Mighty Oak

[Valerie Strate]

Boss Hogg looked at the might Oak in Hazzard Square. It was the oldest tree in Hazzard and now had a big orange 'X' marked on it, placed by the county commisioner himself. A big grin came arcossed his face as he looked at the tree and chortled, "This tree will sure keep Lulu and me warm this wint'r and give me a nice parkin' spot too, eh Rosco? Rosco? Roscoooooo!"

The Sheriff who was busy eyeing the General Lee as it was parked out front of the post office, jumped at the call of his name, "Oooo... Yes, Boss?"

"Won't this tree be nice fire wood?" Boss asked as he chewed on his cigar.

"OOooo... It'd sure would, Khe, kheee... Make a nice new book shelf too Boss. That's solid oak right there.... Khe, khee!" The Sheriff cued over his master's plan, "Or even, a prudy, brand new solid oak desk! Ooooo, I love it, I love it!"

Meanwhile, over at the courthouse, the commisioner's plan was not going unnoticed. The Duke boys had retrieved their mail and walked over to the courthouse steps, while the Sheriff had been distracted.

"Luke, just what does Boss think he's doin'? That's the oldest tree in Hazzard and he gots a big ol' orange 'X' on it." Bo looked to his cousin, "Don't tell me, he's gonna chop it down."

The older dark haired Duke sighed, "Alright, I won't tell ya, but I don't think that tree will be here next week."

The blond Duke fummed, "Well, he can't do that! Luke that tree is over a' hundr'd years old. Now how'ed ya think that set with the voters? That tree is an anquite four times over!"

Luke looked over at his cousin," Maybe he thinks people don't care cousin? Maybe he thinks that nobody cares anymore? That no one wants to stand up for a good cause?"

Bo looked over to his cousin, "Maybe there is someone who does and can..."

Luke smiled as if he could read his cousin's mind, "Bo, yer just lookin' to score brownie points ain't ya?"

The blond Duke laughed as the pair of cousins jogged up the steps,"Ya think it'll work?"

"It better." Luke sighed.

(more later, please stay tunned...)

[Valerie Strate]

The Game Warden sat in her office doing reports, when she heard the door open. There before her desk, was Bo and Luke Duke. The boy's explained the situation to her.

"Why would Boss wanna cut that tree down?" Bo asked.

"I don't know off hand Bo... this is the first I known that he was going to take that tree down. He hadn't told me of anything about it. Which in a way he doesn't have to... However that is a hundred plus, year old tree. It's something that does need to be preserved and saved." Val replied.

"Well, then what can we do? You can stop him, right?" Bo stated looking at the Game Warden.

She sighed and looked at the boys, "Well... I can't unless the town wishes to preserve it."

"Well, we're part of Hazzard and we want it preserved!" Luke stated firmly.

Val looked sheepishly at the boys, "It's not that simply Luke. I need more than just you two, saying you want it preserved. I want it preserved as well but Boss is the one who has the law on his side in this one unless the town petitions it to be preserved."

"Which means, we have to get folks all hyped up about this tree." Luke replied then looked to Val, "Can you help us drum up support?"

The Game Warden chuckled, "Well... I am head of the Wildlife Department, and it's part of my job to conserve and preserve, plants and animals. Yes, I can help you."

"So what do we need to do?" Bo looked to the Game Warden.

"You need at least a hunderd signatures from the residents of Hazzard County. But before you do that, you need to find out why Boss is doing this and when it will take place." She replied.

"Is this where we can call the Wildlife Department for help?" Luke smiled at Val.

"I'll be right on it." Val grinned, "You just get the folks a heated up."

"Roger that Game Warden Strate!" Bo mock saluted, "Only me and Luke can make a forest fire!"

Val giggled at Bo's silliness as the boy's then bid her farewell and left.

(cue anyone)

[Harlond]

A young light brown haired Hazzard County deputy came to the Game Wardens office door. He held something tiny in his hand as he knocked and she waved him in contrating on her work.

"Hello, I thought maybe you could help me." Harlond, the young deputy was called said to the female game warden.

He held out his hand to show a baby yellow lab pup, so it couldnt have been more then a month or so old.

"I found this guy in a ditch, thought maybe you could advise me on a good vet to take him to. Im sorry but I couldnt help but over hear your conversation with te Dukes, if theres anything I can do to help you know where to find me." The deputy pitched his thumb towards the direction of the Sherriffs office.

(cue anyone)

[Valerie Strate]

"Aaawww, isn't he cute." she cooded over the little pup, "I'll get him to a vet and a shelter Harlond. Don't worry about that."

The deputy nodded at her. As he was about to leave she called to him again, "However... there probably is something you can do for me... Can you get some information from Boss about cutting that tree down? I know I could do it but I'd probably run into more resistance than you would because... um... I am the Game Warden. You could probably find out better because Boss won't suspect you'd be trying to stop him."

She sat there looking to Harlond for a reply.

[Harlond]

"I'll see what I can do. Boss could careless what I do half the time." He nodded to her and turned to leave then stopped.

"If you cant find a home for that pup, I wouldnt mind his company." Harlond said and left the office.

He walked down the street in the direction of the sheriffs office and stoped to excamine th old tree. It was huge and the young warden was correct it had to be well over a hundred years old by the looks of it. Then again Harlond didnt know much about trees, but what ever means the Dukes had towards saving it he understood the special out look it appeared to have on who ever stood before it.

Harlond continued on to the sheriffs office working up a plan in his mind to get Boss to talk to him. Playing stupid was an easy task, and Boss would never suspect anything. When he arrived at the Sherriffs office Boss was yelling at Rosco over the radio to get his tail there. Boss had sent Rosco to get some lunch and he hadnt returned yet.

The young light haired deputy approached boss with a smirk on his face from ear to ear.

"Boss?" He said grinning widely.

The Boss turned to the deputy with a smuge look on his face as he leaned against the desk.

"Yeah?" He growled.

"How come you got a big orange X on that tree out there?" Harlond asked trying to mak eit sound like he had no idea what so ever what the X ment.

"Well see boy I'm gonna cut that big tree there down and burn it and make me a nice Oak table." Boss said grinning and talking slowly to the deputy.

"Now when you gonna do that?" Harlond asked looking at the Boss like a little kid who liked to ask a millions 'why' questions.

"In excactly one week to this very date, why you gonna help me?" Boss asked knowing he could get the young deputy to work for cheep.

"I dont know how to run machianery, I wouldnt be much good to you. Why next week?" Harlond asked making it sound like he had a million whys.

"Cause thats the day my workin' boys can do it." Boss's voice raised, he wasnt liking the childish atics. "Now, shouldnt you be on patrol deputy? You should if you want your pay!" Boss spat and turned back to the cb.

Harlond left, closing the sheriffs office doors behind him shaking his head, Boss's voice still rang in his ears. He grinned he had gotten alittle info out of Boss and irritated him too.

(Godd Job Val. Cue anyone.)

[Brian Coltrane]

At that moment, a local Coltrane, recognizable by the permanent wardrobe of black jeans, black boots, and black jacket, walked into the Game Warden's office. "Howdy, Game Warden! I was wonderin' if you've seen MaryAnne around heah someplace, she was supposta- "

The words are interrupted by a short bark and a growl. "GAH! What the hell, ah been snagged!" Brian looked down to see a small puppy tugging furiously on one black demin pant leg. The yellow lab snarled with all the conviction it could muster, four stubby legs braced firm as the tiny teeth pulled.

"Yeah, yeah. You caught me." Brian looked from the puppy to the Game Warden. "Cripes, Val. Ain't the snake enough? Now you got a dog. A real killer, by the looks of it...."

Brian slowly walked across the floor. The puppy refused to let go, and was uncerimoniously dragged across the floor like a fuzzy ball and chain. Looking down at the puppy with a resigned sigh, Brian reached down to gently detach it's teeth from the denim...and the dog promptly clamped it's jaw around one jacket sleeve, taking a toothy grip. Fortunately, the leather jacket prevented any pain, but the inconvience was noted. Brian picked up the puppy by raising the captured arm slowly and scooping his other hand beneath the dog's body, to keep it from falling. The puppy growled, but allowed itself to be cradled in Brian's arms, keeping it's teeth around one sleeve and gnawing upon it.

"Val," Brian said with infinate patience, "Next time you get a pet....consider a parakeet or somethin', will ya?"

[Valerie Strate]

The Game Warden chuckled as she watched the lab attack Brian, "Hhhhmmm, Parakeet... haven't had one of those yet. That's something to consider. But, knowing my luck I'd end up getting a Red Tail Hawk instead to look after. No seriously, this pup ain't mine Brian. Harlond found it. Either it's lost or it's a stray and I have to get it to the vet to be looked at. Then I'll probably send him to a shelter to be adopted if nobody claims him or Harlond don't want him. I think he was interested it the pup."

"Why? You want the little rascal?", She then paused and grinned at Brian, "But to answer your question. No. I haven't seen M.A. I'm sure she's around tho'. Busy as usual. Speaking of which, I have to see if Boss put any work order's in for town maintenance. It could give me a clue about that tree..." She wondered aloud.

She then leaned back in her office chair, sitting in thought, with the eraser tip of the pencil pressed gently to her lips. She then looked at Brian as she pondered about the task ahead of her.

[MacGyver]

A knock on the door distracted the Game Warden as a tall blond man in jeans and a blue button down shirt stepped into the office. Ian was accompanied by Bo and Luke Duke, the three men had papers in their hand.
"Excuse us, I hope we're not intruding but we've been out collecting signatures and thought we'd drop them off."
Bo straightened the papers in his hand and laid them gently on the edge of Val's desk. "We got a whole lot more than a hundred, just in case Boss tries to give you a hard time."
"Shoot, more like 300 hundred, everyone in town wants that tree preserved." Luke stepped up and handed his papers to the Game Warden.
"And I think Daisy, Min and Daney are still out collecting." Ian handed his pile to Valerie and stepped back.

[Brian Coltrane]

"Tree? Oh, you mean that big ol' oak Boss is fixin' to cut? Ain't heard much in the official way, but it seems destined for firewood. Tho' given the size of that oak, if they don't cut it down careful-like, they'll wallop half the town when it falls."

Brian absently played tug-of-war with the puppy in his embrace, letting the dog fight with the jacket-covered arm. "One less tree for you to water," he told the puppy, who growed with renewed vigor. Brian chuckled and gave a wistful smile. "Afraid I can't take you home, Killer. There's enuff dogs in the Coltrane homestead...."

Brian paused, giving the puppy a scratch behind the ears, and spoke to it with an exaggerated drawl. "An' if Harlond is yer best bet to avoid the pound...then yew have mah sin-cerest sym-pah-thy! "

[StuntMan23]

Outside, on the other side of the square, a cream colored '78 Pontiac Grand Prix was parked and the driver had just stepped from his car when three pretty ladies came up to him.

"Scuze us, sir," Daisy said, "we're doing a petition to save that oak tree in the square there and -- " Daisy stopped when the man turned around and smiled at her.

"Rosco!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing out of uniform?"

"Uh, no." Cully Dawson chuckled. "Cully's the name and whatever it is you ladies are sellin', I'll buy!"

Daisy chuckled. She turned her clipboard toward Cully. "We're doing a petition to save that oak tree over there."

"That so?" Cully looked, seeing the great oak tree with the bright orange X on it. "You sure a signature from a non-Hazzard citizen will count?"

