by: TNRiverRat

Chapter 7

All too soon, 5:30 am arrived at the Duke farm. The resident rooster crowed to announce that it was time to get up and start the morning chores. Luke Duke tried to ignore the annoying bird and go back to sleep, but his alarm clock soon started to buzz. He sat up, bleary eyed, and slammed the button to turn off the offending sound. The rooster crowed again to make sure everyone in the house was awake. Luke growled, under his breath, “OK…I’m up. One of these days, that bird is gonna end up in a pot of dumplings!” He groaned, rubbed his hands over his face, and slowly got dressed for doing chores in jeans and a cotton shirt. As he sat on the bed, putting on his boots, he hollered at his still sleeping cousin; just as he had done almost everyday for nearly twenty years, now.

“Bo…wake up. Bo! Get your lazy butt out of bed! The chores ain’t gonna do themselves.”

Bo continued to snore and didn’t even stir; in fact, he appeared not to have moved an inch since falling, fully clothed, into the bed. Luke noticed that Bo still looked pretty tired even though he was asleep! The dark-haired man had pity on his cousin, shook his head, and said, “OK…I’ll let you sleep in for a while…but you’ll owe me one!”
Luke finished up then walked from his room to join Jesse and Daisy in the kitchen.

Jesse was helping Daisy cook breakfast; gradually returning to his old routine. He looked up as Luke entered the room. His nephew still looked half-asleep and was yawning widely as he sat down at the table. Luke had apparently decided to wait until he had finished his chores to clean up for the day. He was dressed in old work clothes, his hair looked more unruly than usual and he had not shaved yet.

“Good morning, Luke. Looks like it’ll be a nice day today; don’t it?” Jesse said as he took a pan of homemade biscuits from the oven.

“G’mornin’,” Luke mumbled.

“Well, you’re a real ray of sunshine! I almost thought you were Bo…” Daisy said, in a bright, wide-awake voice, as she sat a plate filled with eggs and bacon in front of her cousin. Luke raised an eyebrow and just glared at Daisy.

Jesse saw this and laughed. His youngest nephew had always hated waking up early; no matter how much or how little sleep he had the night before. Luke, however, was usually a morning person like Daisy; but lack of sleep tended to make him cranky in the morning like Bo. “Speakin’ of Bo, where is he?” Jesse said.

“I let him sleep in. He still looked pretty tired.” Luke replied.

Jesse nodded and said, “He needs the rest. He had a real rough night. If he’s not up in a few hours, I’ll go check on him.”

Jesse said Grace before he sat down at the table. The three Dukes then ate their breakfast and went about the routine morning chores.

Bo awoke to the sound of Luke rummaging through the dresser. He noticed that the sun was higher than usual when he woke up and he looked at the clock: 8:30 am. He sat up in bed and looked around, bleary-eyed, at his cousin. “Luke, how come you didn’t wake me up? We’re gonna be late gettin’ the chores done.” Bo scratched his beard-stubbled jaw and then ran both hands through his hair; making it stand on end. He looked down at himself and realized he hadn’t undressed or even taken his boots off last night! ‘Oh, well,’ he thought as he stretched.

Luke turned from the dresser with a clean shirt in his hands and laughed at his wild-looking cousin. His dark hair was still damp from his recent shower and he smelled of his ‘good’ after-shave.
“Good mornin’ to you, too, Rip Van Winkle! As for the chores…they’re already done. I let you sleep in…you looked like you needed it! Oh, by the way…you get to do all the evening chores by yourself since I did yours and mine this morning,” he said with a toothy smile.
Luke shrugged into his newest shirt and looked in the dresser mirror as he started to comb his hair; a little more carefully than usual.

Bo noticed this and grinned…wickedly! He loved to annoy his older cousin…that was one thing he knew he would never outgrow! He got out of bed and sauntered over to lean on the dresser, next to Luke.
“OK…no problem about the chores…but I really need to know something, Lukas. You just look too dang purty and smell too good to be hanging around here all day,” Bo said, as he fluttered his eyelashes, teasing Luke. “Are you goin’ somewheres?” he asked his cousin, grinning widely.

Luke looked at the floor and blushed…he actually blushed! Bo was astonished at this and he started poking Luke in the ribs to further annoy him. “Well, are ya? Huh? Are ya, Lukas?”

“Bo! Stop it, ya idiot!” Luke flinched and moved out of Bo’s reach.

He looked sidelong at his cousin and decided to tell his plans; it felt real good to have someone to talk to again, even if that someone was being an annoying brat at the moment!

“Well…Uncle Jesse wants me to pick up some feed and the new part for the cultivator…and since the parts-store is in Capital City…and Tri-County Hospital is in Capital City, too…well…I…thought I might stop by and see Meghan…and maybe see if she wanted to go get lunch or something like that. You know, spend a little time together before our big date, to talk and stuff.” Luke stammered as he looked at the floor; a slow, soft grin appeared on his face.

A cold knot formed in the pit of Bo’s stomach. He felt wretched, especially when he saw that little grin on Luke’s face. He knew his older cousin too well; that grin and the fact that he blushed meant Luke must really like Meghan…a lot.

“Oh…ri-i-ight…Meghan. She works in Capital City…at the hospital…yeah…that’s a good plan, Luke. Hope she’s working today…I’d hate for you to have to go there for nothin’.” Bo said, tensely, trying his best to sound cheerful and supportive of his cousin.

He had a fake smile plastered on his face and he hoped Luke couldn’t see his internal struggle. He wanted to scream, curse, break something or even hit Luke…he wanted to do anything except stand there and act like he was happy! He wished he could be happy for Luke…Luke deserved it…but right now, the disappointment was just too fresh…maybe in time he would be able to think about Luke and Meghan together without wanting to cry or explode…but today would not be that day.
He had to get away before he lost it and went ballistic in front of Luke. He gave his cousin a friendly slap on the shoulder and quickly headed for the bathroom.
“Well, I’m gonna take a shower. Have a good trip. See ya when you get back.” Bo said in a hurried, strained voice.

Luke turned and watched as Bo nearly ran out of the room. He shrugged and passed his cousin’s odd behavior off as a side-effect of the rough night they had all had. He finished getting ready and, when he thought he passed inspection, left the farmhouse.

By the time Bo had finished his shower, Luke was well on his way to Capital City. The youngest Duke had first thought the day was starting out to be good. He and Luke were joking and talking, as usual…but, then Meghan’s name was mentioned and his good mood went down the drain. He chastised himself for getting so worked up over someone he didn’t even know and most likely would never know as anything other than a friend.

Bo stood in front of the sink with a towel wrapped around his waist. He ran his fingers through his wet hair, trying to get it into some semblance of order. He looked at himself critically as he prepared to shave. “You sure won’t get Meghan to look twice at you now, Beauregard; you look like death warmed over! She wouldn’t look at you anyway; not with perfect Lukas running after her!” he said bitterly and slammed the medicine cabinet door shut. Bo instantly felt bad about his comment. “It’s not like you had any claim on her, you know. You were too chicken to go see her and now you lost out. So, get over it, Hot Shot, and get on with your life. The sooner the better…everything can then get back to normal.” Bo said to his mirrored reflection as he gingerly shaved his bruised face. ‘Great, I’m talking to myself, now. This is starting to get pathetic!’ he thought and shook his head.

Bo finished shaving and brushed a towel over his face. He winced when he touched his left cheek. He examined his reflection and thought, ‘Man…if this is what Uncle Jesse can do when he’s weak, I’d hate to get him mad when he’s at full strength!’ Bo sighed and quickly turned his thoughts to other matters as he got dressed for the day.

Bo finally ventured out into the rest of the house. He had left his shirt untucked and carried his boots and socks with him to put on later. He half-heartedly hoped no one would be in the kitchen because he didn’t really want to talk to anyone right now. He was relieved to see that he was alone in the house. Daisy had saved him some breakfast and he took a cold biscuit from the plate and ate it slowly as he poured himself some coffee. He drank the coffee as he looked out the window at a peaceful scene that he never tired of: his home and the people he loved. His Uncle Jesse sat in front of the barn, sharpening the edge of a hoe; Daisy was walking from the chicken coop with a basket of freshly collected eggs; and Luke…well, Luke was in Capital City with Meghan! Bo struggled to control himself…he had almost thrown his coffee cup across the room at the thought of Luke and Meghan! He had to get a hold of himself or things would get out of hand!

Daisy entered the kitchen just as Bo was about to throw his coffee cup. She knew he didn’t see her and she remained silent as she watched him regain control of himself. Bo had his hands on the edge of the sink and his head was bowed as if he were praying. Daisy cautiously approached him and gently placed a hand on her cousin’s shoulder. He jumped as if he had been shocked. Bo looked at Daisy, all his emotions vying for control. She could see the turmoil in his eyes. He looked so sad and tired. Daisy had hoped the reconciliation with Jesse would help Bo’s mood; but, if anything, he seemed more upset and depressed than ever! She stroked her hand through his bright hair to soothe him.

