"Doc… my boys….what's goin' on with my boys?" exclaimed Jesse as he, Daisy and Enos approached Dr. Williams at the nurses' station.

"Well, Mr. Duke… Miss Duke….please have a seat," invited the doctor pointing to some chairs on one side of the room. The Dukes did as told and Enos stood protectively behind Daisy, in the event the news was not good and she would need him to hold onto.

"What's wrong?" asked Jesse quietly.

"Well, sir, Bo is about the same. His condition is still critical, but he's hangin' in there… Luke, on the other hand…"

Daisy clutched Enos's arm… it wasn't Bo they were here about… it was Luke.

"Luke?"

"Yes, sir, Mr. Duke. Your nephew, well, how do I put this?"

"Just spit it out already!" demanded Jesse impatiently.

"Mr. Duke… your nephew is… uncontrollable."

"Uncontrollable?"

"Yes, sir. He woke up, demanding to see his cousin. Of course, we couldn't allow that. He then proceeded to tear out his IVs and told us that we couldn't stop him. We had to give him something to calm him down, else he'd be searching the whole hospital right now looking for Bo."

Enos grinned widely, and Jesse and Daisy laughed out loud. That was Luke… he never did appreciate being told what to do.

"Can we see him?"

"Of course, Miss Duke. I took the liberty of signing his release papers. He made it very clear that he wants out of here."

"Thanks, Doc."

"I hear you're raisin' quite a ruckus. Lucas…" began Jesse, as he stepped into Luke's room followed by Daisy and Enos.

"How ya feelin', honey?" asked Daisy.

"Tired. Ready to leave this place."

Daisy nodded.

"Well, everything's all set. Do you need a wheelchair?" asked Jesse.

"No- I got it thanks…." Luke shakily got to his feet. Enos instinctively grabbed his arm.

"You sure, Luke?"

"I'm fine…" Luke looked at Jesse. "Question is how's Bo?"

Neither Jesse nor Daisy knew quite how to tell him.

"He- he's in a bad way, Luke," ventured Enos.

Luke's blue eyes flashed in anger. "How bad?"

"He… he's in a coma."

"What! Why didn't you tell me!" yelled Luke. He grabbed Enos's shoulder for support. It wasn't so much the accident that made him weak in the knees. It was the thought of Bo… his baby cousin… hurt to such a degree.

"Now Luke, simmer down."

"Where is he?"

"He's in the ICU. But Luke, you can't…"

"I can Jesse, and I will."

Jesse sighed audibly. When Luke called him Jesse without the Uncle, he knew that wild horses could not change his mind.

"Sugar, there's nothing ya can do… there's nothin' any of us can do… but wait."

"You're wrong, Daisy. I can be there…"

"Luke, he won't know you're there….he …" began Jesse. But it was too late. Luke was already making his way out the door.

"C'mon, girl," said Jesse to Daisy. "We best go after him."

The Dukes and Enos made their way to the ICU.

"Luke, we'll be in the waiting room if ya need us," murmured Jesse as they stopped at the door to Bo's room. He, Daisy and Enos then turned back the way they came.

Luke's response was to close his eyes momentarily and to lean against the door. He fought to get this far. Now that he was here, he didn't know if he could go on. He knew he wasn't ready to see Bo in such a way. But he had to see him. He had to. Slowly he opened the door and stopped in disbelief.

"Bo..." uttered Luke, his voice scarcely above a whisper. "My God… Bo…"