by: Essy Jane

At the hospital, Jose was still trying to work his magic on Jesse. “Hey cousin, you know, you’re a great friend to me. You always will be. You remember that one time when we were tied up to the rafters? I thought we would never get out. Well. You somehow got your legs out and shimmied over to me. I grabbed your knife and we both got out of it. I don’t know how we do it,” Jose commented. Suddenly, Judd came in.

“Jose, switch!” Judd exclaimed.

“He’s awake?”

“And asking for you!”

“Me? Why me?”

“Just go and see him!”

“Yes sir.” Jose walked down the hall and looked at Bo. He didn’t look too awake to him.

“Come here you,” Bo mumbled.

“Hey, are you alright?” Jose asked him.

“I’ll live. How’s Jesse?”

“Still way out there, I have been trying everything.”

“When Judd cried, I knew it was time to get up. Where’s my daughter gone off to?”

“Capture some bank thieves.”

“I saw the guy’s face, the person who did this to us.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you remember the story of Kay?”

“You have got to be kidding me! The battle you and Dad never won?”

“Yep, that particular battle. Jo is on an adventure that I couldn’t win. Now Lilly and Jo are in big trouble.”

“No kidding. Man, that’s why she didn’t tell me.”

“Now, I don’t know where they are and neither do you.”

“What do we do?”

“Call Essy—get her to try and raise those two on the CB. Send Judd home and if he needs to, saddle him up on Uncle Sam and send him after those two gals.”

“I should go too.”

“No! Leave this to Judd, he’ll know what to do.”

“Bo…”

“Hey, I don’t want you in here either.”

“Bo, you’re gonna have to trust me.”

“Besides, my son needs you.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?”

“You’re his cousin…his best friend…not to mention a brother to him.”

“I can’t sit here while Jo and Lilly get fried.”

“Jose, you’re gonna be the last resort. If Judd fails…”

“He doesn’t have the tracking skills I do! Come on Bo, you know I am the only one who can go after them.”

“You know, you may be right—but I know there are two other people who can help us.”

“Who?”

“Have you called Luke or Coy?”

“No, I never thought of doing that.”

“Well, give them a shout. Coy can always leave Vance here. He can watch Jesse for me. You and him can go off in General 2 and search for General 1.”

“I’ll call Coy.”

“Luke will take too long getting his butt down here. Good choice.”

“Bo?”

“Yeah?”

“I am so going to miss you.”

“I know you are and I’ll miss you boys and of course the girls too.”

“It won’t be the same without you.”

“Ah, I think you’ll have a great time with your boys in Kansas. That is when you have kids. Remember, always look out for them. Now git going, you have a phone call to make.”

“Yes sir!”

Meanwhile, in an abandoned barn, Jo and Lilly had been handcuffed to the beam, sound familiar don’t it. Uh huh, the Dukes seem to follow a trend. Even the dearly departed Jesse had to get his brothers out of big messes.

Anyway, Jo Anna had managed to untie her feet. She was standing on a bucket though. “You know, we could have stayed at the hospital and everything would have been great,” Lilly-Rose said.

“Uh huh,” Jo replied. She began swinging her feet towards the beam.

“We would have been safe and out of the way.”

“Could have been.”

“We would be with Jesse and Bo right now.”

“Yep, we would have.” Jo continued swinging. She got her legs up and began shimming over to Lilly-Rose.

“Are you listening to a word I’m saying?”

“Uh huh.”

“I don’t think you understand the war here. If Bo and Luke couldn’t do it, what makes you think we can?”

“They haven’t left yet.”

“Come again.”

“They are still here. They are expecting more Duke company, that’s why they’re still here.”

“I don’t get it, if they wanted an easy job by getting rid of the Dukes, why doesn’t old Kay just leave the county with his money?”

“He wants to fight Luke again or at least his son.” Jo reached over and grabbed a pin from her cousin’s hair. She put it in one of the handcuffs. “If he can win and get his money back, then all is well. Don’t you remember on the way over I mentioned that I was Bo Duke’s daughter?”

“That was to make him stay?”

