Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard, not making any money, just cheap thrills.
Warnings: Angst
Rating: FRT
Italics and/or indicates thoughts
Do The Right Thing
Chapter 10
The screech of tires and the smell of burned rubber filled the air as Bob Daughtery turned the wheel hard to the right, narrowly missing Bo Duke. Slamming on the brakes, Bob threw the car in park and shakily climbed out of the car. Shaking with anger and fear, he reached Bo at almost the same time as Cooter. "You reckless pup! What in the world were you trying to prove? Do you realize you could've got yourself killed? For that matter ya could've got me killed, or somebody else. What've you got to say for yourself?" Bob yelled, firing questions at Bo and in his fury never giving him the chance to answer.
"You okay Bo?" Cooter asked, grabbing Bo's arm and guiding him back onto the sidewalk. At Bo's nod, Cooter reluctantly turned his attention to the other man. "Mr. Daughtery...Mr Daughtery!" Cooter yelled, getting the other man to notice his presence. "Are you okay sir?"
"Yeah I'm okay, no thanks to your friend here," Bob snarled the last, still scared by the near miss.
"I'm sorry about that Mr. Daughtery, and I'm sure Bo is too," Cooter tried to apologize. He understood the other man's anger all too well, he was having a fair bit of trouble controlling his own temper just now.
"He still hasn't said why he did it?" Bob observed. "I ought to call the sheriff, that's what I ought to do. He could've made me wreck, reckless young..."
"Now Mr. Daughtery there ain't hardly any need to get the sheriff over here. After all, wasn't nobody hurt, and I'm sure Bo just didn't see ya is all. You know," Cooter paused, realizing that Bo might not appreciate what he was about to say. Turning back to his friend, Cooter noticed for the first time the paleness of the younger man's face, and the slightly glassy look to his eyes. "Bo, why don't you go inside and lay down for a while."
"Nnno, I should ssstay," Bo stutteringly protested.
"Bo dang it! Would you please just do as I ask?" Cooter snapped, the fear and anger causing him to lose momentary control of his temper.
Flinching from the cold, angry tone of his friend's voice, Bo turned away and dejectedly walked inside.
"Aw hell," Cooter muttered, before turning back to Mr. Daughtery. "Look Mr. Daughtery, you know about Bo being kidnapped recently right?"
"Yeah, but what's that got to do with anything?"
"Well, ya see the thing is Bo ain't exactly been himself lately. I doubt he even knew you were there," Cooter lied, having a bad feeling about what had just happened. "Could ya please just cut him a break and leave the sheriff out of it?"
"Well I suppose I could, as you say he's not himself and probably didn't see me. You might want to keep a closer eye on him though Cooter, next time he might not be so lucky." Bob turned away and walked back to his car.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Cooter headed inside, and for a long talk with Bo. "Bo?" Cooter called, as he climbed the ladder into the loft. Pulling himself into the loft space above the garage, his anger was pushed to the side as he saw Bo lying on the bed. "Bo, ya okay?"
Nodding his head, Bo kept his back to Cooter and gave no other answer.
"Ya sure?"
Again, Bo nodded his head but refused to speak, sure he would lose control and start crying again if he did. You're an idiot Bo Duke. Can't even manage to kill yourself right, no wonder Uncle Jesse hates ya. You destroy everything ya touch, the world really would be better off without ya. Bo silently scolded himself, feeling almost as worthless as he had during the beatings.
"Bo, would you say something please?"
"I'm sorry," Bo spoke so softly, Cooter had to strain to hear him.
"You want to tell me why?"
"No," Bo replied.
"Bo..."
"I just...I thought that maybe there was a chance to keep Daisy's love, but now..."
"Now what?"
"You heard her Cooter, she's going back home. Uncle Jesse must've told her all the bad things I've done and now she knows he was right to punish me."
"Tell me," Cooter said. He smiled sadly when Bo looked at him in confusion, knowing that the old Bo would've caught on quickly to what he meant.
"Tell you?"
"You keep saying you did bad things, tell me what you did."
"I can't Cooter, I couldn't stand it if you hated me too," Bo whispered brokenly.
"Bo, I don't know what you think you did, but I ain't gonna hate ya. Fact is, nobody hates you and I know you haven't ever done anything that could make what happened to you okay."
"How do ya know that Cooter? Maybe I did stuff you just didn't know about," Bo protested.
"Then tell me," Cooter demanded. "I won't hate you, scout's honor," Cooter promised again when Bo still hesitated.
"I kkkkkilled my ffffolks," Bo finally confessed, refusing to look at Cooter, sure he'd see hatred and disgust in his friend's eyes.
"No you didn't Bo, your folks were killed in a housefire."
"That I started, Uncle Jesse said that I played with matches and started the fire. He said that my daddy and his wife, and my baby sister, all burned alive, and I just watched ."
"Bo that's not true," Cooter firmly told him.
