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Jessie wasn't too pleased to hear what the boys had been offered. They had sat down in the living room and discussed it, but the expression on Jessie's face was more one of suspicion.
"So you say he wants to consider the mortgage on this here farm paid in full?"
Bo nodded. "Completely. And the lien on the General paid off as well."
Jessie rubbed one hand across his whiskered chin. "Does either of you boys know just how much there is left to pay on this farm?"
Two heads, one blond and one dark shook in a negative expression.
"Thirty thousand." Jessie informed them quietly. "And another two thousand on the car."
Luke was sipping a beer which he now nearly choked on. Bo came over and patted his cousin on the back until he could breathe again.
"Easy, Luke, take it easy." Bo said then looked at his uncle. "Thirty-two thousand dollars just written off? I wonder how much he thinks we will get if we sue?"
"Probably way more than that," Luke said upon recovering his voice. "Don't forget he's already paid the hospital bill for Bo and Daisy. That alone was another ... what? Six thousand?" He frowned as he tried to remember.
"Seven." Jessie said. "The hospital bill is almost seven thousand now."
All three Dukes sat in silence for a moment, then Bo sighed. "He's even offered to put in a clause that allows me to go for Dr. Applebee's shots for as long as I need them."
An expression of surprise flitted across Jessie's face. "Now how the heck did you get that written in there?"
Luke grinned. "Quite by accident, really." He looked over to Bo who nodded that it was okay to tell. "Bo had a sneezing attack from his cigar smoke in his office."
Jessie chuckled. "That musta really impressed him. Did you know he used to have allergies when he as a kid?"
They nodded. "He told us when he was younger he had bad allergies but Doc Applebee's shots really helped him."
"Bad allergies was one way to put it," Jessie said as he thought back to the past. "He suffered worse than you, Bo. All the kids used to tease him something mighty fierce. He could hardly step outside without ending up curled up in a fit. I remember times when he never made it to school and I had to bring him his homework, and help him with it."
Bo had to try not to laugh. The image of his uncle bringing a young J.D. Hogg his homework while the young boy sneezed up a storm was just too much. "If the shots worked on him, then they can work on me."
Jessie nodded. "Yes, I do believe they can."
"So what are we going to do?" Luke asked. "Accept his offer or sue?"
Jessie waited a few minutes while he thought it over. He looked at the young faces in front of him and thought about Daisy who was coming home tomorrow. If they sued, they possibly would get way more than what Boss Hogg was offering them. Juries liked to give large amounts of money for pain and suffering. "I know what you boys are thinking."
"You do?" they chorused.
Jessie nodded. "It ain't right to profit from an accident. In my opinion, that's exactly what happened at the Boars Nest. It was an unfortunate accident that in no way puts any blame on J.D."
"So we should accept the offer he's already made?" Luke said, looking a tad confused.
"He's being more than generous, in my book." Jessie said quietly. "I want the farm paid off as bad as anyone, but this doesn't seem the way to do it."
"It's not like he can't afford it," Bo chimed in. "And it will finally give us some money to live on."'
Jessie brought his gaze up to rest sternly on Bo. "Have I brought you up with no morals, boy? This is about what is right or wrong, not what he can or can't afford."
"Yes, sir." Bo said and brought his eyes down, ashamed slightly.
"Give me some time to think on it," Jessie said at last. "And I want to talk to Daisy to see how she feels on this as it affects her too."
"Yes, sir." They both said realizing the discussion was at an end for the night.
"Now you boys go get ready for bed. I've got some thinking to do." Jessie ordered them and got up himself. "We can all go see J.D. tomorrow afternoon when I've made a decision."
He then left the room, leaving the boys alone with their confused expressions and thoughts.
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Later that night when both boys were in bed, Bo rolled over toward the bed that held his cousin. "Luke? You asleep yet?"
"No." the reply was quiet. "I can't sleep."
"Neither can I," Bo admitted. "I keep thinking over what Uncle Jessie said." He sat up and turned on the small lamp sitting on the table between the beds. "What do you think is the right thing to do?"
Luke sat up as well and folded the covers down to rest on his lap. "I don't know. If it was me, I'd take the offer as it's made. We don't need to sue him and make it worse. Yeah, we might get more money, but what good is money when you've lost a friendship? People might think us to be the greedy ones if we sue him."
"That's exactly what I was thinking," Bo said with a small smile. "Whether he likes it or not, Boss Hogg is our friend. And friends don't sue friends. Could you think of the things that could happen if we win? Rosco would be on his side, of course and then we'd lose his friendship too. I don't even want to think about Enos."
"Yeah, it's hard to tell which side he's on when things are going normal."
"Speaking of Enos, did you know I caught him at the hospital almost kissing Daisy?" Bo said with a smile. "It was a couple weeks ago and he was there when I showed up. Unfortunately I opened the door before they did."
Luke let out a full laugh. "Are you sure that it was unfortunate? Maybe it was lucky you opened the door when you did."
"Well, Daisy didn't seem too happy that I came barging in. She does fancy him, you know." He shifted the blanket laying across his lap. "If she marries him would that make him our cousin-in-law?" He rubbed absently at his nose with one hand. Moving the blanket had kicked up some dust that had settled in the room during the day.
"Well, he definitely would be related then. He's not a bad person, you know. She could do so much worse." Luke reached over to the table between them and pulled a few tissues out of the box to pass to Bo. "Here, you're gonna need these."
Bo frowned, "No I'm not." Then rubbed at his nose again.
"Yes, you are. I can see the dust particles dancing in the moonlight, now take them."
Bo was about to argue again, when he felt the familiar tickle start up. He rolled his eyes heavenward and took the tissues. "Hah-Keshhh! Hatchuuhh!!" The double sneeze was enough to clear his nose and he blew it softly before tossing the tissues in the garbage pail between them.
"Bless you." The blessing came complete with an I-told-you-so smirk.
"Thanks." The gratitude was followed with an expression that said plainly, I-hate-it-when-you-are-right.
Luke smiled again. "You gonna be okay tonight?"
Bo nodded. "I'm fine. No big fits pending." He sighed feeling a bit melancholy. "I sure hope Uncle Jessie at least allows Boss to have me get the shots. It sure would be nice to be able to live a normal life again."
"Yeah, I hear ya there, cousin. Well even if he don't, I'm sure we will find a way. Don't give up hope on those shots just yet." He slid back under his covers. "I'm gonna turn in. Night, Bo."
Bo reached over and turned out the light. "Yeah, me too. Good night, Luke."
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(Author's Note: This will be updated with the end really soon!! Keep checking back and see what happens next!)