Bryceton Series: Tortured Souls

[Kristy_DUke]

-CHAPTER ONE-


Icy cold sweat rolls down my thin smooth face as the darkness clings tightly onto me. I gasp for air as I sit up in my old queen sized bed as the nightmare plays lively in my head as I fight back the images of his still body lying on the living room floor. Though as usaul, the more I fight back the horrid picture the more it haunts me, as if in an odd way it is teasing me or playing some odd and twisted game with me. Silently I wipe my face with my thin lenghty hands as the sounds of house ring out at me, growing louder by the second it seems. Once again the picture of his thick body lying there while I walk in screams at me behind my eyes and I squeeze my eyes close, hoping they would just go away.

Loosing the battle with the images in my head I slowly swin my lean lengthy legs over the side of the bed as I read the digital clock that luminates three in the morning. I sigh as I think of all I have to do today and yet know I won't be able to go back to sleep, leaving me to work with four hours of sleep. An hour more than usaul since the incident had occured only two weeks ago. I stand still in place as the dark room seems to spin around me as the images play tricks in my mind. Slowly I fall into what I have been taught growing up, counting on prayer, of which I have lacked since the horrid incident. I pray to myself for the sight of my uncle lying on the floor to vanish from my dreams and from my head, that I will be strong enough to move on with my life.

Closing my weak prayer I glance over to my right at my cousin who sleeps silently in his single bed. His sheets are tossled around him as he rolls from his right side to his back in his sleep. I watch him sleep filled with my own love and affection toward him, the one that has been there for me through all of this, as he has been throughout all my life. Slowly I shift in place and slowly walk to the door and slowly open it, making sure it don't squeek to awaken my cousin. Slipping out of my caved in room, I quickly close the door behind me and walk into the living room where more darkness invades, taking over the old house. Through the darkness I move through the known living room across the old oak desk that sits against the wall, that seperates the two hallways. Passing the old desk I quickly turn left into the larger of the two halls.

In the second hall I slowly stand in the middle of the hall where a closed door sits to my left and an open door sits to my right. Without thought I abrupty turn to my left and carefully open the door as if afraid that I'd awaken someone. Thick darkness lingers in the old bed room, an almost evil darkness that sends chills racing down my spine as more pictures lividly play in my mind, of that dreadful day. Slowly I move my right arm up as the horrid day's painful memory grabs ahold of me, making everything seem so heavy and forceful. Slowly I flip on the lights from the light switch to my right as numbness grabs ahold of me. In the lighted room I take a look around the large room that once belonged to my uncle, to the uncle that was more my dad than anything, who was so loving and caring. He was always there for me until I had went home early that day to find him spread on the living room floor covered in his own blood, a horrid expression on his face. He is no longer here for me and I feel so lost and worthless without him.

Numbly I step ahead near his sliding light brown wooden door closet that holds his clothes, a dark brown chesnut dresser sits on the other side of the closet, entrapped in the corner. A small window lies a couple of inches from the corner of the room, where a small ray of light from the bright moon beams in through the thin laced curtains. A foot from the window lies a small desk with a large mirror in front of it, the wooding matching the dark chesnut dresser; the desk where he spent so many nights at writing in his journal or in a current story that he loved to write. Against the right wall lies his large thick queen sized bed that remains covered in his thick off white comforter that he loved so much. Besides his bed lies the matching dark chesnut wood night stand that holds more pictures like the dresser holds, within it's drawer his small Bible remains nested neatly in there along with a small notebook that he had scribbled ideas in.

I stand only a couple of feet from his old bed, my feet feeling numb, almost as if my bare feet has somehow grown attached to the old polished light brown wooding floor. Slowly I force myself to walk to the bed where I sit down upon the left half of the bed, slowly running my callused hand over his loved comforter. Memories flood through my head of all the times I had come running to him from a bad dream where he would sit in his bed holding me, comforting me until my tears stopped and my breathing calmed back down to normal. He would then would gently tuck me into bed besides him, watching me until I fell back asleep.

Quickly that day's events display themself behind my eyes like a horrid picture show that continues over and over. The room seems to darken through the light as tears reach my eyes at the realization that he really is gone, that he isn't coming back. I feel myself go weak suddenly and without thought I lie my head on his soft feather pillow, smelling his aroma from his pillow. Tears swell up in my eyes rolling down onto the pillow as I allow them to do so, not caring any more if Luke were to walk in and see me crying like a baby. Through the haze of my tears I look up at the pictures on his night stand, two of them. Both of them was of my uncle before I was born, with his wife and child, both of whom died before I was born. Jesse's eyes shine with pride and love for his wife and child, as well as his love for life. Jesse loved life, but most of all he loved his children, even the ones his wife didn't bear; Luke, Daisy, and I. He loved us as if we were his own, placing us in front of anything else that mattered to him. And now he is no longer here.

Feeling my body begin to tremble in my tears I try to force myself under control, afterall I am now twenty-one years old. I can never remember seeing Luke cry, he didn't even have a tear in his eyes on the day of his funeral, even though I know he was very pained by loosing his uncle, his father. But I haven't even stopped crying since I had walked in and saw him lying on the floor in his own pool of blood, the most blood I have ever seen in my whole life! The memory of that nightmarish moment displays itself clearly in my head, taunting me with the fear that had arose when I walked into the living room that day.

Darkness slowly fades in as tears still continue to flood down my cheeks, my body trembling horribly as the flashback continues to flash in my head. Darkness that I don't welcome, even though I need the sleep, but sleep means that the nightmare will come back and I'll awake once again covered in icy cold sweat and yelling, perhaps bringing everyone's attention. Though no matter how hard I fight against sleep, sleep over takes me and I no longer can feel the trembling of my body or the thudding of my heart or my fight for air.

[Kristy_DUke]

LUKE DUKE[b]

Slowly I awake as the irratating alarm starts to buzz at me, though my eyes remain close. I wait for Bo to turn it off as he always does out of routine, though lately he has already been up and dressed by the alarm goes offf, just waiting to turn it off and make sure that I am awake. After a moment of the beeping buzzing at me I slowly open my groggy eyes and after a short moment of my eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room I find Bo's sheets ruffled, but no Bo. Slowly I yank the alarm off and slowly get up, the cold hard floor sends goose bumps on my bare legs. Tiredly I make my way to the closed door of the room and throw on the lights of the room that rests a foot from the door way and return to my dresser to pick out my clothing for the day.

Slowly I change from my baby blue boxers that I wear during the warm nights into tight light blue jeans, a red plad shirt, and my black leather cowboy boots before I make my way to the door. Opening the door I expect to see the kitchen light to be a glow from Bo being awake and just sitting in the kitchen over some coffee and perhaps the day's newspapers. Instead I am surrounded by thick darkness, sending panic through me as I wonder where Bo is. "Bo," I call out and yet get nothing but silence. Panicly I race to the larger of the two hall ways, expecting to see the bathroom door closed with an aray of light under the door, but find it empty and dark. "Bo," I call out, panic lies thick in my voice, not caring if I awoke Daisy at the moment.

Standing near the opened bathroom door way, I stand silently, trying to think of where my cousin would be. Fear and concern run deep within me of where Bo is, though try to remain calm trying to convince myself that he is out doing chores. But this early? Suddenly I hear a loud moan that turns into a yell full of panic and fear rings out behind the closed door that rests on the opposite side of the hall from the bathroom. Slowly I look at the closed door, trying to convince myself that I just imagined the yell, but as soon as I step closer to the closed door another yell of fear rings out, though this time it is breathless and wheezy.

Tiredly I take a deep breath as my hand reaches the icy cold silver door handle and open the light door that feels heavy as memories of that day Bo had called me, his voice thick of fear and panic, telling me to pick him up from the sheriff's station where he was being questioned. Fighting out the horrid memory of what Bo had went through that day, the day that changed everyone's lives. Slowly my eyes adjust to the thick darkness to find Bo curled up in a fetus position on Jesse's old bed where Jesse always slept at. Though he is asleep he gasps for air wheezily in a beginning of an attack as he seems to fight to awaken from another nightmare that plagues every sleeping moment of the nights, though the nightmare captures tightly ahold of him.

Slowly I step over to him and feel his forehead to feel icy cold sweat roll down his face, soakening into the Jesse's old pillow case. Caringly I run my hand through his thick bright blond hair as I say his name, trying to awaken him, but the nightmare seems to hold on tightly to him, not wanting to let go of him. My heart tightens painfully for my young cousin who has been through so much the past couple of weeks, one thing after another. "C'mon Bo, wake up," I say panicly as I slightly shake him, praying for him to awaken and not to be tortured as he seems to be lately.

Suddenly he begins coughing wheezily in one of his asthma attacks that he has been having often the past couple of weeks, causing his asthma to worsen. Coughing forcefully his eyes quickly open, his baby blue eyes shine with pain and fear as he fights for air through each forceful cough. "Where's your inhaler, Bo?" I question him as he continues to cough chronicly.

"Room," all of what he can manage to say.

Without thought I race out of our uncle's old room, turning the corner my upper right leg is thrown against the corner of the desk, sending pain up and down my leg. Ignoring the pain I rush into the the small hall way and into the room, hoping to find his inhaler as I can't remember seeing it on our nightstand where he usaully places it at night. Panic races in me as I fight with time as I notice it not on the nightstand and turn to my next guess as I pick up his old pair of jeans that sits on a chair at the end of his bed. I sigh in relief as I find his gray cased inhaler in his right hip pocket and race out of the room, being careful of the desk.

Walking into Jesse's old room I find Bo still coughing forcefully and painful as he lies on Jesse's pillow. Quickly I help him spray it in his mouth a few times until it settles down to only quicky breathing for air, knowing it will settle down in a moment or two. "How you feel?" I slowly ask, not wanting to hear the answer.

"It hurts," he answers painfully, the answer I expected, "I didn't mean to fall asleep, honest Luke. I just awoke a few hours ago from another nightmare and came here...I guess I fell asleep. I'm sorry."

"For what? Look there is no sin in sleeping in his bed...we didn't make a rule against it," I say trying to calm him down, "Don't worry about it, ok? Ya wanna go get something to eat? I can try to fix something, it may not turn out, but hey it's the thought that counts right?"

"I'm not hungry," Bo says, his normal answer.

I sigh worrily, knowing he hasn't been eating in the past two weeks as that horrid day continues to haunt him. "You have to eat, Bo, I'm not taking no for an answer," I say firmly, "You can have beer and pizza for breakfast, I don't care. I just want you to eat something, even if I have to force you to."

Slowly he follows me into the kitchen where I slowly turn on the lights, showing his ghostly pale complexion as he stares down at the table. His baby blue eyes remain opaque as they have been since I picked him up from the sheriff's department that chilly and windy day. Though now as I stare at him, his complexion almost seems opaque, the palest I have ever seen him as his thin chest heaves in and out for air. "That's it," I say softly, "I am calling Applebee today and scheduling him to look at you."

"No Luke," he begs me, glaring up at me, "I'm fine, really."

"No you're not, you can say that all day if you want, but you know you're not all right," I say softly, wishing there were something I could do to help him feel better, "Not only have you not been sleeping well when you do sleep, you haven't been eating, you look dead yourself, and your asthma has gotten worse."

"Gee thanks Luke," Bo says sarcasticly.

"Look Bo, I am worried about you, you have been through a lot," I say as I slowly pull out a glass, "you use to hardly ever use your inhaler, except for maybe once a week perhaps even once a month, especially the medication they have you on. And be honest with me, how much do you use it now?"

Bo looks at me with his opaque eyes and I fight to see a reaction in him. "I don't know," he lies.

"You know as well as I do," I answer pouring some orange juice into the glass, "three or four times a day, sometimes more. You need to see Applebee."

"There ain't nothing he can do," Bo says full of anger as I set the glass in front of him and he abruptly knocks it over, causing orange juice to spill everywhere and the glass slowly rolls off the table, breaking upon the old flooring, "What he gonna do LUke? He gonna make Uncle Jesse come back to life and erase that day? Is he gonna do that? If not, then there ain't nothing he can do!"

