Author's Note: This is a story I wrote about the Dukes and their first years at the farm. I tried to keep it with them from the point where they got to the farm, and carry on throughout a couple of years. It's a growing and learning experience for all of them. There are also notes at the end of each chapter, a credit of sorts to a father from his son.
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….
Learning To Love…
Chapter 36 …Heights
"Yer a jerk Luke Duke," Bertha Jo declared as the class was alone in the classroom. They usually weren't, but their teacher had to go out on some errand so she left them alone. Bertha Jo and Luke got along pretty good at times, Luke liked the fact that she wasn't afraid to do things like a lot of girls were. She'd play with the boys, but she had the idea she was as strong as the boys, and Luke didn't like that. Luke wasn't happy about it at all, not when she tried to prove that she was stronger than him. She wanted to wrestle with him, and he wasn't interested.
"I ain't, ya shut up," Luke snapped back.
"You are too, an' yer just scared," she taunted him. "Fraidy Luke Duke."
"Hey, stop that," he snapped when she pushed him. "I told ya to stop it," He shouted as she pushed him again.
"Come on then, wrestle with me," she demanded, pushing him again.
"No way!" Luke shouted stalking away from her and heading over to the open window. If any other teachers heard them, they were in trouble, and he didn't want none of it.
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Hanging up the phone Jesse hurried over to the pickup and ushered Bo inside before driving off towards town.
"Uncle Jesse, where we going?" Bo asked him, a bit worried by the way his uncle was acting.
"We are going to pick up Luke," Jesse told him.
"Already?" Bo asked, smiling. "He coming home to play."
"I don't know if he's gonna be wanting to play Bo," Jesse cautioned him.
"Why are we going to pick him up then?" Bo frowned.
"I can't explain it right now," Jesse told him. "I need ya to be a good boy though."
"Okay, I'll be good," Bo promised.
Jesse ruffled his hair as he drove. He was glad that he had been inside the house when they called on they phoned him. If he had been working in the fields he would never have heard the phone. When they called him from the school he always suspected Luke to have gotten into a fight or something, but never with a girl, he couldn't believe that he had gotten hurt doing it either. He would have had to have gotten hurt though, the principal told him that they had taken him to doc Appleby to get patched up.
"That's good Bo, that's real good," he told him softly.
"Uncle Jesse, why's we going here if we's gonna pick Luke up?" Bo asked as he recognized the doctor's practice. He knew enough to know that they were in the wrong place, and he knew what the doctor did. When he cut himself on a knife, then doc Appleby took care of it, he was nice, he gave him lollipops. The bad thing was ya always had to get hurt first.
"I think Luke got hurt in school," Jesse explained to him. "But they assured me that it wasn't bad."
"Luke got hurt?" Bo asked worriedly.
"I don't know what happened Bo, shall we go inside an' see?" Jesse asked him to encourage him.
"Yeah," Bo nodded, taking his hand as they walked inside.
"Oh, there ya are Jesse, good you could come so quick," Doc Appleby smiled at him.
"How bad is he hurt?" Jesse asked worriedly. "What happened to him?"
"He ain't hurt bad Jesse," Amos assured him. "As for what happens, I hear he got into a bit of an argument with Bertha Jo, ya know the girl?"
"I know her," Jesse nodded. "Don't tell me she beat Luke?"
"Didn't so much beat him as threw him out of the window," Amos told him sheepishly.
"Threw him outta the window!" Jesse roared in surprise, making Bo jump.
"Seems like it?" Amos sighed. "He's gonna be fine Jesse, mostly a bit of shock ya know. I got him resting in the other room."
"How bad exactly was he hurt?" Jesse wanted to know.
"Not bad, broken arm, sprained ankle, He's pretty sore, and he has some cuts I stitched, possibly a light concussion," Amos told him. "He should rest real good for a couple of days, but he's gonna be fine."
"Can I go to Luke?" Bo pleaded.
"Just a moment Bo," Amos told him. "Luke's a bit scared, so ya need to be real careful of him Bo.
"I'll be nice, I'll be real nice," Bo promised.
"Come on Jesse, Bo," Amos told them taking them to the other room where he had Luke resting in the bed.
As soon as they entered the room Jesse saw Luke reach up with his hand and wipe away a few tears.
"Hey Luke, how ya feeling?" Jesse asked him quietly.
"I wanna go home Uncle Jesse," Luke mumbled.
"We're gonna go home in a bit," Jesse told him. "Just as soon as the doc says it's okay."