[DaneyDuke]

“Why of course it will, sir.” The middle Duke girl grinned at the man who looked exactly like Rosco. “And thank you.” She paused. Brown green hazel eyes looked around the square. There was the Doc’s office where Daisy had gone. Min had gotten the signatures from the bank, and Daney had gotten the ones from the pool hall and auto parts store.

A frown came to her face when she saw the bright orange X on the tree. It had been there for so long. She shook her head Daisy nudged her gently. She turned and looked at her older female cousin. “Sorry.”

“It’s ok, cousin.” Daisy whispered and then looked at the man. “Can we help you find someone, sir?” She heard a familiar voice call out from across the square at that moment. A smile brightened her, Daney and Min's faces.

[pendragon1980]

"Is he gonna make it, Doctor Chance?"

"I honestly don't know, Abby, the injury is pretty severe. How you say this happened again?"

"Old Man Pederson's doberman just up and grabbed him, then ripped his poor arm off."

"Well, its good you were able to save the arm, it think we may be able to reattach it without too much difficulty."

Chance turned the teddy bear over to better see the seam where the arm had torn from the rest of the toy. "I think I have some thread and needles in my desk. Tell you what, lets go into to my office and see what we can do." Chance had been sitting the front porch to her office, drinking coffee, when the tearful little redhead had come tearing up to her, full speed with the mauled teddy bear clutched in her arms.

In other words, it was a slow day at the Hazzard County Medical Offices.

Chance had come to Hazzard only recently, leaving a promising career as a surgeon at the Atlanta trauma center to take over the family practice of her old friend, Henry Applby, the local sawbones. Chance was still adjusting from the quick-paced impersonal medicine she was used to, to the "old country" medicine, as Henry put it.

Chance caught the wry smile from Nurse Caine, (who despite her name, was one of the gentlest souls Chance had met in Hazzard) as she passed through the reception area, little Abby following, to perform some impromptu surgery on her stuffed patient.

Fifteen minutes later, the patient, Mr. Stonewell, was back in the arms on his beloved owner, 100% intact.

Chance could only grin as Abby rewarded her with a quick hug and a wave goodbye as she took off as fast as she arrived.

"Atlanta ER had nothing on that." Chance thought, leaning against her office doorway. She looked across the square and noticed quite a fair sized gathering was beginning to appear at the county courthouse. Sitting on the porch swing and returning to her coffee and paper, Chance didn't notice when part of the group broke off and headed for her office. Her only thought at the moment was that she was grateful for the shade against the Georgia sun by the huge oak in the from the small park next door that towered over her fence and porch roof. Well, towered through the fence was more like it, as the giant tree had long ago grown past the property line and into the medical office’s domain.

[Valerie Strate]

Meanwhile in the Wildlife office...

Val picked up the signatures on the desk. She smiled as she seen the amount of names, "This right here is plenty to get Boss's attention. But the more names you get the easier it is to show Boss that nobody wants that tree to come down. I thank you for your efforts. They won't be in vain."

With that she smiled warmly at Bo, Luke, and Ian for their good work. It was good to know that the folks of Hazzard were pulling together to meet a common goal. It gave the Game Warden a warm fuzzy feeling inside. She then looked to the puppy and Brian and smiled, "Well... I best get him to the vet. I know the longer I wait to get him looked at and papers filled the more he's gonna grow on me. So I better do my job and get him on his way.”

She then got up and walked over to Brian to take the dog to a vet. She also made a mental note in her mind to get in contact with Harlond sometime and find out what information he found. She also wanted to visit the oak herself and take a look of the situation.

[Kristy_DUke]

Kristy forced a deep breath out that she hadn't noticed she was holding as Hogg slammed her scarred wooden door forceably shut. His loud booming voice continues to echo in her mind as she attempts to fight back her anger towards her boss at all that he had yelled at her about. She could only do her best and that is what she was doing, her best. So she was an hour late in turning in the report Rosco had handed her to edit, a report written on ticket he had filled upon one of the town folk, and probably illegally too. And perhaps she has been a bit slow in turning in other reports that they harshly hand her, demanding her to edit and to change whatever needs to be changed. OK she wasn't perfect, she was the first one to admit that. But she was trying her best and in her opinion, Hogg didnt' have the right to yell at her the way he had.

Fighting back her Duke temper she quickly shoves her chair back and slowly walk to her closed door to over hear Boss talking excited to the sheriff about some big time fire wood and perhaps a new desk. Taking a deep breath she opens the door and Hogg quickly grows silent as he stares harshly at her. "What are you doing? We still need reports to be re-written. . .at least five that are running late!" he yells at her, "That should have been turned in already! We hired you to do the job done and you could easily be replaced. . .by a non-Duke!"

Biting her lip Kristy snaps, "I am entitled to at least a half hour break and seeing how it is already three thirty, I am taking it now. If you don't like it, I can always find someone higher up than you to take my problems too!"

Hogg shoots daggers at her with dark angered eyes as she slowly passes him and Rosco to feel their eyes on her until she disappears out the door. Stepping out into the sunny day she smiles at finally being able to see the outside of her office, to see the sun shining on the side walk and the dark shadows that the large tree displays across the road.

"Kristy," she turns at the sound of her name and finds Bo and Luke approaching her with a clip board, " I see he finally let you out," her brother Bo comments.

"No, I let myself out," she shrugs, "boy Hogg is in a mood and a half today...something has him riled up. Flipping out at everything."

Both boys look back at one another before Luke speaks up, "Him and Coltrane plan on chopping down that ol' tree there."

"No way...they can't do that can they?" Kristy asks for both of them to nod sullenly.

"They won't if we can help it," Luke responds showing her the paper on clipboard that holds several names scribbled on it, "This is our petition, care to sign?"

"Sure," Kristy slowl signs her name before handing it back to him.

"You haven't heard anything, have you?" Bo speaks up as Rosco and Hogg bursts out of the court house.

"Only something about a lot of fire wood and a new desk," she responds slowly as she watches them gather into Rosco's car.

[Brian Coltrane]

"Vet ? Oh, yer talkin' about the dog. Khee. Ah was gonna say, I'm completely up to date on my rabies shots. " With a mild grin, Brian surrendered the puppy to Val. The puppy, however, did not surrender Brian. With a growl and a wagging tail, the pup kept a lockjaw hold on the jacket-covered arm.

"Awright, lay off, killer. Come on...." Gently, Brian worked his arm free while Val kept a firm grip on the puppy. The disappointed yip was followed by a long whine, and the dog's big brown eyes looked at Val and Brian in mute appeal.

"Don't gimmie those puppy-dog eyes," Brian muttered. He gave the animal a last scratch behind the ears before turning for the door. "Catch ya later, Game Warden. Good luck with the tree and the dog. Tho' in this case, one's bark ain't as bad as the other's bite...heh heh."

[Valerie Strate]

The Game Warden giggled, "Yeah, I was talking about the dog. Take care, Brian and I'll see ya around."

She waved to the black clad Coltrane as he left. She then put the puppy in a carrier and closed the door on the pooch, "Fido we're taking a drive."

The Game Warden put on her olive hat and headed to the door of her office.

[LittleRedVicki]

NOTE: *This isn't much, y'all, but I'm going to add a few lines. I figured that I needed to bring Lulu in on the action! If y'all need to borrow Vicki for a few lines after this post, y'all are more than welcome to use her! Take Care! :wink: *
***********
***********
Meanwhile...

A black 1966 mustang, driven by a familiar looking petite redhead, drives slowly into town. Taking her sunglasses off, she pulls the mustang up behind a white cadillac.

*This could be a mistake...* thought Vicki as she was getting out of her car, then added, *But when Lulu called me at the police station and told me what was going on, I knew that I had to come and see what was going on.*

[LittleRedVicki]

*AT BOSS HOGG'S HOUSE*

As Vicki was walking up the steps onto Boss's & Lulu's porch, Lulu Hogg walked outside the house.

"Vicki!" said Lulu excitedly giving the redhead a hug. "It's so good to see you again!"

"Same here, Lulu. It's nice to be back here in Hazzard. It's a lot more quietier than in Chickasaw right now," replied Vicki, giving her god-mother a hug.

"What's going on there right now?" asked Lulu as she watch Vicki sat down in a chair on the front porch.
"Nothing much, except "Big Ed" Little is letting me run the county for a few days while he is on vacation," said Vicki, smiling at Lulu.

"Vicki, the reason why I called you yesterday..." Lulu started to say but stopped when Bo & Luke walked by.

"What is it, Lulu?" Vicki asked Lulu, but then smiled at Bo & Luke. "Hi ya, Boys."

"Hi, yourself," Bo said sarcastically giving Vicki a dirty look, remembering a few days before when he was driving through Chickasaw County and was falsely arrested by the redhead deputy.

"Yeah, how are you doing, Vicki?" Luke asked.

"Not too bad, considering that I'm running Chickasaw County temporary," replied Vicki, looking at the clipboard that Bo was holding then added, "Is there something wrong, Bo?"

"Other than you arresting me a few days ago..." Bo stopped when he was elbowed in the ribs by Luke.

"Bo, leave Vicki alone. She was just doing her job..." Luke whispered to Bo.

"Oh...Okay. Vicki, you wouldn't be interested in signing a petition to save an old tree, would ya?" Bo asked, grinning a little at Vicki.

"You mean the one in the town square?" asked Vicki.

"Yeah," replied Luke, giving Vicki the petition.

"Of course I'll do it. It's not because y'all ask me, but It was sentimental to my great-grandmother, Inez. My grandmother told me that there was a heart carved on that tree that was for her from her suitor at the time," said Vicki as Luke handed Vicki the petition to sign.

"Lulu, was this what you were going to tell me?" asked Vicki as she gave the clipboard back to Bo.

"Sure was, honey. If Boss knew what we did, he'll be mad at us," laughed Lulu.

"Who cares. Y'all, I would do anything to help y'all out," giggled Vicki.

"Thanks, Vicki. You're a sweetheart!" grinned Bo then added to Luke, "Cousin, we better get these signatures back to the courthouse."

"Right Bo. Let's go. See you ladies later," waved Luke to Lulu & Vicki.
"Likewise," said Vicki as she waved at Bo & Luke.


**CUE: WHOEVER WANTS TO ADD** :wink:

[countrygirl1986]

meanwhile, Hilery Davenport was walkin' back to the Hazzard Garage from going down the street for lunch. Cooter had already eaten though, and returend to the garage earlier than she.

"Heya Cooter,' she greated as she entered the building.

"Hil, why don't you take the day off, and go see what all that commotion's been about? I might just close shop for today being's we've been here all day and no one's stopped by."

"Sure thing cuz, I know you'll be willin' to open back up again if we get a call on the CB for our services." With that Hilery walked out the door, and smiled. One of her friends was walking over to their vehicle, with a pet carrier in her arm. Hilery decided to walk over to say hi.

"Howdy," Hil said walking up.

(cue who ever)

[MacGyver]

Ian turned toward the greeting, setting the carrier down.
"Hi Hilery how are you doing?"
A loud clap of thunder suddenly answered the questoin and he raised his head to the darkening sky.
"Wow! Take a look at those thunderheads. Looks like a big storm is coming."

[countrygirl1986]

"Yeah, looks like a wopper." Hilery says and looks around. "What's all the commotion been about lately? Cooter and I haven't really heard anything about it being's no one's stopped into the Garage. Cuz gave me the day off cause of it and how have you been?"

