Double Duke Trouble

[B.L. Davenport]

The doctor enters the waitingroom seeing Daisy at the water cooler and recognizing her being one of Bo's family he crosses over to her rousing Jesse as he hears footsteps passing by he stands and stretches joining Daisy and the doctor.

"How's my nephew doctor."

The doctor tries to sound hopeful

"He's still unconsciencous but his blood sugar is low,we've given him 30cc's of insulin to be repeated every 4 hours until it's back to normal. I'm not saying it will solve things but it's very hopeful that this will at least bring him back to just sleeping normally although the breathing tube will most likely still need to be in place I don't know yet,we'll have to wait and see."

Jesse tries to temper his thoughts not to get his hopes up too high

"thankyou doctor"

"your very welcome Mr., Miss Duke I hope Beaureguard continues to improve."

And with that the doctor is gone again.

Luke slowly comes to wakefulness noticing both his Uncle Jesse and Daisy are gone believing they have went to see Bo without waking him he jumps from his chair angry then seeing them at the water cooler calms stretching a kink from his back then joining them those pills dried out his mouth.

"Any word on Bo"

Uncle Jesse smiles slightly and nods and quickly fills Luke in.

"Yeah the doctor has been out a couple of times Bo's blood pressure was too high so they gave him something for that and his blood sugar level was too low from not eating properly I suspect and they've started him on insulin to get that back to normal. The doctor said the low blood sugar could be the main reason for the unconcsciencenous"

Nodding Luke sighs inwardly relieved maybe Bo's going to pull through yet.

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy smiled as the doctor delievered the news, sighing, knowing not to get her hopes up but still pleased it seems like Bo is making an improvement.

As Luke finally wakes and joins them, she chuckles slightly as she hears the first thing that comes out of his mouth. She expected him to be at least a little angry at the doctor's sneaky actions, but it seems like he ad forgotton what had happened.

She handed him a cup of water as Jesse filled him in on the details before wrapping an arm around his waist and hugging him.

[B.L. Davenport]

Wrapping his free arm around Daisy's waist as he drinks the water Luke leans over a light edge inflected in his voice but there's a hint of questioning amusement there too

"Was you in cahoots with that doctor just to get me to sleep?"

Jesse overhears Luke's question but hides his grin behind his hand looking at the clock.

"Well let's go see Bo and see for ourselves how well he's doing or not doing."

Leading the way to Bo's room Jesse stops giving either Daisy or Luke the chance to go first.

Luke looks at Daisy and removing his arm from her waist gives her a little nudge

"You go first darlin' I still need a few minutes to get woke up."

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy nodded, kissing him on the cheek gently and smiling up at him.

"I told ya nothin' would happen while you slept."

Without waiting for his reply, she stepped gingerly into Bo's room, trying her best to ignore the new machines that had been put in place and the new drips that had been inserted into the other ones. She was still a little phased and upset by the fact that Bo needed all these things just to live, and she hated how an unganly length of tubing protruded from his mouth and connected to a machine to help, or make, him breathe.

But she carried on, and took a seat gently beside his bed, lifiting his limp, lifeless hand from the bedsheets a little and clasping it in hers, reaching over to stroke some of his blonde hair away from his face, noticing how much cooler his skin felt.

"Hey sugar, it's DAisy again. Listen, I need you back with us real soon hunny cause I can't get Luke to do anythin'. He's dead worried about ya, we had to get the doctor to drug him so he'd sleep! He needs you just as much as you need him hun....when he comes in, if you ain't gonna wake up for me or Uncle Jesse, would you please make an effort to come round for him. You don't know how happy it'll make him."

But Bo remained lifeless in the bed, showing no signs that he had heard her. Daisy wiped away a small tear, not being able to stand the sight of him like this any longer than the last time she had come in. She stood up and pressed a kiss gently to his forehead before slipping her hand away and heading back outside, shaking her head and wiping away more tears, and fell into her uncle's already waiting open arms.

[B.L. Davenport]

Uncle Jesse wraps Daisy in his strong arms patting her back soothingly. "He's getting better honey just slower than normal Bo fashion" chuckles "but then Bo always has done things his way in his own time."

Luke walks up behind Daisy stroking her hair gently pulling her away from Uncle Jesse "You go ahead next Uncle Jesse I'll take care 'o Daisy."

