Author's Note: A normal day in Hazzard is when the Duke boys get run into the pond. Not so much normal when one Duke boys get run into the pond, and can't get out of there.
Big thanks to JordynD for beta work and Gray Wolf for all the help.
Warning: The warning is placed here for Vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen.
Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix….
The Days After The Night Before
Chapter 1: That ain't the way it usually looks…
Bo was feeling quite satisfied with himself as he headed home… even if it was much earlier than he usually headed home after a date. It was hardly even fully dark. On the other hand, it wasn't quantity that mattered but quality as he had heard someone say and boy had he had quality.
Kerry-Marie was what they meant when they talked about friendly southern girls. She might not be the prettiest one, more homely. She didn't dress in the short shorts and tiny tops that Daisy did. Yet she could always make you laugh, she was sweet to talk to and never objected to a cuddle.
Maybe she wasn't one he planned ahead to date, but if he ran into her, he never minded. So when he met her while running an afternoon errand, and had some time to spare, he didn't think twice about spending it with her.
There was nothing like going skinny dipping a hot day, and what a great time they had laughing and splashing at each other. Then when they were back out of the water, dry and dressed again they had cuddled some.
If she hadn't been forced to go home for her chores he doubted that they would have left yet… not considering the pleasant time they had been having. Times like this made you feel as if you were in love with the whole world.
That was until suddenly the whole world seemed to turn against you.
Dang it, he never even really had a chance to see where the other car came from. Not really, not before it shot out from a side road and slammed into his side. For all of his experience and fast reflexes, he didn't have time to do anything. The other car hit him at just the right point, or just the wrong point, to send him clear off the road.
All Bo saw was a vague image of a pale blue sedan speeding away, wavering back and fort all over the road, and then he didn't really notice the road anymore.
The water didn't do too much to soften the impact, and Bo got the wind knocked out of him as a fast trip came to an even more rapid end as the General dug his nose into the water of a small road side pond.
The water crashed over the General in a gigantic wave and he spluttered trying to draw a breath past it. Coughing on the water that had made washed over him through the window. Coughing one last time he reached his hands through the window to haul himself out and promptly screamed.
His hands spasmed and tightened their grip of the roof while he sobbed. Then as the shock of the pain faded he let go of the roof to figure out what was causing the pain. When he crashed into the pond, his left leg had in some way got trapped by the door. He looked out to take in the General and swallowed. The hood was bent and twisted upwards at an angle. The fender of the driver's side was a mess, one that went all the way to the door, and the door, the door was the worst. It was bent inwards, and that so that it had trapped his leg and that was not good. Welding the door had paid off, if they had not the door would have smashed right into him, but it still had pinned his leg.
Suddenly he felt all nauseated and ice cold all over. His leg was stuck, and that meant he was stuck. He struggled against the feeling of a revolting stomach. He was sitting with water all the way up to his neck, and his leg was stuck. There was no way for him to get out of the car.
Trying to keep himself from panicking he dug around frantically for the CB, he had to call for help, he had to get help. He needed to get help before he drowned. It wasn't until he held it in his hand that he realized that it had been submerged in water, and CB's and water don't mix well.
Still clutching the microphone desperately in his hand he panicked, screaming madly for someone to come and help him. It wasn't until his head dipped down into the water and he choked that he came to his senses again. Dropping the CB mike he started breathing deeply and concentrating on getting himself calm again… or as calm as he possibly could.
His leg hurt something fierce at first, but it quickly numbed. The water hadn't seemed too cold at first, but after some time it felt ice cold. He kept shouting for someone to help him every now and again, but there was never anyone close enough to hear.
It was one of the first times in his life when he actually found the darkness that was creeping in frightening. The last time he could remember that happening was the first night after Luke left for the Marines. He hadn't been scared exactly, but he didn't like it. Now he was more scared: frightened.
That night was the worst night in his life. He couldn't sleep. If he nodded off, his head dipped and he choked on the water. As the sun slowly started to set he tried to think of what Luke had told him. Panic was your worst enemy. As long as you didn't panic you would be fine. Luke had told him that, Luke never lied. If he could only keep himself from panicking he would be fine.
Breathing in deeply he looked out over the pond and the spreading sunset streaks of red and orange reflecting of the water. Even thought it was beautiful, he couldn't help sobbing once with fear. Then he had to get a grip of himself.
He had to calm himself, so he started reciting all the song lyrics he knew, mumbling them softly to himself. Waylon Jennings' 'Put Another Log On The Fire' that always made him smile no matter what. He took those first. Put another log on the fire, cook me up some bacon and some beans. Go out to the car and change the tire, wash my socks and sew my ole blue jeans. Come on baby you can fill my pipe and then go fetch my slippers, and boil me up another pot of tea. Then put another log on the fire, babe, and come tell me why you're leaving me.
Willie Nelson, Gone, Gone, Gone. She said if I ever deceived her, She'd be gone before I could count ten. Well I guess that I didn't believe her, Cause look at the trouble I'm in. She's gone gone gone gone gone gone. Crying won't bring her back.
The more that I cry, The faster the train flies, Further on down the track.
David Allan Coe, You Don't Even Call Me By My Name. It was all that I could do to keep from cryin.' Sometimes it seems so useless to remain. You don't have to call me darlin', darling.' You never even call me by my name.
Mac Davis, It's Hard To Be Humble. Oh Lord it's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror 'cause I get better lookin' each day. To know me is to love me I must be a hell of a man. Oh Lord it's hard to be humble but I'm doing the best that I can.
