It Wasn't Suppose To Happen

This is a series that I was working on and posting on another website that was specifically for Dukes of Hazzard Fan Fiction. I had written several other stories (that I will eventually get around to editing and revising to place them on the site) but have had requests to get this series up and running.

To understand what is going on KK Duke was diagnosis with a mild form of autism, which at times affects her emotional balance.

KK is now seven and in the third grade. She and her two sisters Karen and Aaron are in one higher grade then they should be, but that will be explained in another story that I'll submit.

New characters that will be introduced are: Matt Matthews, KK's best friend and Steven Gleason who's KK's teacher. Steve is the only teacher at Hazzard Elementary that knows KK has autism. Steve had dated Daisy when he first rolls into Hazzard but things didn't work out. During the time he dated Daisy, he became attached to KK. Now I know that being this close to a pupil wouldn't happen in a big city or suburb school system, but in Hazzard everyone knows everyone and cares about each other. They can also be trusted as well. That's what's great about fiction; you can create any type of world you want.

They Came Upon an Accident

May, 1983

It had all started with a crash. How it happened no one knows? Maybe a blown tire or complete engine failure. Whatever happened, within moments the damage had been done. No one in Hazzard dies instantaneously. Or it's not supposed to happen. Everyone is supposed to live for a very long time and happily forever.

KK and her best friend Matt were on their way home from school. It was a beautiful spring day, with the thermometer was reaching the upper 70's. They had been walking home with Aaron and Karen, who were KK's sisters. When they reached the road that Aaron and Karen lived, the third graders said good-bye and the kids went their separate directions. Nine year old Matt and seven year old KK didn't have a clue to what they were about to see or how their timing couldn't have been more perfect.

KK and Matt were mumbling about the assignment that their teacher Mr. Gleason had given them. He expected a lot out of the pupils and knew that they were capable of doing anything that they put their mind to even if his student didn't yet believe in themselves. They had just finished a segment in science/health regarding what to do in an emergency. Being so small and light, KK had struggled in the execution of what to do and felt that she would be no use at all if it ever came down to it.

Walking and talking it took the kids a few minutes to recognize that it was not the intention of the General, nor Bo or Luke to park the car or crash it into a mammoth oak tree.

"KK, doesn't that look odd to you?" Matt asked.

"What?"

"Look," Matt said and pointed in the direction the General Lee. "Why is The General sitting there running?"

KK started running. Matt followed her. She knew something was wrong. As she got closer she could see the amount of front end damage. She could also sense that the tree was going to fall. She knew she should never move someone incase of a spinal injury, but there something that told her to get the boys out of the car.

"Matt," she screamed.

"Calm down, KK. What?"

"We have to get them out of here."

"What? No KK. We can't. What if…"

KK interjected. "Listen, that tree ain't gonna last too much longer."

Suddenly, a fierce wind blew. Matt watched the tree and could hear the insides of it snapping as it began its swan song. It they didn't hurry, the tree would soon smash all of its body weight right on top of The General Lee.

"Listen, Matt we don't have time to call for help. We have to do this together."

KK had never been real religious, even though she went to church every Sunday with the family. She had talked to Uncle Jesse about it. She asked him why she had to go to church every week. He had told her that it showed God how much you love him. She had not quite bought it, but recognized that it was important to him, so she just accepted it. Panicking, KK blurted out, "God, help us."

Matt piped in, "And make everything all right again and help Bo and Luke get better soon. Amen."

KK said her own "Amen." Together the kids somehow got both Bo and Luke out of the car and were able to carry them some fifty feet. Far enough away so if that tree would snap, it wouldn't injure them any further.

Matt didn't see what KK was doing at first, but then recognize that she was running back towards the General Lee. "KK get away from there," he screamed but KK ignored him. She knew that she had to radio for help, or it was a mile run home.

Crying and screaming into the CB, "Uncle Jesse, Daisy, anyone out there?" KK prayed that a voice would come on.

"KK? What's wrong?" Uncle Jesse asked.

"I'm a mile away on Ridge Road. There's been an accident…" KK was saying.

"KK, run. The tree is going to go!" Matt screamed at her.

KK did just that. Instead of running away from the tree, she went the other direction and passed the tree. In order not to be hit by the tree as it fell she lunged forward in hope that her body's speed would slide her away from the tree.

"KK!" Matt screamed for her but she didn't respond.

