When Friends Ain't Friends...

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo groaned as his body felt stiff as he was sat up, but all that was instantly forgotten as a wave of pure sickness took over his thoughts and he vomited into the trash can Cooter held for him, trembling as it happened.

[B.L. Davenport]

B.L. leans over rubbing circles on Bo's back as he's sick, doing the only thing she can to comfort him. Cooter continued to support Bo as he got sick looking to B.L. with a helpless expression wishing there was more they could do to ease Bo's discomfort.

"Coot we gotta call Uncle Jesse we told him we would"

Cooter nodded not speaking, neither one of them could stop tending to Bo at the moment to make the call.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo cocntinued to retch until what little had been in his stomach in the first place had been completly emptied from his stomach and Cooter guided him back to rest against his pillows, looking about as pale as them.

[B.L. Davenport]

"How ya feelin' buddyroe?"

Cooter asked as he made Bo more comfortable on the pillows while B.L. wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"I'm gonna call Uncle Jesse,Luke and Daisy now tell 'em yer awake."

B.L. said as she wiped Bo's forehead and face wishing there was more she could do to erase the bruises that stood out against the start paleness of his face.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo blinked and tried to make the words in his head make sense so he could convey them to his friends, coughing slightly as he said, his voice raspy and slurred.

no'goo'....fee'sick....an'...stiff....

[B.L. Davenport]

Cooter gives Bo's hand a sympathetic squeeze. Ruffling his hair with a deep sigh.

"I know Bo,ya gonna feel rough for a day or two but ya gonna be ok. So don't you worry 'bout a thing ya just relax best ya can."

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo sighed and closed his eyes briefly before opening them again.

"Luke ba'yet?"

[B.L. Davenport]

B.L. picks up the phone dialing the number to the Duke farm. Speaking briefly she hands up looking at Bo shaking her head.

"No he's not back yet but he's on his way darlin'. I just called th' farm and talked ta Uncle Jesse they'll be here before ya can say jimminy cricket."

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo sighed and closed his eyes again, groaning softly as he felt sick again but trying to supress it. While he really couldn't feel anything, his ribs still hurt a little when he was throwing up.

[B.L. Davenport]

" S'ok Bo"

B.L. frowned worriedly as she played with Bo's hair as they waited for the rest of the Duke family to arrive.

[BoJamesDuke]

It wasn't too long after the call that Luke, Daisy and Jesse showed up, Luke looking much better than he had been when he left and so did Daisy as they rushed into the room.

Bo opened his eyes as he heard the commotion and swallowed, crying out softly as he saw his Uncle, reaching out his arms to him and crying softly as he was wrapped once more in his Uncle's safe embrace, being rocked gently and soothed with soft words and gentle strokes of his hair.

[B.L. Davenport]

"s'alright boy ya safe now and we's here....shhh s'alright"

Jesse soothed as Luke stood on the other side of the bed with a hand on Bo's shoulder.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo sobbed gently in Jesse's hold, feeling a dull ache start in his ribs but not caring as he snuggled more into Jesse hold and Luke's hand on his shoulder, squeezing Daisy's hand back as she crossed over and took it softly.

[B.L. Davenport]

Jesse wrapped his arms tighter around Bo rocking gently stroking the distraught young man's hair soothingly.

"Easy Bo....calm down ya gonna do yerself more harm gettin' all upset like ya are."

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy could only watch as her younger cousin finally broke down from his ordeal, rubbing his back gently as she glanced to Luke, smiling sadly but supportivly.

Eventually Bo calmed down and sat more hiccuping in his Uncle's arms.

[B.L. Davenport]

Jesse held Bo rocking gently while he cried himself out. Looking over at Daisy and Luke Jesse smiled reassuringly seeing the worry on both their faces for their youngest cousin.

Luke ran his fingers through the back of Bo's hair as Jesse held him and rocked while Daisy rubbed the younger cousin's back all of them giving comfort in anyway they could. It looked as if it was going to be some time before Bo was over his ordeal but they'd work through it as a family just like they always had.

