The Substitute
Note: The relationship between teacher and student probably would never go this far but this was early 1980's in rural Georgia and besides its only fiction!
Part 1
The weather in Hazzard County had gone from bad to worse in the month of November. While they did have a winter, it never really dipped below the low 50's at night. This winter the lows had dipped to the 30's at night and barely getting into the 50's during the day. Not knowing what to do or how to handle themselves correctly in cold weather, many people in Hazzard had caught either a cold or some strain of the flu.
Uncle Jesse worried about his youngest niece becoming sick. She had always been on the skinny side and tended to pick up any bug that was going around in school. She had already had pneumonia last year and had been home this year from school a number of days already. Uncle Jesse knew she couldn't afford to be out of school too much more. Currently, she and Uncle Jesse were the only ones not sick in the household. He had made KK sleep out on the couch as precaution and wouldn't allow her to go near her three cousins who were sick. He knew he was going a bit overboard because she was around sick kids all day, but he hoped for the best.
Even KK's teacher, Steve Gleason was down and out with the flu. He had struggled to get through Monday and Tuesday but held up the white flag for the rest of the week. KK wasn't sure if she would like to have a substitute but she knew that Steve was feeling awful. She knew how it felt to try to be in school and concentrate on what you were doing when you felt all yucky inside, as she put it.
After class was done on Tuesday, Steve announced that he probably wouldn't be back until next week. Once the students filed out, KK went up to Steve's desk where he was sitting.
"I hope you feel better."
"Thanks, so do I."
"Who are they bringing in?"
"I don't know. Someone nice I hope."
"Does this mean no homework for awhile?"
"Probably. You need to do tonight's for tomorrow but after that…"
"Yeah, no homework for a weekend."
"Gee, K, don't be so jolly about it," Steve said and KK smiled back at him. "So no homework gets me a smile from you. KK silently giggled back at him.
"Don't worry K. I'll only be gone for a few days. Matt will be here to watch over you."
"I know, but I'm still nervous."
"Yeah, it's always scary to meet new people but this will give you a chance to work on those skills."
"Always trying to cram a learning experience in everything that I do, aren't ya?" KK said and gave Steve a hug. "If you need anything let me know. I've got to run; Uncle Jesse is probably waiting for me. He's so afraid I'm gonna get sick again that he won't let me go near Daisy and the boys. They're sicker than dogs and I'm stuck sleeping on the couch." Steve knew exactly what Uncle Jesse felt. When KK got sick she always lost weight because she would lose what little appetite she had. According to most she was already too thin and needed to eat more.
When KK got into the pick-up the first words out of her mouth was, "We're going to have a sub tomorrow and for the rest of the week. Steve's out for the count."
"Steve's got a bug?"
"I think more than a cold. He looked horrible. He tried, but I think he was crazy to come in today."
"How are you feeling?"
"So far, so good. No symptoms yet and don't worry I have no intention to purposely get sick."
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
"How's the gang?"
"Miserable. They don't believe that they'll ever get better."
"Sounds like me when I'm sick."
"No, you never believed that you won't get better. You're a much better patient then these three."
"Oh, brother."
"Oh brother is right, kid. When we get home you need to be very quite because if they're sleeping I want to keep it that way. I need some peace and quite time, if you get my drift."
"They've been that bad?" KK said smiling.
"Once one gets what they need another one needs something and it's been like that all day long. When I left, I told them I was leaving and they would have to fend for themselves. Hopefully they have fallen asleep and will stay that way for a little while. Maybe long enough for you to eat dinner and finish your homework."
"Do you wanna bet?"
"Kid, if I did believe that they would stay asleep, I would take you up on that but I think you got me there. So, what do you have for homework?"
"Just math. Steve's assigned us a report to do a three page report for history to keep us quite for the sub."
"What's the report about?"
"It has to be something about the Revolutionary War. I don't know what exactly I want to do it on but I'm sure I'll find something."
"How many kids are out sick in your class?"
"Quite a few actually. Aaron and Karen told me that only a handful are out in their class. Out of 25 kids there's only 12 left and I think two of them are sick and won't be back tomorrow."
"I just hope that you don't catch an errant flying bug."
"I'm thinking that I won't since I just completed a round of medication from the last cold I had. Hopefully the medicine will do it's job and keep those nasty bugs away from me."
"So do I. You don't need to miss another day of school."
"Oh come on Uncle Jesse," KK said smiling. "What kid doesn't like getting out of school? Even if I've got a 103 degree temperature, no worries, no cares…"
"Very funny young lady," Uncle Jesse said sternly. "Anyways, lets hope you can at least get your homework done before they crowd awakens."
