Bryceton Series: Moving On

[Kristy_DUke]

CHAPTER ONE

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Bryceton, happy birthday to you!" a bunch of hyped up kids seem to yell out as they circle around Bryceton who sits at the old kitchen table with a large smile spread across his face. Before him sits a large cake that lies heavily frosted with sugar lettering that reads, "HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY BRYCE" with six flamed candles spread around.

As the children's "birthday song" slowly comes to a halt, silence abruptly captures the large farm kitchen while they all await in great anticipation of what will happen next. Tiredness quickly consumes me as I watch Bryceton's friends swarm over Bryceton in their innocent excitement while Bryceton glares up at me; his bright green eyes shine with excitement and of love. My heart tightens of great emotions of love and care towards the small boy as my mind is clouded of memories of the four months that he has lived with us, of watching him opening up to everyone as he slowly learns to trust and love those around him. It continues to amaze me to see the changes he makes with each day of living at a caring home, where he is loved and cared for, compared to how he once was when I had first seen him.

"Make sure you make a wish before you blow out all them candles," Daisy says from the refrigerator as she digs a gallon of vanilla ice cream from the freezer, "and keep that wish to your self...so it will come true."

"Really?" Bryceton asks glaring up at Daisy, his green eyes shine in pure happiness as well as in excitement.

“Now would I lie to you?†Daisy smiles at him as she makes her way around his friends to set the ice cream down upon the old green table where she begins to count out the birthday party plates that Luke had picked out yesterday. “Better make your wish before them candles melt into your cake though...wouldn’t want to be eatin’ wax with your cake.â€

For a long moment Bryceton glares down at his cake as his excitement grows into seriousness before he glares up at Bo who stands in the entry way of the kitchen from the living room. For a moment I follow Bryceton’s glare at Bo, my mind lost in worry towards my youngest nephew who continues to be haunted by the past. “I made my wish,†Bryceton says solemnly to draw my attention back to Bryceton and the cake.

“OK. I’ll count to three and you blow all them candles out by yourself. You think you can do that?†Daisy asks as she continues to scoop ice cream onto the plates she has set out and Bryce nods in agreement, “One. . .two. . .three. Blow!â€

“I did it!†Bryceton says in excitement after blowing out each candle at one time and we all begin to clap for a moment.

“Who wants cake and ice cream?†I ask as I join Daisy at the table to begin to cut the cake.

“Me! Me! Me!†all six of the children yell in excitement before they slowly spread out to take their seats from dinner and I can’t help but to smile as memories of Luke, Bo, and Daisy at this age rolls through my head.

“They y’all go,†I finally say as I hand the last child a plate and ice cream. “Bo, Luke, you want a plate?†I ask and as I look up for their response I find Bo walking away, with Luke trying to catch up to him. My heart seems to melt in worry and concern for Bo as I watch both of my older boys disappearing around the corner while my thoughts remain on the past four months and how hard Bo is taking things.

“Do you want me to go check on him?†Daisy says sneaking up on me while she watches the children eat their cake and ice cream for a moment.

“No. . .I think it’s best to just leave the talking up to Luke, at least for now,†I answer sadly as I glance down to find Bryceton looking at the empty entry way with saddened bright green eyes that yearn for approval from both Bo and Luke, “If you are me to go in, it is only going to make it worse. . .as it has done in the past.â€

“I know,†she answers softly before she kneels down besides Bryceton and begins to talk to him, to distract his line of thought onto something other than Bo and Luke

[Kristy_DUke]

~LUKE DUKE~

"Leave me alone, Luke!" he yells as he slams our door shut in my face, his voice quivers in tears that has fought so hard to fight back tonight. Tiredness swallows me whole as I stare warily at the white painted door that remains shut, an inch in front of my face. My mind runs wildly within me as I fight to remain calm while I fight for solutions to help comfort my troubled cousin.

A loud wave of childish laughter explodes from the kitchen to catch my attention for a long moment before I force myself to glare at the door that had gotten slammed in my face. I force myself to take a long deep breath before slowly letting it go before I slowly grab the golden metal door handle that seems to melt within my clammy hands. "Look Bo," I begin to say before I throw open the door. My heart seems to halt in place as I rush into our room to find Bo lying on his bed, glares up with me with tear stained cheeks. "I wish I could leave you alone, but I can't."

He glares coldly at me for a long moment before he forces the back of his right hand across his face, in attempt to dry his face of his salty tears. "Why not?" he forces out, trying to hide the tears that shines in his voices as much as they do in his baby blue eyes, that glares at me accusatorily. "It's easy to do...you leave our room, close the door and go help Jesse celebrate Bryceton's birthday. I think, it's more that you don't want to leave me alone!"

For a long moment I take in his lanky body lying upon his queen sized bed, his casted right hand lies upon the pillow where he had rested his head. My mind sweeps through the past few months that Jesse and him has been home with Bryceton, on how hard Bo has been taking things, how much he has been suffering due to the past. "I can't leave you alone, because I care...and am worried about you," I answer taking a step closer to him where I walk and slowly sit down besides him on his back and as I place a caring hand on his shoulder he is quick to shove it away. "Daisy and Jesse are very worried about you as well."

"Why would he care?!" he snaps at me as he glares at me for a long moment before forcing himself to look away from me, "Why would he care, when he has Bryceton."

"Don't say that Bo," I snap back at him, my voice stern by caring, "you know he cares for you just as he does before. . .so stop feelin' sorry for yourself! It won't help nothing, but make things worse...and you know that too!"

Silence slowly intrudes into our room, the room I have shared with him over twenty-two years when his parents had abandoned him upon Jesse's front door step. Fond memories of growing up together rush within me as I watch him lying silently on his bed, his resentment seems to radiate from his still body. "You know, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't recall the past that we have lived together, sharing this room. I wouldn't trade a day that I spent with you for anything. . .even the rougher days," I pause for a long moment to force silence back into the room, "I recall the many times where we would stay up after we were suppose to be asleep, talking about the day, our problems, our excitement, or about anything. All the times you had came to me for help, whether for the bullies at school, a math problem, or girl problems. . .you always came to me. I liked that. . .I don't know. . .I guess it made me feel needed, important." I take another long moment of silence to regroup and to seek his reaction to what I am saying, to find none. "I miss that. I miss talking to one another freely, about anything and everything...or about nothing. I wish you would talk to me as you use to . . .instead of keeping all of this to yourself. It would help to talk. . .and I think you know that. I miss you."

A long moment passes full of silence before he slowly turns to look at me, his baby blue eyes remain clouded in emotional pain and tears. For a moment I feel as if he is about to talk about how he feels, but instead he replies, "Nothing can help. . .not even you."

Hurt digs a hole within my heart by his comment as much as the accusatory glare he shoots me with his eyes. "You don't know that," is all I can find to say, "I wish we could have the friendship we had once. . .where we talked and spent time with one another. You don't know how much it hurts to see you suffering and yet don't know how to help or what to do to help. Anything I try, you push me away."

"Maybe you shouldn't have left me," he snaps at me, digging his hole in my heart a lot deeper, "for the Marines. You're the one that left me. . .not me!"

"I only did what I knew was best. . .what I thought was best," I reply, fighting back my own guilt, "It wasn't anything personal against you or anyone, Bo. I didn't want to leave you...or the farm, but I had to do what was best."

"Maybe best for you...just like Jesse thinks it best he adopted Bryceton. Huh?" he is quick to answer.

"Bryceton has improved greatly due to moving here with us," I add to receive a hard glare, "I don't know what to tell you, Bo. I want to help. . .I really do. All I have to say is that Jesse did what was best by taking in Bryce, Bryce needs Jesse."

"And I don't?!" he yells as tears break loose from his fight to slowly trail down his pale cheeks, his body seems to tremble slightly in his pain. I sigh warily as he says this, at hearing for the first time that he himself needs Jesse; something he had fought to keep to himself.

"We all do, Bo," I sigh as I place a caring hand on Bo's trembling shoulder, "but we can't be selfish, which we would be if we kept Jesse to ourselves and not let Bryce have him as well. Jesse loves us all...not just Bryceton. . .and is here for all of us. I know you don't see it that way at the moment, but he is. He is doing his best that he can do. Bryceton is happy due to Jesse and Jesse is happy due to Bryceton, we all should be happy and grateful for both of them. Not jealous."

"I know," Bo slowly answers fighting back his tears, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I ask as he wipes his casted hand across his face again to try to dry his tears.

"For this," he points to his cheeks, "for being such a baby. . .and for how I've been lately. I don't know -"

"You're not a baby and there is no need for any apology, Bo," I answer, "you have been through a lot and it is only normal for you to feel this way. And being jealous of Bryceton...is as normal as anything, no one is blaming you. You need Jesse as much as Bryceton does...his whole attention due to all that you went through, to being the witness of his so called killing and the nightmare that came with it. It'll take time, but you'll grow to love Bryceton and to feel the way Jesse does about him. Just wait."

"Maybe," he shrugs, "but I have been a lot selfish in my feelings lately. . . Bryceton needs Jesse more than I, and yet all I thought of is myself."

"Not always," I shrug, knowing the feeling will continue to dig it's own hole within Bo no matter how he feels now. Slowly I reach up and begin to mess up his thick bright blond hair, "Let's go out and get our own piece of the cake and ice cream...you don't want to be left out on the good stuff, do you? We can see Bryce open his presents as well...he'll love the ball and glove you gave him...I know it."

"Maybe," Bo sighs as he slowly forces himself up and I help him up on his feet and we slowly move to the door to rejoin the party in the kitchen.

