by: Trix

Khas Brianne Dalton had made a home on the Duke farm. It had been two years
since she had lost her father and grandfather. And two years since she’d met the Duke
clan. She considered Bo and Luke her older brothers, and Jesse was like a surrogate
grandfather to her. While Daisy had been her shoulder throughout the whole ordeal. She
was now one of her closest friends.

Friends.

Khas had gone back to high school and she’d made three of the closest friends
she’d ever had. A red-head named Rita Janice Danes. A brown-haired girl named Violet
Fawn Chase. And a wheat-blond haired young man named Daniel James Embers. All
except Daniel, who had graduated two years prior, were seniors in high schools, two
weeks from graduating.

She also had a 1970 Pontiac GTO. Through the family lawyer, Mr. Unton, she had
found out that her father Gus had left her the car, as an heirloom of sorts. She found out
on her 17th birthday, which was two months after her arrival in Hazzard. She had thought
she’d never want to see it again but she was wrong, she wanted that car real bad. Mr.
Unton told her that he’d discovered it when Mr. June, the Dalton family lawyer in
Hazzard, had called him a month after her families death. The car of course was in New
England, so in order to make it legal, Mr. Unton drove it down to Hazzard for her, and he
made sure it was in mint condition.

The car had been dark red and black but Khas re-painted it so it was all black with
two thin purple stripes going through the middle of each side, from front to back. One
day, when out with friends the same year she got the car, they were racing with some
other kids and their car pushed them off the road. But Khas had managed to stomp on the
breaks. And when the back tires kind of drifted sideways, because of the mud, it had slid
them back on to the road. In enough time to win the race by a hair.

After that day they had appropriately called the car Drifter, because it seemed to
always drift over to the right place at the right time.

Her life seemed to fall into place once she had her father’s car.

Of course, in Hazzard, nothing is actually in order.

Balladeer: That’s right, folks. Our darlin’ Khas has made a home
here in Hazzard, with the Dukes. And let me introduce you to the newest car in
Hazzard…Drifter.

“K.B.,” Rita said from the passenger side, “we have company.”

Khas looked into the rearview mirror and saw none other then Sheriff Rosco P.
Coltrane at her back door.

Khas sighed. “Hold on, R.J.”

Balladeer: Now, how much trouble do you think Khas, her friends
and that car can get into in one day?

Khas put the pedal to the floor and turned off the road they were on and, about
one-second later, Rita reminded her of something. “K.B.”

“What?”

“Isn’t the bridge on this road out?”

Khas looked from Rita, to the road, to Rosco, and back to the road. “Well,” she
sighed as she drove, “I guess we’ll just have to jump it.”

Rita looked at her, rolling her eyes. She said, “Okay.”

It wasn’t anything she wasn’t used too. Since Bo and Luke had taught Khas how
to drive ‘Hazzard-style’ they jumped creeks at least once every two days, and that was
because of Rosco.

A few seconds later, Khas had jumped the bridge and landed safely on the other
side. She couldn’t say the same for Rosco.

She picked up her CB. “You alright back there, Rosco?”

Rosco picked up his CB and said, “Kee jit, I’m dandy!”

“As long as you’re alright,” Khas smiled at Rita.

“Shall we return to the farm for lunch?” Rita smiled.

“We shall.”

As they drove back to the farm, they unknowingly past a car that was hidden
behind some bushes. Two men got out of it.

“Is that her, Huby?” a scrubby looking blond asked his brother.

“That’s her all right, Dwayne,” the other, another scrubby blond answered. “That’s
the girl who beat me at the race last year.”

“Don’t worry, Dwayne. We’ll git her for humiliatin’ ya at the race.”

A hard look past Dwayne’s face. “Darn right. Let’s go, brother.”

Balladeer: Y’all remember that question I posed earlier? Well
never mind, I don’t want to know.

Meanwhile, the girls had made it to the farm in time for lunch. Daisy was working
and Jesse had to go to town, so it was just her, Rita, Bo and Luke.