(authors note: Okay, i know i'm probably the youngest on here, but I would like to remind some folks of Rule 2 for Round Robins before any trouble starts. I did an excersize before in a class similar to a RR, and trouble started due to inconsistancy and i don't want to see it here, which is why i'm mentioning this. I noticed some folks FORGETTING other folks were with characters (that's only an example, i'm not pointing people out), and such, and it's creating a little confusion apparently, i was a little confused myself, and tried backtracking to see what happened. I'm only saying something for the readers sake. My post left the cue open incase anyone else decided to walk up to the person with the carrier, or incase anyone followed them out of the court house. The person with the carrier was pointed out in previous posts that were within the courthouse.)

[MacGyver]

"Oh I'm fine, we're just gathering up signatures to preserve that big oak tree." Another loud thunder clap rang out and with it a few drops began to fall. Ian stuck out his hand and a couple of fat rain drops fell into his palm.
"Uh oh, its starting to rain and those clouds really look bad."
The wind began to kick up and both Hilery and Ian watched as people in Hazzard Square began to run and take cover from the sudden storm. A bright flash made Ian cringe as he raised his head to look up at the now black sky.
"Whoa! That was close!"
A white Hazzard patrol car pulled up beside the curb where Ian and Hilery stood. Rosco had his hand on top of his black Stetson as he got out of the car.
"You two better take some cover! The weather service reports that all of Hazzard County is under a Tornado Warning!"
"Cover? Where?" Ian raised his hand to block out a blast of wind that pushed his blond hair back from his shoulders.
"We can take cover downstairs in the Courthouse, come on! Before we all get blown all the way to Tennessee!"
Rosco turned and headed up the steps with Ian and Hilery in tow.

[Valerie Strate]

Val stood next to the pet carrier by her car. She realized that the wind was now strong and everyone was headed to the courthouse basement for cover. She picked up the pet carrier that held the little puppy inside and ran up the steps.

"Well, fella. I guess you lucked out on going to see the vet. Lucky you huh!" she chuckled to herself softly to make light of the current situation. She followed them down the hall down to the basement.

The puppy whimpered in it's carrier as Game Warden and puppy made their way to safety.

[StuntMan23]

Having enough Coltrane blood in him to qualify for the "Missed the Boat" club, Cully found himself right out in the open when the storm started to rage. The three ladies he had signed the petition for had long since gone back to the courthouse with two young men to drop off their petitions and Cully was going to drop in on his cousin, Rosco, but had seen the Sheriff take off with a guy in a white suit. This left the ex-stuntman to wander around the square...and then not know where to turn when he felt the strong winds start to blow...

[DaneyDuke]

A slender form ran from a vehicle parked across from the courthouse, directly in front of the gazebo. Hail begin to pelt the black wrought iron fence that enclosed the Hazzard Square and everything else. The savage wind tossed brunette hair around. Hands came up to keep the tangling mess off the young woman’s face. Attire of a sleeveless tie blouse and jeans were thoroughly soaked before she was halfway across street to her destination… She shivered.

BOOM! CRACK!

Lightening zig zagged in the darkened greenish afternoon sky. Another thunderclap sounded from somewhere behind her. She froze in her tracks recognizing the tattletale sound of a tornado, a loud train like roar…

Binoculars slipped off a strap from around her neck onto the ground as platform sandals hurried onto the doctor’s porch. The brunette woman turned to observe a large funnel coming toward the courthouse. She gasped. Her head turned and her eyes widened as lightening struck...

[MacGyver]

"LOOK OUT!!" Ian yelled as he ran down the courthouse steps and across the square. He dove at the brunette woman, the two of them rolling down the front porch steps just as the lightening struck the big oak tree with the orange X on it. It split in two, one half of the thick trunk came crashing down, taking out Chance's porch with it as it fell.
Ian lifted his head and looked over his shoulder, watching as the big funnel cloud dropped down from the sky. The tornado came barrelling towards both of them, tossing cars like toys, blowing out windows and swirling debris around like leaves. Ian watched it coming closer and swallowed hard.
"Oh my God! We've got to get out of here!" He got to his feet and grabbed the young woman by the arm pulling her up. The wind blew so strong it almost shoved them both back down. The two of them headed toward the bank as fast as they could.

[LittleRedVicki]

Meanwhile...

About an hour earlier, Vicki had left Boss & Lulu's house to head back to Chickasaw County. But something in the back of her mind was telling her to get back to Hazzard. Something didn't seem right when the redhead left.

"There's rain on the way, honey," said Lulu into the CB mike then added, "Maybe you should stay here for a while."

"I can't Lulu," said Vicki hestiantly then added, "I have business that I need to attend to in Chickasaw. I only came here when you told me what JD was planning to do to that tree."

"You can't run out now, there's a thunderstorm on the way," said Bo into the CB mike. He was overhearing Lulu's & Vicki's conversation.

Thunder rumbled overhead outside Vicki's mustang.

"Bo, I'm only about 30 minutes out of town. I'm close to my parent's old place. Maybe I'll stay there until the thunderstorm passes over," Vicki said into the CB mike.

"Just be careful, honey. If you're heading this away be sure to call me," Bo said into the CB mike. "Luke & I are heading towards the Courthouse."

"Don't worry, Bo. I will," Vicki said worriedly into the CB mike.
She was noticing that the sky was turning a dark churning gray color. She also saw that erratic raindrops were starting to come down in a downpour.

The wind started to howl. Crackling and snarling in a fit of a temper, it threw all manner of objects towards her: limbs of trees, sheets of corrugated metal that could have come from a moonshine still or something from miles away.

"Oh...my...gosh!" Vicki screamed as she slamed on the brakes.


**CUE WHOEVER IS READY TO ADD** :wink:

[MacGyver]

Ian heard the tornado tearing through the square as he and the brunette woman ran. He risked a peek over his shoudler at the destruction behind him, seeing the bits of torn up houses and broken glass litering the street behind him as they made it to the bank. The doors were locked and he pounded on them with his fist.
"Open up!"
Finally a young woman cracked open the door.
"Dang fools out in a tornado! Get in here!"
She pulled both of them inside and slammed the door closed once more.

[LittleRedVicki]

**NOTE: Hi, y'all. I'm going to add now while I can. This is the only time that I will be on-line until sometime Tomorrow. This won't be much, but just enough. This story reminds me of the tornado movie that had John in it. It's really good so far! Take Care & Have a Great Night.** :)
********
********
BALLADEER: "This doesn't look too good, does it y'all?? Let's see what is going on just outside of Hazzard..."

From WHOGG radio: "The National Weather Service in Atlanta has issued a Tornado Warning effective this afternoon for Hazzard County in Northern Georgia. A Tornado on the Ground has been sighted about 1 mile south of Hazzard heading northeast at 30m.p.h.. The town of Hazzard is in the path of this damaging tornado. Straight-line 90m.p.h. winds with severe damage has been reported in Chickasaw in the last hour. Please go to the lowest level in a facility or a basement or safe room for safety. We'll keep you advised..."

"Yeah, yeah. I know all about it," muttered Vicki worriedly as she watched the rolling ominous clouds in front of her.

Just outside of Hazzard Town Limits, "Oh...my...gosh! That funnel cloud in front of me is trying to dip down!" Vicki exclaimed as she slammed on the brakes in her mustang as she saw a black funnel cloud trying to dip down in front of her.

She knew that it was a tornado because of the funny roaring that it made like a freight train.

She knew that she had to stay behind it to stay out of its path.

"Oh...please Lord, please let everyone be all right..." thought the redhead as she was driving slowly towards Hazzard.


**CUE: WHOEVER WANTS TO ADD** :wink:

Meanwhile out on Mill Pawn Road O'l Bo and Luke was trying to get to the Farm before the Storm hits but unfortunetly i don't think the boys is gonna make it meanwhile Luke was trying to relax after Bo had told him their ain't nothing to worry about unfortunetly Luke hasn't been through something like this before so he is scared out of his wits Bo looked over at Luke who has this horror Look on his face he put a hand on Luke's shoulder he said " it's okay Luke were going to make it home in time if we don't will find shelter somewhere, Luke replied " Bo I don't know what to do I'm scared to death I don't want to die . Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse the wind started to pick up started shaking the General around like a toy where it was gonna land how it's gonna land is anybody guess will this be the Boys last ride or will the General land back on all fours so a few minutes later the Tornado turns the General upside down the boys faces are white as ghosts then the General lands sorry to say it lands with the hood on the ground and the wheels are in the air. For Anybody to add

[StuntMan23]

Cully had seen the lightening split the big oak tree in half and he ran like hell to avoid being hit by the side of tree that ended up taking out Dr. Walker's porch. He headed straight for the post office,,jumping through the already broken window, breaking a few more pieces of glass and crashing to the floor.

"AAAHHH!!!" Miz Tizdale screamed, having watched the man come flying through the window from where she was cowered in the back room of the post office. Cully instinctively curled himself up on the floor, covering his head, figuring something was flying through the window after him, thus the woman's scream. But nothing came in after him and he uncurled and looked to see where the scream had come from.

"Rosco Coltrane! What are you doin' jumpin' through my windows!"

Cully couldn't help but chuckled as he crawled to the doorway leading to the back room of the post office. "I ain't Rosco," Cully said. Emma was about to protest when he held his hand up. "I know, I know, I look like him. I'm his cousin, and he claims he's the better lookin' of the two of us. My name is Cully Dawson and I picked a rotten day to come to Hazzard to visit my kin." He looked at the postmistress for a moment. "Are you okay, ma'am?"

"I'll be better when the storm is over!"

"I think we all will be..." Cully ventured a look back to the broken windows and then turned to Miz Tizdale again. He took a moment to brush any glass and debris out of his hair, his hat having long since been lost with the strong gusts of wind.

"Damn, another hat lost..." he muttered. When he brought his right hand up to brush through the right side of his head, Miz Tizdale gasped.

He looked at her. "Your arm," she said.

Cully looked at his arm. Yep, he was wounded. The piece of glass from the window he took out in turn took out the sleeve of his denim jacket, his shirt and left a good gash on his arm, that was now bleeding through his shirt and jacket.

"Well," he said, not surprised. "Ain't the first time...."

[DaneyDuke]

Daney watched Ian and Min run. She turned to stroll over to Doc’s house. A dark haired man bumped into her. “Nate!” She gasped in surprise. “What are you doin' here in Hazzard?” Green brown hazel eyes stared into the light green eyes.

His attire of silk shirt and jeans clung tightly to a muscular six-foot frame. “I signed papers to turn the music store into my new law office.”

“That's nice," Daney commented.

“You want a tour?” He asked.

“Right now? There was just a tornado and another one could hit,” Daney paused. “I really should go check on folks.”

“You could check on me first,” He smiled.

Daney felt uncomfortable.

“C’mon,” Nate urged. "It’ll just take a few minutes."

“I don’t know,” Daney hesitated. She really should be searching her kin, friends/accquiatnaces like Chance and Val.

Nate’s response was to plant a kiss on her mouth. "Say you will," he whispered.

“I need to make sure my cousins and friends are ok.” She hurried away.

When she reached Doc Walker’s house, a frown came to her lips as she saw the damage to Chance’s property. “Poor C, lost her porch.” Realizing that she couldn’t exactly use the front door to go in and see how the Doc was, she took a hazardous path to the back door.

(Cue Chance)

[Valerie Strate]

Meanwhile in the basement of the courthouse down near the jail cells...

Val was curled in a ball with the pet carrier next to her. She could hear the winds whistle and blow, the thunder clapping, the rain beating down on the courthouse walls. She murmered to herself a prayer that all would be safe and this storm would soon pass.