[Kristy_DUke]

~UNCLE JESSE~

Time seems to stand still for an enternity as the children eat their cake and ice cream while talking exciteably to one another. Their loud talking and laughing seems to echo in my head as I stare into nothingness on the chipped white painted wall. My mind chases thought after thought of the past couple of years that has changed my life dramatically as well as those around me. Anger builds up within me towards Drake for the pain he as created for Bryceton and for Bo who both remain deeply scarred by all that Drake had forced them to go through. Quickly flash backs erase the children's laughter as the year or so I had spent entrapped in that room with Bryceton plays clearly in my mind. The last two weeks seem to drag on within me, scenes of awakening to find Bo sitting next to my bed bruised and bleeding to the several beatings I was forced to watch him take. If only I had . . .

I jump at the touch of a soft caring hand rubbing the back of my right shoulder and I look over to notice Daisy standing next to me. "He'll grow to accept him, Jesse, just give him time," Daisy says talking about Bo to Bryce, "he needs time and space."

"Yeah maybe," I sigh as I fight to block out my flash backs in order to keep Bryceton's day happy, "I just wish there was something I could do to help. . .I can't stand to watch him . . .both of them suffering like they are."

"I know," she sighs watching Bryceton and his friends for a moment, "me either."

Silence is quick to enter between Daisy and me as our thoughts are lost on Bryceton and on Bo. "Presents!" Bryceton yells out in excitement as he shoves in the last big bite of his cake and begins to stand up.

"Bryceton you will swallow what is in your mouth before you get up from the table," I instruct softly and he softly nods in understanding, "and I want you to wait for Bo and Luke to come back out. . .just give them a minute."

"Oh man!" he mutters for a couple of crums to escape from his mouth and onto the table and the table is quick to explode once again with children's excitement talk and laughter.

A few moments slowly drag by as I listen to the children at the table, my mind numb in worry for Bo, wondering if I should go check up on them. I sigh in relief as Luke slowly leads the way into the kitchen and is slowly followed by Bo. I watch them for a moment as they both stop in the door way to watch the birthday celebration.

"Bo!" Bryceton yells after a couple of akward minutes of silence between the adults. Bryce quickly gets up from his wooden chair to send his chair slowly falling onto the floor as he runs to Bo, embracing him in a long tight hug. I smile as I watch Bryce cling onto Bo who slowly makes a movement of hugging him back with the lack of enthusiasm that fills Bryceton. "I missed you!"

Bo looks questionably at the six year old boy before responding, "I was only in my room."

"I know," Bryce says looking excitedly up at Bo, yearning his approval, "but I wanted you here. . .for my birthday."

"So here I am," through Bo's voice I detect thick tiredness as he forces a smile for the boy before patting his soft light brown hair, "now you can go open your presents."

"Can I?" Bryce turns to me and I nod in approval and he runs to the table where everyone's presents are stacked at. I watch as he searches through the presents until he finds the one with Bo and Luke's name on it and he looks up at the boys in excitement. He slowly takes the birthday wrapped gift to the table before he quickly opens it, discarding the paper onto the floor. "A baseball glove and a baseball!" he yells holding it up for everyone to see before running over to Bo to give him another hug, "Thank-you...perhaps we all can play ball later?"

"We'll have to see on the time," I cut in and he glares at me with sullen green eyes.

"Yes sir," he slowly returns to the table where he begins to open the rest of the gifts with as much as excitement as Bo's.

[Kristy_DUke]

~LUKE DUKE~

The innocent laughter and the excited yells of the children echoes loudly in my ears as I stand a lone in the kitchen, watching Daisy kick her old jeep into drive. I smile slightly at seeing her jeep piled with Bryceton's friends in the back while Bryceton sits excitedly in the passenger seat, head turned in order to talk to his newly aquainted friends. Exhaustion quickly settles in as my mind wonders worriedly about the conversation I had with Bo only a half hour or so ago. The sad and lost expression that had taken a hold on his face while we had talked etches itself clearly in my mind to make my heart tighten in sadness for his situation.

"Bryce seemed to like the glove and ball you two got him," I jump in surprse at the sound of my uncle's voice that comes from behind me, his voice is thickly coated with worry.

"Yeah he did," I shrug as I watch his reflection through the glass, "it was Bo's idea when we were last in Rhuebottom's store."

"I figured as much. . .he's the one that likes baseball so much," Jesse answers tiredly, "Daisy takin' the boys home?"

"She just left," I answer to feel his caring hand land upon my shoulder and I slowly turn around to face him. His crystal blue eyes shine in worry for Bo, pleaing me to tell him what all had happened when Bo had ran off to his room.

"What was I suppose to do?" Jesse finally asks to break the silence that had fell between us, looking at me for answers, "I mean. . .I guess I could not have adopted Bryce, but that would mean that he would most likely live the rest of his life in foster homes. He'd never be happy. . .I don't know if I could ever be happy if I allowed that to happen. He needed me."

"So does Bo," I snap back at him as I glare over his shoulder at the black glove Bo had picked out with such care for Bryce, "look Jesse, I wish I knew what to tell you. . .they both need you, but in different ways. Bryceton needs a good home and you are giving it to him and as long as you think that is what is best for everyone, then that is what is best." I pause for a long moment to search for answers on what to say next, "Bo went through a lot. . .as did you and Bryce, but to Bo, Bo thinks that you have forgotten about him. . .or replaced him with Bryce."

"I would never do such a thing," Jesse begins to protest before I hold my hand up to stop him.

"I know you wouldn't and so does he, he is just having a hard time adjusting to the changes that have occurred," I reply as I tiredly walk past him to take a chair, "Just give him time. . .he will come around to having a little cousin around."

It goes silent for a long moment as Jesse takes my spot at the window to stare through the darkness that has has swallowed up the little light that had remained only a moment ago. "I know," he finally sighs as his voice quivers, giving me a hint that his thoughts are lost in the past, "I have just grown impatient I guess. . .with worry. I can't stop thinking of the year or so I spent in there watching them beat Bryceton so much, thinking of all the ways I could have stopped them, how I should have stopped them," he pauses to regroup his strength, "but what haunts me mostly is the days that I spent watching them beat Bo up, torturing him the way he did. I didn't do anything to stop him and -"

"Stop blaming yourself Jesse! I mean you know as much as I do that there was little that you could have done, for Bryceton and for Bo," I interrupt him to jump to my feet and I slowly walk over to him to rest my caring hand upon his shoulder, "and what you could have done for them, you have did for them. You are the reason why Bo is alive today, if you hadn't attacked Drake when you had. . .Bo wouldn't stand a chance. For Bryceton, you are helping him by being there for him, for adopting him. You know all that."

He slowly nods at me as he continues to stare out through the dark night as he wipes a hand across his eyes. "I just wish there was something I could do for Bo. . .I am so worried about him; emotionally and physically. He will never be the same, " he cuts himself off as his body stiffens in anger, "I don't know what to do any more. I mean I can be there for Bryceton. . .I may not know how to help him, but he at least allows me to comfort him, to talk to me about it. Bo. . .Bo he just pushes me away, refusing to even look at me."

I take in my uncle for a long moment as I fight for answers on what to say as the past month or so since we have all been together once again runs through my head. "He doesn't mean to," I speak up before thinking to receive a questioning look from Jesse, "he loves you Jesse, just as he had before all this happens, if not more so. Inside he is torn up with emotions that he doesn't know how to cope with. . .or how he should feel. He is angry at everyone. . .at me for leaving for war to Drake for all that he has done not only to him, but to you and Bryceton, at you for taking in Bryceton and towards himself for feeling that way. He feels abandoned by it all. . .by everyone, that he is alone with all of this."

Silence quickly grabs a tight hold over us as he glares out the window, tears slowly break their way from his crystal blue eyes. "Damn it," he finally says.

"It's not your fault Jesse. . .the only person to blame out of this is Drake and you know that as much as I do. Bo will come around to seeing that you are there for him, it is just hard for him to see that with Bryceton being around," I pause as Daisy's jeep comes into view down the dirt road, "You are doing all that you can do Jesse."

"Well it ain't enough," he mutters as Daisy pulls into the drive way to park besides the General, "I just feel so helpless watching him suffer like this and not even being able to hug him, to tell him that I am here for him. I never meant for him to feel abandoned or replaced. I love you all the same."

"I know that and down deep, so does he," I answer as the door is thrown open and Bryceton runs in.

"Daddy!" he yells running to Jesse to give him a large hug and Jesse puts forth a large smile for him, "What's wrong? You've been crying."

I watch as Bryceton trails Jesse's damp cheek with his right fore finger, worry etches his green eyes. "Oh I'm fine," Jesse lies.

"Nuh huh," Bryce argues, "you're worried about Bo again."

Jesse steps back in surprise at hearing his six year old son state the truth after trying to hide it from him. "Well OK maybe I am," Jesse puts forth a grin, "he has gone through a lot and there is nothing that daddy can do to help him."

"I know," Bryceton says looking up at Jesse, "maybe if I talked to him, maybe that would help? Maybe I could help him? I want to help him too."

"I know you do," Jesse says giving him a hug, "but for now it is time for you to get to bed. . .I do believe that Bo beat you to bed tonight. You go get your pajamas on."

"OK," he smiles running down the hall to Jesse's door where he shares a room with Jesse.

"Smarter than what he seems," Daisy shrugs giving Jesse a comforting hug, "he'll be fine Jesse. . .he just needs time to figure it all out and he doesn't know how."

"Yeah so I've been told," he sighs glaring down at the old floor, "I feel so helpless when I can't do -"

He is abruptly interrupted as a loud shriek of fear mixed with pain escapes from across the house. "Bo!" I yell as I get a lead start out of the kitchen into the living room that leads to the small hall way that leads to the room I share with Bo. Fear escalates through my body as I rush through the dark living room with Jesse and Daisy quick behind me. My thoughts run wild within as I blindly make my way through the dark room while behind me I hear Jesse and Daisy stop to talk to Bryceton.

