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.

Hello Friends. This is just a head's up that I will be out of town Thurs. Sept 19 - Monday the 22nd, possibly the 23rd. So, naturally, I won't available to chat on AOL. I'll miss everyone while I'm gone. Dr. Chance Walker

"Do I really have a choice?" Chance asked, and then sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I hope this works, that office is all I have." Luke looks at her questionally before looking around the room, his mind runs through his gears, fighting for every tiny description of his plan. "I'll take that as a yes," he glares over at Chance, "Now we need to go and give it to him straight out. There is no need for us all to go, that'll just spook him even more. Y'all go do your thing, and I will go in with Chance to keep HOgg in order." Chance nodded, agreeing with the plan. "Kristy." she turned to her assistant and friend. "I just want you to know I appreciate all you've done for me and my office. Even if this doesnt work out, I hope we can be friends, even if I'm not your boss anymore." Kristy gives Chance a friendly smile before replying, "I would hope we could be friends no matter what," she pauses, "but if I were you, I'd trust my brothers and my cousin...Garrett knows as much about motorcycles as he does cars, as does Bo. You lean on them, and they'll pull you through." "Alright, I have faith in you Dukes. " Chance grinned. "Well's if we're gonna do this, let's do this. I gotta race to run." "That's the spirit," Luke grins at her as he heads to the door, leaving everyone behind and stops at the door to wait for the young doctor. Chance accompined the oldest Duke cousin to the county court house. Ignoring the protests of Enos and Cletus, the two marched past the sheriff's office and pushed open the door to Hogg's office. "What in the devil's name are YOU doing in my office?!" Hogg yells as Luke escorts Chance into the smokey small office, "Rosco! Enos!" "Jus' relax Hogg," Luke says stepping forward, lending a forceful hand to sit him down upon his expensive swivel chair, "We're here to talk to you...not your dipsticks!" "Me?" Hogg asks, acting his innocence as he lights up his thick cigar. "You are Hogg aren't you?" Luke gives him a cold glare from his knowledgeable blue eyes, "Chance and I have a deal to make with you." "A deal?" Hogg puffs on his thick cigar, "What type of deal? I don't want to make no deal with no Duke!" "Well. . .I'm sure by the time we are through, you will change that greedy mind of yours Hogg," Luke sneers before looking at Chance, turning back to Hogg, Luke drags out the damaging cassette tape of Rosco's confession, "I got here a cassette tape. . .a confession of sorts that I am sure you would be interested in hearing. . .seeing how it holds very damaging confessions towards you!" "Me?" he still mocks innocence. "Like how you recked Chance's bike here so you could own her garage yourself," Luke snaps back, "Ain't that right, Chance?" "We know you stole my bike and we know why." Chance added. "I could put you behind jailbars but good. But instead, I'm willing to make a deal with you. You want my office so bad, Hogg? You willing to gamble for it?" "Gamble?" he puts an offended face upon his chubby face, blowing out smoke in the direction of the handsome Duke, "I don't know what you are talking about." "Well then, we'll show you," Luke says placing the tape into a tape player and pushes play. He watches as Hogg's face goes from surprise to hear his sheriff still talking to Kristy to horror when Rosco's confession is finished, "is that enough evidence for you Hogg? We show this to the feds and you'll be away for a long while. . .Lulu just may find herself another man! Now you can go along with Chance here. . .or this tape will find it's way into a large muscular greedy hand of an FBI officer." "Deal is this, Boss." Chance's blue eyes narrows. "You let me run the race and you also run. I win, I keep my office and YOU upgrade my equipment to boot. You win, the office is yours and I'm outta of your hair...such as it is...permantantly." Chance inwardly winced at the last line. The unexpected bonus to here leaving Hazzard would hopefully seal the bargain. Hogg's brown eyes shoots up from glaring at Luke to Chance as she says her deal. "That's the deal? That easy?" he asks, his posture relaxes, "Perhaps I don't have to fire that numbskull of a sheriff." "Nothin's that easy, Hogg," Luke cuts in, "you find yourself a driver and we'll have ourselves a nice CLEAN race for that there office." "Deal," he looks at Chance, ignoring Luke, "when's the race?" "Wheres my bike?" the doctor countered. "I'll have it sent over to Cooter this afternoon," he grunts as Luke grabs the tape, "Hey, I want that!" "Too bad Hogg," he smiles, "I'll hold on to it until it all is over. The race will be in two days...that will be Friday at five o' clock pm. Be there or pay the penaltys." "Any tricks from you and Lulu's going get a very appalling health report from me. I'm sure dutiful wife she is, shed followed any advice a doctor would give after recieveing that." Chance grinned wickedly. "Take care, Hogg." With that, Luke and Chance turned and left the courthouse. Only when they got to Cooter's and out of sight, Chance left out the laugh she was holding since Luke played the tape. "Lord, just the look on his face was worth it." "Well how'd it go?" Kristy asks while they come into view. "We have two days to get her prepared to race," Luke says behind Chance, "then we race for the office. Bo, Garrett. . .Hogg is having one of his goons out there run over her bike to the garage, once we get it, it is up to you to teach her everything she needs to know about bike racing."

Well, I had to look this up but I share my birthday with an interesting cocktail of people, including Pope John Paul II, Reggie Jackson and George Strait. A pope, a baseball player and and a country singer...sounds like the beginning of a bad joke doesn't it? On a more personal level, I also share my birthday with my best friend in the world. We were literally next to each other in this hospital nursey and havent been seperated since. I would'nt have it any other way. Chance PS. Plus, Mt. Saint Helens volcano blew on my birthdate, big surprise there.

Chance had stayed silent up until then, listening to the Dukes work out their plan. She didn't much like the idea of using her friend, Kristy, as bait on her behalf but also didn't see any other alternatives at the moment. So she sat in the chair of her reception area, quiet, while petting the calico cat which, upon her arrival, had immedicatly jumped onto her lap. She found its presence soothing at the time. Which was a good thing, because she was still mighty miffed at Luke for his chauvistic atitude towards her racing ability. She could understand he was from the country and that was simply the atitude and that she, being a surgeon which is still a male dominated field, was probably being over sensative to it. Her danged high octane temper didn't help any either. But for the moment, she turned her attention to the siutaion at hand. "Boss Hogg wouldnt dare leave Hazzard without a proper doctor. I'll bet he's gonna try putting one he can buy in my place. He could run fees up sky high then. We can't let him get away this this. People have a hard time affording medical care as it is without Hogg using it to line his own pockets." "Don't worry, Chance, we won't let Hogg get away with this." Luke assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know you wont, Luke. And I'm sorry for losing my temper before. It's not one of my best qualities." "But definitly never makes for a dull moment." Chance snorted. "Definitly. But you don't make many friends that way." "You can't scare me off that easy, I used to be Marine, remember?" Chance was quiet for a moment. "Luke, I don't think I ever told me about the patient that clinched me coming to Hazzard. Did I?" She leaned foward in the chair, dislodging the cat. The rest of the Duke clan was busy with Kristy's plan and not paying attention to their quiet conversation. "Well, no, but I didn't think it any of my business." "He was a 13 year old boy. a victim of a drive-by shooting, just at the wrong place at the wrong time. You should have seen him coming into the ER, he was covered in blood, at least 4 wounds. One just below the spinecord. He..." Chance swallowed before continuing. "he must have crashed twice on the way to the ER. They kept saying that it was no good, that he was finished, that even if he lived he'd be paralyzed from the neck down. But I keep bringing him back to the table. I worked on that kid's spine for 5 hours. He lived, and he'll walk with help." Chance looked at the floor before looking back up at Luke. "I've used my temper all my life as a tool against death, illness or a human body that wants to let go when I won't permit it. As a doctor faced with so many self-inflicted stupidities, helpless cases or unstoppable human suffering, you have to be angry every now and then, it give you an edge against everything you're fighting against. When I came back down after that surgery, that kid was already forgotten in the ER, just another patient in a endless line of patients. Not one other doctor, nurse, resident or patient cared whether that child had lived or died. That's when I knew that volume hospital work wasn't for me. But here in Hazzard, I know each patient by name already, by their face and they know I will do everything will my power to help them. That's real medcine. And someone trying to take that away from me for no other reason than profit is more than enough to set me on edge. But I guess I'm not used to channeling that energy elsewhere yet, so it hits the first thing I'm annoyed with, even if they're just trying to help." Luke's blue eyes were full of apathy. "I'm sorry, Chance, I didn't know." Chance stood, straightening out. "Hogg isn't gonna make me lose my office, I'll fight him every breath along the way. And he crosses me, I'll make sure Lulu has him on such a strict diet, he'll be eating nothing but cold grits and granola until judgement day." Grinning, Luke nodded. "Dr. Walker, you're starting to sound like a Duke."