Seconds later, he screamed her name again.

KK screamed in pain. "Oh! Thank goodness!" Matt said as he to where she was laying on the dirt road.

When he finally caught up to where KK was, he could tell she had disappeared into herself. "Damn autism," Matt thought to himself. "Come on KK," he said as he picked her up to carry her, "We've got to get you off the road before someone rolls you over."

Uncle Jesse was panicked when he over heard KK's friend Matt screamed, "KK, run." He didn't know why KK had called him on the CB's in the scared and frightened voice she had. He was also worried because he didn't know if she was okay. He CB'ed everyone he could get a hold us to send emergency personnel to where KK and Matt were.

"Sheppard to Bo-Peep, Crazy Cooter; anyone out there?" Uncle Jesse asked, silently praying for anyone to be out there.

"Bo-Peep here"

"Crazy Cooter as well. What's up?"

"Head over to Ridge Road, 'bout mile away from the farm. I just got a distress call from KK and I'm not sure if she's okay."

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I'll bring the tow truck and meet y'all out there."

Uncle Jesse began the short trip to the site. He tried to CB'ed Roscoe and Enos. Being the only lawmen that Hazzard has, they should be notified. "Roscoe, Enos? Are y'all out there?"

"What is it?" Roscoe asked like Uncle Jesse was disturbing something important. "And it better be important!"

"Roscoe, my youngest niece KK just CB'ed me in distress telling me that there was been an accident on Ridge Road, about a mile or so away from the farm. Can you send an ambulance out that way and meet me out there?"

"Enos, meet me out there."

"Yes, sir"

"Jesse will be there in a few minutes."

Steve Gleason, KK's and Matt's teacher had over heard the panic called that KK had made and all of the responses that followed. He decided that he too should go to the site to see if he could help.

Uncle Jesse went around the last bend and was speechless at what he saw. He saw his two nephews, unconscious at the side of the road, a mighty tree that had fallen on the General Lee, his youngest niece bleeding from head to toe and her best friend trying to comfort her.

"Mr. Duke, am I glad to see you," Matt said trying to keep his emotions in check.

"How's KK?"

"Scared," Matt looked down at her. "I don't know what all happened. It hasn't sunk in yet."

"It's okay Matt; you guys just probably saved their lives."

As others were pulling up, Matt commented, "Mr. Duke – give the credit to KK, there was no way I would have known that tree was going to collapse like that."

Uncle Jesse wanted to comment back to Matt, but the sirens had spooked KK. She left Matt's arms and started running away. Matt, really knowing that it wasn't going to help, tried calling out to her. She wasn't answering and just ran farther. Fortunately, Steve had arrived at the scene. He got out of his car and started to chase her down. It didn't take more than 30 seconds for him to catch up with her to stop her.

"KK…KK," Steve tried to grab her attention, but he could tell that she was too shaken up about what happened and that she would need time to put it all in her own perspective. Instead, he picked her up, rubbed her back and said calming words to her in hopes that she would fall asleep and let her body and mind relax for awhile.

By this time everyone was there – Uncle Jesse, Daisy, Cooter, Steve, Roscoe, Enos and the emergency personnel. Roscoe needed an account of what happened and wanted to interview Matt and KK.

"Roscoe, I can tell you everything. There's no need to talk to KK," Matt tried to bargain with him.

"Matt, I need to hear from her too," Roscoe firmly told him.

Having autism was something that KK didn't want many people to know. She didn't know why she felt that way except maybe because she didn't want to be singled out by others and treated different.

Knowing that KK wouldn't want him to know about having autism, Uncle Jesse butted in. "As her guardian, I refuse for you to talk to her right now."

"Jesse, I need to talk to her as well."

"Roscoe, it's been a traumatic day for her. To find her cousins the way that she and Matt did must have been difficult. Give her some time, please Roscoe."

"All right, but I want to see her sooner than later," Roscoe said and walked away.

"Matt, when you talk to Roscoe, don't let him know about KK and her autism. Just be careful of what you say."

"Yes, sir, I know," Matt said. Uncle Jesse turned around and walked quickly back towards the ambulances.

Jesse went over to see his boys. He hadn't had a chance to seem them. He also needed time to think over what Matt had said about KK knowing the tree would be come down on the car. Uncle Jesse's parents stopped speaking to his brother Jackson, KK's grandfather, because he claimed he was psychic. Uncle Jesse was firm in his belief that only God new a person future but maybe there was something to this? But recently KK had been able to tell what would happen before it actually happen. Thinking about all of this shook Uncle Jesse up more.