My heart races wildly within me as I reach for our closed door through the dark as my mind reaches the thought that he had awakened from another nightmare. I am gripped by saddness at the thought of all the nightmares he has been suffering through since returning home, which often times triggers an asthma attack. I take a deep breathe before opening the door to find our room covered heavily in darkness and as I step a couple of steps into our room I spot a dark shadow sitting upon Bo's double sized bed, hugging a tight hold of his knees. "Bo," I start to say as I fight to find our light switch. Turning on our over head light I gasp in surprise as I find our room to be trashed, with our clothes and belongings thrown out of our drawers and closets upon the floor, a few things lie broken or cut up.

Abruptly I glare up from my uncovered bed to look at Bo who hugs a tight hold upon his knees, his thin body shaking uncontrollably. "Bo," I say once again as I step over some of his clothing and a few shattered trophies as my fear climbs within me. Reaching his bed I set a caring hand on his bruised right shoulder and he slowly looks up at me to show me the beating he had taken. Blood rushes thickly down his nose and down the side of his mouth, a thick cut rests above his right eye brow that gushes out thick blood while his right eye is freshly bruised with a thick bruised cut upon his left half of his chin.

Fear continues to escalate within me as I fight for answers on who had done this as I scan the room to find ourselves to be the only ones here. "Bo?" I question glaring back at him to recieve a blank expression from him. "Bo. . .what happened? Talk to me Bo."

"What in tarnation happened here?" Jesse says and I turn around to look at him to give him view of Bo, "Bo?!"

"Go get him some ice and some towels to ease the bleeding," I demand and Daisy exits the room as fast as she had entered the room. Turning back to Bo I hold place a hand upon his right arm above his cast and instead of getting an abrupt reflex as I normally would, he remains still, glaring blankly through me. "What happened Bo? Who did this? Where he go?"

With this he glares through the open window that rests above our night stand that seperates our two beds. "Out the window?" Jesse speaks up for him and Bo glances at him as the blankness slowly evaporates into fear and pain. Slowly Jesse glares through the darkness as tires squeal somewhere near. "Where there whoever it was goes. Did you see him?"

"No," Bo says abruptly looking from Jesse to me as Daisy brings a bag of ice and some watered down towels and hands me the ice. Bo flinches tightly as I press it against his eye and I glance down to find him clinching tightly onto his inhaler as his chest heaves heavily in and out in an upcoming attack. "Stop it," Bo grunts through his struggle for air as he fights to take the ice bag away with little success.

"It will stop the swelling," I state as I hold down his arms with my other hand, "what happened here?"

His baby blue eyes tears up as he glares at me before glaring helplessly at Jesse before shrugging. "I don't know," he shrugs as he gives up the fight with the ice bag, "I woke up and a shadow was here tearing the place up. I said something and he forced me to shut up and left through the window. . .with something. I didn't see what."

I look questionablly at him as my gut tells me there is more that he knows than what he is giving away. "Well you got beat up pretty bad," I finally say noticing his sad glare at Jesse, "Did he say something?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he finally says stubbornly.

"Well I do...someone broke in here with a purpose and hurt you," I press, "What happened?"

"Leave me alone, Luke!" Bo yells at me pushing away from me and Jesse motions for me to stop before he moves in to hold the ice pack to Bo's eye as well as some towels.

Stepping back I take in the damage as Daisy stands next to me watching Jesse. "There is something more he ain't telling us," I sigh, "he's scared of something more than the attack."

"How do you know?" Daisy asks quietly as she throws some sheets on my bed that they had tore off.

"I don't know. . .I can just tell it," I sigh sitting down upon my bed, listening to Jesse try to comfort him.

[Kristy_DUke]

~UNCLE JESSE~

My mind races quickly within me as my heart swells tightly within me in fear and sadness for my youngest nephew. I sigh numbly in disbelief as I glance down at Bo who rests tiredly upon my right shoulder, allowing me to hold the ice pack Luke had given me on his deep cut and bruise over his right eye. Watching him fighting back tears as well as sleep my emotions rages within me as anger is lit afire within me at seeing the damage they had done to Bo. He had finally accepted that he was safe, out of harm's way after all that he had went through with Drake. And now this. . .life will never return to the way it once was, who knows how long he'll be able to feel safe now this happened.

My thoughts are interrupted as Bo abruptly jumps awake to shove the ice pack and to quickly move away from my reach. "Leave me alone," he finally forces out glaring accusatorily from me to Luke and Daisy as he forces his left hand across his face to smear the blood from his cuts and his nose and he flinches in pain.

"I can't Bo," I sigh tiredly as I watch him as he shakes uncontrollably, "you are bleeding and if you won't help stop it, then I will have to help you."

Silence enters the room as he fixes his baby blue eyes on me, eyes that shine fear and pain at the same time. His eyes shine with the desperate need for family, even if he is pushing us away, while he fights back from not telling us what had happened. Slowly he pulls his eyes away from me to roll his lengthy legs tightly against his chest where he hugs his knees while he hides his face in his boney knees, gasping out in pain at the thouch. "We can't help you, if you won't tell us," Luke urges watching Bo with his own fear while Bo remains hidden in his knees.

"I don't need help," I snaps as he looks up to show the blood that drips down his face and his bare chest, blood stains his pajama pants as well as his bedding, "I need to be left alone." With that a single tear breaks through his blockage and he quickly grabs wet towel to wipe his face to only smear the blood worse.

"That's the last thing you need, Bo, and you know it," Luke says taking a step closer, his voice filled with concern as he too reads the need for family in his watered eyes, "I don't know why you are closing us out for, we're only here to -"

"If he wants to be left alone, then lets go," I slowly nod towards the door as I slowly get up to watch him with sadness and worry as he looks away from us.

"But-"

"Let's go," I usher them out as I can't help but to step on broken pieces of suff that was broken by who ever broke into the boys' room. Leaving their room I slowly make a motion to close the door, but leave it open an inch. Stepping into the room I take in everyone's confusion and fear in their eyes, "Staying in the room when he is set upon being left alone is just bound to set off another attack and do more harm than good. When he needs us, he'll come."

Silence lingers heavily over us as we all glare at one another, everyone lost in their own thought. "What happened?" comes a small voice in a dark corner, we all turn to find Bryce standing there only in his pajama bottoms, "Is Bo OK?"

"What are you still doing up? I thought you went to bed," I sigh kneeling down to draw him in a hug.

"Well?" he presses me to answer his previous questions.

"Bo should be fine," I sigh fighting for answers, "someone broke into the boys' room and had beaten him pretty well. But Bo is tough and by morning he'll be his normal self. OK? Everything is ok."

"If you say so," Bryce shrugs.

"I do. I also say that I want you to go back to bed, I'll be in in a few minutes or so," I respond and he lets out a sigh of disappointment before he gives me a hug and slowly walks back to our room.

"What now?" Luke speaks up as our door closes behind Bryceton, "It is obvious, well it is to me at least, that he's holding something back. Something he is refusing to tell us for some reason. . .perhaps who ever did it, threatened him?"

I sigh as Daisy hugs me for comfort before letting go. "I got the same feeling," I sigh fighting for answers, "but pressing him to talk, will only make him push away farther. As in what to do next? I say go to bed and call Rosco in the morning."

"Like he'll do much about it," Luke sighs, "he probably has his hand in this one way or another anyways."

"Give or take, he's the only chance we have," I reply glaring at the boys' door t hat remains open an inch, like I left it, "Luke, you can sleep on my bed if you wish? I can sleep on the couch."

"Not a chance," he shoots at me taking a step closer to his door, "I am not allowing him in that room all by himself. Whoever it was will most likely won't come back, but I am not taking the chance. I will sleep on my own bed."

"Good thinkin'," I slowly nod, "if you need anything I will be in my room."

Silence slowly fills the air once more as we glare dreadingly at one another before I slowly walk to the boys' room and open the door to find Bo lying tightly curled up in a fetal position on his stained bed. Walking half way through the room I see that he has fallen asleep with tear streaked cheeks. Though his bleeding has slowed a bit since we left, blood still slowly drips from his nose and his cuts. I sigh as I pick up the last wet towel and I begin to hold it against his nose to force him to jerk awake. "We need to get the bleeding stopped before you fall asleep and a new sheets. . .you got blood all over them," I sigh tiredly for Bo only to stare blankly at me, the same intense fear written on his face that was on his face when we had first found him like this.

"Ok," he surrenders his stubborness as he tiredly sits up glaring over my shoulder at Luke who hands him his ice pack that is half melted. Half asleep Bo places the ice on his eye without any protest as Daisy re-enters the room with some clean sheets for his bed.

"Sorry," Bo forces out under my wet towel on his nose.

"Sorry? For what?" Luke reads my mind, "You didn't do anything buddy. . .but who ever had done this to you."

Bo only shrugs as he glares across to me. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Luke is right," I finally answer, "Tomorrow morning we'll wake up and I'll call Rosco and get this -"

"No!" Bo cries out before he enters the same shell he had been in when I first seen him in the shack with Bryceton.

"Why not?" Luke asks as he sits next to Bo, "Look he may not be much help, but we have to do something about it. Have to report it."

"You can't," Bo says, his voice ringing with desperation for us not to call Rosco or to tell Rosco.

"Why can't we?" Daisy asks, speaking up for the first time.

Bo glares from person to person as tears begin to mist in his eyes once again as I take my towel away to find his nose to have stopped bleeding. "I can't tell you," he finally says almost in a half whisper, "You just can't bring it to the police. . .or anyone. You'll just have to trust me on this."

I look back at Luke who nods in acknowledgement that Luke must have been right when he predicted that Bo had been threatened not to tell anyone on what happened. "Can't you tell us what happened?" Luke pleas to know the truth of what happened.