Uncle Jesse gives each a kiss on the side of the head even though Luke isn't usually one for public displays of affection as such.

"Ok I'll only stay a few minutes then you can stay the rest of the time son"

Luke nods as he murmurs softly in Daisy's ear.

Uncle Jesse steps into the room taking Bo's lifeless limp hand in his own also noticing as Daisy did before him that the skin is cooler "Hi Bo it's your Uncle Jesse, the Doc says your improvin' you just keep it up we's worried about ya. I'd give anything if you could sit up in that bed and tell me to stop fussin so that you's alright."

Kissing Bo's forehead smoothing his hair Uncle Jesse goes back out to Daisy and Luke.

As Luke steps into the room he freezes again astounded at the amount of machines it's taking just to keep Bo going at the moment.

[BoJamesDuke]

In the darkness that Bo was happy to be in, he suddenly heard voices talking to him. At first they were blurred and made no sense as he only got small snatches of words and sentences, but by the time the third person started, he could hear perfectly clearly and he recognised the voice as Luke's.

He listened as Luke started talking to him normally, laughing as he told Bo about Jesse and Daisy being in cohoots with the doctors to get him to sleep...but suddenly he stopped mid sentence and Bo heard him choke back a sob and start pleading with him to wake up.

If there was one thing Bo hated most, it was when Luke cried. Luke was never one to show his emotions in front of other people, especially his family, so Bo knew for Luke to be crying now, whatever was getting at him had to be bad. That was when he realised that he couldn't actually feel any part of his body, let alone open his eyes and tell Luke he was fine and ask him why he was crying. He started to get frustrated, desperatly trying to search out something to give Luke a signal.

Gradually, he felt the feelings in his left hand come back, and he could feel Luke's hand wrapped firmly around it. With all the strength he could muster, he gently squeezed Luke's hand.

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke sniffs hard when Bo squeezes his hand but shakes his head thinking he only imagined it then unable to stand not knowing he speaks to Bo again

"Bo did ya just squeeze my hand cousin if ya did do it again gimme a sign your coming back to us squeeze my hand if ya can."

Lukes is ready to give a rebel yell at the thought Bo may be coming back to them but doesn't want to get his hopes up only to be disappointed so waits patiently for to see if Bo will squeeze his hand.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo heard Luke's plea, knowing that just one squeeze wouldn't be enough to satisfy Luke. So he didn't squeeze back at all, and he felt Luke sigh and say something about not getting his hopes up.

But Bo didn't hear it, the feeling in his body was starting to return more and more rapidly and he decided to go one better. Slowly...he gently opened his baby blue eyes, squinting hard against an oddly bright white light that obscured his vision.

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke is totally shocked as Bo's eyes stare back at him,more tears stream down his cheeks but this time it's tears of joy and relief.

"Bo....welcome back cuz,ya gonna be alright now"

Suddenly Luke remembers Uncle Jesse and Daisy looking at Bo with a twinkle of sheer joy in his eyes as he heads for the door saying

"Don't go nowhere,be right back; I gotta get Uncle Jesse and Daisy or Jesse'll tan my butt while Daisy's clobberin me with the frying pan for not tellin 'em as soon as ya opened your eyes."

With that Luke tears himself from the room not really wanting to leave afraid to come back and find it's all been a dream. As he comes upto where Daisy and Uncle Jesse are Jesse's face becomes extremely worried at seeing the still flowing tears.

"Luke what's wrong is Bo worse?"

With a shake of his head Luke stutters through the tears"

"B..Bo's awake he's gonna be ok ya'll"

With that said the three of them head in to see Bo the nurses not bothering to stop them as one came by and noticed Bo awake. Once in the tiny room Jesse goes straight to Bo kissing his forehead.

"There's my boy it's good ta have ya back son"

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy was about ready to shriek with joy as Luke came out and told them that Bo was awake and was one of the first one's in the room just to make sure that Luke wasn't playing any kind of games.

But sure enough there he was, blinking up at the ceiling, looking completly and utterly bewildered and scared, but he was there none the less. She flung her arms excitedly round Luke's neck and hugged him tightly

Bo didn't have a clue where he was, disorientated and scared at the tubes and wires he could now see protruding from his own body....and then he got the feeling back in his throat and he choked as his body recognised something painful lodged in there.

