Chapter 7: Fireworks
Bo woke up well before his cousin, at the soft knock of a nurse at the open door.
"Beauregard Duke?" she asked, glancing at a chart. Bo sat up and nodded an affirmative. "Dr. Perkins would like to have a look at your arm."
Bo shrugged. "Okay."
The nurse stepped back and a white-coated doctor entered. He was a small, thin man with thinning gray hair and a frown that appeared permanently disappointed with whatever he looked at. He walked softly, with a fleeting glance at the undisturbed and slumbering Luke.
"How are you this afternoon, Mr. Duke?" he asked in an indifferent tone. Without waiting for an answer, he peered at the splinted limb that lay across Bo's lap. A ragged cut ran the length of his forearm, already closed, but the bruised skin has diminished back to normal proportions. "The swelling is down quite a bit from this morning, I think we can put a cast on it now," the doctor said aloud, speaking only half to Bo and half to himself. "Nurse Evans will escort you down to Orthopedics."
The nurse, who was waiting at the door, stepped forward as the doctor took his leave and pulled a wheel chair from the corner. Bo swung his legs to the floor and looked at it skeptically.
"It's my arm that's broken, ma'am."
The nurse smiled sweetly. "It's your leg that will be if you don't sit down."
Not needing to be told twice, Bo sat in the wheelchair. He looked back at Luke. "But…"
"Your cousin will be fine, you'll probably be back here before he wakes up," she assured him and wheeled him off.
Later on, Bo had to give her credit - she was right. In fact, it wasn't until after Bo returned from the Orthopedics department, sporting cast and sling, after Jesse, Daisy, and Cooter returned bringing his freshly cleaned clothes, and after he'd nearly finished dressing, that Luke stirred. Bo stood at the foot of the bed buttoning his shirt and watched with some amusement as Luke opened his eyes, blinked, looked at the empty bed, and was half out of his chair with alarm before he saw Bo standing there.
"Afternoon, Luke," Bo greeted him with a bright smile.
Luke was dumbstruck for a moment, looking his cousin up and down and seeing him mostly whole and healthy. Then he took two steps forward and pulled Bo into a fierce hug. For his part, Bo was surprised - Luke wasn't usually a particularly expressive person.
"God, you scared me!" Luke exclaimed.
"I'm alright, Luke," Bo reassured him and returned the grip with his right arm. His cousin released him, stepping back to look at him again and be sure. "Uncle Jesse an' Daisy an' Cooter are waiting outside. The hospital's releasin' me, an' we're gonna go get something to eat."
Luke glanced out the half-open window blinds at the bright sun outside. "What time is it?"
"Near four o'clock."
The room door opened, and Jesse walked in, Cooter and Daisy in tow. "You done changin' yet, Bo?" Jesse asked, seeing the answer.
"Look who's awake," Daisy commented with a smile, walking to Luke's side. He smiled back, and draped a brotherly arm around her shoulders. The three had already hugged and greeted Bo earlier, when they'd first arrived.
"Y'all hungry?" Cooter asked, his stomach growling.
"Starving," Bo declared, and was the first to head for the door.
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They ate at a diner on the edge of the city. Bo ordered the largest item on the menu - a whopping five-pound burger with all the fixin's and fries - but it proved more than he could finish in one sitting, despite his 24-hour famine. Cooter finished it for him. Then they divided back up into the two vehicles - Bo firmly set between Luke and Jesse - and drove back to Hazzard. Bo thought Jesse was being a mite overprotective when he slowed down to the speed limit all the way back - Cooter and Daisy quickly passed them and sped on ahead. He also noticed the CB was turned off. When he reached to turn it on, Jesse swatted his hand away.
"Leave that noisy thing off, it's nice and quiet in here!"
Bo looked at Luke, who shrugged, and went back to looking out the window.
When they reached the outskirts of home, though, Jesse didn't turn off onto any of the roads that led home, but continued straight south into town. Bo and Luke were both looking around at the road and the buildings, trying to discern some reason for the detour. Then they turned a bend on the far end of town, and realized they were headed for the fairgrounds. As they came in sight, Bo saw Cooter's truck in the parking lot, and a huge crowd waiting at the edge of the field. He was also amazed to see the Ferris wheel still running, the merry-go-round still twirling, the whole fair in full swing. He was still staring as Jesse parked the truck and all three climbed out. Daisy ran up, with Cooter trailing along behind. Bo realized the pair had driven on ahead to alert the welcoming committee. Daisy took Bo's good arm and led him forward.
"They held over the fair, and the fireworks, until tonight," she explained with a delighted grin. The crowd ahead was cheering, composed mostly of those who'd arrived at the mines at some point the previous night for help and support. Jesse, Luke, and Cooter followed behind.
"Not for me!" Bo asked, incredulous.
