Guilt

[Garrett Duke]

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well this is kinda a spur of the moment story that had started only as something to write since my memory disk with my two other stories are at my parent's house and not here...and thanks to the snow, I had a day off today. So I started it on a whim, but decided to post it for all to see since it, like The General, started out as nothing and is slowly turning into something. No promises on how often I will add onto this story since I am currently writing two other DOH stories, but will do my best to add onto it and finish it as soon as possible. Please feel free to PM or send me messages with your feed back or how you feel like I'm doing. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

This is a solo piece of writing that consist of the Dukes of Hazzard characters, none of my own. And no, I don't own any of them nor do I gain any profit from my writing. I write for fun and that's it. Hope y'all enjoy. 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01

GUILT

CHAPTER ONE

Bo sat on the front porch, feeling the chilly wind brush against his cheek as his mind continues to rewind through last night’s events only to send guilt washing heavily over him. He never meant for any of this to happen. He was on his way to pick Luke up from Cooter’s when he heard Rosco’s patrol car’s siren break through the silent night air only to force him to glance down at his speedometer to find him going well below the speed limit. Aggravated by the sheriff’s untimely appearance in one of his obvious speed traps that he had been dumb enough to fall into, Bo had shoved harshly upon the accelerator to speed the car up. They were already low on money for the month and the last thing Bo intended to do was to pay Rosco’s false speeding ticket. It was suppose to be like any other time he had been chased by Rosco where he would normally lose Rosco or Rosco would go off into the ditch or into the pond. But it wasn’t like any other time. This time it was different. This time the sheriff’s car rolled down a steep ditch and into some trees and this time, Rosco didn’t get out shaking his fist at Bo. No, this time, Bo had to park The General and go check on Rosco only to find Rosco covered in blood and unconscious. This time it had led to hours of waiting in the waiting room, waiting on word on Rosco to hear he was badly beaten and lost deeply within a coma. That they‘d know better of the sheriff‘s future once or if he woke up. This time, Bo only had himself to blame.

The squeak of the flimsy screen kitchen door breaks through the morning silence and Bo slowly glances around to find Jesse slowly walking out on the porch while buttoning up his coat. “It’s chilly out here this morning,†Jesse states as a way of greeting and Bo only nods and turns away, “mind I sit here?†Jesse sits down besides Bo, not waiting for an answer. “Luke tol’ me what happened last night and why y’all didn’t come home. Y’all had me worried sick when I woke up at one and didn’t see The General parked out front. I thought of all the horrible things that could have happened to you or Luke or both of you, of why you weren’t home. Was ready to go out lookin’ for you myself, but thought it’d be best to let it rest til daylight. By then, I saw The General parked out front and found you and Luke in bed. I can’t tell you how relieved I was. I -†Jesse goes silent as he puts a caring hand around Bo’s shoulder’s and sighs heavily to feel his nephew tense up, “I don’t know what I’d do if something were to happen to you or Luke. Or Daisy.â€

Bo steals a look at his wise uncle before looking out over the familiar Duke farm’s front lawn as if seeing it for the first time before his eyes go back to his leather boots. He slowly shrugs under Jesse’s caring arm and opens his mouth to say something only to close it once again as he fights off a heavy wave of emotions. The last thing he wanted was to make his uncle worry or upset at him or worse yet, to be disappointed at him which was why he was refusing to look at his uncle. “I’m sorry, Uncle Jesse,†he finally states in a tired and weak voice, “guess we shoulda called or something.â€

“Damn right you should’ve. Or at least woke me up when you got home,†Jesse states in a half stern voice, already knowing and sensing Bo’s harsh emotions, “but you have no reason to be sorry for. After what happened, I am sure you had more things to worry and think about than just little ol’ me.†Jesse pauses for a long moment as he watches a car go by before eyeing his nephew with worry, noticing how he is refusing to look up at him, “Like I said, Luke tol’ me what had happened. Or Luke had tol’ me what you tol’ him that had happened. But I want to hear it from the source of what had happened. What happened, Bo?â€

Bo is quick to look up at Jesse with a look of disbelief and hurt and Jesse is quick to note the tears watering Bo’s baby blue eyes before Bo quickly looks away. “You already said Luke told you what happened,†Bo slowly states, “I don’t mean no disrespect, but how many times you need to hear what I had done?â€

“What you had done?†Jesse questions, picking up Bo’s heavy guilt that he is fighting with, “From what Luke had said, sounds like Rosco has his share of the blame as well. Not just you.†Jesse goes silent feeling the hurt swell deep within him, hurt at his desperate need to help his young nephew through his pain. “I don’t care if I heard it from Luke. Luke wasn’t there when it had happened, he didn’t see it happen. It was only you and Rosco by the sounds of it and sometimes info gets lost when you hear it from someone else. What happened last night, Bo?â€

Bo remains silent as he eyes the cracked wooden plank under his boots as he yearns to disappear or to be somewhere else by himself so he wouldn’t be able to see or hear his uncle’s worry or his disappointment. “I went to pick Luke up as you had tol’ me to do,†Bo slowly states. . .

[Garrett Duke]

[i Exhaustion melts heavily within Bo as he stares through the mud splattered windshield of The General as his mind seems to wonder from thought to thought, from his date last night to his argument he had with Luke over who was to drive The General today. Luke had plans with Cooter while Bo had his own plans to go fishing with Brody and Dobro. Luke had a point that he could just drop Bo off and they could do their fishing until he picked them up, but often times, when he was out with Brody or Dobro, fishing was quick to turn into racing. How was he to race them if he didn’t have a car? And since Cooter had plenty of cars and their plans generally kept at the garage or junk yard, Bo’s argument had won thanks to Jesse. And now after hours in the sun with little luck at getting the big one, though he did win their road race as he always did with them, he was off to pick Luke up from Cooter’s.

“Lost Sheep,†the CB caught his attention and he was quick to recognize Luke’s voice, “you comin’ or did you forget about me?â€

Bo let out a sigh of frustration before picking up the CB and replying, “I’m on my way as we speak, but I could turn back around and act like I forgot about you.â€

“Know you’d love to do that,†Luke had replied with a chuckle just in time for Bo’s attention to be stolen by the loud piercing siren that screams behind him, “Is that what I think it is?â€

“Damn,†Bo had cussed into the CB as he watches Rosco’s familiar mud splattered patrol car gaining on him and he glances down at the speedometer to find him going five miles under the speed limit. Shaking his head, he presses onto the accelerator to see the needle quickly move to five over the speed limit and watches the distance between his and Rosco’s cars grow. “I just fell into one of Rosco’s traps. I swear, I was going five under the speed limit when he came out.â€

“Well little cuz you better work your magic at the wheel then,†Luke was quick to respond, “you know we ain’t got the money to pay for another one of your tickets. You get a ticket we are out of a house come the first.â€

“Thanks for the reminder, Lukas,†Bo states out of frustration, “I’ll talk to you when I get to town.†With that he had thrown the CB handle onto the seat besides him, no longer finding any patience for Luke’s lecture.

“Here we go,†Bo speaks to himself as the familiar Claw Creek Road comes into view and he steals another look at the angry sheriff.. Knowing if he were to keep on the road he was on, he would reach town and would have more chances of either getting caught or hurting someone, he quickly makes a sharp left upon the road with little thought of where they were going. “C’mon Rosco,†Bo pleads as he watches the sheriff rock unsteadily before turning his patrol car onto the road, “what I do now?â€

He watches the sheriff behind him for a moment before he glances ahead at the open dirt road ahead of him at the steep ditches that surrounds the dirt road before falling into a heavy wooded area. Eyeing the ditches and back at Rosco every once in awhile, Bo begins to wonder where and when he’ll lose Rosco at now that he is going the wrong way that he is wanting to go in order to pick Luke up. “Bo Duke!†Sheriff Rosco yells angrily over the CB to make Bo jump in surprise, “You pull over right now! I’ve got you good this time. No escaping your guilt.â€

Shaking his head in disbelief at the sheriff and his antics, Bo reaches over and picks up the CB handle to reply, “Guilt? Of what? Of being the best driver in Hazzard?â€

“You hush it! Don’t back talk your sheriff!†Rosco is quick to respond, “I can’t tell you over the air. Why don’t you pull over and we can have a nice little chat of what your charges are? You’re only resisting arrest to your charges.â€

Resisting arrest? Now it has gone from what Bo had been predicted as only one of Rosco’s speed traps has quickly turned for the worse. Arrest meant that they framed him of some crime that would be worth arresting him for. But what? Luke was in town, why didn’t they arrest him while they were in town before going after him? They always framed them together.

“You gotta be outta your mind if you think I’m going to pull over for you, Rosco. I didn’t do anything wrong to be arrested for. You’re wasting your time,†Bo slowly responds as he concentrates on the road.

“You’re wrong, Bo. You’ve messed up this time and whoa!†Rosco yells out, his voice heavily coated with fear and Bo glances into his rear view mirror to find Rosco swerving left and right for a moment before his car straightens straight to run smoothly again. “Git git, that was close!†Rosco states, relief in his voice. “Anyway, I got you good this time.â€

“What you talking about, Rosco?†Luke’s sharp words pierce through the CB and at the sound of Luke’s voice brings relief within Bo despite Luke being at Cooter’s and no where to help him, “Bo did nothing wrong and any other charge you’ve got is as bogus as Hogg’s watch.â€

“Git, git, you watch it Duke I’ll press charges against you too, Luke. Lucky for you, we have no evidence pointed at you this time,†Rosco sternly states and Bo watches him momentarily in his rearview mirror, “Bo Duke I order you to pull over now…don’t make me resort to shooting your tires out. No matter how good of a driver you think you are, I shoot out your tires on this road, you’ll be running into a tree and damage that ugly car of your’s.â€

“Shoot my tire out, Rosco?†Bo laughs as he presses on the

accelerator, “You couldn’t shoot your own tire with the car parked not alone my tire on the move. You’re bound to either hurt yourself or me.â€

“Then you better pull over, then, huh?†Rosco sharply resorts on the CB and a moment later, Bo notices Rosco’s hand out of his open window, with his gun in hand only to send surprise and shock within Bo. “I mean it, Duke. Pull over.â€

Gripping on tightly onto the leather steering wheel , Bo forces The General to speed ahead in hopes of Rosco missing and of losing Rosco within the next few feet when he comes upon another road with flatter ditches. “I’m not about to be arrested for -â€

“The brakes,†Rosco quickly states into the CB to interrupt Bo and Bo glances into the rearview mirror in time to see Rosco’s car jerk sideways and Bo feels his foot pull up off the accelerator as he watches Rosco’s patrol car quickly fall off the road. Bo feels the world go still around him as he watches helplessly as Rosco’s car loses grip once it reaches the grass and the old car begins to roll hood over wheels three times before hitting a thick tree at the bottom of the ditch.

“No, no, no,†Bo hears himself mutter to himself as he backs The General up to where Rosco’s car is before placing it into park and pulls himself out of the car. As he begins to walk away from the open window, he hears Luke’s voice over the CB before he runs down the steep ditch, slipping several times before reaching the wrecked car that landed on it’s wheels. Reaching the bumper, Bo takes in the smashed in windows, the caved in roof and doors, as fear swells deeply within him. “Rosco!†Bo yells out as he walks alongside the car, “Answer me, Rosco!â€

Reaching the caved in driver’s door, Bo is quick to see why Rosco wasn’t answering him and his heart comes to a complete halt at seeing Rosco’s head resting against the steering wheel. His hat has fallen onto the seat next to him while blood flows thickly down his face and his whole body lies against the wheel still and silent. “Rosco!†he yells again as he places a couple of fingers on Rosco’s neck, relieved to feel a weak pulse while watching Rosco slowly breathing. “C’mon Rosco,†Bo pleas before he pulls himself away from the car and as he climbs up the steep and wet ditch, finds himself praying desperately for the sheriff.

Reaching The General, he reaches in to grab the CB and breathlessly states, “There’s been an accident on Claw Creek Road,†he hears himself say as he stares down at Rosco’s patrol car, “the sheriff went down the ditch. He needs an ambulance as of now!â€

Static is quick to respond for a short moment before he gets the answer he was hoping for, “This is Ambulance 1 we’re en route to Claw Creek Road. We’ll be there in five minutes.â€

“Five minutes?†Bo questions, feeling that to be a long time, “Please hurry.â€

“We’ll do our best,†the flat male’s voice responds and Bo throws the CB down in frustration and he glances down at the wrecked patrol car in horror. Of all the many times Rosco had chased Luke and him and all the times Luke and him had escaped Rosco by running him off the road or into the pond, no one got hurt. But this time was different. Rosco was beyond hurt and if help didn’t come in time, he could be dead.

“Lost Sheep!†Luke’s voice yells at him on the CB and Bo slowly glances away from the wrecked car and back into his own car, “This is Luke. Please respond!â€

“This is Lost Sheep two,†Bo weakly states as he feels a wave of nausea flood through him only to be replaced by dizziness as his thoughts swell with what had happened, what could happen in the near future.

“Cooter and I are on our way in his tow truck,†Bo vaguely hears Luke state in the CB, “you OK?â€

[Garrett Duke]

Bo nods for a long moment before realizing that Luke wouldn’t see him. “I. . .I’m fine,†he stutters, “Rosco went off the road. His car. . .†Bo goes silent as tears swell in his eyes as he notices Rosco’s blood on his fingers for the first time, “just swerved and went down. It rolled into a tree. I think he’s unconscious, but all that blood. . .†Bo goes silent as he stares into the ditch as the siren begins to be audible and as he hears tires and an engine, he looks up to find Cooter’s tow truck coming at him.

“We’re here, buddy, hang tight,†Luke states as Bo feels the CB drop from his hand and he begins to walk down the ditch once more only for him to hear Luke call out to him, “Bo get up here!â€

Bo eyes him for a moment and eyes the car, his mind stuck upon the bloody image of Rosco lying against the steering wheel and of the thin pulse he had felt. “He needs help,†he hears himself state a moment before he feels a heavy hand upon his shoulder to stop him from going farther and he looks up to see it to be Cooter who motions him up to the road where Luke is. “I have to go. He needs help.â€

“C’mon Bo, what you going to do for him?†Luke questions as he helps Cooter to help Bo back up on the road, “The ambulance will be here in a minute, if that. Hear the sirens?â€

Bo numbly nods though all he hears is the buzzing in his ears, all he’s seeing is the wrecked patrol car. The car he had wrecked. “He needs help. He’s bleeding. He only had a small pulse. He could be dead right now,†Bo rants blindly as the ambulance pulls up to a halt in front of The General. “I did this to him. I killed Rosco.â€

“Whoa there buddy!†Luke states loudly in attempt to get Bo’s attention onto him, “Look at me Bo,†when Bo refuses to look away from the patrol car, Luke firmly holds onto Bo’s chin and forces him to look at him, “I heard everything on the CB. Rosco stated something about his brakes. His brakes went out and Rosco panicked. Plain and simple. You didn’t do that to him. And,†Luke pauses as he watches as the paramedics unload the stretcher and some medical equipment out of the ambulance while a lone paramedic runs down the ditch. Looking back at Bo, he continues, “you said it yourself, he had a small pulse. If he has a pulse, he ain’t dead.â€

Bo shakes his head loose of Luke’s firm hold. “That was before I called it in. He could be dead now. If I had stopped when he wanted. . .â€

“Stop it, Bo. You didn’t do that to him. His damn car did!†Luke states as he takes a deep breath, not knowing how to convince his cousin differently. Slowly he glances away from Bo and at Cooter who stares at the sight below, “Cooter,†Cooter looks back at him, “I want you to take care of Bo, I’m going to go -†he begins to say before Bo walks away from them to steal his attention and Luke watches momentarily as Bo begins to walk down the ditch. “Bo! You don’t want to go down there,†he quickly begins to walk after him and places another firm hand on Bo’s shoulder, “you’ll just get in their way if you go down there.â€

“I have to go down there. I owe it to Rosco,†Bo stubbornly states and as he pulls his shoulder away from Luke’s hand, his footing goes out and he lets out a yelp of surprise and pain as he is thrown to the hard wet ground . Bo grasps at rocks as he slides down the rocky ditch only to scrape and hit the rocks upon his weak body before he comes to a halt at the end of the ditch, a foot away from the paramedics and the stretcher. “Damn,†Bo cusses as he slowly sits up and accepts Luke’s offer to help him to his feet.