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke wraps his arms around Daisy hugging her furiously,then as Bo starts to choke on the breathing tube he quickly crosses to the bed seeing the terrified look on Bo's face. While Jesse is on the other side and pushes the nurse call button summoning a nurse. Stroking Bo's hair soothingly Luke talks calmly and soothingly to try and get him to relax so the tube in his throat isn't so choking.

"Bo it's alright just stay calm ya got a breathing tube in ya throat to help ya breathe when you's unconscience. Just relax the nurse is on the way."

Soon a nurse and the doctor appears crossing over to Bo he shines a tiny flashlight in Bo's eyes to check the dialation while talking soothingly to the still choking Bo.

"Just calm down and let your throat relax Beaureguard, I know it's painful and we'll get it out as soon as we can. Your throat will be real sore though for at least a day or two afterwards so that would mean no talking understand. Blink once if you understand what I just told you."

The doctor looks at the rest of the family motioning them out in the hall while a nurse gives Bo a mild seditive that will relax him but won't put him to sleep.

"If I take out the tube he's still going to need and oxygen mask until the antibiotics has time to rid his body of the chest infection, I don't know yet whether or not I can remove the breathing tube just yet I'll have to observe him and do some checking to make sure his body can breath sufficiently on it's on due to the infection but as far as the flu that will just have to run it's course as it normally would although the medications will lessen the symptoms."

Luke is listening intently to every word and will make sure Bo follows the orders to a T if the doctor can remove the breathing tube.

"We understand doctor,Bo's still a very sick young man and we'll do anything that needs doing to help him get well.

[BoJamesDuke]

As soon as Bo started to choke, he saw Luke scramble over instantly, gripping his hand and smoothing his hair. He tried to listen as Luke explained what was happening, but the blood pounding through his ears pracically deafened him.

But gradually Luke's soothing voice broke through and he calmed a little, still choking on the tube but not as badly as he had been. He gripped Luke's hand tighter as the Doctor and the Nurse came in and they explained what Luke just had.

At the doctor's explanation, he blinked once and his choking stopped as the sedative slipped into his system and relaxed his muscles. But he instantlly became panicked again as Luke's hand slipped away and he looked over to see Luke walking out the door with Jesse and Daisy.

He made a weak noise of protest that aggrivated his throat, but he desperatly wanted Luke with him, he didnt want to be left alone like this. He made the noise again, crying slightly as it hurt his throat more.

[B.L. Davenport]

After recieving the blink of understanding from Bo the Dr. and the rest of the Dukes step outside and talk, Luke is listening to the Dr. closely yet still keeping tuned in to what's going on in the little room and can hear Bo's muffled sounds of protests at his leaving. Once the Dr. has finished they all reenter the room Luke going straight to Bo's side again stroking his hair from his face and making soothing noises which seems to calm Bo more than any medication ever could.

"I'll come back and check on you in a couple of hours Beaureguard and we'll start making decisions then about the breathing tube until then don't try and fight it ok"

recieving another blink from Bo the dr. continues

"I know it's painful and very uncomfortable but you have a serious chest infection and the flu so it may be necessary to leave it in a while longer. "

At Bo's blink again the dr. leaves and Bo turns crestfallen eyes up at Uncle Jesse on one side of his bed and Luke on the other.

Jesse pats his hand reassuringly as Daisy at the foot of the bed puts a consoling hand on his leg.

"It'll be alright Bo you's just do what the dr. says and you'll be right a rain and causing trouble before we know it."

Bo looks over at Luke who nods agreement with Uncle Jesse

"That's right Bo we'll be pestering Rosco before too much longer you's just behave yourself and it'll be that much sooner." Again Bo nods but there's a pleading in his eyes that Luke wants so much to say yes he'll stay right by Bo's side but is pretty sure the dr. won't allow that but decides to ask when he sees the dr. walk by the room once again. Letting go of Bo's hand he promises,

"I'll be right back Bo"

With that he steps out the door

"Uh Doc can I speak to ya for a minute"

The doctor stops and comes back to where Luke is standing in the hall but still within Bo's vision.

"Sure is there something wrong"

"Uh no nothin's changed since a few minutes ago but I was wondering if you could get it fixed so's I can stay in there with Bo he don't seem to be fighting the tube as much with me in there wi' him"

The doctor thinks a moment then remembering how distressed the young man was when Luke left and how he immediately calmed down when Luke returned he nods.