Soon the sounds of the storm settled and a calm was heard. The Game Warden along with all of those who feld to the courthouse, stood up, out of their balled positions. Val walked to the steps and to the door leading up into the halls of the courthouse. She placed her hand on the door knob to turn it, and the ball fell off in her hand. She then pushed on the door and it was jammed shut.

She paled as she looked at the knob in her hand and then the door. All who were with her were trapped. She swallowed hard. Her day was not going well. First the oldest tree in Hazzard was suppose to be cut down, then a storm comes and prevents her from doing her duties, and now she was trapped in the courthouse basement. She bit her lower lip and the door knob slowly rolled out of her palm and dropped to the steps.

"Yeah, Val... today, just ain't it for ya, is it..." she whispered to herself.

[LittleRedVicki]

BALLADEER: "Things don't look too good for anyone, does it??"

Meanwhile, just outside of Hazzard...

As the twister goes back up in the wall cloud just north of her,
Vicki emerged out of her parent's old storm cellar.

She look around the property, and everything seemed okay & unhurt. It also seemed too peaceful, which is very unusual for this time of year.

Luckily, her parents were out in Oklahoma at Vicki's sisters' house, and they didn't know that a tornado had hit. Vicki had tried the phone inside the house, but the phone line was dead.

*Vicki's mom & dad had moved back to Oklahoma a couple of years earlier to help Pam run her horse ranch, and a friend of Vicki's from Oklahoma had moved into the old house to run an clinic in Chickasaw. At the time, Vicki couldn't afford to take over payment on the house. So when Sarah had moved back to Texas about a year ago, Vicki had told her parents that she would keep an eye on things and to take care of the house. She had moved back into the house, despite her working in Chickasaw County.*

Vicki started to get worried as she looked around. *I've got to get a hold of everyone to tell them that another tornado is heading towards town* thought the redhead.

She then walked out of the house to survey the area for any damage. Vicki looked around until she walked to where her car was parked inside her dad's barn. She was going to try again on the CB to tell everyone about the twister.

As Vicki walked towards her car, she gasped in shock when she saw 2 huge tree limbs just sitting on top of her trunk of her car. *This is weird...* thought Vicki as she was moving the tree limbs off the car then added, *We don't have any trees in the yard. Where did they come from??*

Vicki looked up and saw another black-grayish cloud overhead. *Oh...no! Another wall cloud!* thought Vicki worriedly. She also saw that a small funnel was trying to dip down just north of her in the direction of Hazzard...

Vicki rushed over to her battered-tornado damaged mustang and picked up the CB mike. She turned the CB receiver onto the Hazzard County Emergency Channel.
"If anyone on Hazzardnet is listening, This is Chickasaw Redhead calling from my parents old house on Old Mill Road. There is another twister heading towards Hazzard! Y'all get out of the way of it and be careful! I'm gone!"


**CUE: WHOEVER WANTS TO ADD** :wink:

Meanwhile back at On Mill Pawn Road luckliy Bo didn't get hurt as bad as Luke did unfortunetly Luke had hit his head hard on the Rollbar when the General landed upside down he is still out like a light he has a cut on his forehead , he has two brusies on the end of his eyebrows and some broken ribs. The only injuries that Bo got out of the accident is a Sore Shoulder, strained wrist , and a twisted ankle hopfully someone will come by soon meanwhile back in the General Luke is trying to wake up but he keeps falling back to a deep sleep unfortunetly Luke is having some blood loss The boys are in bad shape with another twister heading this way unfortunetly with the way Luke's injuries are Bo may end up living the rest of his life with Regret that he couldn't save his beloved Cousin.


For Anybod to Add****

[DaneyDuke]

Nate walked over to the County Courthouse. His foot touched something near the steps. He looked to see an unconcious male body.

He reached down and felt for a pulse... it was weak.

He fumbled around for a wallet and found one in a trouser pocket. Eyebrows rose up as he read the driver's license name


... Rosco P. Coltrane.

[StuntMan23]

With the storm passed, momentarily, Cully had crawled out of the post office window again, figuring to find something to wrap his arm with temporarily. As he walked down the debris littered street toward the courthouse, he saw a man in a dark grey trench coat, standing over someone else who was fallen upon the stairs. Cully saw the blue shirt and knew immediately who it was...

"Hey! HEY!!!!!" Cully started running toward the courthouse.

[DaneyDuke]

Nate shook his head and turned toward the voice. His mouth opened in surprise seeing a doppelganger of the gentleman on the ground. He heard yelling from the courthouse. He ran inside instead of taking a chance with the fella outside.

(CUE CULLY!!!!)

[StuntMan23]

Cully saw the man slip into the courthouse and didn't bother going in after him. Either the man hadn't been the one to put Rosco on the ground, or he had no clue he just ran into the county courthouse in his flight. Cully mentally shrugged it off and stopped to check on Rosco first.

If Rosco was wounded in anyway it wasn't immediately noticeable. There appeared to be no cuts or abrasions on his face or head but that didn't mean some other part of him took a direct hit. "Ain't we two peas in a pod..." Cully whispered softly, looking at Rosco as he lay unconcious on the stairs. "Rosco? Rosco, can you hear me? Are you awright?'

The Sheriff didn't stir.

"$#@&!" Cully looked up around the square to see if his car was still intact. Although it was still where he had parked it, it had taken a direct hit from flying debris, destoying the windshield. It would have to do....

Cully's arm was really hurting him by this point, but he ignored it and ran across the street to the square. A large tree limb was impaled in the windshield, like a stick in an eye. He grabbed the limb and pulled it out of the windshield, sprinkling glass across the hood.

The square was disturbingly still. Although the sky was still grey and the winds had died down, Cully didn't trust it. He knew this kind of weather. He knew his time was limited. Another twister could pop up at any time.

Miz Tizdale had ventured out of the post office and a few other citizens had begun to emerge from buildings. Cully worked to brush the glass off the seats of his car and removed what he could of the rest of the windshield before he moved the Grand Prix over to the courthouse.

He came back to Rosco's side and took a deep breath, trying to figure how to pick up his cousin into a carry without hurting Rosco and himself any more than they already were. He decided he was going to have to continue to ignore the awful pain that was shooting from his arm and use it for what it was worth.

Cully slipped his injured arm underneath Rosco's head and neck and placed Rosco's left arm around his shoulders and then lifted the Sheriff into a sitting position. It was then that Rosco came to life.

"AAHHH!"

Startled, Cully stopped what he was doing and gently laid Rosco back down upon the stairs. "Rosco? Where ya hurt?"

The Sheriff opened his eyes and looked at Cully. "Cully??"

Cully smiled. "Yeah."

"I dunno what happened," Rosco said. "But I got hit right here..." Rosco pointed to the right side of his ribs. "I think I scuffed somethin'..."

"Do you think you can stand up and get to a car?"

Rosco looked unsure. "Prolly hurt a lot..."

"Yeah...but I don't think you can wait here for a doctor, Rosco. And frankly I can't either."

"What do you mean?"

"The arm your laying on I damn near ripped off going through a window."

Rosco grin was weak. "Yer...a stunt man. You ain't supposed...to git hurt."

"Ha. I'll tell ya all my war stories later. For now tho'...." Cully pulled Rosco back up to sitting again, the Sheriff groaning in pain. Cully paused a moment, giving Rosco a chance to recover.

"Why didn't you tell me you were gonna do that?" Rosco asked.

"I didn't think it would matter. Awright, on three yer gonna stand up...one....two....three!" Cully balanced Rosco and the two cousins stood up. Rosco lurched a little and Cully held on, but it was clear Rosco was hurtin'. Bad.

"Awright..just gotta make it down to the car there." It was a slow walk down the remainder of the stairs and across the sidewalk to the Grand Prix. While Cully took a moment to open the passenger door, Rosco looked at the battered Pontiac.

"I feel the way your car looks."

"That makes two of us..." Cully helped Rosco get into the car and once he was settled into the seat, Cully shut the door and hurried around to the driver's side. He fired the Grand Prix up and drove out of the square.

[StuntMan23]

Meanwhile, out at the Duke farm, Jesse was becoming worried. No matter how much he called for his kin on the CB, he was getting no answer. And the more minutes that passed that he received no answer, the more time his big toe had to really start hurting.

"Shepherd to Lost Sheep and Bo Peep!"

The silence bothered him. But he could only hope that the boys and Daisy had found shelter before the storm hit. He more than hoped....he prayed....

[StuntMan23]

At the same time, on Mill Pond Road, Deputy Cletus Hogg was trying to hurry to get back to town. He had seen the twister touch down in the direction of Hazzard as he was doing his patrol and he had hung back purposely to not get too close to it. He hoped that the funnel had not touched down too close to town, but as he turned the corner he realized very quickly he was wrong.

Seeing the General Lee overturned caused Cletus to slam the brakes. "Buzzards on a buzz saw!!!" The deputy lept from his patrol car and ran to the Charger. He found the boys inside, Luke unconcious, but Bo was awake.

"Cletus!"

"You awright, Bo?"

"I think I busted my shoulder. Luke's worse for wear tho'." Bo looked over at his cousin.

"Sit tight," Cletus said, "I'm gonna see if I can get Tri-County on the radio."

Bo nodded and Cletus ran back to his patrol car. He leaned in, grabbed the mike and started his call. "This is Deputy Cletus Hogg callin' the Tri-County Hospital. I've got an overturned vehicle on Mill Pond Road, two injured."

The hospital responed with acknowledgment and rescue units would be in route from Cedar City. Cletus thanked them and tossed the mike back in the car, going back to the General.

"Ambulance is coming, Bo. Y'all are gonna be awright..."

[Valerie Strate]

(I have recieved permission to use Nate Irving)

Val watched the door knob roll down the steps. It made
a thud noise as it hit each step on the way down. She
leaned against the door. After pounding on it for a
good fifteen minutes and not a soul had answered her.

Feelings of dispare started to fill her mind. Was this
storm so awful that it wiped out the entire Hazzard
population? She felt her eyes moisten. Some type of
dread was starting to cluster in her gut as she waited
for a rescue.

She let out a sigh as her finger tips touched the
flaking white paint of the door. "Would someone please
rescue me?" she whinned in a retorcal manner.

Nate heard the low voice of a young woman as he walked
down the hall that lead to the basement. A frown
crossed his face seeing the door knob on the floor. He
picked it up and walked to the door. "Hello, is
anywhere on the other side." He said after a soft
knock.

Val's eyes widened and she sat up look at the door,
"Um, Yes... I need help. It's Val..." She didn't
reconize the voice on the other side but at least it
was someone.

"Ok, Val. Do you happen to see where the other half of
the door knob is?" He asked. Nate figured it was
better than trying to get the hinges off with a knife.


She paled. The knob was now at the base of the steps.
She stood up and answered the person on the other
side, "It's at the base of the steps. I dropped it
when I tried to open the door. Hang on a sec..."

She then walked down the steps to find the door knob
lying on the concrete floor. She picked it up and
rushed back up the steps to the door, "I got it! Now
what?"

"Place it back where it belongs," Nate suggested
politely. He put the other half of the knob in its
slot.

Val placed the knob back in the hole of the door and
held it there gently so it could turn, "Ok... it's
in."

Nate slowly turned the knob until he heard the metal
rod that held the two pieces together lock in place.
He stepped away from the door. "Try turning it now,
Val." He said gently.

