Author's note: Firstly, thanks to Hazzard66 for helping me get my muse back. I was running out of ideas and thanks to her numerous ideas, I finally came up with this story. Secondly, I was asked to give Bo a break and torture Luke instead. I tried, but this is the best I could come up with. Still the story focuses more on Bo, I can't help it. Hope y'all like it!

Warning: Not beta-ed and hence I apologise for the grammatical errors.

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own the Dukes or any characters in the Dukes of Hazzard.

Luke Duke was driving down Cottontail Road towards the town centre. He felt strange, like the General Lee was too empty. Luke turned his head to the passenger seat. No-one. It was strange to drive the General Lee without Bo next to him. He's driven the General without Bo before, but that was when Bo was either in Capital City or Atlanta. Today, Bo was back at the farm doing the chores. He had only just recovered from an ankle injury he had gotten while running away from Daisy's frying pan. Luke laughed as he thought about that day. Bo had accidentally dented Dixie when he was fixing the roof of the farm. The hammer had slipped from his hand and landed on the hood of Dixie. Daisy was so riled up she chased Bo around the farm with the frying pan. He would've got away but lost his footing while trying to avoid their newest baby goat. Bo was ordered to be off his feet for a week. Which brings Luke back to why he was driving the General while Bo was doing the chores. Luke had to do all the chores last week so Bo is making up for it this week. Still, as much as he was glad he didn't have to do the chores, it was strange not to have him in the car when he's still in Hazzard.

Luke was taken out of his thoughts by the sound of a siren. He sighed in frustration, when he realised he had driven through Rosco's speed trap without knowing it. Luke looked down at the CB when Rosco's voice came through.

"Gjit...I've got you this time, Luke Duke. You pull over now, so I can give you a ticket. Kiew, kiew!"

Luke grinned as he picked up the CB. "Rosco! What did I do now?"

"Kiew, kiew...I got you speeding. You're driving 33 in a 30 zone. Ooooh...I gotcha, I gotcha."

"Rosco, you have to catch me first!" Luke returned the transmitter to its holder and put the pedal to the floor, watching Rosco fall behind in the side mirror.

Rosco got excited. "Oooh, hot pursuit! I love it, I love it!" He floored the accelerator in an attempt to chase down Luke Duke.

Luke followed the road around the bend when a truck carrying piles of wood came out a side road. Luke's eyes widened at the situation in front of him. There was nowhere he could go and nothing on the road he could use as a ramp to jump it. He tried to brake, but he was going too fast. He pulled the wheel to the left causing him to spin and roll down the side of the road.

Bo had finished his morning chores and had his head under the hood of Dixie. Daisy had asked if he could take a look at it after his chores because it was making funny noises. He suddenly had a strange feeling causing him to jump and hitting his head on the hood. "Ow!" Bo got out and rubbed his head. He was glad no-one had seen him, especially Luke, he'd never hear the end of it. Bo frowned, not liking the sinking feeling he had in his stomach right now. He shook himself and went back to work.

Rosco came around the bend and braked when he saw the truck in the middle of the road and the driver looking down the hill. Rosco got out and froze when he spotted the General at the bottom of the hill, crushed against a tree. "Call an ambulance and Cooter at Cooter's Garage. Tell him to get out here." Rosco yelled at the driver of the truck as he made his way down the hill. "Luke Duke! Can you hear me?" He finally made it to the passenger's side of the car and looked in. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Blood was running down Luke face. Rosco climbed into the General and gently tapped Luke's face. "Can you hear me, Luke? He don't look good." He didn't dare move Luke at all. Rosco climbed back out, his eyes, suspiciously wet.

"The ambulance will be here in ten minutes!" The truck driver yelled down at him. "And Cooter said he's on his way as well." Rosco climbed back up the hill and got onto his CB. "Enos, this is your superior ..." Rosco sighed and wiped his eyes, he didn't have it in him today to give his usual title. "Enos, this is your Sheriff. You gotcha ears on? Come back."

"Yes Sir, Enos here. Sir." Came the high pitched, cheery reply.

"Enos, I need you to get over to the Duke farm. Tell them..." Rosco could barely get the words out. "Tell them, Luke's been in an accident."

"Accident! Is it real bad, Sheriff?"

Rosco knew Enos thought of the Dukes as good friends. "Yes, Enos. It's bad." The ambulance pulled to a stop behind Rosco's car. "Tell the Dukes to go to Tri-County Hospital. The ambulance is here. I'm gone." Rosco threw the CB onto the seat and followed the paramedics as they went down the hill. He watched as one of them climbed in to check Luke's vitals and to put on a neck brace. Rosco started feeling bad as he watch Luke get pulled out of the General on a back board and then loaded him into the ambulance. The truck driver had moved his truck and was told to head to the Sheriff's station to give a statement. Rosco would've taken it but he had to follow the ambulance and find out if Luke was going to be okay.

