Written: Winter/Spring 2002 by the following contributing authors: Essy Jane and Kristy Duke.
Edited by: Essy Jane
CHAPTER EIGHT
Slowly I awake to a harsh throbbing in my head
and fire flames up in my
lungs. My vision is blocked by thick blurriness and the beeping of
the
monitor seems far away and distant. "Daisy!" I hear my uncle's
sadden voice
clear up with joy as he takes my hand with his callused comforting
hand and
to my surprise I feel my arm to be cast free, "Wait a sec, I have
to go get
Dr. Hawk."
I hear him walk out as I wonder who Dr. Hawk is
and what is going on. Slowly
my vision slowly clears as Jesse walks in with a medium sized doctor
with
reddish brown hair and a thinly trimmed goatee, which looks to be in
his
middle thirties to early forties. "Well Miss Daisy Duke, I am
glad to see
you finally awake. I am your doctor, Dr. Hawk," he says looking
down, his
light green eyes sparkle down at me, "How are you feeling?"
"Confused…what happened to Dr. Kimble?" I ask him, "What
happened to the
cast on my leg and arm?"
"You never did have a cast on your arm or
leg or I never heard of a Dr.
Kimble," he sighs looking down at his clipboard, "musta been
a dream while
you were in a coma."
"Coma?" I ask even more confused.
"Yeah you have been asleep for over three
weeks now, you hit your head real
hard like," he answers checking me out.
"What happened?" I ask in panic.
"Look Daisy you and your cousin were in a
bad accident and you hit your head
real hard on the dash board," Hawk answers patiently, "You
got a severe
concussion and two broken ribs, one bruised your lung."
I look at the two men in fear and confusion. "Accident?
Cousin?" I ask
panicky, my lungs go afire in pain.
"Bo was taking you to work when the General
was hit by a drunk driver going
ninety miles per hour," Jesse finally says.
"Bo?" I yell out in fear, "How is
he? Is he…?"
"Well he got the worst part of it, the car hit his side door head
on," Hawk
says looking at Jesse for permission, "he has a concussion, but
not as bad
as yours was. He re-shattered his right arm and bruised his left arm
badly,
he broke four ribs, and one punctured his ribs. He is unable to breath
on
his own and he has a small unstable heart beat. We have done all that
we
could do for now, it is up to him if he is going to pull out or not...he
is
in very critical condition.
"As well as bruised and cut up as you are.
He also cracked his bottom spine
and blood is surrounding it," Hawk adds, as I turn to look at
him the air
tubes in my nose rubs against my nostrils, "which means he is
paralyzed, he
can't feel anything below his chest. It could be temporary or permanent."
"NO!" I cry out in fear and pain, "I want to see him…now."
"I don't think that-" he cuts himself
off as he sees the determination in my
eyes. Smoothly Hawk and Jesse work together to put me in a wheel chair
and
wheel me down the brightly lit hall.
After what seems to take forever we reach a closed
wooden door where they
open up the door and I find Luke sitting near the bed. His eyes are
red from
crying and I can tell he is holding back more tears. "Daisy,"
he smiles a
smile that hasn't reached his face in weeks as he sees us. He walks
over and
hugs me, "How are ya?"
I shrug as they wheel me up to Bo's bed where his
eyes are closed. A large
tube lies down his throat as well as tubes in his nose. Five IVs slowly
drip
into him, echoing off the walls. His gorgeous face is swollen, bruised
and
has a few big cuts on him. A large white plastered cast covers from
his
thumb to his elbow on his right arm and an arm wrap is tightly wrapped
onto
his left arm. The monitors monitor his small heart beats that it barely
reads. My heart tightens in fear and sadness at the sight of my young
cousin
who lies still, looking so vulnerable.
"You just missed him, he just fell asleep," Luke says saddened.
"You mean he is awake?" I ask.
"He isn't in a coma," Hawk answers.
"You mean he can feel everything?" I question him, "all the pain?"
"Yes," Hawk answers.
I cry uncontrollably for my cousin as I streak
my hand through his bright
blond hair, refusing Hawk to take me away from him.
I look down at my weak vulnerable cousin who makes
my heart throb with pain
at the sight. "Did the drunk get caught?" I finally bring
myself to ask.
"Hmm no," Luke answers barely audible behind me, "most likely never will."
"Damn him!" I yell out at no one in particular,
just out of anger and
frustration. I look at my cousin as tears build up in my eyes, too
afraid to
touch him as if he will fall apart at the touch. Looking down at him
his
eyes slowly flutter open and he looks at me and then at Jesse and Luke.
His
baby blue eyes are full of pain and fear and he slowly moves his casted
right arm and takes my hand, his eyes apologize to me. "For what?"
Bo's eyes are so descriptive to how he is feeling
and what he wants to say.
They always has been since the day I have meant him, anyone could read
his
eyes like a book. I stroke his hair, just wanting him to be Ok; hoping
to
awake from this even if it meant that I am the one worse off as I was
in my
nightmare with Hank. "It isn't your fault...it was his,"
I tell him, running
my hand through his thick hair. "Things are going to be okay,
they have to
be."
