When Friends Ain't Friends...

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy shook her head

"I ain't goin' back until I know the coast is clear...lets go down and get them some food instead...."

She said as she accepted B.L's hand.

Bo sighed and nodded gently back.

"Know what ya mean."

[B.L. Davenport]

*pulls Daisy to her feet putting an arm around the other girl's waist as they walked to the elevators and rode down to the cafeteria*

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo shifted a little in the silence that fell on the room, wondering whether JEsse was still mad and pondering what to say next or whether he was just making them sweat...which was likely.

"Luke...you got...anything./...fun we can do?"

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke thought for a few moments then looked at Bo shaking his head, he had some cards in his pocket he'd bought in the gift shop but now might not be the best time to play cards with Jesse being in the mood he was in. He whispered

"I got some cards from the gift shop thought me, you, Daisy and B.L. might play but better wait till Uncle Jesse looks in a better mood."

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo nodded, looking over to Jesse

You rekon he's still mad an' is gonna grill me or is just makin' us sweat it out?

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke looks at Jesse then back at Bo shrugging

"I think he's gonna make ya sweat looks like he's willin' to drop it fer now"

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo nodded and sighed softly and gently in relief. He wished it wasn't so hard to breath but he had to admit, it felt better than being drugged up to his eyeballs and feeling sicker than a dog all the time. He got sick twinges sometimes because he was still on a fair amount of the medication, but it was keeping him largly comfortable so he wasn't about to complain. He just couldn't wait to get home.

Reaching over, he took Luke's (he now noticed with a frown) shaking hand, looking to his cousin and seeing now the fear and guilt that resated in his older brother's eyes. He sighed and shook his head, squeezing the hand softly.

"Luke...s'matter?"

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke shook his head smiling at Bo giving his hand a pat. The worried frown on Bo's face causing him to raise his eyebrows questioningly. Answering quietly

"nothin' Bo"

B.L. and Daisy had decided to sit at one of the tables in the cafeteria and have some lunch while they waited for time to pass and things to calm down in Bo's room. Nibbling on a cookie B.L. asked Daisy,

"Ya think it's safe to go back now?"

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo sighed and shook his head.

"Luke...qui'...with the lying...I can tell...yer feelin' guilty...an' scared...wha's the matter..."

Daisy shrugged gently

"I don't know...its just nice to sit here in the peace for a little bit thats all."

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke rubs his face tiredly realizing how bad his hand was shaking.

"I don't know Bo I just feel like I coulda done more ta spare ya bein' so hurt. I coulda took the time to take ya with me....Uncle Jesse told me I did the right thing but I just can't help feelin' that I didn't."

B.L. nods smiling

"Then we'll sit here a while 'til yer ready to go back, there's no rush Bo's doin' ok and Luke and Uncle Jesse are with 'im."

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo nodded as Luke was talking, reaching up weakly and gently with his hand taking Luke's other, holding them both so he could gently but painfully pull himself into sitting and take Luke into a proper brotherly hug.

"Luke...if'n...ya hadn't....gone we....would b...both be here....now....hangin' on...onta life....by a thread....or sleepin'...with the fishes wi...with some new...concereate boots....I love ya Luke....ain't nothin'....ever gon' change that....ya did....right by me...no matter wha' you...or anyone else thinks...."

Daisy nodded and sighed happily. Bo really was doing okay, and whille it would be sometime before he was back driving the General around and sleeping properly, she knew he would be okay.

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke gently put his arms around Bo hugging him as tightly as possible without hurting him. What Bo had said made alot of sense and he was right Luke himself just had to accept it. After a few minutes Luke gently eased Bo back onto the bed pulling the cover up around him smiling.

"Ya need to get some rest Bo."

Jesse had sat and watched his boys with a warm smile on his face it was a wonderful sight to see when the youngest took on the roll as counsil and helped the oldest to understand something and deal with it without blaming himself.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo smiled up at Luke, still holding one of his hands as his older cousin pulled up the blankets and tucked him in again, pleased that Luke seemed to have understood and accepted what had ben said. He knew that Jesse and Daisy had proberly told him exactly what Bo had...but then again, he knew from experience it was way better to hear it coming from the person involved, especially if that person was a cousin more like a brother than any blood related brother ever could be.

With a gentle sigh, he squeezed Luke's hand and drifted into sleep listening to Luke humming him a gently song and running his hand through Bo's golden curls delicatly.

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke continued to sit by Bo holding his hand and stroking his hair humming for several minutes until he was absolutely positive Bo was sleeping soundly. Then he moved over to look out the window, wishing he and Bo could be out tearing around in the General instead of being stuck in a hospital room.

Jesse stood next to him quietly gazing out the window. Luke looked over wanting to make sure Jesse wasn't really mad at Bo for B.L.'s earlier revelation.

"Uncle Jesse?....."

"hmmm......"

"Bo ain't turnin' into an alchoholic B.L. was only teasing him he don't really drink that much none of us do. Shoot she even drinks more than she can carry out sometimes but it's nothin' ta worry about. You've taught us all to be responsible drinker's and we are."