Back at the Duke Farm, Uncle Jesse was finishing up chores. He just needed to feed the chickens, check for eggs and..he stopped dead in his tracks. Inside the Duke barn, the Honda lay...in pieces. It looked like a broken toy some giant child had taken apart. Hurrying back to the house, Jesse grabbed the CB "Sheperd to Lost Sheep, you better get back to the farm right quick and bring Chance with y'all." It didn't take long for the General Lee with the Dukes and Chance inside to arrive at the farm. Chance got one look at her dismembered motorcycle and paled. Squatting down, she survied the damage. The Honda was in at least a half dozen pieces. No way could Cooter put her back together in time for the race. She looked up at the Luke, Bo and Jesse. "Why was it here?" Before either of the Dukes could answer, Rosco's patrol car came roaring up to the barn. Rosco stepped out of the vehicle. "Alright you Dukes, I caught you redhanded this time. With the evidence AND a witness." "What are you talking about, Rosco?" "Well, Jit Jit, As I see it, Dr. Walker here reported her bike stolen this morning, and here is the bike, such as it is, on your property, that means you stole it." "Now wait just a minute!" "Dr. Walker, Did you not tell me your bike was gone this morning?" "Yes, but.." "And that only the Dukes knew about you being in the race?" "Well, I..." "There, you see. With that testimony, you Dukes have no case." Chance was fuming at this point. "Rosco, I will not bring charges up against the Dukes." But old Rosco had a ace up his sleeve yet. "Well, What if I told you that Luke here told Cooter that he didn't want you to run in the race?" "WHAT?!" "...that he thought it was too dangerous and he do ANYTHING to keep you from racing." Swinging her eyes to Luke, Chance demanded. "Is this true?" "Chance, that was before I knew about your office. You can't believe I would..." "I can take care of myself! How dare you..." "Hush! All of you!" In the few moments of distraction between the arguments bewteen Luke and Chance, and Rosco trying to play referee, Bo took the oppurunity to back and release the parking brake on the patrol car. The car started a slow slide backwards. "Uh, Rosco, you car.." Jesse pointed behind the sheriff. Rosco glances back at the car's slow retreat and let out a "Khee!" and took off after it. Luke grabbed Chance's arm and started for the General Lee. "C'mon!" The doctor yanked her arm back. "Im not going anywhere with you!" Chance said, still peeved at Luke. Unforunatly, Luke didn't give her a choice. Chance was the only witness, not to mention the victim of the supposed theft, and he and Bo wasn't about to leave her to Rosco and Hogg at the moment. She was mad enough too just maybe listen to them. Chance yelped as Luke hefted her up and pushed her into the General. Chance wasn't thrilled to be hoisted around like a sack of grain and let the boys know that. "How would you feel is you found the General Lee laying disassembled on my office floor? I should let Rosco arrest you two just for the priciple!" "Now Chance..." "Luke, you don't even talk to me right now! I don't care for that 'I'm the man so I know best' country atitude of yours. I should deck you for not thinking I could run that race." "Darling, I was only looking out for your best interest. I mean, a wreck in a stockcar, you at least have a steel frame around you, on a motorcycle, theres nothing to protect you. And I didn't know how much you needed the money then." "Look, you're not my father, preacher or husband, not that being any of those would stop me, you can just stay the hell out of my personal life!" Bo interruppted them. "Hey, you two, as fascinating as conversation is , we still have a problem." Luke nodded and turned his attention back to the outraged doctor. "Look, Chance, do you really think we would let us lose your office?" "Well.." Chance sighed and shook her head. "Well, No. But what can we do about it now? The Honda's in pieces and the race was the best chance I had for some hard cash." "You're still gonna win that race." Luke picked up the CB. "Lost Sheep to Sheperd. Uncle Jesse, grab those cycle parts and head for Cooter's. We gotta get that bike back together before Sunday." "Sorry, Luke, gonna be kinda hard to do. Rosco's already taken the bike pieces as 'evidence'." "Dang, look, lets meet at Chance's office. Maybe together we can figure a way out of this mess."

As promised, Chance headed over to Cooter to get her bike the next morning. She had left the cat sleeping contently on bed. Chance had a feeling she was in trouble in that regard and she had just been adopted by the stray. Cooter was shoulder deep in a pickup when Chance came over. He frowned. "What you need, Chance?" "What I need is my bike, Cooter. Where is it?" Cooter's eyes widened. "You mean you don't have it? It was gone this morning, I figured you took it early." "What do you mean its gone? I don't have it!" But Cooter was right, the Honda was gone. Less than an hour later, Rosco was showing his usual police skills at he questioned Chance and Cooter about the missing motorcycle. Rosco was still sore at Chance for escaping his speed trap the day before, so he balancing between accusing the doctor and the mechnaic of hiding the cycle so Rosco wouldn't impound it and accusing "them Dukes" of stealing it. "Them Dukes", by the way, arrived a few minutes after Rosco, Cooter had called them once it become obvious the sheriff was going to be as much help as a stockcar without tires or an engine. After Rosco left, Bo turned to Chance. "What I don't get is who would even know you decided to run the race? I mean, you only told us and Cooter about it." Luke looked thoughtful. "Rosco got a good look at the cycle yesterday. You think Boss stole it to keep you from participating?" Chance shook her head. "But Why? He isn't running a cycle either so there's no threat of competition there." "That wouldnt stop Boss, he's got your number ever since you threatened to have Lulu put him on a strict diet." Meanwhile, Rosco headed over to Boss's office at the Boar's Nest. He opened the office door and sure enough, Chance's Honda sat the center of the office. "Boss" He said, squeezing between the motorcycle and the desk. "I don't get why you had me confiscate this here bike. I mean, you don't plan on running anything in that cycle race on Sunday." "That's right, Rosco. And if you used a smidgen of that brain you claim you got, you'd remember that Dr. Walker came to me some weeks ago trying to find county money to her upgrade her medical machines." "Which you didnt give her." "Which I didnt give her." Hogg agreed. "However, I have it on good authorithy that, according to federal health standrds, she has to keep her office equipment current, or risked being shut down. So no money, so medical office." "But Boss, Hazzard needs a doctor and the closest one is in Chickasaw, other than Applby and he's retired now." "I know that, dipstick, I've already spoken with several doctors who are more...inclined to my point of view of the health of Hazzard County." "Oh khee, you gonna buy yourself a doctor!" "Yeah Imagaine the possabilities. All that state grant money coming in. Not to mention charging whatever I want for medical services and prescriptions. And an added bonus, we can frame the theft on the Dukes." "Oh, imagine the look at the ciy-slicker's face when we cuff n stuff her boyfriend for stealing her motorcycle!" Back in town, Chance, Cooter and the Dukes were still discussing the disappearance of the Honda. Despite this diasterous turn of events, Chance still had to open the office, just in case someone needed her services. Crossing the street with her, Luke and Bo still debated who could be the thief. Chance unlocked the front door and stepped inside. Entering the medical offices, Luke found his feet suddenly tangled with something. The calico cat had tried to twine itself around his legs as he stepped though the door. Trying to save himself from a fall, Luke caught himself and collided with Chance, and had to wrap his arms around her to keep them both from falling. Once steady, Luke looked down at the cat, grinning and in no hurry to release Chance. "I like this cat already." The calico chirped. Chance, however, was in no mood to be overly friendly. "Oh, go blow up an outhouse." Luke looked and BO and shrugged. "Look, Chance, I know you're disappointed about not being able to use the extra money. But even if worse comes to worse, the office will just to wait for any improvements. There's no need to be this upset." Chance leaned against her desk, crossing her arms in front of her. "Actually, we have a bigger problem then just not winning the race. Without this money, I'll have to shut down the office." Both boys looked stunned. Luke spoke up first. "WHAT? What do you mean, 'shut down'?" "Well, every time a doctor opens an office, a state health inspector comes in. He was...a little disappointed with the age and condition of the equipment I currently have. Basically, He told me I have six weeks to refit the place or the health board will close me...permanantly." "Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Bo asked. Luke frowned. "Where else does that report go?" "Ummm. There's the state offices in Atlanta, the health review board and..." now Chance's eyes widened. "and the county commissioner's office." Bo and Luke looked at each over and grinned. "Bingo."

"I've seen what happeans when those things go wrong...up close. I want it off, Cooter." "Awww, but Chance..." "No buts, No NOS, get me?" "Chance, you think you may have a chance with just your driving skills." Luke pointed out. "But every little bit helps." "Well, I don't think..." Cooter interruppted her. "Look, Doc, Why don't you take her for a test spin, and if she blows up in your face, I wont charge you for the repair." "Oh, Thats a comforting thought." Chance looked from the faces of her friends to the bike. " Alright. Let me close up shop and I'll give her a go." Chance sighed and looked heavenward. She crossed the street and locked the offices up. The calico cat was still fast asleep on the chair. When she returned to the garage, Luke was pulling on her spare helmet. "Where do you think you're going?" "I'm coming with you. If something does go wrong, you're going to need something who can try and fix it.." Chance put her hands on her hips. "Luke Duke, if say one word about needing a man around to fix things, I'll brain you, I swear." "I wasn't the one who smacked her hand with a hammer yesterday while trying to hang a picture in her office." "Alright, you two. You can flirt later. Let's see what this baby can do!" Cooter cut in. Chance fired the engine and the motorcycle roared to life. Even Chance had to admit to the surge of power the machine had now. Pulling on her own helmet, Chance waited for Luke to join her and took off. Once out of the town, where traffic was clearer, Chance let the Honda's throttle out. She watched cautiously as the cycle's speedometer slowly climbed. Chance couldnt help but enjoy the power the Honda was showing, she loved motorcycles for the speed and the thrill, and although she would never admit it, having Luke hanging on to her waist as definitly an added bonus. Chance took the Honda past the Boar's Nest. It didn't take for the sound of Rosco's siren to reach her ears, Chance glanced as Rosco pulled out of the parking lot and started after her. She started to go for the brakes, but hesitated. What better way to test the motorcycle than try it against the Hazzard county sheriff? It wasn't as if outrunning Rosco with his speed traps wasn't a Hazzard tradition anyhow. She glanced back to Luke and motioned her intentions. He nodded in agreement. Leaning over the handlebars, Chance let out the gas. The Honda started to pull away from the patrol car. But Chance's head came up fast seen Enos's patrol appeared a bit ahead of them in a roadblock. Blast it all! Chance thought, now she would no choice but stop. Easing on the brakes, Chance felt Luke tapped her shoulder. He pointed to the NOS switch and then to a slight dip in the road next to the deputy's car. Chance knew what he was thinking. Not giving herself time to think of what she was about to do, Chance hit the acceltaror hit and pointed the cycle to the slope. Ignoring Enos frantics waves, Chance hit the NOS as the Honda hit the incline and the motorcycle was instantly airborne. Landing behind the patrol car, Chance could only imagine that confusion she and Luke left. Looking back, Chance saw indeed that their tactic surprised Rosco into taking his patrol into the side panel of Eno's car. Cooter owes me some for adding to his business today, Chance thought amused. They arrived back at Cooter's a short while later and tell their tale to their friend, which gave them all a good laugh. Dusty and gritty from the Hazzard backroads, Chance grinned at Cooter. "Ok, the NOS tanks stays." Bo let out a rebel yell as Luke clapped the mechanic on the shoulder. It was after dusk when Chance reentered the office. She had stayed at Cooter's garage for a cold cola while listening the boys talk shop, not really understand any of it, but it was entertaining to watch four grown men talk about cars and motorcycles as if they were oversized toys. Finally, having enough for one day, Chance said her goodbyes with the promise to pick her bike up the next day. Halfway to the stairs, Chance was stopped by a familar chirp. The forgotten calico cat was watching her from a spot on the steps. Chance shook her head at the animal and picked her up, intending to throw her out. "Ok, you have to go now." The calico howver, purred and rubbed her head under Chance's chin. She sighed. "Oh Alright, you can stay the night, but in the morning you really have to go." Cat in arms, Chance went upstairs and to bed.