"I already tol' you," he regains his stubbornness again.

"Not all of it and you know it," Luke says sadly only for Bo to throw his ice pack onto the wooden floor that is covered in broken items and torn clothing.

"I don't want to talk about it, OK?" he glares at us, "I already tol' you too much...you just can't tell anyone."

"We won't," I speak up for everyone reading the desperate plea of not to tell anyone as a serious threat, "Look the bleeding has stopped, perhaps it is best that you get off and we can help make your bed for you."

Slowly he nods and Luke and I slowly help him off the bed only for him to collapse as he tries to stand up. "What's wrong?" Luke asks as we lift him up on Luke's bed as Daisy strips his bed. Luke glares at Bo with worry as Bo remains silent before glaring down at Bo's still legs. I watch with worry as Luke begins to roll up Bo's pant legs to his pajamas to find dark bruises on his knees and shins. A large cut lies crusted with dried blood in the back of his lower right leg that is covered with a bruise. Touching the bruises, Luke gets a swift kick of the reflexes as Bo sucks in air in pain. "Just bruised," Luke confirms, "What happened Bo? This wasn't just some beating you took. What happened?"

"Nothin'," Bo answers stubbornly glaring over Luke's shoulder and I follow his gaze to find Bo's wooden baseball bat lay at the foot of Bo's bed.

"Hit you with the bat," I say aloud for Luke to look at me and I point to the bat, "that's how they busted everything."

"I don't want to talk about it," he says though his eyes say differently as he bends down to pull his pants down.

"We can't force you to tell us," I sigh standing up as Daisy finishes with Bo's bed, "for now let's all get some sleep and we'll figure something out in the morning."

"Yes sir," Luke responds as he lifts Bo up to set him down on his bed and we slowly say our good nights before retreating to our beds.

[Kristy_DUke]

~BO DUKE~

Awakening from a series of nightmares that had rolled clearly in my mind during sleep, I find myself to be alone in the room I share with Luke. Sitting up in the darkness of the room, pain shoots through out my aching body to remind me of what had happened last night. Fear races after the pain at remembering all that I had witnessed and heard from two large men that had entered through our open window to awaken me. I had been silenced by my own fear for a long while as they had trashed our room and while they had told me what they had and even while they beat me. It wasn't until after they had exited my room that I had found my voice enough to scream before thinking of my family's reactions would be. I tried to cooperate with them as much as I could, but I can't and I will refuse to tell them anything more in my own fear. I wish they could only understand that.

I gasp in surprise as our door is slowly thrown open and I sigh in relief as Luke slowly walks in already dressed for the day, find me awake, his eyes are coded with great worry. "Mornin' sleepy head," he says in order to mask his worry, "you ready to get up and get something to eat?"

"I ain't hungry," I mutter slowly sitting up to be cast by a spell of dizziness.

"Well hungry or not, you need to get dressed and at least present yourself half presentable," Luke says as he grabs a clean pair of jeans off the floor that the men had thrown there as well as a clean shirt, "you've got company." I look at him questionable to find he won't tell me who as he urges me to hurry as he leaves.

Slowly standing up, pain shoots up through my bruised legs and I am forced to steady myself before I slowly dress into the clothes he had thrown upon my bed. I fight back tears of pain as I slowly step over some of the things on the floor while stepping on some on my way to the door. Slowly opening the door, I am welcomed by the bright lights that the morning sun creates through the living room windows, shining down our small hall way. Up a few feet away I hear Jesse talking in a muffled voice to someone in a worried voice and I can only guess that he is talking about me. "There he is now," he sighs as I make myself noticeable in time to see Doctor Applebee sitting in one of the cushioned chairs, awaiting for me to come out, "how you feel, Bo?"

"I'm fine," I answer stubbornly, wanting desperately to find a way to disappear back into my room, though know it wouldn't go by un noticed.

"None the less, I want to check you over to make sure," the elderly doctor says getting up from his seat where he grabs his stethoscope and motions for me to take a seat on the couch. Anger resides within me as I slowly listen for him to life my shirt up to place the cold metal end of his stethoscope on my chest before slowly moving to my back. Silence gathers in the room as he makes a few notes upon his clip board. "Can you tell me what happened last night, Bo? In your own words?"

I send an acussatory look at Jesse before turning to the doctor to reply, "No."

"Jesse here says some guy attacked you while breaking into your room last night," Applebee replies without questioning my no while he looks up at me for my reaction to it, "is that true? You can at least agree with that, can't you?"

"Somethin' like that," I slowly respond before he takes a look at the cuts to my face before demanding me to roll up my jeans to look at my legs, I relucantly do so.

"Just a lot of bruises," he slowly concludes scribbling on his clipboard, "and his breathing seems to be as it was the last time we checked."

I watch as he slowly stands up as well as Jesse who walks over to him to say, " Thank-you doctor. We didn't find anything too seriously wrong with him last night, which is why we didn't take him in, but I wanted to be sure about it."

"I am glad that you did so...and I was just doin' my job," he slowly says as they both disappear into the kitchen where they say their good byes.

"How do you really feel?" Luke asks from the rocking chair to break the silence.

"I'm fine," I reply and he gives me a stern look in time for Jesse to reappear into the room for silence to invade between the three of us.

[Kristy_DUke]

***CHAPTER TWO***

Thoughts race quickly through me of last night's events as I silently muse over all that Bo isn't telling us, and why he is refusing to tell us. Bo has always been open to us, especially Uncle Jesse, but now he refuses to even give a tiny clue of what happened and why. Perhaps he won't talk because of all the trauma Drake had created in his life? I quickly dismiss the idea, knowing that if he didn't turn to Jesse for comfort he would have talked to me. And still nothing. Worry and fear tightly turn within me as I turn back to the only answer I have been coming back to; to Bo being threatened not to talk. But why? Who?

"Good mornin' Luke," a friendly voice rings out as I step into the General Store and out of the bright morning sun. I look up to find Rhuebottom standing behind his old wooden counter with a large friendly smile upon his friendly face. Seeing his friendly smile has a reverse affect on me, instead of feeling good, seeing his smile digs the fear deeper within me. Noticing my tense posture he slowly drops his smile before asking, "What can I do to help you this morning? Is everything ok back home?"

Looking back I find a couple of men I have never seen before slowly enter the old store with a young petite pretty female. Turning back to the store keeper I force a smile back at him before responding, "Things could be better back home if truth be told. I am here to get some first-aide supplies...anti-bacterial cream and all."

"That bad?" he asks growing concern.

"I can find it, thank-you," I smile at him as I walk past the small gathering of clothing that he has hung in front of the store to walk into an isle of canned food one side while on the other side holds a freezer full of milk, ice cream, and cheeses. I slowly take in my surroundings despite the fact that I already know where everything is as my mind numbly turns around the small information I already know, fighting for answers that won't come.

Slowly I turn the corner and gasp abruptly in surprise as I run haltingly into the petite female that had walked in with the two large men I have never seen. "Oh I'm sorry," she finally says, her pale cheeks reddening in embarrassment as she watches her bottle of Mountain Dew slowly roll down the isle.

My heart races as I slowly bend down and pick up her pop for her and slowly hand it to her as she runs her hand through her thick auborn hair that she holds up in a pony tail. "No, I'm sorry," I finally say, "I was too busy thinking and not paying much attention to where I was going."

She smiles at me and her bright blue eyes sparkle with life as she takes her pop from me. "Well I surely can't complain running into someone like you," she forces a white smile at me, "I'm Kate Whitler. . .I just got into town with my two older over protective brothers."

I find a smile to flash at her as we shake hands before I say, "I'm Luke Duke...an old veteran of Hazzard. So what are y'all here for?"

She grows silent as she looks around the old store before looking at me. Shrugging she says, "We moved into that old shack place by Kissing Cliff...a place to call our own I spose. Just a new start you can say as for why we are here. . .and hopefully meet some friends, fit in."

"You shouldn't have a problem at that," I smile at her, "you seem friendly enough."

"That I am," she agrees with me before growing silent, "You know what? I like you. How would you like to go out tomorrow night? I know this is really bold, just being in town and all and running into you like I did, but I think we would have fun. What about it?"

Looking at her I fight to see whether she is serious or not to find her to be real serious. "Well sure," I shrug as if to say why not, "but what about your two over protective brothers who could eat me for lunch?"

She rolls her blue eyes at me. "Forget about them...as long as I don't get hurt, you shouldn't get hurt," she smiles at me, "Boar's Nest at eight o'clock tomorrow night? Good enough?"

"Sounds great to me," I smile at her, "You seem to know your way around already, I see."

"Yeah we checked it out before getting here...you don't just move without knowing the place, would ya?" she smiles glaring over my shoulder, "Well I gotta go...they are getting impatient. I can't wait to see you tomorrow night."

"Yeah," I say before she walks past me to disappear around another corner and my mind is lost in thought of tomorrow night. Slowly I force myself to walk ahead past the cereal and pop isle as my mind is lost at the sight of Kate.

Abruptly my mind freezes before it melts in rememberances to the true reasons of why I am here. Bo. My mind pictures his beaten body as we had found him last night as I race over to the first aide isle where I pick out an assortment of bandages and some cream for his cuts. If only bandages would help cure his fear as well to help him talk about what really happened last night, to what threat he was told to remain silent. I sigh before going over what all I had picked out before heading to the cash register to pay for what I had come to get.

[Kristy_DUke]

~BO DUKE~

Pain shoots through my aching body with each slow step I take as I slowly carry my metal tool case to the General where the hood lies open. Reaching the car, I am quick to start to work under the hood as my thoughts race clearly with in me. The two large men that had crawled through our open window last night continues to shine in my memory, their wicked grins as they both held tightly a hold of some weapon. Fear quickly consumes me as last night's events displays itself clearly within me, their wicked threats echoes in my ears. Tears quickly blur my vision at the pain that shoots through my body as well as from fear of the memory that refuses to leave me alone.