She gently turned the knob and gently pushed the door
open. She there stood before a gentleman who looked
slightly younger than herself. She smiled at him with
relife, "Thank you... I don't believe we've met. I'm
Val Strate the County Game Warden."
She then offered her hand in a shake to him.

“Your welcome, Miss Strate." Nate took her hand in
both of his and brought it up to his lips. He planted
a small, innocent kiss on her hand and let go of it.
"The name is Nate Irving. I'm a defense attorney." He
smiled at the older woman and put his hands in his
pockets. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I think so... I went to the basement for
shelter. The next thing I know I can't get out after
it's over... Um, how is it outside?" she asked grimly.

"Well, why don't we go take a look." Nate removed one
of his hands from a pocket and offered it to her.

"Oh! Thanks..." She replied and took his arm and
walked down the hallway to the courthouse doors. She
could see that the courthouse was pretty well
intacted, what awaited her outside was another matter.
They went out the doors to see the town square a wreck
before them.

Val stepped down the steps to see the Mighty Oak she
wished to help save along with the town had been
destoryed. It now rested on the smashed porch of the
good Doctor Chance Walker.

A cocktail of emotions flooded her mind. She could see
trees and devistation around her but the thing that
was burning in her focus was the Mighty Oak.

Nate slipped his hand out of hers and wrapped his arm
around her neck and pulled her close in a hug. Light
green eyes held sadness, as Val's head came to rest on
his shoulder. He reached his other hand up and wiped
her teary grey eyes.

She broke at the man's guesture of kindness. She
sobbed softly into his shoulder, "It's gone... It's
gone..." Some how the light in her eyes was dwilling
and her hopes were crushed at the sight. If she didn't
lose her battle to Mr. Hogg and the industrial
likeness of mankind, she would loss it to mother
nature. She couldn't fight fate. This realization
formed a lump in the Strate's throat as she sobbed to
this stranger.

Nate ran one hand along her cheek and into her
brunette hair. His other hand rubbed the back of her
neck. He knew there was nothing he could say to make
Val feel better. He placed his chin on top of her head
and sighed. He silently thanked God that so far it was
just trees, buildings and cars that had been lost, not
human beings.

Val looked into his eyes and seen the caring look in
which she needed right now. At that moment she
embraced the stranger in a hug a whisper gently in his
ear, "Thank you..."

Meanwhile back on Mill Pond Road Luke was still out like a dead fish he wasn't moving or making a peep for that matter Bo was getting more and more worried by the minute Bo started wondering if those rescue units would be arriving soon so he asked Cletus if they would be here soon Cletus said " Bo their coming from Cedar City so it will probably be another 15 minutes before they get here sorry boys, Bo replied " It's alright Cletus but could you help me out so them people won't have trouble getting me out of the General that way they can concentrate on Luke who needs more medical attention then I do. So Cletus pulled Bo out of the General being very careful as to not hit his sore Shoulder finally Bo was standing outside of the General waiting for the Ambulance and those Rescue units to show up they better get here quick before Luke gets any worse. Luckliy about 20 minutes later they Ambulance and they rescue units show up one of the Ambulance attendents asked what happenend here Bo replied " Well you see my Cousin Luke and I was driving back to our Farm when this Twister came along turned are Car upside down my Cousin Luke is still trapped inside the Car he has some pretty bad injuries I think he may have fractured his Neck some also he is bleeding , his breathing is a little shallow so I think he may have broken some ribs he looks like he suffered some blood loss , and he is unconicious he hasn't come around yet. Then the Nurse relayed on the news about Luke's condition to the man who is the head of the Ambulance attendents he said " Okay lets get that boy over to the Hospital , so then some of the Ambulance , rescue unit people walked over to the General one of the Ambulance people unfortunetly had to break one of the Generals windows to get Luke out then Dr. Shawn Winters asked Sharon to go get a strecher , Neck Brace, so she went over she got the Strecher a neck brace then they slowly put Luke on the Strecher then gently moved his neck in order put it in the neck brace one of them said " This Boy is in pretty bad shape , before they loaded him into the back of the ambulance one of them wanted to check his blood pressure so they did when they saw it was low the man said " I want an IV started on him he is in low level shock he probably has a Concussion on account he has some brusies on his forehead he has a 15 percent chance of falling into a Coma.

[StuntMan23]

Once Luke was placed in the ambulance and on his way to the hospital, Cletus and Bo followed in Cletus's patrol car.

"Can I use your radio Cletus? I'm gonna call Uncle Jesse."

"Yeah, sure."

Bo picked up the mike and changed to the channel to the one the Dukes used. "Lost Sheep callin' Shepherd, Lost Sheep callin' Shepherd are you out there Uncle Jesse?"

"I'm here Bo. Where are you, are you awright??"

"Not completely. Me and Luke got caught in the twister and it overturned the General. Luke's hurt pretty bad. I'm with Cletus right now, we're following the ambulance to Tri-County."

"Awright, I'll meet you there. Have you heard from Daisy?"

"No, sir. Last I knew tho' she was in town. I'm sure she's awright."

"I sure hope so, Bo. The phone lines are down so I can't call into town."

Cletus gestured to Bo for him to hand him the mike. Bo did. "If you want Uncle Jesse," Cletus said, "I can radio to Rosco and Enos have them find Daisy and let her know what's going on."

"I'd appreciate that, Cletus. Bo, I'll see you at Tri-County."

Cletus handed the mike back to Bo. "Ten four, Uncle Jesse." Bo changed the channel back to the police frequency and handed the mike to Cletus.

"Deputy Cletus Hogg callin' Sheriff Rosco, come back."

The radio was quiet. Cletus glanced at Bo, not liking the quiet...

[StuntMan23]

Cletus repeated his calls for Rosco or Enos.

"Enos, you got your ears on?"

Back in town, Miz Tizdale was standing near what had once been Rosco's patrol car. The white Fury had been picked up and thrown like a marshmellow against the trunk of a tree, wrapping the passenger door around the tree. The tree still stood amazingly, but the car was totalled. However, the radio still squawked.

"Enos! Enos, it's Cletus on the radio!!"

Deputy Enos Strate had been surveying the damage in the square and heard Miz Tizdale hollar for him. He hurried over to the car and reached through the driver window and grabbed the radio mike.

"This is Enos. Where are you Cletus?"

Cletus explained his situation and asked Enos to find Daisy and let her know what was going on.

"Okay, Cletus, I'll let her know. Hey, Cletus, have you seen or heard from Sheriff Rosco?"

"Naw I ain't. He's not in town?"

"No. Thing is tho', he was here before the storm hit..."

There was a pause. "Enos, you ain't thinkin' he got picked up by the storm do ya?"

"You know you can't predict what will happen with a twister---"

"No, Enos!" Miz Tizdale said. "Rosco was laying on the stairs of the courthouse. I seen 'em! That man that looks like him, helped him to a car and they drove away."

Bo and Cletus had heard Miz Tizdale through the radio. "Man that looks like him?" Bo wondered.

Enos said the same thing.

"Spittin' image," Miz Tizdale said. "I thought it was Rosco that came crashing through my post office window but it was this fella. He cut his arm. Rosco looked pretty badly hurt too."

"You know this fellas name?" Enos asked.

"Cully....something. Said he was kin."

Enos looked at the radio mike. "Did you hear all that Cletus?"

"Yeah. I didn't know the Sheriff had any identical kin."

"I didn't either," Enos said. "But it sounds like Sheriff Rosco's on his way to the same place y'all are."

[Valerie Strate]

Enos ended his conversation with Cletus, then turned to Ms. Tizdale, "I guess we gotta find Daisy now. I'd also like to find where my sister is at. I haven't talked to her all day."

"Enos, ya don't have to look far..." Ms. Tizdale replied and pointed to a man and woman that were holding each other by the Doctor's office.

He recongized the woman imedately, but the man looked strange to him. When he seen the two embrace he quickly raced over to the spot and shouted to his sister, "Val! Val!"

Valerie looked up and seen her brother runing to them and calling her name. She gently let go of Nate and looked to Enos, "Enos!"

The brother and sister quickly hugged each other then regrouped with Nate to evaluate the situation. Ms Tizdale had joined them.

"I've been worried sick about ya! I called your office before the storm started and there was no answer! Where have been?" Enos asked her.

"I went to the basement of the courthouse. But I got stuck down there and that's when this kind gentleman let me out. Enos, this is Nate Irving. Nate this is my twin brother Enos." Val explained.

Enos shook Nate's hand and grinned at the man, "Thank you for saving my sister."

"Well, that's great that we're all here and safe. But we're forgettin' someone!" Ms Tizdale sqawked.

"Who? Oh! How are the Dukes? And where's Rosco? How's Boss?" Val asked in a frantic tone.

"Jesse Duke is fine he's back at his place. The boys are going to Tri-County along with the Sheriff. Seems they were all hurt in the storm Val." Enos replied with a serious face.

"Bad?" his sister asked.

"I don't know."

"Daisy?!" Val asked again.

Enos's face frowned when his sister asked the question, "We haven't found her yet. So we..."

"Don't know.... Oh, 'E' I'm sorry." His sister replied and gave him a quick hug.

"Well, folks lets quit lolly gagin' and start lookin' for Miss Daisy!" Ms. Tizdale comanded, "Through rain, sleet, or snow... no one stops the US postal service!"

(cue whoever)

[MacGyver]

Ian opened the bank door and peeked outside, seeing that things had calmed down for now. He walked down the steps with Min following close behind him.
"Everything over with?"
"For now anyway." Ian answered as he spotted the gang of people in front of the Courthouse, they looked a bit frantic and the couple went over to them.
"What's going on?"
"Daisy, we dont know where Daisy is!" Enos answered, his voice climbing higher in pitch as he wrung his hands together nervously.
Ian put a hand on Enos' shoulder. "Now just calm down, lets look at this logically. If she was in the courthouse or some place else in town that survived the twister we would have heard from her by now."
"But what if shes NOT someplace that survived the twister--" Min whispered as she looked across the square at the flattened remains of
Doctor Walker's front porch. "What if she went inside the house?"
"Oh no--" Ian and Min both ran across the square over to the doctor's house, seeing the huge half of the tree.
"We can't move this thing its too big. Let's try the back to get inside."
They both ran around the back of the house and tried the door but it was locked.
"Daisy! Daisy are you in there?"
"Here let me see what I can do." Nate suddenly appeared behind Min and Ian, they both backed off from the door and watched as he gathered up the back of his leather trenchcoat and kicked at the back door, the wood splintering. He did it again and the door burst open, the three wasted no time and went inside.
The house was a wreck, shelves and furniture knocked over, books and knick knacks littered the floor. Finally Ian spotted a supine figure on the floor of the living room.
"Daisy!" Min too saw the dark haired figure and went over to her cousin, rolling her over onto her back. "She's unconscious."
"Here let me get her." Nate squatted down and put one hand under Daisy's neck, the other under her knees and lifted her up, cradling her against his chest.
"Come on let's get out of here." Nate carried Daisy outside with Ian and Min following him.
"We can take Darlin' its parked on the next street over."
The three people walked over to the next block, spotting Min's cherry red 1966 Mustang. She pulled the keys from her pocket and unlocked the doors.
"Nate just lay Daisy out on the back seat."
"Dont worry about your cousin Min, I'll take care of her." Nate said with a smile as he carefully climbed into the backseat.
Ian pushed the passenger seat back down and got into the car. "Tri County is the closest, we'll take her there."
"Right." Min started up her mustang and headed out of the square. She picked up the CB mike and turned it to the channel the Dukes used.
"Li'l Darlin' calling Shepherd, do you read me Shepherd?"
"I hear ya Darlin', Min are you all right?"
"I'm fine Uncle Jesse but Daisy's not. She was in the doc's house when the tree hit it, I dont know how bad she's hurt but we're taking her to Tri County right now."
"She won't be the only Duke there Min, Bo and Luke are on their way too."
Min's heart froze in her chest. "Are they all right?"
"The General got rolled, they're hurt pretty good but alive."
"Thank God for that, I'll meet you there Shepherd, Darlin' out."