“Uh huh, don’t you think I know what I’m doing? I wouldn’t let him lock me up without knowing I could beat him.”

“So you think Jose’s going to come.”

“Oh yeah, that’s why I left him there in the first place. He was going to get me out of trouble.”

“You knew all of this was going to happen.”

“Yep.”

“Man, I should hang out with y’all more often. I need some more of the Duke traits to rub off on me.”

“Or at least the Davenport.” Jo winked as she got her handcuffs off.

An hour later, Coy was at the hospital with Vance. “Why didn’t you tell us in the first place?” Vance lectured. Bo smiled.

“Because he didn’t want to scare y’all,” Bo replied.

“Oh Bo, you and your charges are so…”

“Alike?”

“First you and your son get in an accident. Then they don’t tell us.”

“Well paint them pink and call them forgetful. You live in a whole other country. Besides, they forgot to mention it to Luke too. We don’t need everyone out here though Vance.”

“Bo, you are so…”

“So what?”

“So weird. You don’t even think about what we want.”

“Oh Vance, get off your high horse.”

“No, we are your family too.”

“Hey, you were the one that was given the second chance from me. Don’t tell me what my kids have to do. They’re my responsibility not yours.”

“Well then you should learn…”

“Don’t give me a lecture Vance. I have been doing this a lot longer than you. I have raised two kids all the way through. I brought up Jose partially. Now I am raising three kids…don’t tell me how to do my job.”

“Bo…”

“Don’t even go there Vance.”

“Bo…I’m sorry.”

“Yep, that’s better.”

“You would think that they would learn from your mistakes. Not go off and make new ones to scare the living daylights out of us,” Coy commented. Bo rolled his eyes. He was about to say something when Jose put a hand on his mouth. Jose knew that even though Bo was wise, when he was mad, the wild side came strolling back out again.

“We make our own mistakes, Coy. Bo isn’t responsible for us anymore. Jess, Jo and I are adults. Besides, we’re Dukes, we get in trouble. It’s our way of life. Moreover, I think Jo planned it this way,” Jose said. Bo nodded.

“Ah, come again?”

“My cousin doesn’t like to go into a battle without knowing she can win. Jo has been that way all of her life. She loves the fight but is always plotting. She’s just like her Dad.”

“And…”

“And, she probably said something to make them stay.”

“You’re right Jose, My Jo Anna always likes the thought of winning. I never thought of that. She wouldn’t let them leave without a good old fashion Dukes of Hazzard fight,” Bo cut in.

“You know as well as I do Bo that Jo loves to challenge the odds. Sometimes it gets her in big trouble.”

“Whereas other times, she is just dandy, Jo will know exactly what she’s doing.”

“Uh huh and she knows as well as I do that Kay wants a fight again.”

“Unfairly this time.”

“He wants revenge for you getting the money back.”

“And we want him jailed for taking it in the first place.”

“So let’s do it.”

“Do what?” Vance asked.

“It’s time to track. Judd and Essy and gonna watch the babies and Vance can stay and try to wake Jesse up,” Jose commented.

“I can handle that one.”

“Bo, you better not sweet talk the nurse into putting you in Jesse’s room.”

“First off, I am a married man. Second of all, I am injured. Jose, why would you think I would do something like that?” Bo asked.

“Well, you have Duke Charm under your belt and you’re not afraid of using it. Besides, with Jesse stuck in a hospital bed, you’re worrying about him more than a mother bear worries over a cub.”

“Okay, you do know me.”

“Let’s go, Coy.”

“You want me to come with you?” Coy inquired.

“Yes, you drive, I’ll track. We have to hurry before the rain washes it away,” Jose replied.

“Alright. Get better Beauregard.”

“Coy if you call me that one more time…” Bo began.

“What are you gonna do cuz, you’re stuck in bed.”