Painfully he nods though pain radiates in his eyes
and I loose control of my
tears and they roll freely down my cheeks and he nods at me for me
not to
cry. Quickly I wipe them away, wanting to be strong for my cousin to
show
him that things are going to be fine.
"Daisy it is time to go to your room now,"
Hawk says grabbing my wheel
chair.
"No I don't want to leave him," I yell,
throwing a fit like a toddler,
"Can't I be in that bed over there?" I point to the empty
bed.
He thinks steadily about it before he nods and
Jesse helps him take me to
the bed and set me up on the bed. I watch as a couple of nurses walk
in and
help him set everything up for me. I wince in pain as the stick the
IVs into
my arms, though keep looking at Bo; not wanting to let him out of my
vision.
He glares up at Jesse, pleading him to take the pain away. I see the
tears
in his eyes of pain and fear of seeing his nephew in so much pain.
He cares
so much for everyone that it hurts me to see him in so much pain to
see Bo
and I where we are at.
Luke walks over to me slowly, though his eyes remain
on Bo until he reaches
me. "How are you feeling?" he asks me, "It has been
rough around the farm
without your cooking...Jesse has me cooking. Boy I am surprised that
we all
aren't dead by it now."
I grin sadly up at him before I force myself to say, "I am fine,
I just want
Bo. .."
"I know, we all do," he says softly, "But it is up to
the good Lord above to
do as his will, if it is his time; we have to let him go and hold onto
him
and his memories in our hearts."
I nod at him as I look at Luke and he runs his hand through my hair
that
surround me on the thick pillow. Finally I find a smile and nod again
in
agreement, "I know, it is just," I pause, "It is just
hard to do that...I
want to do something to help the pain to go away."
"We all do Daisy, it is natural," Luke grins at me and I
can only imagine
how he will be when he is in Uncle Jesse's position; he already seems
to
have the knowledge that Jesse has and the compassion; he was always
like
that even when he was five or younger. "But it is up to the good
Lord, he
has plans for Bo and he will go with those plans. No matter what we
have to
go on being strong, hold our heads up high. Go on with our lives, which
is
what Bo would or does want as well as the good Lord. Things will work
out as
it should...and we can't be selfish. If it is his time we have to let
him
go...he would be pain free and happy."
I nod at him before I take his hand and smile up
to him. "Thank-you Luke," I
answer, "I know you are right, as always; I just don't know how
life could
go on without him there; but I also don't want him to suffer."
He nods in agreement and tears build up in his eyes at the thought
of
loosing his best friend. "I don't know either, I am so lost and
alone now; I
don't know how I can go on without him," he says and he breathes
in deeply,
"but I know I will have to learn how to, that is if he does leave
us...I
pray that he doesn't, but yet he don't leave us he will be in pain
and
suffer for a long time and who knows if he'll ever be the same."
"I know," I agree with him as I look
over at Bo who has fallen back to
sleep, not strong enough to even stay awake, "I can't stand it
either way."
Luke nods as he hides his face into his hands for a long moment before
he
wipes his face roughly before saying, "I'm sorry...it is just
that he..." he
cuts himself off.
"It is okay to cry Luke; you don't have to
act all macho to cry. He is your
best friend, the two of you rely on one another to go one. . .to be
strong,"
I tell him, "you two are so close that it hurts, especially now.
I have
always been jealous of the two of yours relationship. I know he loves
me and
enjoys my company, but all he talks about is you. His face lights up
whenever you are there, he confronts you with things he don't tell
anyone. .
.he looks up to you today just as much as he did when he was five.
You two
are really close, I understand Luke. It is Ok to cry, it doesn’t
make you
lesser of a man, but perhaps more of a man for not letting your pride
block
your pain in…which will only cause for you to explode at anything
like a
cork in a Champaign bottle."
"Wow Daisy, when have you become a philosophical
type person?" Luke asks
grinning through the pain.
"Just how I feel about the two of you,"
I shrug, "What you two have is very
special, I hope that you never loose that."
"Me too, he means the world to me…and
now-" he cuts himself off and a couple
of tears roll down his face and drips down upon my sheets, "I
am glad that
you are OK...so is Jesse; he don't want to eat another on of my meals."
I grin at him of his efforts to be strong for me
and his cousin though is
loosing his grip of it with each passing second that he thinks of his
cousin, best friend lying in the bed behind. I smile up to him, thinking
that he hasn't really talked to me like this in a long time, one on
one or
like I am an adult. It means a lot to me. "Thank-you Luke,"
I finally say.
"What for?" he questions looking up at
me, his bright clear blue eyes shine
with fear and pain for his best friend.
"For being here, for being a friend,"
I say squeezing his hand. He looks
down at me and nods and I can tell his thoughts are with Bo over there
now
that he knows I am going to be OK. "Go over and see him...I'll
be fine."
"You sure?" he asks worriedly, feeling
guilty and wanting to be in both
places, "I don’t want to-"
"I know go see him," I say and I watch
as he walks over and Jesse approaches
my bed in place of Luke.
This was something I had to face. Every little
thing that seemed to happen
was because of someone bad. Why couldn't it have been different? Why
couldn't Bo be as well as he was before? I didn't understand how this
was
common reality. The other one seemed so real. Killing Hank and getting
my
revenge on him was the thing I wanted to do more than anything.