[LittleRedVicki]

BALLADEER: "Things couldn't get any worse y'all, could it? Let's see what is going on elsewhere around the county..."

Meanwhile...

After surveying her property for damages from the 2nd devastating tornado, Vicki sighs loudly as she looks at the demolished barn.

This barn was built by her father after they had moved to Hazzard when Vicki was 16 years old. That was nearly 10 years ago.
This was once an hideout for Vicki when she was a wild teenager who would sometimes hid Bo & Luke out from Rosco on occasion.

Closing her eyes, fighting back a tear as she remembered her past, Vicki takes a deep breath as she looks at the barn. In the middle of the barn, Vicki glares wide-eyed at the remains of a huge tree. *This is just like a nightmare. It couldn't get much worse...* thought Vicki as she shivered.

Walking back over to her tree-damaged black mustang, Vicki got into her car and turned the iginition. The car started right up. Taking a deep breath, Vicki turned on the radio.

There was only static on the Hazzard station, so she turned it onto the Chickasaw country music radio station, CHIX radio.

As soon as Vicki turned on the radio to the Chickasaw station, a weather bulletin came on:
"ATTENTION! The national weather service in Atlanta has issued a Tornado Warning effective immediately for Northern Hazzard County in Northern Georgia. At 3p.m., a 2nd F-3 tornado on the ground was approximately 7 miles north of Hazzard moving northeast at 30m.p.h. Capital City and Finchburg County in southeastn Tennessee is in the path of this storm.
Severe damage from an F-3 tornado has been reported in Hazzard by the Georgia State Police Department. We'll keep you advised..."

"An F-3 Tornado," laughed Vicki hysterically as she looked at the demolished barn then added, "You've got to be kidding. This is a lot worse than a F-3 tornado. Luckily it missed my house."

"And the farm too, Vicki," replied Jesse worriedly as he walked into the redhead's front yard then added, "But we're lucky compared to what happened to the rest of the family. Can you give me a ride to Tri-County Hospital and I'll tell you what happened along the way from what I found out..."

Vicki smiled at Jesse, but was in severe shock. She knew that something bad has happened. "Of course. Tell me that it didn't get any worse," replied the redhead worriedly as she watched Jesse get into the front seat of her black mustang.
"I wish that I could tell you that, honey," said Jesse worriedly.

"Why don't you tell me now what happened, Jesse," said Vicki as she turned onto the highway that led towards Capital City.

"Well...since you're driving, honey. I'm not going to tell you much, except that Bo and Luke were found unconscious in a ditch less than a mile from your house. And according to Daisy, the General got a little banged up rolling on its side," Jesse said, placing a hand on Vicki's shoulder. Looking at the shocked expression on the redhead's face he added, "Will you be all right, honey? I know that you and Bo had some difficulties lately, but I do know that Bo cared about you to try to beat the tornado enough to protect you from it."

Hiding a tear, Vicki smiled at Jesse. "I'll be all right, when we're at the hospital with everyone that was brought in."

As Vicki continued to drive towards Tr-County Medical Center, All she could see in front of her was a wall cloud.



BALLADEER: "It looks like some people might have been lucky, but is everyone else lucky too? Let's take a look..." :-?


**CUE: WHOEVER WANTS TO ADD** :)
***********

[MacGyver]

"The National Weather Service in Atlanta has an update for the Tornado warning issued earlier. Apparently the storm has dissipated and no more tornadoes are expected for Northern Hazzard County or any of the surrounding areas."

"Well thank goodness THAT'S over." Min sighed in relief as she turned off her radio and pulled up to the Tri County hospital. Uncle Jesse stood by the entrance and closed his pocket watch, his face relieved.
"Come on let's get Daisy inside and see about the boys!" He hurried up the hospital ramp as Ian, Min and Nate still holding Daisy, went inside the emergency entrance.

[Valerie Strate]

Back in Hazzard Square...

Val and Enos evaluated the damage done to Hazzard Square.

"I can't believe that tree is gone. Just when we go to try and save it... Mother Nature says otherwise." Val replied as she walked with Enos sifting through the debris.

"Yeah, well we never know when it's our time Val. I just hope Daisy and the boy's are alright." Enos replied.

Val looked to her brother, "I hope so too... speaking of people being alright. Have you seen the Sheriff, Mr. Hogg, Dr. Walker, Daney or Brian?"

“The Sheriff was taken to Tri-County as well by some fella that’s kind of his, named Cully. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Mr. Hogg, Chance, Daney or Brian. I’m sorry Val.” Enos replied, “Maybe they are in her office?”

Val turned to him with widened eyes, “Do you think…?”

The brother knew what she was thinking instantly, “ I don’t know Val. We should probably go look.”

With that the twins approached the fallen oak tree and the Doctor’s Office.

“Is there a back door?” Enos asked his sister.

“I think so…” Val walked around behind the house to the back door.

(Cue whoever)

[StuntMan23]

Tri-County hopsital's emergency room was hopping by the time Cully pulled up in his battered Pontiac. Luke, Bo and Daisy were all being attended to, along with a few other folks who had sustained various injuries when the tornados hit. Cully quickly got the attention of a nurse and explained what he had in his car. The nurse also noticed Cully's arm and imediately called for assistance from anyone who was available.

In no time, Rosco was brought in on a stretcher and was being taken care of. Cully was directed to one of the ER beds where a nurse treated his arm. As the nurse bandaged him up he over heard as the doctors and nurses on duty conversed quickly on the situations they had.

He heard the name Duke mentioned three times, one with an injured shoulder, one with multiple injuries and one knocked unconcious. Before he could listen further, another nurse appeared around the curtain and looked at him.

She was about to say something to him when she looked at him a moment longer. "Wait a minute, you look the guy we just brought in."

Cully chuckled. "I'm one of several guys you just brought in. Yeah, I know. The Sheriff. He's my cousin, thus the slight family resemblence."

"Slight?" She smiled. "What's your name."

"Cully Dawson."

"Do you know what happened to Sheriff Coltrane, Cully?"

"No ma'am. I found 'em like that. He doesn't know what hit 'em either." Cully paused. "Is he gonna be ok?"

"He should be okay. He's in a lot of pain right now but he is concious and talking to us. I was hoping maybe you knew what hit him."

Cully shook his head. "It was probably one of them damn tree limbs that was flying around town when the twister hit. He probably never saw it coming."

"That's possible." She looked at his arm as the other nurse finished with the bandages. "What did you do?"

"He thought he was superman," the nurse replied. "Jumpin' through windows..."

Cully smiled. "I see 'em do it all the time in the movies."

Both nurses chuckled.

[StuntMan23]

On the other side of the curtain from Cully, Bo was sitting quietly upon the bed his shoulder bandaged up and aching. He listened to the conversation next to him and even though he heard the man say his name, the voice sounded a lot like Rosco's.

Bo chuckled to himself. *Only in Hazzard....identical cousins!*

The nurse that had been talking to Cully then came to see Bo.

"Hi, Bo," she said with a gentle smile.

"Hi," he said. He looked at her a moment. "Luke?"

"He's gonna be okay. He has suffered some blood loss and did break a rib but he did not, thankfully, suffer any serious neck injury. He's still unconcious but he's stable and is not in any life threatening situation. He's going to be fine."

Bo sighed with relief. "Thank you, ma'am."

The nurse nodded and went on to check on other patients. Although Bo was relieved that Luke was okay, he had no idea that his cousin Daisy was also in the ER.

[StuntMan23]

Boss Hogg had taken refuge under his desk in his courthouse office during the twister and waited for several minutes once the storms seemed to past before he emerged. He looked out his window and saw the town was a mess but that people were moving about, surveying the damage. The big oak tree he had wanted to cut down had been savaged by nature herself. He turned from the window and left his office, grabbing his white stetson as he left.

"Rosco! Enos! Cletus! MaryAnne!" he called as he came out of the courthouse. Enos of course was across the square with Val, checking Doc Walker's place. But Boss found Miz Tizdale.

"Pipe down, JD! Enos is over at Doctor Walker's with Val checking the place."

"Miz Tizdale, do you know where Rosco, Cletus and MaryAnne are?"

"Rosco's on his way to the hospital, Cletus found the Duke boys and called for an ambulance, and....MaryAnne....?" Miz Tizdale paused. "I haven't seen MaryAnne in town all day come to think of it."

"You ain't seen her at all?"

Miz Tizdale shook her head.

[StuntMan23]

Back at the hospital, Cully had seen as a group of people came through the ER and stopped at the bed on the otherside of the curtain, to see Bo. An old man in overalls, an attractive young woman and two other young men were with them. Cully recognized one of them in the grey trench coat. Although he stared hard at the man, the man never looked at him. Which was just as well.

While the visiting went on next to him, a nurse came to Cully and told him that he was welcome to sit out in the waiting area. Cully agreed, figuring the bed could be better used for someone who really needed it. Quietly, the ex-stuntman got up off the bed and walked out to the waiting area.

Bo, meanwhile, was getting the details on Daisy from his kin. Although they were all relieved that Luke was going to be okay, now they had to wait to hear about Daisy. To keep the worried silence from penetrating too much, Bo commented on how the man behind the curtain must have been Rosco's cousin, as he even sounded like the Sheriff. But when Jesse peered behind the curtain to see, the bed was empty.

"Well, I'm sure he hasn't gone too far," Bo said. "Not like you can miss 'em. He's another Rosco!"


(Cue anybody! Sorry for the multi-part posts...I can't help myself. LOL)

[Valerie Strate]

The twins stared at the splintered back door.

"You know Nate pulled Daisy out from here. What's to say they didn't miss somebody, in the excitement of getting Daisy out?" Val asked her brother as she stood there looking at the doorway.

Her brother just shrugged and pulled his flashlight from his gun belt and flicked it on, "I don't think it'd be a bad idea to take a peak."

Val looked leary eyed at him then looked at the house, "I don't know, 'E'. The place looks a little wobbly if ya ask me. But we should probably check even though because, no one has seen Chance since the storm and this is her house. Why would Daisy be in her house and she not be?"

"Good thinkin' Val... You ever thing of becommin' a deputy?" Enos asked her.

"You ever think of becomming a Park Ranger?" Val answered with a chuckle back.

"Huh... no..."

"Nuff said." Val grinned and pulled out her flashlight as well.

"You ain't goin' in there too?" Enos asked her.

"Why not? You could use the help."

"Because I need someone to watch from the outside to see if the house is falling and to go get help if it is." Enos explained as he walked to the door frame of the Doctor's house.

"Ok... that makes sense. Be careful..." Val called to him as he entered the structure and flashed the flashlight around inside looking for signs of life that might have been missed.

(cue anyone)

[Brian Coltrane]

Consciousness returned and brought a drum corps with it. Over the percussion in his head, Brian heard the sound of footsteps and voices. He stirred weakly, finding himself stomach-flat on the floor, an impossible weight holding him pinned. The last thing he had remembered was finding the Doctor's note on the old upright piano, saying she'd be out of town for a couple days....Daisy had just walked in, too...he'd been about to read the note to Daisy...