The next morning proved to be as busy as Chance had planned. Between the motorcycle and car races, every hotshot driver in Hazzard was in for a physical, on top of Chance's schdeuled patients. By the time 4PM came along, Chance plopped herself down in one of the reception area chairs and let out a sigh. "If I have to look at one more patient today... I swear, All of Hazzard county and half of Chickasaw was through here today." She rubbed her eyes and stretched her long legs out before her. She had sent Kristy home about an hour before, letting the woman get back to the farm in time to help make supper for her children. No sense making them both stay late, Kristy had a family to look to, after all, and Chance had no such obiligation. She had taken her cycle across the street to Cooter's before work for a tuneup and some a once-over by Hazzard county lone mechanic. If she was going to do this race, her cycle was going to be a top condition. Not that it was anything otherwise, the apple red Honda was a graduation gift to herself for gaining a much sought after residency at the Atlanta ER. Chance wasn't afraid to admit that cycle was her baby as much as the General Lee was Bo and Luke's. Except, of course, Chance did not know anyting about mechanics. She left Cooter with the promise that if he didn't tell her what he was going to do with her bike, she wouldnt tell him how her latest surgery went. Decideing to have a quick supper before any more patients arrived, Chance made herself a sandwich and coffee and brought them out onto the front porch to eat. However, she barely stepped onto the porch when her foot stuck something. Chance barely caught herself on the doorframe, sandwich plate and cup balancing precarliously. She looked down to see what tripped her. A large calico cat was staring up at her, sitting calming almost on top of Chance's toes. Scowling down at the feline intruder, Chance said. "Do you mind? We're closed for supper." The cat, apparently, didn't mind as it began washing itself. Bemused at this, Chance carefully stepped over the cat and sat on the front swing to have her meal. Half a sandwich and most of her coffee later, Chance found herself the object of intense study. The calico was lying in a patch of sun, front legs tucked underneath her, staring at the unfinished portion of her sandwich. "You want this?" She inquired. The cat chirped, not a meow, but a chirp. Taking this as a yes, Chance set plate down on the floor. The cat imeddiatly began devouring the sandwich, purring contently at the same time. Chance continued to sip her coffee and watch the cat. She hadnt had a pet since she was a kid in Atlanta, she had had a dark grey cat named Otis. She had loved that cat to the end. After that, she had gone to college and then never had time for a cat, or had apartments that didnt allow them. Still musing on that old memory, Chance scooped up the now empty plate opened the door to her building, intending to get caught up on paperwork. The cat, however, didn't intend on being left behind and squeezed between Chance's legs and into the building. "Hey!" Chance frowned at the cat, who was making herself comfortable on one of the reception area chairs, her paws kneading the overstuffed fabric. Chance looked into her deep green eyes and suddenly found herself unable to turn the stray away. "Oh alright, you can stay awhile, but then you go out." The cat chirped again and laid its head down on the seat. Chance smirked at the sleeping feline. "You're welcome." Almost an hour later, the Luke and Bo made their appearance at the office door. The cat merely opened one eye and then closed it again at their arrival. "You getting into vet service too now, Chance? I don't business has been bad but..." Bo teased, leaning over to stratch behind the calico's ears. "What's its name?" "No idea. She just made herself at home." Chance frowned. "Where's Garrett? I thought he was coming with you?" "He'll be along shortly." Luke explained. "He saw your bike at Cooter's and went over to have a let see for himself." Chance winced at the thought. "Lord, How many pieces was it in?" "One, so far." "Great. Well, Shall we?" Chance indicated a sweep of her arm to her office. Bo's physical was fairly standard. No surprise there. Most of the Duke clan was in near perfect health, except for a occasional case of raging hormones in the male of the family in the presence of a pretty girl. But Chance figured early on that only the Lord above could help them there. "Well, You're fit, Bo." Chance concluded, jotting her notes down on her clipboard "probably because you throw so many." That remark earned her a glare from the younger Duke. "Ok, handsome, you're next." She pointed to Luke with her pen. Ok, Chance admitted to herself. Her professionlism was probably being stretched a bit, having her boyfriend sitting on her bench, clad in just bluejeans. (since Chance had both boy's remove their shoes to weigh them and their shirts to check their breathing.) But she managed to go through the motions of the physical while keeping a straight face, probably in most part for the fact that Bo was watching this whole exchange with the greatest of amusement. Chance placed the stethoscope against Luke's chest. "Breath deep. Pretend like we're alone." She instructed. Luke looked like he wasn't amused by that wisecrack and Bo was choking on his laugh. "You're fine." Chance finally said, finished with her exam. "Just 'fine', huh?" "Don't push me, darling. I'm in no mood." Just then, Garrett came rushing in, grinning. "Chance, you have GOT to see what Cooter has done to your bike!" "Oh Lord, now what?" Without waiting for the Dukes, Chance hurried outside and across the street. Cooter had her motorcycle sitting out by the street. Chance looked at it suspiciously, it didn't seem any different to her. Very carefully, Chance asked. "What did you do?" "Only made sure you have this race won is what." Cooter was smiling like a kid with a new toy. "I supped this baby so much you could fly her to the moon." "Just what I need." By this time, Bo and Luke had caught up with Chance. Inspecting the bike, Bo frowned. "Is that a NOS tank you have there?" "Yep, I thought it would give it that extra kick." "Or blow me to smithereens. You DO know what happeans when nitrous oxide hits heat, right?" Chance didn't feel too sure about riding at what equaled an combustive engine combined with explosive gas. "Aw, Heck, Chance, you don't have gas in that there tank for more than a quick burst of speed." "or a nice incrediary explosion."

