Picking Up the Pieces

[runningwild]

Luke sighed in relief, as the nurse looked over at him with a smile. "He's going to be alright, Sir. We gave him a sedative."

Nodding, Luke responded, "Is he going to pull through?"

The nurse couldn't offer anything less than a smile, "He'll be alright. Now, you better go. The doctor's going to go ahead and ask that Mr. Duke have no visitors so that he can rest."

He almost put up a huge fight, but Luke knew that he owed these fine people a little something for saving his cousin. "Alright Ma'm. I'll be right out here. Let me know when he's awake."

Before he turned to leave, Luke stared at Bo sleeping. "I'm still here Cousin, I'm just right out here."

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo now couldn't hear anything once more, sleeping deeply both physically and in his mind.

Daisy looked up as she stood with Jesse as Luke walked out the room, hurrying over to him quickly.

"Luke...Luke we heard the alarms...what happened is..is he..."

[runningwild]

Luke looked up at his younger cousin, he offered her a smile. "He's fine Daisy don't go worrying about him. He just got a little riled up. His blood pressure got too high. If he knew I was there, then I'm sure it was just because he's still mad at me."

Rubbing his eyes with his hands, Luke sighed. "I ain't leaving the hospital until Bo's able to leave with me."

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy bit her lip, glancing up at Jesse as he said that, shaking her head softly,

"Luke he could be in here a long time...you need t'sleep and eat properly or chances are yer gonna end up right beside him cousin...he needs you, and all your attention...he can't have that if your exhausted and malnurished..."

[runningwild]

"I told him that I wasn't leaving him. I told him." Luke put up a little fuss with Daisy. "Look I messed up a lot with Bo, and I can't break my word to him."

Luke looked at Jesse for a help, "I can sleep here in that chair and they've got snacks and coffee. I'll be just fine. I just have to stay here. I have too."

[BoJamesDuke]

Jesse sighed softly, just looking at his eldest charge for a moment. He knew that Luke was feeling bad about what happened between him and Bo and was really only just realizing what Bo had been saying all along. A part of him was tempted to let Luke stay here like he wanted, purely so that if Bo could hear Luke then it would give Luke a chance to say to him everything he needed to without Bo interrupting and mouthing back. However, he also knew how Luke could get if he got worried enough and he knew that sleep and food would become the very last thing on his mind. Sighing, he shook his head.

"M'sorry son but this time I agree with Daisy...you can spend all day here if you want, you can bring a lunch from home in the morning...but you come home every night, eat a proper meal and get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast in the morning when you wake up. One of you kids in here is quite enough, and don't say you won't end up here too son...you know as well as I do that if you get worried enough you'll neglect what's important."

[runningwild]

Luke contemplated a way to stay, but he didn't want to go against his Uncle Jesse. Everything he said made sense to Luke and it was no surprise that Luke didn't agree with all of it. Making sense and agreeing are two different things. He never wanted to leave Bo because this was his chance to make it up to him. If something else happened to Bo and Luke wasn't there, he would never be able to forgive himself.

"Okay Uncle Jesse. I can do that. Know though, Sir, I'm not doing that for you or Daisy. Hell, I'm not even doing it for myself. I'm doing it for Bo because if I'm not able to be here for him then he will never forgive me."

The look in Luke's eyes as he looked up in his Uncle Jesse was that of desperation and sadness. Luke was in a losing battle and all he could do was go along with what he was being told to do.

"I'll leave in a minute..."

[BoJamesDuke]

Jesse nodded softly, putting a hand on Luke's shoulder and squeezing it gently - that being the most public display of affection Luke had ever really accepted from his Uncle or cousins.

"I know son..."

[runningwild]

Luke accepted the gesture, but he wasn't about to lose his composure to the kindness. Being the oldest, he had always been the strong one for his family. All of a sudden he froze in mid thought.

"Uncle Jesse, I believe the authorities are going to arrive in the morning. They'll want to take me and Cassie. Could you phone Rosco and ask him for a prayer for judgment just for me to stay here unbothered until Bo's alright?"

[BoJamesDuke]

Jesse shook his head softly

"I already took care of it earlier son when I left a while ago...me an' Rosco had a nice friendly chat about it, and neither him nor Enos are gonna fess up an' say they saw ya release Cassie...they ain't got no proof...sides, you were the one helped put Sawyer behind bars again so...hopefully everything should be ok fer ya..."

[runningwild]

A look of relief washed over Luke's face, "Thank you Uncle Jesse. I'm just glad that you got it straightened out. It's been a long day."

He had turned, as if he was going to walk away, but stopped. "You think they'll be here to get Cassie in the morning? She seemed to be doing alright, when I spoke with her."

He just wanted to make sure that he got to tell her goodbye.

[BoJamesDuke]

Jesse just looked back at him and shrugged softly.

"I don't know son...I don't know what's happening with Cassie's case...cause I aint a family member or anything i'm not allowed to know..."

[runningwild]

"That's fine, Uncle Jesse," Luke smiled softly at him. He figured that his uncle didn't know anything, but he asked out of shear hope.

"I want you to know that I love her, but I know I have to say my goodbye and stay away from her. I'm not as blind as everyone thinks. I believe she has changed a lot, but I also believe that not having my family hate is more important."

[BoJamesDuke]

Jesse nodded a little and so did Daisy, but it was Daisy that actually spoke up as Jesse just didn't know what to say on the matter anymore. He felt like he had been arguing both boys cases to each other till he was blue in the face but neither one had refused to budge. Now that Luke was however, he couldn't help but feel just a little bit guilty that Luke was giving up someone he loved because of their own fears and prejudices.