I watch as he runs out of the room with tears in his opaque eyes and I listen to our door slam shut before I grab a paper towel and begin to clean up his mess. I sigh thinking of all that was said, his anger and pain so powerful and strong, though refuses to talk about it. I look down at the glass as fear and worry runs through me, thinking of how he has never had such a strong outburst as this, he has yelled at me or Daisy, but he never got so angry that he threw things or to say what he just said. Nor did he ever show that much anger or pain. My heart tightens in pain for my cousin as I slowly pray that I will someway be able to help him through his time of pain, but yet I seem to be empty, unable to help him. He has always turned to me when he was hurt or angry, or in any pain, but now all of a sudden he doesn't want anything to do with me or Daisy, or anyone else. Tears blur my eyes as I fight for answers to help my cousin, answers that refuse to come to me, no matter how much I fight to get them.

[Kristy_DUke]

Bo Duke

I watch out the small window that rests to the side of my queen size bed as the dark calm sky slowly begins to lighten up. My mind runs wild within me of all I had said to Luke to awakening in Jesse's bed, I was certain that Luke would be upset. We all had agreed upon that we all should leave Jesse's room as it is for the time being, which also meant that no one would be able to sleep in it. I sigh as a wave of exhaustion heaps over me as I think of what may lie ahead of us, a life without Jesse in it. I fight back tears as I wonder silently how I will be able to do it without Jesse, he was always there for me, always, and now he is gone, to never to return.

The early morning sky slowly grows lighter and lighter, showing a few clouds that linger highly in the sky. Watching the thick clouds that show a tint of blackness in them, I slowly allow myself to think of that day that was suppose to be made up of fun and excitement, which turned out to be a nightmare. I knew I should have stayed home with Jesse instead of going to the town's annual picnic, though Jesse had stayed home, claiming he didn't feel well enough to go. He was determined for us to go without him and we all did so, not thinking anything of it. Staring out the window I wonder who would ever want to kill Jesse and why? Everyone loved Jesse, I mean who wouldn't? How did it happen?

A shrill of fear races sharply through me as I realize that this all didn't happen by itself, his death was brought upon by another. Anger fills me with my fear at who ever did this to Jesse, an anger so thick and an anger that I have never felt before. Tears enter my eyes as the image of someone in our house, bringing evil into the house, and slowly taking Jesse's life and walking out as if nothing had happened; with a large grin of achievement across his face. An evil that still lurks out on the streets and perhaps still in Hazzard, ready to strike again. More fear covers me at the thought of who ever did this to my uncle still out there, perhaps in Hazzard, awaiting for another chance to strike. More anger accompanies it at whoever it is that is so evil to take my uncle's life, taking my uncle's life against his will while he still lurks free on the streets, enjoying his life.

I jump in fear as the door loudly squeaks open and I slightly turn my head to look to see Luke standing in the door way. Quickly I wipe my tear filled eyes roughly with the back of my hand as I return to glaring out of my window, watching the clouds float freely above. Suddenly my mind returns to how I had acted when Luke tried to show his concern for me, showing me just how much he cared for me and I threw the glass in return, instead of saying thanks. I remember the deep anger, an anger I have never felt before, so strong and powerful that had built up within me since I had awaken. As the thought of his death continued to haunt me, with new scary thoughts of something that evil was in our house and just may return for more, or to some other house in Hazzard. But how can I explain that to Luke? The anger that built up within me scared me as much as the thought of that evil man returning for more, an anger that tore my heart apart.

"You feel better?" Luke finally asks and I fight to hear any anger in his voice, but don't find any. His voice is soft and caring as it always is and so understanding. How can he be so understanding? Why can't he just hate me for how I have been acting? Instead of treating me with love and understanding, making me feel so guilt, so horrible inside, making me want to run to him. Though I always fight it back, not wanting to face what he may think of me if I do that; he would really think of me as a baby, if my crying doesn't convince him already.

"I guess," I lie to him, wanting to tell him how I feel, but instead it doesn't come out but gets stuck in my throat. The anger still feels me as I fight to get rid of the anger, by remember one of Jesse's great teachings, how criminals are just people like anyone else with a misunderstanding of life, and in most cases have been wronged badly themselves and feel the need to strike out. Why can't I feel that way? Am I that bad of a person to not see that? Fear remains to build with my anger toward the man that did this to my uncle, even though I fight to control it. "I'm sorry," I finally say, not wanting to face him.

"I wish you would be truthful with me Bo, I really do; like we were to one another before this all had happened," Luke sighs sitting on the edge of my bed, a foot away, "This all has been hard for all of us, but harder for you for you are the one that saw it; had to see it. Everything happens for a reason, Bo, whether we realize it or not. Death takes us all eventaully, taking us different ways that effect their loved ones who will have to learn to live on with thier lives without that person."

"It wasn't his time, Luke, whoever it was killed him!" I hear my voice tremble no matter how hard I fight with the tears, "And whoever killed him, is still out there and may do it again!"

Silence slowly invades our room as the clouds continue to float by carelessly as the sky behind it lightens up slowly by the moment. "Look at me Bo," Luke finally says in his caring, but ordering voice and when I fail to do so he slowly places a caring hand on my right shoulder. Slowly I do as I am told to do, trying to fight the tears back as they push themselves forward. "Look Bo, we all miss him, just like you do, but he wouldn't want to see you this upset or angry about it. Stuff like this happens all the time, and no it wasn't his time, but we have to go on living our own lifes; as Jesse would want us to do. It is ok to cry Bo, don't be afraid what others think, for what we lost was something we will never get back. But we have to appreciate the time we had with him and all that he had done for us."

Slowly I nod, not trusting myself to talk as I wish he wasn't as understanding as he is. Slowly I wipe my eyes out of habit even if he says it is ok to cry and I return to looking out the window, not wanting to cave into him. "It all is just something to think about is all, I'm not trying to lecture you," Luke finally says, "I just hate seeing you this upset and so troubled. I just wish I could help you in some way, but I don't know how to help you or how to make you comfortable to open up to me. I wish there was a way that I could protect you like I have always done in the past, but it is too late. What is done is done, if I could have changed it I would have been the one that went home to check on Jesse not you."

I look at him for a moment, wanting to know what I should say to him or what not to say to him. "No you don't," I finally say, "No one does. I don't know what you want me to tell you, I already tol' everything to Rosco and those other funny looking cops...what else is there?"

"How you feelin' or thinkin'," Luke answers slowly.

"He's still out there," I say instead as I feel my lungs tighten up, "Someone needs to stop him."

"The police is out there looking, that is their job," Luke says patting me on the back, "not ours, not this time. They are trained for this, they'll get him."

"What if they don't? Or don't in time?" I question allowing my fears to take control of me.

Suddenly he draws me into a hug and I allow him as where before I always backed away from him. Slowly I let my tears melt down my cheeks as I feel him begin to rock, like he use to do to comfort me when I was a child.

[Kristy_DUke]

Daisy Duke

Slowly I awake to the sound of my alarm mixed with some movement that seems distant, but somewhere in the kitchen. I sigh as I see the light pouring into my window, wondering what today will bring. Slowly I get out of my comfortable bed where I listen to the boys talking now in the living room, more of Luke than Bo. Silently I pray for my young cousin as I get dressed into a pair of short shorts and a tank top with my sandals, while lost in thought of Bo. Everyone in town has been affected by Jesse's death, more so us since we were so close to him, everyone has been dropping by to send their condulences and to offer some help, though that has been decreasing in the past couple of days. Ever since Bo saw him on the floor he hasn't been himself, refusing to talk or even to eat, he almost acts as if he is trying to hide within himself from everyone.

Slowly I finish dressing and make my way to the bathroom that lies down the hall from my room, across from Jesse's closed door. In the bathroom I slowly get ready for the day by putting on my make-up while my mind becomes a whirl wind of thoughts of the past couple of weeks. My heart sinks in worry for Bo who seems so distant from everyone, unwilling to take any help we offer. Luke has talked about taking him to a counselor but we all know that he would only curl up even more, his already bent up anger would only worsen towards us now for forcing him to see help. It pains me at the thought of just letting him be until he feels ready to talk or to seek help, that may be months or years. HOw can I live watching him wither away as he is?

Slowly I open the door and walk into the living room where Luke greets me, "Mornin' Daisy," he smiles weakly and through his bright blue eyes worry and concern dances free, expressing that an incident with Bo has already occured this morning, but don't show how serious it may be.

"Mornin' boys," I say glancing over at Bo who sits in the old wooden rocking chair in front of the empty fire place, remaining quiet as normal, "You boys, going out this morning or the cows and animals gonna have to starve today?"

Bo glares at me though remaining silent as Luke slowly gets up saying, "Yeah you're probably right. Let's go Bo, if we go now we can head into town to see if Cooter has our parts in yet for the General."

Slowly Bo nods as he slowly gets up, staring into the bleakness of the fireplace as if he had lost something in it. I watch as Bo turns the corner into the kitchen while Luke remains in place awaiting to hear the door close before saying, "We may be home late today, I don't know what time. I do plan on seeing if Cooter has our parts, even though I know he don't. That was just a cover up to get Bo into town, I am taking him in to see Applebee; I don't care if Applebee is busy all day, he will see Bo before we return home. He had another attack today, there has to be something that he can do to help them calm down a bit."

I nod numbly as I take in what he has just told me before saying, "That bad? What are we going to do Luke? We can't just sit and wait around for him to come around, that may be years. We didn't even see how bad he looked, just him and the cops. All this. . .I don't know, but there has to be something."

"I know, but we have to stick with him through it no matter what. Pushing him will only make him more upset, you know how he is," Luke says flatly, "Well I better go before he comes lookin' for me."

I watch as he slowly walks out of the living room and my mind is clouded by all that he has told me. After a long moment of allowing my emotions to take over I slowly I move into the kitchen to grab something to eat for breakfast before I begin to do my morning chores around the house, as I continue to feel numb.

[Kristy_DUke]

Luke Duke[/b][/i]

Silence engulfs within the General while the powerful engine purs to life under the hood as I drive quietly to town, lost in my own thoughts. Quietly I glance over at Bo who sits in the passenger seat staring out of his windows at the tall hills and the tall trees that surround the dusty dirt road and I watch his thin chest heave in and out for air. Glaring back out of the dusty windshield I try to imagine what he must be going through, thinking about after seeing Jesse on the floor as he was; after all I never even got to see him after I had left the house that early after noon.

Guilt quickly takes over me as I think of that day of the picnic where we all had left Jesse behind due to the flu or a cold, thinking he would be fine. Guilt, because I should have agreed or even volunteered to go check on Jesse when he he wouldn't answer the phone the four times Daisy had called to check in on him. I sigh thinking of the day, of how treasurable it was spending it with our dates until she couldn't get ahold of him and I had forced Bo into going to the farm to check on him, guilt tripping him about how my date was going to be moving to New York to be a model a few days after the picnic while his would be around awhile. I sigh recalling Cooter's sullen face when he approached Emma and me while we were caught in a long kiss. I hadn't even realized he was there until he kneed me angrily in the shoulder and when I looked up at him and saw his crazy eyes filled with fear and worry, something he had never showed before unless it was a sheer emergency. His raspy voice echos in my head of him telling me that Bo was on the phone, though wouldn't tell him what was wrong.

I had rushed to the phone filled with fear, not only for my uncle but for my cousin who has never seen a dead person, being sheltered from it after he saw his parents die when he was five years old. After that he never seen a dead person or anything and picking up the phone I knew I should have went, I have seen death a lot while I was at war, it would have affected me alot to see what he saw, but it would have been better for me to be there. Bo's tearfilled voice rings in my head of him telling me that I would have to pick him up at the sheriff's station, saying Jesse's dead. Though he had refused to tell the extent of it or how he died, I knew it was something horrid by his voice as I heard old flashbacks in his voice as he said it.

I glare ahead as we slowly head into the small town and I begin to wonder how I am going to get Bo in to see Applebee. Hesitantly I park our prized orange stock car in front of the two story town house that Applebee made into his practice and as I take the keys out I look over to Bo to find great anger in his baby blue eyes. "I'm not going!" he finally says, "I knew you had something planned!"