“Oh Jose…”

“Alright, I get it.” With that, Coy and Jose went off to find Jo and Lilly-Rose. Bo knew that they could do it after all, they were Dukes.

by: Essy Jane

Lilly-Rose and Jo Anna were on the case. Jo was in the driver’s seat. Lilly sat there twiddling her thumbs. Her eyebrows were crinkled. Lilly’s face was warm. She didn’t look too pleased. “Okay, tell me why I had to leave my cousins,” Lilly grumbled.

“Because Hazzard needs Dukes,” Jo Anna replied. She saw a dip in the road and up the General went. “Besides, these guys may have won the war but…”

“I know, they’ll never win the battle in our territory. Why do you think they’re trying to rob the bank?”

“Well, I didn’t want to tell Jose about this because he would have been there in a flash.”

“Okay.”

“Well, there were weird guys who kept hovering around the bank. Six of them. One older than the rest. He looked like one of the characters Daddy fought.”

“Oh yeah? Which one?”

“A man named Kay. He’s Scottish. He wanted to rob the bank but Daddy and Cousin Luke wouldn’t let him. They chased him down and managed to get the money back but, Kay got away.”

“So what do you think he’s doing back here?”

“Well, he wants the money he first went after.”

“A little too obvious, don’t you think?”

“Well I do but some bad guys don’t think that way. Kay met Roscoe and was totally surprised he was the new Boss in Hazzard County. I don’t know why, I mean JD Hogg, your Uncle left all his memoirs.”

“Yeah well Uncle JD wasn’t stupid that’s for sure. Cousin Cletus would never have been able to figure this all out.”

“I told you, Hazzard needs Dukes.”

“Who do you think the other boys were?”

“I think the five men with him are his kids. They all have the red hair Daddy always talked about.”

“So the plan is chase them down with the bows and arrows we have in the back?”

“Well, I know it sounds funny but that’s the Duke way. Even after Jesse and Jose got off probation, they still used them. Told me it would feel weird without them.”

“I guess they wouldn’t know we were Dukes without them.”

“Hey, I want you to drive. You know as well as I do I am the crack shot out of the two of us.”

“Alrighty.” As the orange car stopped, Lilly-Rose and Jo switched places. They heard the alarm go off. “You are good.”

“Yeah and I thought of it faster than Jose.”

“Of course, we know the Duke women are smart.” The six men ran out. Only one was holding a gun. “You know this is gonna be easier than I thought. The six men got into their van and began to drive off. Lilly-Rose started the General and went after them.

In the van, the six were marveling over their victory. Haden was driving the van. “Oh Pa, you were right. This was like taking candy from a baby,” Beck said.

“Ain’t I always right. With the Dukes out of the way…” Kay began.

“Don’t begin celebrating yet. There’s the orange car Papa,” Haden cut in.

“Well don’t just look at them, shoot them!” Haden broke the back window with a hammer and stuck the gun out. He shot the first shot which went through the Duke window.

In the General, Jo was getting mad. She grabbed an arrow and loaded her bow. “No one shoots and me and gets away with it!” Jo exclaimed.

“Yeah get him!” Lilly-Rose exclaimed. They shot another shot. It hit the dirt. “What a lousy shot.”

“This is for my Dad.” Jo let the arrow fly, it knocked the gun right out of Haden’s hand. The group kept on driving. Well that is until Jo reloaded. “This one is for my brother.” She let the arrow fly. It blew out the back tire which sent the van to a stop. The six men got out and stood before the orange car. Lilly and Jo looked at the crooks.

“You made a big mistake Duke,” Kay said.

“Don’t bet on it Kay McNally. You’re going down,” Lilly said.

“Oh so you know who I am eh? Well, you’re not going to be rid of me that easy. Boys, get them.”

“But Pa, I don’t hit women,” Beck said.

“I SAID GET THEM.”

“Six men against two defenseless women,” Jo commented.

“I like those odds,” Lilly answered.

“Me too.”

“Ready?”

“Always.” Both Lilly-Rose and Jo knocked two of them down with a round kick. The second round, Jo decided to jab to the face, do a left hook to the face and an upper cut to the stomach. The man fell down, almost instantly. Lilly got her man a little differently. She got him with a right jab. She then hit him again, left jab. She turned to the right and punched him hard in the right rib. He tried to hit Lilly but she weaved. Lilly put her hand straight like a sword and jabbed it into his neck. She hit him in the head with her fist and he was down for the count.