"How are they?" asked when Uncle Jesse when he arrive to where the boys were being treated.

"They're unconscious and that's really all we know. We're taking all the precautions as if they had a spinal cord injury. I'm not saying that they have one, but were acting as if they have one. They'll be able to tell you more at the hospital after tests have been ran. I'm sorry I can't tell you more, but I don't want to give you wrong information," the one of the many Emergency Medical Technicians said.

Another EMT commented to Uncle Jesse that he may want KK to be looked at. He had totally forgotten KK physical injuries because his boys were hurt and also that Roscoe would learn she was autistic.

"Yes, I would. She's quite scraped up."

Uncle Jesse turned and motion for Steve to bring KK over to where he was standing so that the medical personnel could take a look at KK.

As Steve and Matt were bringing KK over, it was asked, "Was she involved in the accident as well?"

"No," Uncle Jesse stated. "She and the boy were walking home from school when they came across the accident scene. They got the boys out of the car before the tree fell. She had CB'ed me telling me what happened and then when the tree gave way she had to run for it. I'm guessing she slid on dirt road and that why she's all scraped up."

"Okay. Let's see what I can do for her and then we'll make a determination if she needs to go to the hospital," the guy said.

Uncle Jesse motioned for the guy to follow him away from the crowd a bit. "Listen; just patch her up as best as possible. I will take her to the hospital for further care if needed. Once you look at her you'll know what I mean."

When Steve and Matt got there, Steve was hesitant on letting go of KK to the EMT. "It's okay Steve."

"Just please don't blare the siren until we're out of here," Steve pleaded.

When KK sat down in the back of the ambulance the EMT noted to Uncle Jesse, Matt and Steve that he also had a brother who was autistic. That comment made everyone feel a little bit better. It didn't surprise the EMT that she never flinch when he cleaned out bits of gravel and dirt out of some of the wounds. What surprised everyone was that KK got away and went over to where Luke was laying. She grabbed for his hand in hopes of some type of reassurance that he would be okay. But in returned all she got was a cold hand that didn't wrap around hers.

Steve wanted to get her out of the way, but Uncle Jesse told him to wait. "Steve, hold on for a moment. Let her see Luke."

After a moment Uncle Jesse motioned to Steve to get KK. Steve tried to talking to her, "Hey."

"I'm scared. What if they die?" KK asked and broken down in Steve's arms.

"They're not going to die," Steve said consoling her.

Uncle Jesse, whose heart was breaking, asked if they were finished with KK. He said, "I've gotten what I could get out. I would recommend taking her to the emergency room and have them take a look at her there. If there is still debris in her, it could become infected and would cause her quite a bit of pain."

Uncle Jesse told the man thanks and turned his attention to KK who had calm down. While this was happening the ambulances quietly made their way to County General Hospital.

"Hey, you," Uncle Jesse said as he took KK from Steve's arms and into his own. "We have to take you the emergency room, kiddo."

KK busted in tears again. "No!" she said in between sobs.

"I know, but you need to be looked over. You may still have cuts and bruises that we don't know about and there could be rocks and all that yucky stuff in it. And if it's not taken out now, then you could be in a lot worse pain that you are physically in now."

"I'm scared," KK tried bravely saying.

"I know. Steve or I will be with you at all times. Okay?"

KK nod her head yes and the sobs subsided. She knew she had to go through with it even if she didn't like it.

After a few moments, Uncle Jesse knew that KK had fallen asleep. With her safely in his arms he went over to see how Cooter and Daisy were doing with trying to untangle the General from the fallen tree.

Quietly, Uncle Jesse said, "How is it going?"

"They're fortunate to be alive. If they didn't get out of that car they would probably be in worse condition than they are."

"What happened anyways?" Daisy asked

I don't know what caused the accident, but what I do know is that KK is totally responsible for getting them out of the car before the tree fell. If it was me, they would have been in the car when the tree fell," Matt commented.

Cooter lightly played with KK's hair, "That's one heck of a kid you have there."

"Yeah, but this ordeal ain't gonna be over for her until Luke wakes up and she's confident that everything is okay," Uncle Jesse said.

End of Part 1