. Doctor Applebee quickly determined that although Jesse and Daisy were grieving and grieving badly, they would be alright. But Bo was hysterical and he was going to need a sedative. Doctor Applebee quickly left the room to get something to give to the grief stricken young man.
When he returned to the room, he knelt beside Bo and said quietly, “Bo, I'm going to give you something to help you…..” Doc glanced over at Jesse who nodded slightly agreeing with Doc's decision to sedate Bo. Doc gently took Bo's arm and injected the sedative into a vein. Bo, who hated needles with a passion, didn't even notice the sting of the needle. As the sedative began to take effect, Bo's screams slowly died down and turned to hysterical sobs.
“I'll leave you all alone with him for awhile.” Doctor Gibson said softly “When you're ready just let one of the nurses know so they can send someone in to take him downstairs until you make the arrangements to have him picked up.”
Doctor Applebee nodded acknowledging that he would stay with the family until they were ready to leave. Doc Applebee helped each of the family members to their feet, sitting Daisy down in the chair beside the bed. Jesse and Bo refused to sit down. They both stood beside the bed, just staring down at Luke's face. Doctor Gibson had removed the respirator and the IV's, along with the monitors that had been attached to his body. They could finally touch him again without disturbing anything but now it was too late. Luke couldn't feel their touch anymore.
Bo's knees buckled and he would have fallen if Jesse hadn't been supporting him with a strong arm wrapped tightly around his waist. Jesse's own heart was breaking in two. It had been hard enough when he lost his darling Martha but nothing could have prepared him for this. He felt as if he had suddenly aged twenty years in the past few hours and he felt every year of his natural age. He knew there were things he had to tend to, calls he had to make, but that could all wait. This was the last time the family would be able to be alone with Luke and they needed to say their own goodbye first . Their family as they knew it had been torn apart and would never be the same again.
Daisy pulled herself up from her chair and went to stand at her Uncle's side, wrapping an arm around his waist. Her own tears were still falling freely down her face as she reached out with her other hand and laid it gently on Luke's arm. They all stood there for almost an hour saying their silent goodbyes to a man that they all knew they would miss terribly. Finally, Jesse cleared his throat and said in a broken, aged voice “We best get going….we got folks to call and things to do…so we can bring Luke home…”
“Uncle Jesse, can I have just a minute alone with Luke first?” Bo asked, his broken voice still heavy with grief. Jesse looked at Bo worriedly. He didn't really want to leave Bo alone for any length of time but he knew that this was something Bo had to do. He had to say his own private goodbye to his cousin, his brother, and his best friend. Finally, Jesse nodded and said “We'll be right outside waiting on you.”
As his family left the room along with Doc Applebee, leaving Bo alone with his cousin, the younger man leaned down and kissed Luke's forehead. Leaning closer to him, he whispered in his ear “You broke your promise, Luke….but I intend to keep mine. Don't go too far cause I'm coming with you….so just wait on me to catch up cause I'll be there real soon.” Straightening up, Bo turned and left the room.
Chapter 12
By the next morning, the entire county of Hazzard was in mourning with the news of Luke's death. Doctor Applebee had given Jesse a bottle of sedatives for Bo to help get him through the next few days and the trauma of Luke's funeral. Bo was so grief stricken he could barely function. All he did was sit on the sofa staring off into space with a grazed, dead look in his eyes. By late afternoon, kinfolks were already arriving at the farmhouse and most of them would be staying there until after the funeral which was scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Cooter and his two cousins, L.B. and B.B., had come to the farm immediately as soon as Jesse called Cooter with the news of Luke's passing. Jesse had made arrangements for Luke to be brought back to the house for the traditional three days of mourning. And for three nights someone would sit up with the body following another time honored southern tradition.
The whole family was devastated, lost in their individual grief and pain. Other family members and friends took it upon themselves to care for the farm and for the family themselves during their time of need. Enos made it his job to stay close by Daisy's side, while two other cousins, Jeb and Coy, stuck close by Bo's side (not that there was really much they could do for Bo in his present condition) Jesse's sister, Pauline and his only surviving brother, John, took care of the elder Duke. Cooter and his cousins took care of the chores while the womenfolk took care of the cooking.
The hardest part was when Luke's body was brought back to the farm and the casket was set up in the living room. The half lid was opened and Luke looked as if he were simply sleeping even though knew he wasn't. Jesse had wanted him buried in the clothes he most comfortable in, so he was dressed in his best blue jeans and a new blue plaid shirt he had never worn. The medals that he had gotten while in the Marines were nestled in small velvet lined box at his side. And under his folded hands rested a snapshot of the entire family and one of him and Bo together.
Several people commented on how peaceful he looked until Jesse wanted to scream at them to just shut up. None of them would see him again or hear his laughter. He'd never drive the General again or race around the countryside at with Bo behind the wheel. They'd never see that smile that they all loved so much again or hear his voice. And he would never get married or have children of his own to carry on the Duke name. Instead, he would rest for eternity in the old cemetery on the hill behind the barn. No, he didn't look peaceful at all to Jesse. He just looked dead.
The minute Bo saw the casket he went to pieces again and started screaming Luke's name. It took Jeb, Coy and all three of the Davenport cousins to drag him away from Luke's body and into the kitchen where Jesse made him drink a large glass of shine. And even after he calmed down enough to stop screaming, Bo still kept whimpering Luke's name over and over again breaking the hearts of everyone who saw his pain. As if losing Luke wasn't hard enough, now they all started to worry about Bo losing his mind.
