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Lulu and Rosco entered Boss's room to find him propped up in the bed, an IV dripping fluids into one arm. He was pale and weak, but conscious. They had removed the oxygen mask from his face an hour ago. "Lulu," he rasped and held out one hand.

She took it and sat in the chair next to his bed. "You're gonna be fine, J.D."

Rosco approached the bed with his hat in his hands. "That's right, Boss. The doctor says you will make a full recovery. He wants you to stay overnight though."

Boss sighed and lay back into the hospital pillows. "How did they get me out?"

"It was the Duke boys, they got you out." Rosco informed him. "Bo's in the room next to you. He's still unconscious though."

Boss face screwed up and tears started to drip from his eyes. Lulu picked up a corner of the blanket and wiped them away. "What is it? What's wrong, hunnybunny?"

"I thought I was gonna die, Lulu, my sweet. I swear I saw my life flashing right before my eyes at the end, and the only thing I could think of was 'why aren't those Duke boys here to save me?' After all Daisy was there with me." Tears continued to drip down his round cheeks. "Turns out they did save me."

Rosco nodded. "Yes, they did."

Boss took a sharp sniff in. "You haven't told me about Daisy. How is Daisy?" He remembered what she had done for him to help him survive.

Rosco swallowed and Lulu gripped his hand tighter. "She's in critical condition." Lulu finally told him. "They don't know the extent of her damage yet."

A long slow sigh was heard from the hospital bed. "Do me one favor, Lulu."

"Anything, J.D. Just tell me and I'll do it." Lulu was now close to crying again.

"I want you to go to the hospital director and have him send the bill for the Dukes to me." He closed his eyes now, knowing how expensive this was bound to be. "The whole thing for Bo and Daisy."

"Are you sure, Boss?" Rosco asked, also realizing how costly the treatment was going to be.

"Yes."

"Alright, J.D. honey, I'll set it up right away." Lulu leaned over and kissed the top of his head. "Now I want you to get some sleep, okay? We will come back to visit you later."

She got up to leave, and Rosco started to follow but stopped when he heard his name being called. "Yes, Boss?" He came back to the bed and looked down at the man laying there.

"Tell the Dukes for me that I'm really grateful for what they've done. Tell them that Daisy is in my prayers." He looked to Rosco with complete sincerity in his eyes. Rosco had never seen his brother-in-law look so meaningful in his life.

"I'll do that, Boss."

"Thank you." The eyes slid closed again and Rosco left the room with Lulu in tow.

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In the room next door, Jessie was sitting at Bo's bedside, holding one of Bo's hands while Luke held the other. Thin plastic tubing was placed in Bo's nose and trailed over his ears to be hooked to an oxygen tank at the bedside. He also had an IV drip and another tube snaked down his leg to be hooked to a bag for waste disposal. That one was covered by the many blankets on the bed. A machine was hooked to wires that tracked his heartbeat and respiration. His skin was reddened on the places where clothing hadn't covered it.

Jessie reached his free hand up to brush the sandy blond hair away from Bo's forehead to place a soft kiss there. "We are proud of you, Bo. So proud of what you did today."

Bo's eyelids fluttered but did not open.

Luke wiped away a tear in his eye. "You did it, Cuz. You saved Daisy and Boss Hogg. When you wake up, I'm gonna give you a big hug, because you deserve it."

The visit was cut short by a nurse entering the room. "Mr. Duke, I'm sorry to interrupt, but your niece has just been brought to ICU. I was told that you wanted to know immediately."

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you." Jessie said with a polite nod.

She turned and left the room and Jessie nodded towards Luke. "Why don't you stay with him whilst I go check on Daisy."

"Sure thing, Uncle Jessie."

Jessie gave Bo's hand a small squeeze before getting up. "I'll be back, Bo. You just rest up until you are ready to wake. I love you, Bo." He smiled and left the room.

Luke sighed and rested his head on his cousin's chest. He listened to the sound of Bo's raspy breathing and his steady heartbeat. "Bo Duke, I know you can hear me." He waited a minute then sighed. "You are a very brave man, for jumping right in that building. I really am proud of you, little cousin."

Again Bo's eyelids fluttered but stayed closed.

Luke squeezed Bo's hand gently. "I'm gonna stay right here until you wake. I want the first thing you see to be me."

He let out another sigh, and closed his eyes. The morning had been exhausting, and he had been running on adrenaline ever since finding out about the fire and then Bo getting caught in the building. His supply was now depleted and he fell fast into a sound sleep, being soothed by his cousin's rhythmic heartbeat.

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Jessie found Daisy's room pretty easily, but when he walked inside he was not prepared for the sight that greeted him. Her arms and legs were wrapped in bandages, and more wires snaked out from her body than had been on Bo. She was on pure oxygen, an IV, a catheter, heart machines, a machine to regulate her breathing, one to check her temperature, and she was being given medication through a second IV in her other hand.

"Oh Daisy," he said with tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Daisy."

Holding her hand for now would be out of the question, as both were stuck with the IV needles. He did reach over and stroke a bare spot on her cheek. On the way over here, the doctor had told him she was going to be kept unconscious for a while, as the nature of her burns was very painful. One of the medications was a painkiller, and it would just make her drowsy anyway.

"I'm proud of all you did, Daisy. You were very brave and you did enough to help Boss Hogg survive." He wiped away one tear. "I'm going to see that you get better, Daisy. I'll be with you every step of the way."

He sat in the chair next to her bed. "Luke is here too, he's in the other room down the hall with Bo. Now don't you go worryin about Bo any, as he's gonna be fine too." He reached over and stroked her soft brown hair. He could see the burns on her face now and he sighed. The doctor had told him that she would not be scarred at all, but she would have to wait a long while before she could even consider makeup again.

"Have I ever told you just how beautiful you are? You look just like your momma, Daisy, and she was a beautiful woman too."

He now closed his eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks that she had even made it this far. With nothing but the machinery to keep him company, Jessie Duke sat and prayed for the full recovery of his niece. He loved her like she had been his own daughter.

Nurses passed outside but none bothered the old man, who had eyes right now for the girl in the bed. It was as if he had been granted some serenity in this hectic day. So he sat and prayed and kept watch for as long as they would let him.

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