Jesse nodded reguarding Luke before answering softly

"I know son....I just wanted to make sure Bo knew I wasn't gonna stand fer no over indulging on a regular basis."

[BoJamesDuke]

But...no matter how sure Luke thought he was...Bo wasn't asleep. One of the small tricks he could sometimes pull over Luke, especially if he wasn't paying full attention, was to be able to feign sleep and then sneak out...of course Luke also got his own back the same way, following him to wherever it was he had snuk.

Now, he used it to make sure his cousin was alright. He didn't open his eyes, but listen into his and Jesse;s conversation, smiling a little bit as he heard Luke sticking up for him and Jesse's gentle aknowledgement. He loved his family dearly, and it was times like these when he could just listen to what they say that he really valued and appriciated them even more.

[B.L. Davenport]

"Yes sir"

Luke nodded at Jesse's words knowing that they were a gentle warning to him as well. To some Jesse might seem gruff when reprimanding his 'kids' but those who knew him best knew there was nothing in the world he wouldn't do for them. This not only included the three young cousin's he'd raised but the Davenport cousin's as well. They might be named Davenport but to Jesse they were just as much Duke as his own three and himself.

Jesse watched Bo from the window for a few moments before looking back out the window it was a relief to see his youngest on the mend although it was still going to be a long road to full recovery.

[BoJamesDuke]

Eventually, when silence fell, Bo found that his body refused him to stay awake any longer, claiming the rest that he needed for it to heal.

It wasn't too long after this that Daisy and B.L. finally walked into the room, accompanied by Bo's doctor who smiled warmly at the family.

"Hey...just come to check up on our patient. With any luck, she should be out of here by the end of the week the way heis ribs were healing last I checked them."

[B.L. Davenport]

Jesse and Luke both nodded happily at the doctor's news. It would be good to get Bo home again where he could finish recuiperating with his family around him constantly.

B.L. smiled happily as well it seemed everything was going to be alright.

[BoJamesDuke]

The doctor checked Bo over, smiling a little before turning to the dukes.

"Everything looks fine, barring any further complications he should be relaased in a couple of days time. Of course, he'll have to come back for check ups and things for a few weeks...and...we recommend a course of psychiatric treatment...."

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke listened to the report frowning when psychiatric treatment, he gritted his teeth Bo didn't need that kind of help he had his friends and family to support him through any mental anguish he would no doubt go through.

"No disrespect intended doctor but Bo won't need psychiatric treatment he has good friends and a loving family that can help him far more than any doctor or nurse in that prospective."

B.L. nodded her agreement staying quiet though in the background.

Jesse too frowned but then nodded to the doctor and said

"whatever you think is best for Bo is what we'll do"

[BoJamesDuke]

The doctor nodded, speaking to Luke first.

"I know that Mr Duke....but sometimes there are things that need to be treated by professionals and torture is one of them. I strongly recommend this course *to Jesse* Mr Duke...it will benifit him greatly."

[B.L. Davenport]

"Then that's what we'll do"

Jesse said as he gave a look to the other three awake occupants of the room daring them to argue with his decision which none of them did.

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy desperatly wanted to say something, knowing Bo wouldn't like this decision one iota but she withered underneath Jesse's look, knowing that meant buisness.

The Doctor nodded and penciled in a note.

"I'll get that sorted plus his release papers for a few days time."

Before he walked out the room...and then the protests started

[B.L. Davenport]

Three voices all jumbled together as they protested this new development. Bo wasn't going to like it and neither did they. He would have a fit just as soon as he was coherent enough to do so they knew but Jesse wasn't the least bit bluffed by their protests and pleads not to add this latest atrocity to Bo. Jesse only shook his head finally holding up a hand to silence them all. Luke however wouldn't be silenced.

"Uncle Jesse you can't subject Bo to that he'll feel like some nut or something if ya make him see them doctors. We can get him through any problems he might have we always have before."

Jesse gave Luke a hard look that silenced the younger man so he could speak.

"Now I know none of ya like the idea I ain't too crazy about it myself but if it'll help Bo the way the doctor says then that's what we're gonna do and I won't have anymore argument about it. Understood!"

B.L. not quite ready to give up pushed a littel further than the Duke cousins would

"But Uncle Jesse....."

Jesse shakes his white head at her with a withering look

"I said enough B.L...."

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy swallowed, always having been the more calming of the three cousin...in fact out of all the people in the room. She held up her hands and said softly to Uncle Jesse.

"Uncle Jesse..please hear me out. Listen....this should ultimatly be Bo's choice to make shouldn't it...I mean how would you like it if someone threw you into a course of psychiatric treatment just because some Doc said it would be good for you? Can't that be Bo's decision?"

Seeing that she was getting somewhere, she continued.

"But if not...can we at least tell Bo that he'll have them for a trail period to see whether he thinks their helping or not and if they really don't and he ends up worse than before...then we let him remove himself from them and we'll take over....Please Uncle Jesse...Bo's been through enough without us making this decision for him...."