(Written with Kristy_Duke) (This story originally started out as a cowritten attempt but things got interruppted and the writing staled. Please, anyone feel free to add to this story. We're attempting to breath some new life into it. If you would like to add to earlier posts, please email either me or Kristy and we will edit/add accordingly. Pendragon) ====== Chance sipped her coffee as she sat on the steps of the Hazzard county medical offices and regarded her payment from her last patient. Mr. Gerson's son had broken his arm and Chance had reset and plastered it. Basic stuff really, but the local farmer had no money to give to Chance for service. So the next day, he brought his payment to Chance. ..his payment that was now munching on the rosebushes surrounding the office building. Chance sighed and rested her chin in her cupped hand. What the heck was she gonna do with a goat? But Chance hadnt the heart to turn the gift away, knowing that money didnt flow well in Hazzard but pride did. Truth be told, the medical offices were in trouble. Income wasnt flowing like Chance thought it would. State grants kept operating expenses down but the medical equipment needed badly upgraded and replaced. If Chance didnt come into some money soon, she have to cut back something. One thing she wouldnt cut though, was her new assistant, Kristy Duke, who was probably the best thing that happeaned to the medical office since Chance took over. She was bright, hard-working and wonderful with patients. Plus the added bonus she made a great pot of coffee, probably Chance's worst vice. Kristy's mind was filled with the morning's events of waking up her two children and getting them ready for day care when she walked into the local medical building where she works. This morning had been filled with the normal routine of waking Jamie and Shay up before waking up her lazy brother before being able to fix anything for breakfast. Though something about this morning's routine had seemed more full of children's innocent laughter than she could remember hearing for a long time now. "Good morning Dr. Walker," Kristy says throwing her small leather black purse under her old chesnut desk where she looks up at Chance to see the worry etched into the doctor's face, "What's wrong?. . .Here let me get a pot of coffee goin' for ya and you can tell me what is bothering you." Kristy lets a brief moment of silence to enter among them as she moves to the coffee pot, "I like your goat out there...he have a name?" "Thank you, Kristy. That goat.." Chance said, jerking her head towards the yard. "is the payment Jon Gerson owed the medical office for his son's arm." She grinned apologetically. "I guess I should put a sign up front. 'Payment Due Cash, check or livestock." Chance shrugged into her labcoat and hung her stethoscope around her neck. "Tommorrow's gonna be a busy day. THere are two races coming to Hazzard next week, one stockcar and one motorcycle. Entries begin tommorrow. I got a head's up from Cooter. Both requring a physical from the drivers. So we're gonna get half of the county in here, including your cousins probably." "You know it," Kristy lets off a grin at the doctor, "they wouldn't miss a race if thier life depended on it. . .but hey. . .it gives Luke a reason to come in. . ." Kristy smiles at the doctor once more as the coffee machine begins to make gurgling noises. "Givng your cousin a physical would certianly brighten my day, even if I do have to keep it on a professional level." Chance grinned mischievely. "By the way, since the goat won't fit the decor in my apartment, you think your Uncle Jesse could take that thing off my hands?" Kristy glances out at the goat who nibbles care free upon the small grass, his smoothe soft fur is spotted in large spots of black and white, his light brown horns makes a perfect curve. "Ahhh Chance," Kristy smiles, "but he's just too cute! You can't say that you intend to get rid of him. . .he could be your mascot." "Where would I put him? Besides, I don't meld well with farm animals, too much city upbringing I guess. Tell you what, I'll swap one of Daisy's homecooked meals for him. Her cooking is worth it." Chance's version of cooking usually included a frozen meal and a microwave...or a pizza delivery. "Well perhaps for you it is," Kristy shrugs before changing the subject, "Talking about races...you say a motorcycle race? Why don't you enter it with your bike? I mean you could race for this here clinic...your winnings could come in handy." Chance considered this. "I've never ran my bike in a race before, I would'nt know the first thing." But Kristy was right, the winning would seriously help the medical offices. "There's no problem there," Kristy shrugs to be given a glare from Chance, "No really. . .my brother was in a dirt bike race before...and won. That was Bo. On the other hand, my other brother, Garrett has his own motorcycle and knows almost anything there is to know about motorcycles and racing. If you don't mind working with Garrett..." "I never mind working with your family, Kris." The Duke family had welcomed Chance with open arms in Hazzard. "How's this? How about after work I'll bring the goat over around supper and I'll talk to your brothers." "If that is what you want. . .it was just an idea," Kristy replies, " and I am sure Jesse would love the goat." *** True to her word, Chance arrived at the Duke Farm in her Bronco after the medical office closed bearing the goat in her backseat. The place as usually was crawling with Dukes; Jesse, Daisy, Bo, Luke, Kristy, Garrett and Kristy's two children, ten month old Shay and 4 year old Jamie. The crowd usually made for chaotic time at supper, except when Uncle Jesse gave the blessing, at that time all was quiet. "Y'all hear of that race going on?" Bo asks to break the silence as Kristy hands the plate of potatos to her boss while taking the dish of chicken from Daisy, "the General's gonna come in first...leaving anyone else in it's dust!" "You wish," Garrett snaps in between chewing on food, "my car will eat yours for lunch!" "Boys enough," Jesse says to bring silence to the table once again, "You see we've got company. How's things at the clinic, Chance?" Chance knew there was no point lying to Jesse Duke. "Truthfully, Jesse. The medical equipment is in severe need to upgrades and even replacements. Some of Appby's stuff was current when I started med school. The state grants I managed to get are just enough to cover operating expenses. And.." Chance pointed to the goat who was chomping near the farmhouse "cash money in Hazzard is hard to come by. That's why I'm thinking of entering the motorcycle race myself." "OOO a woman motorcycle racer!" Bo says with wild eyes only to get an evil glare from Daisy across the table. Bo lets off a care free shrug, "well it's a first in Hazzard." Chance's glare joined Daisy's "I'm gonna remember that when you come in for your physical tommorrow. And I happean to be riding my cycle for 6 years now, just never in a race. Which is why I would take to talk to you and Garrett about racing." "Oh? You threaten me one second," Bo chimes in, "the next second you want to talk to me?" "Maybe I need to talk to someone to knows what they're talking about then, like Garrett." Chance teased. "Like I don't?" Bo is seriously insulted by the doctor's comments, "Fine pick my brother...figured ya would seeing how he is as city as you seem to be." "Alright, you two knock it off." Jesse cut in. "Dr. Walker, Bo didnt mean anything by what he said, and Bo, Chance has kind to this family, first helping Shay and then giving Kristy a job, I think the least we can do is help her with the medical office." "Jesse's right, I think we could show a little Duke gratitude." Luke added. "You're just saying that cause she's your girlfriend, Luke. Like you were saying you don't mind getting a physical if it's from Chance." Bo said, still sullen at being chastaised by Jesse. "Real cute cuz," Luke says glaring at his cousin. "And as for Kristy's job...well she is the one that forced Kristy to loose her other job," Bo jabs in farther, "it's only fair she gives her a job." he goes silent. "I didn't mean nothing by it...jsut she's the first she that raced motorcycles here. "Alright, for the sake of friendship, I'm sorry too, Bo. " Chance said, for her part, looking a little ashamed. "I get a little quick on the draw when people challedge what I can do, guess one of the drawbacks of being a doctor, You think you can do anything." "Good. Its settled then." The Dukes went back to their meal. When Jesse spoke, the deal was made..like it or not.

"Can you believe him?" Angel asked her sister later while at Cooter's garage. Stephanie was undoing the damage made to the General Sherman. "After all we've been through, your boyfriend still thinks we're capable of sabatoging the General Lee. I mean, Who would do something like this? Bo and I could have been killed." "Oh Pul-lease, Sis. Who do you think?" Steph rolled her eyes and nodded towards the county court house. "Boss Hogg may be greedy, but he doesnt strike me as someone willing to attempt murder." "Maybe it was an accident then?" "What I'd like to do is catch Hogg in the act of confessing what he did. That would be a picture." Angel grinned wickly at her sister "suitable for 'framing.'" Stephanie grin widened as she caught what her sister was thinking. The next day, Boss Hogg's office door slammed down to reveal an incensed Angel. Boss looked from the money he was counting. "You?! What do YOU want?." "Just my share of that prize money." "What prize money? You didnt even finish the race, let alone win!" Boss stood to call Rosco, but Angel push him back into his seat. The money he was counting scattered to the floor. As Boss was scrambling to collect, Angel flicked on the CB sitting on his desk and pulled the phone onto the receiever so the channel stayed open. "You hired me and Steph to come down to Hazzard and make sure the Dukes lose. We did our part...they lost. We get our cut." "Uh-Uh, you didnt have nothing to do with those Dukes losing the race." "Didn't we?" "Nooo. If it werent for me and Rosco, those Dukes would have taken everything." "Is that so?" Angel grin was wicked. "How you do it, divine help?" "Divine nothing, just a little good old-fashioned mechanics" Angel leaned over the desk, glaring at Hogg. "You're 'good old-fashioned mechanics' nearly got Bo killed." "Well, I didn't know that dipstick sheriff of mine would take it into his head to mess with the General Lee!" Angel grinned and picked up the CB reciever. "Got all that on tape, sis?" Angel had Luke, Bo and Steph listening in the General Lee, who was now fixed up proper, outside. Steph actually had no tape recorder but Boss didnt need to know that. Boss Hogg's drop red and he turned an unhealthy shade of purple when we realized what he had done. "Now, Boss, Here's the deal. Half the prize money got to me and Steph, payment and compensation for our troubles, the other half goes to the Dukes, for nearly killing one of their kin. And that tape Steph is holding goes into the trash. Otherwise, it goes to every newspaper between here and Pittsburgh." "You..You wouldnt!" Angel leaned in until she was almost nose to nose with the Hazzard County Commissioner "Wouldnt I?" Ten minutes later and two thick enevlopes in hand, Angel met her sister and the Dukes of the bottom of the courthouse steps. ,laughing at Hogg's reaction to her scheme and exchanging celebreory hugs (the longest of which lasted between Angel and Luke) Bo suddenly turned serious for a moment. "Angel, I'm sorry I accused you of messing with the General. I guess I don't think when I'm angry." He held out a hand to Angel. Angel shook it. "No problem." Luke, however, added. "Bo, NOW you realize this?"

I'm going to play devil's adovcate here. While I agree "Strange Vistor to Hazzard" is way off the map to the usual Hazzard storylines, as a Sci-Fi and Star Trek fan, I enjoyed the epsiode very much. Having only seen the few episodes I have taped, I can't really say I have a least favroite episode yet. (And I am excluding the entire season that Coy and Vance are there, in my little world, it does not even exist). Any episode with Luke is good.

Angel was waiting outside with the General Sherman while Stephanie did her dastardly deed. Angel shook her head ruefully, think, for once, Steph had saved her instead of the other way around. But everything Corbet had said about Angel was, in its way, right. She was a car thief and a criminal. She had been willing and ready to silence Corbet permnantly. And although, they had thir charges cleared in Hazzard, they could never return to Pittsburgh. With that thought in mind, Angel strolled over to the pay phone and made a call. A little while later, Stephanie and the Dukes joined Angel outside. Angel approached Stephanie. "Sis, how would feel about a change of venue?" Her little sister looked confused. "What do you mean?" "I just called Ken. Hes agreeed to buy the garage and chop shop from us." Angel leveled her eyes at her sister. "You know even though Corbet agreed to leave us alone, we can't go back to Pittsburgh. Well, I can't anyway.." "I told ya before, sis, we stick together!" "I know, thats why I'm looking into buying a place here in Hazzard. What can I say, the place's kinda grown on me. I could even get to like grits after a while." Angel grinned at her sister. "What do you say? Stay or go?" "STAY!" Stephanie, Bo and Luke all said at once. "Well then, what are we waiting for? With the winning from the race day after tommorrow, we'll build the best garage in town." Bo grinned. "You gals still think you're gonna win?" "Not think, Know!" Stephanie stuck her tongue at the blonde Duke. Angel rolled her eyes. "Not THIS again!"

Actually Angel had no idea what Steph had planned, her only thoughts were tracking down Corbet and preventing him from doing any damage to her sister. Her methods were also a little more straightfoward...force. Over the CB, she could hear Rosco explaining to Corbet about her escape, and, by the Pittsburgh's cop's ripe language, he wasn't thrilled about it. ..I'm over by Miller Road, right now. But I'll be back to the office about 20 minutes. We'll find her, if it takes everything we got. And Rosco, consider her armed and dangerous, shoot first and ask questions later." "Ten-four." Rosco wasn't happy about being ordered around, but he knew Corbet had a point, considering Angel now had his gun. Angel swung General Sherman into a sharp right, with any luck, she'd hit Miller Road same time as Corbet. Hopefully she could convince him to leave her and Steph alone, if not... Angel blocked the thought. She had always known her hard and fast lifestyle would catch up with her, but if things were going to come to a head, she preferred to be in the center of the storm alone. Stephanie didnt need to caught up in things Angel had started. And Angel intended to finish things today. Sure enough within five minutes, she spotted Corbet's blue sedan ahead and coming at her fast. Swinging the Sherman across the road, she forced the other car to stop and climbed out, holding the gun in one hand. Corbet realized who it was and grabbed the CB "Rosco, Angela is on Miller Road. She's has a gun. I need backup..!" That was all Corbet could get out before Angel grabbed the CB from him and yanked the mouthpiece clean out of the machine. Using Rosco's police special, she indicated Corbet to get out of the car. Which he did, he wasn't stupid, esp when he had a gun pointed at him. Angel's blue eyes were ice cold as she regarded her uncle. "Jon, I think its time we discussed things." Angel didnt realize that Corbet's request for backup was also heard in the General Lee, by Luke, Bo and Steph. Bo's eyes were wide as he glanced over to Steph. "She wouldnt, would she?" He didnt need to elaborate his thoughts. Steph nodded grimly. "To protect me, she would. She gotta get over there before she does anything stupid."