Bo was under the Dixie, draining the engine oil when he heard a car pull onto the farm. Bo slid himself out from under the jeep and grinned when he saw it was Enos. Bo got up and wiped his hands on a rag, "What brings you out here, Enos? I haven't been anywhere today, so you can't arrest me for anything." Bo frowned when he noticed that Enos was not his usual self. He was fiddling with his hat, his head down. "Enos, what's wrong?" Enos looked up, about to answer when Cooter's voice came over Dixie's CB.

"This is Crazy Cooter. Lost Sheep, you gotcha ears on? Come back."

Bo frowned at the lack of enthusiasm in Cooter's voice and greeting. Something was wrong. He could feel it. Bo picked up the CB but kept an eye on Enos. "This is Lost Sheep. Crazy Cooter, what you got for me? Come back." He wasn't sure he wanted to hear what Cooter had to say.

"Lost Sheep, I'm at the t-section of Cottontail road and Hillside road. Rosco, called me out here to tow the General. Luke ain't here, Bo, but the General looks bad. Come back."

Bo was watching Enos's face as Cooter spoke. "Thanks, Cooter. I have feeling that's why Enos is here. Take care of the General. I'm gone." Bo put the CB down. "Enos, where's Luke?" Bo voice was shaking now.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Bo. Luke's in the hospital. I don't know what condition's he's in but the Sheriff said it's bad." Enos looked back down at his feet, "The Sheriff was with..." Enos didn't get to finish. Bo bolted into the house, calling for his uncle.

"Uncle Jesse! Uncle Jesse!" Bo called. Jesse came out of the bathroom.

"What's all the racket..." Jesse's voice died off as he saw his youngest's expression. "What happened?"

Bo shook his head and grabbed his Uncle's arm, pulling him out of the house. "I don't know. Luke's in the hospital. We have to go." Jesse didn't waste any more time. He climbed into his pick up, while Bo got in the driver's side and started it up. "Enos, can you go to the Boar's Nest and pick up Daisy?" He asked and drove off without waiting for an answer.

Jesse watched Bo's face as he drove. Bo's jaw was set in a tight clench, his fists gripping the steering wheel to the point where is knuckles went white. He could tell that Bo was trying to keep calm as he drove to the hospital. Was trying to keep all the different scenarios from plaguing his mind. Bo flinched when his uncle placed a hand on his shoulder, "He'll be fine, Uncle Jesse." Bo said before his uncle could provide any comfort. "He'll be fine. He has to be fine." Jesse nodded and pat his shoulder. There was nothing Jesse could do for his nephew right now, there was nothing he could do for either of them. They drove in silence the rest of the way.

At the hospital, Rosco was waiting in the waiting room, when Bo barged in with his uncle on his heels. Bo looked around and spotted Rosco. "Rosco!" Bo walked right up to him, "What the heck happened, where Luke?" Jesse gently pulled Bo back, knowing that during the rare times Bo got like this, he was just as intimidating as Luke.

"Sit down, Bo and give Rosco some space." Jesse ordered. Bo sat but he continued glaring at Rosco. Rosco took a step back away from him.

"Um..." Rosco started. "I was chasing Luke for speeding..." He jumped back when Bo abruptly stood up, about to protest, when Jesse pushed him back down and kept a hand on his shoulder to keep him there as well as to keep him calm. He nodded to Rosco to continue. "Luke was trying to get away but a truck got in his way." Rosco hesitated, before finishing, "He swerved to avoid it. The General rolled down the hill."

"How was he?" Jesse asked as he squeezed Bo's shoulder. He could feel the tension there.

"I'm sorry, Jesse. It was bad. He hit his head, badly. The doctor's working on him now." Rosco really did feel bad about it all. He was, after all, the one who started the chase.

"It's okay, Rosco." Jesse sighed and sat down next to Bo. "It was an accident. Weren't nobody's fault."

"Like hell it's not." Bo said with force.

"Bo!" Jesse admonished.

"Well, it's true, ain't it?" Bo got up and pointed at Rosco while looking at his uncle. "If he hadn't chased Luke, Luke wouldn't have crashed!" Bo spun on Rosco. "How fast was he driving when you tried to catch him for speeding? How much was he over by? 1, 2, 3 miles!" Bo took a step for every question he asked, forcing Rosco to stumble backwards. Rosco had never seen Bo like this. Jesse got up and gently turned Bo around.