“Honey, that extra sleep didn’t seem to help you one bit. You still look like something the cat drug in and left in the hayloft overnight!” she said jokingly.

Bo smiled slightly. “Gee, thanks!”

“Seriously, Bo, are you OK?”

“Yeah, Daisy, I will be.” He was pouring himself some more coffee and looked away as he said this.

“Come on, ‘Squirt’, sit down and tell me all about it.” She steered her taller cousin toward a chair.

At the sound of a long forgotten nickname, Bo laughed and nearly choked on his coffee. “ ‘Squirt’?!? You haven’t called me that since I was ten! What’s the deal with you and Luke and the old nicknames here lately?” He let Daisy lead him to the chair and he sat down.

She smiled and hugged him. “Well, I just couldn’t resist. You looked so pitiful…I figured it might make you smile…and sometimes I still think of you as that little ‘squirt’ you used to be before you outgrew me!”

Bo smiled widely at the beautiful young woman he considered to be a sister and took her hand. “It did the job, Daisy Mae! I’m smilin’.”

“It’s good to see you smiling again, Sugar. Now…tell me what’s going on. And don’t lie to me and tell me it’s nothing! I know you better than that. I thought you and Jesse settled everything last night.” She looked at Bo with concern.

Bo tried to avoid her gaze. “We did. Everything’s fine between me and Jesse now. It’s…it’s just something I need to work out for myself.” He said softly.

“You need to talk to someone, Bo. It’s not like you to keep to yourself and you’ve kept to yourself too much lately. If you won’t tell me, why don’t you talk to Luke…?”

“I can’t talk to Luke about this.” Bo said sharply as he rose from his chair. He walked over to the door and leaned against the wooden frame.

Daisy’s suspicions from the night before came back to her, forcefully.
“It’s that nurse; isn’t it? Bo…you like Meghan…don’t you?” She said gently.

Bo turned to look at her. He looked like a deer caught in headlights. Daisy had figured it out. Dear God! What was he going to do? If Luke found out…

“Bo…you do like her! That’s why you got so upset last night when Luke talked about taking her out!” She joined her cousin at the door and touched his face, gently, forcing him to look her in the eye. “Oh, Sugar…why didn’t you say something…”
“What good would it have done? Luke beat me to the punch. I was too much of a coward to ask her out and I lost my chance. End of discussion.” Bo tried to end the conversation and strode into the living room where he sat on the arm of the couch and began to put his socks and boots on. He had to get out of the house. He had to get away from the questions.

Daisy noticed the pained quality to Bo’s voice.
“How long have you liked her?” she softly asked, though she already knew the answer.

Bo sighed and shook his head. There was no way around Daisy! She would keep after him till he told her all she wanted to know…and part of him was grateful for the chance to at least get some of this off his chest.

“Since the first time I heard her voice in that waiting room. Since the moment I looked into those pretty green eyes and she touched my arm. Since she smiled that perfectly cute crooked little smile. Since…” Bo’s face softened. He smiled gently and his dark-blue eyes sparkled as they seemed to be lost in a day-dream.

Once he had started, the words came out in a flood. He told Daisy about all his feelings toward Meghan…his confusion, his fear, and the possibility that he might love her. Daisy listened, in awe at the depth of feeling her young cousin had for this woman who he barely knew!

“Now, Bo! I don’t want to rain on your parade…but, you’ve fallen in love before…”

“Daisy, believe me, I know what you’re thinking. ‘Leave it to Bo to fall in love with a woman he doesn’t even know!’ But…I can’t explain it. I’m crazy about her. When I looked into her eyes, I felt something so strong it scared the crap outta me! I wanted to go to that hospital every day and talk to her…but I was too scared! Can you believe it? Me…scared to talk to a woman! But she’s not like any other woman I’ve met, Daisy. I know I don’t have anything to offer Meghan. I don’t have a good job, I’m always broke, I don’t have a lot of book-smarts, and I know I can act like a danged fool sometimes…but I do know that if I ever got the chance, I would love her till my dying breath! She’s the one Daisy…don’t ask me how I know…but I know! She’s the one…and now I’ve lost her to the best man she could possibly have…Luke.” Bo had been pacing as he gave his impassioned speech. As he ended, he sat down on the couch and sighed, sadly.

Daisy didn’t know what to say. It was obvious that Bo felt things for Meghan that he had never felt before. This was definitely more than one of his usual romances. He had fallen and fallen hard for a woman he now thought he couldn’t have. She sat down by her cousin and rubbed his back to comfort him. He leaned his head over on her shoulder; feeling a little bit better now that he had shared his burden. Bo had always shared things with Luke, but he felt he could open up more and show his true feelings around Daisy. She had always seemed to understand him and didn’t tease him too much for showing his emotions.

“Go on. Say it. I’m pathetic!”

“Bo, honey, you are not pathetic! A little crazy sometimes, yes, but not pathetic!” she joked to lighten the mood.

The two cousins sat in silence for a few minutes. Daisy could feel the conflicted emotions radiating from Bo and she was disturbed by them. She again had the feeling that something bad was going to happen between Bo and Luke and she now knew if it did it would be over Meghan.

“Bo, you really need to tell Luke. You can’t keep something like this from him. He needs to know.”

“NO!” Bo said, vehemently. “No. I almost messed things up between me and Luke over a girl once before. I won’t do it again. If he knew it would just make him mad. Besides, I didn’t have any claim on Meghan. He was perfectly free to ask her out…so there’s no need of bothering him with this. Let him be happy. I don’t want to hurt him because of my own problems. I’ll just have to accept it and try to forget about her.”

“Bo…”

“Please, Daisy. Don’t tell Luke what I just told you. And I’d appreciate it if we didn’t talk about it anymore…OK?”

“What about Jesse? He’ll want to know what’s going on with you.”

“If he asks, you can tell Jesse enough to satisfy him…but, only Jesse and be sure he knows to keep it from Luke! I’ll be the one to tell Luke if and when I’m ready” Bo said in a serious tone as he looked at Daisy. “I mean it, Daisy.”

She nodded.

Bo decided it was time to lighten the mood. It seemed to get too serious too quick around the farm lately. He looked sideways at Daisy and grinned.
“You just wait and see…by the time I get ready to tell Luke my problems, I’ll have forgotten all about Nurse What’s Her Name and have my mind on three other girls.” He nudged his cousin and said, “Ain’t that right…” he paused dramatically “… ‘Toothpick’?”

Daisy gasped in surprise. “Bo Duke! Don’t you dare call me that stupid name!” She hit him with a pillow off the couch.

“Hey, you started it with that ‘Squirt’ business!” He threw the pillow back at her as he jumped up and ran from the living room toward the screen door, yelling the hated nickname at the top of his lungs.

Daisy, welcoming the change in mood, shrieked in mock anger and gave chase.

Jesse looked up from his work at the explosion of noise from the kitchen door. His youngest nephew burst into the yard. Bo was laughing and being chased by Daisy who was threatening to douse him with a pan of dishwater. General chaos ensued as the laughing, shouting young people stirred up the yard full of clucking chickens. Even the mule in the barn started braying in response to all the noise.

Jesse laughed out loud. To him the joyful noises of his family were like music to his ears! It had really been too quiet around the farm for the past few weeks.

by: TNRiverRat

Chapter 6

Bo wanted to be anywhere except where he was… but, at the moment; he could do nothing about his current location. He didn’t think he would even be able to get to his bed without help…much less leave the house!
He tried to ignore the three people who stared at him with concern…he just didn’t want to talk right now…but he knew he would probably have to before the night was over.

Daisy was the first to approach Bo. She helped him to a sitting position; steadying him through a wave of dizziness. The young woman sniffed back her tears of relief at seeing her cousin breathing easier. “Bo, Sugar…What are you trying to do? Make me gray-headed before my time?” she said, with a gentle smile, as she finger-combed his thick hair away from his face.

“Sorry.” Bo said, hoarsely. He gave Daisy a small, lopsided grin. She then hugged him, fiercely.

“Hey, cuz. Guess what? You almost turned blue…” Luke tried to be funny, but the fearsome image of Bo’s deathly pale complexion came rushing back to him and his smile faded. He almost whispered, “When you…I thought…” Luke couldn’t finish. He cleared his throat, sat down on the coffee table so he could face his cousin, and instead asked, “How do you feel? Can you breathe OK?”

Bo looked at Luke with questioning eyes; but he decided not to push his cousin. “Frankly…I feel like someone ran over me with the General and left him parked on my chest…but other than that, I guess I’m a lot better than I was. It still hurts a little to breathe, though.” Bo didn’t tell his cousin the rest. He hoped that he wouldn’t be making a habit of having asthma attacks like the one he had tonight! His head hurt, he was dizzy, and the medication made him feel strange and jittery. He felt like he had a bad hang-over from too much cheap, Boar’s Nest booze! In addition, he was utterly exhausted from both the physical and emotional ordeals he had gone through that evening.

