Chapter Five--Duke's In Danger
The General skidded sideways in the loose dirt in gravel as Bo's foot touched the brakes. When the car was stopped he swung around and stared at the object in the backseat. Lana and Daisy both swung around too and then gasped when they saw Luke curled up on the seat, though he offered them a sheepish grin when he saw that he'd been found out.
Bo sighed and looked at the two girl's. "Luke you know you're supposed to be in bed, if you remember correctly you still have a cold." He reminded his older cousin. Luke slowly sat up and stared at his two cousin's and his cousin's pretty dark-haired girlfriend in the front seat. "I wanted to help." He rasped and then coughed and let out a loud sneeze.
"Luke, you ain't gonna do us any good, you being this sick and too weak." Daisy said gently. Luke sighed and sank back against the seat and glowered at them for a moment. "I'm taking you home." Bo said and swung the wheel around going back to the farm.
Jesse Duke ran out to meet them when he heard Dixie playing on Bo pulled into the yard. Bo climbed out of The General and then helped Luke out who looked none too happy to be returning to The Duke farm and not being allowed to help in the investigation. Jesse took charge and guided Luke back into the house leaving Bo and the two girl's outside.
Bo climbed back in and settled in his seat next to Lana who sat in the middle eating an apple and Daisy who sat next to her eating another apple. "Let's try this again." He said, and started the engine and pulled out of the yard once again playing Dixie as they disappeared from sight, heading back to the scene of the accident.
Once they reached the area Bo helped the girl's out and then they started to wander the area together looking around for any sign of foul play. "Bo." Lana cried and crouched down lightly running her fingers over something on the ground. Bo and Daisy went to her side and crouched down next to her. "Tire Tracks." Bo said grimly.
"Can't we try to follow them?" Daisy asked and walked for a short distance following the tracks. "They go back towards Hazzard." Lana said. Bo tossed the General's key's to Lana. "You drive, I'm gonna sit on the hood and keep an eye on the tracks." He said. Lana nodded and slid in through the window, settling in her seat as Daisy got in the passenger side.
Lana crept along the road as Bo scanned the ground for the tracks. Finally he sighed and turned to look back at Lana. "We lost em." He said. Lana stopped and slid over into the middle so Bo could take over driving and head back home.
Whenn they reached The Duke Farm Uncle Jesse had supper ready and waiting for them. Bo dug right in with his usual hearty appetite, while Lana and Daisy weren't as hearty with what they ate. Uncle Jesse watched over it all with his watchful eye making sure they all ate okay and keeping an extra careful eye on Lana, still worried about her fall.
Lana ate everything on her plate and then went out with Bo and Daisy to help with the evening chores since Luke was too weak to help. Lana and Daisy worked together taking down the wash, folding it and putting it into the basket while Bo did the harder chores. Luke awoke to giggling and then heard a suprised shriek and got up to see what was going on.
He made it too the window in time to see Lana run by with Bo close on her heels. He smiled wistfully and wished he could be out with his cousins and Lana having fun like they were. He swung around when he heard someone enter the room and saw Daisy, with her laundry basket under one arm, staring at him. "Luke you need to be in bed." She scolded and set the laundry basket down going to his side. Luke allowed her to take his arm and guide him back to his bed.
A moment later Bo and Lana stepped into the room, grinning madly and staring into each others eyes, though when they realized they were being stared at they quickly changed the subject.
Later that night after everyone was in bed Rosco appeared at the farm and snuck up to the window accidently kicking a bucket and waking up Luke. Luke got out of bed and went to the window and looked out, seeing Rosco take off through the field. He knew he should wake Bo up who was asleep on the couch but he decided he was going to chase Rosco himself and slid the window and jumped down taking off into the darkness.
The noise of the bucket clattering woke Lana and she sat up and looked around before she got to her feet and looked out the window in time to see Luke run across the field. She sighed and pulled on her jacket over the shirt she wore and then pulled on her boots and ran out the door almost running into Uncle Jesse in the hall and causing Daisy to bump into her from behind.
"You Gals go wake Bo an go after our tresspasser." Jesse said, handing Lana her Bow and Arrows and then directed them to the living room. Lana went to Bo and shook him. "Bo wake up, we got ourselves a tresspasser and Luke's gone after em." She said. Bo sat up and reached for his pants and boots quickly putting them on and then took his Bow and Arrows from Daisy and ran out the door followed by Lana.
The two young people ran across the field in the direction Lana had seen Luke go ready to use their Bow's and Arrow's if they needed them. "We need to split up." Bo yelled and Lana nodded splitting off from him though a moment later he heard a scream from her and tore off in the direction she'd gone. When he reached her he saw why she'd screamed. Luke lay on the ground in a heap.
"Go back to the house and get The General, we gotta take em to the hospital." Bo said. Lana nodded and took off at a run back to the house. Jesse and Daisy were just coming around the corner of the house when Lana appeared and jumped in the General, starting the engine and taking off across the field. Jesse amd Daisy exchanged glances and then jumped into the jeep and tore off after The General.
Bo looked up from checking Luke's pulse when he heard Dixie and a moment later The General appeared and braked next to him, sending up a cloud of dust. Lana hopped out and ran over next to him and looked back up when she heard the jeep approach and Uncle Jesse and Daisy jumped out and ran over to them.
"We're taking him to Tri-County." Bo said, easily hefting Luke up and gently placing him into the General as Lana got behind the wheel. Uncle Jesse and Daisy decided they'd follow them in the jeep. Lana took off even as they were still climbing in. Bo leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes and then looked over at Lana who seemed to be concentrating on the road ahead of her.
"You okay?" He asked, looking at her in concern. Lana looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, I'm just worried about Luke." She admitted. Bo ducked his head and Lana saw the trace of tears in his eyes. "I don't wanna lose him Lana." He said. Lana reached over and took his hand. "That ain't gonna happen Bo." She said, her eyes locked on his face for a moment.
When the doctor checked Luke out he decided they needed to run some tests. So the Duke's and Lana spent another night at the hospital and when the doctor approached them the next morning he looked quite worried. "What's the verdict doc?" Uncle Jesse asked. "Well Luke has Carbon Monoxide poisoning." The doctor said. Everyone gasped and were quite horrified.
Balladeer: Carbon Monoxide? Now I wonder who'd wanna do a thing like that...stick around you hear.