B.L. pulled Cooter from the room letting the family be alone for a while, the two of them walking down the hall arms around each other.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo sniffed and pulled slightly away from Jesse, looking to all three members of his family desperatly, his voice still heavily slurred but his eyes looking a little clearer, even if he face was still very pale and his whole body had taken on a case of the shakes.

"Pl'dun'go....pleas....sta'wi'me..."

[B.L. Davenport]

"We're not going anywhere Bo, we's gonna stay right here with ya so don't you worry 'bout it."

Luke reassured deciding that even when it was Cooter's and B.L.'s turn to stay with Bo he wasn't going home again. Bo needed at least one of them to stay with him at all times and it would be ok as long as he (Luke) wasn't left on his own with Bo he could still get some rest.

Jesse frowned as he saw something pass over Luke's face he knew he was going to be in for an argument next time he tried to get Luke to go home with himself and Daisy.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo nodded and twisted his body slightly to face Luke, but cried out a little as his ribs flared with a small spike of pain that the pain medication couldn't dull so quickly and quickly resumed his original position in Jesse's arms, but whimpered and quietly asked, words slurring, if Luke would hold him and keep him safe.

Daisy bit her lip as she heard the quiet but desperate plea, so familiar from Bo's younger days when Luke had gone off to 'Nam....he had cried nearly every night for two weeks after Luke had departed, begging to the air for Luke to come back and hold him, to protect him instead of his country and she was sure if Luke had heard that he would have come running back without a moment's hesitation. Looking to Jesse, she oculd see he was thinking of that too....luckily Luke didn't know, they hadn't told him because he would blame himself and that was the last thing they needed, for that all to be dragged up again.

[B.L. Davenport]

Jesse moved out of the way allowing Luke to take his place with Bo, holding Bo comfortingly in his arms rocking gently. Luke used his free hand to wipe the beads of sweat from Bo's forehead that had appeared when he shifted in their Uncle's arms causing pain to his ribs Luke suspected.

"It's alright now Bo I'm here. Just take it easy and rest I ain't gonna leave ya, m'gonna be right here till ya get to go back home. Ya just need to lay still so's ya don't pull them ribs and get yer strength back."

Luke spoke softly into Bo's hair as the younger man clung to him as if his life depended on that touch.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo nodded underneath Luke's hand, swallowing as he twisted his hands tighter in Luke's shirt and huddled more into him, squeezing his eyes shut as he slurred out.

"Hur's....wann'go'hom.....fee'sick...."

[B.L. Davenport]

"I know it hurts.....try not ta think about it ok. Ya can't go home as long as they's givin' ya pain medicine which is why you's feel sick. Doc says ya can go home in a couple o' days as soon as ya can be took off the pain medication."

Luke explained as he rubbed a hand up and down Bo's arm praying desperately Bo wouldn't be sick again that would only aggrevate his ribs more.

Jesse watched the two boys giving thanks that Bo was as well as he was but praying he would soon be well enough to come home. He knew that with Bo in the state he was in there would be no getting Luke home to rest and they both so desperately needed it.

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo whimpered softly, snuggling his head more into Luke's chest, not really having that much control over his body as the medication dulled everything and made him feel sluggish and heavy. He trembled softly in Luke's arms, fighting back every urge in his body to scream and yell in anger and emotional pain.

[B.L. Davenport]

Luke wrapped his arms tighter around Bo as if holding on afraid Bo might disappear if he didn't. Talking soothingly as Bo trembled in the hold.

"it's ok Bo I'm here now....it's ok"

He kept reassuing over and over again feeling helpless to help Bo in any other way at the moment but he would do what he could to comfort and reassure Bo that he was safe.

[BoJamesDuke]

Eventually, Bo fell asleep safe and secure in Luke's arms, snuggled tight into him, his hand not relaxing one iota as they remained firmly entwined in the blue plaid he had always known.