In other words…he was a train-wreck!

Luke noticed that Bo didn’t look at Jesse or even acknowledge the older man’s presence in the room. He stood up and briefly enfolded his cousin in a brotherly hug. “Don’t make a habit of this, Bo! I might have a heart attack if I have to haul your carcass through the woods again.” he said, with another attempt at humor to lighten the mood in the room and to mask his own emotions.

Bo smiled at his almost-brother and caught his light-blue eyes with his own sincere, dark-blue eyes. “Thanks Luke. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Don’t mention it little bro’.” Luke said; his voice thickening with emotion. He motioned for Daisy to follow and the two cousins went into the kitchen to leave Bo and Jesse alone in the living room.

Jesse approached his tired, hurting nephew and slowly sat down next to him on the couch.

Bo didn’t move. He just wanted to get this night over with and go to bed so he could deal with his feelings of loss over Meghan in peace.

Jesse tenderly touched the bruise on Bo’s cheek; hating the fact that he had caused the mark. Bo flinched, slightly, but otherwise did not acknowledge the man beside him. Bo wanted to tell Jesse to go away and leave him alone…but…he was raised to be respectful and he figured he should at least let his uncle have his say. ‘After all…maybe things have changed,’ Bo hoped.

The old man drew a deep, ragged breath and turned his nephew’s head to face him. His heart clenched at the look of pain and sadness that emanated from Bo’s expressive eyes. “I’m sorry, Bo. I don’t blame you for not trusting me anymore. I’ve treated you bad the last month or so…I didn’t realize I was doing it…but it happened, and I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.” He sighed and gave a small chuckle, “I guess that silly ol’ saying is true… ‘You always hurt the ones you love’. I do love you, son, and I pray that you can find it in your heart to forgive this old fool.” Tears of regret streaked down Jesse’s face and into his thick beard.

Bo saw the truth in Jesse’s gentle eyes and felt the familiar, fatherly love in his touch and voice. He’s back! Uncle Jesse’s back! Bo’s spirits instantly lightened. The cold, distant stranger that had been masquerading as his uncle for the last month was finally gone!

Jesse noticed that Bo’s eyes were shining with tears. He stroked his nephew’s hair and pulled him into an embrace. Bo’s face crumpled as he gave in and released the weeks of emotional torment he had been through and the current pain he felt (but couldn’t speak of) over Meghan. He dropped his head to Jesse’s shoulder and cried like a baby…and for once, he didn’t care who saw him. He was just grateful to have this part of his world return to normal. He’d find a way to deal with his heartbreak later.

Luke and Daisy had over-heard Jesse’s words and risked a glance into the living room to see their cousin’s response. They saw their uncle holding Bo tightly; rocking gently as he offered the lanky young man comfort. Bo was crying deep, wrenching sobs and murmuring words they couldn’t hear; holding on to his uncle for dear life. Jesse made soft, soothing replies as he shed quiet tears of his own. The two cousins wrapped arms around each other and turned away from the emotional scene; secure in the knowledge that their family would once again be whole.

After a long while, Bo stopped crying. He was worn-out, physically, and emotionally drained. He hoped to never have another night like this… ever! He sniffed, raised his head from his uncle’s shoulder and looked into the adjoining room where Luke and Daisy waited.

He sat up; embarrassed about his ‘melt-down’ now that it was over, and swiped at his eyes. “Ya’ll can come back in now…the water-works have dried up…I don’t think you’ll drown!” he said with a sheepish grin. Jesse smiled at the welcome return of Bo’s humor and struggled to regain his own composure.

Luke and Daisy joined Bo and Jesse in the living room. Daisy brought a pot of coffee and four cups with her. Her eyes were red from her own tears as she spoke to Bo, “Don’t sweat it, Hon. We’ve all cried enough lately to flood Hazzard Square! I thought we could use a little caffeine after the night we’ve had,” she said, pouring the coffee and passing the first cup to her blond cousin.

“Thanks…but I feel like I could use something a bit stronger. I wonder how coffee would taste with a little snort of Jesse’s shine in it…” Bo said with a slight grin, as he held the cup with both hands. He briefly questioned the idea of adding caffeine into his already jittery body, but shrugged it off. He doubted he would have any trouble sleeping tonight…even if he drank the whole pot!

Luke raised an eyebrow at Bo’s comment. “You getting drunk is the last thing we need tonight…so stay out of the shine!” he replied, with a laugh, as he accepted his own cup.

The family sat close and began to mend the wounds of the last few weeks.

Jesse watched his kids, fondly. This had been a rough night for them all. He was still not at 100%, himself, and he felt very tired. He decided he should call it a night…after all it was nearly 1:00 am!

“Well, young’uns, I’m getting these old bones to bed and I’ll advise ya’ll to do likewise. We all need a good nights sleep and mornin’ will be here before we know it.” Jesse stood up, stretched, and began to walk toward the hall to his room. He stopped, and turned to face the cousins. He smiled in his beard and said, with his eyes twinkling, “Next time I decide to act a fool like I did these last few weeks, one of you just give me a swift kick to the seat of my britches…maybe that will get it all over with quicker.”

Daisy’s eyes went wide and she coughed in reply.

Bo hooted with laughter and said, “I think I’ll give that job to Luke.”

Luke gave his cousin a mock scowl, “Gee thanks! What do want to do…get me killed or something?” The four Dukes laughed together at the comment and then Jesse went on to bed.

Daisy yawned loudly and soon followed her uncle’s example, leaving Luke to put the cups in the sink after he and Bo finished their coffee. She hugged both her cousins and dropped a kiss on top of Bo’s head, saying “I love ya, Cousin” softly, as she passed. He smiled and said, “Love you, too. Sleep tight.”

Luke placed the dirty cups in the sink and came back to where Bo was sitting. He looked at his younger cousin and shook his head. Bo looked rough! The blond man was still wheezing a little and was barely able to sit upright. His eyes were slightly closed and had dark circles underneath. The left side of Bo’s face was dominated by a bruise that bloomed over his cheek-bone. The rest of his complexion was still a little pale underneath the dark-blond stubble that sprouted over his jaw-line and cheeks. Bo looked like he was very tired and in pain.

Luke watched as the younger man yawned widely and rubbed his eyes. Luke was instantly 9 ½ years-old again…
He could picture an almost 5 year-old Bo sitting in the same spot; wearing a pair of thread-bare, hand-me-down pajamas, doing the exact same thing and saying, “…but Luke, I’m not sleepy yet!”
He smiled at the memory from their happy childhood and was surprised at the fierce protectiveness he still felt toward his “baby brother”.

“Come on, kiddo,” Luke said, lapsing into one of his many old nicknames for Bo, “let’s get you to bed.”

Bo opened one eye, made a face and looked up at his cousin. “Luke…,” he said with a sideways smile, “I think it’s about time you stopped calling me that stupid nickname…even if I did act like a kid and ended up bawlin’ like a baby tonight.” Bo’s expression grew serious.

Luke sat down by his cousin. “It’s OK, Bo. You had good reason to cry. Hell…I almost cried a few times tonight myself.” he admitted.

Bo looked at Luke. “…You? Why?”

Luke had a serious look on his face. He took a deep breath and began to speak softly and haltingly; like it took a lot of effort to say the words. “Because…everyone was upset…I was upset. I could tell you were hurting…you’ve been hurting like that for a long time…and I couldn’t do anything about it. I really wish I had done more to prevent all this, Bo. I shoulda done something…I could’ve talked to Jesse and I should’ve made you go see Doc! I feel like I let you down…”

Bo kept silent. He didn’t want Luke to know that he had actually felt that he had been let down. The situation was over now…no need to bring up old problems that didn’t matter now.
“…and…I thought…” Luke went silent for a minute and looked at the wall.

“What Luke?”

“I thought you were gonna die! When we were in the woods and you passed out on me…you looked real bad and sounded worse. I really thought we would lose you before Doc got here.” Luke quickly wiped his eyes. “You scared me, kid.” he said as he squeezed Bo’s shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Bo said softly. He was slightly unnerved at this rare glimpse of emotion from Luke.

“I know that! It’s not like you tried to suffocate yourself on purpose…at least you better not have!” Luke chuckled and ruffled Bo’s hair; the action made the naturally wavy strands stick out in all directions. Bo reflexively tried to smooth his unruly locks and frowned at his older cousin. Luke was pleased to see the all too familiar gesture…his buddy was finally getting back to normal!
“Let’s go to bed…I know I’m tired and you look like you’re gonna fall over.”

“Just leave me here…I’ll sleep on the couch tonight. I honestly don’t wanna move.” Bo yawned, hugely; his exhaustion apparent in his dark-blue eyes.