Daisy stepped forward and put a hand on her older cousn's arm.

"Luke...all we ever want is for you to be happy...We're sorry if...we forced you into this..."

[runningwild]

Luke smiled at Daisy in hopes of making her and Uncle Jesse feel better, "Hey, I understand. It's okay. Family is important and they should be more important than anything or anybody. You were just trying to protect me."

Looking over at Jesse, Luke spoke again, "I'm not bitter. I love you both. Now, we'll go, but can I just tell her goodbye incase she's not here in the morning?"

[BoJamesDuke]

Sighing, Jesse nodded gently.

"You dont gotta ask my permission anymore Luke...you ain't a child..."

[runningwild]

Luke just nodded and turned away from Jesse and Daisy; he started towards Cassie's room. He halfway hoped that she was asleep, but couldn't be sure. All he knew what that she had had just as long a day as anyone.

Approaching her open door, he knocked on it anyway out of politeness. "Cassie?"

Cassie had been lying still trying to get some rest because she felt a little sick. After hearing her name, she paused and took in the fact that it was Luke that had said it. "Come on in Luke." She set up a little in her bed so that she could talk with him more easily.

"How're you feeling?" Luke smiled at her and stood by her bed.

She smiled back, "I'm feeling a little sick, but that is to be expected. I think I just need some more rest."

He just stared at her for a moment and decided she did look as if she didn't feel well. "I'm not staying long. I just wanted to say goodbye before I left for the night. I didn't know if I would get the chance tomorrow."

Cassie nodded and didn't say anything for a moment. She had been searching for the right thing to say to Luke. "It means a lot that you would do that for me."

"Yeah, I'm a real stand up fella. Now, get you some rest. If you're still here, I'll stop in tomorrow to say hello."

She smiled again, "I would like that."

Luke looked her in the eyes, "Don't be scared about what happens. You'll be alright." Before he knew it, his hand had grabbed hers and held it gently. After their moment, he squeezed her hand softly and turned to walk out.

"Thanks, Luke. Goodbye."

He stopped in the door and looked at her one last time. "Goodbye, Cassie."

Turning on his heel, he headed back slowly to Jesse and Daisy. He saw them talking, but didn't interrupt them when he approached. He figured they would just notice him and know that he was ready to go.

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy looked up as her older cousin approached, smiling softly to him even though she felt just as bad as Jesse did. Cassie had always been a good friend of the family, and many years ago it would have been such a thrill that Cassie would have been part of the family through Luke and her's relationship....but over the years Cassie had followed a dark and dangerous path while she had been away from Hazzard and it was not one that the Dukes could follow her down. Bo had nearly been lost twice because of her connections with her shady past and too many times she too had nearly been lost to them and to Luke, hurting the boy along the way, toying with emotions that Luke didn't need being toyed with. As much as they would have loved having Cassie with them, now they couldn't help but fear it and the people that may be after her...they could no longer be sure of anything she said or did...it would take time to build up that trust with the family again, especially with Bo....and unfortunatly time was something that was not on their side.

[runningwild]

"Let's go," Luke slide past Daisy and headed toward the exit doors. He was leaving the hospital unsure of what was going to happen during the night. There was no way that he could predict what would happen. In his heart, he just had to trust that Bo was going to pull through.

In his mind, he tried to visualize his life different. There was no way that it was going to be any different than now.

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy bit her lip and gently followed with Jesse, jogging to catch up with Luke before wordlessly slipping an arm around his waist and giving him a small squeeze, walking beside him. By doing it, she offered him what little comfort she could as well as trying to apologize for everything that had been happening.

[runningwild]

Luke felt his cousin's arm around him and the comfort made him feel a little better. He just didn't know how he was suppose to react about anything anymore. Bo was hanging on for dear life because of Luke. If he hadn't convinced Bo to bust him out of jail then none of this would've happened.

"I should be right in there beside of him. Cassie took my bullet, Daisy."

He spoke in a soft tone, but he didn't seem sad. It was as if he was only making conversation.

[BoJamesDuke]

Daisy nodded gently, keeping her arm round his waist softly as they walked across the parking lot. She had figured something like that had happened when Cassie's wound was in her side, Bo's a direct hit and Luke having not even a scratch on him.

"Well...people do crazy things when in love apparently..."

[runningwild]

Luke just nodded, "Yeah, crazy things."

The craziest thing Luke's ever done was walk away from the one person that he did love. Some wouldn't consider that crazy, but if you lived it, then you would understand.

"She'll be okay, she's strong," he sighed.

[BoJamesDuke]

"Yeah...and hopefully the system will realize what Cassie needs most is professional help more than being thrown in jail...then maybe one day she can come back and you two can really work something out..."

Daisy consoled softly, she still liked Cassie even if she didn't trust her with her family as much as she once did. She wanted the girl to get the help she needed, she wanted the friend that she used to play dollies with back...just as much as Luke wanted the woman he loved back.

[runningwild]

"She'll get some help and then she'll should be off to follow her dreams. I'm telling you Daisy she can sew some clothing. I saw a dress she made once. It was beautiful. I figure that's what she was off doing before she came back here."

Reaching the vehicle, Luke just shook his head. "I figure I'll wake up pretty early in the morning and head back here. Do you have to work tomorrow?"