"Oh, it's okay," Amos smiled. "I'm gonna come by yer farm tomorrow to take a look at the stitches and make sure everything is going fine. What he needs now, is rest and some good home cooking."
"I'm gonna make sure he gets that," Jesse nodded while Bo hurried over to take Luke's hand. Wanting to climb up and hug him but having promised to be a good boy.
"Why don't ya help him to get dressed Jesse," Amos suggested. "While Bo and me here settles a few things."
"Okay," Bo agreed reluctantly as he followed the doctor outside.
"Can't forget this, can we?" Amos smiled as Bo as he got out the lollipop jar.
"I'm scared," Bo blurted out.
"I know Bo," Amos knelt beside him. "But Luke's okay, I promise ya."
"Does Luke know that?" Bo asked quietly.
"He knows that, ya don't have to worry," Amos assured him. "He's hurting a bit, an' he's a bit scared as well. Ya know what that means don't ya Bo, what does Luke do when yer hurting a bit an' is just a bit scared?"
"He makes me feel better," Bo smiled.
"Think ya can make Luke feel better?" Amos asked him.
"I wanna help Luke," Bo nodded.
"Good, I'm gonna give ya a couple of lollipops, an' that's fer Luke, but a little for you an' Daisy to," Amos told him.
"I'm still scared," Bo sniffed a little as he put the lollipops the doctor handed him into his pocket.
"It's okay Bo," Amos assured him okay.
"Bo, can ya get Luke's boots?" Jesse asked as he came out carrying Luke.
"Better keep him in bed for about a week Jesse," Amos added. "He shouldn't be walking on that ankle."
"Don't seem like it?" Jesse agreed. "Know anything about that girl?"
"Not really, they just called me about Luke here, didn't tell me a whole lot more than that he argued with Bertha Jo, and fell out of the window."
"She pushed me," Luke defended himself. "She shoved me real hard, outta the window."
"I'd suggest that ya call them later today an' find out more. I pretty much only know what Luke told me," Amos explained to him.
"I'll be sure to do that," Jesse nodded. "I don't like it at all."
"Can we go home now? It hurts," Luke asked.
"Just as soon as I tell yer uncle about the painkillers," Amos smiled, taking a small bottle of red pills from the table. "I gave him some a bit stronger a while earlier, but in an hour or two that would have worn off, these aren't too strong, but as long as he keeps still he shouldn't be hurting much either. So he can have one every four hours, but that's if he needs it."
"Thanks doc," Jesse smiled at him. "Come on now Bo."
Bo nodded before following Jesse and Luke outside, holding Luke's boots close to his chest.
"Comfortable?" Jesse asked Luke as he settled him in pickup seat.
"Yeah," Luke sniffed again while Bo climbed in to sit beside him.
"I wanna hit her," Bo declared.
"Now Bo, that ain't the way to talk," Jesse chided him as he got in behind the wheel to drive them home.
"She's mean," Luke mumbled, putting is arm around Bo's shoulders.
"Think so to," Bo nodded, leaning his head against Luke.
"Boys, please don't talk that way?" Jesse asked them, knowing it wasn't fair to order the kids when they were both upset.
"Okay," Luke sighed, he was too tired to think anyway.
"I appreciate that Luke," Jesse smiled at him. "Ya wanna go straight home, or can we drop by the store first?"
"I don't mind if we do," Luke told him.
"Good, cause I figured we need some more ice cream, what flavor do you boys want?"
"Vanilla," Bo pleaded.
"Chocolate," Luke decided.
"Sounds good, but I want the two of ya to stay in the pickup," Jesse told them. "I know ya could come Bo, but I want ya to stay with Luke."
"Okay," Bo bobbed his head upside down. "Uncle Jesse, can't we get Luke some of them candy as well?"
"Get Luke eh?" Jesse grinned as he parked the pickup. "Ya wouldn't be asking this cause yer a sneaky little boy who hopes to get some himself."
"I ain't sneaky," Bo defended himself.
"What do you say Luke? Want a few bits of candy?" Jesse asked. He sure did look glum, so he supposed that it wouldn't hurt.
"I guess," Luke didn't really feel for it right then, but it wasn't everyday you got offered candy either.
"Alright then, I'll get a little," Jesse smiled softly. "Ya have all been behaving good lately anyway, so I don't think it'll do no harm." He got out, closing the door and looking in through the window. "Now you stay here, an' I won't be long."
"I'll take care of Luke," Bo promised him, shifting closer to Luke. "Does it hurt Luke?" he asked softly.
"Yeah," Luke nodded touching the bandage that cover the stitches close to his hairline. "Move over to the window Bo."