“Well if you’re staying out here, then so am I.”

Bo protested and briefly argued with his cousin over this idea.

Luke let him fuss for a bit and then put his foot down. “Hush, Bo. I’m not leaving you alone until I know you’re better. I can still hear you wheeze and I don’t want you having an attack in your sleep without anyone around to know about it.”

Bo was grateful for his cousin’s concern, but he couldn’t just let Luke win without giving him a hard time! He threw up his hands and sighed, theatrically, “Alright, alright…you win…but you’ll have to help me get up.” He held a hand out to Luke.

Luke grabbed his cousin and quickly pulled him off the couch into a standing position. A little too quickly!

Bo was very wobbly and would have fallen to floor if Luke had not been holding on to him. The blond closed his eyes to avoid seeing the room spin. He felt the blood drain from his head as his blood pressure adjusted to his abrupt change of position.

Luke briefly feared his cousin would pass out again; Bo had gone as white as a sheet! “You OK?” Luke asked, nervously. He had his arm tight around Bo, holding the taller man upright.

Bo nodded, slowly. “Yeah, just give me a minute…” he said in a weak voice.
When his balance was restored, Bo allowed Luke to help him towards the room they had shared since childhood.

Half-way down the hall, Bo began to laugh, loudly! Luke looked at him funny. “Bo…has that medicine made you loopy?”

“No…I was just thinking…Luke, I swear…you can be as stubborn as a jackass sometimes! Do you always have to get your way?” he said, giving Luke a sideways grin; hoping his cousin wouldn’t take this statement as an insult.

Luke grinned back; he understood Bo’s meaning. As he opened the door to their room, he replied with a cocky look, “Of course! I’m a Duke ain’t I?

He and Bo almost collapsed with helpless laughter: it was that time of night when everything was hilarious! They were both happy to have the atmosphere in the house return to a somewhat normal state. The boys crawled into their beds (Bo didn’t even bother to undress) and were soon sound asleep.

by: TNRiverRat

Chapter 5

“Bo…where the hell are you?” Luke said, under his breath, as he trudged through the woods adjacent to the Duke property. He knew that Bo couldn’t be far since he had left on foot. The younger man was fairly consistent when it came to his hiding spots…the barn loft, the old Indian caves, or the pond. Luke had already checked the barn and was now headed toward the pond.

Bo Duke raced through the underbrush; he paid no attention to where his feet were taking him. Tree limbs and bushes tore at his skin and clothes. He didn’t notice. He was enraged and his heart was breaking…he felt totally alone. Jesse, the only daddy he had ever known, had turned against him and what’s worse…Luke and Daisy had not lifted a finger in his defense during the long weeks leading to tonight’s confrontation! Luke was supposed to be his best friend…his brother…he should’ve done something…he should have helped him! His family didn’t seem to care about him…and, now… he had even lost his chance at love.

How could Luke do this to him? His dream had been killed before it had a chance to live! Bo knew he had no right to be angry at Luke…his cousin had no idea that he liked Meghan, too. It wasn’t Luke’s fault that he couldn’t get up the nerve to talk to Meghan sooner. He knew Luke wouldn’t hurt him on purpose…but it still didn’t stop the pain that wrenched his heart. He knew that his little angel would probably like Luke better, anyway. Luke would be good for her…she deserved someone smart and stable like Luke. “She doesn’t need a screw-up like me,” Bo whispered into the warm night as he tried to outrun his pain. The upset young man, consumed with his inner turmoil, paid no heed to the burning sensation in his lungs that intensified with every footfall.

Luke quietly approached the pond. He didn’t see his cousin anywhere and was just about to head toward the caves when he heard the sound of boots crashing through the woods. He turned and saw Bo emerge into the clearing around the pond. Luke could see that his younger cousin was still very upset. He called out to Bo, hoping to get him to stop his frenzied flight.

Bo didn’t slow down when he heard Luke’s shout. Instead, he turned away from Luke, headed back into the woods, and yelled, “Leave me alone!”
Luke swore and ran after him. The dark-haired man soon caught up to his fair-haired cousin and tackled him. The two men struggled…Bo tried to break free of his stronger cousin’s grip and Luke tried to pin the taller blond to the ground.

Luke was determined that he would get Bo to go back home…even if it meant he had to hog-tie him and drag him!

“Bo…settle down! Jesse wants you to come home. He’s sorry…he wants to talk to you…to make things right,” Luke huffed, as he wrestled with Bo.

“He doesn’t care…none of you do!” Bo yelled, breathlessly, as he struggled to get out of Luke’s grip. He managed to punch his older cousin in the stomach.

“OOF…that ain’t true and you know it, Bo Duke!” Luke replied through clenched teeth, slightly winded. He stilled as he heard an odd sound that caught his attention…a high-pitched, irregular, whistling sound.

Bo realized, too late, that he had forgotten to go see Doc Appleby about his asthma! The combination of his heightened emotional state, the humid air, and the exertion of running and wrestling with Luke had triggered a life-threatening attack. His lungs suddenly felt as if they were filled with shards of glass. His airway was constricting very rapidly and he could barely get any air. Bo’s eyes grew wide with fear as he abruptly stopped his struggle; he wheezed shrilly with every breath.

Luke’s mouth went dry as he realized the sound was being made by his cousin! He looked down at Bo’s fearful expression and felt chills go down his spine. By the sound of it, Bo was in serious trouble. The younger man had started to turn pale; the beginnings of a large bruise showing starkly on his left cheek.

Luke immediately got up and helped Bo to his feet.
“Bo…come on, buddy, we need to get you home and call Doc,” he said gently, trying to mask his own fear. Bo just nodded as he wheezed loudly.

The cousins walked back to farm as quickly as they could; Luke supported Bo as he struggled to breathe. The men gradually had to slow their pace, though; as Bo grew weaker and started to become incoherent.

“Come on, little cousin, we’re almost home…just a little more.” Luke encouraged; almost dragging Bo now. He was becoming more worried. His cousin had never experienced an asthma attack this severe; even when he was a kid and had often been ill due to breathing problems.

Bo felt strange…he could barely put one foot in front of the other and had trouble thinking as his body starved for oxygen. His airway had constricted to the point where he felt like someone was strangling him to death! He vaguely realized he needed to keep moving. He attempted to speak to Luke but was unable to as his vision swam and darkness engulfed him.

Three-quarters of the way to the house, Bo’s body went limp and began to fall to the ground. Luke caught his cousin and frantically tried to rouse him, with no success. Bo had passed out due to lack of oxygen. Luke noticed that Bo’s breathing had become increasingly labored and very irregular. He had heard of people dying from asthma attacks and he feared Bo would be one of them if they didn’t get help soon! Luke hefted the taller man over his shoulder and broke into a trot. The dark-haired Duke nearly cried in relief when the porch light of the farmhouse became visible. He yelled for Daisy and Jesse as he reached the edge of the yard.

While Luke and Bo had been struggling in the woods, Daisy had been doing her best to console Jesse. She assured him that she, Luke, and Bo all loved him and that they understood why he may have been acting differently. Jesse felt even guiltier than he already was when he realized how patient his kids had been with him. He hoped that Luke could persuade Bo to return home.

“How could I have treated Bo like that?” he said, sadly.

“You were just frustrated…I guess you needed someone to take it all out on…”

“That may be…but it don’t excuse how I acted. It wasn’t his fault that I had a stroke. I’ve tried not to notice how different Bo has been lately…but it’s all my fault…and now he might not ever come home…” Jesse’s voice trailed off as he tried to fight tears.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Jesse. Luke will bring him home…” Daisy suddenly stopped talking and turned toward the door. She had heard someone outside, yelling.

“That’s Luke. Something’s wrong.” Jesse said, worriedly, as he stood up and joined his niece at the door.
The white haired man opened the screen-door just as Luke stepped onto the porch with his burden.

“Call Doc! He can’t breathe and it’s getting worse!” Luke exclaimed, out of breath himself from carrying Bo. He carried his cousin into the house.

Daisy rushed to the telephone to call Hazzard’s local physician, Doctor Appleby.

“What’s the matter with him,” Jesse asked, worriedly, as he observed Bo’s pale, sweat-dampened skin, his scratched arms, and labored breathing.

“He’s having another asthma attack and this one’s real bad.” Luke answered, curtly, as he laid the unconscious Bo on the living room couch.

“Huh…what do you mean another attack? He hasn’t had one in years.” Jesse questioned as he propped his nephew’s head and shoulders onto pillows in order to make breathing easier.

“He had one the day you had your stroke…we didn’t tell you because we didn’t want you to worry,” Daisy explained; hanging up the phone before joining the others in the living room.
“Doc’s on his way. He needs to stop by his office to get a few things first.”

“Well…he’d better hurry.” Luke said, quietly, as he brushed Bo’s damp hair from his forehead. His cousin’s skin was cool and clammy and a faint bluish tinge could now be seen around his pale lips and fingernails. His breathing seemed to be getting worse, if that was possible!