When they got home, Uncle Jesse got his wish. Although they were snoring quite loudly because their noses were clogged up, they were all sound asleep. "Listen KK, I'll start getting dinner ready for them and for us while you work on your homework. Since its math, you should be done in a matter of minutes," Uncle Jesse said quietly.
"Okay."
"Just be as quite as you can so we don't wake up our sleeping beauties," Uncle Jesse said as a joke but KK didn't quite get it.
The three of them slept through dinner so Uncle Jesse and KK had a quite dinner between the two of them. They talked about what KK would do for her history report. KK wanted to a person but didn't know who. Uncle Jesse suggested that she do someone besides a main character in the war like George Washington or Thomas Jefferson. He suggested someone who had importance but was not a main character. She had settled on Paul Revere who was known for the saying the "British are coming".
It wasn't until after 6:00 p.m. that one of the cousins roused from their sleep to use the bathroom.
"I guess they're up?" KK said.
"Yeah, I guess so," Uncle Jesse said.
Eventually all three of them woke up and Uncle Jesse served them his home recipe for Chicken Noodle soup which somehow made everyone feel better after they ate it except for KK. What KK and the gang didn't know was that Uncle Jesse made the batch with alcohol for Bo, Luke, and Daisy so that they would go back to sleep after they ate. Poor KK was way too young to even be thinking about drinking alcohol.
Uncle Jesse sat in his rocker, hoping to get a little reading done when KK walked over to him, wanting to sit on his lap. "Uncle Jesse?"
"What?" he asked, picking KK up on his lap.
"Why does everyone think chicken noodle soup is great for a cold?"
"You want to know my secret? It's not in everyone's chicken soup, but it's in mine."
"Is this something that anyone else knows?"
"No, you would be the only one"
KK thought this over for a moment. "What if someone asks me?"
"Then you tell them it's a secret between you and your Uncle and you can't tell. Besides, I don't think someone will ask."
Nonchalantly KK said, "Okay, then."
Uncle Jesse carried KK to the kitchen and sat her down on the table near the pantry. On the top reaches of the pantry there was a clear, unmarked glass bottled that was two-third of the way filled with some sort of liquid that looked like water.
"What's that?" KK asked eyeing the container suspiciously.
"This is moonshine."
"Moonshine?"
"Yes. Its illegal, homebred alcohol. You know that Bo and Luke are on probabtion."
"Yeah, what ever probation is?"
"Well, they were caught with this and that's why they're on probation."
"Why is it illegal?"
"Because it is." Uncle Jesse didn't want to get into a discussion right now about the good and bad points of moonshine. "Anyways, since you're too young for alcohol, you don't get any in your soup when you're sick. Now, don't tell them okay?"
"Okay." KK said, still unsure what the big deal was about secret ingredient and being on probation for delivering moonshine.
Uncle Jesse picked KK up from the table and walked back to the living room to his rocking chair with KK in tow. One day, when I'm not so tired, I'll explain why moonshine is illegal, but for now just know that it is, okay?"
KK looked in his eyes and said, "Okay," and then gave her Uncle a hug and settled down on his lap to go to sleep
Balladeer: "Now don't go far folks because in Hazzard County no one ever knows what tomorrow will bring."
End of Part 1
Part 2
Both KK and Uncle Jesse were running late. KK's internal alarm clocked worked but she fell back asleep in the warm confines of her Uncle Jesse's arms. Both of them got ready as quickly as possible and flew out the door, hopefully in enough time to get KK to school on time.
Uncle Jesse didn't rush because the roads conditions weren't good. "Rather be late than dead," he told KK. She ended up being late to school but at least she got there safely.
After getting a pass from the office KK went to her classroom. The substitute was not at all appreciative that KK was late and it frightened her. "Hurry up," he told her as she ran underneath his arm as he closed the door to the classroom. KK didn't even bother to hang up her coat, she just put it over her chair and rushed to her seat.
"Why are you late?" Matt asked.
"Overslept."
Matt wanted to ask more but he could feel that the substitute was eyeing them so he kept his mouth shut.
"Now that you have finished your conversation, I can begin," the guy said.
The substitute name was Mr. Johnston. He was a heavy set man that could have passed as Santa Claus if he only had a white beard and mustache. Instead he had a balding head of hair and thick rimmed glasses.
"Now class I know that your teacher has left you an assignment but that will be your homework."
The class wanted to argue but at the first moment they tried to speak up they were greeted with the slamming of the pointer stick that Steve had used to point out places on a map.