Once Luke pulls Bo to his feet, he looks at his cousin with great concern and asks, “You OK, Bo?â€

“I’m fine,†Bo stubbornly states and pulls his arm away from Luke as he ignores the throbbing pain in his head and across his body and walks away from Luke to the car where the paramedics are now pulling Rosco out of his car on a stiff board and placing him on the stretcher. “Rosco,†Bo hears himself say as the world spins around him.

“You’re going to have to leave, son,†an older paramedic states as they place an air mask over Rosco’s nose and mouth before giving Bo a concern look. “You OK son? You’re bleeding.â€

Bo pulls a hand to his throbbing head and pulls it away to find a lot of blood covering his hand. “I’m fine,†he stubbornly states as he looks at Rosco’s still body, “how’s he?â€

“Get the kid out of the way!†another paramedic yells at the older one who only waves him away.

“He’s unconscious right now, but he has a pulse and is breathing right now,†he slowly states, his brown eyes still look at Bo with concern, “we’ll bring him to the ER and they’ll take care of him. Now, if you are OK, you’ll have to go back to your vehicles and let us do our work. Otherwise you’ll just slow us down. Sorry, son.â€

“I ain’t your son,†Bo harshly snaps at the kind paramedic and Luke places a hand upon Bo’s tense shoulder and Bo lets a deep breath out, “sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m fine.â€

With that, Bo allows Luke to pull him away from the stretcher and he slowly begins to climb back up the ditch to where Cooter stands, taking it all in from his parked tow truck. “Look at me, Bo,†Luke firmly states as they reach Cooter and Bo slowly does as he is told to do, “are you OK?â€

Cooter offers Bo a grease stained handkerchief and Bo stubbornly accepts it to place it on his forehead where the blood had came from. Looking back at Luke, he states, “It hurts, but I’ll be fine.â€

Luke nods, accepting Bo’s answer. “What happened Bo?†Luke questions as he places a protective hand upon Bo’s shoulder, knowing how shook up Bo is by what he had saw.

Bo inhales heavily before he slowly explains everything from the beginning of the car chase, to seeing Rosco wobble and fight for control and then to how Rosco had sharply turned before going down the ditch and rolling into the tree. “I should have just pulled over as he tol’ me to. But I didn’t do anything, Luke. I promise, I didn’t,†Bo finishes.

“We know you didn’t do anything wrong. Rosco had some trumped up charge on you as he always had in the past…though in the past it was on both of us. Not just you. I don’t know what he had or what his phony charges were, but you did what we always did in the past in attempt to escape his alleged charges. You did nothing wrong to get charged nor did you anything wrong here. His breaks or something went out in his car and that is what happened. You didn’t do this to him, Bo,†Luke firmly states as he drops his hand from Bo’s shoulder, “we’ll go to the hospital and wait on word on Rosco. Perhaps call Lulu and Boss. But once tomorrow comes, we’ll go into town and find out what phony charges Rosco was talking about. Understand?â€

Bo numbly nods as he fights to hold back the raw emotions that continue to violently gnaw within him as he watches the paramedics surround Rosco’s stretcher as they begin to pull him up the steep ditch.

Sorry so long y'all...I'll give ya'll a break to catch up.

[/B]

[Garrett Duke]

Bo slowly goes silent, his attention remains at his well worn boots as if he is looking for the dog poop he had just stepped in. Vivid images of last night’s events flow vividly in his mind from leaving the farm to pick Luke up to sitting in the waiting room of the ER and explaining what had happened to Boss and Lulu. Boss’ thickly accusatory words towards Bo in the ER continue to yell back at him only to bring more tears of pain to his eyes before the scenes rewind to hearing the sirens for the first time.

Breathing in heavily, Bo roughly wipes his eyes and cheeks with the back of his hands before forcing himself to look up at Jesse and is half way surprised to see fear and sadness within his wise eyes. Surprise at not seeing the disappointment and accusation in them towards him as he had expected to see in them after what had happened. After all, Jesse had made it a point to tell them over and over since they were little til they were adults; that no matter what he other person had done to you, make sure you don’t hurt them. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Well Bo had done more than hurt Rosco, he had put him on the edge of death. And yet the anger he thought would be there on his uncle’s face is either well hidden or not there only to make Bo wonder why or when Jesse will get upset at him.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen, Uncle Jesse. I didn’t mean to hurt Rosco,†Bo hears himself state as his hand goes up to his swollen and bruised cut that hides under his thick bangs and he winces in pain at the touch. “I don’t know what them charges are for, but I didn’t do anything worth charging me for. Honest.â€

“I know you didn’t, Bo. So did Rosco,†Jesse inhales heavily as he tightly hugs Bo for a long moment before letting go, “and we all know you didn’t mean for all that to happen nor meant for Rosco to get hurt. As Luke said, sounds like it was his brakes. Not you.â€

Bo sadly shrugs. “Yeah. Maybe,†he finally states as sirens begin to wail in the near distance to send a violent shudder down his lengthy body, "but if I hadn't ran from him as I had -"

"You'd be in jail," Jesse is quick to interupt him as a patrol car comes into view and Jesse goes silent to watch it for a long moment in fear of what it means. He slowly looks away and back at Bo as he fights for words that may comfort his young nephew. Laying a hand upon Bo's shoulder, he states, "this isn't your fault, Bo."

Bo remains quiet as he watches the patrol car reach their farm before slowing down at their drive way to slowly turn in to to send his heart racing rapdily within him. "Now what?" he mumbles as he lowers his head as Deputy Enos Strait climbs out of the car with a grim look on his face.

Jesse pats Bo on the shoulder before he slowly stands up to meet the deputy at the foot of the steps. "Mornin' Enos," he states hesitantly, fear building heavily within the elder Duke, "what is it we can help you with?"

The deputy eyes the elder Duke with saddened eyes before forces himself to look behind him at the blond haired Duke who remains sitting on the porch step. Looking back at Jesse he places his hands upon his hand cuffs and states, "I'm sorry Mr. Duke." He goes silent as he walks past Jesse to Bo who slowly looks up at Deputy Strait with watered eyes. "I'm sorry, Bo." Enos goes silent, feeling his own torn emotions within him. "I'm here to..."he goes silent, looking at Jesse who is quick to approach him and back to Bo, "Bo Duke you are under arrest. You need to stand up and put your hands behind your back."

"Under arrest?!" Jesse exclaims as Bo weakly stands up and slowly does as he is told to do, no longer interested fighting for his freedom. "What for?!"

Enos frowns at the elder Duke at his outburst as he slowly places the handcuffs tightly on Bo's wrists and turns him around. "Bo Duke you are under arrest for the attempted vehicular manslaughter of Sheriff Coltrane and for the robbery of Hank's Jewlry Store," he slowly states, "I'm sorry, Bo...Jesse." He slowly begins to read him his rights from the card he carries in his pocket.

"Rob Hank's? You've got to be out of your mind, Enos! Attempted vehicular manslaughter?! You know as well as I do that Bo wouldn't hurt no one. Especially the sheriff!" Jesse yells feeling his face go hot in his anger.

"I'm just following orders, Mr. Duke. You'll have to bring your complaints to the judge or to Commissioner Hogg who has issued the charges. As for now, I am to take him in and get it all processed. You may come visit Bo at the jail later this afternoon. I'm sorry, Mr. Duke," Deputy Enos slowly states as he motions Bo to walk down the steps who slowly does as he is told.

"Yeah we'll see about that. Look Bo," Jesse calls out after him and Enos halts at the back door of his patrol car for Bo to hear, "we'll be in town to see ya as soon as they let us. Meanwhile, we'll be looking into these false charges and we'll get you out."

Bo silently nods as he eyes his uncle in time to watch Luke and Daisy quickly running out onto the porch. Enos slams the door closed before climbing in behind the wheel and slowly backs out of the drive way. Bo watches as Jesse hugs onto Daisy and Luke walks angrily out into the driveway with his hands dug deeply within his pockets. Tears melt down from his eyes as he watches the Duke farm, the farm he grew up at, the only place he ever lived at, slowly disappear from sight. Fear swells deeply within him at the thought that, that he may never be able to return or see home again.

[Garrett Duke]

CHAPTER TWO

Listening into the thick silence that invades the cab of Jesse's old truck, Luke stares out through his side window, his mind filled with heavy thoughts. Heavy thoughts of all that had happened last night and mixed with heavy thoughts of what Bo's future holds for him now that he has been arrested. Scenes of last night's events pollute his thoughts as well to send a violent shudder down his tense body at seeing Bo's horror-filled eyes looking back at him from last night.

Being in the Marines and fighting at war, Luke had seen his share of people suffering, dying, or dead. He was even forced to place the suffering and death upon other people as he fought to defend himself, his troop, his country. But compared to Luke's past, Bo had lived a sheltered life from such horrible violence as he opted not to sign up for any military service and avoided war. He never saw someone suffering so greatly or to see someone dying, or dead. Nor had he enforced suffering on anyone else nor took someone's life.

All that had changed for Bo last night when Rosco took the sudden turn into that steep ditch and rolled into the tree. It changed when Bo went down to see Rosco unconscious and covered in his own blood. And Bo being who he was, was struck with guilt with his own accusatory thoughts that he was to blame.

And now Bo sits in jail by himself to deal with his thoughts and emotions over what had happened. And after last night, the thought of Bo being arrested and locked uip alone sends fear and worry racing through Luke for what it'll all do for Bo.

"What are we going to do?!" Daisy breaks through the heavy silence who sits in between Jesse and Luke, "I mean, we all know Bo wouldn't hurt anyone...especially Rosco like they are accusing him of! Yet he's arrested and accused of manslaughter...as if he killed Rosco. On purprose!"

Luke glances over at Daisy to find her cheeks red and tears still running down them and he pats her on her knee in attempt to offer some support.

"Attempted manslaughter," Jesse slowly corrects her, his eyes remain fixated upon the splattered windshield, "and we all know he wouldn't do that on purpose. But he was running away from Rosco when it had happened. Was avoiding arrest. Despite how I feel, Bo is right. If he had pulled over as he was asked to do, Rosco's brakes may not have gone out on him as fast as they had."

"I'm sorry Uncle Jesse, but you're wrong. Bo's wrong!" Daisy cries, "It's not his fault! If Rosco wasn't falsely accusing him, perhaps -"

"It don't matter. Sheriff Coltrane has the authority behind him...no matter how wrong he is," Jesse calmly states despite his own wettened cheeks, "I'm just saying how the law will look at it, sweety."

Luke silently nods in agreement as he watches the farm scenery turn into the small town and the court house looming closely ahead of them. His thoughts reluctantly turn from last night's events to Bo stuck in the small cell by himself to deal with his demons. "I don't care what the law thinks or how they will look at it. I'll do anything to get him out of that dump," Luke states to grab both Jesse's and Daisy's attention, "I think after we go see Bo, I'll run over to Cooter. Perhaps he can have a look at Rosco's car. See if anything was tampered with."

Jesse nods silently for a moment as he pulls to a halt in front of the court house. "I'll run to the hospital and visit Rosco while you are doing that," he slowly states as he eyes Luke with saddened eyes before opening the door, "but as for now, let's go see Bo."

[Garrett Duke]

Sitting on the old and thin cot that lies tightly bolted onto the wall, Bo stares blankly ahead as he concentrates upon his violently throbbing head. The throbbing headache he had achieved last night when he had slid half way down the rocky hill in attempt to reach the unconsious sheriff. Staring forward, his guilt continues to yell at him that he is well deserving of his headach after what he had done. That he deserves more than his headache, but that it should be him in the hospital. Not Rosco.

He jumps slightly as the soft foot steps beginning to descend the stairs screams loudly to his aching head and he glances up to find his family with Cooter following the stairs down to the lower level where he is locked up at. Sighing heavily, he quickly glances away from them to enforce a heavy wave of dizziness to wash over him and his throbbing head to seemingly worsen than it had been a second ago.

"Bo," Daisy states in a half whisper as she reaches the thick bars and fresh tears build in her eyes at seeing her younger cousin looking so weak and vulnerable sitting on the thin cot. "Luke here tol' us what happened last night with Rosco and everything. Jesse tol' us that Enos arrested you for attempted manslaughter and for robbing Hank's. We all know you wouldn't do any of those things!"

Bo remains quiet as he looks down at his leather boots, refusing to look up at the people he loved the most in fear of seeing the disappointment and accusatory that he knew had to be there. Despite what they have been saying.

"Daisy's right," Luke states in his calm manner, "we all know you wouldn't do what they are accusing you of. Rosco falsely accused you as he always had done and his brakes went out or something when he went after you. This isn't your fault." Luke goes silent, seeing his attempt to help his cousin's guilt to lesson not to be working. "Cooter here joined us as we were getting out of the truck to come visit and he's agreed to have a look at Rosco's patrol car. See if someone had been tampering with his car before he began driving it yesterday."

"Bet we find something, too," Cooter chimes in besides Luke, wrapping a grease stained hand around the old thick bar; his own fear building up within him at seeing how hard Bo has taken last night's events.

"Don't matter if they find something or not. They'll just say I was the one tampering with it," Bo breaks his silence, his eyes fixed upon his scuffed boots, "I didn't tamper with it, but if I hadn't ran from him as I had, it wouldn't have happened. At least not from me, it wouldn't have."

Swallowing hard, Jesse shakes the barred door momentarily to create a loud metal hitting metal noise in hope of gathering Bo's attention, only to fail. "Bo," he finally states in a stern voice as he lets go of the bars, "look at me." For a long moment, the room is silent as they watch Bo who remains looking down at his old boots as if refusing to follow his uncle's stern order. After a moment, Bo slowly looks away from his boots to look up at his uncle only to increase the sadness and worry within the Duke patriarch. Sadness and worry at seeing the intense pain and grief thickly filled his youngest's baby blue eyes.

"Cooter," Jesse hears himself say and feels the mechanic tense up besides him, "go tell Enos to grab Bo some water and some pain medicine. I think his head's bothering him. If he don't comply, tell him, I'll bring some from home to give it to him."

"Yes sir Uncle -" Cooter begins to say before Jesse's impatient look interrupts him and he goes silent, nods, and runs up the stairs.

"I'm fine," Bo lies as he looks away from them again and this time stares across the cell from him.

"Hogwash. You know how I feel about you lying to me," Jesse states half sternly, his worry overshadowing any anger he could attempt to create at his nephew's attempt at braving through his pain, "I can see the pain just as clearly as you're feeling it. You'll take the medicine without any struggle...ain't bad enough you sitting in here feeling guilty over what you had no control over and then having your head hurtin' to top it all off. You hear?"

Bo nods silently. "Yes sir," he finally states as he forces himself to glance up as Cooter runs down the stairs with a glass of water and three brown pills.

"This is all Deputy Strait was allowed to give me to give to Bo. It's over the counter generic for Ibprofen," Cooter states as he hands it to Jesse who nods his appreciation at him as he accepts it.

Bo eyes it skeptically as Jesse pushes his hands through the bars, one hand holding the glass of water and the other a bag of the three pills. After a moment, Bo slowly and weakly stands up to take a couple of steps to the bars. "Look at me," Jesse states in a softer tone as Bo slowly takes the bag and the glass. As Bo glances up at Jesse, Jesse continues, "I know it won't help none, but I'll say it again. It's not your fault. You didn't do that to Rosco...Rosco said something about his brakes...it was his brakes that did it. Not you. As Luke said, him and Cooter are to get to the bottom of this while Daisy and I are going to keep checking up on Rosco. Perhaps he'll shed some light on it when he wakes up."

Bo tiredly eyes his uncle as he opens the bag and Jesse helps him get the pills out. Bo swallows down all three pills at once with the water before setting the empty glass down on the floor. Slowly standing back up, Bo states, "If Rosco wakes up."

"Have faith Bo. He'll wake up and we'll get this all cleared up. Until then, know we don't blame you or think you did any of what you are charged with," Jesse slowly states as he puts a hand through the bars to place a comforting hand upon Bo's shoulder, "we'll get through this. But for now, I think we should go and let you get some rest. Bye for now, Bo."

Bo nods, knowing better than to argue with his uncle.