The ferocity of this attack scared the usually calm Duke. What if Bo had been alone when it happened? Luke was certain that if that had been the case, he might have found his cousin lying dead in the woods. The thought and the image it conjured chilled him to his bones! What if Doc is too late? Luke didn’t even want to imagine that possibility! He shook his head, as if to clear his mind, and went to stand by the window; watching for the doctor.

Jesse prayed his old friend, Doc, would get there in time…this was the worst spell he had ever seen Bo have. He winced as he heard the labored, painful breathing of the young man before him. His mind reeled with the news that Bo’s asthma had returned and he hadn’t known about it. He spoke to his nephew in a gentle soothing voice, much like he had when Bo was young and had been scared over something, “It’s OK, son…your Uncle Jesse’s here. You’re gonna be all right…just rest easy. Doc’s on his way…”
The old man stroked Bo’s face and hair as he spoke. His heart fell when he noticed the large bruise that spread across the pale skin. “I’m so sorry, Bo…for everything I’ve put you through. When you wake up we’ve got a lot to talk about.” he softly told the unconscious young man he had raised as a son.

Twenty minutes after Daisy’s frantic phone call, Dr. Appleby arrived at the Duke farm. Luke heard the doctor’s old blue car pull up in the yard and ran to open the door for him.

“Good time Doc! You must have flown to get here!” Luke said as the older man hurried into the house.

“Well, I figured I needed to get here quick if Bo’s having as much trouble as Daisy said he was.” The seasoned physician saw the young man lying on the couch and immediately went to his side. He noticed the ominous blue color tinting Bo’s lips, heard the rough breathing and frowned. He pulled a stethoscope from his bag; jerked Bo’s torn T-shirt up, and listened to the young man’s lungs. Doc made a serious looking face and quickly started taking supplies from his medical bag. He grabbed Bo’s arm, swabbed the inside of his elbow with antiseptic, and expertly started an IV.

“Daisy, hold this.” Doc said as he handed her a bag of saline solution and then attached it’s tubing to the IV canula in Bo’s arm.

“Luke, go out to my car and get the oxygen tank in the back seat. When you get it…set it up right here beside Bo.” Luke rushed to do the doctor’s bidding. Jesse looked on, worriedly, as his old friend worked quickly to help his nephew.
The doctor said very little as he worked. His face wore a very serious, concerned expression as he decided which medications to give Bo. After measuring the correct dosages, Doc Appleby injected the breathing medications into Bo’s IV. Luke quickly returned with the oxygen tank and sat it in the floor near his cousin’s head. Doc connected an oxygen mask and tubing to the tank, regulated the flow and placed the mask over Bo’s nose and mouth.

After a frantic few minutes, the old doctor sat back on his heels and sighed, loudly.

“Now we wait for the medicine to do its work. What I want to know is when did this problem start up again and why didn’t he come see me? He had to have warning signs before now. I mean…he’s very lucky, Jesse! An attack this bad could easily have killed him!” Doc said, gruffly, as he glared up at his old friend.

Upon hearing Doc’s serious words, Jesse paled. He then looked to his eldest nephew.

Luke swallowed hard. He explained to the doctor about Bo’s previous episode and the recent nightly wheezing spells. Luke felt guilty as he spoke. He should have pestered Bo into going to the doctor, and then maybe his cousin wouldn’t be lying in this condition now.

The old doctor saw Luke’s worried, almost pained expression. He patted the younger man’s shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, son. That cousin of yours always comes out alright. Besides…Heaven’s not ready for the likes of Bo Duke, yet. They need a lot more years to prepare!” the man said with a gentle smile. “He’ll be fine.”

After a good while and another dose of medication later, Bo returned to consciousness; his oxygen level had finally approached normal. His eyes fluttered open and he slowly looked around the familiar room. He couldn’t remember why he was lying on the living room couch. Why was everyone looking at him…and why was Doc there? He felt awful…like a wrung-out dish rag! His chest hurt and his lungs felt raw. He then remembered the asthma attack and his struggle with Luke…but, his thoughts were still fuzzy and he didn’t quite remember why he had been wrestling with his cousin in the first place. The young man struggled to rise from the pillows he rested against and was immediately pushed back by a strong hand.

“Wait a minute, sleepy-head…you need to get the OK from Doc before you get up.” Bo looked up at the source of the gentle, very familiar touch and voice. His uncle was standing over him; looking at him with concern.

Upon seeing the bearded face, Bo was forcibly reminded of the confrontation in the kitchen…he remembered Jesse hitting him! He immediately pulled away from his uncle’s touch and looked away. Jesse tried to hide his hurt as he noticed Bo’s reaction, but he really couldn’t blame his nephew for not wanting to be near him right now.

Doc Appleby examined Bo thoroughly and scolded the young man for ignoring medical advice. A half-hour later, he allowed Bo to take off the oxygen mask and he removed the IV. Bo made a face and turned his head when Doc pulled out the IV. He had always hated needles! He was just glad he hadn’t been awake when Doc had put it in!

The good doctor packed his things and asked Luke to load them into his car. He gave Bo a new inhaler, scheduled a follow-up appointment for the next week, and then headed back to town after a chorus of heartfelt thanks from the whole family and the promise of one of Daisy’s home-made apple pies.

by: TNRiverRat

Chapter 4

By all outward appearances, life at the Duke farm seemed to be progressing nicely after that fateful day in April. It had been nearly a month and a half since Jesse had his episode. Bo and Luke had taken on all of the responsibilities of the farm and were handling things quite well. Even Boss Hogg and the local law seemed to have called a truce with them during Jesse’s recovery to allow them the freedom to do their work in peace. Friends and family from all over had visited Jesse during the past couple weeks; making the farm a busier place than usual. The corn had been planted and was growing nicely; promising a good harvest. The farmhouse was kept in good repair and the animals were thriving. Daisy and the boys helped Jesse regain his strength and now the senior Duke was getting around the farm with only occasional help. He was still a little weak, at times, but he was able to perform as many light chores as the kids would let him! The lingering effects of Jesse’s stroke, however, were more troubling.

Jesse’s temper was very short and he even seemed to have some personality changes. He treated Luke and Daisy pretty well and rarely lost his temper with them…Bo, however, was a different story. In the past, Jesse had treated his energetic and over-emotional youngest nephew with endless patience and only lost his temper with him for serious breeches of the house rules. Now, Bo caught the brunt of Jesse’s frustrations over his health. Nothing the young man did suited Jesse. It became routine for Bo to get chewed out two or three times a day; most of the time for no apparent reason. Jesse’s usual behavior toward Bo had changed as if from daylight to dark! For example: Every year, Jesse had celebrated all the kids’ birthdays with their favorite meals, a large cake, and words of affection. This year, Bo’s 25th birthday came and went without Jesse even acknowledging it other than saying, “…just because it’s your birthday don’t mean you can slack off on your chores” without looking up from the morning newspaper. Daisy and Luke wanted to help Bo; but, they feared coming under Jesse’s wrath, as well…and…they really didn’t know what they could do to make things better.

The constant arguments and the tense atmosphere at home were taking a toll on Bo. He had become abnormally quiet and seemed to be falling into a deep depression. Bo felt that even if he did talk about what was worrying him it still wouldn’t change things…so why bother. The cheerful light that usually glowed in his dark-blue eyes had all but disappeared. He had grown to dread being in the same room with his uncle…he hated to hear Jesse yell at him and he hated feeling so hurt afterwards…and he felt ashamed of himself for thinking that way. He didn’t know what he was going to do…how much more could he take? When would Jesse return to normal? When would his life return to normal?

Besides his problems with Jesse, Bo absolutely could not get that little nurse from Tri-County off his mind! He wanted to go talk to her, but with all that was going on, he didn’t think it would be a good time to get involved. He kept these thoughts to himself as well because he was afraid Luke would make fun of him for his insecurities about approaching Meghan. Little did Bo realize that he was not the only man in the Duke house who was thinking about Meghan Riley.

The late-spring sun shone brightly over the pasture as the eldest Duke cousin ferociously hammered nails into the section of fence he was repairing. Luke’s worry at everything that was going on at the farm manifested itself in carefully disguised anger. He noticed that he and his cousins dealt with the recent changes differently. Bo became withdrawn…Daisy went to work and stayed busy to get her mind off things…and he got angry. He was angry at Jesse, at Bo, and at himself for being unable to do anything. As a result of this anger, he had been quicker than usual to come back at Bo with sarcastic or insulting comments; unwittingly adding to Bo’s emotional turmoil…he didn’t mean to hurt his cousin, he just didn’t realize he was doing it sometimes. He wanted the old Bo and the old Jesse back! He wanted his family back! He wanted his best friend back! This was worse than if Bo had actually left the farm! Luke’s light-blue eyes scanned the fence line and watched as Bo carried pieces of lumber to another area that needed repair; the blond man’s eyes were downcast, his face set into an emotionless mask…the way he had been for most of the last month. Bo was there, physically, but he seemed to be so withdrawn…almost a shadow of his former self. Luke had tried to interest his cousin in racing, going to the Boar’s Nest, talking about girls, going to Cooter’s, working on the General…anything…but Bo seemed not to care about the things that had interested him before. He felt sorry for Bo’s situation with Jesse…he really did…but he was angry at Bo for abandoning him and their friendship!

