by: Marty Chrisman

Jesse and Daisy had just finished supper when there was a knock at the back door. Jesse opened the door to find Roscoe standing there. The Hazzard County Sheriff had dark circles under his eyes and looked had he hadn’t been sleeping very well.

“Hello, Jesse.” He said “Can I come in for a spell?”

“Of course. Come on in, Roscoe.” Jesse told him “Would you like some coffee?”

“I’d sure appreciate that, Jesse.” Roscoe told him. Jesse poured two cups of coffee and the two men sat down at the kitchen table. Daisy excused herself and went to her room so they could talk privately.

“I just came by to see how your boys was doing.” Roscoe said

“Bo’s doing better.” Jesse told him “He might be coming home next week. Luke ain’t doing so good…”

“I’m real sorry to hear that, Jesse. Real sorry.”

“I know you are, Roscoe.”

“I might have chased the boys around and stuff but I….well…I kinda like ‘em and I sure never wanted to see either of ‘em get hurt like that.”

“Well, I know that, Roscoe. And the boys knew it too.”

“I was chasing ‘em that day, Jesse….I saw it happen.”

“I know”

“I feel so bad….like it’s my fault.”

“Now, Roscoe, you know better than that. It was an accident plain and simple. Ain’t nobody’s fault.”

“But if I wasn’t a-chasin’ ‘em, Bo wouldn’t have been going so fast.”

“Roscoe, them boys go fast even if you ain’t chasin’ ‘em. It could have happened even if you hadn’t been chasing ‘em.”

“I’ve been praying for ‘em, Jesse.”

“I appreciate that, Roscoe. And I know the boys do too.”

“Everybody in Hazzard is really concerned about your boys.” Roscoe said “Even Boss.”

“J.D. Hogg?” Jesse said in a mildly surprised voice “Concerned about my boys?”

“Yes, Boss.” Roscoe said somewhat defensively “I ain’t suppose to tell ya this….but Boss told them hospitals where the boys are to send their bills to him.”

“He did what?” Jesse exclaimed genuinely surprised this time.

“He’s paying their hospital bills.” Roscoe said “He said he owed you from the old days.”

“What’s J.D. up to?” Jesse asked suspiciously

“Nothing, Jesse.” Roscoe said “I swear he ain’t. Not this time. Boss might be a lot of things…..but he knows how much you love them boys…everybody knows how much them boys mean to you.”

“Well, if J.D. is really doing this for my boys….then you tell him I appreciate it.”

“Oh, I couldn’t tell him that, Jesse. He don’t want nobody to know he’s paying the bills. He don’t even want you to know. You can’t let him know I done told you.”

“Alright, Roscoe. I won’t tell him I know.”

“Thank you, Jesse. You know Boss does a lot of good things that people don’t know about.”

“Uh uh…” Jesse said in an unconvinced voice.

“Well, I best git back to town. Thanks for the coffee.” Roscoe said, rising to his feet and letting himself out of the house.

Jesse sat there with a frown on his face. He couldn’t imagine Boss Hogg paying the hospital bills for the boys, especially Luke’s bills which could end up in the thousands of dollars. Shaking his head in disbelief, Jesse finished his coffee and headed of for bed.