"Sure I'll give the nurses instructions to leave a note on Beaureguard's chart that says you can stay in there to keep him calm as long as the breathing tube's in."

And with that the Dr. writes the note himself placing it in Bo's chart and tells the nurse the arrangement as she comes from Bo's room having finished taking his vital signs. Luke returns to the room and his position beside Bo.

"Hey Bo I got great news the Doc says it's ok if I stay in here with ya least while ya got the breathing tube in."

Bo's eyes shine with relief at not being left alone in the unfamiliar room with the painful tubing in his throat everything will be ok and he can cope as long as Luke's with him.

Jesse smiles at Luke thankful once again to have such caring and loving kids that would do anything for each other.

[BoJamesDuke]

At that moment, Bo wanted nothing more than to sit up and wrap his arms around Luke and never let him go. Luke always seemed to understand exactly what he wanted and more often than not could get it done for him in an instant.

He wanted to show some sort of thanks to his family, wanted desperatly to show them that he was comfoted by having them here and to reassure them that he was feeling alright..even though that would have been an outright lie anyway. But the sedative the nurse had given him had knocked out his muscles, not allowing for any movement.

Daisy noticed the helpless almost frustrated look that was growing on Bo's face and gently moved to stand beside Luke, nudging Luke slightly as she took up Bo's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"You'll be right as rain in no time sugar, you'll see.*

She smiled gently, fighting back the urge to grab the tube still left in his throat and removing it, seeing him wince slightly everytime he swallowed.

[B.L. Davenport]

Uncle Jesse noticed the distressed look on Bo's face and squeezed the fingers on Bo's free hand as there was an IV needle in the back of that hand,letting Bo know that they all knew how much he needed them and was glad they were there to comfort him.

Luke seeing the desolute pained look on his cousin's face wanted just to rip out all the wires and tubing and stop all the pain but knew these things were for Bo's own good so instead with a mock frown at Daisy he nudged her back a little growling playfully

"Hey there'll be no pushing young lady"

Jesse chuckled at his oldest two's antics to cheer Bo up.

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy smiles and poked Luke sharply in his side, making him yelp quietly and jump, grinning and putting her hands on her hips.

"You can quit tellin' me what to do Lukas Kevin Duke! You's ain't that much older than me and you know I can beat you up just as good as any guy can so you better just watch how you treat me Mister!"

Bo couldn't help but smile slightly and roll his eyes, looking over to Uncle Jesse in a 'Tell them how stupid they sound' kind of way

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke raises his hands in surrender eyes twinkling it seems like months since there had been this type of banter between any of the cousins but in reality hadn't been more than a day or so before Bo got sick.

"Alright alright don't get hostile"

Uncle Jesse puts on a mock stern look eyes still twinkling

"Ok you two this a hospital behave yourselves"

Luke points at himself pretending to be shocked that he's being scolded and then points at Daisy while saying in an mock accusitory tone and a smirk at Bo's eye rolling.

"Me behave she started it by pushin me all I was doing was defending myself"

Jesse points his finger at Luke

"Don't sass me young man"

Luke tries his best to look contrite but the smile still creeps over his features as he answers respectfully

"Yes sir"

Soon a nurse comes in to tell Jesse and Daisy that visiting hours are over for the night. After she leaves Jesse bends giving Bo a kiss on the forehead

"We'll see ya tomorrow Bo,sleep tight"

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo smiled a little as Uncle Jesse pulled away from pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, and turned his head slightly to lean against Daisy's as she wrapped her arms gently around his shoulders.

"We'll be back to see ya tomorrow. See if ya can get Luke to sleep without us havin' to drug him tonight for me."

Bo smiles again and blinked once at her, watching her and Uncle Jesse leave the room with a silent sigh, still wishing he could tell them or show them how much he loved them and how sorry he was for putting them through all this, even though he knows they already know

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke hugs Daisy and Uncle Jesse after they have said there goodbyes to Bo whispering in Daisy's ear "I ain't sleepin, not taking my eyes off him for a minute longer than necessary."

Once they are gone Luke's heart aches at the sad morose look Bo is wearing he wishes there was something more he could do but knows there's nothing anyone can do at the moment but just give Bo moral support. But as a nurse comes in and checks the progress of all the machines then leaves Luke turns to Bo with a twinkle in his eye trying to cheer him up "It won't be long till you'll be chasing all these pretty nurses to get their phone numbers."