"We'll get you outta this dump, Bo. I promise," Luke states as he leans in and does the same to Bo as Jesse hand done.

Bo nods before Daisy looks in at him for a long moment before saying, "Bye Bo. We'll be by tomorrow to see you and let you know how things are going."

"Bye now, Bo. We'll get this figured out," Cooter is the last one to leave. Bo watches them go for a long moment, watching his family and Cooter disappear upstairs before listening to their foot steps echo on the ceiling above him before he turns around to face his cell. He had been locked away for things he didn't do plenty of times in the past. But it was always with Luke besides him. Now he was charged, arrested, and placed in the cell alone to deal with his thoughts and to deal with what he had done.

[Garrett Duke]

Walking into the police garage, Cooter Davenport feels chills wash over him at the violent abuse Rosco's patrol car hand endured. Eyeing the body damage upon the patrol car, Cooter's mind begins to wonder back to last night and of the small glimpse had gotten of the bloodied sheriff. Only to send fear and worry rapidly within of what the future holds for their sheriff and for Bo who sits alone in a jail cell. "Let's see what happened to ya," he hears himself whisper aloud to the car as he places a hand upon it.

He takes a long moment to walk around the car, surveying all the damage that it had taken during it's roll last night before he reaches the hood of the car. Glancing up, he sees Luke standing against the metal fence, eyeing him expectantly since Deputy Strait was unwilling to allow civilians within the jail's garage. Since Cooter helped from time to time to distinguish what was wrong with a car for the sheriff's department, Cooter was allowed in the garage and to have a look at Rosco's car. Luke wasn't.

"Whaddya see?" Luke questions impatiently.

Cooter shrugs. "So far, all I see is what you see. A broken patrol car. I'll have to open her up and have a look to see if something was tampered with," Cooter slowly answers before turning his back to his friend and pushes the latch to open the hood of the car. Bending forward into the hood, Cooter is flooded with raw emotion of anger and fear to send a wave of nausa through him. "Damn," he hears himself say aloud, taking a couple of involuntary steps back away from the car.

"What is it, Cooter?" Luke asks from the fence, his fingers laced tightly around the thin metal, "What's wrong?"

Cooter eyes the car for a long moment before it slowly registers that Luke had said something, taking longer time for him to register what it was that Luke was saying. "All four brake lines are severed," he states as he rests back against an old rusted car, "as in someone cut 'em. All four of them, all the way through. Looks to be cut with a dull knife or something from the tear marks on the tubing."

"Someone tampered with his car," Luke states the obvious, "well they'll have to let Bo go. I mean, we all know Bo wouldn't do something like that."

Cooter grunts. "We do. But do they?" he motions towards Enos and Boss that are now walking towards them, "Deep down they hafta know he wouldn't do something as mean as that. But I'm afraid I agree with Bo," he pauses as he takes a step closer to Luke, "they'll just say Bo was the one tampering with it. Unless y'all can prove that it wasn't Bo."

Luke takes an angry step away from the fence as he slowly nods in agreement. "Or we can prove who it was that tampered with Rosco's patrol car," Luke states before going silent as Boss and Enos approach Cooter.

"Well boy," Boss states as he chews on the butt of a half lit cigar, eyeing Luke harshly before he looks back at Cooter, "you find what's wrong with Rosco's car?"

Cooter nods sullenly as he glances down at his well worn boots before slowly looking up at the two. "Someone cut all four of Rosco's brake lines," Cooter states before going into explaination of what that means for the car, "in other words, Boss, Rosco's accident was no accident."

"You mean someone tried to kill the sheriff?!" Deputy Strait exclaims, his voice squeaks in his horror, "Who would want to kill the sheriff for?!"

"That lousy cousin of his," Boss points a fat finger at Luke, "that's who. We can now add attempted murder onto his charges. That is unless..." Boss abruptly stops and his shifty eyes fall away from Enos and back to Luke before he threatenly steps towards Luke before the fence stops him from reaching Luke, "You and your pathetic family better hope beyond hope that Rosco will wake up from all of this. If he. . ."he goes silent as his voice trembles in emotion, "If Rosco don't wake up, that low life cousin of your's, Bo Duke, will NOT be the only one to pay for this. Bo may be the only one being held accountable by law for what he done, but I'll make sure y'all will pay just as dearly as he does!"

"Now Boss," Luke states, thrown aback by Boss' firm belief in Bo's guilt, "you know damn well Bo would never wish harm on Rosco or anyone else for that matter! Bo had nothing to do with this!"

Boss shakes his head before glaring coldly at Luke. "You wanna be held as an accomplice to his crimes? Bo knew damn well Rosco was onto him for robbing Hank's...he cut them tubes in order not to be arrested for what he had done," Boss scolds Luke as he throws the butt of his cigar down on the ground, "and now he'll be doing time for his robbery and for attempted murder of a law officer. That is unless we lose poor ol' Rosco to you're cousin's evil ways. Then he'll be charged with murder!"

Luke swallows hardly as he feels dread and fear wash over him once again at hearing Boss speak his fears aloud. "Luke's right, sir," Deputy Strait bravely speaks up, "Bo wouldn't do that to Rosco. We all know that and I believe deep down within yourself, you know that too. You just want someone to blame for what happened to Rosco. Someone to pay for it all."

"Damn right I want someone to blame and pay for it all," Boss quickly responds, "and the person to blame and to pay for it all is the one sitting in my jail cell."

"He's the wrong guy, Hogg," Cooter breaks his silence, "Bo didn't do this and you know it."

"Which means the guilty person that cut them tubes and tried to kill Rosco is still out there," Luke quickly adds onto Cooter's statement, "free to do as he wishes."

Boss shakes his head. "Wrong. I got the guilty person locked away so he won't be able to kill again. Y'all better have enough money for a good lawyer, because he's gonna need one," Boss states as he coldly eyes Luke before he turns away to walk back to the court house by himself.

ALl three men stare silently and watch as Boss disappears back within the steel door before their attention falls back upon one another. "Enos you gotta believe us," Cooter breaks the silence, looking at their old friend, "Bo wouldn't hurt anyone. Especially on purprose like this."

"I know he wouldn't, guys," Enos sadly states, "but there isn't much that I can do about it."

Luke shakes his head at him. "Sure there is," he states with a small smile, "you could search them tubes and the car for prints belonging to anyone else other than Rosco."

Enos slowly nods. "What if they belong to Bo?" he meekly questions.

"Enos!" Cooter yells impatiently, "Bo didn't do that and you know it! If he didn't do it, his prints won't be on the tubing."

Enos nods once again, looking unsure. "I can try. But Boss is set on blaming all this on Bo," he pauses, "he finds me searching into it more, he's bound to get upset."

"Right now all I care about is Rosco waking up and getting Bo out of this dump," Luke responds, "because right now, the wrong man is paying for this while the guilty man is out there running free."

"Yeah," Cooter agrees, "and who knows when and who he'll hurt next."

Enos nods. "Yeah. OK, I'll do my best," he states as he looks over his shoulder and back at them, "I'll get back to you with the results."

"Thanks Enos, we're much obliged," Luke forces a smile at Enos before turning to Cooter, "c'mon Cooter, let's run down and tell Bo of our findings before we go meet up with Jesse and Daisy at the hospital."

"I'll meet you upstairs, buddyroe," Cooter nods before he turns and begins to walk towards the steel door, followed by Enos.

Luke silently nods before backing away from the fence and slowly walking towards the front entrance of the court house, silently digesting all that was said and what it means for Bo.

[Garrett Duke]

CHAPTER THREE

Jesse Duke looks sadly at Daisy as she hugs onto his arm as Jesse slowly opens the closed door leading to where the sheriff lies. Inhaling heavily, Jesse forces a smile at her before looking up and forces himself to take a step into the room before closing the door behind him. Daisy let's go of his arm, as Jesse walks forward to step up to Rosco's bed to send fear and worry deep within him. Fear and worry at seeing the bruises and cuts that surround the sheriff's head and bare arm, while his right arm lies tightly covered in a thick white cast.

Daisy gasps besides him as she reaches the barred in bed and Jesse looks over at her and hugs her slightly. Jesse nods at her, not knowing what to say to calm her fears when he is gripped with his own fears. Fear for Rosco, but also for Bo who's fragile future lies in the hands of which way Rosco may fall once he comes out of the coma; life or death.

"Rosco," Jesse finds his voice as he reaches down to caringly wipes a strand of lose hair across the sheriff's bruised forehead, "Jesse and Daisy are here to say how sorry we are that this happened to you. To see you this way. We hope that you will wake up and recover." He stands back up as he takes in the medical equipment as he feels a tear break through his shield and roll down his cheek. Looking back down at Rosco he states, "Please wake up. Hazzard needs you back. You need to set Boss straight. I know us Dukes and you and Boss aren't always on the same side of the law or see things the same way," Jesse goes silent once more, "but you gotta know Bo wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Not like this. None of us would want this to happen to you."

Jesse goes silent, knowing there isn't much else to be said. The doctors and the hospital has done everything in their powers to help Rosco to wake up and recover. The rest was up to the Good Lord above and Rosco himself.

"Please wake up, Rosco," Daisy breaks the silence before biting her lower lip to stop her emotions from coming out, "you've gotta be OK. Hazzard wouldn't be the same without you."

Jesse nods weakly and hugs Daisy before motioning towards the door. "Well Rosco," Jesse states as he feels Daisy walk away from him and towards the door, "we will let you rest. Hopefully you'll be awake and alert next time we stop by...please be OK."

With that Jesse turns and walks towards the door where Daisy holds it open and they walk out before closing it behind them. They walk the wide and brightly lit hallway in silence as they both deal with their own harsh and raw emotions.

"Yesterday at this time, everything in the world seemed right. Was perfect," Daisy breaks the silence as tears streak down her face, "now the world has been shaken up and turned upside down. I don't know what is worse," she pauses as they reach the waiting room, "Bo locked away, by himself, for all of this. Or seeing Rosco like that."

Jesse nods as they come to a halt as a couple of familiar figures come into view in the oncoming hall. Turning away from them, he turns to Daisy and comments, "One moment can change everything. But it'll all work out somehow, some way. We can't do much for Rosco. That's up to the Good Lord above and to Rosco himself," he pauses as he faces the two oncoming figures as Luke and Cooter's image comes clear, turning to Daisy he continues, "but we can help Bo if we can prove someone else was responsible for Rosco's brakes going out. If we can't, we can help by just being there for him and perhaps finding a lawyer we can buy to represent him."

"A lawyer? We don't have no money for no lawyer!" Daisy exclaims as Cooter and Luke enter the waiting room.

"I'll sell the farm if need be. I'll find a way," Jesse firmly states before turning to Cooter and Luke, "Tell me you two bring some good news. We can really use some right about now."

Luke digs his hands deeply within his back jean pockets before shrugging slightly. "Well Cooter here found that all four of Rosco's brake lines were cut completely through," he slowly states as he pulls a hand out of his pocket to run it nervously through his thick hair.

"Which means someone tried to kill Rosco!" Daisy exclaims in horror, "But who would want to do that? Bo wouln'd do a thing like that..."

"We know he wouldn't, but Boss sees differently," Luke calmly states, swallowing hardly, "he's now added attempted murder onto Bo's charges."

"Attempted murder? J.D. has gone and lost that little brain of his! Everyone knows Bo wouldn't try to hurt Rosco like that!" Jesse yells angrily and the few people in the waiting room looks up at him.

"He don't care. He just wants to blame someone and Bo's in the right place to be blamed," Luke adds shaking his head, his thoughts go back to how lost and alone Bo had looked in his cell when they had told him of the news, "but don't lose hope. Enos is going to dust the car for prints, see if he can come up with someone's prints other than his own and Bo's. Perhaps if we do some searching on our own, we can come up with someone who would want to harm Rosco."

"Yeah," Cooter chimes in, "perhaps it has something to do with whoever did rob Hank's store. Perhaps a frame up gone bad?"

"It's a place to start," Jesse reluctantly states, feeling his hopes deflate, "while you do that, think it is time I have a word with the local defense lawyer here in town. See what he'd want to take Bo on. Right now, I don't see any choice, but to face the reality of the situation."

"Life seems to go on. I have to go to work in another couple of hours. Don't see Hogg letting me take the day off due to it all," Daisy sadly states, "perhaps I could keep an eye and ear open to see if anyone knows anything or if anything seems out of place."

They go silent for a long moment, eyeing each other and lost within their own fear filled thoughts. "Sounds like a plan for now," Luke nods, "how's Rosco doing? Me and Cooter thought we'd go visit him before we begin snooping around town."

Jesse nods. "Doesn't look or sound very good. The doctors are giving him only a thirty percent chance of waking up. Said he suffered a bad concussion and internal bleeding that they couldn't get stopped. Plus other injuries," he goes silent as chills rush up his back as he quickly states, "we gotta do something. If we lose Rosco, that attempted murder charge will change to murder." He goes silent again, quickly dreading the last statement knowing that it'll only make it worse for everyone to think of that.

"Not if we can help it. We know Bo's innocent of them charges," Luke confidently states, "and if Bo didn't do it, then that means someone else cut them lines. Me and Cooter will do anything and everything it takes to get whoever cut them linese and make them pay for what they did to Rosco...to Bo."

"Be careful," Jesse abruptly states, "I don't want to lose the two of you in attempt to prove Bo's innocence. That won't help him or us any."

"Yes sir," Luke states.

"Very good. Keep us posted," Jesse pats Luke on the shoulder, "I need to get Daisy home to get ready for work before heading back into town to visit the lawyer before he leaves his office for the day."

They nod silently before waving good bye to each other and Cooter and Luke watch as Jesse and Daisy slowly walk down the hall they had came through. "Let's go see Rosco," Luke slowly states turning around to begin walking towards Rosco's room while silently attempting to think of a plan of how to free Bo of all of his charges.

[Garrett Duke]

Pulling to a quick halt on the side of the road, Cooter and Luke slowly climb out of the windows of The General Lee. For a long moment silence thickly surrounds them as they silently take in the scene that lies ahead of them. The scene where Rosco had swerved and rolled down the steep ditch into the tree below when his brakes had gone out. Luke had thought it might be a good place to start their search to get some answers to what had happened to Rosco's patrol car.

Staring down at the thick tire ruts in the mud and the a large section of bark missing from the thick tree, chills violently cross Luke's tense body as his mind brings up vivid images of last night's events. Of the events that may change their lives forever, the events that may steal Rosco's life away from him.

"What now, Lukas?" Cooter asks, to break the odd silence between them, "What we suppose to find out here other than the tire ruts and the damaged tree? I coulda tol' you that'd be what we'd find here."

Luke sends an impatient look at him before he slowly look forward to begin to carefully walk down the hill and Cooter slowly follows him down. Reaching the bottom, Luke is hit heavily with dread at the bleak future that lies ahead for his youngest cousin due to this scene. "I don't know, Cooter," he sighs heavily as he runs his hand over the rough torn bark on the tree as he envisions the horrorific accident that Rosco had to go through. "But figured we had to start somewhere. Might as well as be here."

Cooter nods as he silently walks around the flattened grass, looking at the shattered glass that is scattered around, his own emotions gnawing within him.

They walk around the damaged area where Rosco's car had come to a halt, taking it all in as if searching for answers, before Luke breaks away to follow the tire ruts in the mud up the hill. "Well," he states after a long moment, eyeing the distant surroundings for a long moment before he looks back at Cooter as Cooter reaches the parked General, "let's head back to town. See if Enos has found anything yet."

Cooter nods as he makes his way to the passenger door of The General. "Perhaps we can stop by and see Bo again," he pauses as they both climb into The General through the window and Luke restarts the powerful engine, "I really hate to see him this down and hard on himself over something we all know he didn't do."

"Yeah me too," Luke nods as he pulls out onto the dirt road, "me too, Cooter."

[Garrett Duke]

Boss Hogg hears a sigh escape from him as he stares blankly across the darkened room, lost within his deep thoughts. Thoughts of his brother in law that lies silently in the bed that is directly in front of him. Thoughts of the young Duke that he has locked up in jail for the supposed accident and of his family. Thoughts of what all of their future holds for them now that they wait desperately for the sheriff to wake up.

