----------

Luke met Bo outside the post office as the General drove to pick him up. His arms were full with two packages and some letters. Luke shoved the packages into the back seat, tossed the mail on top and then climbed into the window and settled in the passenger seat.

"Did you get the horn?" Luke asked in order to break the thick silence that was filling the car.

"Of course I got the horn." Bo replied sarcastically.

"Fine, whatever." Luke clasped his hands together and rested them on his lap. This was going to be a long trip back to the farm.

Bo bit his lip as he drove. He didn't like fighting with his cousin, but he couldn't bring himself to be the one to hold out a truce. If he didn't want to take his meds, that was his choice. Why did everyone have to jump all over him?

What wasn't helping was the fact that his nose was itching again. Whether it was from what he had inhaled in Cooter's garage or just the fact that he was out in the open air, was unknown. He knew what Luke was going to think if he just started sneezing again. He didn't want to add any more fuel to the fire.

He reached into his back pocket for his bandana and realized with a sinking heart that he had left it in the bathroom this morning when he had washed his face. Great. He rubbed his nose on the cuff of his sleeve and sighed. Couldn't he even do anything right?

The itch grew worse and he rubbed at his nose, trying to forestall what he knew was coming. All he had to do was get home and then he could go into his room and sneeze his brains out. They were close enough to the farm now. Just a few more minutes.

BANG!

Bo jumped in his seat and nearly lost control of the car as the right rear tire blew. Luke had instinctively ducked in his seat thinking someone was shooting at them. Bo put the brakes on and pulled off the road. He turned the car off and got out. Luke followed him.

"Aw great," Bo moaned. "That was one of the new tires too." He said as he examined the damage.

"Well it's a good thing it's under warranty then." Luke said as he unlocked the trunk with his keys and pulled out the spare. "We'll just have to get it replaced next time we go back to town." He pulled out the jack and jacked up the car expertly.

Bo nodded as he got the lug wrench and began removing the lug nuts. He had no trouble loosening them until he got to the last one. It stubbornly refused to move. Bo grunted and groaned as he strained to get the darn thing off.

Luke scoffed. "What's the matter? You not strong enough for it?"

Bo stood and kicked the flattened tire. "Let's see you do it, hotshot."

Luke went over and pushed on the lug wrench until his hands hurt. "What the heck? Did you glue the darn thing on last time?"

"No, it wasn't me."

"Well it wasn't me either." Luke said with a grimace. His hands were smarting from trying so hard.

"Cooter." They both said at the same time as realization dawned. "He had that new air pressure wrench when he changed the tire." Luke said.

Bo sighed. He was hot, tired, frustrated and his nose was bothering him again. Now he really wanted to go home. He rubbed his nose again and wished for his bandana. If he could blow his nose, then maybe he wouldn't sneeze like he so badly wanted to do now.

"How about if we both try it together?" Luke asked, knowing that both their strength combined would either loosen the stubborn nut or break it off. Either way they would be able to change the tire.

"I guess." Bo said and sniffed. He could do this. He could help Luke. He wasn't going to sneeze. He put his hands on the wrench and waited until Luke put his on as well.

"On the count of three," Luke said. "One, two,"

It was at that moment that Bo's nose decided it had enough. Seeing how he was standing right next to the car, he had no place to turn his head. With very little warning a very strong sneeze chose that moment to make it's appearance. "HEH-EHHSHOOO!!" The sneeze seemed to emanate from his toes as it burst out of him. He folded in half from the force of it and pressed harder on the wrench than he had considered possible.

The stubborn nut then loosened and spun off the bolt.

Luke blinked and looked at Bo in surprise. "Dang, Bo. God bless you." What had just happened had surprised him so much that he forgot that he had been mad at his cousin.

Bo was standing with the same look of surprise on his face. He wiped at his now running nose with one hand and then wiped that on the leg of his jeans. "Thanks." That one sneeze had felt like it was going to blow his nose right off his face.

Luke pulled the flattened tire off and put it in the trunk as Bo put on the new tire.

Luke the lowered the car as Bo tightened the nuts. Once all the equipment was in the trunk and it was closed, both boys got back in the car.

Bo was sniffing again. "Dang it," he said as he tried to keep from swearing. He sighed and turned to Luke. "Look, I'm sorry, Cuz."

"Sorry?" Luke asked, puzzled. "What for?"

"For getting you mad at me earlier. I know you mean well, but unless you are suffering as much as I am from these dang blasted allergies, I don't know how you can relate to me." He sniffed again, very much needing now to blow his nose. He looked around the inside of the car, but it was empty. He sighed again. "You wouldn't happen to have something on you that I can use to blow my nose, would ya?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I would. You only had to ask," Luke said as he pulled out a handkerchief from his back pocket. "I'm getting in the habit of carrying those for you." He said as he handed it over.

Bo nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Cuz."

Luke waited until Bo had cleared his nose and then smiled. "Will you please let Jessie know the medicines aren't working? Maybe he can get that city doctor to prescribe something else."

Bo shook his head. "I'm tired of pills, and tired of sneezing and tired of allergies. I don't want any more pills."

"Well, why don't you tell him that?" He put one hand on Bo's arm to stop him from starting the car. "How will they know if you don't tell them? The doctor can only fix what you tell him is wrong. They ain't mind readers, you know."

"Yeah I know." He said with a sad smile. "I know you are right, Luke. I just hate all of this."

"That's understandable." Luke said. "But the sooner you let them know, the sooner you can be feeling better once and for all." He reached over and started the car. "Let's go."

Bo pulled out and drove off. He knew he was going to have to tell his Uncle. He just wasn't looking forward to another office visit.

----------