Without all of the things that had happened I was
lost. I didn't even
remember this accident. I guess I had been delirious for a long time.
But
still I couldn't accept it. Not just yet anyway; I guess being here
with my
Uncle and having my Father gone was a hard thing for me to face. It
also
proved to me how often Uncle Jesse has been willing to be there for
me.
I looked up at the ceiling. It had a stain on the
top that was in the shape
of a rabbit. I stared at it non-stop when someone knocked on my door.
It was
Enos. He was wearing these giant red overalls and a black cap on his
head.
His shirt also was black. I knew that this was one visitor I could
never
refuse. "I brought you flowers Daisy. I thought they'd cheer up
your day,"
Enos said. He took the flowers from behind his back and gave them to
me. I
blushed and wondered where Enos got his crazy ideas. But they were
sure
pretty. I loved the sweet aroma of them and hoped that with one sweet
smell
of the elegant flower I would wake up. I was still sure I was dreaming.
But
somehow I stayed awake. Maybe this wasn't a dream. Maybe this was all
reality.
"Thank you Enos. I really love when you do
things for me," I replied. I
leaned over and gave him a kiss. Now it was Enos' turn to blush.
"Everyone misses ya."
"That's what I have been told."
"You know the Boars Nest had half its backside
blow to smithereens. I
couldn't believe that. They found this man all burned up. It was the
guy
that did it too. He's going to die with 85% of his body burned."
"Was his name Hank?"
"Yes it was Daisy. I don't know what exactly
happened but he looked at me
and asked me to tell the dumb blonde and the beautiful brown bombshell
that
he was dyin'. I didn't know who those people were at first but then
I
thought that you are the prettiest in town."
"Oh thank you Enos." I was so happy though
I hid it in front of Enos. There
was no way he was going to know how happy I was that Hank was dead.
Nor
would he ever know how awful I felt about shooting him in that dream.
"Daisy!" Luke exclaimed as he slid into
the room. "He's...he's..." I froze I
was sure he was going to say that Bo had gone up. I was sure that he
was
going to hurt me once again with bad news.
"Dead?" I asked. Luke laughed. He clapped
his hands like a three year old
child. He couldn't be this excited over Bo being dead.
"No you silly goose. Hey Enos. Bo's alive
and to make things better he's
moving his toes! Can you believe that? Bo's moving his toes. He ain't
paralyzed." Now both Enos and Luke were jumping up and down in
a little
circle.
My eyes widened at the news. Maybe everything was
going to be okay. Maybe
everything was meant to be alright. I guess I wasn't sure at the time.
I was
mixed up and didn't know what to think about this. They had told me
day
after day that he wasn't going to live. he showed all of them. I looked
at
Uncle Jesse as he popped his head into my room. His eyes were filled
with
tears. Uncle Jesse had his boy back. It was something that he wanted
for a
long time.
I watch as uncle and nephew cling tightly to one
another, Jesse bites his
bottom lip to stop the tears. Slowly he forces himself to pry loose
of his
nephew who means the world to him. Of course Luke and I mean a lot
to him,
but Bo was different somehow. Bo had that aroma on people, plus no
matter
how old Bo is he will always run to Jesse for help as well as to Luke.
Where
as Luke and I would go to a friend or each other. Bo relied on Jesse
as much
as he did on Luke, Bo will always be Jesse's baby and Bo doesn't mind
at
all.
Jesse watches a doctor checks Bo over, scribbling
down comments as he goes
on. I watch in wonder as Bo just keeps his eyes on Jesse who takes
his left
hand for comfort. "Well he is slowly regaining his strength in
his legs,
which is great to see," he comments, "and your breathing
much better too, I
am going to take the tube out. So when I get to three I need you to
blow
out, okay?" Painfully Bo nods. "One. . .two . . .three,"
Bo winces in pain
as the tube is out of his throat, "We will leave an air tank here
just in
case so someone can come get us...but you are really improving."
I grin as Luke hugs Enos with excitement before
he runs over to his cousin’s
bed. I watch as the two boys hug tightly onto one another, refusing
to let
go. Finally they let go and Luke says, "You scared us so much
Bo...I don't
want to loose you. You mean everything to me Bo."
For a long moment he just looks at Luke then over
at me for awhile then at
Luke before he says harshly, "The General." He winces at
the pain at his
attempt to talk.
"Cooter is working on it...though the car don't worry me one bit,
it is you
that I worry about," Luke says, "You and Daisy, mean more
than a car. You
are all I got. I don't know where I would be without you, you help
me in so
many ways it is amazing; thank-you Bo."
Bo looks up at him questionably as he wheezes painfully
for air still. Pain
radiates in his eyes as he reaches for help to lessen the pain. "How
you
feel?" Jesse kicks in behind Luke as Enos sits by my side.
"Hurt," he grunts, "though…alive."
"We'll get through this," Luke says,
"both of you together…just like you
helped me get through the war I was at when I returned."
Bo looks at Luke and then at me and smiles slightly
in relief to see that I
am Ok. I nod to him and he slowly turns to Jesse who is still holding
his
hand, running his hand through his hair. "Don't scare us like
that again,"
Jesse finally says, "Everything is going to be ok...we will make
it through
this together."