Deep down, he knows Bo Duke wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone. His uncle had raised them all better than that and even if he wasn't raised better, Bo was too loving and trusting. Too care free to wish any harm on any one. No matter how many times Rosco gave them a chase for something they didn't do.

Yet, Boss felt like someone should pay for what had happened to Rosco. Rosco may be a poor driver when compared to the Dukes, but he was a better driver than just to drive off the road like that fo rnothing. And him chasing Bo at the time that it happened, put Bo in the perfect spot to be their prime suspect.

But if it wasn't Bo that ran or damaged Rosco's patrol car to make him lose his brakes, then who was it? Who could possible wish harm to the sheriff? To kill Rosco? Rosco had many flaws to him and he often got on Boss' nerves. But who ever messed with Rosco's car did it with intentions to kill him. Who'd want to kill Rosco?

Could it be one of Hogg's past business partners seeking revenge on him? Or did Rosco step into something he shouldn't have? Or perhaps one of his past convicts he had somehow arrested in the past coming back to seek revenge on the sheriff?

Despite how he felt about the Dukes and how bad he wanted to see them in jail, Boss was finding himself having a hard time leaving Bo locked behind bars for attempted murder. Despite what he had told Bo and his family.

But to just let Bo go without any new evidence or reason gave the Dukes and the whole town know that he was wrong. Worse yet, it gave them all the impression that he cared about them enough to look past the evidence pointing at Bo. And if he let him go, what would that say to everyone else? That they too could get away with running the law off the road like Bo had? Whether it was intentional or not.

Boss shakes his head. He couldn't let Bo out of jail. Evidence speaks for itself and it was him who Rosco was chasing when it happened. And who does all this benefit the most?

Bo Duke, himself. After all, it was Bo who was caught red handed with evidence of robbing the local jewlry store. Boss couldn't let himself over look that.

Which meant that even if Bo hadn't messed with Rosco's car, he was still guilty of something and is where he should be.

"Come on Rosco. Wake up. You got to see Bo in jail. By himself. He has no one to turn to any more. No more Luke to lean on. Just Bo in there by himself. We should have figured he was the black sheep of that family," Boss nervously laughs as he looks down at his beaten and bruised sheriff who only responds with the hiss of the oxygen tank and the beeping of the monitors. "You put him there. It took all this. But you put Bo where he belongs. He won't get away with what he did to you. If he didn't run from you like he did. . ."

Who was he kidding? Boss quickly looks away, his guilt gnawing violently within him. Boss had his key man break into the jewlry store to frame Bo. His desperate attempt to get the Dukes in jail...even if it was just one of them, this time. Figured if they got enough evidence and if their plan went as planned, they'd have the rest of the Dukes accusing Bo of stealing the jewlry. Of them getting upset at Bo and leaving him behind bars. Of starting a fight in the family that would lead Bo right to the state pen.

Would have work too if Rosco hadn't ran off the road as he had.

But it wasn't Bo's fault. It was just a Duke reflex to run from the local law and after all Boss had done to them in the past, who could blame them? He gave them hundreds of reasons to run from Rosco and him.

It was him who sent Rosco out after Bo. Told him to have Bo arrested by the end of the day or else he'd be without a job and that Boss would replace him with his deputy.

Boss hears himself laugh nervously once again.

Sheriff Enos Strait. It just didn't sound right or even look right in his imagination. Then again, he couldn't see anyone else as his sheriff other than Rosco.

But if things turn for the worse, he'd have to reappoint a new sheriff.

The thought sends violent chills racing across his small round body and he feels tears enter his eyes. Looking back down at Rosco, he hears himself beg, "Rosco. You wake up. That's an order," he pauses as he looks away, not able to look at his sheriff in his condition without be repulsed with anger and guilt at himself. "I'm begging you. You got to wake up. If not me, wake up for Lulu. She needs you." He goes silent before he eats enough ego to say, "I need you. That's right. You heard me right. I need you. I know I've never said that before and probably won't say it again, but the truth is, I need you. Please wake up."

Discouraged with the beeping and the hissing of the oxygen tank and not a word or a nod from Rosco, Boss slowly stands up from his chair and he finds himself walking over to the window to look out. Lost in thought once again. Thoughts of the past to the present to the future.

Looking at his pale reflection in the clean window, he shakes his head in anger at himself. He got what he wanted. He had Bo tightly locked in jail. In a few days he'll be on his way to Atlanta to the state pen. Something he worked years to achieve. But it came at a price. The price was his sheriff, his brother in law. The price he was paying was at the cost of his best friend. Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane.

(Please feel free to message me with what you think of my story this far. Reviews are welcome. )

[Garrett Duke]

Bo Duke sits on the old ratty cot with guilt and exhaustion violently fighting within him as his mind remains fixated upon last night's events. Of all the blood that the sheriff was covered in when he had walked down the ditch to check on him. Deep down he feels as if he should be worrying about and fearing the charges the commissioner had placed upon him in knowlege that if he is found guilty of any of them charges, he'll be shipped to the pen to face years behind bars. Alone with men he doesn't know nor wants to know. Meanwhile Luke, his family, and everyone other than him and Rosco go on with their life without them.

But his strong and violent guilt screams back at him, that is what he deserves. He ran the sheriff down the ditch, he put the sheriff in the hospital, and thanks to Bo himself, the sheriff is fighting for life.

I deserve to suffer. I deserve to die. I deserve to pay for what I did. The thought runs over and over in his mind.

Which his why intense anger rushes heavily through him as footsteps draw his attention towards the bars to find his elder uncle walking down the thin stairway.

He didn't deserve any visitors. Didn't deserve his uncle, his family looking out for him. Looking to clear his name.

After all, he did what he is charged of.

"You're awake," Jesse speaks as he approaches the bars as he attempts to shove a smile onto his face yet his crystal wise blue eyes shine with worry. "Enos says you've been refuse to eat or drink. Haven't laid down. Just sat there and ingore everything around you."

Bo shrugs and looks away from his uncle, no longer able to look at his uncle. To see the anger, shame, and disappointment he is sure his uncle must feel towards him would only make him feel worse than he already does. But, to him, that is what he deserves to see. It was he that did it. That made his uncle feel that way, to put his family through all that he is putting them through...

"Ignoring me or Enos or food or sleep isn't going to help it go away, Bo," his uncle continues to say despite Bo's lack of response, "it's going to make it worse. For you. For everyone."

His uncle goes silent before he sighs audibly to etch Bo's guilt deeper within him.

"I know you feel responsible for what happened to Rosco. I know you feel guilty for it. And I assume you feel like you deserve the worst," Jesse continues, gripping the bars tightly, "but you didn't do that to Rosco, Bo. Someone messed with his brakes, that's why his brakes went out. That's why he went down the ditch. So unless it was you that messed with Rosco's brakes, you are not responsible for Rosco's accident." Jesse goes silent for a moment and when Bo doesn't react or say anything he asks, "So, did you mess with Rosco's brakes?"

Bo quickly jerks his head to glare at his uncle, angry that he would even ask such a question. "Of course I didn't mess with Rosco's brakes or anyone elses!" Bo quickly snaps before looking away from Jesse.

Jesse gives a small smile at getting a reaction from Bo. "Then you should know as well as I that you didn't do that to Rosco. You are not responsible for what happened to Rosco. You shouldn't be feeling guilty for it," Jesse states before falling silent to take in his youngest nephew. Yearning desperately to help Bo feel better in any way he could.

Bo shrugs once again. "Maybe not," he slowly states, still looking away from Jesse, "but if I hadn't ran from him -"

"You'd either be in jail for something you didn't do or you'd be in the hospital with Rosco," Jesse interrupts Bo.

Bo sarcastically laughs before shaking his head. "In case you've forgotten," he slowly states, stealing a glance at Jesse, "but I'm already in jail. But instead of being in jail for robbery, I'm now in here for attempted murder."

Jesse nods. Knowing there is little use of arguing with his nephew. "Well," he slowly states, his eyes glued on his nephew as his own guilt begins to gnaw at him. Guilt at seeing Bo locked away, guilt at seeing Bo suffering at his own inner torture, and guilt for knowing he has only a few more minutes before he is going to have to leave. To walk out of the jail, go home, and leave Bo locked within the small cell. All by himself. "Luke and Cooter are looking into the accident. We are all doing all that we can to get you out of here."

Bo nods, eyeing the brick wall that is solidly built across the small cell from him. Tears threaten once more to swell in his eyes as his mind rotates from his dark future that seems to lurk ahead of him to the sight of Rosco lying helpless and still in his trapped patrol car. "How's Rosco?" he finally finds his voice.

"He's unconscious and pretty beat up," Jesse starts before being interrupted by foot steps approaching and Bo and him both look up to find Enos walking down the steps with a tray. Looking back at his nephew he states, "Rosco's tough. He can beat this and so can you. You hear me?"

Bo finds himself nodding as he feels his uncle's worried eyes locked upon him. "If you say so," he weakly answers.

"Dinner is here," Enos cheerfully states, "sorry Mr. Jesse Duke, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Bo is unable to have any more visitors until morning."

Jesse nods at the deputy. "You find any prints on Rosco's patrol car?" Jesse turns to face the deputy in hope of hearing some good news.

Enos swallows nervously. "Yes sir. I mean no sir," he pauses, clearly frustrated with Jesse putting him on the spot. "I'm sorry Mr. Jesse, but I can't talk about the case with you at this time." Enos nervously turns away from Jesse to unlock the door before taking a step in to place the tray on the edge of Bo's tray and backing out and relocking the door behind him. Turning to Jesse he states, "I really need for you to leave, Mr. Duke. I know this is hard on you. On him. On your whole family. But rules are the rules. No matter what."

Jesse nods. "I understand, Deputy. Let me say good bye to my boy first," Jesse eyes the deputy firmly before Enos nervously nods and walks to the stairs to begin walking up the steps. Turning to face Bo, Jesse states, "Well you heard the man, I've got to go. Know that I love and care for you. No matter what. We all know you were wrongly accused of the robbery and we all know you are wrongly accused of what happened to Rosco. I think, deep down, you know that too." Jesse pauses, gripping tightly onto the bars in attempt to get as close to his aching nephew as possible, "We'll get you out of here, son. That's a promise. Understand?"

Jesse is silent for a long moment before Bo slowly nods, still refusing to look at Jesse.

"Look at me, Bo. Talk to me," Jesse firmly states, his own heart tightening up within him in his own hurt to see Bo in this position, to see him blaming himself.

Bo slowly looks up at his uncle with emotion-filled eyes. "Yes sir," he finally responds in a whisper.

"Thank-you," Jess nods, holding eye contact with Bo, "as I said, I love you. We all love you. We are all here for you and we will all be by in the morning to visit with you. OK?" Once more he pauses and Bo nods with a brief forced smile. "Well I got to go for now. Enos brought you dinner. When I return in the morning, I will check with Enos and I want to hear that you've eaten dinner and breakfast. Heard you got some sleep. Beating yourself up like this is only making it worse. For you. For everyone. Understand?"

"Yes sir," Bo reluctantly responds with a ragged deep breath.

Jesse nods. "I'll see you in the morning," Jesse forces himself away from the bars, knowing it won't get any easier, "bye Bo."

"Bye Uncle Jesse," Bo states as sadness washes over him at seeing his uncle leaving. Of being left alone once again. He's been in jail before. But always with Luke standing besides him and now he is being faced with having to spend the whole night alone in jail. "Thank-you."

"Not a problem," Jesse forces a smile, hearing Bo call him Uncle Jesse makes things seem somewhat normal. "Night Bo."

"Night Jesse," Bo states as he silently wataches his uncle slowly walking up the steps before eyeing the cold food that Enos had brought down. Not hungry, Bo quickly looks away from the food, knowing there is little Jesse can do to him if he refuses to eat. Yet if he refuses to eat, it'll own make his family worry more about him and he didn't want that either. Bo sighs before eyeing the food once more, figuring if it'd make Jesse happy to hear he ate something. Then he might as well as eat whatever it was that Enos brought down for him to eat.

[Garrett Duke]

CHAPTER FOUR

Exhaustion violently tears within Luke's tired and numb body as he lies on his back on his own bed, staring up at the ceiling through the thick darkness. Despite the heavy exhaustion within him, his mind remains wide awake and energized in dark dreadful thought of his cousin locked away in the dark jail cell; alone. In the past, the sheriff and commissioner had always framed them both, them both going to jail together or escaping together. Not this time. This time Rosco had only charged Bo with the trumped up jewlry robbery. This time, it had only been Bo in The General when Rosco had went down the ditch and into the trees. This time, it was only Bo who was arrested. This time, Bo was alone in jail, leaving Luke alone in the room he had shared with Bo since the day their Uncle Jesse had taken Bo home.

Only to reinforce guilt to rip harshly within Luke. If only he hadn't talked Bo into picking him up, Bo wouldn't be in jail right now. If only Luke had stayed home instead of going out as he had, knowing Bo had the car...

"Damn," he hears himself cuss as he restlessly sits up and finds himself looking over at Bo's neatly made bed through the darkness of the room. Staring at where Bo should by lying right now, Luke tiredly attempts to think of what his next move should be come morning. Luke and Cooter had spent most of the day searching and looking for a way to help clear Bo's name and came up with nothing. The facts spoke for themselves. Rosco was after Bo, to arrest him for supposedly robbing the jewlry store in town. Bo refused to pull over. Resisted arrest. Rosco lost control of his car, chasing Bo, and ran down into the ditch and now struggles to stay alive. Leaving Bo responsible since he had refused to pull over as Rosco had wanted him to. If he hadn't resisted arrest...

But Rosco's brake lines had been cut. Someone had cut them on purpose. Everyone knew it wasn't Bo. But who? Rosco has made everyone mad in Hazzard at one time or another, but no one would want to hurt him. If it wasn't someone from Hazzard, then it had to be someone from out of town...

Luke hears himself gasp in realization of the only person or people that he had assumed was in town once Bo was wrongly accused.

Too restless to lie down and rest despite his exhaustion, Luke slowly climbs out of bed and slowly walks out into the small hallway and into the living room. Stepping into the living room, Luke is surprised to see the kitchen light to be on. In haling heavily, he slowly walks across the living room and into the kitchen to find Jesse sitting at the kitchen table, his back to him.

"Jesse," he states and Jesse slowly glances around to eye Luke, "what you doing up?"

Jesse sighs tiredly and Luke feels his own emotions build within him at see the worry deeply implanted in his uncle's crystal blue eyes. "I couldn't sleep," Jesse slowly states, "I keep thinking of Bo locked away in jail. Alone." he pauses once more as Luke makes his way around Jesse and to the closest chair at the table, "I guess, it isn't much different. You two are always in there for something you didn't do. But I guess it makes me feel better knowing both of you are in there, together, and not him in there. Alone.

"And then there is Rosco," Jesse goes silent, eyeing his hands for a long moment, "he looks so bad. His injuries sound bad. Just the thought that he -" Jesse shakes his head, "he don't deserve that. No matter what he was doing or going to do to Bo. And the thought that Bo blames himself," Jesse pauses as he finally looks up at his oldest, "when I visited him last night, he looked pretty bad himself. Enos says he has refused to eat anything. Hasn't slept. Just sits there, staring at nothing. Heck, I had to tell Bo to look at me. He refused to look at me. I think he thinks we blame him as well."

"How can he think that? He has to know we know him better than that! Everyone knows Bo wouldn't do such an aweful thing as this...even Hogg has to know. He's too stubborn and upset to admit it," Luke states, running his hand nervously through his thick and messed up hair.

Jesse nods. "He knows that," he pauses heavily, "but he's letting his emotions think for him." Jesse sighs heavily,looking around his old familiar kitchen as if seeing it for the first time. Looking back at Luke he asks, "What you doing up?"

"Same thing. I couldn't sleep. Kept thinking of Bo locked away. It don't feel right being in that room knowing he was in jail. Just ain't right," he pauses for a long while, "but it got me thinking. We all know Bo didn't mess with Rosco's brakes. If it wasn't Bo, then it w as someone else. No one in Hazzard would do something like that either. Making it someone from out of town."

"So," Jesse is quickly to speak up, seeing a little glimmer of hope in Luke's eyes, "what you thinkin'?"

"Well, most times when Hogg frames us and winds up in trouble himself," Luke pauses as his thoughts are racing quickly within him, "so, I was thinking'...Boss has Bo framed for robbing the jewlry store. Which we know Bo didn't do. So it means someone else had done it. Hogg had someone else do it to frame Bo."