He stares at me accusatory as I pull myself out as my heart aches at the looks he is giving me, wishing he would know I am doing this because I care for him. "Look I know you don't want to go, but I think you need it," I sigh as he sits grudgingly in the car, "Now you are going in, I will carry you in there if that is what I have to do, I will drag you in there! You make the choice Bo."

He glares up at me with more grudge and accusations with his emotional scarred eyes before he goes to protest with anger. I stop his angry protest by moving closer to him, making an act of go to drag him out and he slowly begins to crawl out of his open window. "Fine, I'll go but you can't make me say anything," he says as he joins me on the sidewalk.

"Well what good will it do if you don't say nothing?" I ask without thinking about it.

"Exactly my point," he says as I put a caring arm around his shoulders as we walk in.

Approaching the front desk where a pretty patite chesnut haired woman sits talking on the phone. Seeing us she puts up a finger for us to wait and I glance over at Bo who only takes in his surroundings and I can see the flash backs of all the times Jesse took him here roll across his baby blue eyes. "May I help you?" she asks bringing me back to her as she hangs up the old phone.

"Yeah, I hope so. I am here so my cousin will see Doctor Applebee," I say hesitantly, "we don't have an appointment, but my cousin here is stubborn and there is no way I could get him here if we did have one. I just want him to check him over."

"For what?" she says impatiently at us, rolling her hazy green eyes at me as I know Bo is doing as well.

"For his asthma, he has asthma really bad and it is getting worse by the day," I sigh as I think of earlier this morning, "look, just tell Applebee that Bo is here to see him, he'll know what it is for."

She glares coolly at me skeptically before she writes something down and looks Bo over. "He looks fine to me, so I don't see your problem," she says, "He's a grown man and knows when he needs help or not."

"Thank-you," Bo finally speaks up, "finally someone who agrees with me."

"Look lady, I am about to loose my patience with you and you won't enjoy that much either! I already tol' you my cousin is stubborn and if it weren't for me no he wouldn't be here now...but he'd also live stubbornly with his ashtma that gets worse by the day when it could possibly be treated to get better! I am sorry to waste your time on my cousin, but he needs help and I'll do anything to get it . . .as he deserves even though he won't agree with it!" I snap at her as the older doctor walks in to check her list.

"Well hi boys," he smiles, his smile brightening up his face before he looks at Bo and he becomes saddened as he realize what this is about.

"These here two decided to waltz right in here without an appointment...the one for the check up is grown and the other is forcing him-"

"Shelly, it is OK, I know them boys, well I know all my patience which is why I will take them as I do all my other none appointment makers, I don't know why you seem to try to make the rules around here...I also know thier, his situation and if he needs to be seen I will see him no matter what," Applebee says, glaring at her before he turns to us, "Follow me boys."

"Shouldn't he wait out here?" Shelly asks as we are halfway down the hall.

"He is fine...you think he will talk to me if he ain't here?" Applebee snaps as he leads us to his first room, "OK Bo, you know how it's done, I want you to get on that there bed...sit on it or lay on it, your choice for right now."

Bo looks back at me, his baby blue eyes soften from his accusations to his need for support and I nod for him to listen to him, just as Jesse had done. I watch as he slowly climbs onto the bed as he was instructed to do and watch as he watches Applebee fill out his chart and I see the worry in his eyes as well as the horrid flashbacks that he fights to fight back with little success.

"Ok Bo, I want you to tell me how you are and have been feeling," Applebee says and as he sees Bo looking at me he adds, "I want you to say it, not Luke...afterall the one that knows best about how you are feeling, is you."

Silence enters the room and I sigh at the thought of Bo fighting against Applebee to cooroperate with him out of his stubborness as he looks around the room with bewildered eyes. "How I feel? I feel like I wanna go home," he finally says full of stubborness, "Luke's the one that dragged me here, so you check him out and not me."

"Beauregaurd!" I yell in shock that he would say something like that to the elderly doctor, especially after all the teachings that Jesse has given us, "You apologize to Doctor Applebee, he is trying to help you!"

Bo looks at the doctor and then back at me with angered eyes and I watch as his chest tightens up, beginning to heave in and out for air. "You don't have to if you don't want to, Bo," Applebee says facing both of us, "you are going through a rough time, it's hard isn't it?"

Bo looks confusingly at him then back at me where I lean against the wall, wondering how Jesse had dealt with his stubborness, though I know Bo wasn't like this for his visits with Jesse. Bo has always been very well mannered even through his stubborness and now it all is at the cause of Jesse's death. "I don't wanna talk," Bo finally says calming down a little bit.

"Well he can't help you if you don't tell him what is wrong," I finally cut in and he glares at me with angered eyes, causing my heart to tighten at his pain that he refuses to talk about, "he can help you, you just have to talk to him."

"It's too late for any help!" he yells at me, ignoring Applebee who is too polite to interrupt even a family arguement. I watch as he climbs off the bed and I quickly grab his arm to keep him in here. "Lemme go Luke! I wanna go. . .go. . .ho. . .me."

I let go in deep sadness as he goes off into another attack coughing chronicly and Doctor Applebee rushes over where I help him to get Bo back on the bed who is fighting too hard for air to fight against us. Caringly I grab his inhaler out of his pocket and help him trigger off a few puffs until the attack eases down slightly and watch as Bo allows him to unbutton his shirt to place the stethoscope on his chest where Bo jerks back at the cold metal until sitting still, fighting for air.

"How many attacks does he have daily or weekly?" Applebee asks after checking his heart rate, asking me instead of Bo who hugs onto his thin knees.

"Well three or four times a day...though it all depends on what kinda day he's having too, some are worse than others," I answer as I look at Bo full of worry, "and whether or not he goes back to sleep after a nightmare, which he normally doesn't. Usaully three or four times a day, I was going to take him in a while ago, but he kept fighting against it."

He nods understandably before he checks him out the rest of the way of his normal check ups before he takes him in for a long while. "Have you thought of taking him some place a therapist or something like that to talk about it?" Applebee asks, "I know he most likely will fight and won't talk, but it may be worth a try."

"No, Daisy and I talked about it, but figured if he won't talk to us he won't talk to someone he don't know. . .you know how he is," I sigh, "but right now I am willing to try about anything, Cooter has offered to listen as well as others, but he just closes up, like that."

He nods before looking at his charts and taking him for another long moment before he walks over to Bo and puts a caring hand on his shoulder and Bo looks up at him before looking back down at the white tile floor. "It may help to talk about it to someone, if not to Luke or Daisy or a friend...I'll be glad to talk to you abou it, or we got a new there-"

"No, I ain't talking to no one about it, surely no therapist!" Bo cries out, "And talking about it won't change a thing!"

"No it won't change what happened, but it may help," Applebee offers and Bo shrugs off his caring hand. Applebee sighs wearily before he joins me by the wall, "Well I know it is hard to do, but I think the only thing you can do is wait for him to come around. . .he hurts too much right now to talk about it, it is easier to close up and keep it too hisself like that right now for him than to talk about it. It may be days, weeks, months or even years for him to come around, but at the moment it looks like the more you push him the more he closes up. I know it's hard to watch him suffering without anything to do to help, but being there is all you can pretty much do right now."

It goes silent for a long moment as I glare back at Bo who wipes at his eyes, refusing to look up at us and my heart aches in pain and worry for him. "And his asthma?" I question looking back at Applebee.

"I've written a perscription for a higher dosage for his medication that he'll be taking every four hours, I hope it works Luke," he says sympatheticly, "if not, come back and I'll be glad to have a look with or without an appointment."

"Thank-you doctor," I say shaking his hand before I turn to Bo, "Come on Bo, let's go pick it up and see if Cooter has our parts."

[Kristy_DUke]

CHAPTER TWO

Above me the ancient brown dusty ceiling fan swirls quickly above us to attempt to cool down the overly hot room as the fan whizzes almost rhthymatically. I stare tiredly down at my paper work that seems to go on forever and I sigh at my mama's lecture years ago back in high school about percrasinating, wishing that I would have listened to her as I look at my stack of paper work of reports. I place another report on the smaller stack of papers that is all that I got done as the doors open and I look up to see Enos stepping in, his face lit up in happiness of something.

"What got you smilin' dipstick? You ain't spose to be smilin' at work, this is work and at work you work," I snap at him and he glares down at the old floor as he fights to hide the grin, "WHat's so good in that little world of yours?"

"Nuttin' sir, it's just. . .it's just," he says embarrasingly, "it's just I got invited to dinner tonight at the farm with Daisy."

"The Dukes?" I question and roll my eyes at him, "Enos! You know as well as I do that them Dukes are bad and are on the opposite side of us, which is the law, mind you! You are a law man and law men don't intergrate with criminals, especially criminals like them Dukes!"

"Aww sheriff, they ain't that bad," he says shyly as he places his black hat back upon his neatly combed dark brown hair and I come to think of the Dukes and all they have been through the past few months, of how Bo is acting to finding his uncle dead on the floor, "You and Boss just misunderstand 'em is all."

Once again I roll my eyes at him, not letting on my sorrow for the Dukes for loosing thier uncle who was a good man, as I notice the thick dust piled up on the fan. "Enos, I got something that will keep you occupied," I reply hastily, "Clean the fans of them dust, dust makes me sneeze."

"Yes sir," he sighs as a tall slender man walks in wearing tight dark blue jeans, black leather cowboy boots, with a brown plad shirt with a white cowboy hat hiding his jet black hair that matches his almost black dark brown eyes that dance with evil and hatred. I sigh nervously at the sight of Drake Shelbon, Boss Hogg's new business partner that he has been working with over a year now doing all sorts of stuff Hogg wants him at a high price; though in my gut I have a feeling he is doing business of his own down here, but know I can't prove anything or what he may be doing.

Shivers race up and down my back as he glares at me coldly with his hard cold black-brown eyes and take in his light tan complexion before he motions me to follow him. "What you wa-" I begin to complain as I show him my paper work as he glares at me even more coldly and before I can say anything I weakly stand up and begin to follow him into Hogg's office where we find Hogg on the phone.

"But Lulu, I can't come home for supper," he is saying as he puffs upon his cigar, "I have a meeting I have to attend to and then I have to lock up the court house and then move over to the Boar's Nest to keep out the rifraf," he goes silent, "No it isn't anything to get the boys into trouble, I know they've been through alot, sugar plum. I know I know, I framed them up several times since then, but trust me it ain't nothing personal, I just have to get them out of my hair so I can run Hazzard my way and not thiers! You know as well as anyone does that Jesse was a long time friend and I dearly missed him, I wish there was something I coulda done to prevent it, I miss him too darling; but I can't keep giving them Duke Boys excuses to break the law!"

Slowly he looks up at Drake who grins evilly at him, showing his gold left upper front tooth. "OK Lulu, I will be home early tomorrow night, I got to go now...so we can make some more dough. Ok honey," with that the over weight commissioner sets down the phone and smiles up at Drake who grins up at him as he welcomes himself down into a chair, "Well Drake, you are here early."

"Don't like being late, being late gets you into trouble," he grins as he glares down at his expensive true gold watch, "ain't that early either. I got your dimwit sheriff in here so he can join us in out my latest idea against them Duke Boys that will get them set away for good!"

Hogg glares at him to me with uncertainity in his brown eyes before expressing his true feelings, "I don't know Drake, them boys have been through a lot and we should lay low on them. BO is really taking it hard I hear, he was exeptionally close to Jesse and -"

"Do you want to make money and get them out of your way for good or not? If not I can take all I got and go elsewhere!" Drake shouts and I notice Boss jump as I set a caring hand on his tense right shoulder and he glares up at me.

"Al. . .right," he stutters as I sense his nervousness, "just nothing too harsh Drake, I may not love them Dukes, but I don't hate them either!"

"Look I will take all I got and go now and you know what that will do to you 'cause when I leave, someone ends up getting hurt!" he yells and I jump in fear as he presses his knuckles against Hogg's desk and cracks his knuckles slowly.