"Why? Did I get to close an' make ya hurt?" Bo asked worriedly.
"Just do it Bo," Luke told him firmly.
Bo nodded slowly and inched his way towards the window. "Kay." He was worried Luke didn't want to be close because he had made him hurt more. Then he smiled as Luke laid down on the seat, groaning as he stretched out and put his head in Bo's lap.
"Are ya sleepy Luke?" Bo asked quietly while petting his hair.
"Kinda, an' it hurts," Luke nodded.
"S' kay, I's gonna take care of ya," Bo told him with a smile, still petting his hair softly.
"It's okay Bo, just tired," Luke mumbled.
"Poor Luke," Bo whispered, bending down and kissing the top of his head.
Luke didn't really answer him, he was tired and he was hurting and that was it as far as he was concerned.
Jesse smiled when he came back out of the store and put a paper bag in the back of the pickup. They looked real sweet when they were doing that. It was wonderful to see Luke put that kind of trust into his baby cousin.
Getting in behind the wheel he smiled at Bo, Luke had his eyes closed, and Jesse suspected he wanted to sleep.
"Luke's tired," Bo told him in a serious voice. "Uncle Jesse, when we get back home, I's gonna put Luke to bed."
"That sounds like a mighty good idea," Jesse told him as he turned the key and started the car, seeing Luke opening his eyes.
Back at the farm he had to run in to put the ice cream in the icebox first, before picking Luke up and carrying him inside. Bo followed with his boots, not even being asked.
"Let's get yer pajama," Jesse told him as he sat Luke down on the couch.
"Can't I just go to bed?" Luke asked, he wasn't really in the mood for fussing about his jeans and his pajamas.
"Just as soon as we get ya in yer pajama," Jesse stated going to fetch it.
Knowing there was no options Luke sighed and started unbuttoning his shirt. He was pulling it off over the cast on his forearm when Jesse returned.
"I know ya don't wanna fuss Luke, but yer gonna be able to rest better," Jesse pointed out.
"I guess so," Luke agreed as he started working on his jeans, the button was harder, but he got it and was able to squirm out of the jeans.
"Trust me on that," Jesse smiled, handing him the pajama and watching him pull it on. The looser clothes being easier for him.
"All done?" Jesse asked and Luke nodded.
"Come on then, lets put ya to bed," Jesse lifted him up and Luke put his good arm around his neck, Bo trudging along after them.
Pulling back the cover Jesse settled him on the bed, watching as he shifted a little before settling down."
"Comfortable?" he asked.
"Yeah," Luke nodded. "I need a nap."
"I reckon ya do," Jesse agreed. "Ya call me if ya need something, or if it starts to hurt."
"I will," Luke promised.
"Can I stay in here with ya?" Bo asked hopefully.
"I think we best let Luke sleep alone fer now," Jesse suggested. "Ya let him sleep, an' I bet he's gonna be wanting yer company more later."
Bo sighed hopelessly, knowing that there was no point in objecting. "Okay," he was gonna hug Luke though. Climbing up on the bed he gave him a kiss and a hug, wrapping his arms around him carefully and pressing a kind of wet kiss to his cheek. Then sliding down onto the floor he ran over to his own bed and got the two teddy bears there. Hugging Luke's to his chest and offering his own to Luke.
"That's okay Bo, ya can take him with ya," Luke mumbled sleepily.
"But who's gonna make ya feel better then?" Bo asked with a small child's innocence.
"Oh, okay," Luke took the bear and put it beside himself, well knowing that the one who would be feeling better for it was Bo.
"If ya want, ya can' take my cap gun an' hat an' play for a bit outside," he offered. Most of all he wanted to sleep.
"Okay," Bo nodded taking the gun and the hat. Playing without Luke wasn't as fun but if he had the gun and the hat, he could pretend he was a cowboy like the Lone Ranger, and then he could go after the bad girl that had hurt his big cousin. That would be something good to do.
Jesse ushered him out of the room and out into the yard, telling him he didn't have to be quiet, but he'd appreciate it if he wasn't shouting too loud, or right outside the bedroom window.
Bo nodded, he had planned to be quiet, of course, that didn't always mean that he was. Sometimes it was just impossible to be as quiet as he meant to be. He forgot about it, but he could stay on the other side of the house, then it wouldn't matter all that much.
In credit of the man who wasn't always there…
TBC
Author's note: This is based on a mentioning in the show, my apologies, but I can not remember exactly where it was mentioned, I only have a strong memory that it was…
Please review, the Cricket is hungry…