....and then, there had been a tremendous shattering of the world, the abrupt storm turning the house dark; the wind and thunder clamouring as if it were the arrival of armageddon.

But Coltrane luck had been with him. He had dived for the floor, instinctively, as the house sounded as if it were coming apart around him. The Doc would be pleased to know that her antique piano had survived the mess, as Brian had thoughtfully cushioned the floor with his body. The piano fell over on him with a disjointed chord, the C sharp leaving one Coltrane flat.

"Gah...." A jacket-sleeved arm reached out and grasped around in the debris. The flashlight shone upon it....

*Cue Val*

[Valerie Strate]

The deputy cautiously made his way through the clutter. Enos carefully sifted through items as he shown the flashlight around the house. Suddenly a shifting sound could be heard. The deputy stoped in his tracks and stood so still he could here his own heart beating. Then he heard another stir. Slowly he moved the fashlight in the direction of the sounds. He didn't know if the noisy that he heard was the shift in the house or a sound of motion from some lifeform that was cast aside in the storm. He was praying for the latter of the two, for fear that someone might have been in here and not made it and for his own life. The Strate swallowed hard. He realized his sister didn't call to him so the structer of the house must still be fairly intacted. He then moved the light acrossed the Doctor's antique piano. When his heart struck a chord it's self, a human hand weakly reached out to his ankle and grasped it for life. A moan from below could be heard.

"AAAAAAaaaahhhh!" The Hazzard deputy yelled as he felt the hand on his ankle and jumped back in fright. He fumbled with the flash light as he tried to regain composure of himself, "Possum on a gumbush! A talkin' piano!"

He shone the light down at the floor infront of the piano and seen the hand grasping around.

"Either that's, that cousin 'Thing' thing from that television show or someone's squashed under the piano." He spoke aloud. Then he then got down on the floor and shone the light underneith to see Brian Coltrane squashed by the piano.

"Brian! What'd ya doing under that piano!" Enos asked, "And was anyone else in here with you and Daisy? Chance here? Daney around? Mr. Hogg?"

(cue Brian)

[Brian Coltrane]

"What am ah doin' under this piano?" Brian drawled in answer. "Makin' mahself an organ donor! Now git this @#&*% thing off of me!"

Enos and Val moved the debris that was weighing down the piano. Then the two of them carefully lifted the piano up, just enough so that Brian could crawl out from under it, his black-clad form slinking into view like a cat that had been hiding beneath the furniture.

The piano was eased back down to the floor, lest some shifting of the house cause it to topple again. Brian accepted a hand from both Strate's, standing up slowy. Despite a few dozen assorted aches, nothing was broken in the Coltrane body, and after shaking the dust from his hair, Brian regarding the two people who had effected his rescue.

"Thank ya both." Brian shook Val's hand and hugged Enos, rather than the other way around, just to be a smartass. It proved, however, that he truly was alright. His grin faded after a moment, as his mind turned to the fates of everyone else in Hazzard.

"Daisy was the only other person in here, that I know of...." he said worriedly, casting a look around the mess. "I don't know about anybody else. I wasn't here all that long when it hit. I nevah did find MaryAnne, n' I was lookin' for her...good Lord, and Rosco was on his way someplace, last I knew."

Brian's dark eyes flicked back to the Strates, pleading for news. Preferably, good news...but he prepared himself for the worst.





(cue anybody!)

[Valerie Strate]

"Well, Brian... Rosco is up at Tri-County. A fella named..."The Strate sister looked to her brother for a moment for the name.

"Cully." Enos answered her.

"That's it. Cully took him. Supposedly Cully has a cut arm as well. But he took'em up there. The Duke boys are up at Tri-County as well along with Daisy. The boys were out with the General and got caught up in a twister but it's said both are going to make it. The General's pretty tough, ya know. Daisy was found in here by a gentleman named Nate Iriving. I was stuck in the courthouse basement and he rescued me as well. Min, Jesse Cletus, and that Ian fella are all at Tri-County waiting for everyone to get better. As far as the where abouts of Mr. Hogg, Chance Walker, Daney Duke. Plus, I haven't seen Cooter and Hilery anywhere. I wonder how they are doing, so their where abouts are unknow. No one seems to know where MaryAnne is. We haven't seen her all day. And Mis. Tizdale is out in the square." Valerie explained to Brian when the group all heard a shifting sound.

"We best get out of here or we might be going to Tri-County. This house don't seem stable." Enos told Brian and his sister.

The three made it out of the house and outside of the Doctor's damaged home.

(cue anyone)

[DaneyDuke]

(Please note, Val’s author phoned to say her internet connection was going to be out for a few days. She asked that I write for the Game Warden if the occasion warranted.)

Val’s mild grey eyes narrowed seeing a still figure along side of Doc Walker’s house. Her six-foot tall frame scurried like a chicken from a fox in the Duke’s henhouse. Her ears heard a graceful rendition of ‘Small Town' by John Mellencamp. A mule eating briars type grin spread over the Game Warden’s lips.

The five foot, eight inch form rose up. Slender hands came up and ran through waist length brunette hair.

“I feel like an eighteen wheeler ran over me,” the brown green hazel-eyed woman said mischievously.

“Daney!” Val exclaimed. “That’s an awful thing to say.”

“This is Hazzard where it doesn’t get dark,” Daney countered good-naturedly. She had already spoken a silent prayer that everyone else had made it ok… her best friends, family, Chance, and a list of folks longer than offenses on Hughie Hogg’s rap sheet. A copy of that document kept in Boss’s office safe.

She forgot the pain in her body, appreciated the fact that she was alive. She blinked and focused attention on another resident.

(Cue MaryAnne, Chance or Hilery)

[StuntMan23]

Boss Hogg came running over like a huge marshmellow flying through the air. "Is everyone awright?!" he asked, looking at the faces and taking a mental tally of who had been accounted for. By his best estimate, Dr. Walker, Hilery and MaryAnne were still among the missing.

"I saw Cooter over the garage," he said. "Hilery's probably there too. Did any body find Dr. Walker? MaryAnne?"

[Brian Coltrane]

Brian answered Boss's anxious question with the only information he had. "Doc Walker is out of town. She wasn't here when it hit. Far as the Strates have told me, everybody else is accounted for, except...."

At this, the words trailed off, and it took some effort to speak the names. "...for Hilery n' MaryAnne."

Brian's dark eyes scanned the storm-damaged town, his hope fading. Worst-case scenarios flipped through his mind like cheap postcards, each displaying another tragic scene of how MaryAnne might have met her end. Grimly, he pictured another possibility...that she was trapped somewhere, alive, but in peril...what if live power lines had fallen on her patrol car, and she didn't dare move? What if she had tried to rescue someone, but had forfeited her own life in the attempt? She had always been too damn brave for her own good...

As the wail of fire trucks and ambulances pealed through town, Brian could only wonder if Hilery had been with MaryAnne when the storm hit....and if the fate of one, was the fate of both.

There were two choices; stand around and wait for news...

Or go out there, in the mess, and try to find them, when they could be anywhere in Hazzard County.

Option number two won out, and Brian adjusted the collar on his jacket, firmed his jaw, and set out to investigate. "I'm goin' lookin' for 'em," he said to the group. "I'll meet up with y'all later."

As his long strides took him towards Diablo's hiding spot in an alley, he sent up a silent prayer, willing to bargain with the Almighty Himself.


(cue...MaryAnne! Scooby Doo, where ARE you?!?!)

[MaryAnne]

It had been the most hellacious ride she had ever experienced, and if she could remember any of it, she'd be seriously wondering how the heck she was still alive.

Deputy MaryAnne Coltrane had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a not so long lost cousin, Cully Dawson from Hollywood. His visit was to have been a surprise, although Rosco started to figure things out the previous day when he saw a letter on the booking desk amongst MaryAnne's things. Although he didn't read it, he recognized the return address in Los Angeles. In fairness to MaryAnne, he played dumb.

Of course now, Mother Nature had dished out her own surprise. Once Rosco and Brian were out of the house, MaryAnne had spent most of the morning cleaning the house and getting the guest bedroom ready. She then headed out on her routine patrol.

When the storm hit, she had no choice but to ride it out. She tried out running it but like an angry child, the tornado caught her, picked up the patrol car and threw it like a toy into a rocky ditch.

The whole ordeal should have killed her. The patrol car was totalled, the frame having been completely busted. Windows were smashed out and fenders were buckled. Yet somehow, held by her seat belt in the drivers seat, MaryAnne Coltrane survived.

She was unconcious for a good half hour or so until she slowly began to come around on her own. She had no idea where she was or what had happened, but her entire body ached from the ordeal. Her head didn't feel all that great either. She moved slowly, checking that everything still worked....one arm...another....one leg...the next. So far so good. With a shakey hand, she unclipped the seat belt and then reached to try to open the door.

It was busted. But the window was open. Taking in a deep breath, she moved to climb out the window.

She got as far as sitting her posterior on the door frame and she rested a moment. She looked across the vast white roof of the patrol car and noticed that a set of gumballs were sitting cockeyed off the back window.

Gumballs?

She eased the rest of her out of the window and stood for a shakey moment leaning next to the mortally wounded Fury. It was then she looked at her blue uniform sleeve....the patch on her shoulder....the badge on her shirt.

Her head pounded now. Although physically she was sure she was going to be all right, she suddenly got this sickly feeling that something was desperately wrong otherwise.

She looked around her and saw she wasn't too far from the road. With careful steps, she walked to it...


(Cue anybody!)

[countrygirl1986]

Meanwhile outside of town, not all that far from the Deputy infact, another young woman was waking up, and she was in pain. She looked around slowly, and then sat up. Pain shot right through her head as she did, much worse than it already was. She was really throbbing all over, but her head distinctly hurt. Hilery brought her hand up to her head, more or less to make sure it was still there, and felt something that didn't sit too well with her. Blood. It was all over her face. She was bleeding from a cut right above her eye brow. Hil shook her head. Not her day. Then she noticed why her left leg was screaming in pain, and a lot more than her head was. There was a rusty, dirty, old junker car on it! Her leg was clearly broken. Tears welled up in her eyes. She wished she had a friend there to talk to, like her cousin, or even her crush, Bo Duke, but then again, she'd go for just about anyone to talk to!

Hilery sighed, and looked at the car. Even if it had a CB, she wouldn't have been able to get to it without flipping the car back to its proper position from its side. She looked around again as best as she could, trying to keep a clear head and not scream in pain. Not one person in sight. She doubted anyone was on the other side of the car. Finally though, starting to cry hysterically, she screamed in pain, and began to weep. The weight of the car was just too much for her leg. Her head wasn't bothering her as much as the broken bones. Even if she did get out from under the grimy piece of junk, she wasn't going to go to the Emergency Room until everyone was found, and that was final. She would be able to cope so long as the vehicle was removed. If Hilery hadn't been in this much pain, she would have marvelled at how far the tornado had taken her. The last thing she had known, she was in the middle of town.

"IF ANYONE CAN HEAR ME, HEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP!!!!!!!!"

Back in town though, Cooter was running to catch up with Brian, and as soon as he got close enough to be heard over the sirens, he yelled, "I"m going too in my tow truck! I already tried the on the ER on the CB and my cousin is NOT there!" He was worried, and it showed. As soon as he was sure Brian had heard him, he turned tail and ran for his truck.