"You thinkin' that someone else is that someone else who had messed up Coltrane's car?" Jesse questions, finishing Luke's thoughts.

Luke nods slowly. "So come morning, I'm thinkin' me and Cooter are going to run over and talk to Enos. See if he has come up with anything with Rosco's car. Perhaps see if he knows if Hogg is working with anything or saw any newcomers in Hogg's office," Luke answers before going silent in thought for a long moment, "see where that takes us. Then perhaps change our way of searching to looking at who did rob the jewlery store...I'm thinkin' we find who did that, we'll find out w ho tried to kill Rosco."

Jesse nods as he feels a small smile of hope crosses his worried face. "Well Lukas, I'm damn glad Bo has you on his side. That we all have you on our side. You seem to always find a way to bring hope into any situation. Thanks," Jesse nods at Luke, patting him on the arm, "perhaps we should get back to bed. Get some sleep. Sounds like you may need all the sleep you can get for tomorrow."

Luke nods as he stands up with his uncle. "Yes sir," Luke thinly smiles in hope that his thoughts will work out as smoothly as they had thought out tonight. "Night Jesse."

"Night Luke. Thanks for everything," Jesse tightly hugs his nephew in heavy gratitude for the hope that Luke had just given him.

"Not a problem, Jesse," Luke states as he watches Jesse slowly walking down the first small hallway to his room before he slowly walks towards his own small hallway to the room he shares with Bo who currently lies locked behind bars in jail, by himself.

[Garrett Duke]

Deputy Enos Strait tiredly enters the police station just as he had done most every day for the past twenty years of his life. But today was different. Today his boss lies in the hospital, lost in a deep coma as he fights to for his life as death lurks closely behind him. Making everything seem just wrong.

Including the fact that their prisoner, Bo Duke, accused of causing Rosco's violent accident. Deep down, Enos knows Bo was not the one responsible for Rosco's accident. Sure Rosco was chasing Bo and if Bo had been stopped, he would have been arrested for robbing the jewlry store. Sure Bo refused to stop and had ran from the sheriff when Rosco had gone rolling down the ditch. But what had caused Rosco to run down the ditch was his brakes failing and his brakes went out because someone had cut them before Rosco climbed into his patrol car. And Bo wouldn't cut anyone's breaks, not even Rosco, and not even if rosco had wrongly accused him.

Yet, Bo sits downstairs locked in jail not only for robbing the jewlry store, but for attempted murder of the sheriff. If Rosco were to die, the charges would change to murder.

But what could he do about it? Commissioner J.D. Hogg was dead set on pressing charges on Bo for something he had to know he didn't do. And Enos couldn't tell if it was because Boss was so angry about Rosco that he was willing to accuse anyone for it. Or if he found this horrible accident as a way to send the youngest Duke to the state pen not only for years as they had planned with thier framed robber on Bo, but for the rest of his life.

Whatever it was, Enos knew it isn't right and it had kept him awake all night wrestling with his thoughts and emotions. What makes things worse, is the fact that since Bo was innocent, that means the person who had cut Rosco's wires, was in Hazzard; free to do as he wished.

Sighing heavily, he slowly makes his way down the stairs to find Bo sitting awake on the cold concrete floor. "I thought your uncle tol' you to get some sleep," Enos dryly states as he nervously readjusts his hat, "it don't look like you listened to him too well."

Bo glares up at him before looking away. "What you going to do? Tell on me?" Bo sarcastically questions, his long lean legs pulled up tight against his chest.

"Nah man. You know me better than that, Bo. We just worried about you," Enos drawls, gripping onto the metal bars, "everyone is. You've been wrongly accused in the past. But always with Luke. And never with such heavy charges as this." He pauses for a long moment, taking in the younger Duke, "You ready for breakfast?"

Once more, Bo looks up at him with a sharp look before he sighs and looks away and shakes his head. "I ain't hungry," Bo finally states and as Enos goes to say something, Bo inserts, "I know what Jesse said. He wants me to get some sleep. Wants me to eat. Well it's a lot easier said than done. I'm in here for trying to kill the sheriff. And for once, the charges aren't false." He goes silent as he shakes his head as if trying to get rid of an ugly thought, "I couldn't sleep even if I wanted to and I ain't hungry. You bring any food or drink, you'll be wasting it. So you might as well as save it."

Enos nods. "Well OK Bo," he finally states as he takes a step back, "I have to get to work," he pauses as he hears footsteps upstairs, "if you need anything, give me a call."

"K Enos," Bo mutters as Enos starts up the stairs.

Walking up the stairs, Enos finds Cooter and Enos standing near his desk. "Mornin' boys," Enos offers a smile.

"Morning, Enos," Luke nods, "how's Bo doing?"

Enos eyes him for a short moment and goes to say something before he closes his mouth again, thinking better of what he was to say. Finally he answers, "Not good. He hasn't eaten much of anything since he got here and hasn't slept at all. He looks horrible. I tried to talk him into eating, but he won't have any of it."

Luke noded soberly. "That's what I was fearin'. We'll go down and have a word with him in a little while, but that's not why we're here," Luke slowly states and glances over at Cooter before looking over at Enos, "You find any prints on Rosco's car?"

Enos nervously eyes them both. "I can't really discuss that with you Luke. It is under investigation right now and Commissioner Hogg has made it clear that it is not to be shared. With anyone," he finally states, "Sorry Luke. Sorry Cooter."

"Damn Enos, look at me!" Luke snaps to make Enos jump in shock at Luke's raised voice, "My cousin sits downstairs for attempted murder of your sheriff! You know damn well Bo had nothing to do with Rosco's brakes being cut! Not only do you know that, but you also know that Bo had nothing to do with Robbie's Jewlry Store being robbed. He's been frames and you know it!"

Enos nods, refusing to look at them. "I can't do anything, Luke. I've got strict orders not to say anything. I say something, I'm out of a job," he states, shifting from foot to foot.

"So your job is more important than an innocent man wasting his time locked behind bars for something he didn't do?!" Luke yells back at him, "Besides, Hogg can't fire you. He fires you, he's got no law. No police force."

"He may have to hire a temporary sheriff. He fires me, he'd hire a new deputy. Perhaps his cousin. He's got it all planned out, Luke," he answers, "I've got orders. I've got to do my job. And whether I agree with it or not has nothing to do with it. Rosco's accident is under police investigation and it is not open to the public. Bo may be your cousin, but you are still the public, Luke. Cooter. End of story."

Luke eyes Cooter as he inhales heavily in attempt to calm his emotions, realizing that his anger will not get what he wants. Accepting the fact that Enos won't give in and answer his question, he looks back to Enos and nods. "Well OK, Enos. I guess you've got your job to do. I've got mine. And mine is to get my cousin out of jail and back home where he deserves to be. Your job or not, you've got to agree with us on this. Bo is innocent. Meaning that idiot that did this to your sheriff, is out there. Free to do it again. Or worse," Luke forcefully states, "You can't tell us about the prints, then at least tell us if Hogg is teamed up with someone right now."

"What?" Enos naively asks, "Hogg has spent most of his time with Rosco."

"Hogg normally hires someone to help him frame us. You know that as well as we all do. Bo has been wrongly accused of robbing Robbie's Jewlry store," Luke calmly answers, "did Hogg hire someone to help frame Bo?"

Enos nervously eyes Luke once more before eyeing Hogg's closed door. Looking back at Luke he heavily exhales and slowly nods before going still again. "I can't answer you, Luke. As I said, Rosco's accident is under investigation," he finally answers.

"You can't answer our question?" Cooter asks, outraged, "Well shoot, Enos! You just nodded at Luke's question and yet you can't answer ethe question? I thought you were Bo's friend. Friends generally help each other out and yet you are helping Hogg keep him behind bars for something we all know he didn't do!"

"Like it or not, Hogg is my boss. I've got orders that I have to follow. Whether I agree with them or not. I'm sorry, Luke. I'm sorry Cooter," he swallows heavily, "I tol' you everything I can tell you, boys and I've gotta get out and do some patrolling plus have other things to do today. So if you don't mind -"

"You tol' us nothing, Enos," Cooter gripes angrily at him and Luke pats him on the arm to grab his attention.

"C'mon Cooter, let's go see Bo," he states giving Enos an angry look of his own before turning around to begin to walk to the stairs to the jail downstairs.

Enos sighs heavily, his emotions flooding through him knowing his friends have the right to be upset at him. That they are in the right. But Rosco's accident was under police investigation and if this was any other place than Hazzard, they'd still be restricted from police investigation information. So, he was only doing his job, the way he was trained to do it. Whether Luke and Cooter likes it or not.

[Garrett Duke]

Jesse Duke sits silently in his old truck as his old mind wanders quickly from thought to thought that only seems to stir the dark emotions that has swept over him this morning. First it was Enos' stubborn silent treatment he had given Luke and Cooter when they had went in to question him over the prints and Boss' associate. Then there was Bo who he had just left from visiting. Same as last night and despite Jesse's firm and stern order to eat and get some rest had only eaten a few bites and perhaps taken a short nap.

Well, Jesse had worried idly long enough. Visiting Rosco and Bo, worried over both of their situations was doing nothing to help Jesse. Only to make it worse. So looking at his reflection in his bug splattered windshield, the strong realization hits him. Hits him hard. He has to do something to help Bo. Help prove his innocence. No matter what Luke and Cooter had to say about it. Luke had included him in his plans in small minute plans, plans that Luke knew Jesse wouldn't get hurt or in trouble in. He was trying to protect his uncle. As always.

Well despite what Luke thought, Jesse didn't need his protection. And if Luke wouldn't include him in any major part of his own plans he had going with Cooter, he would come up with his own plans to help his youngest nephew and to clear his name.

So now, he sits in his old truck in the parking lot of the hospital, staring blankly at the all too familiar convertable Cadilliac that sits parked two rows over. Patiently waiting for his old moonshine buddy to leave the hospital in hopes of him leading Jesse to his new associate. In hopes of seeing or hearing who had framed Bo. Of who had done that to Rosco.

So while Luke and Cooter were chasing down the law aspect of the frame up and of Bo's situation, Jesse now stubbornly is set on the trail of the bad guys. It breaks Jesse's heart to see Bo so down on himself, so torn up, that he was willing to do anything in his moral power to help him out. Even if it meant facing the person who went out of their way to kill the sheriff in hopes of clearing Bo's name. In hopes of finding the real truth and proving it Boss once and for all.

[Garrett Duke]

"Jefferson Davis Hogg!" Lulu's shrill voice penetrates through the eery silence in the hospital's waiting room to force his pacing to a brief halt before he begins again, "Your pacing ain't doing Rosco no good. In fact it's making me nervous and sick so I'd appreciate it greatly if you'd stop right now."

Hogg eyes Lulu harshly, yearning for the unlit cigar that is tucked away within his inner coat pocket. "Well I need to do something!" he snaps, "They won't let me have my cigar, they won't let me in there to be with my own sheriff. My brother in law!" he rolls his dark eyes, "Rosco was starting to wake up and they kick us out. And why?"

"They said -"

"I don't care what they say! This is my town and no one, I mean no one, tells me what I can and can not do. Not even a damn doctor that has all them fancy papers to his name," he starts pacing again, "They think just cause they went to college all them years, wears a white coat, and is authorized to perform surgeries and what not on people that they can do just whatever they want. Say whatever they want. Not to me they don't!"

"You know differently, JD!" Lulu states firmly, "You're just upset because it's Rosco in there and you aren't able to be in there to see what's going on. Well he's my brother. Don't you think I feel the same way? Well I do, but I also realize that the doctors have their right and they know what they are doing. You need to sit down and relax. They'll be out with word when they are ready."

"I don't care about their damn rights! We've been out here for -"

"Commissioner," a voice interupts them and they turn around to find the doctor standing behind them, clipboard in hand, "I'm sorry to keep you waiting like this."

"How's Rosco?" Hogg impatiently asks.

The doctor eyes Hogg for a long moment before glancing down at his clipboard and looks up again. "Rosco has finally and fully awaken. He seems alert and with it," he finally answers, "he is breathing better and his internal bleeding seems to have gotten better."

"Will he be OK, Doctor?" Lulu asks, tears of relief in her eyes.

The doctor nods. "He's not all the way out of the woods. He still has the concussion, but that too seems to look like it will get better with time. But I can comfortably say that I am eighty percent sure he'll be OK," he offers them a smile before turning to Hogg, "He was asking for you, sir."

Hogg eyes his wife and shrugs before he walks down the familiar hall way that leads to Rosco's door. Looking up and down the hallway, Hogg opens the door and slowly steps in before closing the door behind him. Turning around to face Rosco who lies in the old hospital bed, hooked up to IVs and to an oxygen tank that runs through the tubes in his nose. "Boss," Rosco weakly states, pain evident in his blue eyes as he stares up at Hogg.

"Hey there Rosco. Just talked to the doctor. He says you should be fine if you keep at it the way you are," Hogg forces a fake smile, "ain't that great?"

Rosco briefly nods. "Yeah sure it is," he finally states as Hogg welcomes himself to a chair next to Rosco's bed, "but we need to talk about the person that put me in here -"

"Hey there Rosco. You let me and your deputy worry about that. You need to worry about resting and getting to feeling better," Hogg states with a smile, "but if it makes you feel better, I'll let you know that we got the one responsible for it all locked behind bars. He'll be heading to Atlanta come morning."

Rosco harshly shakes his head no at Hogg and the pain in his eyes accelerates and he goes back to being still once again. "I don't think you do, Boss, that's what I want to talk to you about. I know how you think. How you work. And I feel pretty confident that it's Bo Duke who's sitting in jail for all this and we all know him well enough that he wouldn't do anything to hurt no one. Not even me or you who framed him for that robbery," Rosco pauses and Boss moves nervously in his chair. Everyone he's seen since the accident has said the same thing and in the back of his mind, he knows the same thing. But he was chasing Rosco. . .

Rosco interupts Hogg's thoughts by continuing, "Yeah sure he didn't pull over when I asked him to and ran from me, but that ain't what sent me down that ditch or ravine. My breaks were out and seeing as how Cooter just replaced the breaks I am willing to bet they were cut, weren't they?" he looks at Hogg who gives a brief nod, "And we know Bo nor any of the Dukes would do such a thing...which leaves me wondering why you have Bo locked up for somethingn you know he didn't do."

"How you know I don't know that? He robbed -"

"He didn't rob no one and you know it! You and Tristian, your new business partner, robbed the jewlry store and planted it on Bo. I may not shed no love for Bo, but I don't want no innocent man going away on attempted murder when it was someone else who did this to me. And let the guilty man walk just so you can have a Duke behind bars," Rosco snaps, "Bo didn't rob no one and he didn't cut my breaks. All he's guilty of is running from the law and avoiding arrest...all of which I can't blame him since he knows as good as I do that you framed him!"

Hogg inhales heavily. He didn't expect this outburst from his sheriff when he first walked in the door. The last thing he was worried about was police work, all he was thinking about was his sheriff. "If Bo Duke didn't do this to you, then you mind telling me who did? You may not be popular, Rosco, but you think of anyone who'd cut your brake lines?" he throws back at his sheriff, "Wrongly accused or not, Bo had ample of reasons to do that to get back at you."

"Sure he did. But he wouldn't do it and you know it," Rosco pauses to regain his strength, "but I do know who would or could." Rosco pauses to draw Hogg's attention, "Tristian. You're new business partner."

"Why he do a stupid thing like that for?" Boss snaps at him.

"Because that morning I went to your office looking for you and when I walked in, I found Tristian sitting behind your desk, talking on the phone. I overheard him say something of pulling the hat over the fat man's eyes and how the fat man, you, wouldn't know what hit him. He looked up and saw me then and stated he had a problem and hung up on whoever he was talking to," Rosco pauses for a long moment, feeling tired and weak, "he cornered me in and asked me what I heard. I lied and said nothing. He didn't believe me and that measures had to be taken to make sure I didn't leak. I was able to push him away and walk out your door just as you were walking in."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Boss questions, sitting alert.

"Because everytime we were alone without him you were on me about getting Bo arrested and doing my job. I didn't see him anywhere near my car, but if I had to bet on who cut my brakes. I'd go with Tristian," Rosco exhales heavily, relieved to finally get his story out.