Quickly I glance over my hood at the sound of a engine pulling up and at the sight of Luke behind the wheel of Jesse's old white truck, I forceably wipe at my eyes with the back of my left hand. I wince back in pain at the touch to my face before I hide back behind my open hood, trying to work on the engine.

"What are you doing out here?" I hear Luke's concern voice as the engine dies and his door is slammed shut before I hear him walking closer to me, "I thought you were suppose to stay inside for today. . .at least til we get some stuff on those cuts of yours? I don't think-"

"I am fine Luke," I snap at him to interrupt him and a hurt look crosses his intellegently blue eyes. My heart tightens tightly within me as he sends guilt rippling through me at the sight of the thick concern and worry that shines in his eyes. Tears threaten to fall once again as I fight back telling him the truth, of what had happened last night, and why; reminding myself of the threat they had told me, and would more than likely fall through with.

"I wish I could believe that, but for now you need to go back into the house so we can get you taken care of," Luke finally says and before I can protest, he leads me to the front porch, "What are you doin' workin' on the General anyways?"

I glare up at him in disbelief and in hurt that he could even forget about it. "For tomorrow night's race. Remember?" I ask with a hint of impatience in my voice and he abruptly halts to glare at me, "The one we have been working on the car and practicing for weeks, the race you promised to go with me? The big race everyone's been working on for weeks?"

"Damn it," he finallly mutters under his breath, "I forgot all about that with all that happened and all."

"Bo!" Bryceton yells as we walk into the kitchen and he plows into me to give me a hug, pain ripples fiercely through my body and I can't hold back the yelp out in pain. He quickly steps back as Jesse yells at him and looks back at me, "I'm sorry. . .I wasn't thinkin'."

"Let's have a seat," Luke says pulling out a chair for me and I slowly sit down without an arguement. "Well I don't think you should be racing in the race with the condition you are in. If you can't take a hug from a six year old, just think of how you will feel if you get smashed into in the race? It is too dangerous."

"Who are you to be telling me whether I can race or not?" I snap at him as he lies the brown bag upon the table, "You are probably just sayin' that because you forgot and made other arrangements at that time. Let me guess, a date?"

He glares over at me from unpacking the bag that he had brought in from running his errands at Rhuebottoms. "Look OK, so I did forget? And yes I do have a date, but that is besides the point," Luke finally responds, "you are hurt and who knows why this happened or by who? For all we know it could be by one of the opposing drivers wanting to be rid of the number one competition. Ever thought of that? And if that is the case, just imagine what he'd do to you while you are on the track."

It grows silent as Jesse moves into the kitchen from the entry way where he had been watching, his own fear radiating in his crystal blue eyes. "I think Luke's right," he speaks up as he reaches the table, "you are in no condition to be driving, not a lone to be racing. And if Luke is right, then you being in the race could be deadly mistake."

I glare angrily at Luke before looking up at Jesse as I fight for answers on what to say. "But-"

"I am not hearing any more of it, the answer is no. You are more valuable and more important than some race. . .you can race in the next race," he speaks up stubbornly before thumbing through all that Luke had bought at the store, "Pain killers...good thinkin' Luke. Guess we should get all this started."

"No," I finally say stubbornly as I stand up from my chair, "I find it un-fair that I am the one being punished here, just because some jackasses broke into our room! I have worked hard for this race. . .and if Luke would rather go see his new girl friend, then fine, I can drive it alone! But I don't need -"

"Beauregaurd!" Jesse says angrily, his temper flies in his crystal blue eyes, "You will have respect of me under my roof. . .and no it's not fair, but life ain't fair. What good will it do to you if you race and wind up dead? I am sorry it has to be this way, but if I have to lock you in the house tomorrow night, I'll do it."

Emotions swell within me as I glare from person to person while I fight back the tears that fight to streak down my face. "You don't understand," I finally answer wishing there was someone I could turn to, someone I could talk to, "I need to race tomorrow night."

Jesse sighs heavily as his worry seems to accelerate in his eyes before he ushers to sit back down. "You don't need to do anything tomorrow night," he finally says, fighting back his temper, "Tomorrow night we will stay here, play cards, talk...do anything, but go to the race."

"So Luke can have his date," I state to have the last word.

[Kristy_DUke]

~LUKE DUKE~

Emotions sweep through me as I tiredly stare through the room I share with Bo that remains a mess, with clothes thrown and torn across the floor as well as broken trophies and other things that had been in our closet or in our dresser drawers. Anger rushes through me towards the people who had done this to our room, to Bo as I fight for an explanation of why all this had happened. Even if it had been an opposing driver from tomorrow's big race, they wouldn't have gone to the extremes that who ever had done this. Perhaps they would have trashed The General, but there would be no reason behind them trashing our room and beating Bo as bad as they did. Thinking back of last night and finding Bo all beaten on his bed, I slowly recall Bo saying that one of them had taken something. But what? I sigh fighting to come up with anything either of us had that would be of benefit to anyone else or to anyone else in the race.

"The room won't pick up by itself," Jesse sighs coming in from behind me with a large garbage bag, "I know it's not easy, but the sooner the better."

"Yeah," I slowly add as I walk over several stuff to get to the closet before Jesse throws me another sack. For a moment I watch as Jesse slowly bends down near the other side of the room, silently picking up pieces to some trophie or something else breakable that we had. Kneeling down upon some clothing I finally break the silence, "Perhaps we should go to Rosco?"

"Rosco? You heard Bo," Jesse speaks up throwing several things into his black bag, "he was dead set against telling anyone, we all are lucky he had let Applebee get as close to him as he had. I think we should listen to him if we don't want who ever it is that did this to go through with whatever threat they had tol' Bo."

Tossing some shredded car magazine into my black bag I nod in acknowledgement of what he had said. "True, but at the same time," I sigh throwing away a broken trophy that looks to be the first trophy I had won years ago, "at the same time, that whoever had done this, will most likely follow up with that threat no matter if Bo tells someone or not. They just said it to scare him off."

"Yeah perhaps," Jesse says before he goes silent while tossing several clothing onto Bo's bed as well as more broken or torn stuff into his bag, "but I still say to play it safe. . .for now at least."

Silence begins to build up between us as we slowly go about cleaning up our room as my mind plays on the small amount of information that we already have. "Look for something that may be missing," I finally speak up as my thoughts return on what Bo had said that they had taken. Jesse glares questionably at me, "Well last night, one of the few things Bo had said is that he or who ever it was had taken something with him - though didn't see what it was."

Jesse nods before going back sorting things out with the clothing and broken stuff. "You really think, this could be someone trying to discourage Bo to race?" Jesse asks continueing to fill his sack with garbage.

"I don't know. Reason tells me if that were the case, they would have trashed the General," I sigh throwing away Bo's prized model car I had helped him build when he was ten and was home sick, "this looks more like a work of trying to find something, though I can't possibly guess at what could be in our room that anyone would want."

Jesse abruptly looks up from his mess with anger in his crystal blue eyes before he lets out a deep breath he had been holding in. "Either way," he lets out a worried sigh, "Bo is in danger. There has to be some way to find out who they are...what they want."

"That's the key," I sigh digging through some of the clothing, "Perhaps if we were to think of what is missing, what they wanted, that we could narrow it down."

[Kristy_DUke]

~UNCLE JESSE~

I nod numbly at Luke's last statement of finding something missing as he goes quiet, glaring around their trashed bed room. Following his look, old memories of watching Bo and Luke grow up in this room fills my head. Looking down at the mess at my knees that surrounds the floor of the room, I take in all the shattered stuff that lies around, stuff that had brought up happy and sad memories. Anger and resentment is quick to fill my aging body at the sight of such a mess, at such vandelism, and such violence they had used on Bo. "Who would want to do such a damn thing?" I finally ask to break the silence, anger is thickly etched in my voice.

"I don't know," Luke sighs as he throws in a broken car model that he had helped Bo make when he was home sick, "but hopefully we come up with something to find out who...before that who does anything else."

Once again I began to throw several things into my plastic bag that are torn or broken in one way or another, while throwing wrinkled shirts and pants upon Bo's bed. My thoughts race quickly within me, thoughts of why something like this would happen to what would anyone want in their room. My heart tightens as I begin to slowly pick up shattered pieces of trophies they had won at racing and the one trophy Bo had won at football, all shattered beyond repair.

Pitching in a big piece of trophy I look up at Luke who works away silently in the closet, his concern for his cousin radiates off his muscular body. Watching him clear off a piece of the closet my mind richochets into the past and I quickly stand up, to cast a spell of dizziness to me. "Let me see real quick, Luke," I say as I slowly walk over to where he kneels and he looks up at me questionablly.

"OK," he shrugs as he scoots over to give me room and I slowly kneel next to him, "What is it?"

"I don't know...could be nothing," I respond as I shove some of their clothing off to the side as well as a few broken stuff in order to see a small trap door the size of a shoe box lid.

"I never knew that that was there," Luke says baffled at the sight of the small door that the only thing that gives it away as it being a small door is the small finger sized hole that is to help open it.

"Well it was made to store money...a place that is small and easy to hide," I shrug, "though it hadn't stored money in a long while now."

"What does it store then?" Luke asks.

"Well let's open and find out, shall we?" I ask as I lean over to stick my index finger into the little slot and force it open and up onto it's hinges. My heart comes to a halt in shock to find the shoe box thick box of wood now lies empty. "It's empty."

"Yeah," Luke says quietly besides me, feeling my uneasiness about it, "What was in it?"