Luke found he really missed talking with his cousin. In the past, he had often wanted Bo to shut-up, but now he missed the constant chatter. He was used to Bo telling him every single little thing, asking his advice, coming to him to solve problems, and just being there to listen when he decided to open up to someone. He wanted to tell Bo about the girl he had been talking to and was planning to see regularly. He wanted to talk to Bo about Jesse. He wanted Bo to open up to him like he used to. But, since Jesse had started treating Bo differently, Bo didn’t seem to want to talk at all…and Luke felt awkward trying to talk to someone who didn’t want to talk back.

There was something else bothering Bo besides Jesse…he just knew it…and for the life of him, Luke had no idea what it could be.

Luke also worried about Bo’s asthma. Bo had been wheezing in his sleep for the past couple of nights and he often woke up coughing. Bo denied any problems but Luke knew better. He knew that Bo had not been to see Doc. Appleby like he was supposed to after the attack in April. He also knew he should have reminded Bo, but…Bo was a grown man and he was perfectly able to take care of himself…

The dark-haired man continued to pound nails into the fence, viciously, as his mind raced, trying to vent some of his feelings. Bo had returned to the section of fence Luke was working on and tiredly leaned against the gate as he raised the bottom of his shirt to wipe sweat from his face. Luke noticed his cousin just standing there, doing nothing while he worked. The older man suddenly, and inexplicably, felt his anger rise.

“Damn it, Bo…quit your moping around and get back to work or we’ll never get finished,” he yelled and threw his hammer to the ground.

Bo just looked at his cousin. Luke saw the younger man’s eyes flash and his body tense with anger of his own before being replaced with an intense look of sadness. The tall blond then quietly turned and walked away from Luke, into the thick woods that surrounded the Duke property; ignoring the words of apology that followed him.

Luke wanted to kick himself. ‘Why did I do that?’ he thought, ‘He’ll really want to tell you what’s bothering him now!’ He ran a hand through his hair and sighed as he fought with himself over what to do next. He decided to give Bo some time to himself. Maybe then, his cousin would be ready to talk, or at least be ready to accept his apology.

He hoped Bo would soon be ready to talk to him again. Luke really wanted to be able to tell Bo about his upcoming date with Meghan …but, something kept holding him back. He would tell him, eventually, maybe even tonight…but, with the way Bo was acting, he probably wouldn’t care.

Bo Duke walked along the edge of the woods that skirted the Duke property. He savagely wiped away the hot tears that were coursing down his cheeks. ‘Damn it! Why do I have to act like a cry-baby all the time? I’m a grown man…I’m too old for this mess! Why can’t I be more like Luke? He’s a rock…he acts like nothing ever bothers him.’ Bo had always been easily provoked to tears and, as a result, had endured many years of teasing. He was deeply ashamed that all of his emotions ran so close to the surface and he felt that if Luke or Jesse found out he had been crying…well…it would just be one more reason to ridicule him. Bo soon returned to the farm and busied himself with chores. He became lost in his thoughts, which seemed to be his normal state lately.

As he mucked out Maudine’s stall, Bo thought about the events of the past month. Luke was right…he was moping around. He felt alienated from his family and felt so lost. He was also lovesick! For some inexplicable reason, Meghan Riley’s soft green eyes and gentle voice haunted his dreams and even his waking hours! He was smitten…even though he hadn’t even seen the adorable nurse since that day in the hospital. He didn’t understand how it could be possible, but he just knew…Meghan was the one! The only problem was he was afraid to talk to her! ‘She’d probably just laugh at me if I tried to ask her out.’ he said to himself, dejectedly. ‘She’s got a good job and she must be pretty sharp in order to get a nursing degree. Hell…she hangs around with doctors all day long! What could a part-time farmer, part-time racecar driver and full-time goofball like me offer Meghan?’ he despaired; his mind racing.

After a couple of hours of mulling things over while he worked, Bo vowed that he would track Meghan down and ask her out just as soon as the other things in his life settled down. ‘Lord knows she sure wouldn’t want to get mixed up with me, now, while everything’s so crazy,’ he laughed to himself; his mood lightening a little since he had finally made his decision to talk to the young woman who occupied his mind.

Bo was still working when Luke got back from finishing the fence. The older Duke boy slowly walked into the barn. He took a deep breath. “Hey Bo.” he said quietly as he watched Bo pitch hay into a stall. The younger man turned to face Luke; his expression said that he was ready for a confrontation if necessary. The cousins looked at each other for a long while. Both were unsure what to say about the incident in the pasture.

Luke stuffed his hands in his back pockets, looked at a patch of ground near his feet, and started to apologize, “Bo, I’m s…”

Bo could see his cousin’s discomfort and sincerity. “Forget it. We’re all a little short-tempered around here lately.” said Bo as he laid aside the hayfork and held out his hand.

Luke smiled and shook his cousin’s hand. “Friends?” Luke asked.

“Yeah…after all, I’m the only person around who could put up with you,” Bo said with a little smile crossing his face as he lightly punched Luke in the arm. His cousin made a face and slapped him on the back.

Cordial relations restored, the two men finished up the evening chores and then headed into the house for supper.

Daisy had outdone herself! She had worked in the kitchen most of the afternoon and had prepared a great meal for her guys. The men ate till they were stuffed and then the family sat around the table talking. It almost seemed like old times. Even Jesse seemed to be in a good mood. He laughed at some of the things Luke and Daisy said and he relayed some news he had heard when he and Daisy had gone into town that morning. Bo was still rather quiet, but he, too, joined in the conversation; talking with Luke about an upcoming race. He really enjoyed hearing his uncle’s laughter again and hoped it wouldn’t be too long till Jesse was back to his old self.

After a lull in the conversation, Daisy decided it was time for dessert and she began to dish out peach cobbler. Both Bo and Luke were leaned back in their chairs; Bo had his eyes shut and looked almost asleep while Luke had his hands behind his head and wore a sly grin.

Jesse noticed the grin and asked, as he stroked his beard, “Luke, why on earth are you grinning like a possum?”

Luke lowered all four legs of his chair to the ground and placed his elbows on the table. “Well,” he drawled, “I’m just thinking about my date for Friday night.” He laughed at Bo’s reaction.

Bo’s eyes had opened wide and he grinned at Luke as he said, “Well, cousin, don’t keep us in suspense…who is the poor girl?”

Luke smiled at this typical behavior from his wise-cracking young cousin.
“If you just gotta know, cuz, the lucky lady is Meghan Riley…you know, that cute little nurse we met at Tri-County when Uncle Jesse…was… in… the… hospital.” Luke’s teasing voice trailed off in confusion as he took in Bo’s reaction to his statement.

Bo had jerked at the mention of Meghan’s name. His chair overturned and landed with a crash. He just sat in the floor with a stricken look on his face. He didn’t even hear anything else Luke was saying. His mind screamed: “NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! Not MY Meghan…and not Luke…anyone but Luke!” Bo wouldn’t have had a second thought about trying to steal his girl away from some other guy but he couldn’t do that to his best friend and brother.
Meghan was lost to him now…he’d missed his chance!

Daisy just looked at Bo, with a touch of pity in her gentle eyes. She had a feeling she knew why her baby cousin looked so upset, but she didn’t want to bring it up in front of the others.

Luke jumped up to help his cousin; he was worried that Bo had hurt himself. He looked as if he had been gut-punched!

Bo brushed Luke’s hands away as he righted the chair and sat down hard.
He looked at Luke, eyes wide and serious, and asked, “When, Luke…how long…? I mean…I didn’t even know you liked her. When did you ask her?”

“Last week, Bo. I’ve been talking with her for the past couple of weeks…but, since we haven’t been talking as much lately…I guess I just didn’t get around to telling you.” Luke noticed the brief pained look that shone in Bo’s eyes and he wondered what it was for. He narrowed his eyes, bristled slightly and asked, “Why, cousin? Is there a problem or something?”

“No…nothing. It’s…” Bo started to say before Jesse cut him off.

“It’s none of your business, is what it is, Beauregard Duke. Luke can date who he wants to and when without you having to know about it in advance. Now you apologize for your childish behavior tonight.” Jesse said quietly as he looked at Bo with hardened, narrowed eyes. The good mood of the evening had definitely ended.

Luke interjected, trying to stall the upcoming argument, “Uncle Jesse…it’s OK. I don’t mind.”

