Critical Decisions, ch. 12

by: Marty Chrisman

Luke was in a quiet mood as the boys prepared to leave the next morning. At least he took a shower, shaved and changed clothes for the trip. Cooter and Bo both ate breakfast but Luke refused. Daisy looked at him worriedly. He had barely eaten anything since the accident and it showed, he had lost at least 15 pounds. She hoped that Pauline could at least get him to start eating again and soon.

Bo and Luke rode in the General, while Cooter followed them in a powder blue Ford Escort that he was letting Luke borrow while he was in Ohio. Cooter and Bo kept in contact with their CBs, while Luke stared out the side window, lost in his own thoughts. They stopped around noon at a truck stop just off the interstate. Bo and Cooter both ate but all Luke did was drink coffee. They were back on the road in an hour. With Bo and Cooter driving, they made good time. They arrived in Greenville around six o’clock that evening.

When they stopped for gas in Dayton, Ohio, Bo had called Pauline to let her know they would soon be there. She had told him that she would have supper waiting for them. Cooter and Bo would be staying overnight, then heading back to Hazzard in the morning. Luke had dozed off just after they got gas and Bo let him sleep. It was the first real sleep Luke had gotten in the past few weeks without drinking himself into a stupor first.

Greenville was a small rural town in western Ohio just a few miles from the Indiana state line. Pauline and Jed lived in a split level ranch house on Ohio Street. As soon as the two cars pulled up in front of the house, the front door opened and Pauline stepped out on the porch, grinning happily. Obviously, she had been watching for them.

Pauline was a very attractive woman in her late forties with the same blue eyes as the rest of the Duke clan and long dark hair. She watched as her two nephews and Cooter climbed out of the two cars. Her eyes clouded when she saw Luke for the first time since the funeral. Pauline hadn’t been able to make to Hazzard for the wedding because she’d just gotten out of the hospital after some minor surgery that couldn’t be put off any longer. When Jessie called to tell her what happened to Kelly, she had gone back to Hazzard for the funeral even though she was still recovering.

“I’m glad you’re here.” She said, greeting each of her nephews with a big hug and a kiss. Bo returned her hug and kiss with one of his own, but Luke simply accepted her hug and kiss without much response at all. One of her seven year old twin daughter’s, Kacey, came out of the door behind her. Smiling at Luke, she said to Kacey “Kacey, why don’t you show Luke where he’ll be sleeping while he’s here?”

“Okay.” Kacey said with a grin, grabbing Luke’s hand “Come on, Luke.” Luke allowed her to lead him into the house with protest. Once he was safely out of earshot, Pauline turned to Bo and Cooter and said, “My god, he looks terrible! He’s hasn’t been eating has he?”

“Just a few bites here and there.” Bo told her “Daisy’s been doing everything she can to get him to eat but nothing seems to help.”

“I didn’t realize he was this bad.”

“Yeah,” Bo told her grimly “He’s been like this since the funeral.”

“I think Jesse’s right” Pauline said thoughtfully, sighing softly. “Maybe being away from Hazzard right now is the best thing for him.”

“None of us can seem to get through to him. Jesse’s hoping you can, that’s why he sent him up here.”

“He’ll be alright” Pauline said confidently “It’s just gonna take some time. He’s always been close to the girls and they love you both to death. I’m sure he won’t try anything crazy while he’s here that might upset them.”

“I hope you’re right.” Bo said “We’re all real worried about him.”

“Well, let’s get inside instead of standing out here. Supper’s ready so we better eat before it gets cold.” Pauline ushered her guests into the house and closed the door. Bo and Cooter helped themselves to some coffee while Pauline called everybody to supper.

Luke came into the kitchen with Kacey and her twin sister, Stacey. They were followed by Pauline’s husband, Jed, and her oldest daughter, 15 year old Diane. They all sat down at the table and bowed their heads while Jed said grace. Pauline had went all out, fixing southern fried catfish, hush puppies, collard greens, mashed potatoes with brown gravy and fresh peach cobbler for dessert. Pauline noticed that everyone ate, except for Luke, who ate a few bites, then just pushed his food around on his plate. The girls kept up a steady chatter, trying to talk to Bo, Luke and Cooter all at the same time. Luke spoke when someone talked to him but other than that he didn’t say anything.

Luke went to the guest room as soon as supper was over and didn’t come out for the rest of the evening. Cooter and Bo joined Pauline and the rest of the family in the living room and they all visited until ten o’clock when they all decided to turn in. Pauline told Cooter and Bo that they could sleep downstairs in the basement rec room where there was a sofa that pulled out into a bed.

Bo and Cooter left to go back to Hazzard just after breakfast the next morning, leaving Luke in his Aunt’s capable hands. Bo felt a little better once Luke was safely delivered into Pauline’s care. He knew that she would watch out for Luke and he felt better knowing that Luke wasn’t as likely to try anything while he was with her. Like the rest of the family, Bo hoped that Luke would be back home soon and back to his old self again.

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