The Richest Man in Hazzard
McRaider
Summary: The scene we didn't see in 10 Million Dollar Sheriff.
Author's Note: Bo and Luke will always be my favorite characters.
They had caught him, Steele and his man, somehow they had managed to catch the man without getting injured. They arrived back at the Sheriff's office, both looking exhausted, both feeling as tired as they looked.
"We should call Daisy," Luke said looking up at his younger cousin. Since their Uncle Jesse had been admitted to the hospital in a coma, the Duke family was suddenly beginning to see just how important he was in the family.
Luke hurried over to one of the near by phones as he watched Cletus begin what could only be described as a fumbling action to finger print Steele and his partner. Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane moved over to Bo Duke and smiled in his usual hesitant way.
"We've had our differences, but…I may have been the richest man in Hazzard country, but that was only because I had all that money…yer Uncle is the richest man in Hazzard County," it was weird to hear coming form Rosco, but as Bo Duke looked at the older man he nodded, realizing it was indeed true.
Rosco had watched the youngest Duke boy grow up, and until the probation had started, the Duke boys and Coltrane hadn't really been enemies. Rosco had always watched out for Bo as a younger man. He was there to call Uncle Jesse when Bo had gotten drunk for the first time, or when Bo had run away from home at seven because he and Luke had gotten into an argument.
"We're the richest family in all of Hazzard," whispered Bo smiling softly.
"Bo! Daisy says we need to get over to the hospital now!" Luke called. Bo looked up at his cousin and felt worry fill his heart.
"Let's just hope the richest man in the county is also the strongest," Bo murmured. It was amazing he had spent his entire life seeing his Uncle Jesse as a strong man. No one to trifle with. He was a man of fierce religion, strong morals and a stunning sense of justice. What Jesse Duke had said in the house always went, and no one questioned it…if they did they got a red bottom. For Luke Duke it had only taken two spankings before figuring out that lesson, Daisy's hide had never been tanned a day in her life, and Bo spent several hours bent over his Uncle Jesse's knee for one reason or another.
Suddenly Bo realized he would give anything to be that boy again, the child that was always in trouble. He would do anything to protect the man who had always protected him, the man who would risk his life for any of his three charges.
Everyone kept saying that Jesse Duke was a strong man, but he was more than that, to all the Dukes, he was their father, their mother, their caretaker, their Uncle and so much more. Bo didn't see his Uncle Jesse as anything less than a hero.
"If only I had known then," he muttered as his cousin drove wildly to the hospital in hopes that whatever had Daisy so upset wasn't going to be over in a matter of moments, and they would be able to say good bye, or I love you or anything important to let the one man they needed in their live know how much they loved and adored him.
Bo looked over at his cousin and noticed the man's eyes were fixated as they waited, it was as though he was silently praying to keep their Uncle Jesse in their lives, like he had earlier at dinner.
They walked through the halls of hospital, trying desperately not to run to their Uncle Jesse and Daisy. They finally came to the room and knocked on the door gently, they were stunned when it opened to Daisy's teary eyed face.
"Is he…" Luke couldn't say it, he didn't have the heart.
"Daisy…let them boys in," came the weak tired whisper from inside the room. Luke and Bo both looked around the door to see their Uncle Jesse sitting up in the bed, looking exhausted but wide awake.
"Uncle Jesse!" Bo moved over to his Uncle's side, who instantly pulled the boy into his arms.
"I'm alive Bo, I'm here," he held Bo for a moment, enjoying the closeness to his youngest nephew.
"I'm sorry Uncle Jesse, this was all our fault…"
"It wasn't nobody's fault, you boys are my boys, and I wasn't going to let anyone hurt you, come here Luke," Jesse waited for his other nephew to come over and sit down beside him.
"You are both strong young man, it's not your fault. You did good Luke, you took care of your cousins, but I'm home now, and I'm here," he pulled his eldest into his arms and smiled.
"I love you three nincompoops," Jesse said smiling as he hugged both his boys and looked over at Daisy.
"We're glad your back Uncle Jesse," Bo whispered.
The End