"I'm listening Drake," Hogg says fighting to hide his fear.

"Alright then!" he grins looking up at me and I only nod in agreement, "How 'bout me and my boys rob that bank of yours and no one but them boys themselves won't know it ain't them!"

"What you suggesting, Drake?" Hogg asks skeptically.

"All we need is a few pairs of thier cloths, we got wigs and everything just in case our ski masks get torn off! Now Daryl and Lyle are the same size as Bo and Luke and we have them wear contacts so they have the same color of eyes," Drake smiles as he tells us his plan, "Now you will hide some of that jewelry in there or something big too to rob, they are getting it all! Lionel got a car just like thier car and painted it the same way and we recorded thier voice and we already said into a machine what we wanted to say, so we dubbed it to sound like Bo and Luke Duke! NO one won't know it's them, especially when they don't have an alibi!"

"What you mean? Them Boys will have an alibi with someone, either Daisy or Cooter or someone," Hogg asks.

"Not this time...you see we have to do this Saturday morning when they are suppose to go to thier parole meeting with none other than you and guess what? They won't show up! R.B. will run them off the road and kidnap them through the duration of the time and drug them up so they can't remember a thing or even perhaps enough that they will admit to doing it," Drake laughs evilly at his plan, "My Bo and Luke lookalikes will have guns and won't be afraid-"

"No one, I mean no one, is going to get hurt! If so I am not apart of this and I will -"

"Don't threaten me Hogg or I'll find something against you! Listen to me, no one is going to get hurt...just enough to get them boys in deep trouble, and oh yeah the jewelry we got picked out is wanted, hot jewelry from Atlanta, everyone up there is looking for it. When they find them on the Dukes, they will be wanted for that crime too where a man got slightly injured, nothing too serious, but they won't be getting out for a long time, Hogg," he grins again, "How 'bout it? Afterwards we let the boys go and call FBI Agent Randy Floors, the lead agent looking for them stolen jewlery where they will find it on them Duke Boys."

"I don't like it," I speak my opinion, ignoring Hogg's stare and Drake's evil glare, "look we may have been against them in the past, but nothing like that. I don't like it one bit and I am not going to be a part of this! I may like chasing them and may have enjoyed being apart of Hoggs evil schemes against them in the past, but not now, not when they all are mourning over Jesse's death!"

They all glare at me for speaking my mind as a bad feeling about Drake continues to enlargen within me. "Too bad, you're apart of it sheriff," Drake snaps, "you know too much, you not in it I'll have you put away and tortured until you wished otherwise!"

"Don't threaten Rosco like that!" Hogg yells, "I don't like what you are doing or treating us here."

"Too bad," he says pulling out a large gun at us, "You two better make up your minds, if not y'all will be six feet under and this town will be without a fat, greedy commissioner and a dimwitted sheriff!"

Hogg looks up at me as we both say, "Alright, we'll do it."

"That's what I was thinkin'," he grins sitting back down as he lights a cigerette.

[Kristy_DUke]

Bo Duke

I feel a trickle of sticky sweat accompany the rest roll down my face and down my bare chest and back as I work on one of the several fields that the Duke farm owns. I look up at Luke who works silently a few feet away with the old mule, concentrating on what he is doing as he as well is covered in sweat from the hot sun that pours down upon us. I sigh as I watch him working as I think of the past year and how worried he has been for me, acting even more protective than he was before I found Jesse dead on the living room floor. He has been there for me, offering his open ear, offering to do anything to help my pain with all his best intentions; LUke has always worried about me even over trivia stuff, but he has always been there but yet I can't open up to him. When I try to open up to him, to talk to him of what I saw and how I feel, my heart tightens painfully as flash backs flash through my head of walking into the hot kitchen to smell something foul and then walking in to find his dead body sprawled on the hard wooden floor of the living room. Now watching him, I have a strong urge to join him to tell him what I saw as I was forced to say to them FBI agents, but something holds me back.

Looking down at the fresh soil my unwanted flash backs flash through my head clearly, over and over again, from driving home worried about my uncle not answer, to finding him dead covered in his own blood, to calling Luke at the sheriff's station telling him what had happened. Once again I look up at Luke as the flash back continue to worsen against my fight against them, and I fight to tell Luke how I feel but the words are stuck in my throat. Suddenly the sight of my uncle lying on the hard wooden floor with the large puddle of his own blood covering his chest and the floor shines clearly in my head, stuck there focusing on every little thing about the sight of my uncle on the floor to every detail of the room as I found it. I feel my chest tightening and air coming hard to obtain as I fight back the image that remains stuck in my head as if it had been super glued there and I hear myself start to wheeze.

Panicly I glare up at Luke who seems too concentrated on his work to hear my wheezing or to notice me fighting for air. I try to yell out for him as I fight to get my inhaler only to start coughing chronicly in a attack that seem to be occuring a lot lately. "Bo," I hear Luke's concerned voice ring out though sounds distant even though he is now only a couple of feet away from me. Weakly I fight to stay on my legs as the air don't seem to come to me even though I fight desperately for it. Suddenly I collapse to my knees as I start to vomit through my fight for air and I feel Luke fighting to atrieve my inhaler from my right side jean pocket and after a long moment fights to get it out. Quickly he helps spray a few sprays into my mouth until I stop coughing though I still remain fighting for air, though not as bad as before.

Relief hits me as air becomes more easy to get with each second and along with my strength and Luke slowly helps me to my feet as I notice the large puddle where I had thrown up at. "I'm sorry," is all I can say, even though I fight to say how I feel, what I saw, instead it sticks in my throat and an apology comes out instead.

He glares at me questionably before he places a supporting arm around my shoulders and he walks with me. After a long moment of silence he asks, "Sorry? What for?"

It goes silent once again as I fight for words to express to him why I am sorry and what for, something I have been thinking about lately, though never able to word it or say it in fear that it will come out wrong. Looking at my older cousin I venture out to say, "For everything," I go silent once again fighting for the words that don't seem to come just as air wouldn't come to me only moments before, "for that, for the past year or so." Feeling his concerned blue eyes on me I pause once again at the thought of what he is thinking or feeling, though I refuse to look over at him, "I haven't been worth much lately or done anything that didn't cause you to worry or fret over me. I've only been gettin' in the way and gettin' you in trouble with me, for all that I am sorry. I will understand if you want me to go somewhere else to get out of the way, I've been only slowing you down on the farm by getting in the way of things and getting you into trouble with me, as I said I haven't been worth a damn thing and haven't accomplished nothing in the past year other than to get in your way of things."

It goes silent as he leads to a shaded area under some large trees where he sits on the wooden fence and I hesitantly join him to sit besides him. I glare down at the muddy ground as I feel his worried sky blue eyes on me as more silence comes in between us as the cool breeze cools me down from working under the hot summer sun. "I don't know where you got that idea from, Bo, or who you got it from, either way it surely isn't true! First of all, Daisy nor I would ever kick you out, no matter what, we's family and we stick together through thick and thin; we love you," he says as he places a caring hand on my shoulder and for a slight moment I recall how it was before that horrid day before the flash backs strike again and I pray not to have another attack, "You are worth everything to me Bo, you mean the world to me and it hurts to see you in so much pain and being unable to help you any, to decrease that pain, I would do anything to take the pain you feel for you. Since that day I have been filled with guilt for forcing you to go check on Jesse and I would do anything if I could change what I had done, what I had put you through.

"You are worth so much and I am sorry you elsewise, because without you I am lost, I don't know what I would do without you. A part of me already fills like I lost you to that horrid day as I see you hiding within yourself. I don't want to loose you and I don't want you to go anywhere, I enjoy your friendship, you are more than a cousin to me, you're my best friend, you're my brother and I will do anything in my power to help you with this evil thing that you are dealing with alone," Luke goes on , "I wish it was me that went to check on him, it should have been me instead of forcing you to do so as I had. It may not be easier on me to see him on the floor like that, but I have witnessed death so much in war, I have seen death before whereas you haven't, Bo. That all makes it worse on you. Therefore you are worth so much to me, to Daisy, to everyone, you really are and I wish that I could show you how much you mean to me, but I don't know at the moment how to do it.

"You are definately not in the way, we all enjoy having you in our lives as we had before and I wish I could make you see that. You haven't slowed us down in any way or have gotten me into any trouble that I wouldn't have gotten myself in anyway, you know how Boss and Rosco are as much as I do," he goes on and I hear the sincerity in his thick voice as much as the worry, "And I don't understand what you mean by you don't do nothing, you're doing something now, before the attack, weren't you?"

"Yeah, but not much," I sigh continueing to glare at the ground, refusing to look up at him, to see the great worry and concern clouding in his bright blue eyes for me, "and I haven't been worth much around here lately and you have to admit that."

"No I don't, because it is not true and you should know that, and if you refuse to believe me I will find a way so that you will know how I feel for you. It hurts me to hear you think all that you are or think you are sorry for as much as it hurts to see you suffer like you are. You don't know how much I missed you when I was at war, you were all I thought about, getting home to see you and how you have grown and changed. Your letters helped me fight to live, it gave me something to live for instead of giving up as so many soldiers I knew did. You have done a lot and you mean a lot to me, if not for your support while I was at war, I may not be here today," he says with more sincirity in his voice, "and you have been helping out here on the farm, maybe to you it don't seem like much, but to us it does. You are going through a hard time right now and I understand -"

"No, you don't understand, you nor anyone else will ever understand!" I yell as anger fills my body toward him as I jump to my feet, "So don't try saying you understand how I feel, for you don't, nor does anyone else, how could you? You weren't there, you were too busy playing around with your girl friend to be there! Why-"

"I didn't mean it like that BO, why don't you give me a chance to explain?" Luke pleas calmly to me, though in his eyes I see his desperation to get to me.

"I don't care! You'll never understand, none of it!" I yell as I fight back the tears as the flashback continues to play in my head, "And while you're at, stop making excuses for me, for why I am the way I am! I don't need your pity nor any one elses! Pity gets you no where so stop it!"

He glares at me as a large lump forms in my throat as I fight through my anger of what to do next, fighting back my urge to chicken out and run and hide from hime after yelling at him, but my anger keeps me standing in front of him, looking for confrontation from him. "Help me understand Bo, talk to me, what happened what you feel, you tell me, you help me understand," Luke continues to plea with me, "I can't understand how you feel if you don't talk to me, all I know that you are suffering and I want to help!"

"There ain't nothing you can do to help and you know it as well as everyone else nor will you ever understand! You stopped understanding the day you left on that damn train!" tears streak my face and I quickly jerk to leave only for Luke to grab me by my right elbow forcing me to face him. The anger and confusion in his sky blue eyes sends a large shiver of fear through me though I refuse to show him anything.

"What you mean by that, Bo?" he orders me, his patience has worn thin replaced by anger by me reaching his sensitive area.

"Let go of me, Luke!" I yell back at him as I try to fight him, "You wanted me to talk to you and I did, now let me go! I mean it."

"Whatcha gonna do if I don't, Beauregaurd? You can't run to Jesse no more to tell on me," he says out of anger, of anger that he has never had with me before and more fear runs through me, overcoming my anger at what he just told me. Through my fear I begin to tug at my arm, trying to make him let go though his grip only tightens and pain streaks through my right arm and he quickly traps me up against the wooden fence, "What you mean by that Bo? Tell me and I'll let you go...you know we don't talk about it, and yet...tell me Bo."

I glare at him as I let my tears streak my face freely as I fight for air through an upcoming attack. "I didn't mean nothing by I Luke," I beg him through my fear, giving up my tough guy act, "really I didn't and I didn't mean no offense toward you. I am sorry, now let me go."

Anger glows in his blue eyes and through his eyes I can almost see the flash backs that are flashing in his eyes at me mentioning him getting on the train to go to war. A tear reaches his left eye, of which he never let be seen, him cry, but now it shows as it starts down his left cheek as he continues to glare at me without any emotion towards me. Suddenly he snaps out of his flash back, of staring blankly at me with his angered expression that seemed to stick, and is replaced by great guilt and embarrassment as he slowly lets go. "Bo I-" I interrupt him as I punch him squarely in his nose before I begin to run.