"Wanna…go…home," Bo manages to say, "the car."
"Don't worry about the car, just worry about
getting better," Luke smiles,
"Cooter is taking care of him, he is a genius at that kind of
work."
"Wrecked," Bo says.
"I know buddy, I know," Luke responds
sadly, "It will be Ok, he'll get
better. If you can get better, so can him. You look a whole lot more
damaged
than General does."
Bo's eyes drupe in tiredness as Jesse continues to run his hand through
his
hair and even though he fights against sleep he slowly looses the battle
and
drops into dreamland.
This was a tough day for all of us. Considering
the situation that Bo was in
he had great color in his cheeks. The General was wrecked beyond belief
but
I knew that Luke didn't want to hurt Bo anymore than he was. By day,
Luke
would sit by his cousin’s side. As visiting hours ended, he would
work on
the General until Cooter would beg him to go home. It showed love for
both
Bo and the General. The minute those visiting hours started, there
was Luke
sitting beside his cousin.
Time went by quickly and Bo was getting better.
Though physical therapy was
going by slower than Bo would've liked. He hated trying to walk with
all
that pain. "I don't like this, put me back in the wheelchair!"
He ordered
Uncle Jesse. Uncle Jesse went towards him to help him back in his chair
when
Luke would stop him.
"Get there yourself. Or are you scared?" Luke would answer.
"Scared? A Duke scared? Don't make me laugh
Lukas. It's not like you haven't
been scared to jump off a building. You though it was the funniest
thing in
the world when I tried to fly. Do you really think that I am scared
to
walk?"
"Yeah." Bo grunted as he looked at Luke.
Bo took wobbly step by step with
the help of the walker. It wasn't easy not to help someone in his condition.
Especially to watch him walk like that when he used to be able to run
like
the wind. But he was showing Luke he could be like his cousin. Bo didn't
want anyone to think that he couldn't do it. That was the nice thing
about
this young man.
As he got over to the wheelchair, he didn't sit
down. He knocked over his
walker and grabbed a set of crutches leaning against the walls. The
first
couple steps he took were okay. Around the fifth step Bo fell on his
face.
He looked as flat as a pancake. Luke offered his hand but Bo wouldn't
comply. His pride was in the way of everything that went on.
"This is my fight," Bo mumbled. He struggled
to get up but again managed to
do so. It wasn't surprising that he was getting farther than most people
in
three weeks of therapy. I watched him for days. I couldn't believe
how
wonderful he was.
They finally decided to release us both from the
hospital. Bo still had to
go to therapy at least three times a week. I usually drove him because
I had
the car and Luke had no right over it. Besides that, it was the easiest
car
to get in and I wanted to be with my cousin more than I had the chance
to.
Was that such a crime?
We were on our way to therapy a few weeks later
when this big orange car was
in the middle of the road. Bo's eyes widened and tears flowed. He was
happy
to see his amazing car in shape and out of harm. "The General
Lee!" He
exclaimed. Bo's smile lit up the sky further than I had ever seen.
It was as
if he made the sun stay alive.
Luke slid out of the General and made his way over
to the road runner. "If
this isn't a reason to get better then nothing is," Luke told
Bo.
"I want to drive him."
"Not yet cowboy, your back still has to heal
up a might and you have to get
through these mobility classes in order to ever consider the notion
of
driving."
"But I want to drive now. I don't want to
be on this walker and they won't
let me on the crutches."
"You have to earn them. Don't rush it Bo but
keep at it. If not for me than
at least do it for the General. He misses you."
"I miss my General Lee more than anyone. The
minute I get to drive again, I
am challenging you a race with the Road runner Luke." I was going
to tell
them they couldn't drive my car but I thought that this would just
ruin a
party.
A few weeks had progressed since the General was
up and running. Bo seemed
to be getting better by the day, though lately he has been refusing
to talk
to anyone, keeping to himself. Jesse proclaims it is the pain he still
feels, especially in his right arm. Though as I look at him the more
I
wonder if it is that or not. Though what else could it be?
I look at the old photo that was taken before Luke had left for war.
Everyone looks happy, though no one really was. Though I focus on Bo,
he
always been stubborn and not giving up for nothing. That was one really
good
character to him at times and yet really bad too. Especially lately
now that
he is refusing to go into therapy, each one is a huge hassle.
I set down the photo and look at the time, I sigh
as I realize that I should
start going to get him round up for another therapy session. I walk
into the
living room where Jesse sits.
"You might as well not even try to take him today, Daisy," he says sullenly.
"Why not?" I ask, "He needs it."
"He needs it, but he isn't going to budge,"
Jesse responds, "It is two
thirty and yet Bo is still in bed, he refuses to get out of it, just
sits
there and glares out the window there. Luke has tried all day so far
and
hasn't gone no where. . .if he won't budge for Luke then he won't budge
at
all for anyone else either."
"Well I am going to try," I sigh stubbornly
rushing into the boys' room to
find Luke sitting next to Bo with Jesse's old photo book. Luke talks
to him
kindly, though I see the impatience in his eyes. Bo seems to be ignoring
Luke as Luke goes on talking about the past, trying anything to get
Bo to
move. "Bo get ready, we are going."