"Now as I was saying," he started again. "Everyone take out their reading books and silently read the next story. What I want from each of you is to answer all the questions at the end of the story with each answer in paragraph form and at least a page long. Then I want a two page summary of the story."
The class couldn't believe what they were hearing. KK didn't know what to do. She was in a reading level all by herself and didn't have a reading textbook. Steve was using short newspaper articles to improve not only her reading skills, but comprehension and writing. It seemed to be doing the trick and she was steadily coming along but now what was she suppose to do. She already was intimidated by that man but she couldn't just sit there. So she did what her Uncle Jesse always told her, be courteous to everyone even if they're rude to you.
KK raised her hand and was greeted with a sigh from Mr. Johnston and said, "Now what?"
"I don't have a reading book."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't have a reading book. I'm in my own reading group."
Mr. Johnston bounced the stick with one hand into the other and walked over to where KK was sitting. "What do you do for reading then?"
"Um, well I read different things. Like magazine articles or newspapers, things like that."
"Okay, then," Mr. Johnston said walking back over to his desk and grabbed the newspaper business section. "Read this," he said as he slammed it down in front of KK and write a one page summary for each article."
KK took one look at the paper and knew this was way beyond her capabilities so she raised her hand again.
"Now what?" Mr. Johnston said, becoming more and more agitated.
"I can't read this."
"What?"
"Like I said I can't read this and I won't!" KK said standing up and slamming the paper down and trying to keep her temper in check.
"Young lady," Mr. Johnston said with stick in hand, "You will not talk to me in that tone of voice," is what he was suppose to say but something happened. He was banging the stick down on KK's desk when he lost control of it and smacked KK in the mouth and nose making them both bleed.
KK saw her own blood, panicked and started to cry. Matt saw what happened, scooped her up and ran down to the office with her in tow. The rest of the class didn't know what to think or do. Mr. Johnston knew he was in trouble.
"Mr. Matthews, what is going on here?" Ms. Baybell, the school's secretary asked as Matt rushed in to the office with KK in tow.
"Do you have any tissues?" Matt asked and she handed him some. Matt then found the nearest seat and held it again KK's nose and mouth. "Calm down KK, it's gonna be okay," he kept telling her as he tried to stop the bleeding.
Mr. Kilgore could hear all the commotion and came out of his office. "What happen, son?" he asked Matt.
"Mr. Johnston, the sub, hit her with a pointer stick that Mr. Gleason uses."
Mr. Kilgore walked over to where Matt was sitting to see what damage was done. He knew that KK was frightened and tried to calm her down. When Matt pulled the tissues away he cringed. He had whacked her good because her nose was bleeding profusely and it also left a 2 inch gash in her upper lip. "Matt, take KK and let's go back upstairs and will discuss what happened."
"KK, don't worry I'll be there, okay?" he said to her trying to calm her down a bit.
Before they left to go upstairs, Mr. Kilgore had Ms. Baybell call Uncle Jesse to tell him what happened.
End of Part 2
Part 3
When the phone rang he somehow knew it involved KK. As Ms. Baybell explained what happened he was shocked.
"Why did it happen?" Uncle Jesse asked, but Ms. Baybell didn't know.
"All I know is that she got hit with a stick by the substitute teacher which made her nose bleed and cut her lip open."
Uncle Jesse had his hands tied back at the farm because Bo's fever had gone from 101.2 degrees to 104 and he wanted to have Doc Appleby to come over and take a look at him.
"Is it possible to have Steve come and pick her up?"
"Let me check the records and see if he's listed as a person authorized on her records." A few moments later Ms. Baybell returned to the line. "Yes, he is Mr. Duke, would you like for me to call him or for you?"
"If you could I would appreciate it."
"Sure no problem," Ms. Baybell said and they both said good-bye and hung-up.
Ms. Baybell didn't want to make this call to Steve Gleason, because she knew that he didn't feel good and he would be very upset about KK getting hurt, but she knew it had to be done.
"Hello?" a groggy Steve said on the other end.
"Hello, this is Ms. Baybell."
"Ms. Baybell? What are you calling me for?"
"I hate to tell you this, but you need to come to the school and pick up KK Duke."
"What happened?"
"From what I know is she somehow got hit with something which made her nose bleed and split her lip open."
"How in the world did that happen?"
Ms. Baybell didn't want to be the one that told him who did it but she was boxed in the corner and she didn't believe in lying. "Well, the substitute that we hired had the pointer stick you use in class and somehow hit her."
"Oh no! Where is she now?"
"She's with Matt and Mr. Kilgore at the classroom talking to the substitute to find out how it happened."
"I'll be there in a few minutes," Steve said and rushed to get dressed and over to the school.