"For you, and for everyone who came out to help you…they cancelled the fireworks last night, didn't figure it was proper to celebrate, and when the vendors realized how much profit they'd lose if they just left, they decided to stay too."
Bo shook his head in amazement. For the next two hours, he lost track of how many hands he shook, how many 'thank you's and 'Yes ma'am, I feel lucky to be alive's he said, as the entire County of Hazzard wanted to wish him well. Ladies insisted that he tried their jams and jellies, pies, cakes, and sweets of all kinds. Men clapped him heartily on the back (which was still rather bruised) and praised his courage and his luck. He met Ben Howell, and was surprised at the tears that fell when the old man hugged him. When they were satisfied, the crowd drifted apart in two's and three's, off to enjoy the remainder of the holiday fair. Bo briefly caught glimpse of Boss Hogg, who turned and went the other way when he saw Luke coming. Laughing, he turned to his cousin.
"What did you do?"
Luke blushed again, embarrassed. Daisy spoke for him. "He punched him!"
"You punched Boss Hogg!" Bo thought he'd had all the shocks a man could take in one day.
Daisy continued, tears of laughter in her eyes, "You should have seen it…Boss went head over heels!" She imitated him rolling in the dirt, trying to get up.
Bo guffawed at the thought, slapping one knee. Jesse turned to look at his eldest nephew, torn between disapproval and mirth. He swallowed his laughter and settled on a frown.
"Lucas Duke, that is not the way I raised you," he declared. Luke hung his head guiltily for a moment, until Jesse added, "But boy, do I wish I had been there to see it!"
Luke grinned, and listened as Daisy recounted the incident in detail. Jesse turned red with anger at Boss's words, and proudly hugged Luke's shoulder with one arm.
"Then again, there's some times when a little violence is necessary," Jesse declared, and that was all he had to say about that.
Later on, when full dark had settled on the county and the stars bejeweled the night sky, the revelers migrated towards the open field and settled down on picnic blankets, waiting for the fireworks to begin. The first dazzling star of bright red burst without warning high in the sky, garnering an assortment of oooo's and ahhh's. The brilliant display that followed lit the sky in quick succession, radiant patterns of stars, spirals, sunbursts and lazy streamers that glittered as they drifted earthwards, in luminous colors of red, green, purple, blue, yellow, and gold. Luke looked down once from the display to see the delighted expression on Bo's face as he watched each burst of light. It was too soon when the final rocket whistled into the sky, and the crowd cheered the end of another - extended - Fourth of July celebration.
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The busy evening and the late night was enough to make everyone appreciate the peace and quiet at home. Cooter dropped Daisy and Luke off at the mines to pick up Dixie and the General Lee, and then headed home himself. Jesse and Bo were already home - Jesse in the kitchen making tea, and Bo on the front porch, looking out at the stars - when Luke and Daisy drove up. Daisy excused herself and headed straight to bed, while Luke and Jesse both joined Bo on the porch. Jesse sat in a creaking old rocking chair, and Luke took a spot on the steps below his cousin.
For a little while, the only sound was that of the three Duke men breathing, relaxing, enjoying the night air. The faintest sniff caught Luke's ear, and he was surprised to glance up and see a tear trickling down his cousin's face as he looked up at the stars.
"What is it, Bo?" he asked softly.
Bo shook his head, and quickly wiped his face. "Nothing…I just…I didn't think I'd live to see the stars again," he explained, embarrassed to admit it.
Luke nodded in understanding.
After a little while, Jesse stood and excused himself, stretching and saying, "Well, this old man's gotta get to bed. There's plenty of chores been put off the last two days that need doin' in the mornin'. Don't stay up too late, boys. Good night."
"Good night, Uncle Jesse," his nephews echoed one another, and he went inside.
Despite sleeping half the day, Luke was tired as well, but he was still reluctant to leave his cousin. By his third jaw-cracking yawn, though, he decided it was time for him to turn in too.
"You coming in?" he asked Bo as he stood.
"No, I'm not that tired…I'm gonna stay out here a little while longer," Bo said.
Luke nodded and yawned again, patting his cousin's shoulder as he walked up the steps and headed inside.
It was much later when Bo finally stood up and headed into the farmhouse. The night air was fresher and sweeter than he remembered it, the crickets livelier, the night warblers more melodious. He reveled in the fresh joy of being able to walk, to move, to twist and turn and bend - movements he'd taken for granted all his life. Everything felt different, and strange.
Bo walked through the kitchen and stopped at the living room entrance by the light switches. He looked down the dark hallway, hearing Luke's soft snores coming from the room they shared, and louder snores coming from Uncle Jesse's room. He turned off the kitchen light, then immediately turned it back on, and found his hand was trembling. With another long look down the hallway, he walked instead to Jesse's armchair in the living room, sat down, and closed his eyes, the kitchen light shining bright as he fell asleep.
Now, why do I have the feeling that this ain't the end of this story?