"Damn it," Hogg cusses as he rises to his feet, "well I think it is time me and Tristian have a talk."

"No Boss," Rosco pleads, "he's dangerous. Look what he did to me. Just think what he could do to you. All I ask, is to let Bo out and release all charges on him. Just this time."

"I'm the town commissioner, sheriff, and I have to take precautions in order to protect my town and with that monster on the streets, my town is not safe. You rest and I'll send Bo your way when I release him. How's that?" he moves towards the door, "Lulu is wanting to see you. You up to her company?"

"Yeah OK," Rosco states behind Boss, "be carefull Boss."

Hogg closes the door and briskly walks over to Lulu. "Something has come up and I have to attend to police business. He is in the same room and says he'd love your company. I'll send someone to pick you up or come get you myself whenever I am done."

"Is everything OK, J.D? Is this something to do with Rosco?" she worriedly asks.

"You can say that. Seems we got the wrong man in jail," he whispers to her, "I have to go get the right man."

"Hate to say I tol' you so, J.D.! I told you Bo was innocent!" she states with tears in her eyes, "Please be careful. Don't get hurt."

Hogg nods. "Just got visit your brother. Things will be fine," he states as he quickly walks away, determined to do right by Rosco.

[Garrett Duke]

Jesse slowly awakens and is momentarily surprised to find himself slumped over in the cab of his truck before his eyes fully adjust and his mind slowly becomes alert. "Damn it Jesse!" he cusses at himself, angry at himself for allowing himself to fall asleep. Not that he s hould be surprised at the fact taht he fell asleep, after all, it has been a few days since he last got a full night's sleep.

Ever since Bo was charged with the robbery at the jewlry store, Jesse has been plagued heavy with worry fo rhis youngest nephew. Bo has been charged falsely several times before, but it had always been with Luke and had Luke besides him when and if they got arrested. But this time, Boss had moved away from his normal plan of charging both boys, he is now only going after Jesse's youngest, Bo Duke. If it had been Luke, Jesse would still be worrying, but not half as much as he is with Bo. Both his boys are strong and smart, but Luke is wise and more independent thatn Bo. Bo is quick to react and often times niave.

And then the accident with Rosco that had sent Rosco to the hospital and Bo to jail with new charges of attempted murder had happened. To make everything worse. Bo had dealt with his solo charge with resentment towards the sheriff, but had been pretty calm about it. But with the new charge, he has locked himself within himself and his dark emotions of grief and guilt.

Shoving his thoughts and worry about Bo, he panicly glances around the parking lot and relief fills him to see Hogg's familiar car parked where it had been before he had fallen alseep.

"C'mon Boss," Jesse nervously glances down at his pocket watch that slowly ticks on and he frustratedly puts it back in his pocket. Looking back up, he sees Boss walking out of the hospital, walking with determination and purprose in each step he takes. Only to alert Jesse that something is up with Boss and he slowly starts his engine as Boss climbs into his car and Jesse watch as he quick backs out of his parking spot and drives towards the entrance of the parking lot.

Jesse watches him turn left before he pulls out of his parking spot and slowly follows Boss left to see Boss going around the curve several feet away from him. "Where we going, Boss?" Jesse wonders aloud, half wondering if he should call it in to Luke, but threw the idea down, worried that Hogg may be listening in.

[Garrett Duke]

CHAPTER FIVE

Jefferson Davis "Boss" Hogg drove his Cadiallac as fast as he dared to as Rosco's weak words raced rapidly within him, speeding up his harsh and dark emotions that has seemed to swallow him whole. Emotions of intense anger and hatred to guilt and sympathy. Anger and hatred towards the man Rosco had pointed his finger to as to be the one responsable for his brakes malfunctioning, guilt for being so blind to the obvious. He had grudgingly admitted to himself that it was very unlikely that Bo Duke was capable of doing such an evil thing to Rosco as cutting his brakes to clear his name, but he desperately wanted to find Bo guilty of the heinious crime of attempted murder. Just to say that they got the killer locked away and behind bars. So while Boss' new associate runs free the youngest Duke sits locked away for something even Boss knows he wasn't capable of doing.

And sympathy for the youngest Duke. To see Rosco go roll his car down the ditch and then get arrested and charged with murder to top it all off. Everytime Boss went down to scrowl and yell at Bo, Bo looked worse and responded less to his intimidating tricks. There was no denying or yelling at him of how innocent he was as he has always done in the past. Instead he sat on the cot looking down and depressed. And it was clear to Boss now, that Bo actually believed he was guilty of the charges Boss gave him.

Sighing heavily he shakes the thoughts of Bo out of his mind, he'd have to worry about him after he dealt with Tristian. Only to send fear and worry spreading rapidly within him at the thought of crossing Tristian ashe recalls Tristian's tough example he had made of what would happen if Hogg had attempted to cross him or back out of their arrangements.

Yet, here Hogg is about to confront him and charge him for attempting to kill the sheriff and momentarily the thought hits him that he should have Deputy Strait besides him. But his rash anger is quick to shove the thougth away. Hogg did this by hiring Tristian and he would deal with Tristian for what he had done with Rosco.

So with thoughts of Rosco stuck in the hospital bed, Hogg pulls his car to a halt and quickly climbs out and silently closes the door behind him. He takes a quick glance around before he steps into the thick wooded and weedy area where he quietly walks through it. A moment later he reaches the end of the wooded area and fear climbs rapidly within him to find Tristian and his side kick sitting at their camp fire, their tent several feet behind him.

"Here's for Rosco," he whispers to himself as he steps into the opening and both Tristian and his side kick jump to their feet and draw their guns at him, "Relax Tristian. It's me."

"Hogg!" Tristian steps in front of his side kick and Hogg boldly takes a couple of steps towards the gun man, "I tol' you to not come here unless there is an extreme emergency. You've got ten second to state your emergency or I'll shoot that fat head of your's off and feed it to the gators!"

"My emergency?" Boss gulps, feeling less sure of himself than he had a few minutes ago, "My emergency is that you and your buddy there has tried to kill my sheriff. My brother in law. And I'm here to press-" Boss is interrupted as Tristian shoves his gun into his forehead.

"We tried to kill your hick sheriff?" Tristian sarcastically laughs, "What gave you a crazy idea like that?"

"It ain't a crazy idea. It's the truth. Rosco tol' me about your phone call in my office, of your threat to him to shut him up. I can't believe you -"

"Believe what you want. But now you're a risk to us as well stupid man," Tristian shakes his head as he steps to the side and his tall muscular man steps up, "Tyson, tie him up tight against that there tree. Put tape around his mouth. I don't want to hear a sound from him til I'm ready to dispose of him."

"Be glad to," the man named Tyson grins at Hogg who backs away, fear consuming him and he yells out in surprise and pain as he trips on a log and falls onto his back. Tyson roughly yanks him up by his armpits, Hogg kicks and screams against the dirt in fear as he is dragged to a thick tree. "Shut up fat man!" Tyson snaps at him and kicks him in the back as he grabs thick rope that Tristian had thrown to him.

"You'll be sorry for this. I'm the commissioner! I will be missed by everyone and they will come looking for me and when they find me, you will -"

"You are so funny, aren't you Commissioner. You missed? I have been in town long enough to have seen and know how you treat your people. You cheat them. Steal from them. Lie to them. Heck you hired us to frame one of 'em just so that the would be out of your way," Tyson shakes his head in dismiss as he tightly ties Hogg to the tree, "And you think they'll miss you? You actually think they'll want to help you after how you treated them? Not in a million years, Commissioner," he pauses to cut off a long piece of silver and thick tape and tightly places it over Hogg's mouth. Standing up he shakes his head at Boss, "In fact, Commissioner, I bet we could leave you just like this and you'd end up starving to death. A couple years go by and they'll be throwing your bones in for the gators to chew on." He takes a few steps away from Hogg, shaking his head, "Yeah, Commissioner, you'll be missed alright."

Boss quietly watches the man walk away to be filled with intense fear and sadness in realization that he was right. After how he treats his people, no one would want to help him. No one would look for him. In fact, when he doesn't show up for the next few days, they'll probably all celebrate at the Boar's Nest.

And who could blame them?

Sitting tied to the tree and watching Tristian and Tyson sit back down at their camp fire, looking like nothing had even happened, Hogg couldn't blame them. Tears build in his eyes in realization he was as good as dead right now and he had only himself to blame.

(Feel free to send me your thoughts or reviews on my story thus far by PMing them to me. )

[Garrett Duke]

Jesse Duke's heart races rapidly within him as he is paralyzed by intense fear as he watches the muscular man tie Hogg to a thick tree. Even though he has to really listen in to hear what the man has to say to Hogg, to Jesse it seems like he is yelling the hateful words to Hogg. True what he had to say to Hogg had some truth behind. Hogg treats people in his town like they matter little to him as he cheats, lies, and steals from them. Thinks little of anyone else other than himself. But to say no one would care to rescue him and that everyone was out celebrating his disappearance?

People in Hazzard often got angry at Hogg and some resented Hogg and all that Hogg had to stand for. But most people in Hazzard have big warm hearts and despite all Hogg has done to them, wouldn't want to see him hurt in anyway.

'Well it's time to prove that bad fella wrong' Jesse thinks as he quietly backs out of the woods and to where he had hidden his truck. Sliding into the cab of his truck, he pulls out the CB, pressing the button he puts it to his mouth and states, "It's damn hot out today," he cusses before he leans over and changes the channel on the CB.

"Uncle Shephard," Luke's familiar voice is slow to respond on their emergency channel, "you got something?"

Sighing heavily he slowly responds, "That's a positive, Lost Sheep. I am in need of some help from you and Cooter over at Ol Mill Road in a hurry. If you are at the starting place, please bring reinforcements," he uses the terms they had created years ago, "I'll repeat. I'm in need of help as soon as possible. I'll explain once you get here."

He listens to silence for a moment before Luke is slow to respond, "That's a ten four Uncle Shephard. I thought you were at -"

"Don't mind where you thought I was! I have my own right to help clear my nephew's name! I don't need no back talk from you or anyone else Luka-" he cuts himself from using Luke's full name on air, "Just never mind. I tol' you I'd explain once you get here. Just get here...now. You understand?"

"Yes sir," Luke says in a defeated voice.

Jesse stares down at the CB in his hand for a long moment feeling the fear, anger, and adrenaline race through his aging body. Only to send questions through his mind of what he's going to do until they get here. He could return and watch the two men with Hogg, but he'd risk getting caught. Staying in his truck would make him just as suspious. Plus his adrenaline yells at him to get up and do something.

Inhaling deeply, he slowly climbs back out of the truck and as he turns around he jumps in fear and surprise as a black handgun is steadily shoved in his face. The man who Hogg had called Tristian stands on the other end with an evil smile spread across his handsome face. "We're always glad for some company, ol' man," he says with an evil laugh, "perhaps if you do as I tell you to, you won't have to get hurt. Unlike the fat man you just saw o'er there."

Jesse nods, sighing heavily and praying for Luke and Cooter to return soon. "OK. Whatever you say, mister," he states and Tristian leans over and grabs him by the bibs and violently forces him to turn around and places the gun tightly against his head, knocking over his red hunting cap.

"Get movin'," Tristian shoves him forward, stepping on the hat, "this here gun is a pretty new gun. Got it a month ago and I am just itchin' to put it to use. Don't give me a reason to use it on you. Understand?"

"Oh I understand," Jesse states as he shoved into the opening where his eyes meet Hogg's and fear enters Hogg's eyes at seeing Jesse being shoved towards him, "just as I hope you understand that you will not get away with any of this."

"Shut up!" Tristian yells as he shoves Jesse against another thick tree and Jesse yells out as he falls down where Tyson is quick to join Tristian to tightly tie Jesse to the tree, just as they had Hogg, and taping his mouth shut. "Don't you worry none about me old man. I've been doing this for a long time now and look at me. Free as a bird." Looking at Tyson he confidently states, "I want you to start packing up camp. Once everything is loaded we'll get rid of these two losers and be on our way."

Tyson eyes Jesse and then Hogg. "Yeah sure. What you going to do?" he asks as his attention goes back to Tristian.

"I'm going back to town for one last trip. Finish our plans out," Tristian states as he eyes Hogg for a long while and then Jesse, "I ain't gonna let these losers ruin our plans. Just get things packed up and when I get back we'll take care of the garbage and leave this stupid hick town once and for all."

Tyson nods. "I'll be ready for ya," he states, "but since there's two of 'em now to take care of, you mind sharing some of the load with me to handle?"

Tristian eyes Jesse and shrugs. "Sure you can take care of him when I get back. I get the fat man."

Jesse watches them and takes them in, their words sinking deeply within him and panic swallows him whole at the thought of what they have in mind of taking care of them meant. Eyeing Jefferson Davis Hogg, he prays desperately for Luke and Cooter to come soon, to come to their rescue before Tristian returns from town.

"Sounds like a deal," Tyson states as he pats Tristian on the back, "take care in town. Don't leave me hangin' here for too long."

Tristian snorts. "Trust me, I don't plan to. I'll be back in a half hour...don't do a thing with 'em til I get back. Just pack up and get the truck ready."

Tyson nods as Tristian walks away and Jesse closes his eyes as he attempts to change his thoughts from where he is and what is about to happen to better times in the past. Of all he has to be thankful for.

Tyson snorting forces Jesse's eyes open. "Yeah better rest up ol' man. Once the bossman returns, me and you got business to do," Tyson states as he moves away towards their tent and gear that is set up several feet away.

[Garrett Duke]

Luke Duke lets a sigh of frustration to escape from him as he shoves The General to a park behind his uncle's well used Ford white truck. Frustration at the fact that his uncle is not in the truck nor is anywhere to be seen despite the fact of the urgent call for help that he sent Luke only a half hour ago.

"He don't look to be in the truck," Cooter states the obvious besides him, "nor does he seem to be anywhere near by. Where is he?"

Luke eyes him as he slowly climbs out through the open window and leans back into the backseat to carefully pull his bow and arrows out through the small end of the window. "Thanks for stating the obvious, Cooter. Next time," Luke snaps at him as Cooter pulls Bo's set of bow and arrows out and meets Luke at the end of Jesse's truck, "tell me something I already don't know."

Cooter shrugs cluelessly. "I was just saying -" he cuts himself off as Luke eyes him angrily. "OK fine. Never mind. Where do we start looking for him?"

Luke rolls his eyes as he breaks away from his friend and walks to the driver's side to find the door open an inch and Luke's eyes averts down to the dusty dirt ground to see what seems to be two sets of footprints. Jesse's and someone else's. "He's in trouble," Luke states the obvious as he throws open the door to find the CB on the seat and everything the way they should be.

"He's definately in trouble," Cooter echoes Luke and Luke slowly turns around to find Cooter picking up Jesse's trademark red hunting cap, "his hat was there on the floor. Look at this foot print on it."

Luke eyes it and cusses. First Rosco, then Bo in jail, and now Jesse. But where could Jesse be? And who would want to hurt their uncle? Only to send his thoughts rewinding a half hour ago to the call Jesse had made to them. His voice had been shaky and in a hush hush type of a whisper. Luke had taken it that he had found something in order to find Bo and didn't want anyone to hear about it. But now, standing next to Cooter, Luke was forced to face reality. That his uncle was in trouble and was relying on them.

And Luke had failed.

Forcing his emotions and thoughts behind him he glances back down to the ground where the foot prints are smeared upon the dirt. Motioning Cooter he slowly follows them into the weeded area and slowly comes to a halt as the last layer of trees and bushes approach them. Slowly peeling back a thick leaved branch of a thick bush, Luke hears himself gasp in fear and shock as he sees Hogg tied up to a tree up on a small hill while down the hill, Jesse sits tied up to another tree just as Hogg is. There hands are tied tightly behind their backs, their legs chained together, and duct tape is spread across their mouths.

A few feet from them a tall muscular man is shoving what looks to be camping gear into the back of a truck. And keeping a good eye on both of his prisoners.

"Hot damn," Cooter cusses besides Luke and Luke puts a finger to his mouth to hush him up. Looking back into the old campsite where his uncle and the commissioner is tied up at, Luke slowly and carefully assesses the situation and the prisoners compared to the bad guy who is now on the phone, nodding at someone. "We can blow up his truck with our arrows and run in on him. Get him before he knows what hit him." Cooter suggests in a whisper.