"Matt, wait here with KK for a moment and let me see how the situation is.
When Mr. Kilgore entered the classroom, the students were calmly reading while Mr. Johnston was reading his newspaper, acting like nothing had happened.
"Mr. Johnston, I'm Mr. Kilgore, the principal of Hazzard Elementary," the men shook hands. "Please, let's sit down and tell me what happened."
"Well, I was only defending myself," Mr. Johnston started and no one said a word.
No one said a word because they were told that no one would believe them if they would. But one classmate of K's, Jim Smoke, did not fear Mr. Johnston. He knew that what Mr. Johnston did was wrong and should be disciplined for what he did.
"Baloney!" Jim spoke. "How can you state that a little girl who is only half as tall as you could actually hurt you."
"Young man, you don't know what you're talking about."
"What do you mean I don't know what I'm talking about? You think you can intimidate us with your size, but I know what I saw and I know what happened. Didn't you realize what damage that you caused?"
Mr. Johnston voice got louder, "Like I said young man, you're in shock by the actions of that young girl…"
Mr. Kilgore interrupted him, "Mr. Johnston, I would advise you to leave this classroom immediately unless you want more trouble upon you." So, Mr. Johnston did what he was told, figuring it was the best way to get out of the situation. Mr. Kilgore followed him out incase that he wanted to try something to inflict more harm on KK who was outside in the hall with Matt.
Having a feeling that he would try, Mr. Kilgore reminded Mr. Johnston as he walked near Matt and KK that he was right behind him.
Steve pulled in the parking lot as Mr. Johnston was pulling out of it. Steve had a sinking suspicion that he was the guy that had hurt KK but there was no time for exacting revenge. KK needed him more right now. When he got to the office, Ms. Baybell proclaimed that he looked awful and apologized for making him come here.
"Where is she?" Steve asked with a hint of terror in his voice.
"Your classroom to confront the teacher," Ms. Baybell said and Steve left as fast as he could to get to where KK was.
As he got closer to the classroom he could hear her crying which tore him up inside. There was something about this kid that made him want to protect her like a big brother would. When he went inside the classroom he saw his students reading except for Matt who was trying, with no success to calm KK down, and Mr. Kilgore waiting anxiously for Steve to show up.
"Steve, it's a nasty gash on her lip. I'm not sure what transpired between the teacher and KK, but she didn't deserve this."
"Steve," Matt said forgetting that he was at school and was suppose to call him Mr. Gleason there. "KK, Steve's here," he whispered to him.
Matt handed Steve KK and moved from the rocking chair so Steve could sit down with her. Steve tried to remove the tissues that Matt had used to apply pressure but KK kept fighting him. "Matt, go to the bathroom and get some wet paper towel using warm water, okay."
Still crying, Steve gently rocked the chair and wiped the hair off of her forehead, trying to make her comfortable as possible and whispered comforting words to her trying to get her to calm down.
"I think what has happened is that the tissues are stuck to lip and that's why she won't let me touch it," Steve said to Mr. Kilgore.
Matt came back with the warm paper towels and Steve went to work on gently prodding the tissues off of her lips. Steve tried to pull ever so often, but that made KK hurt even more. After a few minutes the tissues came free and Steve had his first look at KK's boo-boo, as she would call it. Matt had gotten it to stopped bleeding but the lip was now three times it's normal size. Her nose had also stopped bleeding.
After Steve had released the tissues, KK opened her eyes for the first time and saw Steve was holding her.
"Hi, sweetie."
"It hurts," KK tried to say without moving her upper lip.
"I know, you just relax, and don't say anything. I've come to take you home with me."
KK was relieved that she didn't have to stay. It really hurt too much to concentrate on anything else.
Once the bloody nose stop, Steve put KK over his shoulder and went down to the office to call Uncle Jesse to update him on what had happened. When he described the size of her lip Uncle Jesse suggested that she come here first so he could see the damage first hand and have Doc Appleby take a look at it since he was coming over to make a house visit.
After they had wrapped things up at school, Steve told KK that they were going to the farm. He explained that Uncle Jesse wanted to see what damage had been done and to have Doc Appleby look at it. She still wasn't too sure about Doc Appleby but at least she didn't have to go to his office for him to take a look at her lip and nose.
When he reached the farm, he saw Doc Appleby getting out of his car as well.
"Hi Steve," Doc Appleby said before he got a better look at him. When he did, he noticed that he was ill as well. "What are you doing out on the day like this? By the looks of you, you should be home in bed."
"I was until I got a call from the school telling me that KK had gotten hurt."