When they sat down at the table Luke asked, “So, how much trouble did you git
yourselves into today?”

The two played innocent and, in unison, said, “Who? Us?”

Bo laughed and Luke rolled his eyes. Khas smiled and said, “Nothing out of the
ordinary.”

“Yep, that’s right,” Rita agreed. “Dropped Violet off at her house, went driving
some, jumped a creek to get away from Rosco and now we’re here. Eating lunch.”

“Hold on,” Luke said. “What about Rosco?”

“We out ran him and jumped the creek to get away. He didn’t make but he’s
alright,” Khas said, while she ate.

“He’s always alright,” Rita added.

Luke grinned. “What’re you gonna do with the rest of your day?”

“Don’t know,” Khas shrugged.

“Actually, I think we promised Danny we’d help him with bail hay and get those
new horses situated at the farm.”

“Was that today?”

Rita nodded.

“Hmm. When did we tell him we’d be there?”

“Around two. That’s when the horses get in.”

“Why don’t I remember this?”

Rita shrugged. “Probably because, when he told us, you were talkin’ to Eli and
Paul.”

Luke and Bo laughed. “That wouldn’t be Eli and Paul Gates would it? Kip Gate’s
two youngest?” Bo asked.

Khas promptly blushed and said, “Shut up it was nothing like that.”

“Yes it was,” Rita teased.

“Shut up, Rita.”

“Actually, I might be wrong,” she smiled. “Did I or did I not hear Danny tell you
he’d escort you to the prom if you needed a date?”

“Rita! He’s not even in school no more…anymore.”

“So,” Rita said. “He can go with you, you’re a senior.”

“Okay,” Luke said, looking at Khas, “you ain’t leavin’ this house until you give us
details.”

Khas gave Rita a look then turned to Bo and Luke. “It ain’t nothin’.”

“Hey Luke,” Bo nudged his cousin’s arm, “have you noticed how she slips into a
southern accent when she gets…mad?”

Luke nodded. “Why Bo, yes I have.”

Khas stopped eating and knew she wasn’t getting away without telling them about
Danny. But before she could say anything Jesse walked in. Thank you, Jesse.

“Hey Jesse.”

“Well hey there yerself Rita.” He smiled at her. “How’ve ya been since yesterday?”

“Good,” she laughed. “And you?”

“Oh, I’m good too. You two been stayin’ outta trouble today?”

“Tryin’,” Rita smiled.

Khas saw her opportunity to leave and took it. “Well, we promised Danny we’d
help him with hay and new horses so we better get going.”

Just before she got to the door, Bo grabbed her by the arm and smiled, “Not so
fast, Khas.”

“What’re you boys doing?” Jesse inquired.

“Well, we told Khas here that she couldn’t leave without tellin’ us about Danny
and the prom.”

“That’s right,” Luke said.

Khas gave Jesse a pleading look. “Now you boys leave her alone. She’s been on
what, three dates since she was 17? She’s 18 now and two weeks from graduating. Let her be, if she wants to tell us she’ll tell us.”

Reluctantly, Bo let her go. “Alright.”

“ ‘Sides, there’s always supper,” Luke grinned.

Khas grabbed Rita and dragged out to the car. “Bye Jesse!”

“Bye girls.”

Jesse gave Bo and Luke a snap with the dishtowel. “You boys…”

Balladeer: Poor Khas, and she lives with’em too. Now, those two
ugly guys found themselves at the Boar’s Nest…at a table right next to who other then,
JD Hogg.

“Now Huby,” Dwayne said. “She’s stayin’ with them Dukes. So we have to git her
when she’s not around them.”

“Right,” Huby said. “And how do we do that?”

Boss looked at them, then to Rosco. “Rosco, this is the perfect opportunity to git
them Dukes.”

“How’s that Boss?”

“You numbskull! Just watch,” he said as he walked over to their table. “Hello
fellas.”

“What do you want?” Huby snarled.

“Oh, well, I couldn’t help but over hear your conversation about the Dukes.”

“And?” Huby said.

“And I just might be able to help you.”