“They’re just girls!” Haden exclaimed. “I’ll get them for you father.”

“No!” Kay exclaimed. He pulled out a gun. “I’ll get them. Put your hands up.” The girls did as they said. “Haden, fix the tire and get your worthless brothers into the car.” Kay pulled out two sets of handcuffs. “As for these two, we need to cuff them back to back.

Uh huh, things weren’t looking too good for the Dukes were they now? Hang on folks, I definitely want to see how this one is gonna turn out.

by: Essy Jane

Jo walked as fast as she could towards her family. She put the breaks on the stroller. Everyone was sitting there looking at each other. “How are they?” Jo asked Jose. The young man bit on his bottom lip.

“They were in the car for hours loosing blood. I can’t lie…Jesse and Bo didn’t look too good,” Jose mumbled.

“Oh my gosh, how did this happen? How? Why would anyone do this?” Jose swallowed hard. He turned away from Jo Anna. “You know something.”

“Jo, this isn’t the place to say this.”

“Jose, please.”

“There were two sets of tire marks besides the pick-up. There was evidence of a steam roller in front of the road. No constructions signs were around.”

“What?”

“Whoever did this, did it on purpose.”

“Who would want to run a farmer and his son off the road?” Judd asked.

“Anyone that knew what Dukes were capable of,” Lilly-Rose mumbled. Jo nodded her head softly. She looked at her cousin.

“That’s dead on,” Jo answered.

“I don’t know how many stories Bo told me about them being tied up or knocked off the road. The stories are endless,” Jose commented. Essy nodded.

“Whoever did this wants us out of the way,” Essy assumed.

“Now how do we explain that to Bo and Jesse?” One of the two surgeons came out. The family all stood up.

“I am Doctor Michaels I worked on Beauregard Duke,” The Doctor began.

“Umm, call him Bo okay?” Jose cut in.

“Okay, Bo is in pretty critical condition. He tore the muscle in his left shoulder. We repaired some of the muscle but it will be a good while before he can move it again. He hit his head pretty good. There was bruising of the brain. We had to go in and drain the blood. He had a collapsed lung. He’s in a comma and we won’t know much about his condition until he wakes up.”

Jo fell to her knees and broke down crying. Jose had never seen Jo cry like she was now. He went down to her side and held her. Jo wiped the tears out of her eyes.

“Can I see him, doctor?” Jo asked.

“Yes but only one in there at a time,” Doctor Michaels replied.

“Alright.”

“Okay, I’ll show you where his room is.” Jo walked into the room. Bo’s hair had been shaved right off. There was an IV in his left hand. He had all sorts of wires monitoring his brain waves. There was a tube going into his chest. “A nurse will come by and see you in a few minutes.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” The doctor walked out of the room. There was a giant window on the other side of Bo’s bed. All the nurses were working from that side. Jo Anna paid no attention to the fish bowl her father had been put in. All she wanted was him to wake up.

“Daddy, you know, I never thought about you leaving me until today. What the world would be like if there was no Bo Duke. You know what? I don’t want to think of it. You’re too kind and too wonderful. Even the thought of you moving hundreds of miles away doesn’t compare to the thought of you dying right now,” Jo Anna cried.

She pushed away her tears. Jo wanted to be brave for her father. She always tried to put on a face for him. Jo loved her Dad more than anything. Bo took his kids everywhere he went. Nancy would do the same thing. The family was so tightly knitted together that to picture of them apart was unimaginable. Even if their dad lived in LA, they would see him just as much if not more than they saw Luke…that is if Bo got through this.

“Oh Dad, please open your eyes. I have three great reasons why you should. Cameron, Cal and Cara…they’re all waiting for you. You showed us a life of adventure. They need the same chance—even if LA is the place to do it,” Jo mumbled. Jose knocked on the door.

“Ah…I’m sorry to interrupt you but…” Jose began.