Angel paced the confines of her cell. She couldnt just sit here while Corbet and his thug went after Steph, whether it was to get to Angel herself or try to wring the truth out of little sister it didn't matter. Angel knew what she had planned would probably destroy much hope of having any sort of normal life for herself, but she would do it for Steph. Coming up to the bar, Angel called up the jail steps. "Rosco! Sheriff!" Rosco came down the steps and frowned at his prisioner. "Alright, Wilson. Whadda want?" "Sheriff, I'd like to confess." "Confess? If you gotta confess, you confess to that big city Yankee feller." "I..umm...I don't think I can later. If I don't do this now, I won't have the nerve." "Well, alright." Rosco pulled his pen and paper from his shirt pocket. "Alright, start confessing." ANgel opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again as if the confession were too much to bear. Rosco leaned foward to hear better. Angel saw her chance and grab Rosco's collar. "Sorry Rosco" She said before jerking her arm back, causing the sheriff's head to come against the bars. Rosco went down like a champ. Carefully, Angel removed the key from Rosco's belt and unlocked the cell. Stepping over the unconscious sheriff, Angel hesitated, then also took Rosco's gun and tucked it into his waistband. She hoped she wouldnt have to use it but nothing would stop her from protecting Steph. The General Sherman was still parked at Cooter's. Thanks to the mechanic's quick thinking, Corbet hadnt put his hands on the girls' prized racecar. The sheriff's office was empty, since Enos had left. Angel had no trouble sneaking across the street to Cooter's, removed the dropcloth and climbed into the Challedger. Slamming the accelator to the floor, the red racecar's tires squealed as it headed out of town, following Corbet and his thug.

Medical Burnout (def) a state of mental and/or physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. I would like to dedicate the above story to my family and friends, who, when I experienced my own version of an emotional burnout supported me throughout my recovery. I have no doubt that without them, I wouldn't be here to enjoy life and face the challedges of it. I consider myself proof positive that a loving family network is truly God's greatest gift. Yours truly, Carrie aka Pendragon aka Chance Walker

The next morning Appby called Kristy and asked her to him at the medical offices. When she arrived, she was greeted by Appbly, who unlocked the office doors and another older gentleman. "Kristy, I know Chance is still sleeping, but I've made arrangement for me and Dr. Pierce here..."He indicated the other doctor. "to take over her office for the next week. We'll going to give her a little vacation time, shes needs to recover physically and emotionally." "Most of my friend call me Hawkeye, Miss Duke, I hope you will too." Dr. Pierce shook Kristy's hand and smiled warmly. "OK Hawkeye. . .and it's Kristy," Kristy smiles at the older doctor while taking him before looking at Doctor Applebee. "What all can I do...or get you this morning?" "Well, me and Henry will be taking over Dr. Walker's appointments and meanwhile I hope to talk to Chance about what happeaned last night. I understand from Henry that she went through some trauma." Hawkeye said. "Yeah," Kristy sighs thinking of last night, thinking of how close they had came to loosing the young doctor, "I hope that you both can get it all straightened out." "I think 90% of Chance's problem was physical exhaustion and thats." Appbly pointed to the office roof, indicating the apartment above them "being taken care of at the moment." "Henry also tells me that you and your family probably saved Chance's life last night." "I really wouldn't include me in that," Kristy says nervously, "I just rode with my cousin, by the time we got there everyone was directing everyone to keep thier distance from her. I wish I could have helped more." "I'm sure you did all you could and it was the right thing to do to keep her distance. I won't lie to you, Kristy, if Henry described Chance right, she could have been on the fast track to suidical. I've been there and the world's seems very frightening from that point of view." Kristy watches the two men talk about Chance's odds and condition as she silently says a little prayer for Chance to be OK, and to be strong enough to survive it. "It must feel terrible," is all Kristy can think to say. "It's not pretty, but she's very forunate to have friends who supported her though it. I think the worst is over for her." === The afternoon sun was shining when Chance next opened her eyes. She groggily sat up in bed, she was sore from head to toe and her head felt like had sucker-punched her. She closed her eyes and groaned when she realized that chain of events had happeaned last night wasn't a dream. How was she going to face her friends after last night's escapade? Chance wondered as she stood and stretched, wincing as several muscles cracked and popped. In a town as small as Hazzard, surely her emotional roller coaster during last night would be common knowledge. She owed the Dukes her life. They had come to help her when she had verbally attacked them. An hour later, Chance came down the steps into the office. She had eaten, showered and dressed casually in blue jeans and a tshirt. Physically, she felt better than she had in days, maybe weeks. She was still drawn, but no longer exhausted beyond measure. Opening the door to her office, she was greeted by Applby, Kristy and another old man. He was tall and lanky, silverhaired but one could see a quick intelligence and irresistible humor in his eyes. "Good morning, Chance, or afternoon I should say." "Henry, I.." "Before you get all mushy about last night, I want you to meet someone." Appbly interruppted. "This is Dr. Ben Pierce. he;s had some dealing with burnout parients." "Please just call me Hawkeye." Chance shook his hand. "Burnout?" Chance thought for a minute and nodded. "I guess I pushed myself too far." "And then some. I already called Capital City and gave them your resignation, along with a piece of my mind. Even a small hospital should know not to overextend its doctors and the signs of burnout." "So whats's the pronogsis, doctors? Am I ready for a trip state to Langston Mental?" Hawkeye cut in. "I don't think that'll be nesscary, but you do need a rest. Henry and I have been talking and we decided to little mutiny might be in order." "Mutiny?" Chance asked in confusion. Applby smiled gently. "Dr. Pierce and I are taking over the office for a week, Chance, you hereby are on medical leave. Prescribtion includes at least 8 hours of sleep a night and ." Applby checked his watch. It was almost 4pm. "A picnic supper with a good old boy youve been ignoring for the last week." Applby's smiled broadened and indicated the office window. Chance looked out and saw Luke Duke leaning against the General Lee. When she saw Chance, he smiled and waved. Chance turned back to Kristy. "I don't think I can ever thank you and the Dukes enough, you may have saved my life last night." "Well you have Luke and Bo to thank, not me," Kristy shrugs, "I wish I could have done more than I did. I hope that things will get better for you...if you ever need anything...even if it is a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen...I am here." "I'll remember that, Kristy." "Dr. Walker, I'm going to say something a friend told me about 40 years when I went through burnout." Hawkeye Pierce smiled broadly. "'Take my advice, Sometimes you have to pull down your pants and slide on the ice.'" For the first time in almost 48 hours, Chance laughed heartily. She waved to the two doctors and Kristy as she went outside to meet Luke. "OK...enjoy your picnic," Kristy called out after her. ==== Chance exited the medical offices and approached Luke, she suddenly felt unnatuarlly shy, remembering how she had stormed into their kitchen and practically accused them of murder and then not two hours later, ended up crying on his shoulder. "Luke, I..." Chance paused, trying to put her thoughts into words. "I have no words to tell you how sorry I am for how I behaved last night. I would say I wasnt feeling like myself, but I guess you kinda guessed that. Can you ever forgive me?" "Look, we all have our times, where our guard comes down and we need others for support," Luke says caringly, giving her a tight hug, "and you have been under a lot of stress...that can do about anything to a person. It isn't easy to watch people die...especially so young. I remember back when I was in war and my best friend had practically died in my lap. I had suffered from that for what seems like forever. If it wasn't for Bo. . .I don't want to say what may have happened. People don't give Bo the credit he deserves...he may not be the smartest, but he is there when you need him the most. He is the one that has helped me through the toughest times. . .even if to listen." Luke pauses, "And if you ever need to talk. . .I am here. Don't try to pull this off and not talk about it. All that will do is make it worse, trust me." "Hazzard has a funny way of getting to you." Chance grinned. "It seems to open your heart a litte more than usual. Does that make any sense to you?" "After living here this long," Luke smiles, "of course I do. Hazzard is like no other place around...it grows on you." "Well, I hope I grow on Hazzard too." Chance smile widened. "Applby said something about a picnic? Lets go! I'm starving." "Hey," Luke flashes his best Duke smile, "I was waitin' on you!" "Then, sweetheart, your wait is over. C'mon." Laughing, Chance climbed into the General Lee. Luke smiles as he presses onto the accelerator of the orange stock car while he stole a glance at Chance, to take in her beauty. Chance was deep in thought as they drove. "It still doesn't seem real. I mean, I can remember everything that happeaned, but its like watching a movie. If you and Bo hadnt stopped me when you did..." Chance trailed off at the thought, inwardly shivering. "I don't I'll ever be able to repay you." "You don't have to," Luke says, his southern voice full of concern, "we were glad to do it. . .I don't know what I would have done if. . .if we weren't there." "I thank god you were, Luke. Like I said last night, you always seem to be there to catch me when I fall. We're starting to make this a habit." "Not such a bad habit," Luke grins at her as he pulls to a park in front of the Hazzard pond that remains still and calm, "I figured this would be as peaceful as we can get...and relaxing." Chance gace an unladylike snort. "Not a bad habit for you, maybe. You get to play the hero everytime. But you're right, this is relaxing, peaceful and secluded." Chance noticed they had pulled off the main road some time and onto a seldom-used dirt track. Chance looked at Luke skeptically. "You SURE I can trust you?" She asked playfully. "I guess I'll just have to take my 'chances' with you." Luke smiled as he leaned in for a kiss. ==== Appbly watched out the window, as his young friend and Luke spoke for a minute, hugged gently and then both climbed into the orange stockcar and went off on their way. "Think she's gonna be OK, Hawk?" "I think she's gonna be fine, especially with friends like the Dukes. They kinda remind me of some friends I had back when I was back in the army." "Is that right?" "I don't think I even told me about when I was in the Korean War, there was this doctor there called BJ Hunnicut, I think you'd would have liked him. But's that another story.." ===THE END===

