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!