“Jesse’s out of surgery, thanks cousin.” Jo got up and looked at Jose. She smiled weakly. “Hey, sit with him for me? I wouldn’t want anyone else to be with my brother and Dad than you.”

“It would be an honor.” Jo Anna walked out and Jose sat down. He looked at all the tubing and such. “Man Bo, you got yourself into a real mess. I don’t know what to do. Everyone’s a real mess and it always seems they come to you whenever they’re in trouble. It’s funny—even though you’re younger than Dad, he came to you for advice. I couldn’t understand why. That is until I got here.”

Jose shook his head. He grabbed onto Bo’s hand and held it tight. Jose didn’t want to cry but the tears kept jumping up to the surface. Bo had been like a second father to him. Jose wanted him to be okay.

“Dad told me all these stories about your wild side. How you used to get him into trouble. There was one story in particular that I found funny…reminded me of Jesse. You two were trying to hide from this guy that was after you and all. You ended up sneezing and the guys showed up with a gun in your face. Dad said something like, ‘four against two.’ And you had to say, ‘I like those odds.’ You kicked the gun out of his hand. Dad made the first punch. You were fighting one of them and Dad had two holding him and one punching him. Well, you knocked your guy out and asked Dad if he need help. He said, ‘Come on Bo, anytime now.’ You hit one guy in the back of the head with a brick and kicked another one off of Dad,” Jose commented.

He watched Bo, hoping for some kind of reaction. Anything to prove he was going to be alright. Jose wanted Bo to open his eyes. Nothing seemed to happen.

“Bo, I’m more stubborn than you are. I’ll talk all month to you if I have to. Let’s see Bo, what’s another one of your many accomplishments? You were able to turn me around. Dad sure couldn’t—I don’t know why I didn’t listen to him. I guess it was because he was my father. Don’t get me wrong, Dad’s a great person but he didn’t have what I needed in New York,” Jose began. There was a knock on the door.

“Hey, sorry to bug you Jose,” Jo began.

“What is Jesse awake?”

“No he’s not…umm Lilly-Rose and I are leaving. Judd is gonna sit with Dad for a while and I need you to be with Jesse.”

“Where are you two going?”

“You know how they were knocked off the road?”

“Yeah?”

“Well I think that someone knew we would all rush to the hospital.”

“So what if we did? Our kin is hurt ain’t they?” Jose laughed. “I’m really starting to sound like Jesse.”

“I think they’re gonna try to rob The Hazzard Bank. Lilly-Rose maybe part Hogg but she’s got a lot of Duke in her. We can stop this.”

“You’re gonna go after these crooks while your Dad and brother lie in the hospital?”

“I am going because this is what my Dad would want me to do. I ain’t doing it because I am selfish.”

“Seems like you want revenge, Jo, and that is selfish. No, you should be here with your family. They are people that love you and care about you not to mention they need you.”

“I need to go.”

“Let Perry and Cletus worry about the bank.”

“I can’t believe you’re saying that. They won’t catch them and you know it.”

“Then at least let me go.”

“Bo and Jesse need someone who is important in their life and that’s you.”

“You’re a sister and a daughter to them. I’m a cousin. Now tell me, which one do they need more? Obviously not me, they need you.”

“How many times does Dad have to say you’re like a son to him?”

“Yeah well, you’re real. That’s what matters. You have been with Jesse since birth.”

“You are the only one that can make Jesse wake up.”

“Jesse’s not awake?”

“He’s in the same boat as Dad. Like father like son injuries.”

“His lung…”

“No, he had some glass in his throat, it swelled up. They couldn’t get a tube down his throat. They had to cut a hole in his neck.” Jose banged down hard.

“Man, why did this have to happen?”

“I don’t know but I’m going to find out.”

“No, you should stay.”

“You know, he’s got two broken arms.”

“Jesse broke both his arms.” Jo nodded softly. She shook her head.

“Don’t you see, he needs you.”

“Oh no, poor Jesse, man alive this is horrible.”

“Yeah it is and I can’t just sit here and let Cletus Hogg and Perry Coltrane mess this up.”