"How do you know that? Were you there?"
"No, but I remember my folks talking about that fire. I was eight years old at the time, and I heard my folks talking about the lightening that hit y'all's house. I also remember them saying your daddy threw you out the window to a neighbor, but before him or your mama could get out the roof fell in. Wait a minute," Cooter suddenly paused as he registered the rest of what Bo had said. "Bo, what did you mean your daddy's wife? And what baby sister? You didn't have a sister Bo."
"Yes I did, Uncle Jesse said so," Bo insisted. "He also said that Becky wasn't my mama. My mama died having me, and then I killed the rest of my family three years later."
"Bo, that just isn't so, please believe me. You know that Luke was already living with your Uncle Jesse and Aunt Martha by then don't ya?"
"Yeah."
"I was over there all the time Bo, in fact you and your folks were there just a couple of days before the fire. Now you don't suppose they'd leave a baby all alone do ya?"
"No, guess not," Bo admitted.
"No they wouldn't, and the only kid they had with them was you. Trust me Bo, ya didn't have a baby sister. Far as I know Becky was your mama and I know you didn't start the fire."
"Maybe you're remembering wrong about what your folks said," Bo suggested, not sure who to believe.
"Nah, I know I'm not. I'll tell ya a secret Bo, for the next year after that and every now and then for several years; I'd climb into bed with my folks every time there was a storm. That's how I know I'm remembering it right, cause it scared the bejeeesus out of me."
"Really?" Bo asked, wanting desperately to believe Cooter, but not understanding why Uncle Jesse would've lied to him.
"Yes really," Cooter assured him. "Alright, now what else are you suppose to have done?"
"He said I killed Aunt Martha," Bo finally answered.
"Now Bo you know that ain't so, your Aunt Martha had a stroke," Cooter reminded him.
"I know, but if Uncle Jesse had been home he could've got her to the doctor. So see it's my fault she died."
"Bo do you remember after the funeral going down to the creek with me and Luke?"
"Yeah, I think so," Bo replied. He'd been pretty out of it that day, thinking it was his fault that Aunt Martha died and wishing he could bring her back.
"Well I remember it real good. I remember you breaking down in Luke's arms and telling him that it was your fault she was dead. You thought that if Jesse had been there he could've taken her to the hospital in time. That was when Luke told you that he'd heard the doctor say that even if your uncle had been standing next to her, she would've died. That stroke she had was so massive that it killed her almost instantly, there ain't no way it was your fault."
"Cooter, if what you say is true, why did he lie?" Bo asked, not sure that finding out his uncle had abused him for no reason was better or worse than the guilt he'd been carrying.
"I don't know, but I'm thinking that Delbert fella maybe forced him to do all the stuff he did."
"But he wasn't even in the room and Uncle Jesse wasn't chained up or anything," Bo told him.
"Well I ain't got all the details, but I know someone who has more of them. Bo, would you be willing to talk to Luke?"
"I don't know if I can Cooter," Bo honestly replied.
"Why not?"
"What if Uncle Jesse was telling the truth about Luke hating me?"
"Bo, I've already showed ya a couple of lies he told, now what makes ya think anything else was true? Besides, isn't it better to know for sure?"
"I...I guess I could talk to him, but where?"
"Out at the farm tonight, or I can have him come into town now. I'm sure he'd be willing to talk to you wherever and whenever you want."
"Does it have to be today?"
"No, but I think the sooner the better," Cooter told him.
"Can I think about it for a little while?"
"Sure Bo, of course. Tell ya what, why don't you go ahead and get some rest while I'm downstairs. You just let me know later what you decide," Cooter answered. Patting Bo's leg, Cooter stood up and headed back to the ladder, silently cursing Delbert Penny and the pain he'd caused. He couldn't help wondering if he should be including Jesse Duke in those curses too.
Upstairs lying in the bed, Bo began to wonder what was true and what was a lie. He wanted to believe Cooter when he said that Bo hadn't done anything wrong. Lord knew he did, but if he didn't do anything wrong, then why had Uncle Jesse claimed he had? Why had he beaten him and burned him? Why had he said such ugly things to him? Why had he insisted that Luke and Daisy hated Bo too? None of it made any sense. As he lay there, trying to make sense of it all and wondering if he should talk to Luke like Cooter suggested, Bo slowly drifted into an uneasy sleep.
Laying on the roof near an open skylight, Delbert Penny had listened as the two younger men talked. He hadn't been able to hear every word that was spoken, but he'd heard enough. What he heard, he didn't like either. "That damn grease monkey is going to ruin everything," Delbert whispered to himself. When he saw Cooter leaving the loft and going back down the ladder, Delbert had stayed put watching Bo Duke. Finally the boy fell asleep, and Delbert made his move. Carefully lowering himself into the room below, he crept over to the bed and began to whisper in Bo's ear. "You're worthless, ya destroy everything and every one you get near. Luke hates you, he's always hated ya. He never wanted to be your friend, Martha made him. You're the reason he joined the Marines. He could've been killed and that would've been your fault too. We all would've been better off if you'd died at birth," Delbert said, pitching his voice so that he sounded as much like Jesse as possible.