My fist burns as I continue to walk ahead, forcing myself not to look back at Luke who shouts out my name. Ahead I cross the dirt road and down a ravine of trees that leads down to a thin creek where I begin to follow with no clue of where I am going.

[Kristy_DUke]

Luke Duke

I glare at the empty field where my cousin just ran off at as I hold my handkerchief to my blood nose that he created by his punch, a punch I deserved. I sigh at the sight at the heavy blood flow from my nose slowly slowing down from where it had began as I watch the empty field where my cousin had run off, now out of sight. Slowly I force myself to walk forward where his foot prints are printed in the soil where he had walked off in his temper as I think of what had happened. I force my dirty handkerchief into my pocket at my nose stop bleeding as I walk to the ravine where he had escaped to and glance both ways to not find him anywhere but to see trees and everything that has always been there.

Carefully I walk down to the small creek to find his boot prints in the thick mud along side the creek and I glance ahead to where it leads to not find him anywhere but begin to follow it along. The hot sun beats down upon my bare skin as I walk ahead thinking of all that I said and done that started the argument to the moment I snapped at him. His statement about me not understanding since I got in the train plays over and over in my head as I try to figure out what he means by that, but deep down I know what he means. I was always there for him before I left for war, I placed him ahead of everything, my friends, girl friends, extra school activities, or anything really; I did what he wanted to do and protected him from anyone who meant any harm to him and picked him up and dusted him off when he fell. I was there for him in the past to play with him even when my friends were over or what not to just talking to him or listening to him and I recall the nights we talked to one another about anything and everything until Jesse told us to go to bed. I think of how I have been like since I have returned home and it strikes me like a knife between the differences of how I have been treating Bo and guilt soars within me about everything. Since I have returned from war I have been hanging around with my friends even when he asked me to go look at something, or when he had a race I went with my friends or girl friends instead of his races figuring I'd hear about it when I got home, and I can't even remember the last time we went to bed talking. Glaring into the creek I recall the time at The Boar's Nest when I watched Stephen and his friends beat Bo up badly without stepping in to stop them. I have been too concerned about myself, about my painful past that I could have prevented to pay any attention to him. Then to think of all the nights I have came home drunk, calling him to pick me up who he would obediently do even when he had his friends over or a girl friend without complaining, even though it must have hurt him to see me that way.


Anger soars within me as I think of how I have been treating him and I come to realize that is why he hasn't been talking to me as he use to, because I have treated him poorly. Even after Jesse's death and funeral I didn't treat him much different than before other than to plea with him to talk to me, like he use to, when I knew Bo won't open up to someone he don't know. He don't know me no more, I have changed and I haven't even noticed it, but he has because he has been on the recieving end of my anger of my pained past that keeps haunting me no matter what I do. I knew Bo looks up to me and yet I treated him so poorly and I wonder if he will ever forgive me or if he will return home.

After a long few minutes of tailing his foot prints in the mud I stop as I think of my behavior and attitude towards him, how much it has changed and for the worse. Slowly I begin to head home in realization there is nothing I can do for him now, not until he has had his time alone, not until he is willing to return home. Walking back upon the field tears streak my eyes with knowledge that Jesse would be able to handle Bo, to help comfort him through his time of need and yet I can't even get close to him. The closest I got to it was his apology a few moments ago and I lost my chance in my own anger at my own past and leashed out on him for bringing it up, for bringing up his own pain. "Please help me, Jesse," I finally call for help looking up into the bright cloudless sky.

Quickly I grab my red plad shirt off the post as I lead the old mule back to her stable before I walk past a couple of pastures, one filled with a asortment of colored cows, the other filled with a asortment of colored horses. I watch the animals roam freely in their pastures eating hay or grass or chasing another animal before I walk past them to the dusty dirt road. Glancing both ways and not seeing a vehicle I walk across the street and to the front lawn of the old farm house that seems to be falling apart of which Jesse always kept up with, making it seem like home.

I sigh wearily before I step upon the old wooden front deck and walk into the kitchen where Daisy is folding clothes and watching her dinner in the wood burning oven. She looks up at me with worry before asking, "You home early? Where's Bo? You OK?"

"I have failed," is all I can say before I take my perch in front of the sink and glare out through the window.

"You've failed? At what, Luke?" she questions from behind me as she folds Bo's long legged faded blue blue jeans.

"At everything, at keeping this house up to date with everything, at the work that needs to be done," I sigh as an old dark green car passes the farm on the dirt road, "most of all I have failed Bo, I failed to comfort him and to be there for him."

"You don't really believe that do you?" she questions and I glare back at her, "Well it is not true, so it isn't how Jesse kept it, but it is up and standing, the fields are doing great this year and we got no sick animals. No one expects you to be Jesse or to take his place Luke, you are doing a good job at taking care of this farm, just as Jesse did," she pauses for a long moment, "and as for Bo, he is going through a hard time and you are being too hard on yourself. He isn't about to let anyone get close to him right now, I know it is hard for you to acknowledge that seeing how he confided in you for everything, but he has emotional scars that will haunt him the rest of his life. He don't know how to handle it and as Applebee tol' you, all there is is to wait for him to be ready to open up to you or anyway, all he needs is time, Luke. You are there for him more than anyone else is, so I don't know why you are being so hard on yourself, you know all that."

I look back at her before I glare back out the window at hope of seeing Bo walking up to the house, but instead find an empty yard and an empty road. "Yeah I do. He apologized to me today after he had another attack about everything, about slowing us down, to getting in the way, to him getting out so he will be out of our way, oh and for getting me and him into trouble. I tried to tell him otherwise, but ended up messing it all up again and got him angry at me," I start to tell her what had happened between us and finish off with what I came to realize while thinking of what his statement means and the more I think of it, the more truth there is in it. He's right, I don't understand. "So yes, I have failed him Daisy and there is no way around that. I have failed him when he needed him most and when he slightly opens up to me, I have to mess it up. That may have been my only chance and I lost it due to my temper that I never get -"

"Except when your six years is brought up...we all know it is a hurtful subjest, Luke, he knows it and that is why he brought it up. I won't lie to you, you leaving like you did, hurt him a lot, in ways you will never understand," she pauses dramaticly, "but he won't tell you that because you are his cousin, his best friend and he knows it hurts you to think or mention it all. And yes I have noticed the difference in your behavior towards him since you have returned, so has Jesse...everyone but you saw it. I don't know what to tell you, because I surely ain't no psychologist or doctor, but perhaps if you open up to him, he'll open to you. I don't know, but it can't hurt, either of you even if he doesnt open up, it may do you some good to talk to someone about it."

I shrug not knowing what to say or to say anything at all before I turn to her and say, "I don't know, Daisy, I really don't know any more. All I know is that I have failed and that I may have just lost my best friend for good."

"No you didn't," Daisy says confidently to me, "one thing you surely don't understand about Bo is that he may have a temper, but when it comes to the ones he cares about the most, he always comes around; just give him time. He still looks up to you Luke, which may be hurting him more than anything, and he tries to understand where you are coming from, to why you have changed. He may not understand it, but he is willing to try, Luke. You know why? Because in his eyes, you are his best friend and always will be...he don't think of how you treat him lately, but how you treated him in the past with hope that you will revert back to who you were before you left. That is why he will never stay mad at you, Luke, because he understands that you went through something horrible or bad and that is why you have changed...but the difference between you and Bo is that you see how you were wronged at war, all that you went through and are able to do anything to drown your painful memories, while Bo sees the you, you once were, he sees the potental of who you could be if you were able to move on, Bo has hope. You are his best friend, he may not show it now, but you are and at the end he will forgive you as he has done in the past."

I glare at her with wonder if what she is saying is true or her subtle way to help me feel better. "Well he shouldn't have to fight for an image of me of what he wants...I should be him. It isn't his fault that I left, I left because of me, not him, it was my choice knowing that I would see what I saw, just didn't know the extent of it," I say turning around to face her, "it was my choice and I ended up taking it out on him and all of you for that matter. I'm sorry. If I have to lock myself in some closet to make myself to change back, I'll do that, I will do anything to get his trust again, to be able to turn to him and be able to talk to him freely about anything that is troubling me."

"As I said, tell him what you went through, it may help both of you as I said," she grins getting up and hugs me tightly in comfort before letting go.

[Kristy_DUke]

BO DUKE

I glare up ahead as the hot summer sun shines brightly down through the trees upon my aching bare shoulders as I think of all that was said between Luke and I. Guilt suddenly rushes through me as to what I had said to him about war, I knew better to say and yet I said it anyway, I said what I felt knowing it would hurt him. My mind seems to turn into a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts skipping to the next as quickly as the last had left to return soon after, from one subject to another, from Jesse to Luke then back to Jesse. The sight still shines clearly in my head like a color glossy photo in my head of Jesse lying on the floor when I had walked into the room, covered in a pool of his own thick sticky red blood as my words to Luke echos in my head. Guilt and anger tugs at my heart and soul as I continue to walk along side the old creek, the creek where Brodie and I ran to at times to skip school just to mess around, but now it is only me with no one like Brodie to talk to. I sigh thinking of walking to his old farm house from here, but decide against it at the thought of his dad that hates me so much, not for anything that I did, but for something that my parents did, though I don't know because Jesse never spoke of them and got irratated when I asked about them or if they were to be brought up.

Continue to walk along the muddy edge of the creek my mind skips from finding Jesse upon the living room floor to Luke, to the relationship we once had years ago, before he had left for war. I recall the several times he passed on going on dates to be home with me or to take me fishing, or his friends for that matter, especially when he knew I was upset, no matter how big his plans were, he'd cancel them for me. He made me feel special, as if I was worth something by him placing me first, always by my side to make sure that I wouldn't get hurt, protecting me from the school bullies that use to pick on me and make fun of me because of my height or how I was different than them. He'd make sure they wouldn't hurt me and if they did, he always made sure they would pay for it, but all that has changed. He don't care whether I am here or not any longer, choosing to hang out at the Boar's Nest with his friends most of the nights out of the week, ending up calling on me to pick him up when he becomes too drunk to drive home. I sigh recalling the night a couple of weeks ago when I went to go pick him up from the Boar's Nest, he really wasn't drunk, not by the standards he normally got, but more so didn't feel like driving home; so he called on me to take him home as if I run some sort of taxi services just for him. I sigh as I think of that night picking him up when Stephen and his three big friends swarmed around me while Luke just sat a couple of feet away with a couple of his friends with a beer in hand as Stephen began pushing me to one of his friends before it became into a full beating of fists coming at me in my stomach, chest, and face, none stop. I close my eyes at the thought of the beating that seemed to last an enternity before they stopped at Sheriff Rosco's urging or threat of arresting them, leaving me on the floor covered in my own blood fighting back blackness while Luke sat there and watched over the rim of his beer glass, laughing with his friends.

Emotions rage through me like a raging river at the thought of the past, at how it was like, all the happy memories and sad memories that we shared together, how we did everything together. He was my best friend, my hero who I loved more than anything, him and Uncle Jesse and now I lost both of them. Tears beam in my eyes and I fight to keep them back as my mind races from thought to thought from past to present. Angrily I kick a pebble into the shimmering creek and watch the small splash as I walk along, wishing that I could at least have my best friend back since I can no longer have Jesse back. More memories flood through my head of my loving uncle, how he was always there for me, to patch up my scrapes when I fell, to listen to my exciting stories of what had happened, to wiping away my tears without thinking I was childish. He too was there for me, through thick and thin, no matter how much trouble I had caused him or how much I made him worry with all my crazy car tactics when I went chasing after Brodie and Cooter in our cars, he was always there for me no matter what and now he isn't there for me any more...when I need him the most. He would know what to do now, where to go to, and who to turn to. Now I don't even have that, I no longer belong at the Duke farm, Luke always seems to be angry at me for one reason or another, looking at me out of hatred more than love as he once did, and Daisy, I don't know. Daisy seems to look down at me ever since Luke got home, almost as if she is siding with him, thinking I am too childish, especially after the day I saw Jesse lying on the floor covered in his blood. Now I have no one to go to or nowhere where I belong and I wonder if I should even return home, if they would even notice that I was gone.