“Jo…”

“Oh don’t you Jo me.”

“Hey, be careful alright?”

“I sure will.”

“What about the triplets?”

“Essy’s taking them back to the farm. Judd’ll head there after a bit.”

“Jo, good luck.”

“I’m gonna need it.”

“Don’t do anything stupid. Look, I already have two cousins in the hospital…I don’t need two more.”

“Oh come on, you think I am gonna end up like this?”

“Look what they did to your Dad. Without any feeling, they hit his truck. Now what kind of people would do that?”

“Money hungry.”

“That’s right and those people care for nothing else.”

“Jose?”

“Yeah?”

“I am gonna miss you when you leave…so is Jesse. He looks like he’s already lost you.”

“He’ll never loose me.”

“That’s what they all say.”

“Well I hope he knows how much I care about him.” Jo nodded. “He does know?”

“No but you can tell him how much you care about him. Jesse always wants people to love him. If nothing else, tell him that he is loved. That no matted where you go, he will always be your brother.”

“But he’s not.”

“Oh he is.”

“Jo Anna?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna miss you too.”

“At least someone will.” With that she ran out. Jose sighed as he looked at Bo.

“Man alive, she’s such a Duke.” With that, Jose walked out of Bo’s room and went into Jesse’s to switch with Judd. He wanted to make sure at least one of them woke up.

by: Essy Jane

Hours later, Jose was pacing back and forth. “Hey, dinner’s ready. Do you want to start without them?” Jo asked.

“You’re gonna have to start without me too,” Jose replied.

“Come again?”

“You need to look after the twins.”

“Jose, where are you going?”

“Don’t you feel it?”

“Feel what?”

“Worried.”

“Yeah but…”

“But what? Jo…”

“It’s Dad and Jesse, they can handle themselves.”

“It doesn’t take this long to get seed! I know. Jesse and I usually get it together.”

“They’re fine Jose.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

“Why what?

“Why say they’re fine when you know they’re not?”

“I hope they are.” Jose shook his head. He picked up the CB.

“This is lost sheep three calling Shepard, come in,” Jose began. There was nothing. “Lost sheep three calling Shepard come in.” Jose shook his head when he again heard nothing. “This is lost sheep three calling lost sheep two, do you got your ears on?” Jose waited again.

“Look, maybe they stopped somewhere,” Jo commented. Jose rolled his eyes.

“Lost sheep three calling manic mechanic come in,” Jose said over the CB.

“This is Manic Mechanic, what’s up Jose?” Lilly-Rose answered.

“Have you seen the Sheppard and his lost lamb come back.”

“Yeah about four hours ago heading back to base.”

“I’m heading out to look for them can you help?”

“You don’t have to ask me twice, over and gone.”

“This is Jack Rabbit calling lost sheep three are ya catching me come on,” Judd said over the CB.

“Yeah go ahead Jack Rabbit,” Jose replied.

“Messy Essy and I will help too.”

“Must obliged Jack Rabbit, 10-4 and I’m gone.” Jose grabbed his jacket and put it on. Jo grabbed his arm.

“Be careful,” Jo said.

“Awe you do care,” Jose answered. Jose slid on top of the General Lee and got in. He started up the engine. Jo Anna watched as he left.

“Please be alright,” She whispered to herself as she walked back into the farm house.

Back at the pick-up, everything became quiet. Well that is until Bo woke up. He shifted his eyes wondering where in the world he was. He looked at Jesse who was just laying there motionless. “Son?” Bo questioned softly. He stared at Jesse wondering if he would respond.

Bo was having trouble breathing. He struggled for every breath. As his eyes started to close, he forced them open. Bo couldn’t move his left arm. It hurt too much. His right arm seemed to be in much better shape.

Bo looked at his son again. Tears filled his eyes slowly. Bo knew he had to find a way to make someone find him. He grabbed the CB. “This is Shepard to lost sheep three, have you got your ears on, come back?” Bo began. There was no answer. However, Bo couldn’t give up hope. “Messy Essy, Manic Mechanic…are you out there, come back?” Again, there was no answer. He figured the antenna was bent. “Dang! JESSE, WAKE UP! Please, I don’t want to loose you.”

