Ok, Ok I KNOW I been a bad girl with "Tennessee Volunteers", but that one's runnin' low on gas and with the prices these days, I'm leavin 'er be. For now. New story I wrote at camp, itty-bitty chaps cuz I got a itty-bitty attention span. Story goes fast, started it after a tough day, a silent dinner, and freezing my butt off one night. (Note: Named after a Terri Clark song. Has nothing to do with the song.) Enjoy! (Disclaimer: I do NOT own Dukes. Dammit.)Wildthing
88888888
Not What I Wanted to Hear
Bo awoke to a chilly January morning. He nestled himself deeper into his pillow, and pulled his head under the warm blankets. He should probably get up to start the chores, but it was too dang cold. This month was one of the coldest Hazzard'd seen in a long time, according to Uncle Jesse. Bo glanced over at Luke's bed, only to see his cousin sound asleep underneath his extra quilt. That was weird; Bo almost never awoke before Luke. Must've been the cold. Luke had been living here in Hazzard since the age of three, ever since his parents were killed in a shine running. Luke was five when Aunt Martha adopted cousin Daisy after her parents died in a storm. Only a year younger than Luke, Daisy was one of those pretty girls that could go out dancin' on a date and then fix the car when it broke down on the way home. Bo was also three when he joined the family, when Luke was six and Daisy was five. Aunt Martha was afraid Luke would spend his time with the bullies, pickin' on poor Enos Strate at school, so she made the boy take Bo with him when he went out fishin'. Now, the two were inseparable.
"BOYS!" Uncle Jesse's yell caused Bo to jump. He sat up in bed. The floorboards in front of their door creaked; Uncle Jesse was walking to their room. The door opened. "Luke, Bo, get up!" Uncle Jesse yelled, wearing his jacket. Luke yawned and sat up.
"Wha's'matter, Uncle Jesse?" He asked.
"Daisy's missin'." Bo and Luke exchanged glances, then jumped out of bed.
"Whadd'ya mean, 'She's missin'?' " Bo asked.
"She ain' here at the house. Her dinner's untouched, an' Dixie ain' here." Uncle Jesse said quickly. "Now the two of ya get dressed an' get out there. I'm gonna CB Enos an Cooter, see if they can help."
"Yes sir." Luke said for the two cousins, and they both rushed to get dressed.
88888888
Jesse rushed over to the CB. It got below freezing last night, and Daisy could be anywhere. He'd never truly loved the fact that his niece worked the closing shift at the Boar's Nest, but the money she made helped with the farm, and got her a little something extra.
"This here's Jesse Duke callin' out to Enos Strate, Enos and Cooter, Y'all out there?" He waited anxiously, hoping for a response. The more people out looking, the better chance they'd have of finding Daisy.
"This is Jesse Duke callin' out t' Enos an' Cooter, y'all come back."
"Breaker one, breaker one, crazy Cooter here, Uncle Jesse."
"I'm here too, Uncle Jesse. Is there somethin' wrong?" Both of them sounded tired, but at least they were there.
"Have either of y'all seen Daisy?" Better to find out if she was with them before getting all worked up.
"Ain' seen her at all."
"Saw her last ni' at the Boar's Nest, but I left kinda early." Oh, damn.
"She ain' here at the farm. Now Bo an' Luke are getting' up t' head out, but d' y'all think y' can go out and try t' find her?"
"Sure thing, Uncle Jesse. I'll head out on 421."
"Cooter, fer the last time, I ain' yer Uncle Jesse!"
"Uh, sorry, Unc- I mean Mr. Jesse, sir."
"Uncle Jesse, I'm gonna head out t' the Boar's Nest."
"Y'all do that, Enos. I'll send the boys out t' join ya."
"Yessir, I'm gone." Jesse put down the CB and turned to yell to the boys to get out there, when the two of them showed up, donning thick winter jackets.
"Cooter's headin' out on 421, and Enos is headin' out to the Boar's Nest"
"Yeah, We'll head t' town in the General." Luke said.
"Why don' you say here, Uncle Jesse, in case she gets back?" Bo asked.
"Think I mi'." Jesse watched his two nephews each gulp a cup of coffee each, and head out the door. "Y'all stay close on the CB, y' hear!"
A Dixie horn was the reply.
88888888
Enos pulled up to the Boar's nest in his patrol car. He sat for a few seconds, enjoying the heat, then opened the door. The bitter wind made him almost jump back into his warm car, but it was his duty as deputy to help those in need. Daisy's white jeep was still parked outside. He peeked in, wondering maybe if she was in there. Her winter jacket lay on the driver's seat; she took it off before heading in to work. He slowly picked it up and put it over one arm. He turned and walked up to the building, noting that something was different about its appearance.
He then realized that the front door had been ripped off his hinges.
"Must've been one bad fight." He whispered to himself.
He stepped over the broken glass and looked into the main room. Busted tables and chairs were scattered all over the place, shattered beer glasses and Boss Hogg's watered- down beer, half- frozen, coated the floor. Enos stared at the destruction, his breath a white mist in front of him.
"Daisy?" He whispered.