Sitting back down I force myself to look around the room that remains cluttered despite the fact that we all had been working on it for a while now. "It had the blue prints of the house, an old moonshine recipe, my grandmother's daily diary, as well as an old photo album," I sigh as my thoughts rush at me, "Who would want all that bad enough to beat Bo up as bad as they did?"

Luke looks at me from besides me for a long moment before he says, "I don't know...but what ever is in the diary or of all they had taken, it is something important to them. And seeing how most of them have something to do with the house, I would suppose we are to expect an visit from them in the near future."

I look at him as fear washes through me as the sight of Bo rushes through me on how we had found him the other night all beat up and bruised. "Dang it," I finally say, the only thing I can say to voice my fear for my nephew, "Why Bo?"

"Most likely it has nothing to do with him," Luke says glaring at the mess that liters the closet, "just that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. "

Taking in the cluttered and broken room emotions evade me as I fight for answers. Suddenly my thoughts are interrupted as Daisy runs into the room out of breath and tears in her eyes. "The barn," she gasps, "is on fire!"

"Fire?" I ask as I am quick to get up besides Luke.

"Damn it!" Luke says, his voice is etched thickly with fear as he rushes past Daisy and me to run to the back door. I look at Daisy for a long moment before following Luke out to see how badly my barn is burnt.

[Kristy_DUke]

~LUKE DUKE~

My heart tightens quickly in fear as I throw open the flimsy old screen door to see large ugly reddish orange flames engulfing the Duke family barn; several memories flood through my head of the time I had spent in there doing all sort of things, now burnt. Feeling the fear eat away within me, I shove aside the memories that reside in the barn to return to the fearful thought that had entered my mind when Daisy had first yelled out that there was a fire. "My barn," Jesse gasps behind me as he comes to an abrupt halt behind me, his voice is filled with saddness, "Did you see what happened?"

"No...I was doing laundry at the table and when I had first started to smell smoke I looked up and there it was," she says behind me as I force myself forward, "I ran out in time to see an old rusted brown truck pulling out with a couple of large shadowy figures in the cab."

"What in tarnation are you doing, Luke? You stop right where you are at," Jesse puts force in his saddened voice, "There is nothing that could stop that thing now...Daisy go in and call for the fire department."

"Yes sir," Daisy says, her voice is filled with tears before she runs back to the house.

"Don't you have ears, boy? I said stop, before you get hurt or burnt or both," Jesse trips over his own words as he watches hopelessly at his beloved barn being swallowed by thick flames and thick black smoke, "There is nothing to be done now or anything that could be saved that's in there."

For a brief moment I stop a few feet a head of the barn, the heat from the fire burns up my face. Fear soars through me as I take a quick look around the house in hopes to find my intense fear to be of my own paranoia. "Damn it!" I spit out in fear as I fight for answers on what to do before I take a step forward.

"Lukas!" Jesse yells out in fear for me as I avoid listening to his instructions, "Are you crazy? You are just asking to get hurt being that close to the barn! The barn is replaceable...you aren't; it ain't worth it! Listen to me Luke...I beg you. What are you doing?"

I stop at hearing the desperation etched in my uncle's voice and I slowly turn around as he stares up at the tall fire. "I have to go in, I don't have any choice," I gulp as I take in my best entry.

"You are crazy!" he yells at me as Daisy returns from the kitchen, "This makes no sense...it is just a barn...nothing worth getting hurt over, besides it's all taken over and burnt now."

I look over at Daisy as I fight how to ask the dreaded question. "Have you seen Bryce and Bo?" I ask her.

"No, last I saw them they were going to go play catch," she shrugs as she wipes back tears.

"Then there is something in there that is worth getting hurt over!" I yell over the roaring flames, "Bo and Bryceton told me they were going to go play ball before we were sortying our room, Bryce wanted to play in the barn!"

Fear grows in my uncle's eyes as he looks over at Daisy and back to me as he fights for answers on what to do. "Look....I can't loose all of you to a fire," he says giving up hope, "the fire is all over in there, there is no place to hide."

"Maybe and maybe not," I conclude, "but I would rather die trying to save them than to sit here and watch my cousin be burnt to death...and Bryceton. I have always listened to you in the past and I have always respected you, Uncle Jesse, but this is something I must do. I refuse to allow my cousin to die in there without any attempt at trying to save him...them."

Before he could respond I begin to run over the loud pounding in my chest as I cover my mouth with my shirt before finding an entry way through the fire that is covered by smoke. I fight back the fear as I enter through the dark hole among the fire to be swallowed by smoke and I carefully walk through the smoke fighting back from walking into the fire. "Bo! Bryce!" I yell though know that by now there is no chance of them hearing me above the fire.

I yelp out in fear as a beam abruptly breaks loose from the cieling to come crashing down ahead of me, barely missing me. Through my watered eyes I scan the burning barn in hope of seeing something, of finding someone. "Bo!" I yell once more as I begin to think of how foolish I am. Jesse was right, there is no way I could even see them through the fire not alone through my watered eyes. I fight for more answers on what I should do as sweat trickles down my body as I continue to walk through the smoke, jumping from loose sparks of fire.

Forcefully I wipe at my watered eyes with my free hand as I glare around my surroundings as the loud roar of the fire pound in my ears. For a long moment I glare back at what was once the entry point of the barn as Jesse's words run through my head, his fear of loosing three to a fire. Fear is quick to tell me to run out in knowledge that there is little to no chance that one or both of them to leave this hidious fire alive, that it is already too late for any of them to be saved. Taking a step back in my attempt to leave, I abruptly stop as clear and sharp pictures form in my head of my cousin being trapped tightly under a burning beam, his scream of agony echos in my mind.

With the sight of my cousins trapped under burning boards, alive and in pain pushes me forward as I feel my adrenaline kick in. "Bo, Bryce!" I yell louder to send pain in my dry throat. Sweat continue to pour down my hot face as I fight to see a path through my watered eyes.

After a long moment of walking lowly within the thick smoke I am quickly alerted by a dark, small shadowy movement running at me. I let out a long breath I had been holding in as the figure runs into me, hugging me tightly. I sigh thankfully to see Bryce hugging tightly onto me with tears running down his face in fear, his face is now smeared with black smoke. "Luke!" I hear him yell out over the fire, "I'm scared!"

"I know," I sigh kneeling down to get closer in order to hear him, "but look things will be ok, I will help you out. Where's Bo?"

He looks at me with fear filled green eyes before looking behind him as another long beam comes down, shooting wood of fire everywhere. "Back there still," he points weakly to the back corner, "he had ushered me to the back to get to the other entrance over there, but we had gotten trapped in the corner by fire. He shielded me with is body in the corner...I ran over here when I saw you."

I look at him amazed that he had made it this far without getting hurt or burned on his journey to get to me. "OK take my hand and I will lead you out to Uncle Jesse...dad," I say fighting back my own fear, "I will go back for Bo."

He clings tightly to my hand and before I can stand up he says, "Bo's hurt...he did his coughing thing real loud like and real long before he fell asleep on top of me. I am scared...for him."

My own fear pierces through me at Bryce's latest revolution about Bo as I slowly nod and stand up to begin to walk him toward the door, in hope of getting him to safety. Halfway there I slowly pick him up to say, "You did a good job coming to get me...and safely. I am proud of you. When you get out of here, you go see Uncle Jesse and you tell him that I went to go get Bo...and that he may be hurt. OK?"

"What if you get hurt?" he asks through his tears while he fights for air and his fear accelerates in his eyes.

"I'll be real careful," I promise him, "You just got to do me that favor and tell Jesse that I went back for Bo and that he is in the back corner...tell him all that you told me. OK?"

"OK," he says softly as we reach the entry way, "I'll try."

"Good boy. I need to go now...see you later, OK?" I finally say letting him go and without stepping out I push him out in the clean air of the early fall day.

Quickly I turn back to retrace my steps and before I know it, I am back where Bryce had first found me, half way through the barn. "Bo!" I shout as I fight to keep my hopes alive of him being OK...alive. I force myself ahead as each passing second leaves my body weaker and number than before as the heat presses onto me.

What seems to take forever I finally manage my way to the back corner that Bryce had pointed to that remains surrounded by thick evil flames. After a moment of searching for an entry into the small dark corner, I find a small one filled with smoke and I quickly jump through it. I cough out smoke as I glare down through the smoke to find Bo lying silently still in the corner, curled up in a fetal position. I pray silently as I quickly bend down to put a finger on his neck, checking for a palse only to find a faint and small palse, his breathing is very minimal if any. "Damn it Bo!" I yell in fear as I quickly pick him up, feeling his weight sink into my weak arms.

As quickly as I had entered the dark corner, I jump out to begin to retrace my last path due to the back entry to be swallowed in thick flames. "C'mon Bo," I urge him as I quickly move along the smokey path to get silence for a response. Walking blindly through the smoke for a long moment in silence, the smoke thins out a bit to allow me to glimpse briefly at the smokey and fire blocked entry, "We're almost out, Bo...almost home."

I yell out in pain as abruptly an large heated board falls from the floor of the hay loft that had once laid ahead. The board hits me harshly across the back and the back of my head to send me falling forward, dropping Bo harshly to the side before landing on the heated floor. Debris continues to fall down upon me as pain shoots through my head from hitting it against the floor and down my back that remains covered by the board along more burning debris.

Blackness threatens to take me hostage as my vision comes blurred and pain continues to soar through my body. Fighting back the throbbing pain and my blurred vision, I fight to find Bo somewhere, to see if he is OK. Instead of finding him I find large black boots rushing at me and two pairs of boots stop above me and I sigh in relief at the pressure escapes off of my back. "You Luke? You hear me?" one asks and I numbly nod my head as I fight off blackness, "We are going to help you out of here, OK? I will carry -"

"No! Where's my cousin?!" I grasp to send pain flushing through my back, "Where's Bo? Is he OK?"