He saw how Jesse was sitting. Cross legged with his arms resting on his legs…a trail of metal trapped him in that position. Bo tried to rip it away but he couldn’t pull it hard enough. Besides, the pain radiated to his bad arm every time he tried.

All Bo could do was pray, pray for a miracle. He looked out the window. It was now dark. Bo couldn’t stand this. He couldn’t reach over and open his door. “This is impossible! What am I supposed to do, eat my way out?” Bo questioned. “Jesse, maybe you can—come up with a better plan then your old man. I frankly don’t know what to do,” Bo said through throbbing breaths. “Jesse, move your hand…show me you’re gonna be okay.” He watched his son carefully. But alas, all Bo could see was Jesse’s chest rise and fall. “Whelp, at least you’re breathing.”

Suddenly a very familiar sound arose in the distance. Bo knew the sound better than anything. It was an engine that Jesse had maintained. As the horn sounded, Bo became excited. He reached for his knife but couldn’t quite grab it. He saw his son’s boot sticking out of the metal. Bo shakily reached over and grabbed it. He opened it up and shoved it into the horn. The pickup horn began blaring.

“Help is coming Jesse, help is coming,” Bo said. Finally, he allowed his eyes to close. Jose heard the horn as clear as rain. He stopped the General and got out. He walked towards the sound. As it got closer, he saw that it was the family pick-up, Jose couldn’t help but run towards it. He looked at his two cousins, Jose’s heart began beating faster and faster.

He took out his cell phone and dialed the number for the ambulance. He told them where the pick-up was. After he found out help was on the way, he radioed the search party to go to the hospital and wait.

by: Essy Jane

Jesse and Bo were driving down the road in the pick-up. They had music playing in the background. Jesse reached over and turned it off. Bo gave him a sour look. It was his favorite song. Bo shrugged it off knowing that Jesse was upset about something.

“So you’re gonna take the SUV and leave me both Generals and the truck?” Jesse asked. Bo nodded.

“The General Lees belong to Hazzard County…not to me. The truck is for farming. Besides, you’re gonna have kids. They’re gonna drive the General,” Bo replied.

“Are you sure about this? I made General two for you.”

“Jesse, I have a lot of memories with both General Lees. You still have yet to find many. Now how are my Grandsons going to race with you if you don’t have a proper car.”

“I don’t have a clue.”

“You see, I’m right.”

“Yeah…I just feel bad.”

“You have no reason to feel bad about this.”

“Yes I do, you’re my father. You’re leaving something I made for you for me. Now what part of that is supposed to not make me feel bad?”

“Jesse, you don’t understand do you? I want you to have something of mine to remember me by.”

“How could I ever forget you? You’re my father. Not to mention you’re a legend in this town.”

“Well thanks for that, son.”

“Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Tell me that guy’s not been trailing us since we left the store.”

“You noticed that too?”

“I’m slow I ain’t dumb.”

“You’re neither.” Jesse turned the corner. The strange truck stayed behind them. As they continued to drive, a car rolled up beside them and started hitting the truck. “What in the world is going on?” Bo swerved the car into them and hit back. The car went back and the truck moved up beside them on the other side.

“Something tells me these two are working together. Dad, can you speed up?”

“Way ahead of you, son.” Bo started swerving back and forth. He sped up as fast as he could go. The truck kept up with them, hitting Bo every time.

“Uh Dad…”

“Wait a minute son.”

“Dad.”

“Jesse, I’m trying to save this truck.”

“DAD! LOOK OUT!” Bo looked towards the front. There was a giant steam roller in the middle of the road. As Bo swerved to miss it, both the truck and the car hit sending Bo’s pick-up rolling down a large hill. Now friends, this doesn’t look good.

Back at the farm, Jose and Jo had diaper duty. “You stick the diaper under, you take the stickies off. You pull the dirty diaper off and you throw it in the pail. You put the baby powder on to keep the wetness out, that’s what it’s all about,” Jose sang in the tune of the Hokey Pokey.