Huby looked at Dwayne before saying, “How?”

Boss took a seat and explained. “See, you want that Khas girl and I want them
Duke boys. I figure we can help each other.”

“Continue,” Huby said.

“I can arrest them Duke boys on some trumped up charge so you can have time to
git to Ms. Dalton.”

“What’re you gettin’ outta this?” Dwayne asked.

“Me? Oh well…having them Dukes behind bars, even for a little while, helps my
cholesterol go down.”

After a moment of silence, Huby said, “Alright mister, you gotta deal.”

“That’s great! Rosco!”

“Yes Boss?” Rosco said, coming up close to him.

Boss said, “Go find Ms. Dalton.”

“How…?”

“Just go, Rosco! I’ll get in touch in a few minutes.”

“Yessir. I’m going, I’m outta here.”

Balladeer: And it starts.

by: TNRiverRat

Chapter 16

It seemed that once the young Duke had awakened, his body went into overdrive trying to recover and get back to normal. Dr. Shackelford was in shock and called the blond haired young man a medical miracle because he seemed to have no lasting effects from his injuries or the long coma! Uncle Jesse and the rest of the family chalked Bo’s recovery up to faith in the Good Lord, the power of prayer and simple “Duke Determination”. The days since Bo had awakened had been the best the Duke family had seen for quite a while. The good news had traveled fast around the small community of Hazzard. The hospital and the Duke farm were flooded with calls and visits from folks who were happy to hear about Bo’s awakening.

The next several days were both wonderful and hellacious for Bo. He was awake (finally!) and grateful to be alive after Luke and Jesse had told him the extent of his injuries. Upon hearing of his improvement, droves of visitors had been coming by to see Bo. Much to his visitors…and his own surprise, the youngest Duke looked drastically different! His hair had grown back in and then some! Several weeks with little taming had encouraged the naturally unruly blond locks to curl wildly around Bo’s head and fall into his eyes. His beard had also gone unshaven since his bout with pneumonia had caused the breathing tube to be replaced. True to his nature, Bo had stubbornly refused to let anyone shave him until he could do it himself or to cut his hair till he was ready to go home. His muscular frame was now thinner and he needed to be “fattened up”, according to Uncle Jesse and Daisy. His handsome face was almost gaunt beneath the fierce growth of beard. The dashing young man everyone knew now looked more like a cross between a scarecrow and a mountain hermit! However, his expressive eyes and flashing smile let everyone know the “old Bo” was still there; just below the surface.
He had his family and friends around him and enjoyed their company; but he had never been in such pain and discomfort in his life. Medical staff poked and prodded him; trying to figure out why he wasn’t dead. Physical therapists stretched his unused muscles until he thought he would scream. The pneumonia was clearing up and the breathing tube had been removed; but, much to Bo’s and everyone else’s dismay, he still couldn’t talk enough to make himself understood. In fact, it took a while before his body and brain could even remember how to make words! After a little time and a few sessions with speech therapists, Bo could finally talk, a little. He could barely speak above a whisper and when he did, his voiced squeaked like when he was fourteen and then would disappear altogether at any time. The doctor and the therapists said his voice would return to normal once the damage to his vocal cords, caused by the breathing tube, healed…until then he just had to squeak or nothin’! Bo’s muscle strength and coordination were improving daily, but he still couldn’t hold a pencil well enough to write where anyone could read it. Try as he did to keep from it, Bo began to feel very distressed. The only bright spots were the daily visits from his family and Meghan.