"This isn't helping Luke, Bo." Jesse said softly. "Sit down and wait with me. I'm sure the Sheriff still has work to do." Jesse gestured for the Sheriff to leave. Rosco nodded and headed out the door. "Come, now, Bo. Sit down." Bo sat back down with Jesse putting a comforting arm around his back.

Enos dropped Daisy off at the hospital. He wanted to stay to see how Luke was doing but he was still on duty. Daisy told him that she'll let him know once they get news on Luke, before heading into the hospital. She spotted Jesse and Bo and ran over to them. "Uncle Jesse, have you got any news yet?" Jesse pulled her into the seat next to him.

"We're still waiting on word from the doctor." Jesse told her. Daisy nodded and wiped away her tears. She looked over at Bo who hadn't even acknowledged her presence. His hands were in a praying position with his head bowed and his elbows on his knees. Daisy looked back at her uncle, concerned. Jesse just shook his head and put his arm around her. She laid her head on her uncle's shoulder as they waited.

Over two hours later, a doctor called out their name. "Lukas Duke's family?" Bo stood up straight away followed by his uncle and cousin.

"I'm Jesse Duke. His uncle and legal guardian." Jesse told him.

"I'm Dr James North." He shook their hands before proceeding. "It was quite a severe injury. He's brain is swelling. We've spent the last two hours trying to bring down the swelling with a range of methods. So far, we've been fortunate and the swelling has reduced a little. We'll be keeping him in the intensive care unit to monitor the pressure in his brain. It's important that we don't let any pressure remain for too long because it can be fatal."

"Is he going to live?" Bo whispered. Dr North looked at the young man. A situation like this was traumatic for any family but the doctor had a feeling he had to be very sensitive around this man in particular.

"I'm sorry, I can't promise anything. All I can say is that we are doing everything in our power to ensure he makes a full recovery." The doctor told them and then looked at Bo. "Would you like to see him?" Bo wasn't sure how to answer that question. Yes, he wants to see his cousin, but no, he doesn't want to see him looking frail and dying.

"Go ahead, Bo. We'll wait here." Jesse gently pushed him to follow the doctor.

"This way, Sir." Dr North opened the door for him. Bo nodded and followed in silence. The doctor led him to a room with three other patients. They all looked bad but none of them prepared him for what he was about to see. "The nurse will come in to tell you when your time's up. You only have 10 minutes." Bo nodded, so the doctor left him alone.

Bo moved in closer to his cousin, who was so pale, his skin was almost the same shade as a piece of paper. There was a mask over his mouth and nose. An IV running into his left wrist. He head was bandaged. Bo put a hand over Luke's. "You're going to be okay, Luke. You have to be." Bo wiped at his eyes. "You don't have to worry about the General Lee. Cooter will take good care of him. You concentrate on getting better." Bo's grip on Luke was getting tighter. It was as if, the tighter he gripped, the longer Luke would stay with him. If it was possible, he would hold on forever. "You always tell me that you'd never let anything happen to me. Well, I'm telling you now, I'm never letting anything happen to you. I'm never letting you go anywhere without me. Not if I can help it. It's my turn to protect you, cousin."

"I'm sorry, Sir. Your time's up." A nurse said from behind him. Bo gave Luke's hand one last squeeze before following the nurse back out to his family. "Visiting hours are from 8am to 12noon and then from 4pm until 8pm. You can come back then, but it can only be short visits. At least until he gets moved out of ICU." The nurse told them. Jesse thanked her as he lead Bo away by the arm. "How was he?" Jesse asked as they made their way to the pick-up.

"I barely recognised him." Bo whispered.

Jesse nodded. "I'll drive. We'll come back in the morning." Bo let Daisy in first and then climbed in after her.

"Can you drop me off at Cooter's? I wanna see the General. I'll catch a ride home with Cooter." Bo asked.

Jesse hesitated and looked at Daisy. Daisy looked concerned as well. "Bo, maybe that ain't such a good idea." Daisy said, knowing that was what her uncle was thinking.

"Daisy's right, Bo."

"I'll be fine. I just want to see him. Luke would want me to take care of the General." Bo explained.

"Cooter..."

"Please!" Bo cried, then more softly, "please."

Jesse knew there was no point arguing with Bo. "Okay, Bo. I'll drop you off." Bo turned his head away from them, not wanting them to see his tears. Daisy wrapped her arms around Bo's waist and leaned into him. She wasn't sure if she was trying to give comfort or seek it. She figured it was both.