“You are so weird,” Jo mumbled.

“Well, how else would you suggest making it fun. Besides, Cara likes the song.”

“Cammy doesn’t.”

“Yuck! Why do you insist on calling him that? Cammy is pathetic nickname, no child should be subjected to that. Cammy makes my little fourth cousin sound like a wimp. Cam is cool.”

“Cammy!”

“Cam!”

“Cammy!”

“Cam!” Suddenly Cal started crying.

“Look what you did?” Jo and Jose said at the same time.

“Me? Look what you did?” Jose grumbled.

“Why would I wake up my own brother?” Jo asked.

“Who cares? In any case, I changed two, you have to change Cal.”

“Why don’t you want to change him?”

“Because I got to rock with my gal Cara.”

“You are so weird.”

“Nah, Cal just made a stinky.”

“Why do I always have to change those diapers?”

“Because you’re a girl and I am training you to be a wife.”

“I’m not getting married, I would rather be a nun than marry someone like you.”

“Well Sister Mary Jo Anna, change him.”

“You are so cruel.

Jose sat down with Cara. “Angel, oh my Angel the stars have gone to bed so why don’t you rest your head?” Jose sang. He continued humming the song.

“She really likes you.”

“Yeah, I’m going to miss her when I’m gone.”

“I wish Jesse was here, he and Cal bonded really well. When Jesse isn’t here, Cal cries.”

“Yeah, that’s because Jesse knows how to hold him and you don’t.”

“I KNOW HOW TO HOLD A BABY!” All three babies began to cry. “Oh shoot! Here, hold Cammy.”

“You mean Cam.”

“Can you just hold him?” Jose began to sing the song again. Cam began to relax but Cal wasn’t.

“See I told you.”

“You’re not funny, Jose.”

“I’m not trying to be. You don’t know how to hold Cal and that all there is to it.” Jo sighed. “Come to think of it, Jesse’s good with all three of them.”

“Isn’t that the truth. My brother is gonna make a good father someday.” They continued rocking the babies softly. “Jose, I think you will too.”

“I better, Paige wants to have nine kids.”

“Nine? That’s crazy.”

“Hey Jo?”

“Yeah?”

“I think you’ll make a good…”

“Mother?”

“I thought you said you were becoming a nun.” Jo smiled and began to laugh.

“You really test my patience you know that? But you know what?”

“What?”

“I’m going to miss you.”

“Jo, that’s sweet, I’m going to miss you too. I don’t know how I am going to sleep without your rhythmic snoring patterns.” Jose giggled.

“That’s not funny.”

“What? Jesse and you snore. You snore louder though.”

“You would say that.”

“Only because it’s true.”

“Here I am trying to be nice and all you can do is tease me.”

“Oh come on, have a sense of humor.”

“Never.”

“Why? You can’t take a joke?”

“Nope.” With that, the two cousins smiled and got back to tending to the babies.

Back in the pick-up, Bo and Jesse were left hanging in the vehicle upside down. The pick up looked like an accordion. The windows had been smashed in. Jesse’s eyes fluttered open. His breathing was heavy. There was a really bad bump on his head. He could feel the blood rolling down into his eye. Jesse closed it almost immediately.

“Dad?” He whispered. Jesse moved his eyes around, afraid to move his head. He didn’t know what the injuries were. He was suddenly quiet. He wanted to hear if his Dad was breathing. Sure enough, Jesse heard his Dad struggling to breathe. Jesse shook his head. He didn’t know what to do.

The most damage was done to the passenger’s side of the truck. The front had been shoved towards the inside. The air bags were deployed. The front of the truck trapped Jesse’s hands, he couldn’t move them…not even to get into his pocket.

“Dad, are you okay?” Jesse said, a little bit louder. Bo didn’t answer. Jesse swallowed hard. All he wanted was for his Dad to respond. “Dad, come on…wake up. We need to get out of here. I can’t reach my phone or the CB. Dad?” Jesse tried to move his arms but a red haze engulfed him and he went unconscious once again.