Luke looks at me as Bo still stares out the window, refusing to acknowledge
me. Luke shrugs, telling me the same as Jesse did a couple minutes
ago
through his blue eyes.
"What is his problem?" I ask Luke or Bo.
"I don't know, he won't talk to me either," Luke responds to me.
"Bo, what is wrong?" I ask sitting next
to Bo and hug him slightly for him
to toss my arm away from him. "We are only trying to help you...you
need to
go to therapy, you have progressed so much, but you can't let it go
or you
will only get worse."
More silence and anger rushes through me at his
attitude. Suddenly I give
into my temper and grab onto his tight blue undershirt and yank him
closer
to me and he glares at me with a moment of fear before it relaxes to
his
non-caring attitude. "Listen to us Bo, we are trying to help!"
I yell at him
and he continues to glare out the window as my fingers Whitten in my
hand as
I clench tightly to his shirt, "Listen when talked to, you wouldn't
do th-"
Luke takes me off of him, glaring at me angrily. "Luke, he won't lis-"
"He's not listening to you that way either,"
he shrugs, "and yes he did do
this to Uncle Jesse, Jesse gave up and went out before he could loose
his
temper at him."
"Sorry," I answer ashamedly for my attitude.
I look at Bo who lies down onto
his pillow, facing away from us. From what I see of his face I see
a big
tear roll freely down his face and he closes his eyes, "I guess
I should
call hi-"
"Jesse already did, they said it could be
a post reaction to everything that
has happened," Luke answers, "Says to call him if he doesn’t
show any
progress within the next two days and he will drive out."
Two days later…
I slowly awake to someone yelling loudly in great
fear and pain. As I awaken
fully I realize that it is Bo in the next room yelling. I look at my
digital
alarm clock that reads that it is two fifteen in the morning and rush
into
the boys' room to find Bo covered in sweat, tossing in his sheets.
Luke
tries helplessly to awaken him as Jesse follows me in.
"What is going on?" Jesse says and goes silent as he sees Bo.
"Another night mare, he has been having them
ever since he came home; but
nothing this bad," he answers in fear, "he is real hot this
time too."
Jesse brushes past me to Bo and Luke fights his
hold to hold Bo still enough
for Jesse to check his forehead. "Daisy, go and get me the thermometer,"
he
orders me, "and a wet cloth with cold water."
I nod and rush to get what he has instructed me
to do. Quickly I return to
see that they have awakened Bo who lies still on his bed, still sweating.
His sweat pants and undershirt is soaked with his sweat. I hand Jesse
the
thermometer and he goes to place it into Bo's mouth and Bo refuses
to let
him do so, though suddenly he allows him in weakness to fight.
After a long couple of minutes he takes it out
and reads it. "104.5," he
answers fearfully, "we need to take him to the hospital...and
now."
I nod slowly, too numb to say anything. I think
back to the past two days of
which he hasn't talked or looked at anyone, but remained on his bed;
even
refusing to eat. Suddenly I jerk as Bo begins to gasp for air and is
apparent that he isn't getting much. I watch Jesse slowly get up and
walks
out and I look at Luke who has a deep look of fear. "C'mon Bo,
you have to
be OK," Luke pleas as he takes my wet cloth and places it in the
water
before folding it up and placing it on his forehead.
"Ca…can't…bre…athe," Bo
manages to spit out, the first thing he has said in
like three days.
"I know buddy, help is on its way," Luke
says as Jesse walks in and takes
over with Bo and the washcloth, "it will be here soon."
"Just a few minutes," Jesse says worriedly
and I can tell that he doubting
that it will make it in time for Bo who suddenly vomits everywhere
and he
fights even more for air.
It seems to take the ambulance forever to get to
the farm. When they bust
through the kitchen door to the boys' room thanks to the direction
of Luke,
Bo is too weak to even stay awake, though Luke and Jesse work hard
on
keeping him awake. I watch as they place Bo on the stretcher and place
an
air mask on his mouth and nose, before they take him away.
It has been four hours since we all have been at
the hospital in the waiting
room. Jesse had rode along with the paramedics to the hospital and
informed
us how he lost consciousness a few minutes before they reached the
hospital,
as well as a weakening heart beat; though nothing that should be worried
about at the moment.
"Dukes," calls a lengthy light black skin toned doctor and
we all run over
to him.
"How's my cousin?" Luke cuts out before anyone could ask.
"Well he is asleep and has regained consciousness,"
says Doctor Laynester as
I read his gold name tag, "We have managed to drop his temperature
down to
102.8 which is better. We believe this is the cause of the dramatic
experience of the accident…a post reaction to it and perhaps also
to being
pushed too far with the therapy.
"He has shown great improvement, but his legs
still hurt him and is
weak...he confesses to falling a lot...or feeling like he is,"
he continues.
"He never said anything," Luke cuts in.
"Well perhaps he doesn’t want to let
you guys down," he shrugs, "his other
doctor’s say that his progression should go by what he wants to
do...when he
is ready. He should be fine though; we are going to wait until his
temperature drops more to send him home; to be on the safe side."
We nod and as he says we have to wait for hospital
visiting hours to see him
next we walk away, on our way home to get what sleep we can get in.
I follow Luke into the hospital from where Luke
had drove Jesse's truck
here. Everyone remains silent, thinking of how Bo will be this morning.