The doctor soon comes in for the last rounds of the evening looking Bo's chart over carefully studying the infromation. Then looking up at the boys he smiles slightly

"Well looks like things are going good although the chest infection is still really severe but I think now that your awake Beaureguard and seem to be doing reasonably well we can put you in a private room tomorrow,although you will still be hooked to the breathing machine along with the IV drips of antibiotics for the chest infection everything else looks well enough to remove the other machines; and then you're family will be free to come and go a little more"

Eyeing Luke's expression the doctor warns "but they will still have to observe hospital rules and regulations on visiting."

The doctor leaves after an examination happier to see that the once very sick young man is on the road to recovery. Once the doctor is gone Luke looks at Bo with pure glee on his face

"Didja hear that Bo you's can be moved to a regular room that's the best news I've heard all week."

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo nodded a little, trying to appear as happy as Luke was, but he failed miserably. He was glad he was being moved to a private room because it was a sign that he was getting better even if right now it didn't feel like it. But the fact that he still needed to be hooked up to a breathing machine, that he was so weak he couldn't do the simplist things for himself hit him hard and he hated it.

The pain from the breathing tube, when he wasn't put on the sedative, was unbareable, but so was seeing Luke and the rest of his family so upset. In keeping his family away from danger, trying to spare them any physical pain, he had caused more of the worst kind. He had hurt them emotionally by getting so badly ill and he hated himself for it.

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke sensing Bo's guilt at causing them all so much worry and his frustration with his condition wished for the 1000th time he could just take all the physical pain and the worry of the last few weeks that Bo's been under upon himself. He's still kicking himself for not noticing the changes in Bo but not wanting to make Bo feel any worse Luke relies on his marine skills to hide these feelings and sqeezes Bo's hand and sitting down beside him Luke starts to talk idly of old memories and making plans for when Bo's well again trying to take both their minds off the situation.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo listened as Luke recalled some old memories, gradually slipping into sleep as he did. He felt safe knowing that Luke was beside him and holding his hand. While he could feel the loving solid grip, he couldn't respond to it, but the look on Luke's face told him that it didn't matter one single bit.

He jerked himself awake as his eyes slipped closed, willing himself to stay awake until Luke fell asleep, wanting to know that Luke wasn't going to get in the same state as he was at that moment by neglecting his own health through worry over him. No matter how much Luke was to tell him to go to sleep, he refused to until his cousin slept soundly beside him.

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke had thought with the stories Bo would surely go to sleep but seeing Bo jerk himself back to awareness he knew that wasn't going to happen. So remembering Daisy's earlier ministrations to get him to sleep himself Luke began to gently trail his fingers around Bo's face the same way Uncle Jesse used to do when Bo was little and would fight sleep,singing some of the Duke's favorite hymns. After finishing singing 'Amazing Grace' and 'Prescious Memories' he gave Bo the same commanding look he used to when they were younger and Bo was being stubborn or not listening,

"Go to sleep Bo you need all the rest you can get you've missed more than your share lately I can still tell it in the racoon look your sportin."

Seeing Bo look just as determined as he is Luke sighs,then unexpectedly a yawn comes out of nowhere seeming as if it came straight from his toes, Luke puts his head on the edge of the pillow next to Bo intending to just rest a minute till Bo falls asleep still singing the hymns softly.

[BoJamesDuke]

As Luke settled his head next to Bo's on the edge of the pillow, Bo finally succumbed to the gentle soothing songs that Luke was singing and the gentle touch that held so much love and promises of protection. He sank slowly into sleep, nuzzling slightly more into his older cousin's hand.

Daisy watched with Uncle Jesse as her two cousin's lay side by side, each comforting the other without any words. She loved those two boys, she really did, and never ceased to be amazed at how close they were. She just hoped that whatever had got Bo so seriously ill could be discovered soon so the relationship could go back to how it once was.

[B.L. Davenport]

Uncle Jesse takes Daisy by the hand leading her back to the waitingroom where they both find chairs and wait for sleep to claim them too. Jesse wonders what tomorrow will bring.

"Get some sleep baby tomorrow's gonna be another long day."

Once Luke hears Bo's gentle even breathing signaling deep sleep the singing fades away slowly whispering

"Goodnight cousin"

but his hand never leaving Bo's. Feeling himself start to get drowsy he sits up blinking rapidly to chase away all thoughts of sleep.