"Easy son, just relax," he says as he places a coated arm under my neck and another under my legs and he quickly walks about.

Day light burns in my eyes as he escapes from the fire and the smoke and he runs up a bit to lie me down on the grass. Sirens ring out in the distance or perhaps nearby if my hearing is impaired. "Bo! You gotta save Bo!" I yell as Jesse and Daisy lingers above me, with Bryceton in Jesse's arms, "Where's Bo?"

"Lonnie is still in there, looking," my rescuer says through his thick mask, "I'm sure Lonnie will find him and bring him out."

He says something to Jesse that I can't make out as he sounds distant as darkness continues to nimble constantly at my conciesness. Tears continue to burn in my eyes as I allow him to place an oxygen mask over my face and slight relief rushes through my body. Slowly the tall man walks away to the yellow fire truck that parks next to the barn, three other men squirt water forcefully on the fire.

"Luke," Jesse says, kneeling down besides me, "Everything will be OK...help is on it's way."

I glare up at him as darkness slowly comes over me. "Bo...Bo," I repeat as my displays the picture clearly of how I found him curled in the corner, unconcious and barely alive, "Bo...don't let. . .him die. Bo!"

Quickly I slip deeply into pure and evil darkness with fearful thoughts of loosing Bo runs through my mind.

[Kristy_DUke]

~UNCLE JESSE~

"Luke," I softly say dropping to my knees as fear sweeps through my body at the sight of his still and silent body. I feel a silent tear start to trickle down my aging left cheek as sirens slowly begin to wail off in the distance.

"Is he. . .he dead?" Bryceton asks clinging tightly onto me as a fire fighter lingers over Luke on the other side.

"No sir," the fire fighter grunts through his equipment as he sees me looking at him for answers, "but he's not out of the woods yet."

"Bo?" Daisy asks besides me, her voice is filled with tears.

"They'll find him," the fire fighter says with confidence as the sirens come closer.

I slowly nod, fighting to display the same confidence to Bryceton, but fail at doing so. I sigh sadly as I glance up at the barn, thinking of only minutes ago, I had only been worried about was the barn. Bright orange flames tickle at the sky as dark gray smoke dances into the clear blue sky. Watching the fire eat away my barn I fall silent into prayer for Luke to be Ok and for them to rescue Bo as my hopes of ever seeing Bo alive deflates like a balloon letting out all it's air.

My stomach churns angrily within me at the mixture of fear and worry dancing quickly within me as I glance down at Luke. Running my hand through his thick soft dark brown hair, my mind sends old memories clearly within me, flashing from memory to memory like an old movie. "C'mon Luke, you gotta be Ok," I urge him as I glance over at Bryce to send pride rushing through me, pride for Luke at the heroic thing he had done.

Abruptly, my thoughts of Luke come to a halt as the large fire fighter that had been sitting next to Luke, quickly stands up, saying, "Here he is." I watch as he walks to the barn to find the three firemen that had been sent in to search for Bo to be quickly walking out of the barn, caring a still body.

"Bo," I say as I stiffly stand up.

"It'd be best if you stay here for a moment, " the fire fighter cautions walking to the bunch of fire fighters that place Bo on the ground feet away from us. Numbly I watch as the fire fighters throw off their gloves to quickly search for a pulse before demanding for an air tank. Quickly, they place the air tank over my nephew's face that lies stained with black smoke as does Luke's.

Anger slowly resides within me at the thought of them suggesting me to stay away from Bo and I slowly walk past Luke to walk to Bo; leaving everyone else behind. My fear accelerates within me as I come a foot away from Bo to find him to look just as bad as Luke, if not worse. His cast has been shredded of by the fire to show his broken right arm that is covered with his own blood. "How. . .how is he?" I stutter, fearing the answer.

They all glare up angrily at me for a moment before relaxing as the ambulance pierces the air as he comes into sight. "Just as good as the other over there," the one that had been attending Luke speaks up, "the one thing that he has to worry about, is his breathing. "

I nod somberly as the ambulance pulls up besides the fire truck and paramedics jump out of the back with two stretchers. Silently I watch as they pick up Luke and Bo upon the stretchers, attaching them to IVs as they roll them back into the ambulance. "We'll want to take the kid in as well for observation," the taller older one speaks up as Bryceton clings tightly onto my leg, "just to check him out since he was in there as well."

I nod slowly before bending down to Bryceton. "You need to go with them, they are here to help you. Perhaps you could go with Bo and Luke, to keep them company? They need you," he nods slowly as if in understanding, "I will be there as soon as I can, OK? Everything will be ok?"

He nods before giving me a tight hug before allowing the ambulance to take him away.

*****COUPLE HOURS LATER******

"See? Here I am," I force a smile for Bryceton to see as he sits in the hospital bed.

"Yeah...he says I can go home tonight," he returns the smile at this, "But home won't be the same without Bo and Luke."

"I know...but sooner or later, they'll return home just as you will be tonight," I respond as his doctor's words echo in my head, telling me that Bryceton is lucky to be alive with the amount of time he had been in there at such a young age, how the only damage he had was from smoke inhalation.

"Yeah...how are-" Bryceton is interrupted as the door is slowly thrown open and an older small doctor pokes his head in.

"I need to go talk to him, I'll be right back," I gently kiss Bryceton on his forehead before following the older doctor out to the brightly lit hall.

"How's my boys, doctor?" I ask as I tighly close the door and the doctor stiffly looks down at his clipboard he holds.

"Well, they both suffer greatly from concussions, though Luke suffers from a more severe case of concussion," he slowly responds, "Luke's back is bruised and burnt from the several boards and debris they found upon him, the burns were deep, but not as deep as we had expected them. Luke has also broke a couple of ribs and bruising a couple more, one rib has punctured his left lung." Once again he pauses as he lifts the top page to look at the one under it, "as for Bo. . .he is having troubles breathing due to the amount of smoke he inhaled as well as due to his asthma. He too has several burn marks, but then again, nothing as bad as we had first expected."

I look at him for along moment, letting everythng he had just said slowly sink in. "Are they. . .are they going to ok?" I finally ask.

"They both are unconcience at the moment and as long as Bo can get strength in his lungs, they should be OK," he says as we begin to walk down the hall, "all three of them boys are lucky to be alive as it is."

"Yeah," I answer numbly as he stops in front of a closed door.

"Well there they are, in there. They share a room," he shrugs, "if you need anything, I'll be down the hall."

I nod as I watch him walk away before I slowly open the white painted door and slowly step in for their heart and breathing monitor's beeping to be thrown at me. I slowly walk in between the two beds to take them both in to force my heart to a halt at the poor condition they both seem to be in, full of cuts and bruises. IV's are stuck in their arms, air tube lies in their nose as well as an open chest to hold the suctors to thier monitors. An large air tube is placed down Bo's throat and taped to his mouth as well as a new cast upon his broken arm. "I'm here," I finally speak up to run my hand through bo's thick soft blond hair before walking over to Luke, "I'm right here. . .everything is OK. Bryceton is alive and well due to both of you. You both saved him and Luke, you saved Bo. What a heroic gesture you did. I am so proud. . .of both of you."

I fight back tears as I slowly run into prayers for them to awaken and be OK. "I know you tol' me not to tell Rosco, for no one to be involved; Bo," I finally speak up, "but I had to report it. . .he is at the farm investigating. I hope you understand."

I am greeted by the beeping machines and the slow ticking of their IV's slowly dripping into them. "Please wake up boys," I say glaring down at them with lost hope, "I can't loose you...not one of you not alone both. You just need to wake up and be fine...we'll get them jackasses that did this to you!"

Tears silently fall down my cheeks to soak into my beard and mustach as my mind fights for explanation of why anyone would want to hurt my boys. Not just Bo this time, but all three of them; including Bo. Is it Bo they're after and Bryce just happened to be in there? Or is it everyone they are after?

[Kristy_DUke]

~LUKE DUKE~

Pain throbs throughout my body as I slowly fight my way through the thick blackness and into blurred vision. Lights shine brightly in my blurred eyes as I fight to distinguish where I am and what happened as a series of beeping seems to surround me. "Luke," I hear a soft gentle voice filled with concern and I jump slightly at a man's soft touch to my right shoulder.

Glancing over to see Uncle Jesse sitting between my bed and another bed, I quickly recognize a small hospital room. "Jesse," I finally say to send pain rushing through my lung with attmept of breathing, "What happened?"

His crystal blue eyes shine with sympathy as he slowly turns his back to the other bed to face me, giving me his full attention. "Someone set our barn on fire," Jesse starts and instantly the large hideous flames eating away at the old farm enters my clouded memory, yells of pain and fear escaping from Bryceton, to a clear picture of Bo lying silently still in a tight fetal position. "You had -"

"Bo!" I grasp feeling the pain in my lung increase with each breath I fight to take, "Where's Bo? Is he. . .he- How is he?"

Jesse nods silently for a short moment before he turns to face the other bed, giving me view of Bo lying silently still on the other bed, a thick tube is stuck down his throat as well as in his nose; several IV needles are inserted within his arms while a new cast lies on his shattered right hand. "He should be OK. . .thanks to you," Jesse finally says turning to me, his blue eyes are filled wit pride, "What you did, Luke, was very heroic. Not only had you saved Bo, but you also saved Bryce, who is also doing ok. In doing so, you had put your own self in danger of being hurt and even killed. You scared me to death...but thank-you."

Silently I just look up at him as his statement floats within me while I continue to watch Bo, in hope of seeing some movent. I let out a painful breath and I become to wonder if this is how Bo feels with each breath, with each asthma attack. "I did it for Bo . . .and Bryce," I finally say, "he has to be OK."