[MaryAnne]

MaryAnne had walked just a little ways from her busted patrol car when she heard the call for help. She stopped walking and listened, trying to determine which direction it was coming from. It sounded like the voice was somewhere ahead of her. She continued walking, hurrying her steps and looking around intently.

When she came around the bend of the road, she saw the old junk car turned on its side and determined that's where the voice had called from. She walked briskly toward it.

"Hello?" she said. "Somebody here?" MaryAnne walked around the car and saw Hilery on the ground, pinned under it. "Gah! My goodness..."


(Cue Hilery!)

[pendragon1980]

Chance's hands gripped the steering wheel of the black Bronco as the truck splashed its way through the damaged backroads. The doctor had been called out of Hazzard to Tricounty ER when the hurricane warning went out. The ER had been filled almost to capacity of victims of the storm's wrath.

Nearly 10 hours later, Chance had been allowed to leave to check on her own people. She had heard over the emergency band that the hurricane had touched down in Hazzard itself.

The Bronco swung around a corner and Chance slammed on the brakes. In front of her was a overturned car, MaryAnne was standing by it and Hilery trapped underneath. Exiting the car, Chance hurried over to them.

"Hilery, are you alright? Don't move, we'll get you out of there."

[countrygirl1986]

"I guess I'm okay except my head is bleeding and my leg is broken. I just woke up, so I might have a concussion too." Hilery responded. Her words were muddled because she was trying to keep herself from screaming out in excrusiating pain again by holding her teeth tightly shut. "Chance, you got anything that can numb my @#$%^&* leg?" she asked, and unfortunately taking a word out of Brian's colorful vocabulary. "And the best way to move the car is to roll it so it's on all fours. Unfortunately, that is going to really really hurt a lot worse than it does now. It might take more than the two of you though to move it," Hilery breathed. The pain had her out of breath from fighting another scream, and she was feeling like she was going to pass out from it, so to try to take her mind off of it, she decided to try to make some conversation, and give the Doc a moment to think.

"So MaryAnne, how's the Strates, the Duke's, and Rosco 'n' Brian? And what about my cousin? Did they all make it through the tornado-ous storm okay?"

Now let's just thank God Hilery hasn't gone into shock, and is trying to keep herself awake.

[MaryAnne]

MaryAnne didn't recognize her own name as it was spoken. She also didn't know the young woman pinned under the car or the one that had drove up in the black Bronco. But apparently they knew her.

For a moment, MaryAnne had a deer caught in the headlight look. She didn't know who she was. Or where she was....

She looked at Hilery and blinked. "Who?"

[countrygirl1986]

"Uh Chance... I think our dear friend MaryAnne has amnesia..." Hilery mumbled, and looked at her, now noticing a telltail big, purple bump on her head. Hilery would have reached out to give her friend a hug, but a cirtain cluncker car, which she was really disliking was preventing her from doing so. "Okay Deputy, take a seat," Hilery said, and didn't wait before continuing. "Your name is MaryAnne Coltrane, and you are a Hazzard County Deputy, with as far as I know, 2 male cousins, 1 female cousin. Your one cousin, older than yourself, is sheriff, you work for him. He works for a Boss Hogg who runs around in a white suit and is the commissioner. Lulu Hogg is Rosco's sister, and Boss Hoggs wife. You also have a cousin who has had numerous run ins with the law, and is an exhitman. Kinda interesting really, considering both his closest cousins are the law. Rosco is also a little crooked, and Boss Hogg is very crooked. You on the other hand, are the only noncrooked member of your family, eventhough your cousin Rosco was best lawman in the state til his pension got taken away. Well, that's about the best summery I can give ya right now, concidering the pain I'm in," Hilery told her, then closed her eyes, "I wish the cavalry would hurry up and get here...."

[pendragon1980]

"Alright, Alright, Hil, That's enough for now. Just take it easy." Chance walked back to the Bronco and returned with her medical bag. Picking out a hypodermic needle and small bottle. "I'm just gonna give you a local until I can look to your concussion." She said as she filled the needle. "MaryAnne, I will see to you as soon as we get Hilery out of there."

Once the numbing medicine was administered. Chance looked from the overturned car to her truck. "You think if we hook the Bronco to this car, one us of can use the winch pull it over while the other drags Hil outta there.?"

[MaryAnne]

MaryAnne was hardly able to process everything Hilery had told her when Chance suggested a course of action for moving the junk car to get Hilery out. And obviously Hilery's situation was more dire than some silly bump on MaryAnne's head. She shook her own confusion away for the moment and looked at the car that Hilery was pinned under. "Yeah...." she said nodding.

[countrygirl1986]

"That might just work," Hilery said, feeling the numbness taking over her leg. "Thanks Doc," She added. "Owe ya one for the pain relief." At that moment, the young Davenport woman relaxed, now that only her head hurt. "Least if something goes wrong, I won't feel it in my leg."

[pendragon1980]

"Ok, Let's do this then." Chance tossed her keys at the deputy. "MaryAnne, if you can see your way fit to working the Bronco, I'll hook the winch up and pull Hilery out. Then I can splint her leg and get you both back to town."

With that, Chance hooked one end of the winchline to the overturned car and fastened the other end of the steel cable to the undercarriage and fender of the big truck.

Finally, Squating down next to Hilery, Chance gently put her arms under Hil's shoulders, ready to pull the young woman out as quickly and carefully as possible.

"MaryAnne, when I give the signal. Throw the Bronc in reverse and gun it!"

[MaryAnne]

"Ok!" MaryAnne went to the Bronco and climbed into the big 4X4. She started the truck up, the engine whining in a high idle at first. With a push on the gas, the engine settled to a lower idle and MaryAnne put her left foot on the brake, kept her right foot over the gas pedal and had the Bronco already in reverse waiting for the signal.

"When yer ready Doc!"

[pendragon1980]

Tightening her grip around Hilery's shoulders, Chance nodded and looked down at her friend. "Ready, Hi?". At the young woman's nod, Chance glanced looked at the Bronco and shouted "Hit it!"

Instantly, the truck was thrown in gear and small clods of dirt flew as the tires spun before finding traction in the wet earth. The Bronco fishtailed slightly. Then the overturned care slowly began rolling over, opening the gap Hilery lay in.

Mindful of the broken leg, Chance started pulling Hilery away from the wreck. Suddenly, she heard the tension wire holding the wreck upright strain and glanced back to see the knot she made coming undone.

Chance put all her strength behind one last tug and pulled Hilery completely free, a second before the steel cabled knot gave and the wreck came crashing back to earth, just inches from their feet.

Huffing, she grinned wryly. "Guess I should stick to medicine and not mechanics"

[countrygirl1986]

"I should have warned you that you should have used a hook and chain, hooking it to the front axil, but I didn't think you had either, so I kept quiet. Ain't like i'd have felt it anyway," she added, and relaxed a little on the ground. "Well actually, I should say I wouldn't have felt it right away, But thanks Chance, Thank you MaryAnne," Hilery called to the Deputy who had operated the Bronco during her freeing. "Say, Doc, you got a CB in that there vehicle?" She asked, looking from the automobile to the Hazzard PHysician before placing a surprisingly pretty clean hankerchief against her head. The rag she used for her hands during and after work was in her other pocket.

[MaryAnne]

When the rope had let go, the Bronco had slid back and MaryAnne hit the brakes. Fearing the worst had happened when the car crashed back down, MaryAnne jumped out of the truck and came around the other car to find that Chance and Hilery were okay and for that she was greatly relieved.

Absently rubbing the bump on her head, MaryAnne looked at Chance, awaiting the answer to Hilery's question.

[pendragon1980]

"Yeah, Hil, I have a CB, and its about time I put it to use." After making certain Hilary was as comfortable as possible, Chance walked over to the truck and grabbed the CB mic. Before speaking into it, however, she told MaryAnne. "If you feel up to it, I'd like to get you and Hilery back to my office as quickly as possible, I've no doubt that you two won't be my only patients today."

Speaking into the mic, the sound of Chance's voice crackled and came over the CB station, over the channel used both by the doctor's and sheriff's offices, since both were used for emergencies.

"This is Doc Walker. If anyone's in the offices can hear me, come in." When noone answered, Chance repeated it, a little more forcefully. "This is Doc. Who's minding the store? I got MaryAnne and Hilery with me. Is anyone there?"

[countrygirl1986]

"Chance, I got some bad news for you, you're house was destroyed by a couple of twisters." Cooter replied, glad the doctor was back in Hazzard, then relized what she had said. "Doc, did I read you right? You say you found Hilery and MaryAnne?"

[pendragon1980]

WHAT?!

At Cooter's annoucement, Chance nearly dropped the mic. Now it was her turn to let loose a ripe curseword. Shaking her head, Chance recovered enough to say. "uh..Yeah, They're both as well as be can expected. Hilery's has a broken leg and they both have minor concussions. I'll be bringing them into town as soon as I splint Hil's leg."

Then Chance realized they had a bigger problem. "Cooter, with no access to the office, I'll need to set up a trauma center for incoming patients. What's the damage there over? Are there many injured?"

[countrygirl1986]

"Well, most of the injured have been taken up to tricounty. Bo, Luke, and Daisy were among them, as well as Rosco. Several other folks to my knowledge are there too. Hazzard was practically ripped apart. Far as I know, the Court House is still standing. If you need to, you are more than welcome to use my farm but I don't know if it's still standing. It should be." Cooter told her over the CB.

[pendragon1980]

"Tricounty? I just came from there." Dammit, Chance thought, I should have been here. She frowned at Cooter rattled off the list of friends who had been injured.

"No, Cooter. I need a central location. Tell you what, let me get to town and we'll go from there. We should be there in less than an hour. Doc out."

After finishing the conversation, Chance replaced the mic and returned to Hilery. Squatting down next to her friend, Chance looked concerned. "Hil, I'm gonna have to set and splint your leg before I can move you to the truck. It's gonna hurt, but it can't be helped. "

[countrygirl1986]

"Shouldn't too much doc, you did give me that medication that numbed it." HIlery said, understanding completely. "Go ahead."

Chance felt Hilery's leg, looking for the break, which she found quite easily. Then she took a very deep breath, as did Hilery as she put the bone in place. Even with as numb as her leg was, she still felt it, and gritted her teeth.

"There, that should put it in place. Now to splint it." Chance said, and grabbed the two pieces of wood she had brought over from her bronco, and placed them along the sides of Hilery's leg. "Could you hold those there for a moment?" Hilery nodded as Chance started to tie it. The doctor knew Hilery felt that too when she took in a sharp breath after tieing it tight. "Sorry Hil, it had to be done."

"I know it did," Hilery replied.

"MaryAnne, could you do me a big favor and help me carry her over to the Bronco?"

*Doctor Chance Walker is used with permisson*

[MaryAnne]

Had MaryAnne been in her right mind, she would have reacted more to hearing Rosco's name among the injured that Cooter listed off over the radio. Being that as she wasn't, and everything Hilery had told her ealier was now just a jumble of echoing words, MaryAnne could only be generally, yet genuinely concerned for the folks, not knowing that one of them was her kin.

She looked at Chance however, and nodded in answer to her question. "Of course..."

[StuntMan23]

At the same time at Tri-County, things were still in an organized chaos. Cully sat alone in the waiting area, watching as people went in and came out of the ER, looking to check on friends and family. The white haired man with overalls had gone in and come out twice, and by the second time his face looked more relieved. He told a group of gathered young people that Bo, Luke and Daisy would be okay. As he sat down, it was obvious that he was greatly relieved.

It was over an hour after he had brought Rosco in and he decided he would che