Luke shakes his head. "He's talking to someone. Someone else is comin' and by the urgency on his face, I'd say he'll be here soon," Luke whispers back, "best wait for that other person to arrive as to not get ambushed ourselves."

Cooter is slowly to nod despite the obvious look of not liking Luke's plan at all. "Well -" Cooter begins to state before a loud engine cuts through the thick silence of the woods and an old van pulls up alongside the old truck.

"Bingo," Luke states in a whisper as another tall muscular man steps out of the van, eyeing his prisoners with a hard look and then steps up to the other guy to begin talking in a whiper to him. A moment later, they both pull out what looks to be big guns, their attention is focused upon Jesse and JD Hogg who sit alert against their trees and fear of knowledge set in their eyes.

[Garrett Duke]

Tristian Lingston eyes his younger brother for a short second as he climbs out of the van before glance long and hard at his two prisoners that remain tied to the trees as he had left them. Looking back at Tyson he breaks a smile and says, "Just as I left 'em. Finally you done something right, bro."

Tyson eyes him for an angry moment before he shakes his head and steps away from Tristian as he continues to fight his own self. All his life he has looked up to Tristian, tried to be Tristian. He even gave up his life long dream of becoming an FBI agent to be his brother's side kick; to be a felon and on the run from the men he respected the most. And yet all he ever got from Tristian were remarks as the one he just gave him. Never trusted. Never respected. Always given the dirty work or the boring work. While Tristian remained the top dog of their plans, did what ever he wanted to do without giving Tyson a second look.

Bottom line, Tyson knew, was that Tristian was using him to get what he wanted. All Tristian cared about was himself and no one else. Which is why he didn't think twice of killing or hurting anyone that got in his way.

Tyson had always asked to be let in on some of the killing in order to show himself as capable of it as Tristian. As of yet, Tristian never trusted him to be able to pull it off as he always done and had shoved Tyson away. Which Tyson was glad of. It tore him apart to watch Tristian so violently kill another person without much thought. To see Tristian kill someone else's father, mother, daughter, or son. To see them suffer and in pain with thought that their last dying minutes were left in agony and fear, and often times alone. It silently killed Tyson to know, that even if it wasn't him killing them, he had a part in their death by being Tristian's partner. By not stopping him.

And now Tristian had given him permission to kill the bearded man that had stumbled upon them. Only to force his stomach to churn painfully within him. He couldn't back down now. To back down would be weakness in Tristian's eyes and Tristian would never respect him. He didn't respect him now, but this could be his chance to prove himself worthy of his respect. Of his love. Of his friendship.

"How'd it go in town?" Tyson nervously asks in attempt to prolong what is about to happen.

Tristian shrugs as he reaches into his coat. "I got what I went for," he pauses as he grabs out his black handgun and Tyson nervously follows suit, dragging out the handgun Tristian had stole for him. "though I had to deal with that guy that Hogg hired us to frame. I couldn't risk him to be a witness."

Tyson eyes him for a long moment, thinking of the young blond haired Duke that they had framed to rob the jewlry store. Of his youthful energy and love of life. And for the first time he could remember, a thick and heavy weight lands upon him as his emotions turn dark and hateful towards his brother. "You said he wasn't a witness. That we would leave him to rot in jail as we drove away," he states, his voice shaky.

"Damn Ty what is your problem? Don't understand why you like the kid so much. He was ignorant and stupid. I did the world a favor," Tristian raises his voice, relying on the fact that they were surrounded by hills and trees and in the middle of no where to display his anger towards his brother, "besides, he got in the way. I did what I needed to do. You should do the same if you ever want to survive. Otherwise," he pauses as he moves around the vehicles and towards Hogg and Jesse, "you'll end up just as they will."

Tyson follows him as he eyes the older Duke and he is slow to recognize him to be related to the young blond haired man as he recalls seeing him in the kitchen as they had snuck in the stolen jewlery into the youngest Duke's drawer. Of Bo talking comfortably with him with a smile on his face or of the darker haired cousin who was giving Bo a hard time over the dinner table and had sent everyone laughing comfortably except for Bo who pretended to be upset over what had been said. They were a family. The boys were like brothers...as he always wanted to be. Someone to rely on, count on, to trust.

And Tristian just ended all that.

And if he did as he had asked to do, he was about to kill the older man. If he didn't do it, Tristian would and he would probably be shot and killed soon after. By his own brother.

"Perhaps that is better than to be on the run all the time. To be the bad guys all the time. Better to be like them than to be like us," Tyson couldn't believe what he was saying. The last time he tried to rebel against Tristian, Tristian beat him up bad and left him in the hospital with a promise of what would happen to him if he tried to defy him again.

"Are you questioning my ways, Ty? Because I could always put you out your misery before I help them end their misery!" Tristian yells putting his gun to Tyson's head and Tyson is quick to hit it away, "I didn't think so. Now you wanted to help out with the spy over there. Well kill him any way you want. Just kill him and we'll get rid of the bodies. That is unless you want to die with them?"

Tyson eyes the elder Duke and guilt runs through him as the elder Duke eyes him with tears of anger and fear in them. How could he kill him? Especially after knowing he had heard everything Tristian had said about his youngest. But if he didn't do what Tristian had said. . .

"No...not really," he stammers, not knowing what he should do or could do. "but I can't kill him. I have tried all my life to be like you. To do what you do. To earn your repsect. Yet, I never have earned your respect and never will." He shakes his head as he feels his body go weak, "and I don't think killing him or anyone else will ever get me your respect. Your friendship. Besides," he takes a step away from his brother, "if that's what it takes to get a real brother. To earn you as a friend, I don't think I want your respect or friendship. You're a monster, Tristian. A monster no one should ever want to be like."

"You cowardly idiot!" Tristian yells, stepping forward with his gun pointed at Tyson's head. Tyson swallows hard as he watches Tristian's thick index finger moving to yank the trigger just as a loud explosion erupts from behind Tristian. Tristian shoots just as Tyson and him are thrown violently to the ground, the bullet shooting up into the trees as their old vehicles are engulfed in fire and black smoke.

"Not as much of a coward as you are," a thick male's voice calmly states and Tyson glances up to see two men enter the open area with bows and arrows, one being the darker haired man that had been giving Bo a hard time. Both men pointing their arrows down at Tristian who aims the gun up at them only for the Duke to violently kick it away and it slides down the hill.

[Garrett Duke]

Jesse Duke feels his whole body jerk in shock and fear as the van and truck explodes into a big cloud of fire and smoke, the sound richocheting off of the distant hills. Momentarily, he is mesmorized by the smoke and fire before reality sinks in of what the explosion means; help is here. Relief slowly hits him as he looks up in time to find Cooter and Luke rushing past him, and Luke kicking the gun out of the leader's hand who is now on the floor.

But the relief that had began to rush through Jesse at the sight of Luke and Cooter arriving to bring him and Hogg help is quick to evaporate as he is harshly reminded of Tristian's cold and confident statement he had made only minutes ago. He had to deal with Bo.

Chills rush up and down Jesse's aching body at the thought of what Tristian had meant by those words. Jesse's worried thoughts and imagination is quick to fill in the blanks, only to draw vivid images of what he had done to Bo.

"Prove yourself, Ty," Luke harshly states to the younger of the two, "unlock his prisoners. Now."

Ty eyes Luke and Cooter briefly before he slowly moves past his brother and walks over to JD where he nervously unties him and peels the tape off of his mouth. "What you doin' Ty? You're my bro -" Tristian starts to complain.

"Shut up." Cooter snaps at him, leaning over him.

Jesse eyes Ty as he reaches him and begins to unlock his chains and Jesse stubbornly shoves him away to peel his own tape painfully off of his beard and mustache. "Luke," Jesse doesn't miss a beat and rushes to his feet, "that fool did something to Bo! We need to get to town!"

Luke eyes Jesse for a long moment as if not understanding what he was saying before eyeing Tristian. "You need to go. Jesse's right!" J.D. states with urgency in his own voice, ignoring the throbbing fact that his stolen money was within' the van.

"Go Luke. I got things under control here," Cooter states, not taking an eye off of Tristian, "Ty. Get them chains on Tristian. Tie him up tight. Cover his mouth."

"I'll stay with Cooter. Call Enos and inform him to come here immediately to make an arrest," Boss orders, standing on the other side of Tristian as Ty silently grabs the chains that had chained Jesse up.

"Let's go, Luke," Jesse states and quickly begins walking towards the bushes where he had been shoved into the open camp area, tears melting down his cheeks as his mind continues to draw vivid images of Tristian shooting and killing Bo. Deep down, his inner voice screams at him that it is too late. Bo's dead. But the fear and adrenaline is quick to shove him forward and through the bushes where he sees The General parked behind his truck. "the truck. I"m driving." Jesse sternly states as he walks past the boys' beloved racing car.

Knowing better than to argue with his uncle, Luke merely nods as he opens the passenger door, his own emotions swallowing him whole at what Jesse had urgently told him only a minute ago. "Hit it," Luke tiredly states as he closes the door and reaches down and grabs the CB mic, "Luke Duke, calling Deputy Enos Strait. Enos!"

"This is Deputy Enos Strait, what can I -"

"Where are you, Deputy?" Luke impatiently cuts him off.

"I'm out patrolling Randal Road at the moment," he answers on the CB, clueless to what is going on.

"Out patrolling? Not guarding Bo at the jail?" Luke yells frustrated, "Never mind Enos. You are needed in the clearing just off of Old Mill Road. You know the place. Bring your handcuffs you are to make an arrest." Luke pauses for a long moment before stating the dreaded, "On your way over, please make an urgent call for an ambulance to check on Bo at the jail."

"An ambulance?" his voice squeaks in fear and worry.

"Don't ask. Just do it. There is no time for questions. Jesse and I are on our way to the jail now. Have the ambulance meet us there," Luke states eyeing the familiar scenery out of his window, yet seeing nothing out of his window, "I'm gone."

Silence is quick to enter the cab of the truck as Luke throws the CB handle down as Jesse and Luke are both drowning in their harsh and dark emotions, their thoughts stuck upon Bo and what may have happened. What may have happened and Bo would have little to no way of protecting himself being locked behind bars.

[Garrett Duke]

CHAPTER SIX

Bo Duke hears himself gasp in pain as he slowly awakens from the dark blackness of his unconscienceness to find his entire body throbbing in harsh pain. Pain like he had seldom felt before. And as his eyes slowly adjust from blackness, to blurred, before becoming clear questions explode in his throbbing head. Questions of where was he, what had happened, and why everything hurt so badly. Only for the answers to clearly hit him as he glances down and finds his once yellow shirt to be drenched in his own blood. Instinctly, his hand goes to his upper chest, to where the blood is continuing to drain from, and his hand is quickly covered in his own thick blood and his mind rewinds several minutes ago to seeing the gun man standing outside his bars. To hear his harsh threats to be spoken evilly to him. And chills rushes down his throbbing body only to induce more pain.

Bo glances around the empty jail room as he moves his hand from his chest to his head, where he had hit the wall at when he had been shot, to find more blood flowing down the side of his face. Only for fear to instantly hit him. Fear at the fact that if he don't get help soon, he'll die. He wasn't afraid of dying so to speak. Everyone has to die sometime. He just didn't want his time to be now when everyone, he felt, thought he was responsible for Rosco's accident. He didn't want his last moments with his family to have been stuck in guilt and silence as he had tried to ignore them in fear of seeing and hearing their own accusations towards him. Inside, he knew they didn't blame him, but he was so wrapped up in his own guilt, that he was convinced that they would have to blame him as well. Would have to hate him for what he had done. And he did anything possible to ignore them in order not to see their disappointment or anger at him.

So he had ignored them. Pushed them away.

And now, as he sits up against the brick wall, feeling his own blood pour out of him and every inch of his body throbbing in intense pain, he is facing the thought of never seeing them again. Never able to tell them sorry for what he has done. Never be able to tell them thank you for all that they had done for him. Never be able to tell them how much he loves them.

Those thoughts force him to ignore the pain and he yells out, "Someone. Help -" he abruptly stops as he is thrown into a coughing fit, coughing out blood that only accelerates his fear, his pain, "help me!"

He is answered by thick and eery silence as blackness once again threatens to overcome him and he grudgingly fights against it. "Please. I've been shot!" he cries out and is soon to realize that if someone was up there, they would have been able to hear the gun shots. His cry of pain when he had been thrown against the wall. If someone was upstairs, they too could have been shot. And perhaps dead right now.

Leaving him to deal with his despair at the thought of dying now without being able to tell his family, his friends good bye.

Leaning his head back against the wall, he is no longer able to fight against the blackness that threatens to consume him and tears flood down his cheeks. Tears of pain, sadness, and fear. As his eyes closes, he instantly sees the evil smile of the gun man as the gunman's violent threat echoes in his ears just as he loses consciousness once more.

[Garrett Duke]

"We're here," Jesse states to penetrate through the piercing silence that had screamed back at them since they had began on their way to town, "hopefully we're not too late."

Luke nods as he unsnaps his seat belt and throws his door open just as Jesse shoves his truck to a quick halt in front of the court house. He hears his heart racing within him as his adrenaline shoves him forward towards the front doors of the court house. Halfway to the doors, with Jesse shortly behind him, the ambulance's sirens become audible, screaming in the distance.

Throwing open the court house doors and walking into the hallway, everything is as it should be. Giving Luke a premature feeling that everything should be OK even though deep down he knows it isn't. Even if the gun man had been lying about dealing with Bo, which Luke doubted that he was, the single fact that Bo was locked away for all of this was wrong.

Reaching the door to the sheriff's station, he steals a glance back at Jesse before he cautiously opens the door and steps in to find everything a mess. Desks and chairs are tipped over, paper work is on the floor and Hogg's office door's window had been shattered is lying open.

Ignoring Hogg's normally shut door, Luke quickly reaches the stairs and races down the thin stairway to where they had locked Bo up at. Reacing the floor of the jail, with Jesse just reacing the top of the stairs, Luke's heart comes to a painful halt as he finds Bo on the cold floor, leaning back against the brick wall. His once yellow shirt is drenched in his blood that flows from a bullet wound just above his right chest pocket as well, blood flows from a harsh wound on the right side of Bo's head; presumably hitting his head on the brick wall behind him when he had been shot.

"Bo!" Luke hears himself state before turning back to Jesse, stopping him halfway, "Jesse I need you to go back and flag down the ambulance. Show them the way. You don't need to see him like this."

"He's my nephew, Lukas! I don't need your protection," he is quick to snap before he realizes Luke isn't going to let him down in order to see Bo, "Move, Luke! I need to see him!"

"Protection or not, someone needs to be up there to help the paramedics," Luke states, knowing Jesse'll be upset at him for all of this, "it would be faster for you to go out there to help them and for me to go in and help Bo than if we switch. We are wasting time that Bo doesn't have."

Jesse eyes his nephew with venom for what he is doing and knowing that he is right. "Fine I'll be out there with for the paramedics, but I'm riding to the hospital with them, with Bo," he snaps at Luke, "and before I go, at least tell me, is he..." not able to finish his question.

Luke shrugs. "Looks like he's only unconscious right now...he's still bleeding so his heart at least is still pumping some blood," Luke responds hesitantly before he turns away from Jesse and goes to the thick set of keys that is hanging up on the wall opposite side of the cells; knowing he doesn't have any time to lose or waste arguing with Jesse.

Turning to the cells with the keys, he hears Jesse walking back up the stairs to go flag down the ambulance that seems to be close, if not outside the court house. "C'mon Bo," Luke states as he urgently unlocks the door and throws it open and takes a couple of steps to Bo where he painfully drops to his knees to place a couple of fingers to Bo's neck, feeling for his pulse. Feeling a slow and hesitant pulse, he sighs deeply in small relief as he pulls out his handkerchief from his pocket and he carefully places it against Bo's chest, where he had gotten shot at.

Upon putting pressure to the gun wound, Bo moans in pain and his head twitches slightly to grab Luke's attention. "C'mon Bo. It's going to be OK," Luke states to get another moan and a moment later, Bo's eyes slowly open only to force more grief within him at seeing the pain and fear clouding Bo's baby blue eyes, "It's gonna be OK, Bo. Help is on it's way."