"Yes, Jesse told me about that. That poor kid." When he saw KK climbing out of the car, he couldn't believe how big her lip was. "You poor thing," Doc Appleby commented to her, "It must hurt." All KK could do was nod yes, it hurt too much to speak.
When Steve and KK came in, he told them not to make a peep. "Listen, KK I know you're hurting too, but the boys and Daisy need their rest. If they see you like this it would upset them more. I promise when they're feeling better you can tell them what happened, but for now let them rest." KK would have like to said that she understood but it hurt too much to talk, so she just nodded her head yes.
After Doc Appleby had looked at Bo, Luke, and Daisy and prescribed medications for them, he had KK sit on the kitchen table to have a look at her lip.
"Well kid, that's one swollen lip you have," Doc Appleby commented after looking at it. KK gave him look like duh! "Anyways, I'm going to prescribe an anti-biotitic, but I want to wait and see if it's heals on its own."
"So what do you mean?" Uncle Jesse asked.
"What I mean is that if KK develops a fever or the pain becomes to intense get the prescription filled. I hate to do this since she just finished her last medication, but if it's infected then it needs to be done."
Steve picked KK up from off the table and was careful not to bump her lip on his shoulder. KK then rested her head on his shoulder and fell asleep.
"Well if that's all you'll be needing Jesse, I'll be on my way," Doc Appleby said.
"Yeah, I guess that's it. Thanks a lot for coming out here."
"Oh, not a problem. Let me know if anything develops with any of my patients, including KK," Doc Appleby said as he was exiting out the door.
"Steve, if you want, you can here for a little while and rest."
"No. I rather be in my own bed."
"I know how you feel. When you feel miserable, there's no place like home."
Steve put his face down against KK's who was cool to his touch. "You have your hands full with Bo, Luke, and Daisy. Why I don't take KK with me? Like you said, the boys and Daisy need their rest and would be upset at the site of K."
"Would you mind? I know that you don't feel well."
"No. For her, I would practically lay down my life for her."
"Now you're sounding like Luke, like an overprotective brother to her."
"You know, Mr. Duke, she's the sweetest child. That sub they have for me, Mr. Johnston actually tried to imply that she attacked him."
"The only way KK will attack anyone is when one of us tells her to and so far, with the exception of stealing Roscoe's keys to the jail, we never have," Uncle Jesse said as he played with the bangs of KK's hair.
KK woke up and lifted her head off of Steve's shoulder. "Hey you," Steve said to KK, "How would you like to go over to my place for a while?" KK nodded her head yes.
"I took your suggestion and bought a rocking chair and finally have a reason to use it," Steve said to Uncle Jesse as KK laid her head back down on his shoulder.
"The rocking motion really seems to relax her. I don't know understand why, but it's a good trick to know."
"Well, we'll be off."
"Okay, then. I'll give you call later to see how she is. Give me a call if you need anything," Uncle Jesse said as Steve, carrying KK, walked out the door.
"Thanks."
Steve gently laid KK in the back seat of his car so he didn't have to wake her up. They spent the day together wrapped up in a warm and fuzzy blanket in front of Steve's fireplace relaxing in his rocking chair. And that's where KK stayed for the rest of the week. Steve and Uncle Jesse had discuss sending her back to school the next day but knowing how she was act towards strangers normally they knew that she wouldn't speak and maybe try to run away from the situation. With her lip still swollen and really unable to talk without pain, they decided that it would be for the best to stay out of school for the rest of the week until Steve came back to teach the class.
Epilogue
Fortunately, an infection did not develop in KK's lip and she didn't need to take any medication. Daisy seemed to be better after 24 hours but Bo and Luke needed a while longer to recover. KK's lip swelling finally started to go down on Friday (it happened on Wednesday) but it wasn't until Tuesday of the following week that she spoke without pain.
Uncle Jesse thought about pressing charges against Mr. Johnston, but figured it would bring more anguish for KK. Besides, it was better that he was gone out of their hairs, but Mr. Kilgore made sure that he never taught again in Georgia. Uncle Jesse knew that Luke would be upset that KK got hurt and he couldn't be there to comfort her, but KK told him that she couldn't be near him or she would get sick too. He understood. Still, it pained Luke to see her lip in the condition that it was in.
When Steve went to use the stick in class KK hid under her desk. Steve had forgotten that it was this that had hurt her. When he realized what had happened, he went over to her and calmed her fears down. "Remember, K," he told her, "It wasn't the stick's fault; it was the person using it." Still she jumped for a few months whenever he would use it.
The best news of all was that the cold streak finally snapped and on Monday morning in Hazzard County and the temperature was in the 50's at night and 60's during day.