Tears slowly shimer down my face against my fight as I begin to think of where to go now that I have ran off on Luke, after hitting him as hard as I did, when he didn't deserve it. I did for saying what I did, I knew it was a touchy subject but I said it anyhow out of my own selfishness. Guilt once again soars within me as I think of Luke of what I had told him out of my own anger, even if it is what I feel, I should have kept it to myself so it wouldn't hurt him. Oh well I did and there is no turning back and I begin to think and wonder if there is no turning back, no going back to the farm that I once called home, felt welcomed at, but don't feel that way any longer. I just want to go somewhere else where no one knows who I am to judge me by my past or by thier past, to not be able to see the anger and hatred in my cousin's bright sky blue eyes that were so full of love before he left for war.

Suddenly I stop near an old large rock that sits along side the creek, marking that the caves are somewhere close as I hear some ruffling up in the hills followed by yells and shouts of pain. Slowly I locate two men beating upon a smaller, but muscular man who has blood racing down from his nose, a taller man than the others stand to the side wearing a large white cowboy hat, tight dark blue jeans with a tight black plad shirt and black cowboy boots. Fear strikes me as the man off to the side yells out, "Dayson, where you put it at? You tell us that, I'll call my men off."

"You expect me to believe that?" the beaten man manages to question sarcasticly to get punched in the stomach and he yells out in pain.

"Your choice, we'll find it sooner or later," the tall muscular man says as his two men continue to beat him roughly and the smaller man stops fighting back for reasons I can't think of.

"I tol' ya to let me out and you wouldn't have that," Dayson grunts to the man as he is kicked in the stomach by the lean and tall man's heel of his cowboy boot and he is thrown to his knees upon the muddy hill and the tall muscular man along side the lean man kicks him in the face with his heel and Dayson drops to the mud full of blood.

I watch as the man that portrays the leader out of the three attackers begins to glance around and I pray that he doesn't see me as I see his piercingly evil dark eyes from the distance where I am at, his dark hair grooming out of his cowboy hat. Though they are a few feet away I notice the scar on the back of his right hand, long and jagged as he grabs for his gun that he had tucked into the waist of his tight jeans. "You say that again?" he asks pointing the gun at Dayson's chest, "Where's the box, you fool?"

"I ain't gonna tell you Drake or your men for that matter. You might as well as shoot me for I know your plans are and have been for over a year that you have been here at this little hick town and I am not going to be a part of your scheme to take control of this hick town, to make it your drug fortress!"Dayson yells through his pain and my heart races in fear, "Go for it Drake, I know it won't be the first or last person you kill...it don't matter, one day, Drake, you will be stopped. You are not unstoppable or invincible, neither-"

He is cut off as lean man kicks him in the stomach before he is motioned back by Drake before he reaims the gun at Dayson's chest. I jump in my anticipated shock as the loud gun fire rings off, echoing off the cliff's walls and Dayson yells a last yell as blood splurts out from his chest and his muscular body goes still and the three men glare over at his body. "I want y'all to search the perimeters, that box gotta be around here somewhere," Drake orders. His two men nod as the begin to seperate to look around, begin to dig around in the thick wet mud as does Drake, but he seems to be too worried about looking around.

I continue to watch as my heart races tightly in great fear of being seen as the men continue to search frantically for some box that they killed the other man over, in front of my eyes. Seeing the dead man lying there, I am reminded of Jesse lying on the living room floor, covered in his own blood and once again I begin to imagine how it had happen, but this time more clearly and more fearfully than I had ever had before. I feel my body begin to tremble in fear at seeing Jesse so clearly in my head as more tears streak my face in that fear as well as the grave fear of them finding me, with thought of what they would do to me if they cought me and I can imagine me turning out to be like the dead Dayson up there.

Within me I feel my lungs go afire as they tighten up and air becomes sparse to me once again and panic soars within me as I fight back coughing for air. Slowly I become to feel dizzy and lightheaded as I hear myself wheezing loudly and as I get my inhaler out of my pocket I yelp out in fear as my right foot slip into the warm creek water, making a big splash as I spray some puffs into my mouth. I glance up in fear just in time to see Drake rushing at me and I try to think quickly of what to do as I quicky rise to my clumsy feet and begin to run as he shoots at me, missing me by an inch. Glaring ahead through the thick sun I hear Drake calling for his two goons to follow in his pursuit of me as I continue to run, with hope of being able to reach the caves, where I may disappear without them knowing it if I am lucky enough.

ANother shot rings out and I pray that it doesn't hit me and sigh in relief as I hear it splash into the creek. I continue to manuver through trees and rocks, criss crossing my paths as I had done many times with Brodie when we got into trouble. I glance back ahead as I hear thier footsteps getting closer behind me, with hope to see the caves and I sigh as I see them getting closer. Concentrating on the caves I fight to think of a plan of how to escape into them without them noticing me going in there, when they are so close behind. I glance behind me to find Drake just out of reach with his men just behind him to ahead where the caves inch closer as I race ahead, fighting to think of away for them not see me escape in there. Quickly I begin to race up the steep hill to fight to get to the top of the arched rocky cliffs, hoping to bid me time and space from the men that seem trigger happy. Racing up the cliffy hill I gasp for air as I fight for footing and I hear them fading behind slowly, though still fighting to keep up. I sigh thanking the good Lord that I am more aquipped with how to do it than they seem to do as they all seem to slipp from time to time, landing on thier chins or so cussing out at me to stop to talk to them.

I sigh in relief as I reach the double arch caves that meet up at the bottom, looking like a big rocy M and I begin to cross over to them, making sure I go over the loose rocks that tumble at my feet with hope they won't be so careful. My lungs seem to be on fire with each breath I take coming more harsher to attrieve as I continue to fight with my footing while I glance back at them who look like the three stooges now that they are out of thier terrotory chasing after me.

Slowly I reach the first cave and I watch my footing as my cowboy boots tempt to slip on the wet rocky cave roof and I pray to make this work, to be able to return home even if Luke is angry at me; at least he won't kill me for it. I hear them cursing as they fight to thier feet and I glance behind as Drake draws his gun at me as he did Dayson, aiming between my shoulder blades and I pray not to get hit, not to die here, and not like this by some evil crooks that is most likely tied in some way to Hogg who don't know who he is messing with.

Trying to concentrate on my footing with only hope to relay on to not getting hit on his aim and as time passes by slowly I think of Jesse and how he must have felt all the times Brodie and I got ourselves in this kind of trouble. Behind me, I hear Drake yelling out that is shortly followed by the explosion of him pulling the trigger as he falls and I yell out in piercing pain as the large silver metal bullet rips it's way through my right shoulder, tearing through muscle that shoots pain throughout my body. I continue to yell out in fear as I am throw forward with the force of the bullet landing face first down the middle of the two caves hitting my head several times harshly against the rocky walls ove the caves before I land awkwardly upon my right hand and wrist in the middle of the two caves, where they meet at the bottom. Blackness edges it's way into my mind as I glance up at the three men looking at one another through my blurred vision and I urge myself to forward.

Through the great pain that rages in my body I roce myself to crawl slowly, military style on my forearms that sends pain shooting through my right arm as I refuse to look at any damages before I am in the clear. After a long few seconds I pull myself into the dark first cave and crawl half way through to where darkness covers, but where I can still see the entry way.

Air is limited as I sit still agains the cold wall as I stare at the entry way, too afraid to move as I watch the entry way before I force myself to grab for my inhaler, to no longer find it my pocket. Panic soars with me as I realize that I must have dropped it when they started to chase me and the cave begins to twirl around me in my lightheadedness as my head throbs fiercely as does my shoulder that burns as I feel the sticky blood ooze from the wound down my shoulder. I sigh painfully as fiery pain shoots throughout my body and I force myself to look down at my pained hand to cause more dizzinesse to rush in my hand. I gasp painfully at the sight of my bloody right hand and lower arm as the bone pierced through the skin at my wrist, splinters of bone seem to have been scraped up as the rest of my hand and lower arm feels all mushy with the great pain that swells in it.

I glance up in fear and in pain as the three men quietly passes by the mouth of the cave, not even bothering to look in. "Where could he have gone?" Drake asks as blackness slowly creeps in and I slowly give into the pain and the blackness with hope they don't find me here.


Slowly I awake to great pain and bone chilling coldness as my blurred vision slowly clears up to find myself to still be in the cave where I had passed out at. Blood has covered me as the throbbing of my head, shoulder, and arm shoots throughout my body as I slowly recall what had happened. Fearfully I look up at the mouth of the cave to see the pitch blackness of the night with only a hint of light that must be coming from the moon. Seeing the amount of blood shocks me as I think of all the blood I had seen on Jesse before I force myself up through the dizziness that continues to plague me, causing me to spit up and looking down I see blood mixed in with my syliva.

Forcing myself to step foward through my pain and weakness I slowly reach the entrance of the cave, hoping to see a clear sight of no men lingering around so I can return home to get help. Painfully I sigh as I find air hard to atrieve as I see nothing out of the ordinary lingering around and I force myself out into the humid summer night as the pain increases with each step I take.


After what seems to take an enternity of pain, I reach upon the front lawn at the farm, where I had collapsed several times on my way home. I feel my body weakening and the pain increasing as I fight to get to the front door, in hope that Luke will listen enough to get me help or care enough to get me help. Once again I force myself forward as pain floods my weakening body as I am once again thrown to the ground as I continue to fight for air. Lying upon the muddy ground I begin coughing chronically for air as I fight to yell for help in hope that someone is awake, but nothing but a forceful wheeze escapes through my coughing as the air becomes more harsh to get.

Through the pain and blood that escapes from my wrist and shoulder I fight to get up, dizziness invades more harshly as I once again spit up blood as I cough for air. I cry out in pain and frusteration as I once again am thrown to the ground, too weak to even stand upon my knees for support and I glance up at the front door only a few feet away. Blackness quickly takes over me for a short moment or for a few minutes to awaken gasping painfully and forcefully for air as pain shoots throughout my body.

I jump in pain and fear as an odd noise rings over me followed by a hollow beat and I gasp knowing it has to be them, they followed me! Forcefully I look up to find Luke racing out of the farm house, his face pale with worry and fear. "Bo!" he shouts as he reaches me to check my pulse, "What happened? No wait, let me go get you a blanket while I call for an amulance!"

[Kristy_DUke]

Luke Duke

Quickly I slam down the icy cold black reciever of the old phone from talking panickly to the operator with hope that they would hurry. I rush to Jesse's old room with hope to find that thick quilt that Jesse loved so much, carrying it around the cold nights while he sat in front of the fire. Thinking of him, my heart tightens in sadness at the thought that he is gone and feel the shame of using his loved quilt on Bo who is covered in his own blood, but it is the only blanket that will warm him up the most. I sigh in relief to find the thick navy blue quilt on a shelf in his closet and I tug it down as I race out of the room to the kitchen door and fight with the handle to open it. I pray for my cousin as I jump off the deck as I find my cousin seizuring only a feet away from the deck where I see that his bleeding has increased since the few minutes when I was inside.

After what seems to take an enternity, I finally reach my cousin and drop to my knees as I place the quilt around him, tucking the sides under him. Fearful at the sight of his closed eyes and still body, I quickly check his pulse to find a weak and unstable pulse, his breathing is weak and barely noticeable. I continue to pray in fear for my cousin and for help to be here soon as the dark sky seems to continue to darken above us while I watch my deathly pale cousin lying on the ground, covered in his own thick blood. Slowly I drag out a clean handkerchief from my back pocket and I reach over and press it tightly to his thick cut on his right upper forehead and blood quickly seeps through the thin material to show the ugly bruise that surrounds the cut. Looking at my cousin seizuring I try to think of what had happened to create all of this and what all his injuries could be.