We
walk into the waiting room to find his doctor talking to the receptionist
at
the desk. "Well Dukes," he sighs in relief to see us, "I
was just telling
her to call me when you get in."
"How is he?" Jesse asks worriedly.
"He will be fine, his temp went up a degree
more over night," he says, "and
he seems a bit delusional due to his temperature and pain. Though we
put him
on more medication that should lower his temperature that will take
away the
delusions he is seeing."
"Can we see him?" Luke questions.
He looks at us all for a few moments before saying,
"I will get in trouble
for allowing all three of you to do so, but go for it."
Jesse looks at him sceptically before we follow
him to Bo's room. Opening
the door his doctor says, "We have him hooked to a breathing tube
in his
nose, his lungs are giving him troubles with everything and them being
punctured; he will be fine if treated right."
Jesse nods and we all walk in and I shut the door behind us. I look
at Bo
whose pale skin is streaked with icy cold chills sweat still that continues
to roll down his face; his hair is matted down by the sweat. He lies
asleep
as we all look down at him.
For two hours we stay in his room while he sleeps,
mostly everyone being
silent as we watch Bo sleep. I feel Luke jump in surprise besides me
and
find Bo grabbing Luke's hand as he awakes. "Bo," Luke grins
and Bo just
looks around the room, his bright blue eyes shine with pain and fear.
"How
do you feel?"
"Wanna go…home," he still fights for air painfully.
"You have to wait until you feel better, little
cuz," Luke says, calling him
his child hood nickname from Luke, "how do you feel other than
wanting to go
home?"
"I hurt...saw you a few minutes ago crashing
the General to get even with
me," he says admitting his delusions, "along with a bunch
of different odd
things like that."
"Your doctor says you are delusional at times...it
will go when your
temperature goes," Jesse adds in as he runs his hand through his
hair. "We
all are here for you."
Bo nods blocking his tears in his eyes as he looks around and coughs
painfully into his hand. "Bo we are sorry," Luke breaks the
odd silence,
"well I am...for forcing you to do something you weren't ready
for, we
should have let it up to you."
We all agree before Jesse says, "It is up
to you, all up to you."
Bo nods before yawning widely, gasping for air. "I wanna go home,"
he
repeats sadly.
"I know buddy," Luke says sadly, "in a couple of days...you will be fine."
As time went on Bo got somewhat better. He refused
to see Luke though; this
to me was kind of weird. He would ask for Uncle Jesse sometimes but
mostly
for me. The doctor wondered why there was such an interest in Bo seeing
me.
When I asked why he would say it reminded him when we lived in our
apartment. Just the look of my face made him think about how nice it
was
before Bo got that job.
The doctor over heard our conversation and when
Uncle Jesse showed up, the
doctor pulled us aside. "I think that the reason that Bo had problems
with
his rehabilitation was because he wanted to show off to Luke how strong
he
was. It wasn't that he was worried about you two. Bo was just having
problems," Doctor Lynester stated.
"What do you suggest?"
"He keeps telling me about his old apartment.
I think that he should go back
there with just Daisy. He seems to have better days when it's just
her."
"So your suggesting that they go back to Chicago and do it all over again?"
"Yeah I am. Look, it might not be good for
you but it does wonders for some
people. Bo is one of those people. He needs time and a place where
he feels
like he can get the help he needs."
"I don't have the money to send them there."
"A certain concerned doctor really wants to
send him. I will pay for it. I
will also send them a thousand dollars a month. I want them to be safe
and I
want Bo to recover."
"We can't let you do that."
"I am forcing you too. Besides, Bo will benefit from this."
"Only if Daisy wants to." I had to think
about this. No needed it more than
I needed to be home.
We moved out, with every article that belonged
to us. Our rooms looked so
empty. I looked at the house and Luke held me. "It's not going
to be the
same without you Daisy. But you're doing the right thing." Luke
stated.
"I hope so."
I walked out the door and went to the hospital.
From there we went to the
airport and now I was travelling on the plane. Bo was in the seat next
to me
sleeping away. How peaceful he was. I wish I didn't have to wake him.
I watch my cousin sleep on the old ratty bed that
lies in the larger of the
two bed rooms of the apartment .We have been here for over a month
now and I
fight hard to grasp hard at how he has changed and still come up empty.
My
cousin is the most hard headed person I know and lately it has been
getting
on my nerves and I find myself loosing my temper at him for all the
times he
tells me no or anything else he don’t want to do.
He sleeps comfortably with little movement and
the only thing that looks
from his appearance while he sleeps is the cast on his arm. I think
of the
past month or so of all that we did. We went out to eat, to different
dance
clubs, taking walks during the day, or should I say I walk while he
rolls
himself along, and has attended a Chicago Cubs game. He was so brightened
by
the game that I thought he would never stop talking about it, even
better
the cubs won. He talked about it all the way home and until he went
to bed.
Though when he awoke the next day, it was much the same to him being
quiet
and refusing everything.
I do not understand him at all, the doctor said
that this will work and that
this is what he needs. Nothing has changed; he wouldn’t talk that
and
refuses to even look at the walker. The only time he walked on the
walker
was when I promised him to take him to a Cubs game if he used it for
at
least an hour a day for a week. After the Cubs game he went back to
the
wheel chair.