The day of Luke's funeral dawned overcast and chilly. It was if nature was in mourning right along with the rest of his family and friends. Afternwards, none of the remaining members of the immediate family would remember much about that day. Almost overnight, Jesse had become a frail and feeble old man and Bo continued to be almost incoherent in his grief for his cousin. And Daisy found herself relying more and more on Enos and his gentle strength to help her keep from losing it herself. The whole family was falling apart without Luke there to hold them together. He was laid to rest in the family cemetery beside his parents, the lives of those who had loved him the most forever shattered by his passing.
After the funeral, Bo spent hours at his grave just sitting there and talking to him as if he were still there. And in Bo's mind, he still was. It happened the first time Bo went there the day after the funeral. He knelt down by the freshly dug earth and reached to touch the ground. Suddenly, a strange sense of peace came over him and the air seemed to get still. Sensing something behind him, he turned his head and saw Luke standing there with a gentle smile on his face.
“L…Luke?” Bo whispered, surprised at how calm felt even though his mind told him he should be afraid of the fact that a ghost was standing there with him, but he could never be afraid of Luke.
“Yeah, Bo….it's me.” Luke said quietly with a sad smile on his face
“What are you doing here?”
“I came back because of you…..”
“It ain't fair that you got hurt so bad and I was barely injured.”
“Nobody ever said that life was supposed to be fair.” Luke said.
“Please stay with me. I don't want to be alone.” Bo said. “I need you, Luke….” His eyes filled with tears and he struggled to keep them from falling.
“It'll be okay, Bo.” Luke said reassuringly. “I'll stay as long as you need me to….” Bo watched as Luke quickly faded out of view. He took a deep trembling breath as his cousin vanished from sight. He closed his eyes, and remained still for moment, just reaching once again for the feeling of Luke's presence. He smiled joyfully when he felt Luke there with him and opened his eyes to back to the house. And everyday since then, he had returned here to talk to Luke.
Chapter 13
Bo was alone at the house. Daisy was at work at the Boars Nest where she'd been doing a lot of double shifts to try and deal with her grief and Jesse was in town getting some groceries. It had been two weeks since Luke's funeral but things just continued to fall apart around the farm. None of them was dealing with their grief very well and for Bo it had become almost unbearable. He couldn't even sleep in the room he'd shared with Luke anymore. He wandered into Jesse's bedroom and started rummaging through the dresser drawers until he found what he was looking for. The bottle of sedatives that Doc Applebee had given Jesse to help Bo get through those terrible days following Luke's death.
Bo concealed the bottle of pills in his hand and walked down the hallway to the bedroom he had shared with Luke. Opening the door, he slowly stepped inside. He could feel Luke's presence in this room more than anywhere else in the house. Bo had already written a note to Jesse and Daisy begging them to forgive him telling them that he just couldn't go on without Luke. He placed it on the nightstand between the beds and sat down on Luke's bed. He twisted the lid off the bottle of sedatives and took a deep breath before pouring the pills out into the palm of his hand. He hoped that God could forgive him for what he was about to do. He hesitated for a moment and then dumped the pills in his mouth, picking up the glass of water on the nightstand to help wash them down.
Sighing softly, he laid back on Luke's bed and pulled his pillow into his arms. It still smelled like Luke. Bo felt his eyes growing heavy as he fell into a deep sleep. He opened his eyes when he saw a bright light appear at the foot of the bed. He watched as a figure slowly emerged from the light. “Luke!” he cried happily as he jumped off the bed and ran to his cousin's side.
“Bo…” Luke started to say
“I know what you're going to say.” Bo said, cutting him off “But I had to, Luke. I had to be with you. I told you in the hospital to wait for me cause I was coming with you.”
“I know you did.” Luke said with a gentle sigh. He reached out to gently stroke his younger cousin's face “I love you, Bo and I missed you….”
“Not as much as I missed you…” Bo said, his voice breaking with emotion
“Obviously…” Luke said with a faint smile on his lips. He put his arm around Bo's waist. “Let's go…”
“Okay….as long as it's with you.” Bo whispered as he followed Luke into the light.
____________________
Bo's death so soon after Luke's death completely destroyed the family. Jesse lost his will to live and stopped caring about much of anything. Daisy became more dependent on Enos and accepted his proposal. They were married two months after they buried Bo beside Luke in the old cemetery. Three months after that, Jesse went to bed one night and just never woke up. Within seven months, the three male members of the Duke family were gone and things would never be the same in Hazzard County again.
Daisy had moved into town with Enos. She knew she could never live at the farm again. The old house held too many memories. She would keep the farm and hire someone to work the land but nobody would ever live in the house again. Nine months after Jesse's death, she gave birth to twin sons, a blonde and a brunette, that she named Bo and Luke. Part of Daisy had died along with the men who were so important in her life. She was no longer the carefree, happy girl she had been but as long as she had Enos, she would hold her head high and remember that she was still a Duke and that the Duke name meant a lot in Hazzard County .
Most of the people in the county wouldn't go anywhere near the Duke farm. Local legend said it was haunted by the spirits of Bo and Luke. Some folks claimed that late at night you could see a light on in the window of the upstairs bedroom that they had shared their whole lives. And still other folks claimed that while driving on the old roads that surrounded the farm, they had been startled by a car horn blowing behind them, a horn that played the first twelve notes of Dixie . Then they would catch a glimpse of an orange blur as the car passed them with a blonde man behind the wheel and a dark haired man riding shotgun beside him. The Duke boys were still around and protecting the farm and the land that they had loved. After all, this was Hazzard County and strange things tend happen there sometimes. Especially if you believe in ghosts..