Slowly, the distant sound of the piercing siren becomes audible and I glance up with hope before I look back down at Bo who seems to be loosing the battle for life. "No Bo...you gotta be Ok, everything is going to be ok," I say with hope as I flip the blanket off his chest for a moment, his red plad shirt is torn and stained darkly with thick blood, his right wrist bone sticks out of his right wrist and hand, his right wrist and hand is covered thickly with blood, but through the blood I notice the large swelling and bruising that coats it. Covering him back up I run my hand through his thick blond hair that Jesse and I had done when he was a child to help comfort him. "Hear that, Bo? You gotta, buddy...it's help, help is on it's way! All you gotta do is fight to hang in there, so they can help you...please Bo, I beg you."

Glancing up as the sirens become louder, today's earlier events roll through my head, of all that was said and done. More guilt fills me as I think that this wouldn't had happened if I hadn't made him run off like I did, if only I hadn't said anything. I told him to tell me what was wrong and when he did I lost it and snapped on him, I sigh at the thought of him never talking to me again. My heart stops in deep fear as a worse thought jumps into my head, a worse thought of him never talking to me again. What if he don't wake up? "Bo, c'mon Bo, you gotta fight this," I urge him panicly as fear soars quicky through me at the thought of never being able to apologize to him, to never be able to go fishing with him, or to ride in The General with him. Tears enter my eyes at the thought of loosing my cousin and no longer having him in my life any more, to not have my best friend with me by my side. I sigh at the thought of loosing him to my anger and hatred not toward him, but was directed toward him; at the thought of loosing him with us still angry at one another for all that I have done to him, of which he has only repayed me by his love and devotion even after I had allowed him to get beaten up so badly the other night. "Look, whoever did this to you, won't get away with this Bo, I promise you. Please wake up, I beg you...I will change I promise."

I glance up as the sirence pierce through me as they pull up next to us and I slowly stand up as I swipe my tears away to meet up with three men around my height. "He's right there," I point to Bo on the ground as they drag out the old stretcher, "I don't know what happened, he just crawled here and landed there, I really don't know all his injuries, I was too afraid to move him."

The older one nods annoyingly at me before they walk past me to where Bo lies and I watch as the scoop him up on the board to place on the stretcher where they quickly attatche an air mask over his nose and mouth. I watch in continued disbelief as they insert three IVs into his left arm before they slowly begin to roll him into the old modeled ambulance where I ask, "Can I ride along?"

The two younger paramadics look over at the older paramedic who nods for me to join them for the ride. I slowly climb up into the ambulance before it quickly takes off.

[Kristy_DUke]

Luke Duke

Static rolls over the intercom as an older female voice comes over asking for a Doctor Denzling to report to room two-fifteen as the bright lights of the waiting room reflects off the shiney linoleum floor. My heart pounds in great fear and worry for my cousin as all that was said between us before he had ran off plays in my head with the sight of him lying on the ground, covered in his own blood plays in my head, playing tricks at me. I sigh as I drop into a deep and long silent prayer for my cousin to be Ok, to be able to hear his voice once again whether it is yelling at me in anger or hatred, but to hear his voice full of life once again, to be able to see the life that was absent when I found him in our yard, in his face and eyes. I die to hear his laughter full of childish excitement or to be able to comfort him and to tell him that everything is going to be ok, or to hear him talk to me or to anyone, to tell me exactly how he feels even if it isn't something I want to hear. Thinking of him, I begin to wonder if he would talk to me if he walks away from this, if he would ever be able to forgive me for everything I had done to him, all that I had made him go through.

I glance up as someone walks next to me and I find it to be Daisy who holds a worried look on her face as she sits down next to me. "OK, what happened, Luke?" she questions, "Why did I get a call from a doctor and not you? HUH Lukas?"

I shrug. "I don't know Daisy, I refuse calling you at work with tears in my voice only for your bartender Dave to answer and notice my voice. No it is not a pride thing on my part as I know you will make it sound to be, but I knew I wouldn't be able to get enough through for him to understand," I answer as tears enter my eyes again, "I don't know what you want me to say...I don't have money for the pay phone outside and the only way they'd let me use the phone up front is if I let him say what I needed to say."

"You could have just said that," she says flatly, "so what is this about Bo being here? What all happened...that is all that he told me is tha the is in the emergency room."

"Yeah I heard him," I say as I once again wish that he would have went farther to why he was here, "I really don't know what had happened. I was sitting up staring out the window, everything in the past year was going through my head as I was certain that he ran off and wasn't coming home. It was only a couple of hours ago so it was still dark out side when I saw this figure crawling into our yard, well he was half walking half falling type of thing before he collapsed on our yard. I ran out to see who and what was wrong."

It goes silent as I fight to control myself as a doctor calls out for another couple who cries on eachother's shoulders in the far corner. I watch as they walk to the older short doctor before going on, "When I got out there I saw that it was Bo, he was covered in his own blood and was barely recognizeable. I ran into the house and called for an ambulance and for a blanket...I got Jesse's quilt, I know we agreed to not to use to keep it fresh, but it was the only warm one I knew of," I pause once again, tears streak my face freely, "When I got out he was unconcious and seizuring. I wrapped him up as best as I could and noticed his right wrist bone puncturing through his skin and his hand and arm was largely swollen and bruised under the blood. That is all I know as of now."

She nods as she wipes the tears out of her eyes and I roughly do the same to my eyes as guilt swarms through me as fear and worry consumes me for my cousin and I pray for word on him quickly. "Look, LUke," Daisy says looking at me, "I don't know what happened or how bad he is or if. .. if he could die, but I am going to say this anyway even though I know it isn't going to work. Please don't blame yourself for all of this as I know you are, Bo wouldn't want you to and I am sure he don't blame you."

"Why wouldn't he? Especially over the year, all that I had done to him," I sigh feeling the tears build up even more, "I mean I should have gone and checked on Jesse, but forced him to do it instead, telling him if he didn't go that I'd tell Jesse he didn't care enough to check on him, that I'd show him a few of my new Marine moves on him out back. I should have gone and yet I tortured him with my threats and when he called to tell me to pick him up at the sheriff's station, I didn't hear his tears that rung clear but that he was disturbing my date and I tol' him so...that he was gonna get it for making me go get him. When I got there, I didn't care about his tears, but called him a big cry baby even after he tol' me what he saw and what happened. I was a jackass and then that night at the Boar's Nest when I allowed Stephen to beat him up like that was uncalled for and why? I did it out of hatred and anger, but not toward him, but at what I saw at war, and I took it out on my best friend. I don't blame him if he would blame me and never forgive me, I just wish...I wish I could tell him I was sorry and beg for a second chance...he is my best friend and yet..."

"Well you can tell him now if ya wish," calls a husky male's voice as Daisy is about to whisper something to me. I slowly turn around to see a tall balding light brown haired doctor who looks to be in his mid forties.

"Bo?" I ask standing up swiping at my eyes, "How is he Doctor..."

"Doctor Wayben," he smiles wearily, "Well your cousin seems to be strong and stubborn, or perhaps dumb to fight against his odds that he was faced during the night. I am not going to lie, he still has a good chance to die, but he seems to be improving that as time goes by and he is still in serious condition, but for all his injuries that he has he is better than expected to be. Your cousin was shot in the shoulder and he has lost a lot of blood from that going unattended for so long, he has a severe concusion from hitting his head hard on something very hard, he has internal bleeding, of which we haven't been able to stop all the way. He has shattered his right arm and hand with his wrist bone puncturing through his skin...and his asthma seems to have worsened. Through a CAT scan we have estimated that the shooting and the concussion happened a couple of hours before you called the ambulance, which means he must have passed out."

"So is he going to be ok, doctor?" I ask panickedly.

"Well he went a long while without his inhaler, must have lost it or something," he looks at his clippboard, "that it has caused an infection in his air way, luckily we got it in time or that alone could have killed him. Right now, he looks like he will be ok, he is awake and asking for you Luke."

"Me?" I ask with disbelief.

"If you are Luke, then yes it is you," he grins at me, "follow me unless yo don't want to see him."

"No I wanna see him," I say and Daisy urges me to go.

Slowly I follow him through the long hall ways in silence before he says, "He is awake, well duh huh if he is asking for you? Anyway, he won't talk to us or tell us what had happened, perhaps he will tell you. I can get Rosco here or any police here within minutes if you want that, but if he won't talk I don't see the use of calling the police on it for now, until someone can tell him to tell the authorities."

I nod as he stops in front of a dark wooden closed door and he motions in there. "Well there ya go, I'll be around if ya need me for anything," he smiles before I watch him walk by.

Slowly I open the door and walk in to close the door behind myself before I look up at my lean cousin who lies in the hospital bed and my heart tightens in fear as he seems to be asleep. His skin remains deathly pale as his heart and breathing monitors beep annoyingly and his four IVs drip slowly into him, to echo off the walls, a bandage is wrapped tightly around his wound on his head and his right hand and arm is plastered in a ugly white cast all the way up to his elbow. His thin chest remains bare so the suctors can stick to his bruised chest, looking at him I come to think that most of his body seems to be bruised or cut up.

"Luke?" he asks weakily as he slowly moves his head to look at me, pain shoots from his baby blue eyes and I quickly go to the side of his barred in bed.

"Shhhh I'm right here buddy," I say as I run my hand through the top of his blond hairs and the sight of the strong death in his eyes sends shivers up and down my body, "I'm right here, I'm not gonna leave you, never."

He looks at me questionally with a tint of disbelief that seems to break my heart even though I know I deserved not to be trusted, I broke his trust and I broke his heart at doing it. "I am . . .sorry," he gasps painfully for air, his breathing, even with the air tube in his nose, is forceful and wheezy, "I didn't mean what you-"

"Don't apologize, Bo, and yes you did mean it...and it is the truth, I just didn't want to admit to it. I should be the one to apologize, not just for yesterday afternoon, but for the past year that I have treated you like crap! You are my best friend, Bo, you still are and I love you more than life itself...I know you don't believe me, because of how I have treated you and I don't blame you, but it is the truth. I guess I just had this need to take my anger and hatred of war on someone and it ended up to be you. I am so sorry Bo," I say as tears streak my face, "There is no excuse for how I have treated you and I don't blame you if you never forgive me or want to hang out with me again or be like we were before. But I want that and am willing to change to do so, I promise you right now Bo, I will change back to who I was before I had boarded on that train years ago; I will be the Luke Duke that you know and not the Luke Duke that I have become over the years. I am sorry, Bo...I don't-"

"Now you stop it," he forces out as the pain seems to increase by the second, "Look, I don't want you to change for me or for anyone, but for yourself. Yes, you have been a jackass, but you have also been through a lot and I imagine you seen alot, though I don't know what all you went through or to the amount of how bad it was, but I know it must have been horrid to go through what you went through. It is only natural to have to find a way to get over it, to not see it or to take it out on someone else. I may not have understand it all the way, heck I don't understand all of anything, but I was never that angry at you to never forgive you for it or to look past it. I love you too much to not be able to forgive you, especially when you took it on yourself to apologize, to say your sorry, to make it past your pride to tell me how you feel. Thank-you Luke...I don't want you to change for me, but for yourself."

"Ok," I say as I bend down and hug him tightly, not wanting to let go, "I will, for both of us. OK? I really mean that, no one tol' me to tell -"

"Well duh Lukas...we all know you would do the opposite if someone were to tell you to apologize," he smiles weakly at me and great fear enters his eyes, almost as much as the pain that radiates in his eyes.

"OK," I answer taking his left hand, "What happened, Bo? Who did this to you? I want to know...because who ever it is, I promise you, won't get away with this."

He glares at me with fear strong in his eyes as I see the flashbacks rolling in his eyes as tears slowly begin to break through and I hug onto him once again while telling him that it will be ok

[Kristy_DUke]

Bo Duke

Quickly I force myself to lie back down on my pillow as pain shoots throughout my body and I flinch at the pain as I try to block more tears from falling as I wipe away the tears that streaked my face. I sigh as I look up at Luke trying to figure out if it is worry I see in Luke's eyes or anger or perhaps even disappointment at seeing me cry once again, or perhaps all three of them. I sigh as I think of how confusing he is, a minute ago he was saying he was sorry and now anger is written deeply in his sky blue eyes. "I'm sorry, Luke," I say again trying to apologize, not wanting to see the anger in his eyes or the disappointment.