“Stop taking up for him, Lukas! He needs to learn how to act like a grown man! He’s been sulking around here for the last few weeks like a baby. I swear…that boy has been acting more of a fool than usual and I’ve just about had enough! I’m about ready to take a switch to him…and you too, if need be. Is that what you want?” Jesse growled as he stood up to face his eldest nephew.

Luke backed off and let his uncle have his space. “No, sir” he mumbled.

Bo had come to his breaking point. They were talking about him like he wasn’t even there! He pushed himself up from his chair and glared at his uncle. “Now Uncle Jesse, wait just a…” Bo began; his voice growing louder with barely suppressed emotion.

“Boy, don’t you talk back to me! Hush up and sit down…I’m not through with you yet.” Jesse warned ominously as he pointed his finger at Bo.

“But, I…”

“I said HUSH…” a loud “Crack” resounded through the kitchen as the back of Jesse’s right hand connected with the side of Bo’s face! Bo’s head jerked back, his blond hair falling across his eyes.

The silence that filled the farmhouse kitchen was deafening.

Luke and Daisy stood in wide-eyed shock; holding their breath. Neither of them had expected anything like that! They watched the confrontation between their cousin and uncle with concern.

Bo raised his head slowly, tears in his eyes. He couldn’t believe it! His uncle had never struck him like that before. Now of course, Jesse had blistered his hard-headed nephew’s butt–many times–when the boy needed discipline…but he had always controlled his temper and never touched him in anger. This blow hurt Bo, emotionally, more than any whipping he had ever gotten…it tore at his heart that his loving, patient uncle had turned into this cold stranger! The young man locked eyes with the angry white-haired man before him; his body trembled in a volatile combination of rage, pain, fear, and sadness.

Jesse saw the distress in his nephew’s eyes and the livid red mark on his cheek. The unreasonable anger he had been filled with began to melt away and was quickly replaced by shame and guilt. “Bo, son…I’m so sorry…” the old man said as he reached out toward his nephew with a shaky hand.

Luke saw that Bo was breathing hard and that his cousin’s jaw was clenched tightly, the muscles in his face twitched. Bo was so upset and tense that his body appeared to vibrate! Luke noticed the signs that signaled an explosion of Bo’s formidable temper. His cousin was either going to punch someone or run. “Bo, wait…” he hollered just as his cousin bolted from the kitchen. The slamming of the screen door reverberated through the silent room as the three remaining Dukes looked at each other. Daisy finally gave in to her frustrations and cried; upset over what had become of her family. Luke comforted her as he watched Jesse deal with the events of the last few minutes. His own feelings of pain and worry tried to come to the surface, but he stamped them down. He had to be strong for the others.

Luke let go of Daisy, after she had settled down, and walked over to kneel in front of his uncle’s chair. “He’ll be back, Uncle Jesse. Bo always comes back. He just needs to sort things out.” he said, in an attempt to comfort his uncle.

“I wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t. I’ve treated him so awful…I realize that now. Luke…go after him, please. You can get Bo to come home. Tell him…tell him that I need to talk to him.” Jesse asked quietly, his voice shaking, a single tear tracking down his weathered face. The old man had seemed to age 10 years since the banging of the screen door.

Luke nodded; the sight of his uncle looking so lost had left him unable to speak. He gently embraced his uncle, rose to his feet, and headed out into the humid Georgia night to track down his run-away cousin.

by: TNRiverRat

Chapter 3

The two young men and the young woman that accompanied them rushed from the elevator as the doors opened on the sixth floor. Their pace slowed, however, as they grew nearer to their loved one’s room. The Duke trio was eager to see their uncle, but they were also afraid to face the reality that awaited them in the near future: A reality where their uncle, who had always taken care of them, would be dependent on them for a while. They steeled themselves and entered the small, sterile-looking room. Their uncle wore a hospital-issue gown and looked to be sleeping. An IV dripped slowly into his left hand, but the white-haired man was otherwise free of hospital machinery.

Bo was the first to reach his uncle’s bedside. He looked down at his sleeping uncle and gently grasped the old man’s work-roughened hand. Jesse’s eyes immediately fluttered open and a gentle smile broke across his face.

“There’s my young’uns,” Jesse said in a quiet voice, squeezing Bo’s hand. “I thought ya’ll might have just left my old bones here and gone back home,” he said, with an attempt at humor, as his gaze took in all of his family.

“We’d never do that, Uncle Jesse,” Bo said, grinning, with unshed tears of relief glistening in his eyes.

Luke nodded his agreement and quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. The emotions of the day had caught up with him after he saw his uncle talking and trying to joke. He grabbed his uncle’s free hand and held on tightly as he struggled to regain his composure.

Daisy unashamedly let her mixed tears of anxiety and relief streak her cheeks as she ran to the other side of the bed to embrace the man who had raised them all.

Jesse choked up as he felt the love pouring from his “kids” toward him. He tried to reassure them that he was better and would be fine in a little while.
“This is just a back-set,” he said. “It will take more than this to take this old ridge–runner out of commission. Mind you, a man don’t like hearing the news that he’s had a stroke; even if it was a mild one.” he said, seriously.

“Well, we’re all just thankful that it wasn’t any worse than it was,” said Daisy as she brushed her hand over her uncle’s forehead.

“Don’t you worry Uncle Jesse,” Luke said, “we’ll keep the farm runnin’ smooth. All you need to think about is getting better and taking it easy for a spell.” Bo agreed with him and gave Jesse his assurances, as well.

Jesse smiled at his family, thankful for their obvious support.
“We’ll see. I’m just ready to go home. This bed is too hard and there are too many people running in and out for my taste. Now just how do they expect a man to rest when they’re always bothering him for one reason or another?” Jesse groused. “Besides, all this coddling goes against my nature.”

The younger Dukes all laughed at their uncle’s very normal behavior.

“Now that sounds more like our Uncle Jesse,” said Bo after he finished laughing. Jesse fixed the young blond with a brief glare before he, too, chuckled.

“You just rest up and try not to give the nurses a hard time. They’re just doing their jobs and trying to take care of you.” Luke said while trying to keep a scolding expression on his face. He failed and ended up giving his uncle a wide smile.

Luke suddenly thought of something he and Bo had forgotten. He looked up at his cousin with wide eyes and said, “Bo…we forgot something.”

Bo tilted his head and looked at his older cousin with a creased brow. His eyes grew wide, as well, as it dawned on him what they had forgotten. “The mules…we left them in the field, didn’t we?” he groaned and slapped his forehead.

Jesse sat bolt up-right in the hospital bed. He divided a fierce glare between his two nephews. “You did what?” he roared. “I want you boys to get back to the farm and see to those animals right now! We’ll be lucky if they haven’t wandered off or hurt themselves! And don’t forget to put the tractor in the barn, either; I guess you forgot that, too! How am I supposed to trust you two addle-brained idiots to see to the farm when you can’t even take care of a couple of old mules?” Jesse continued, irately. The old man was red-faced and breathing hard in his fearsome anger.

Bo and Luke were speechless. They could only look at their uncle in shock. The boys knew their uncle had a mighty temper (and they had been on the receiving end of it many times), but under the circumstances, they thought he might have cut them a little slack!

Luke found his voice and held his hands out in a gesture of surrender. “OK, Uncle Jesse. Don’t get riled. We’ll go see about everything and then come back. Daisy’ll stay with you while we’re gone.” he said, trying to calm his uncle before another stroke occurred.

“Ya’ll can just stay at the house…and take Daisy with you! I don’t want anyone else standing over me right now. I’ve got enough of that with these dang-blasted nurses! I want you three to just keep yourselves at home until it’s time to come get me in the morning.” Jesse ordered them.

“But, Uncle Jesse, we…” Bo started to reply.

Jesse slowly turned his head toward his nephew, poked his finger into Bo’s chest, and answered ominously, “Don’t you sass me, young man!”
“I mean what I say. I may be in a hospital bed, but that don’t take away from my authority in this family! Now get to the house…all of you!” Jesse thundered, waving his hand toward the door.

The door to Jesse Duke’s room suddenly opened. A petite nurse entered and glared at the room’s occupants. Her confident stance made her seem much taller and forceful. In a firm, authoritative voice she said, “What’s going on in here? Mr. Duke, you are going to have to calm down! You’ll cause your blood pressure to go sky-high if you don’t watch it and then you’ll be in here till the end of the week.” She turned to the three shell-shocked cousins and asked them to leave so their uncle could rest quietly.

Bo was pleasantly surprised to see that the nurse was Meghan…his nurse!

The Dukes said their farewells, as Jesse tried to calm himself, and followed the nurse into the hallway.

The four-some stood in the wide, brightly lit hallway of the neurology unit; surrounded by the typical sights and sounds of a busy hospital. The young nurse took a deep breath, intending to offer the Duke family some words of reassurance. When she finally took a good look at the people in front of her, Meghan Riley realized that she had met them earlier that afternoon.