Nothing.
"Daisy!" He yelled a bit louder.
Still nothing.
He tentatively stepped around the piles of debris, looking around. Normally, this bar was filled with voices and jukebox music, and fights were short and simple. Now, most of the tables and chairs had been thrown in various corners, one table was even up on the bar. He walked a little further, the stench of beer, cigarette smoke, and ice filling the room. He gently kicked away a tablecloth underneath one pile.
A tanned, callused hand lay underneath it.
88888888
Bo pulled the General to a stop in front of the courthouse in town. Both cousins shivered and climbed out.
"Where d' y' suppose we should start?" Bo asked. Luke thought a moment.
"Figure we'll ask around the diner a bit. Maybe go see Miz Tizdale at the post office." He paused. "I swear, if anything's happened to her…"
"Neither of us is gonna forgive ourselves." Bo finished the sentence for him. Luke gave a solemn nod, and the two rushed to the diner.
The scent of warm coffee filled their nostrils when they went in, only Kaylie Sue was there, checking on the coffee pots to make sure they were still on. She smiled when she saw the boys.
"Hey Bo, Hey Luke." She had dated both boys at one point or another, and new them fairly well. "What can I get for y'all?"
"Hey, Kaylie Sue," Bo began, "You seen Daisy anywhere?"
Kaylie Sue gave them a puzzled expression. "Nope, sorry fellas, ain' seen her at all." She poured herself a cup of coffee. "What's the matter? Y'all send her packin' again?"
"No, she ain' mad at us." Bo replied quickly. "She ain at the house." Kaylie's eyebrows shot up.
"Didn't come home last night from work." Luke told her.
Kaylie nodded, silent. She looked up at them.
"I'll keep an eye out for her. Did y'all check any of the hotels? Lord knows someone might've been able to-"
"We didn't think a' that." Luke said quickly. "We'll check 'em out. See ya 'round. Kaylie Sue."
"D' y' really think someone would do that to Daisy?" Bo asked, once they got to the sidewalk.
"Dunno. Seems whoever woulda done it would've gotten hell from her without makin' it outside." Luke replied. Bo laughed. Daisy was one tough fighter.
Luke and Bo exchanged glances. "But just in case..." Luke began, and they both jogged to the Hazzard Hotel.
88888888
Eno's heart rate soared as he threw splintered remains of tables and chairs aside, hell-bent on uncovering what was attached to the hand. He tossed one last table aside, and yanked off the red checked tablecloth.
Like some magician's act, Daisy Duke lay in front of him.
Eno's eyes widened as he surveyed her appearance. She was covered in bruises, including one dark back eye. Her neck was bruised Technicolor blues, purples, and blacks. Her left leg was bent in an unnatural angle just below the knee. He bent down to her and gently brushed her hair away from her face. Several strands stuck to the dried blood on her forehead, and her skin was cool to the touch.
She had been laying here all night.
Unsure, Enos took off his jacket and gently laid it over her chest to warm her up. The cold shocked him, but there was no time to shiver. He had to wake Daisy up. He put two fingers just below her jaw, desperate for a pulse. It was slow and dim, but it was there.
She was alive.
"Daisy?" He asked, trying to wake her up.
She was unresponsive.
"Daisy!" He yelled.
She didn't move.
He grabbed her hand, and gave it a tight squeeze. "C'mon, Daisy, girl, wake up." Then, remembering what his momma always told him, he added a "Please?"
She remained motionless.
Even good manners didn't work.
He rubbed her hand.
No response.
"Daisy, I'm beggin' y'all… Please wake up, sugar."
Nothing.
He gave her hand one final squeeze.
Her eyes slowly fluttered open.
"Hey, Daisy, girl." He began. Her eyes widened, but settled on him. Goosebumps instantaneously prickled across her skin. She opened her mouth to speak, and nothing came out. She tried again, but was still silent. "Shhhhhh… Calm down," He told her. "I'm gonna go an' CB Bo and Luke to tell them y'all's here, okay?" Daisy's eyes lit up at the mention of her cousins. Enos stood up and rushed over to the CB.
"This here's Enos callin' out ta Bo and Luke, y'all out there?"
Silence. He tried again.
"This here's Enos callin' Bo an' Luke, y'all gotta come in!"
He looked down at the machine to see if it was on the right channel. The cord had been snapped. He ran back to Daisy.
"The CB in here's broken, Daisy. I'm gonna have to take y'all out to my patrol car an' call from there." She nodded slightly.
He bent down and gradually slid his arms underneath her, and gently stood up, holding her tight to his chest. She winced as she was moved.
"S' alright, Daisy, y'all gonna be okay." He told her, and slowly carried her out to his car. He bent and opened the back door, and gingerly laid her down on the seat.
The car was just a tad warmer than outside, and Enos quickly sat in the driver's seat and turned the key so the heater would start. He glanced back at Daisy, whose eyes met his. She smiled.
"Y'all gonna be okay, Daisy." He picked up his CB.
"This here's Enos callin' out to Bo and Luke, y'all come back."
88888888
Will add more, need diet Mountain Dew and some TC on CMT.