I jump as the phone rings in the living room and
I make my way there and
answer on the third ring. "Hello."
"Hi Daisy," Luke says happily.
"Luke…" I say exasperated by his
call, "What ya doing calling? This is long
distance and Uncle -"
"I know, but talked him into letting me call,"
I hear his smile over the
phone, "How has he been doing? It has been a month and he should
be
improving."
"I know Luke, but he isn't," I sigh heavily
over the phone, "He is silent
all day and refuses to use the walker, sometimes even refuses to get
out of
the bed."
"Why?" he asks worriedly.
"Dunno, he is so quiet and yet so stubborn,"
I sigh worriedly, "he is now
asleep...he has been sleeping longer lately too."
Silence goes over the line as I hear Bo stumble
with his wheel chair and
makes it into the rest room. "He just awoke," I say.
"Good I want to talk to him," he says.
"Figured you would,” I say to him as
Bo wheels in, I hand him the receiver
and say, "It is for you."
I walk a few feet into the kitchen while I hear
Bo talk to his cousin, glad
and happiness is in his voice talking to him. I look at old pictures
of the
family and wonder what is going on with Bo and why what should be working,
not working. Anger and fear build up in me toward my cousin for all
that has
happened or is happening.
Three months has gone by since we have moved to
Chicago and yet nothing has
changed. I have been taking him to the nearest doctor and he has been
looking him over and working with him. Though yesterday he had told
me that
he is no longer open to work with someone who is so stubborn and set
in his
ways to not get better. So once again we are without a doctor or a
therapist
for him. Why does he have to ruin everything that could help him that
comes
along? Why?
Anger explodes within me as I think of his last
session and his doctor who
was beyond patience with Bo. Unable to control my anger I storm into
his
room to find him looking at a magazine in his bed. Quickly I snatch
it away
from him and throw it on the floor and he grunts in anger toward me.
"You
want it go get it," I yell at him, "I hope you are happy...you
no longer
have a doctor or a therapist here. How are you supposed to get better?
You
want to be stuck in that thing for the rest of your life?"
He only shrugs at me, tears form in his eyes as
they have been lately. "Cry
if you want to cry baby, I can't stand you any more! I tried to help
and all
you done is push away from me. Why Bo?" I yell at him and grab
his shirt and
no feelings show in his eyes that look the emptiest that I have ever
seen
them, "Fine don't talk to me...I am through caring for you. Do
what you want
to do, I don't care any more! I hate you Bo Duke!"
With that said I let go of him and storm out of his room where I run
into my
room and cry into my pillow.
I awake and look at the clock that reads that it
is already noon. I must
have cried myself asleep and slept through two hours. Slowly I get
up and
walk to the rest room and clean up, what I told my cousin plays in
my mind
and guilt sweeps over me.
Leaving the rest room I move to my cousin's room
to find the door open and
his bed empty; the wheel chair gone. "Bo!" I yell out running
around the
apartment, finding nothing. "No! C’mon Bo, this isn't funny;
I get your
point!"
I get no response and I panic deeply, my heart
beats raced in my chest as I
don't find my cousin. Regaining control I slowly place a call into
Luke
whose worry and fear sweeps over me worse than what I was before. He
urges
for him to come down and to help me out and no matter how bad I tried
to
resist he insisted and if we want to stay here a lone then we can,
he just
wants to find his cousin.
Bo has been gone for about three days now and Luke
just had arrived a couple
hours ago. We go over several things that was said and what we done,
and yet
can't think of where he may have gone. "I'm sorry Luke,"
I sniffle back a
tear, "I didn't mean what I said, it was just…I lost my temper
and -"
"I know and he knows," Luke says calmly,
"We will find him, Bo don't stay
gone for long." I nod as he lays out a plan for us to find him.
One that I
pray that will work, though remain doubtful.
Luke has been down to Chicago for two weeks now,
helping me look around for
our cousin. Even after that long we haven't found Bo anywhere or any
hint to
where he is or could be at. "I never figured on this," Luke
says opening his
bottle of beer, the clock reads that it is eleven at night; we just
got back
from searching, "He could be anywhere...heck he could be in Hazzard
by now."
"Yeah," I say sadly, taking a sip of
mine. My mind wonders thoroughly of
what to do and of guilt.
Silence runs over us for a long half hour as we
are lost in thought.
Suddenly there are loud foot steps outside the door and I look over
at Luke
in fear. He nods as he slowly gets up, setting his beer down on the
table. I
watch in fear and in anticipation of what will happen as Luke makes
his way
to the door. He stands still listening for awhile before he opens the
door.
I yelp in anger, excitement, and pride as I see
Bo standing at the door
without anything to help him up other than a couple of crutches. Luke
stops
midway from yelling at whoever it is to stop making such a racket out
of the
apartment door. We both look at him and he just glares at Luke for
a long
while and at me. In his eyes shows the fear and recognition of what
he did,
though yet apologetically.
"Where have you been Bo?" Luke demands
his cousin, "You had us all worried
sick about you, and Chicago isn't any Hazzard! It is a big city where
anything could happen."