One more time he panicked, screaming at the top of his lungs for Luke to come and get him, for Uncle Jesse to make it stop hurting, and for Daisy to come to him. No one ever came, no matter how many times he cried out for them. It didn't matter what he shouted, they never came. He didn't stop screaming until he was panting and was so out of breath he couldn't manage a whisper.
As the moon shone a bright light over the water he once more remembered how Luke had told him the most important thing was to stay calm. He tried to call up Luke's voice in his head. To hear him say that he needed to feel close to Luke. Taking a deep breath he started mentally bringing up songs again, but this time he tried to recall how the chords went. His hands were trembling with the cold as he brought them up to play an imaginary guitar. Strumming out the chords ad he recalled all the Johnny Cash songs he loved so much. A Boy Named Sue, The Ballad Of Ira Hayes, The One On The Right Is On The Left, Sunday Morning Coming Down. Man In Black always made him smile in a sad way. It was beautiful what one man could say just about wearing black clothes. One Piece At A Time still made him smile even now. Who would think of getting a car out one piece at a time, and then try to put it together? Wreck of the Old '97 and he tried to swallow down a lump in his throat.
That was when he gave up. At least he gave up hope of getting out of there. Luke wasn't gonna come, and neither were his uncle Jesse. They weren't gonna come. They just weren't gonna come, and he was all alone.
Dew slowly started to form some time before dawn, and by now he was trying to recall the lyrics, the chords, anything to songs he couldn't really recall. Titles he had heard, songs that he had listened to only one or two times. He had heard Boxcar Willie once, and a song called I remember Roy Rogers. Jerry Reed, Oh, Lord Mr. Ford, and East Bound and Down. He couldn't recall who made Barrooms And Pop-A-Tops, nor most of the words, but he loved it. He tried to sing them to himself to quench his fears, but he was still so afraid.
By the time the sun returned and made the darkness of the night pack up and leave he wasn't screaming for them anymore. He wasn't doing very much of anything. He couldn't really be bothered to anymore. He hardly even felt the cold. He didn't really care anymore, not about anything. Not even enough to want Luke to come and get him. He just didn't care anymore.
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To say that Rosco was surprised to see the General Lee sitting half way in the pond when he went on morning patrol was to not really saying enough. Of course it wasn't the first time he'd seen the General having gone off the road, but normally Cooter would be there within minutes to haul it off to his garage. To see him sitting there, with no Dukes, and no tow truck in sight was unusual.
He decided to get out and check it out though, if nothing else he could give them a parking ticket. Cars where not supposed to be parked in the pond after all.
Giggling to himself he told Flash to stay put and guard the police car as he walked over to the General Lee. It wasn't every day that he got a chance to write out a ticket on the General without them objecting and arguing.
It wasn't this day either.
After seeing a mop of blond hair in the drivers side window he couldn't have cared less about writing a parking ticket, not even if he had remembered his intent of doing it.
"Bo!" He ran out into the water and grabbed the door by the window. It was Bo alright, and his head dipped down a little as he heard Rosco's voice. Coughing weakly as he got water into his mouth.
"Bo, what are ya doing, Bo?" Rosco demanded, reaching in a hand and tilting his face to look at him. "Gotta get ya out o' here."
"Can't." Bo managed weakly.
"Where's Luke?" Rosco demanded, only now reacting to the fact that he wasn't in the car as well. "Bo, where's Luke?"
"Home," Bo's head dipped again, talking and keeping his head up at the same time was more than he could manage. However Rosco's hand kept it from dipping beneath the surface. "Called for 'im, didn't come."
"Are ya alone?" It made him very worried the way Bo hardly seemed to be aware of what was happening. He just nodded, and Rosco could only hope he was alone, and that Luke wasn't in the pond somewhere.
"Bo, stay awake ya here?" He told him in a commanding voice. "Stay awake, an' don't ya dare drown, or I'll cuff ya an' stuff ya. Ya hear that?" He had to get back to his patrol car and call Cooter to come and drag the General out of the pond as well as an ambulance. Bo had to go to the hospital. That much was evident, but if Cooter didn't come and get the car out of the water, they couldn't get Bo out. Cooter and his tools were the only way to get Bo out of there. If they didn't get him out, the ambulance wouldn't do any good. He told Cooter to bring whatever he needed to get a door open, and to be fast, and then told the ambulance where it was needed. After that he rushed back to the car.
Bo still had the same blank look upon his face, and he was cold to the touch. He swallowed and reached in his hands to steady Bo's head in the water. It seemed to be lolling on his shoulders, and Rosco was worried he had been on the verge of drowning.
"How long have ya been here Bo?" He asked softly.
"Cold, want Luke, s'cold." Bo whimpered softly.
Rosco swallowed. "We'll git ya outta here Bo. We'll git ya outta here don't ya worry." He told Bo not to worry, but he was worried, very worried. He had never seen Bo like that before. Even he knew that Bo was the far more emotional of the Duke boys. There had been times when Bo was trying to convince him of something when he hung his head and his voice got thick. Luke never did that. He had just never seen Bo so out of it that he was whimpering like a frightened child while he was just sitting there.
Something had to be very wrong since he hadn't gotten himself out of there yet. Them two boys always wrecked that car, but they always climbed out of it as well. They always climbed out of there, unscathed, always. He looked at Bo again. He didn't climb out and he wasn't unscathed… he just wasn't.
He looked up and swallowed as he heard the tow truck coming, and saw Cooter grin as he got out. He always grinned when he saw what the Duke boys had done to the General. Grinned even as he hooked his tow truck to it and pulled them out from wherever they had gotten themselves stuck.
He grinned as he headed over to the General.
He stopped grinning as he looked into the car.
"If what that boy saw is what I think he saw, then I sure wouldn't be grinning either. Ain't no sight fer a friend too see."