A couple of weeks after his miraculous awakening, Bo became so frustrated that he wanted to scream. He wanted to communicate with everyone so badly! He tried to speak but couldn’t get all the words out before his voice would fail him. Worst of all, no one seemed to be able to figure out why Bo was so upset. As a result, he got so aggravated at times that he would hit the mattress or the wall next to his bed. Luke finally noticed Bo’s frustration and brought him a gift from the hospital gift-shop…one of those magnetic write-and-erase things like they used to play with when they were kids! Bo laughed…a whispery, cracked sound…when Luke gave the toy to him, but he soon thought of it as a treasured possession. He practiced using the little plastic “pen” and soon surprised Luke with a messily scrawled note that simply read “Hi, Cuz”. Bo was grinning with delight. He could finally “talk” to his family and friends after so many days of one-sided conversations and one or two word sentences. Bo was soon writing away; slowly at first because his body was getting used to coordinated movements again, but soon his scrawling handwriting was filling up the page almost as fast as he could think of the words. Luke, Daisy and Jesse were hard pressed to read what Bo would write before he tried to lift the magnetic sheet to erase one thought and start another.
Later that night, Daisy laughed and told her blond cousin, “Sugar, I think I’m gonna go get you a dozen pens and a bushel of paper! That little thing you’re writin’ on now won’t survive another day with the way you’re goin’.”

“I guess you’ve just been quiet for too long, ain’tcha little cuz? I thought you were gonna blow up before I brought that thing in.” Luke said as he fondly ruffled Bo’s hair.

Bo scowled briefly and made a face…a familiar reaction that Luke was afraid he would never see again. Jesse also smiled as he watched his two nephews behave as they had for years. The old man sent up a silent prayer of thanks for his youngest nephew’s return to health and for the restoration of the friendship between his two nephews.

Bo smoothed his hair and soon was grinning widely as he showed Luke his written reaction. “Cute, Lukas, real cute.”

The four Dukes laughed and hugged each other as they realized that life as they knew it would soon return to normal.

Bo was happy to be able to let them all know how glad he was to be alive and that he remembered everything except the accident that put him in the position he was in. He remembered his life up till the ill-fated car chase and then everything else he remembered was supposedly just a dream. In fact, Bo still remembered the events of the twenty or so years he spent in his “dream life” so clearly…he still wasn’t sure it was all just a dream. One thing really bothered him…How did he know about Meghan if he had never met her before? He had talked to Luke and after a baffled few hours; Luke came up with a logical answer. While in the coma, Luke figured that Bo heard Meghan’s voice and pieces of conversations and somehow formed them into his dream. It seemed logical…but Bo was still unsure. He decided that would talk to his cousin again…Luke would be able to help him sort it all out; either that or he would have him committed to the psych ward! Bo laughed to himself. He looked up from his thoughts to find his favorite nurse standing in the doorway…smiling at him. Meghan seemed happy, but shy since Bo had awakened. She had not been in as much…saying she wanted to give him more time with his family and the therapists. As a result, Bo looked forward to every brief encounter they had shared in the last few days; even though he didn’t really know what to say to her without seeming weird. ‘What would he say to her? “Hi, Meggie. You don’t know this, but I’ve been in love with you most of my life. You liked me too, but I was too chicken to talk to you. Then you got engaged to Luke and later you told me you loved me and after that you died. Then I find out it was just a dream, anyway, and that I’ve been in a coma for six months and haven’t really even got to know you yet.” Yeah, right. Tell her that and you’ll really be headed for the psych ward!’

Bo shook his head and chuckled. He took a deep breath and silently thanked God for the second chance he had been given. He would recover…he had no doubt about that…and he would treasure every moment of this life. Bo knew he would always remember his other “life” and he hoped he learned his lessons well. Whether what he remembered was just a coma-induced dream or if somehow reality had actually been altered, he knew he could no longer take the love of and for his family and Meghan for granted.
Meghan had tried to remain professional and down to business, but Bo could see the emotion in her eyes. He hoped she could see the same in his. The pretty, brunette nurse stepped just beyond the doorway of Bo’s room. She toyed with her ink-pen, gave him that crooked smile that he found so irresistible and asked to come in and visit for awhile, since her shift had ended. Bo watched her nervous fidgeting and thought she became more beautiful each time he saw her. He vowed he would not let her slip away from him again…or would it be the first time? ‘Who cares…I’m gonna give it a shot.’ Bo smiled widely at Meghan and beckoned her to come in. He settled himself into a more comfortable position…sitting up in bed, leaning back against the pillows. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and rubbed his hand over his bearded chin, silently wishing for a razor and a comb. He cleared his throat and grabbed the new writing pad and pen Daisy had brought him…just in case his voice decided not to cooperate. Meghan quickly closed the distance between them. She reached out and gently brushed the hair from his eyes…her hand lingering on his cheek. Bo felt his skin tingle and swore he could feel her pulse quicken as well from the simple touch. He remembered her touch so well…he would always remember…he shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked up into Meghan’s emerald eyes. She gave him a soft, sweet smile and sat near him, on the edge of the bed. Bo flushed slightly and gave her a mega-watt grin as he reached out to cover her hand with his. He took a deep breath and prepared for a long evening…after all…they had nearly twenty years to catch up on and he had some serious flirting to do!