"Chance!" Luke yells out the window in vague attempt to catch her attention with little avail, "Push forward and block her...she wouldn't have much chance of escaping." "Sure thing Cuz," Bo manages to say as the orange car is pulled forward and waits for a mile or so to turn side ways to form a side block. As the motorcyle rushes at them Bo is filled with worry, "She's not gonna stop, Luke." "She's slowin' down," he points as Chance forcerully presses against her brakes forcing a loud squealling noise, "hopefully she stops. . .I dont' know how else to stop her from damaging herself!" They watch in worried anticipation as the bike fights against friction to be thrown to it's side where it slides into the tire of the General. "Chance!" Luke yells full of worry as both boys surround her and help her up as Jesse's truck joins them with Daisy and Kristy. Through the mental haze Chance as experiencing, she saw the orange stockcar as she rounded the corner. Had her reflexes been normal, she would have simply grown around. But as it was, Chance had to slam on the brakes. The Honda finally had had enough of its owner's treatment and went out from underneath her. The cycle skidded and spun until it came to rest by the side of the General Lee, its headlight illuminating car as if glaring at it. Chance herself hit the road with a sickingly thud that told anyone within earshot that had she not been wearing her helmet, she would have been killed. She lay there, dazed and bruised, not hearing the footsteps as the Dukes came running it to her. Without getting up, She slowly brought a hand up and undid the buckles to her helmet and pushed it off her head, a small trickle of blood run down her forehead where the helmet had connected with the road. Her breathing was ragged and her eyes unfocused as she took in the circle of faces standing above her. "Chance," her name is called out in unison of worry of the Dukes and Applby. "Can you get up? Are you hurt?" Luke is first to speak his worry as he kneels down worriedly besides her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder as Applebee kneels on her other side. Chance said nothing, she seemed unsure, but she managed to get herself into a sitting position, leaning against the side of the General Lee. For a moment, she didnt even seem to be aware of where she was. "Easy, Luke, She may have an concussion." Applby gently probed the cut just below Chance's eyeline. "Chance, can you hear me? It's Henry." Chance eyes slowly came into focus but she wasn't looking at any of them, rather finally seeing what she had done, what she was about do to. A sob escaped her, then another, until all the emotion she had kept trapped inside duting this terrible night came loose in a flood. Bringing her hands to her eyes, she openly starting crying, not caring who was there or how she must look to them. She brought her knees up under her chin, like a child. She was crying so hard, in fact, she barely noticed when Luke settled himself on the ground beside her and placed a gentle arm over her shoulder. "Easy, darling, Just let it go." Beyond that, he said nothing, just seemed content to provide what comfort he could while the young doctor depleted the well of emotion. Kristy slowly gets out of Daisy's jeep filled with emotions of feeling helpless as she watches the young doctor cry on Luke's shoulder. "Let's back away," Jesse says near Luke and Kristy stops near the jeep as Daisy joins her. Eventually, Chance's sobs started to quiet and for the first time that night, she took a deep breath and didnt feel the constriction of pain she had been feeling since the boy's death, although, she admitted to herself, she had never felt so tired in her life, physically, mentally and emotionally. "Why is it.." She asked while wiping away the tears "everytime I come apart recently, Luke, you're there to pick up the pieces?" "Just lucky I guess." Luke smiled softly, Chance started to sound like herself and he noticed the intense energy she had been showing since she barged into the kitchen of the farmhouse was starting to leave her. "I am always here...if and when you need me," Luke says fighting for words of comfort he may be able to say to her, "even if you just to talk. Ask Bo...we share rooms...he talks non-stop of his problems...ever since I can remember." "Very good listener," Bo defends his cousin as Chance looks up at him who stands near the General, "Of course he couldn't escape my complaining very easily, since we share rooms and all." "I coulda taken the couch each time you started in," Luke defends himself, "but I didn't, did I?" "True," Bo says to get a stern look from Jesse as if to tell him to shut up and he grows silent. "I'm here," Luke says hugging Chance. "Ok, enough talk for tonight." Applby cut in, as Luke helped Chance to stand, if a bit unsteadily. "Kristy, Daisy and I will get Chance home, whet she needs now is sleep. Tommorrow, I'm to have an old friend talk to her." As two girls helped the battered doctor get into the Jeep, Jesse turned to Applby. "What happeaned here tonight, Henry?" Applyby took a deep breath. "Chance had what we called in the medical profession "burnout", its not unheard of for people who have high-paced, high-pressure jobs to become emotionally exhausted, combine that with the fact that Chance has been pushing her limits physically and the drinking sure as hell didn't help any, and you have in the harshest of terms, the emotional equal of a nervous breakdown." Bo and Luke had joined the small group at this point. "Well, Is she gonna be OK, Doc?" Bo asked. "She needs rest and to cut back on her activity. When Jesse called me eariler and told me what had happeaned, I had a feeling this was the cause, so I called an old collegue of mine from back in the 50s whose been on both the giving and recieving end of burnout treatment. He's going to come down and see Chance tommorrow afternoon." Kristy glances over at Chance where they sit in the back seat of the jeep, just in case something were to happen. She herself is consumed with tiredness as she fights off her exhastion from the day's work. "We're almost there, Chance," Daisy says from the front seat to break the odd moment of silence. "Who's watchin' the kids, Kris? I didn't think of them til now...they were suppose to be with Jesse." "Most likely with Garrett...he is the most irresponcible peron I know, but when it comes to them kids, he seems to grow up when they are around," Kristy responds as she lends a caring arm around the young doctor who glares off into the distance. Chance was too exhausted to respond or even listen to the girl's chattering. She simply laid her head back against the seat and close her eyes. Thinking over the night's events, she did however feel the need to say one thing. "Kristy, Daisy, I'm sorry." Once the girls and Applby got back to town, they helped Chance into her apartment. Once in bed, Chance slept for almost 18 hours straight. "That must have been really hard...to have it all catch up to her like that," Daisy says as she drives to the Duke farm, "I can't imagine watching people die at the hands of another." "It's not fun...I remember when children would die on my floor in Atlanta...it was so hard on everyone, especially the younger ones. It happens I guess," Kristy sighs, "it was too much for me as it was on others. It comes with the territory. But it must have been hard, especially to know they was trying to do some of Bo and Luke's tricks." "Yeah," Daisy says as she throws her jeep to a park in the Dukes parking spot in front of the farm, "at least she finally got it out tonight...though it was too close for comfort and all. She got it out and perhaps Applebee help will help her out plus a few good hours of sleep."

Chance's next stop was the Boar's Nest, but in truth, she didnt know where else to go. She couldn't go home, the image of Andy lying just inside her front door was burned into her memory. And the only possible source of comfort she had found in Hazzard she had just left, Luke. Every time she remembered the looks of pain, confusion and anger on the faces of her friends, her shame grew. And everytime she saw the face of a dying boy, she knocked back another shot. Chance never drank much, but this wasn't an ordinary time. She wanted to burn those images out of her head, numb her heart of what she was feeling. "The Boar's Nest," Daisy breaks the long awkward silence to Kristy as they spot the motor cycle take a sharp turn into the drive away from a distance, "I can't imagine how she must feel, seein' that. Can you? That poor kid...his parents. That is so terrible." "Yeah," Kristy says softly as they grow closer to the Boar's Nest to allow a long moment of silence to intrude in Daisy's jeep, "but still...I don't know. I see both sides. Bo and Luke would never want anyone hurt, not alone killed." "She knows that," Daisy says as the pull into the parking lot and throws her jeep to a park, "She is just depressed about it all...angry. She is willing to take it out on any one or anything. Including herself" Kristy stares tiredly ahead as she follows Daisy into the dimly lit restaurant as smoke fills the air with the loud music.Her mind runs quickly within her, fighting to reach an answer on what to do that could help her boss. "There she is," Kristy points after a moment of finding her. Together they slowly walk up to her table where the waitress was giving her one of the Boars Nests' strongest drink. "Drinkin' that won't solve your problems, honey," Daisy says to grab Chance's attention, "Once you pass out and wake up, it'll come back to you. It's an endless cycle...a painful one that will hurt you as well as others." Chance glanced at the two women. "Drinking may not solve my problems, but at least I'll be alive, which is more than some." Chance sighed, speaking to noone in particular. "You create man. Man suffers enormous amounts of pain. Man dies. Maybe you should have had a few more brainstorming sessions prior to creation. You rested on the seventh day, maybe you should have spent that day reviewing your notes." Chance stood, without noticing the slight wobble as she did so. "Besides, what do you care, Miss Dukes? After what I just said to your kin, I'd think you'd be happy to see me take a sharp curve downhill." "That is not true!" Daisy yells after her, taking offense in her statement, "I love my family dearly, but I also care for you and am worried for you. I wish we could help you, but I guess Uncle Jesse is right, it is up to you to help yourself." Kristy quickly catches up with Daisy who has been following Chance out the door. For a long moment they stare as they watch her mount her bike and wobbly drives off. "She is un-safe driving in that condition," Kristy states, "Drinking and driving is an high offense to the law and second of all, will hurt others. She herself could kill anyone on the road...when she's yelling at Bo and Luke about thier driving!" Kristy sighs, "We need to get going, follow her and call the boys, perhaps they could stop her." "I hear ya," Daisy says and they climb into the jeep and take off for Chance. Chance gunned the engine of the cycle as her pulled out onto the roads. Chance driving skills were excellent, despite the combination of alcohol and emotional exhaustion. Drinking hadnt helped, neither had verbally blasting the Dukes, now Chance tried outrunning her feeling, and to hang with any consquences later. As the speedometer climbed higher as she tore down the dirt roads, Chance's driving became edgier, more dangersous, as if she was trying to tempt death to strike again. Kristy couldn't believe what she was seeing as Chance drove wrecklessly among the curvy roads, a few holding deep ditches filled with rocks and weeds."We're on our way," Luke responds over the CB radio from Daisy's call in for back up, "Perhaps we can cut her off." "Ten four surgar," Daisy says hanging up before turning to me, "I hope this works, she is such a nice doctor...helping Shay like she did and the few patients she already seen here in Hazzard said they loved her." "Yeah...very nice," Kristy repsonds watching through the passenger window, "Luke better know what he's talking 'bout here." Back at the Duke farm, Luke and Bo were climbing into the General Lee. "What you think got into Chance? She's going plumb loco!" Bo asked his cousin. "I don't know, cousin. Uncle Jesse is calling Doc Appbly. I know Chance and this is unnatural behavior for her." Luke thought for a minute. "It's almost like she's got shellshock for something." "What's that?" "Well, back in the Marines, I heard stories about guys hold would go nuts after fighting for too long. Everything would just get to them and they'd fall to pieces." "Well, If we don't find Chance and right quick, she's gonna BE in pieces." "Oh," Bo says numbly as his mind runs wildly within him while he forces his foot upon the accelerator to force thier speed up, "Well we ain't that far from where the girls first said she was headin'." "Maybe," Luke says as he glares worriedly out the window as he draws in a prayer for the young doctor's safety, "Maybe she is right, perhaps our driving is to blame. . .I mean we do drive kinda recklessly and if them kids were immitating us and not knowing the consequence..." Luke cuts himself off at the thought. "Don't blame yourself Luke, she ain't thinkin' rightfully," Bo says fighting back the same guilt that plagues Luke, "We's all responsible for our actions. They are the only ones to try it thus far and from what happened to them, I doubt anyone else will. It is a horrible thing, but don't blame yourself. Don't let her do that to you...especially when she's not thinkin' properly." The red motorcycle kept accerlating as Chance pushed the machine to its limit. 60...70...80...90. Chance seemed to take no notice of the Jeep following her, she just kept concentrating on the growl of the powerful motor and the blur of the sides of the road. She didnt even notice as the General Lee pulled in front of Daisy's Jeep and besides her.