Bo suddenly found himself back in that warehouse, his uncle standing over him with a long piece of rough rope in his hands. "You're worthless, ya destroy everything and every one you get near. Luke hates you, he's always hated ya. He never wanted to be your friend, Martha made him. You're the reason he joined the Marines. He could've been killed and that would've been your fault too. We all would've been better off if you'd died at birth." Desperately Bo tried to escape his uncle's words, the rope beating against Bo's skin, as a cruel puncuation to each word.
"No Uncle Jesse please, it ain't true. Cooter told me you lied," Bo protested.
"Cooter's the one that lied to you boy. You know I can't believe I raised such a stupid youngin."
"No, please don't say that," Bo begged.
"Why not? It's the truth and you know it."
"No, it's not true, not true."
"It is true, Cooter lied and soon he'll hate you as much as the rest of us."
"No...no...not Cooter, Nooooooooooooo!"
Bo jerked awake, eyes wide with fear and a scream dying on his lips.
The moment Bo's movements became more restless, Delbert had headed for the skylight. Luckily for him, by the time Bo woke up screaming, he was already under the opening to the roof. Scrambling as quickly as he could, Delbert just managed to pull himself to the roof as Cooter appeared at the top of the ladder.
"Bo! It's okay Bo, calm down now," Cooter soothed, taking the younger man in his arms and doing his best to comfort him. "Shhh, it's okay now...better?" Cooter asked when he felt Bo beginning to relax in his arms.
"Yeah, sorry didn't mean to scream. I didn't scare any customers off did I?"
"Nah, ain't nobody down there but me and Mr. MacInnis and he's deaf as a post," Cooter assured him. "Besides it ain't your fault ya had a nightmare, ya want to tell me about it?"
"Not really, but I got a feeling you ain't letting me get away with that," Bo said with a small chuckle.
"Nope, so tell me about it," Cooter softly encouraged.
"Not much to tell really, I was back in that warehouse and Uncle Jesse was beating me. He kept saying that Luke hated me. He said that Aunt Martha had made Luke be my friend and he joined the Marines to get away from me. Then he said that you were gonna end up hating me too," Bo reluctantly told his friend.
"Oh Bo, you know ain't none of that true," Cooter told him. "For one thing, your Aunt Martha died when Luke was fifteen. So why would he have kept being your friend if she was making him?"
"That's true, I hadn't thought of that," Bo admitted.
"Bo, was that just in your dream or did Jesse really say that kind of stuff?"
"He said it for real," Bo replied.
"You know it ain't true, don't ya?"
"No, dang it Cooter I want to believe ya. I really do, but I just don't know what to believe anymore," Bo admitted, his voice thick with unshed tears.
"Aw Bo, man I'd really like to get my hands on that Penny fella," Cooter growled, once again wrapping his arms around Bo.
"Cooter? I know you want me to talk to Luke, but I ain't ready for it today. Would it be okay if I talk to him later, maybe?" Bo asked, his voice small and fearful. "I'll talk to him today if you really want me to," he offered in a rush, worried suddenly that his dream would come true.
"Bo, you ain't got to talk to Luke or anybody else until you're ready. And Bo, please quit worrying about making me mad, I ain't gonna hate ya."
"I'll try Cooter," Bo replied in a slightly stronger voice.
"That's all I can ask buddyro," Cooter told him, ruffling Bo's hair with one hand. "Ya know, you slept a while and I'm not really busy, so how about we head on home?"
"It's okay Cooter, we can stay here if you still got work."
"Nah, I'm at a stopping point, so come on. If ya play your cards right, maybe I'll stop at the bakery and pick up an apple pie for dessert," Cooter lightly teased.
Smiling at the thought, Bo pushed himself to his feet. Carding his fingers through his hair, he straightened the sleep mussed curls as best he could. Following Cooter down the ladder, he suppressed a shudder as he stepped outside and saw the skid marks on the street.
"Come on Bo, sooner we get to the bakery the sooner we can get home," Cooter called when he saw where Bo was looking.
"Yeah, coming," Bo replied, turning away from the black marks and striding towards Cooter's truck. Climbing inside, he turned his head to the side, deliberately avoiding looking at the street. Thank you Lord for giving me such a good friend. I know I don't deserve him, and I'll always be grateful to you for putting it into his heart to stand by me. Lord, I want to believe him, but it's so hard to know what to believe. Help me please, show me the way to go. Thank you Lord, Amen. Bo silently prayed as the pick-up rumbled down the street.
TBC
Okay, here we are again. The end of another chapter and the muse is once again asking for reviews. Please make the muse happy.