by: TNRiverRat

Chapter 15

Doctor Bob Shackelford was a middle-aged, balding man who had always depended on hard facts and medical science to carry him through; he didn’t hold much stock in miracles or such stuff. After today’s visit with Bo and his family, the tall, thin doctor could not believe what he was seeing. He had never had a patient in Bo Duke’s situation make such a miraculous turn around! Comatose patients in critical condition just don’t start to wake up…if anything, they slip deeper into the coma before they finally die. There were absolutely no medical reasons why Bo should be doing what he was doing…all of the data from the past couple of days said the young man should be dead right now. Maybe it was a miracle…he certainly didn’t have any explanations.

He shook his head as he remembered scoffing at Nurse Riley when she burst into his office yesterday, shouting that Bo Duke was responding to light stimuli. He chalked her irrational behavior up to her unusually close bond with the patient and his family. However, he had to revise his opinion when he examined the young man. Bo was indeed beginning to show signs that he was coming out of his coma…after six months with no signs improvement. The blond haired man was still in critical condition due to a severe case of pneumonia, but he was steadily coming back to consciousness and had made even more strides toward waking up completely…now he was starting to move a bit! Perhaps he would make it through. Dr. Shackelford hoped, for the family’s sake, that the young man would at least be able to know them and communicate with them in some way. He still doubted that Bo would ever be close to normal after such a traumatic injury. He also worried about his best nurse. He feared Nurse Riley’s attachment to the man and her irrational belief that he will greatly improve could end up in heartbreak and discouragement. He sure would hate for that to happen…the hospital didn’t need to lose such a good nurse. Dr. Shackelford sighed and began to write up Bo’s current condition in his notes.
*************************************************************

Jesse Duke knew his prayers were being answered. His “baby boy” was improving by leaps and bounds. He fondly brushed his nephew’s blond hair back from his face and smiled. “You’ll be back with us in a little while, son,” Jesse turned his eyes toward the IV pump holding the bag of what had been Bo’s ‘food’ for the past six months and sadly shook his head. “And when you get home, I’ll fix you the biggest dinner you’ve ever seen. I know you’re bound to be gettin’ tired of that liquid stuff,” he said, glancing at the tubing that snaked from the pump and attached itself to Bo’s body somewhere beneath the hospital gown. The tired old man rose from the bedside chair; pulled the watch from the pocket of his faded overalls, glanced at it and began to stretch. He was going to spend the night alone with Bo. Jesse had sent Daisy and Luke back to the farm to get some rest. Luke argued, briefly, but the younger man was so tired that he was literally swaying on his feet. Jesse smiled as he thought of his eldest nephew’s and niece’s devotion to their “little brother”. Luke and Daisy had not missed a day coming to see their cousin since the accident and Luke had barely moved from the bedside since Bo had finally started improving. Jesse paused in his musing as he saw movement outside Bo’s room. It was Meghan Riley; passing by in the hallway, busy with her end of shift duties. He smiled and waved at her as she passed.