Bo jerks his head towards Luke and momentarily there is hope within Bo's clouded eyes and a brief smile crosses his blood soaked face at seeing his cousin there. "I'm sor-" he begins to state before he begins coughing up more blood.

"Shhh Bo," Luke hushes his cousin up at seeing the pressure he is putting on himself in order to talk. Bo shakes his head and his right hand lands on Bo's right forarm momentarily in his weak attempt to pull him away from him before Bo's hand weakly slides down. Luke glances down momentarily to find his sleeve where Bo had put his hand at to be covered in blood from Bo's hand to force Luke to think of all that had happened.

"They got Jesse," Bo quickly blurts out before Luke could stop him farther, "they got Jesse and Hogg. He said. . .he said -" he is cut off with more coughing before his eyes goes shut.

"Bo!" Luke yells out in panic as he hears running feet above them, "Bo wake up!" Relief slowly hits him as Bo forces his eyes open and tears melt down his cheeks, "Help is here, Bo. Help is here. You just gotta hang on buddy, you think you can do that?"

Bo silently nods as the foot steps move down the stairs and the urgent talking between the paramedics become audible to grab Luke's attention away from Bo. "See Bo, here they -" he begins to say as he turns around to face Bo again to find his eyes closed and that he is barely breathing. "Bo!"

"OK sir, we can take it from here," an paramedic states, tapping Luke on the shoulder, "you need to move so that we can take care of your friend here."

Luke solomnly nods as he quickly stands up and moves to the opposite corner of the cell in order to give the paramedics enough room to move in with the stretcher. Luke watches as they carefully work as a team to put his cousin on the stretcher and places an air mask upon his bloodied face. As they roll his cousin out of the cell, Luke eyes the puddle of blood that lies on the floor where Bo had been sitting and the blood splattered wall to force Luke to wonder if help had gotten here in time. If the bullet hadn't killed him, if the amount of blood that he lost would...

Saying a small prayer, he follows the paramedics up the thin stair way up the sheriff's station where Jesse waits and joins him. As Jesse sees Bo on the stretcher, Luke notices Jesse's complexion instantly turn ghastly white and a look of terror to cross his face. His uncle seems to say "Bo" yet no words come out of his mouth.

"What happened, Luke?" Jesse sternly asks Luke, seemingly to find his voice.

"He was shot above his right chest, he looked like he hit his head pretty hard on the wall. I assume as he had gotten shot," Luke firmly answers, "the gunman must have told him that he had you or Hogg. He started to say they had you and Hogg before he passed out again."

Jesse nods as they make it to the hallway and move towards the front door where the driver stands, holding the door open. "Damn it. Damn it," he cusses as tears fall from his eyes and they follow the paramedics and Bo out through the opened door and to the ambulance where they watch quietly as they carefully place the stretcher into the back of the paramedics. "I'm riding with my nephew." Jesse states to the paramedics and climbs in before they can argue with him. Looking out at his older nephew, he states, "Go get Daisy and meet me at the hospital."

"Yes sir," Luke states before the last paramedic climbs in and slams the door shut. With the sirens screaming loudly, the ambulance peels away from the curb and races towards the Tri-County Hospital.

Luke watches it momentarily before he gets into Jesse's truck and picks up the CB to call in, "Crazy Cooter. You out there?"

"Crazy Cooter here," Cooter answers quickly, "how's Bo?"

"Not so good, Coot," Luke dryly states as he eyes his blood covered shirt, "Enos there yet? The scene under control?"

"That's a big ten-four. Enos and Hogg has the two criminals in cuffs and on their way to the jail as we speak. I'm sitting and waiting on word from you where you parked The General at," he responds, "How bad's Bo? Is he alive?"

Luke sighs. "Yeah, but looks like he lost a lot of blood. I'll tell you more later. Right now, I need you to swing by and pick Daisy up and meet us at the hosptial," he slowly responds, his thoughts paralyzed on thoughts about Bo. "Can you do that? She should be at work right now. Just tell her she needs to go with you and that I'll explain everything to you both once you get to the hospital."

"That's a big ten four Lukas," Cooter states, "I'm gone."

Luke nods and throws the CB handle down besides him before he starts Jesse's truck knowing he was only halfway following Jesse's orders by telling Cooter to pick Daisy up. But Cooter was closer to the Boar's Nest than he was and he was anxious to get to the hospital even though he knew he may be spending the next couple of hours in the waiting room, waiting on word on Bo.

[Garrett Duke]

Disbelief, anger, and fear violently wash over Jesse's heavily numb body as he stares silently down at his blood covered nephew. Watching the trained paramedics work at cutting off Bo's bloodied shirt and hooking him up to IV's and reading the monitor, Jesse can't help but to feel as if he is trapped in a horrible nightmare. A nightmare that he is half expecting to be thrown awake from the beeping of the alarm clock next to his bed. Instead, the only beeping comes from the irregular beeping sounds coming from the monitors that is now hooked to Bo's chest.

The paramedics talk about themselves in an language that seems foriegn to Jesse, throwing out numbers and medical terms that is way above Jesse's level of medical knowledge. Only to make things worse for him.

"What's all that mean? Is he going to be OK?" Jesse breaks his silence from the corner of the cab, the paramedics not even allowing him close enough to touch his nephew.

"We don't know sir," the youngest paramedic patiently responds, "the bullet wound looks to have gone in and out. Which is good. Means it's not lodged into something vital or anything. But we won't know for sure until we get to the hospital and do farther tests." He pauses for a short moment, listening into what another paramedic was saying before turning back to Jesse and saying, "Right now, our biggest concern is the amount of blood he has lost. It looks like he has lost a lot. Which means he had been lying there awhile before y'all showed up to get him help. He has a small and irregular heart beat and his breathing is slow and shallow. Another big concern is his head injury. You can tell by looking at his eyes that he has suffered a decent sized concussion. But once again, we won't know for sure how much blood he has lost or how bad of a concussion he has until we get him into the ER and the doctors can do farther tests on him."

The young paramedic gives Jesse a sympathetic look for a moment before he turns back around to help his collegues with Bo who remains silent and still on the stretcher; his complexion has gone a bluish white color.

Jesse falls back into staring at his nephew as tears streak his cheeks, running freely into his thick beard. Bo had always been the one he worried the most about. But he had always thought if something were to happen to him, it'd have something to do with a car and racing. Not shot while sitting in jail for something he didn't do. But now sitting in the back of the ambulance with the sirens wailing above him, the only thing telling Jesse that Bo was even remotely alive was the beeping of the monitors, the hissing of the air tank. To Jesse's bare eyes, just to look at Bo, Bo looks dead.

The thought send harsh shivers down his back. He has lost a lot of loved ones in his past. His parents. All of his brothers. His wife.

He doubted he could survive another great loss of a close family member. Like Bo.

"We're here," another paramedic calls out as the ambulance seems to come to a halt and Jesse dares to look away from Bo and up at the paramedic as he throws open the back doors. Sighing heavily, he falls back into heavy prayer for Bo as they carefully pull his stretcher out of the back of the ambulance before he stiffly climbs out after them. "Sir," the paramedic stops him at the sliding open doors that leads to the ER, "you're going to have to go through the main doors over there. Go right and it'll lead you to the ER's waiting room. They'll have you fill out his paper work and the doctors will come out and talk to you as soon as they are able to stabalize him."

Jesse shakes his head and goes to argue but the paramedic pats him on the shoulder and is quick to turn around and follow Bo and the other paramedics in through the sliding doors. "Bo," Jesse hears himself say as he watches them disappear from sight and Jesse slowly follows the paramedics instructions.

********************************************************

Staring down at the paper work that the clerk had handed him minutese ago, Jesse finds it hard to concentrate upon the paper work at hand, finding it hard to make out the words or to understand what they are asking. His whole body seems to be paralyzed in fear as his thoughts remain focused upon Bo as he had been in the ambulance. His vivid imagination draws up vivid scenes of what the doctor may be telling him in the near future, of having to put on another dreaded wake an funeral. For his youngest nephew.

It just wasn't fair. What did Bo ever do to deserve this? What he even do to the gunmen that they felt like they should shoot to kill him for? All Hogg's money was upstairs, Bo was down stairs and wouldn't have been in their way at all.

The only answer Jesse could think of was that he had done it to get at Jesse for following Hogg and being witness to their hideout and what they did to Hogg.

If only Jesse had listened to Luke and had allowed him and Cooter to investigate everything, perhaps Bo would still be alive and well in jail . . .

Jesse's thoughts are interrupted as Luke walks into the room and Jesse's eyes are instantly fixated upon his blood stained clothes. Bo's blood. Only to send more chills racing rapidly across his numb body and more tears to melt down his cheeks. And he is reminded of what the paramedic had said...Bo lost a lot of blood.

"Luke. . " he lets his words drop as he weakly stands up to greet his nephew and notices that he is alone, "where's Daisy? I thought I tol' you to pick her up?"

Luke sighs heavily, unable to look at his uncle. "You did," he slowly states, "I called Cooter. Enos has the prisoners in tow and are on their way to jail with Hogg riding shot gun. So I asked Cooter to pick her up and bring her to the hospital. Told her to tell her I'd explain it all to her once she got here."

Anger is quick to radiate in Jesse's blue eyes at Luke's bold refusal to follow instructions. "If I wanted Cooter to pick Daisy up, I'd have asked him to do it! Did I ask Cooter to pick Daisy up?!" Jesse's voice rises in anger to cause the secetary to look up at them from her desk. Luke shakes his head quietly. "No I didn't. I asked you to do it! Why can't you follow one simple instruction? Huh? It's not like you'd be missing something here...other than sitting and waiting as I am now! And look at you!" he pauses, his eyes remain on Bo's blood, "You walk in here with his blood all over you. You think everyone wants to see that?"

"I don't have any other clothes and I'm not about to take time to go home and change," Luke boldly states unmovingly. He knew Jesse was upset and had to take it out on someone and he'd be more than glad to be that someone if it'd help vent out some of Jesse's raw emotions that seem to be locked within him. "and we may just be sitting and waiting, but I'd rather be here waiting on word than in the car when I knew damn well that Cooter would be going past The Boar's Nest. That he was closer to Daisy than I was. Plus," he sighs heavily as a heavy wave of exhaustion washes over him, "I thought it'd be better on Daisy to get somewhat a warning that something was wrong from Cooter than for me to walk into the Boar's Nest like this and say something's wrong with Bo. She'd assume the worse."

Jesse exhales heavily and takes a step back and shakes his head. "She may be correct assuming the worst. They said he lost a lot of blood. Was obvious that he had some sort of a concussion. He was lying like that for a while before we came in," Jesse pauses as he eyes his paper work, "well if you are so anxious to be here to wait on word, you can fill out his paper work. I can't concentrate long enough to read a single word on the damn page. I just keep seeing him..." he goes silent as he sits back down in his seat and hands the board to Luke who slowly accepts it.

"I can fill out his paper work," Luke sighs sitting down next to him and looks down at the paper attached on the clipboard to see that Jesse hadn't filled anything out, not even Bo's name. Looking at Jesse he states, "I don't care what some paramedic had said. He just said the obvious. I could have told you that. But that don't give you or anyone any right to give up hope on Bo. He's tough. He can fight this. I refuse to give up on Bo."

Jesse slowly nods as they go silent and Luke goes to Bo's paper work, his mind remains focused upon the scene he had walked in on at the jail of Bo lying in his own puddle of blood. His imagination drawing all that he had gone through, what all had happened, and what Bo must have felt and was thinking. Only to enforce anger and hatred towards the evil person that did this to him. His worry and fear runs thick through him for what the doctor will have to tell them once he walks into the waiting room despite what he had just said to Jesse.

[Garrett Duke]

Daisy stares dreadfully out her passenger door, questions rapidly within her. Why had Cooter so urgently yank her out of work? Why wasn't he answering her questions? What was so wrong?

"This is killin' me Cooter, what's wrong? What's going on?" she finally asks, turning to look at Cooter, silently demanding answers.

"I tol' you. I got orders to pick you up. Luke will explain everything when we get there," Cooter responds with the same answer he had said a few minutes ago, refusing to look at her.

Daisy rolls her eyes and as she goes to glare out her window notices with horror that he is pulling up into the hospital's parking lot. Only to send her imagination to run rapdily within her of who it could be. Cooter said Luke would explain everything. Meaning he was OK. Bo was in jail. So it had to be Uncle Jesse. Perhaps all this stress of Rosco's harsh accident and Bo sitting accused of it in jail was too much for him. Perhaps he had a heart attack.

"No, no, no," she states as tears already sting her eyes before even knowing what had happened, "Jesse?" she looks at Cooter for support.

Cooter sighs as he parks in the closest parking spot. "Let's go in and see how everyone's doing," with that he climbs out of the truck and Daisy slowly follows suit and meets him at the grill of the truck before they begin to walk towards the front door of the hospital.

A gust of cool air hits them as they enter the hospital and the strong smell of Lysol, disinfectant, and sick sweat greets them. Though Daisy barely recognizes it all as she begins to think of the worse. Of Jesse's funeral. Of a life without their patriarch. Of where that would leave everyone.

Following Cooter into the ER's waiting room, Daisy slowly takes in the scene in front of her in sheer confusion at seeing Jesse sitting in a chair, staring blankly at a magazine and Luke standing restlessly at the window. Relief and excitement floods within her at seeing Jesse and she is forced to hold back her excitement and running to her uncle to show her relief. She holds it all back knowing that even if Jesse's fine, something was wrong. Deadly wrong.

But what? Bo was in jail. Luke was standing at the window. And Jesse was sitting in the chair. They all looked fine to her.

"Luke, Jesse," she states and both men look up at her and Luke is first to reach her as Jesse slowly and stiffly stands up from his seat, "this ape," she points to Cooter, "is refusing to answer my questions. He won't tell me what all this is about. Or what is so important and urgent to pull me out of work. Hogg will be hot when he finds I left early," she pauses as Jesse stands next to her, "What's going on?"

Luke inhales heavily knowing Daisy will take it hard. Harder than he had imagine as she already seems to be upset about it before even knowing what had happened. "Bo's been shot," Luke blurts out, not knowing any easier way to answer her question and she loudly gasps in fear, tears sting her eyes. Jesse hugs tightly onto her, letting her cry onto his shoulder as Luke calmly explains all that had happened. From what Jesse had said had happened from following Hogg to the hide out to Jesse getting caught and Luke showing up and onto their rush to the jail to check on Bo. "When they took him into the amublance, he was unconscious. He lost a lot of blood. Looks like got shot right above his right chest and he hit his head pretty hard on the wall. Probably a concussion." He finishes.

"No. Not Bo," Daisy breaks her silence after a long moment of silence after Luke's story. "I thought it had to be you, Jesse, when Cooter pulled into the parking lot. After all, he said Luke would explain it all. Meaning Luke had to be fine. Bo I figured was in jail. That left you."

Jesse shakes his head with intense grief and fear. "Would have been better off if it was me," he states, his own tears clear in his eyes, "I'm fine."

Silence is quick to flood between them as a doctor's name is called over the intercom. Everyone facing the harsh emotions that floods through them over what had happened, their thoughts stuck on Bo who remains in the ER.

"Hey Lukas," Cooter breaks the silence to bring Daisy's attention onto Luke and for the first time sees the blood thickly staining his pants and shirt and she is struck in horror with realization that it's all Bo's blood, "we all know how long it may take 'em to get things figured out before the doctor comes out with word on Bo. Why don't you go home and change clothes? With all that blood on you one of the doctors is bound to see you and think the blood's your's and think you're hurt or somethin'. I could call you if -"

"I don't give a damn about what a doctor may or may think of my clothes or what's on my clothes! I ain't going home until I hear word on Bo and see Bo with my own eyes!" Luke uncharacteristically snaps at Cooter before he steps away from the group returning to his window he had been stationed at when Daisy and Cooter had walked in.

"It was only a suggestion," Cooter sighs as he glances at Jesse and Daisy and shrugs before they all slowly finds a seat on the bench seats alongside the wall. As silence welcomes it's awkward way into the waiting room, the loud ticking of the clock above the nurse's station echoes off of the white walls.