Jesse silently nods before he slowly informs me of Bo's and Bryce's injuries before telling me of my own. Silence fills between us as my mind wonders through the night of finding Bo badly beaten until the burning of the barn. Who could be doing this? And what for? To hurt Bo? I sigh as the pretty woman I had ran into at the store the other day enters my mind, Kate Whistler. I guess I'll be missing my date just as Bo will be missing his race.

[Kristy_DUke]

***CHAPTER THREE***

Tears of sadness and anger builds thickly in his bright green eyes as he glares pleadingly at me. "But I want to see them," he slowly begins to whine as he runs the back of his small hand across his cheeks, "Don't they want to see me?"

"Of course they want to see you," I am quick to answer as I kneel down upon one knee in order to be more of his height. I sigh tiredly as he slowly walks over to me, wrapping his thin arms around my shoulders while his tears soak into my thin shirt. Pulling him back a step, I slowly wipe the tears that are spread across his thin cheeks before saying, "It is just some silly regulation...rule the hospital has about children your age visiting someone in the critical unit. You have to be a certain age in order to go visiting."

He looks at me with big green eyes before looking over at Daisy who stands a few feet behind me, talking to Cooter. "Why?" Bryce slowly asks averting his attention back at me, "Why don't they want me to see them?"

I take a deep breath as I fight for the right explanation to tell him, something that he would understand. "Going in there and visiting them, it is hard on adults to see...not alone children. It is a way of protecting them," I finally answer and he glares blankly through me, "protecting you."

"Even you?" he slowly asks as his eyes become alert, "You don't like going to visit them?"

"I never said that...I said it is hard on adults to go in and visit people on this floor. Yes it is very hard for me to go in there," I slowly pause as a thin hand comes to rest upon my shoulder, "and visit them. Not because I don't want to go and see them, I do, it is hard seeing them in the condition they are in. To see them weak and vulnerable while they fight for their lives."

More tears begin to build in his misty eyes as I slowly finish attempting to explain to him. "You mean," his voice is heavy as he fights off his tears, "you mean, they're gonna die?"

Watching large tears melt down his cheeks, my heart tightens at seeing him so sad, at hearing him speak his fears, my own fears. "I hope not," I finally answer, knowing that I can't possibly reassure him by saying they will be fine. "It now lies on the good Lord above and wether he wants them to live or to go to heaven. Perhaps if you go with Daisy and say a little prayer for them to be OK, to return home, perhaps He will answer your prayer."

Bryceton slowly nods as he once again wipes at his face with the back of his hand that holds a Spiderman band-aid where the IV had been placed in at. "OK," he slowly answers glancing back at Daisy who offers out a hand for him, "can you give them something for me? Since I can't go in?"

"Of course I can," I glance at him, wondering what he is going to produce for me to give them. He has nothing on him other than a pair of old hand me down faded jeans, old cowboy boots, and a longsleeved shirt.

A small smile reaches his face as he grabs my hand and slowly places two gentle kiss in the palm of my hand. "My kiss," he finally answers, "my get feelin' better kiss."

"They will love it," I grin at him as I am amazed by the smarts he possesses at his age as I slowly stand up. "You go with Daisy and Cooter, I'll be home before you know it."

"Ok," he smiles through his tears before he slowly takes Daisy's hand and I watch silently as they disappear around the corner and into a brightly lit hall way.

After a brief moment of standing silently in front of a few bench seats, I turn and walk down another hall way towards the boys's room. Walking through the bright lights that shine over the hall way, my mind replays the conversation I had just had with Brcyeton, the love and concern that he consumes him, amazes me by the day.

I slowly reach Bo and Luke's closed hospital door and I silently say a small prayer myself for them to be OK, for Bo to wake up. Finishing my prayer I swiftly shove the door open and walk into the small room to be welcomed by their monitors echoing off of the walls. "Hi Uncle Jesse," Luke speaks up as he glances over his car magazine to see who has entered their room, "Daisy was just in, she says, Bryce gets to go home today. I bet he's excited."

I give him a small comforting smile as I reach the foot of his bed to make my way to the small isle that lies between the two boys. Stiffly sitting down besides the nightstand the two beds share, that seperates the two beds, I glance over at Bo. My heart tightens within me at seeing no change for the better since last night when I had last was here...no change at all since he had first entered the hospital over a week ago. Turning back to Luke, I slowly answer, "Yeah he is on his way home now with Cooter and Daisy. Though he wasn't excited," Luke glances up questionably at me, "He wanted to come say hi to you and Bo...it is against regulatins of this hospital to allow children under the age of sixteen to visit anyone on this floor. That made him pretty upset."

Luke slowly nods as he glances over my shoulder at Bo and his own fear shines brightly in his bright blue eyes, an emotion he has always hid from everyone else; fear. "Well...it may be for the better," he slowly answers forcing his attention from Bo to me.

"Yeah. . .I tried to explain how hard it is for people, adult people, to visit people on this floor, not a lone a child of his age," I sigh as I glance down at my right hand that is tightly clenched into a fist, "Oh yeah, Bryce told me to give you something," I slowly say as I reach up and place my palm that Bryce had given me upon Luke's forehead. Luke glances questionably at me as I turn and do the same to Bo. "A kiss," I smile slightly at him and a broad smile reaches his face, "a get well kiss."

"Well," Luke's grin slowly disappears with a look over my shoulder at Bo and I slowly follow his attention to find Bo's complexion to grow a shade paler, an ahsen color. "you'll have to thank him...from both of us."

"Yeah I will," I answer as I turn around to face Luke, "he will like that."

Other than for the monitors that ring loudly off of the thin walls, silence builds between us as our fears for Bo's health radiates off our bodies as we watch him silently sleep. I slowly run my hand through his thick blond hair and a shiver rushes through my spine at the deathly cold feel of his skin. "He'll be fine, Jesse...he's strong and stubborn," Luke finally speaks up to gather my attention.

"Yeah maybe," I slowly answer as the horrid fire eating away my barn flashes behind my eyes, of watching Luke rush in there in fear for Bo and Bryce. Firemen dressed in their costumes pulling Luke's and Bo's still body out of the fire, displays clearly in the back of my head. Watching him sleep in unconcienceness, my mind slowly wonders, wondering if it had been Bo that they were after and Bryce just happened to be there. Or perhaps who ever is doing this is after all of us for some unknown reason.

[Kristy_DUke]

***BO DUKE***

Pain slowly registers through my weak body as I fight my way through the harsh darkness that surrounds me, that has swallowed me whole. Momentarily, I fight for understanding, for what had happened, before Bryce's loud scream of fear echos in the back of my mind. The barn...the fire. Fear quickly joins the pain as I fight for strength to open my eyes, to find some light. The last I remember was fighting to rescue Bryce from the back corner that was quickly being swallowed by the harsh fire.

Somewhere in the distance, I hear a series of rapid beeps before silence resumes only for moments later, to hear the beeping once again. My lungs tighten up in fiery pain as I fight to open my eyes, to get some answers, to see where I am at.

After what seems to last an eternity, I am allowed to open my eyes half way to show me little slits of light before I fall back into darkness. Fighting for strength, I continue to fight to open my eyes to soak in more light, to see everyone again. To see Bryce. Silently I say a silent prayer for his health, hoping that he is OK. Despite how I feel about him, it would kill everyone if he were to get hurt in any way. He has helped Jesse move on with his life, giving him reasons to live once again.

"Bo?" comes a familiar voice, sounding distant and silent and I fight to open my eyes to see who it is. After a short moment of struggle, I win the fight to open my eyes to find Luke lying in the hospital bed next to me. Once again confusion streaks through my body at seeing him here in a bed next to me instead of Bryceton, Luke hadn't been anywhere near when the fire had began to evolve. And yet it is Luke. "Bo!" his face widens with excitent at seeing me awake. He slowly grows serious as he asks, "How you feel, Bo?"

I struggle to answer only to choke on the tube that is stuck roughly down my throat and Luke gives me a sympathetic look. An awkward moment passes by before the door is slowly opened and a doctor walks in, his face brightens up at seeing me awake. Silently he moves to me where he silently takes everything in, writing something down on his clip board. "It is good to see you awake," he smiles down at me, "it looks like your breathing has improved...I think we can take the tube out of your throat, perhaps see how that goes."

After a long moment of preperation he roughly yanks the tube out and I am thrown into a coughing attack as I fight for air. Slowly my coughing eases to a stop while my throat remains raw with pain."How you feel?" he slowly asks.

"I hurt," I slowly say in a whisper, "I wanna go home."

"Not yet...you have a few more days before we can even consider you to go home," he grins at me before looking over his shoulder at Luke, "for both of you. For the time being...I think I will let you be and let you rest."

After saying good night the doctor slowly and hesitantly walks out of the small room to disappear behind a closed door. "It's gonna be, OK Bo," Luke slowly says to bring my attention back to him, "the main thing is that you will be OK. You had us all worried there," I painfully shrug as I fight the tears that build in my eyes, "Jesse will be by in the morning...he had to leave a few hours ago due to visiting hours being over."

"How's," I slowly say, taking a long pause to fight for air, "how's Bryce?"

"He only suffered from smoke inhalation...he's fine," Luke carefully answers, "what you did, was very brave. If not for you, Bryce would for sure be dead right now. You saved his life."

I silently shrug as I fight back the sleep that haunts me before I force myself to look over at Luke. "Why you here for?" I slowly ask as I silently take in his bruised body.

"That's not what's important right now...we are both fine," he shrugs while taking me in, "why don't you get some rest."

I go to argue against sleep before I slowly fall into sleep filled with vivid scenes of the fire eating the barn alive, being trapped under burned wood.