He chuckled, “We’re not the only one’s who want to see you get better, Bo.” He knew that the petite, brunette nurse really cared about his nephew…and in more than a professional way. He let his thoughts run as he walked around to the other side of Bo’s bed, tidying the room as he went.
“That girl would be good for you, son…real good. I just feel it…you two would be a good match. Maybe the Good Lord meant for you to meet.” Jesse sighed and shook his head, “I just wish He’d had a little different way in mind…but who am I to question. I’m just thankful He’s seein’ fit to bring you back to us.” The old man paused beside the bed, reached over and laid a weathered hand over Bo’s right hand and squeezed; a slight smile twinkling in his soft blue eyes.

Bo Duke had been able to understand more of what was going on around him for the last couple of days. From what he had gathered from listening to his family and the doctors, he had been shot, in some sort of car accident and had… brain surgery!?! ‘Dang, I didn’t realize it was that bad! No wonder they all thought I was gonna kick out! But I’ve got news for them…I ain’t in any hurry to leave.’ He was rather uncomfortable about the idea that he hadn’t moved in so long. At least someone came around daily and moved his arms and legs and kept him turned from side to side to ‘keep him from becoming stiff’ (that’s what they told him, anyway). He was so embarrassed about having to be tended to like a helpless infant! ‘I’ve got to wake up…that’s all there is to it.’ He had also heard the voices of his family and Meghan urging him to wake up. He wanted to see them all so badly…he loved them beyond belief.

Bo still had trouble, at times, believing that this was reality. ‘Had all those awful events been a dream? Could I have really dreamed that I had lived out twenty miserable years while I was sick? Or is this the dream?’ He didn’t really know, but what ever this was…it was what he wanted! All his family was here and his sweet Meggie was here and he had a chance to let them all know how much he cared. Gradually, Bo was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of his Uncle Jesse’s soft, rumbling voice and gentle touch.

Jesse continued to hold Bo’s hand while he read aloud to him from the Hazzard Gazette. The fingers of Bo’s right hand twitched, ever so gently. Jesse paused in his reading; the room silent except for the hissing and beeping of the machines. They twitched again, this time stronger. Jesse turned in his chair, grabbing Bo’s hand with both of his.
“Come on Bo, that’s it! Wake up for your Uncle Jesse, son!” Jesse urged, his eyes bright with excitement.

The heart monitor by Bo’s bedside began to beep louder and faster. This caught the attention of Meghan, who was coming to say her goodbye’s for the evening. She ran into the room to see if anything was wrong. Jesse Duke looked up at her abrupt entrance and smiled. “He’s movin’!” was all he said. Meghan quickly went to Bo’s side. She checked him over and determined that he was OK for the moment.

‘Professionalism be damned’ she thought, ‘I’m off duty!’
She sat on the bed and began to stroke Bo’s hair…uncaring that Jesse was right beside them. “Bo, Sweetie, wake up. I want to see those pretty eyes of yours lookin’ back at me. Please, Honey, wake up for us. Your Uncle Jesse is here and he loves you so much. I…I love you too…” she said, haltingly. Meghan paused and tried to calm her own racing heart. She ran her hand through her hair, “I know you don’t even know who in the world I am…I don’t even understand it myself…but I do love you. Please wake up and give me the chance to know the real Beauregard Duke.” She whispered the last bit as she leaned over and gently placed a sweet kiss at the corner of Bo’s mouth.

Bo’s brain seemed to explode. He felt too many sensations at once. It appeared that Meghan’s kiss had broken down the last barriers that were keeping him from regaining full consciousness. He could feel the gentleness of Meghan’s lips, her soft hair brushing across his face; he could even smell the shampoo she had used early that morning. Unfortunately, he could also feel the harsh scratching of the breathing tube down his throat, the aching of his muscles and the pain in his lungs from the pneumonia. Bo gasped as best he could with the tube down his throat and struggled to open his eyes. He finally won the battle and his eyes sprang open. He briefly caught a fuzzy glimpse of Meghan’s face before the stress of the moment caught up with him. He felt his chest seize and heard the tell-tale sound of the cardiac monitor going flat-line. “NO! Not now! Please God, don’t let me d…” Bo prayed frantically before he sank into darkness again.

Meghan’s face froze in a mask of horror. Her brief joy at seeing Bo open his eyes was quickly replaced by heart-wrenching fear that she would lose the man she had grown to love so deeply.