Chance didnt know how long she drove before she found herself at the Duke farm, she wasn't sure she meant to come here, but here she was. She thought of young Andy dying in her hands and the rage inside her flared up. Parking the motocycle, she stormed up the front porch and without knocking, pushed open the door. Luke, Bo and Jesse were sitting at the table, Daisy was at the sink doing the evening dishes, all four turned to with surprised expressions. Luke stood, confused and concerned at Chance's appearance. She was pale, almost haggard but her eyes were blazing with anger. "Chance, what are you doing h..." Chance didn't him time to finish. "There is a boy.." Chance breath was ragged as she stared daggers at Bo and Luke. "who died in my office tonight, because he wants to follow in your footsteps. A 15 year old boy, a goddamed CHILD! Do you even care?" "Wait, just wait a minute. What happeaned?" Luke tried to put his hands on Chance's shoulders, to try and calm her down, but Chance shook him off. "These kids think of you as heroes. They hear of you pulling some fool stunt and they try it themselves. Then I end up putting them back together, usually starting with the surprised expression of their face, probably put there when they realized a second too late that that little trick could be fatal. " Jesse pointed a stern finger at the enraged young doctor. "Now listen here, missy, I..." "Shut up, Jesse!" Now that silenced the room. Noone talked to Jesse Duke in that manner, not even his own kin and certainly not an outsider like Chance Walker. "You can't talk to Uncle Jesse like that." Bo glared at Chance. Luke stood eye to eye with Chance. Slowing and delibitertly he said "You can't put that all on our heads. Just because you get your education from some big city college doesn’t mean you can go around preaching to us "country folk." "How dare you! You think all being a doctor is running noses and the occasional broken arm. You have no idea what it was like! Do you know what its like tp go wrist deep in blood? The blood of children? Why don't you grow up for crying out loud? I'm not in Hazzard for you to date! So If I can't the quiet country doctor to your satisfaction to hell with you. To hell with your Hazzard thinking, to hell with your mindless car races and while we're at it, the hell with you!" Kristy slowly takes a slow step out of the dark shadowy corner that she had been standing when Chance had stormed into the Duke farm. Her mind rushes in thought as she is filled with nervousness. She so much wanted to back up her new boss, to make her happy with her and who she is and yet at the same time she wanted to back up her family. She felt as if peopel were pulling at each of her arms. "Chance," she finally says, her voice quivering, "I know you are upset, anyone would be, but that don't mean you should be bargin' in here like you did and blamin' my brother, cousins, and my uncle. What do they have to do with others actions?" She lets a long pause to set in before she goes on. "OK I understand being upset at Bo and Luke, because they are the ones that drive the way they do, but why mistreat Uncle J esse that way? He didn't do nothin' to you! And as for Bo and Luke, how are they to know people look up to them? People are responsible for thier own actions, even them kids. They are the ones that did what they did! Not Bo and Luke." She takes a sit in disbelief that she actually spoke up, "I'm sorry Chance, but when it comes down to it, I will always support my family. They's the only thing I have." "You dont know how it felt! To have a boy half your age die in your arms. His chest..." Chance had to choke back a sob before. "He was only 15 years old. Think of all of the things his going to not get to do? His first kiss, gradating high school...all because he wanted to be like you." "Well...how we's suppose to know that someone would try what we do? Hell we do what we do knowing the risks and knowing the moves," Bo chimes in, "Like Kris here said, we all responsible for our own actions. It's not our fault that he lacked the knowledge to think of the consequences beforehand." "Knowledge?! Consquences?! You don't understand, None of you! You didn't watch as he slipped away, with there nothing you could do! You didn't see his eyes as he looked up at you, trusting you to save him, and then.." Chance couldn't speak for now, for the anger and agony welling up in her throat. She pressed her hands against her eyes, trying to stop the tears from coming. Chance knew in some region of her mind that they were right, but the image of Andy pushed that away. "Look Chance," Luke finally says after a moment of silence, "as we all have said, we didn't think about others following us by driving the way we do, how could we know? I am very sorry to hear about his loss...very sorry. It is a deep tragic and if there was something we could do now, we would. We never asked anyone to follow what we do, in fact we would have preferred he didn't. I'm sorry Chance, we really are." "Sorry?" Chance's laugh was a little cryptic. "Not as sorry as Andy is, or was, I should say." Chance sighed, part of the knot of anger inside her loosened a bit. "Ours not to question why, ours not to let them die." she said more to herself then to the others. "We win some, we lose some. That's what it's all about. No promises, no guaranteed survival. No saints in surgical garb. Our willingness, our experience, our technique are not enough. Cars and guns and simple old age have more power to take life than we have to preserve it. But I'm sick of it, so sick of it all." But when Luke reached out to her again, to try to comofort her, she knocked his hand away again and backed out the door, as if backing away from a truth she just realized. Running for the Honda, she powered it up and sped away. An odd silence fills the old farm house's kitchen as they watch in disbelief as Chance drives away. After a long moment Luke jumps to his feet to make scraping noise from his chair scraping on the floor as he starts to head for the door before he is stopped by Uncle Jesse. "It's no use you or Bo chasing after her...you two will only make it worse," Jesse says as his eyes water up in his own worry for the young doctor. "What if me and Kristy go after her, to see where she goes and try to talk to her?" Daisy asks, still at the sink. "That's a better idea," Jesse is slow to answer, "you two better get goin if you wish to catch up to her." "Yes sir," Daisy says as Kristy and her rush out to jump into Daisy's jeep and drives off.

It took only an hour for the paramedics to get the paperwork from Chance and take the boy to Hazzard County Morgue. Chance sat down on the couch next to the boys that brought their friend, Andy, in. Chance took several deep breaths before asking. "How did this happean?" "We had a car accident." Ray repeated, his eyes were haunted, still staring at the spot where Andy had laid, and died, such a short time ago. "We both saw his chest. You don't get those sort of injuries in a car crash. Tell me what really happeaned." Ray was shaking his head, as if denying what happeaned. "They did it, why could'nt we?" "They? Who's they? What did 'they' do?" Chance pressed. If there was a reason for such a tragic death, Chance wanted to hear it. "Bo and Luke Duke. Mark, Andy and I were fishing at Millstone creek yesterday and we saw the General jump the creek. We thought that if they could do it, so could we. So.." Ray sniffed and rubbed his nose with his sleeve. "So we took Andy's dad's car and..did it." Chance couldnt believe what she was hearing. "Ray, your friend is DEAD because you wanted to prove yourself as daring as the Dukes?!" Chance stood and faced Ray, hands on his shoulder. "You understand me? What would possibly make you try such a fool stunt?!" "You don't understand, Bo and Luke, they're like heroes around Hazzard, everybody wants to be like them." "Like what? Risking dying just to prove who has the fastest car or can pull the most dangerous stunt?!" Chance didnt give Ray a moment to answer. "A boy, a 15 year old boy is DEAD, because he wanted to mimic the stunts of two men who think nothing of running from the law and risking their lives and others by ripping through the county as if they're immortal?" Ray said nothing, only placed his hands over his eyes. He didn't realize Chance had left until he heard the banging on her front door and the roar of her motorcycle as it went down the street. Chance opened the throttle on her bike full-force, the normal well-mannered purr turned into a screech of protest of the Honda was acceelrated madly down the darkened dirt roads. All Chance could see was the dying boy on her office floor, dying because he wanted to prove himself on the same ground as his heroes. *How many times...?* Chance wondered *How many times had those two ripped through town, or caused crashs to slow down the law? What if they had hurt someone? Would if somone walked in front of the speeding car? Would they even care? Don't they realize these these...children look up to them? Want to be like them?* The more she thought, the more incensed Chance got. AT Fate, at Death and, for lack of anyone else solid to turn her rage on, the Dukes. She felt her rage build inside her until she could even breath for the tightness in her throat and chest, she only think of the sensless death of a young boy who could have been alive right now. At some point, Chance realized she wasn't thinking straight, the exhaustion was catching up with her emotions, coupled with the bitterness of being unable to save the boy and the frustration of the neutrality of death. It didn't choose only the old, sick or evil. It choose young, healthy and good people with equal abandon. Chance felt tears sting her eyes and wiped them away with an angry swipe of her hand. Well, she couldnt stop death, or time, or even stupid kids from doing stupid things, but she could make damn sure another child wasnt going to die initating a pair of men who didn't even realize the impact they made on a young mind.