"I already tol' you you have nothing to be sorry for, I am the one that is and should be sorry," he says softly to me as he sits down into the hard metal fold up chair that is sitting next to my bed, "I have no excuses, I mean I can tell you all that I saw, all I heard, and what I went through at war, but none of that will ever be enough, because there is no real excuse for all that I have done to you. I am sorry and I hope one day you can forgive me."

I look at him as tiredness shines through the emotions he fights to hold back, but some of it shines through his strong armor that he has always had to shield away his emotions. "I already have, a long time ago," I almost say in a whisper as it pains me to talk or to try to breathe.

He looks at me for a long moment as tears clog his eyes, something I had never seen in his soft gently sky blue eyes before, tears. "Bo, what happened?" he says looking at me as more anger enters his eyes and I slowly begin to realize that it isn't me he is angry at, but toward who had done this to me; almost like in the past before he went to war when he would get so angry at anyone who would push or hit me or say something to hurt my feelings, the same anger shines in his eyes that shone in his eyes back then with the need to seek revenge on them. A sense of relief enters me to see the same worry and concern in his eyes as he had back then, almost as if things were returning to the way things were; but they never will or never could return to the way it was, because Jesse is dead and now I know who did it! "What happened? Who did this to you? Please tell me, I know you wouldn't tell your doctor, but please me. This is important to me Bo, whoever did this to you must pay...I am not about to let them -"

"They're dangerous," I cut him off in fear of what he is capable of doing as the sight of him going out by himself to seek his revenge closes in on my mind, ending with a similar occurance that had happened to Jesse. "You can't go out by yourself, they'll kill you too, like they did Jesse."

He looks up at me from glaring down at the pale white flooring that reflects the lights back up at you. "You mean," he says unable to finish.

"I don't know," I shrug, "that is only what I am thinkin' and nine times out of ten I am wrong anyway."

"Well we don't have much murderers hanging around Hazzard, but I would have figured he woulda gone elsewhere to hide other than sticking around," Luke says as more anger fills his eyes as well as confusion, "the same kind of bullet was in you that was in Jesse...Bo, you gotta tell me what happened...I want to know, so I can protect you from whoever did this to you, I am not about to loose you too, especially not to the same jackass that took Uncle Jesse away from us!"

I glare up at him as a stray tear rolls down his right cheek as what had happened shines clearly in my head as my lungs go afire with more pain as I fight to breathe and panic quickly sets in. "I didn't know where I was going after I had left or to be honest what I was going to do, I should never had punched you, you had the right to be upset with me; that was all that I was thinking about when I got to the large rock by the creek. You know it?" I ask and he numbly shakes his head, "When I heard these men fighting and I looked up to see these two men beating up on this other guy, real bad like and the other guy wouldn't even protect himself anymore. There was a tall guy that stood off to the side wearing this cowboy hat and he kept asking him where the box was and the guy wouldn't tell him, because he didn't want to be a part of it anymore, saying something that he wouldn't be the first victim of his that he killed or the last, that he knew his plan of taking over Hazzard to turn it into his drug hideout," I say choking back my pain, fighting against blacking out that keeps threatening me as the sight of it remains clear, "then the guy in the hat shot him and I couldn't breathe and all I could think about was Jesse. I tried not to cough knowing they would hear me but as I got my inhaler it slipped into the mud, when I tried to get it, my boot slipped in the water and they saw me."

I pause and he glances up with pain sketched in his face, pain for me and Jesse while anger flares in his eyes. "I tried running, but they kept shooting at me, I figured all I needed to do was find a way to hide in the caves without them knowing I went in there. So I ran to the tops of the two caves joined together at the end and the guy in the hat tried shooting at me and would have shot me in my back, but slipped on the rocks. When he shot me I was on the caves and I fell in between the rocky caves, landing on my arm, hitting my head on the wall. I crawled into the cave and watched them go by before I passed out."

"Good thing you made it home as you did," Luke says sadly as he wipes away his tears, "if not. . ." he lets his sentence slip, not wanting to finish what he was thinking.

"I'm scared, Luke," I finally say through my pain that throbs through my body, "They'll come back-"

"I won't let them get to you, Bo, I will do anything that I can for them not to get to you," Luke says running his hand through my tops of my blond hair above my bandage, "I'll have Cooter, I, Brodie, and Dobro standing by your side twenty-four seven if need be. I am not going to let them get to you, to hurt you any more than they already have, I promise you, Bo."

"But they need to be stopped, Luke, before they kill someone else," I insert as the pain flare up within me and tears enters my eyes, "I hurt...everywhere. I can't. . .breathe, Luke...I'm scared."

"I know buddy," he says as fear enters his eyes over coming his anger for the time being as I hear a monitor hit a flat line before I fall into blackness once again.

[Kristy_DUke]

Luke Duke


His words stick in my head as I once again find myself alone in the waiting room as the doctors work upon my cousin who had blocked out when his monitors reached a flat line. Fear races through me as I think of his deathly pale skin that was mostly bruised or cut up, or the death that had shone in his baby blue eyes before he passed back out. Quickly I force my eyes tightly shut to block the last images before I was ushered out of the room only to see a life that may lie ahead of me, a life that is empty and lonely without Bo in it. Slowly I reopen my eyes and pick up an sport magazine that was on top of the pile of magazines and try to concentrate on the baseball photos mixed in with a few articles on football and basketball but find hard to do so. Quickly I slam down the magazine back upon the pile at the thought and the baseball pictures in thought of Bo who is the sports fan of the family, mainly baseball and Nascar, and the few people in the waiting room glare up at me.


I glance back up at the clock that etches upon three fifteen in the morning, forty-five minutes of waiting in the waiting room. Once again I pray for my cousin to be Ok, to be able to see him again, for him to see me to hug onto him to tell him it will be OK. Thoughts swrill in my head from all that he has told me so far to loosing my cousin and I feel my hands become sweaty as I realize I have been clenching my fist tightly closed in anger at the men that had done this to Bo. If only I'd have...

"Luke," his doctor walks in and I look up at him before I quickly get to my feet.

"How is he doctor?" I ask not bothering with fighting back the tears that is apparent in my eyes and in my voice, "Is he ok? Please tell me he's going to be ok, I mean I knwo you see this every day with thier mourning visiters. But he has to be OK, doctor, he just has to be!"

He looks at me as if I am crazy and I sigh worriedly for my cousin in realization to how pathetic I had sounded. "It looks like he was a lot weaker than what we thought he was," he says sadisticly.

"No...no," I utter unable and unwilling to hear the rest, "Look you can't have lost him, he was my best friend. I mean just last year I. . .we lost our uncle who raised us, and now him? He is a brother to us and he don't deserve to-"

"You didn't let me finish, Luke," he smiles wearily as to show that he feels my pain, "He was a lot weaker than what we thought or saw, but don't give up on him yet, he needs you there to believe in him, that he can do it."

"What are you saying, doctor?" I ask confusingly.

"Look, his infection in his air way was a lot worse that cut off any air from getting to him and his asthma made the fight unbearable to him," he explains, "and the internal bleeding...gave him a cardiac arrest. We were able to get to him in time to save him, but he is very weak right now...we had to stick an air tube down his throat to help him breathe and to fight off the infection."

"Will he be ok, though? Will he be able to walk through here when this all is over with?" I ask, wanting a for sure answer.

"As of right now, it is hard to tell," he shrugs apologeticly, "he shows promise and he is fighting it...but he sure isn't out of the forest, yet. We did all we can, it is up to him now...some help from you won't hurt any either."

"Yes sir," I answer sadly, "Can I see him?"

"Yeah, he is still unconscience," he sighs, "his chances would be better if he would awake."

I nod before he slowly shows me the way once again where we walk in silence and I stop at Bo's door to watch his doctor walk down the hall, his heel of his shoe echos off the hollow walls. Slowly I face his blank door trying to prepare myself before walking in before I force myself to walk into the room. My heart seems to stop within me as I step foward to my cousin who lies alseep on his hospital bed, at the sight of my deathly pale cousin that a tube sticks out of his mouth with the tubes in his nose still in. Looking at him, he almost looks peaceful lying there as if he were only sleeping, though the bruises and his pale skin says otherwise.

"C'mon Bo," I beg him as I sit next to him as I run my hand through his hair for comfort, "please wake up BO, I am right here...I am not going anywhere, unless you want me to. Please wake up. Everything is going to be alright, you just have to fight it, buddy."

[Kristy_DUke]

Bo Duke


Annoying beeping of the machines ring out in an un-rhythmatical form, sounding unclear and very distant along with the slow dripping of the IVs that sound as if they are echoing off the walls. Slowly I win the fight to open my heavy eye lids to find bright lights shining into my harshly blurred vision and for a moment I wonder where I am and what had happened. My vision slowly clears up as I stare into the harsh piercing lights as I fight to remember where I am and what happened that slowly comes to me. Lying still upon the stiff hospital bed harsh pain shoots through my body as fear once again takes me as it's hostage.

I close my eyes in my struggle to fight against the fiery pain that ripples through my lungs, that ripples throughout my whole body. Loosing the battle I open my eyes back up at the dull and bright ceiling as I fight to readjust my position that sends a larger ripple of pain that shoots through my air ways and lungs with the harsh pain as if something was rubbing against or scratching against my air way. Slowly I glance down at my worn and battered body to find a large tube shoved in my mouth and down my throat in my answer to what was causing the pain. Seeing the tube in my throat my fear esculates within me along with my pain which is accompanied with confusion of what had happened.

The room seems to spin crazily around me as I search for answers in my head that winds up turining into flash backs of the past year, at seeing Jesse lying on the floor to being shot the other day. Franticly I search around the small room as the beeping of the machines slowly beep and I recall the piercing silence before I had passed out, figuring it is for the best that I am stuck listening to such an annoying sound. Gradually I look at my right side where I find Luke asleep as he sits closely to my right side on a hard cold fold up chair, his head leans against the ugly brightly painted white wall. Looking at my older cousin, I notice his tear streaked face that looks to still be a little damp from his tears as his right hand rests over my right casted hand.

I glance up as a thin doctor walks in with a couple of nurses and he smiles at me as he looks over my chart at the end of the hospital bed. "How you feeling, Beauregaurd?" he asks and I go to snap at him in anger for using my full name only to get choked upon the large tube in my throat, causing more pain to tear through my body, "Calm down, son...you can't talk with that tube in your throat. This is for your best interest...I am glad to see you awake."

I glare at him as tiredness welcomes it's way into my body as I look away from the doctor as the nurses change the bags to my IVs. I look over at Luke as if to ask him for help even though he lies asleep in an awkward position against the hard wall. I glance up as the doctor seems to mutter something before he slowly turns around and the nurses close the door behind him. I feel the pain increase within me as I glare out the bright haze that shines in through the window, that only allows me to see the bright blue sky that holds a couple of white puffy clouds.

Glaring out the window, my mind plays back flash backs once again, seeming to stop at the sight of Jesse's still dead body covered in blood. I feel my body shudder in great fear, fear at the sight of Jesse, fear at thinking of witnessing the men kill another, fear of them coming back to get me, and a greater fear of dying because of them. Feeling the shudder roll down my body, great pain quickly ripples through my body before I slowly feel the pain slowly begin to edge away to the pain killers they must have given me; leaving my body numb.

Besides me I hear a slow moan as if in pain and I slowly glance over to see Luke stiffly sitting up from leaning against the wall. For a long moment he glares out the window as if too afraid to look at me, staring out the window in a deep trance-like stare. "Bo," he says softly as he glances down at me and I fight to say something only to get choked by the large tube, "It's alright, I'm here for you buddy. Don't try to talk buddy...it's there to help you breathe and to. . .to help fight the infection."

I look up at him as tears enter his sky blue eyes as runs a caring hand through my blond hair above my bandage as the scenes of what brought me to here runs through my head. Slowly I dare to reach over and grab an old piece of a reciept from the hospital's cafe and an hospital pen. Using my casted arm I write a