“No you don’t! You’re not gonna leave me now, Bo!” she yelled; her fear quickly turning to anger.

Meghan became a whirlwind of motion. She let the head of Bo’s bed down and climbed into the bed. The petite nurse straddled the tall, blond man and furiously began CPR. She instructed Jesse to go into the hall and get help. After what seemed an eternity, two nurses and a doctor burst into the room with a crash cart. Jesse looked on from the doorway, his brow creased with worry. The doctor had to pull Meghan away from Bo’s chest in order for the others to start work. She was sobbing and collapsed into a nearby chair; watching as her colleagues worked diligently to revive Bo. Finally, after being defibrillated twice, Bo regained a steady pulse and was stabilized. Jesse and Meghan had moved to the hall and were both trying to comfort each other. They nearly didn’t hear the doctor tell them the good news: not only had Bo been revived, but he had completely awakened from the coma!

Meghan and Jesse slowly walked over to Bo’s bed. They each had to touch him to see if he was really still with them. Bo opened his eyes in response and the two were almost overwhelmed with gratitude and joy. “He’s back. He knows me, I know he does! You can’t forget your old Uncle Jesse, can you, boy?” Jesse said while wiping tears with his free hand. Both he and Meghan hadn’t stopped grinning since Bo looked at them. Meghan thought he seemed to recognize her! But how? He had never seen her…didn’t even know her. Maybe he did recognize her voice…but…Oh well, who cares? She loved seeing him looking back at her. She would just enjoy whatever she could get right now. She couldn’t keep from telling Bo that she loved him when Jesse briefly left the bedside to phone Luke and Daisy to tell them the great news.

Bo had slowly opened his eyes when he felt Meghan and Jesse’s hands on his skin. His senses were all still fresh and almost raw. Everything seemed too loud or…just too much. His vision was fuzzy and the dim lights were almost too bright for him, but he still recognized the bearded face that hovered above his! ‘Uncle Jesse!’ The small woman with the halo of brown hair and that sweet voice just had to be…‘Meghan!’ His vision might have been fuzzy, be he heard perfectly when his sweet Meggie told him that she loved him. “I love you, too” he desperately tried to tell her with his eyes. Bo closed his eyes briefly, his eyes tearing from recent lack of use and emotion. ‘I’m back! Thank You, Lord! Thank You for givin’ me another chance!’

Bo listened to Meghan and Jesse for a long while, trying to convey his feelings through his gaze. He wished he could talk back to them, but the breathing tube prevented speech and he really felt too weak to talk anyway. He was able to slightly squeeze Jesse’s hand and move his fingers and toes in response to Meghan’s prompting. Soon, however, Bo was completely tuckered out. He fell into a deep, healing sleep. Jesse was alarmed at first when Bo fell asleep, but Meghan assured him that Bo needed the rest.
“You’d think six months of sleepin’ would be enough rest for anybody…but I guess it’s a different kind of sleep. At least this time he’ll wake up in the morning, Lord willin’.” Jesse said as he stretched and settled into the visitor’s cot next to Bo’s bed. He told Bo and the young nurse ‘goodnight’ before he rolled over on his back, cap over his eyes, to sleep for the night.

Meghan knew that all the Dukes knew of her feelings for Bo, so she no longer made any attempt to hide them. She tiptoed over to the side of the bed and brushed the wheat colored hair from Bo’s forehead. She placed a soft kiss above his eyebrow. “Goodnight, Sweetie. I’ll see you in the mornin’,” she whispered before she left the room, turning out the light as she left. As she walked out into the parking lot after this long, emotional roller-coaster of a night, Meghan smiled. Her heart felt lighter than it had in months. Bo was going to be fine…she just had a gut feeling about the good-looking blond; and maybe…just maybe…everything was going to turn out fine for her as well.
“Lord willin’,” she said looking up to the star filled Georgia sky. She unlocked her white Camero and headed out toward her apartment; her mind full of thoughts about a future that definitely included a certain young man named Duke.