Chance didn't get back to the office until very late that night, almost midnight in fact. She was so tired she didn't even stop at the Boar's Nest for a quick cup of coffee. What the hospital had promised was a simple 3 hour assistance had turned until a 7 hour shift. Pushing the of her office door open, Chance noticed that the office was unusually clean, organized and a stack of papers awaited her singature to be processed tommorrow morning. *First thing I do once I start turning a profit is give that girl a raise.* She tiredly sat down at Kristy's desk and began thumbing through the papers, signing where needed. Chance was bone-tired but still wired from the pace of the ER, it would take a while to calm down. But it wasn't meant to be... The sudden squeal of tires brought Chance's head up, she didnt even have a oppurtunity to wonder when her office door slammed open. And what came through those doors is something a doctor hopes she never has to see in their lifetime. The two teenagers were practicalyy dragging the third into the reception area. Chance was out of her chair like a shot and helping them lower the unconscious boy to the floor. She glanced at the two, them seemed shaken and bruised but fine. The third, the one on the floor, caused Chance's heart to hammer wildly. The boy's chest dented in as like a giant had punched him, his pallor was whitened and he was barely breathing. "What happeaned?!" One friend was panting, his eyes scared as he fixed on his fallen friend."We..we had a car accident." "Why did you bring him here? He needs a hospital! I'm not equipped to deal with this." If the boy on the floor didnt have internal injuries, shed turn in her degree. "You." Chance pointed at the second boy. "Call Capital City ER, tell them we need an ambulance right away, or a copter. Tell them we have a major chest trauma. Can you remember that?" THe boy nodded and sprinted for Chance's office. Meanwhile, Chance ripped open the fallen boy's shirt. The boy was making gasping sounds, like a fish made when pulled from the water. *His lung's collapsed...dammit.* Chance quickly began CPR, using her linked hands to assist his breathing. But his breathing keep getting shallower, as the intense damage to his chest caught up with Chance's ability to heal. Moments later, some of Hazzard's citizen were awakened to the unfamilar sound of an ambulance's scream as it raced though the city, skidding to a stop in front of the medical offices. Two orderies raced inside, but Chance meet them at the door, shaking her head sadly. They had not been in time, the boy had died. According to his friend, Ray, he had been 15 years old. So young, and Chance had never felt older.

"Oh no," Kristy gives Chance a nervous smile, "I didn't think that." Kristy fills out a few more answers, "This stuff just makes me nervous...always wondering if it's right or not." "Don't worry, you'll do fine." Chance took the papers as Kristy finished. "Until these get processed you can help me with mostly paperwork." Chance shook Kristy's hand and grinned. "Welcome to Hazzard County Medical Offices." "Thanks," Kristy says as her nervousness decreases into a hint of relief as she slowly looks around the room, "Tell me what to do." "Well, let's start with some basic paperwork and work our way from there." Chance looked embarassed for a moment. "Kristy, I can't afford to pay as well as nurses make in city offices, but I believe I could beat what Hogg was paying you." Chance names a figure that was over twice the wages Kristy's previous salary. "Well...you won't hear me complaining," Kristy smiles at Chance, "now my step-dad and my mom would most likely stuck there noses up at the thought of working that, but I ain't like them. Money ain't everythin'." "I know some doctors in Atlanta that may contest that statement, but I think you're right." Chance said. "I have to make a couple housecalls this afternoon, but I can be reached by CB, on the same station on the sheriff's office uses." "I think I can handle that," Kristy smiles at the young doctor that has just became her boss as the black phone that rests on the doctor's desk begins to ring. Chance picked up the reciever. "Hazzard County Medical, Dr. Walker speaking." Chance facial expression changed from smiling to annoyed as she listened to the charge nurse at Capital City Memorial. "Yes, I see. I can't come in until late this afternoon, I have appointments to keep. Yes, I understand. Thank you." Chance sighed tiredly as she hung up the phone. "Never a dull moment. Capital City ER is shortstaffed again so I'll be leaving right after we close up here this evening." Chance grinned apolgetically. "I guess I'm gonna miss another date with Luke tonight." Well...I am sure he will understand," Kristy sighs uncomfortably, "he is the most understanding person I know of. Pehraps they should hire another doctor? Just an idea that I am sure you have no control over." "I would if we could afford it. With updating the medical equipment and other expenses, the office is actually operating at a loss currently. Which is why I'm putting in all the hours I can at Capital City Memorial. But Doctor Applby had provided himself on call for emergencies while I'm gone." "Well I thank-you for giving me a spot to work at ...even at times like this," Kristy says, "Jamie will be excited when s he gets to go back to school and it'll help things around and all." "No problem. Glad to have your aboard."

Chance's office building was a three-story red brick building sitting in Hazzard Sqaure, opposite to Cooter's garage. The first story consisted of the reception area, Chance's office, exam room and a small OR room for minor surgery, the second was patients rooms and an Xray, the third was Chance's loft apartment. Chance had had the attic converted for livign quarters so Chance could be found quickly and easily in case of medical emeregency, not that there were many of those in Hazzard. The next morning, Chance was busy in her office. Between appointments, paperwork and the occasional walk-in patient, not to mention the follow-ups from the patients her worked on the day before at Capital City, Chance found herself thinking maybe Kristy's offer was a gift from above. *Not real medicine, my pretty pink PHD.* Chance thought. This was more real then the assembly line type work at the ER, abeit not as lucarative. Which was the reason why Chance was pushing her limits recently. Kristy sighs nervously as she throws her big truck into park in front of a large red brick building that is labeled as the Hazzard's doctor's office. Her heart races nervously within her as she fights to calm herself enough to exit her truck. Slowly she walks up the side walk past a few towns people before entering the building. The sound of the down shutting brought Chance out of her reverie. She looked up and grinned as Kristy Duke entered the office. "Noon, already? I guess time flies." Standing, she gathered some papers off her desk and hands them to Kristy. "Let's get this paperwork out of the way and get you to work." Kristy smiles nervously at her as she takes the papers and slowly begins to look over them as she starts to fill them out. Her mind flutters from thought to thought while she continues to fill out the paper work while wondering why she is so nervous. Chance sat at her desk while Kristy filled out the various forms nessacary for the job. She couldn't help but notice Kristy's anxiety as she fidgeted. "Something on your mind, Miss Duke? I promise, I won't grow horns and a tail on you, despite what Boss Hogg has told you about me." Chance hadn't made the best of impression on the rotound commissioner upon her arrivel to Hazzard, but threatening him with a strict diet did that to him. "At least not on the first day."

(coposted with Kristy) Chance had just finished her sandwich and coffee when Kristy and Luke came upto her table. Chance smiled wearily. "Kristy, very nice to see you again. How's Shay these day? I hope he's still not terrified at the sight of me." She teased. "And.." She said, turning to Luke, her smile widening. "I understand you were pretty put out when I didn't show last night." "Can you blame me?" Luke puts on a grin, "I mean I was looking forward to seeing such a beautiful gal as yourself." "Any other day, that line probably would have got you somewhere. And trust me, I would have rather been slow dancing thenwhat I was doing anyday." Chance stifled a yawn. "Sorry, Its not the company, its the hour. Or rather, hours lately." "Hey don't worry about it," Luke shrugs, almost apologetically, "you just let me know when you are free and we can hang out again." "If I knew that, I'd presribed myself about 48 hours of downtime. Working at the Capital City ER is a little more than I bargained for. But I don't think you guys came over here to hear about my sad state of mind." "We came to talk...and to listen," Luke says, "them hours catching up to you is it? Perhaps you could use some help?" "Help?" Chance's eyebrows raised curiously "Go to med school while I wasn't looking, Luke?" "Who me?" Luke laughs at the thought, "Nah the only school I went to was Hazzard High...I was talkin' about Kristy here, " he points over at the petite thin Duke who holds her thick strawberry blond hair back into a silver barrette, "she worked in a hospital in Atlanta for a couple of years...and you just kinda made her lose her other job. I was just thinkin' that maybe if you needed help, you could offer her some sort of job? She could help pay off some of your bills as well." Chance considered this. "Well, I wasn't gonna make her pay for my care for Shay at all, but you're right about me making her lose her job." Chance turned to Kristy. "What kind of medical experience and training do you have?" "Not a whole lot," Kristy shrugs glaring through the thick smoke, "I graduated a few years ago for nursing and I did that for a year or two in Atlanta with my mom before I came down to Hazzard. I worked on the pediatric floor." "You're more than qualified. Okay, Here's what we'll do. Come to my office in town say..around noon tommorrow. We'll set the paperwork and see what you can do." "OK...that sounds great, " Kristy pushes a tired smile at her, "That will mean a lot to me." "You may regret this after a few days or a few bedpans, whichever comes first. Now, "Chance said standing. "If you two will excuse me, I'm gonna home and see if I can actually get some rest before then." "I guess I can force myself to watch you leave," Luke smiles at her. "Take care." "You aint got much choice, sweetheart, unless you want to come with me." Chance teased. "See you tommorrow" With that, Chance left the bar and few minutes later the growl of her Honda could be heard firing up and then drifting off. Daisy came up to table to clear the plate away. "I'm kinda worried about Chance, she was looking awful tired. How'd it go, Kristy?" "It went OK," Kristy sighs, "I never expected to go back to hospital work...guess I don't have much choice." "Chance wasn't so tired to leave out a smart remark or two before she left." Luke said. "Kristy, you'll do fine, I saw how you handled yourself when Shay got sick and how you took care of him. I think you'd be a great nurse." "Thanks Luke," Kristy smiles genuinely at him.