She looked up at the blond man who stood in front of her and she felt a fluttery feeling in her stomach. ‘I didn’t realize he was so tall!’ she thought as she looked up to a face nearly a foot above her.

“Oh! It’s you! How are you feeling? Are you doing OK?” she asked Bo, as she touched his arm, her voice full of concern and professional interest. Meghan at least hoped her voice sounded professional, anyway.
She had been thinking about the gorgeous, very well-built, blond-haired man since she had left him in the ER; thinking that she wouldn’t mind having to listen to his lungs again; especially if it meant another chance to see him with his shirt open! Meghan was shocked at where her thoughts were taking her. Her attraction to this man was very strong. There was just something about him; some indescribable quality that drew her to him, even though she barely even knew who he was! She forced herself to look away from the blond Adonis in front of her. She stole a quick glance at his slightly shorter, muscular, dark-haired cousin and found him to be very pleasing on the eyes as well! ‘They just don’t grow men like these two where I’m from,’ she sighed and hoped she wasn’t blushing. Meghan tried to regain a professional attitude and chastised herself for thinking about patients and their families in such a way.

Bo blushed slightly. ‘She remembers me!’ he thought as his heart leapt briefly. “I’m a lot better. Thanks for your help. It was just nerves, I guess…” he said, his voice trailed off quietly as he looked down at her, getting lost in her wide, green eyes. He made himself look away, briefly in order to regain his wits and managed to give her a lopsided smile
Bo felt so awkward! If he didn’t watch out, he could easily fall head over heels for this woman; that is, if he ever got up the nerve to talk to her!

Daisy noticed that Bo had an odd look on his face and was uncharacteristically shy. She just assumed it was part of his reaction to Jesse’s outburst.

Luke paid his youngest cousin absolutely no heed. He was too interested in gaining the attention of the pretty little brunette nurse he had briefly met earlier that afternoon. His crystal-blue eyes sparkled as he smiled his most charming smile. He walked over to stand directly in front of the nurse, shoving Bo to the side. “I’m sorry,” Luke said, “but I didn’t catch your name earlier.” “I was a little distracted by ‘Wheezy’, over here,” he said, jerking a thumb in Bo’s direction and smiling widely. “My name’s Luke Duke.” He reached out to shake her hand. Bo made a face at his dark-haired cousin and anger briefly flared in his expressive blue eyes, but the others did not seem to notice

Meghan looked surprised at Luke’s obvious interest in her. She shook his hand and blushed to the roots of her brown hair.
She was simply not used to being around guys as gorgeous as the two Duke cousins and their presence was making her feel slightly nervous. (Meghan had always felt sort of insecure because she felt she was too short and too much of a book-worm. She was always the girl that guys treated as a best friend instead of a serious girlfriend. Besides, she had never really had a serious relationship with any guy; much less someone like one of these two… honestly, she had always thought guys like Bo and Luke Duke were completely out her league!) She definitely was not used to having a very attractive man, such as Luke Duke, come on to her! His gorgeous blond cousin, Bo, (Meghan had noticed, to her dismay) had barely spoken to her and acted distant; so she didn’t think he had any interest in her. ‘Too, bad,’ she thought, ‘because I definitely could be interested in him!’ However, this dark-haired man’s attention was very flattering and gave her a nice, warm feeling!
“Sorry,” she said, scrunching up her face. “When I go into ‘nurse mode’ I forget basic pleasantries. I’m Meghan Riley and I’m your uncle’s nurse.” she said, looking around at all three Dukes. “I was just passing through the ER, picking up some patient charts, when you caught me. My real home is up here in the Neurology Unit,” she replied, gazing up at Luke; her pretty green eyes sparkling.

Luke and Meghan continued to talk, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Bo and Daisy were standing next to them.

Daisy studied the petite nurse with much interest. She was not exactly the type of girl that her older cousin usually went for. Both Bo and Luke tended to be attracted to long-legged beauty queens who, in Daisy’s opinion, may or may not have enough sense to get in out of the rain! It was unusual for Luke to just zero-in on a girl like he had with Meghan, that was more Bo’s style; but her cousin seemed to be very taken with the young woman (Daisy had figured Meghan to be about Bo’s age). The girl seemed to be very sweet and kind-hearted; if her treatment of Bo during his asthma attack was any indication.

Daisy laughed to herself and thought, as she watched the shorter woman juggle a couple of charts while she and the dark-haired Duke talked, ‘Luke must really like her; he won’t shut-up and let her get back to work!’

She elbowed Bo and started to tell him what she had just thought; when she noticed that her younger cousin also seemed to be enthralled by the little brunette nurse! Bo was staring at the girl like a starving man staring at food and hanging on her every word.

Daisy’s eyes grew round. She thought ‘Oh, boy…this could get interesting. I just hope there ain’t any trouble between the boys over this girl!’ Daisy realized what she had just been thinking and prayed that her thoughts wouldn’t be prophetic. She consoled herself with the thought that Meghan might just be a little too “grown-up” for the boys and that there would be no need to worry. Besides, the Duke family had more important things to be worrying about right now instead of Bo and Luke’s romantic escapades.

Daisy Duke decided to make her presence known. She stepped up to Luke’s side and loudly cleared her throat, instantly getting everyone’s attention. The strikingly pretty young woman smiled warmly at Meghan and spoke. “Hi, I’m Daisy and these two knuckleheads are my cousins,” she said and earned funny looks from Bo and Luke as well as a grin from Meghan. Daisy turned to Luke and directed her next comment to him. “Luke, I’m pretty sure Meghan has a lot she needs to do and is just too nice to tell you to shut-up.” she said with humor as she looked from Luke to the nurse. Meghan flushed brightly and stammered, “Umm…Yeah, I really do need to get caught up on my charting and…uh… it’ll be time to make rounds again in about an hour. I guess I had better go. I’ll let you know if there are any changes with your uncle. Nice to meet ya’ll.” The pretty brunette waved and then walked quickly to the nurses’ station, sat down and began to write in one of her many charts.

As she wrote about one of her patients, Meghan thought that it would be really nice to get to know the Duke family better, if only as friends, since she was still new to Georgia. They all seemed like really nice people and she wondered if she would ever see any of them after their uncle was released from the hospital.

Luke Duke glared angrily at Daisy for her interruption. Daisy ignored him and proceeded to herd her two male cousins toward the elevators. Luke quickly lost his anger and waved at Meghan as they turned to leave. Bo gave the nurse a soft smile and quickly ducked his head; as if afraid she would see him. Daisy was very surprised at the boys’ behavior…especially Bo’s strange shyness. Usually he was flirting and talking with every woman in site…young, old, beautiful or plain. He was unusually quiet…it was weird! Maybe it was just because he felt bad. She had a funny feeling, though, that something would end up happening between her cousins over all this, but she quickly pushed the thought away.

The entire time the Dukes were waiting for the elevator, Bo craned his neck to get a glimpse of the petite nurse who was now sitting behind the desk at the end of the hall. Daisy noticed, but Luke didn’t seem to see his blond cousin’s quiet interest in Meghan Riley. Luke was too busy making his own plans to see the little nurse again. The three boarded the elevator and rode in silence down to the first-floor lobby.

When the elevator car stopped, Bo sighed loudly and hooked his thumbs in his jeans pockets. As he, Luke and Daisy walked out into the lobby and toward the sliding glass doors, Bo hunched his shoulders and looked sideways at his cousins.

“I guess what we saw upstairs was just an example of what Dr. Wilson was talking about. Uncle Jesse sure was mad.” he said nervously. Bo looked at the toes of his boots as he and his cousins exited the hospital and walked toward the jeep.

Luke sighed, and said, “Yeah…I guess so. Things may be pretty rough for awhile until Uncle Jesse gets to feeling better. You know he always gets irritable when he’s sick. Daisy, don’t you remember…he almost whipped us all last year when he had the flu?”

Daisy, who was walking between her cousins, placed an arm around each man. She said with a brief smile, “Oh, I remember alright! Bo…Luke… don’t fret. We’ll make it. Things may be rough for a few weeks, but Uncle Jesse will be back to normal…just be patient. We’ll just have to stick together like we always have. We’re Dukes and it’ll take more than this to get us down!”

The cousins smiled and embraced in a clumsy group-hug beside Daisy’s white jeep. They had needed that pep talk. Luke broke the embrace and said, tiredly, “I don’t know about ya’ll, but I’m ready to see this day end!” He rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair.
Bo nodded, “Me too…and we’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
The Dukes climbed into the jeep and headed home to tend to the abandoned mules and start the evening chores. After a quick supper of hamburgers, Bo, Luke and Daisy spent the evening preparing for their uncle’s return from the hospital and went to bed early; each one silently wondering if and how life at the farm would change after this day’s events.