"I know," Bo grins at him ignoring the anger in Luke's hazy
blue eyes.
"What happened? What inspired you to learn
how to walk?" I ask ignoring my
anger at him, amazed by his stubbornness to do as he wants.
"Stuff," Bo answers wobbling past both of us.
"What stuff?" Luke asks interested.
"Not talking to you," Bo responds to
him, "I wouldn't do anything stupid
like y'all are insisting that I did."
"Talk to me cuz," Luke stops him placing
a soft hand on his cousin's
shoulder, "I was just very worried, you had daisy scared to death!
You think
that was funny?
"Don't know why, she is the one that said
she didn't care no more and that
she hated me," he says sarcastically.
"I lost my temper," I apologize, "I am sorry, I didn't mean any of it."
He shrugs sullenly looking from one to another.
"What were you doing?
Staying?" Luke asks.
"What do you think I was doing? This didn't
happen over night," Bo says
sarcastically to us, "I was staying at a homeless shelter down
the
street...figured none of you would find me there and that I would return
when I was ready...just like y'all promised me back home!"
Luke and I look at one another for a long moment,
realizing what this is
about. It is about his broken trust in what we said, about his hurt
feelings
that we pressed on when we said we wouldn't, and about needing his
space.
"Well what made you decide it was time?" I ask, speaking
up for the first
time.
"Got a job," he smiles proudly at us.
"As what?" I ask dreadfully.
"As a stock car driver, got me my own car
and all," he grins, "all I need is
a back up driver slash lead mechanic...practice will start up in a
few
weeks. Will make seven hundred dollars and up for all my wins and
seventy-five dollars for just participating in the race one way or
another."
Luke and I look at one another in awe before Luke
hugs Bo tightly with pride
and joy for his best friend. "That is great Bo," Luke grins.
"You could take that place if ya want," Bo offers, "of
my back up driver and
lead mechanic?"
"I can't, I have to go back to Hazzard. Uncle
Jesse needs me. I need to go
back home," Luke stated.
"How about you Daisy? You're a great mechanic.
I mean wow Daisy! You are so
multitalented. You're awesome in the General and you fly down the road
better then the rest of us," Bo stated. I knew I was the second
choice. But
this was an offer that I couldn't refuse. I knew that Luke wasn't too
happy
when I nodded my head. He stormed out of the room angry.
"I didn't want to hurt him by not coming back to the farm," I mumbled.
"You want to just try this again?"
"Yeah I do Bo. I want to see how it would be like working with you."
"It will require hard work."
"Who knows hard work better than a country girl?"
"No one I guess."
Now Bo got stronger everyday. He was faster on
the track than most people. I
even raced him a few million times in the General Lee.
I traded Luke the General for the Road runner.
He agreed. I guess it was
because it was Bo's car and his. Luke didn't want to be the sole owner.
Luke didn't call or even visit. He was an outsider
to us. At least that's
what I thought was going through Luke's mind. It wasn't fair for him
to be
this way. I thought about all the stuff that they had gone through
together
and now all of this?
Bo didn't mind too much. He was too concerned with
his fame. When Bo wasn't
racing cars, he was singing in the lounge. Bo loved to sing. He did
it so
well too. It earned us a pretty penny.
I couldn't think about that too much. We had a
race tonight. Bo and I were
walking out of the apartment when Bo slipped on the wet floor and went
sliding down the hallway. As Bo finally came to a stop, I noticed the
amount
of pain his leg was in.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"Yeah, my leg is broken as is my pride. I
don't think I'll be racing
tonight," Bo answered. He hit his hand hard on the wall. Bo wasn't
too
happy. He had been winning all his races lately and bringing in big
bucks. I
couldn't believe that he wasn't going to get to race today.
"So I am racing in your place?"
"I am afraid so baby doll and tonight is when
you get the big statue if you
win. This was the final race before the all American race. I can't
believe
this."
"Well at least a Duke will be out there."
He smiled and gave me a noogie. I
hated when he did that but I guess that was for the best.
Later that evening...
I put on the helmet for the race. My body felt
chilled and my eyes wide
open. I was more ready for this moment then anything else in the world.
I
got into the car and felt the leather of the driving gloves as I put
them
on. I was going to do it. I was going to be in this race.
As the light turned from red to yellow I took a
deep breath. One more yellow
when finally it turned green. All the cars zoomed out in a hurry. The
tires
screeched from behind. I was behind the wheel of the fastest car. Here
I was
in the lead and no one would cut me a break. I was doing manoeuvres
that I
had to learn when driving in Hazzard. I especially love Uncle Jesse's
old
ridge runner move.
Someone suddenly pushed me off the course. Boy
was I mad. My mechanics
surrounded me making sure the car was back in order. One mumbled to
me,
"You're the best Daisy and I know you can do this." I knew
I could too. I
started my engine. It roared like a lion. No one knew it then but my
car was
going to fly. I started going for the small dip in the road and managed
to
get in the air. I must've gone about one yard in distance because I
was in
the lead again. I drove as fast as I could drive. I could smell that
burning
rubber behind me. I could see the finish line when two guys came up
together
and crunched my car. I hit the tape but another guy rear-ended me and
sent
me tumbling over and over again. I blacked out.
~End Chapter Eight~