Y'all ready for a jailbreak? ;)
Break
So, which plan to go with?
Luke knew a thousand plans that could help him spring Bo quickly from the jailhouse and get him to the hospital to see his son born, but which one would pull the wool over Rosco, Enos and probably Boss Hogg's eyes best? All of the plans that came to mind had been used once or twice before, and all had its little kinks.
And finally, he set his mind on a plan.
A simple one, no shucking and jiving, no lying.
Yes, it wasn't as fun that way, but it got the job done quickly, and speed was definitely the key in this case.
And so he got out of the General Lee—which he'd driven over from the hospital—took a deep breath and walked into the jailhouse.
Bo was pacing restlessly and angrily inside his cell, in front of Rosco, who was happily wringing his hat, obviously glad with his arrest. Enos was standing off to the side, noticeably less excited.
And also approving of Rosco's catch was fat, grinning Boss Hogg.
"Boss, Rosco," Luke called, catching everyone's attention.
Expectantly, Bo gripped the bars of his cell until his knuckles turned white, staring intently at his cousin.
"Why, Luke Duke," Boss said, turning around and feigning surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Angrily, Luke felt his lip twitch slightly. "You know, Boss."
"Oh, you've come to post bail?" The thought of money already had Boss smiling and Luke could practically see the dollar signs in his eyes.
"No," Luke replied. "But just curious, how much is it?"
"Three hundred simolians," the fat commissioner responded.
Violation of eighth amendment rights! Luke wanted to shout. Didn't that bit of the Bill of Rights state that bail couldn't be excessive and must remain in accordance with the degree of the crime?
But he knew the declaration would get him nowhere fast with Boss Hogg.
But there was still one possible way around this. "Boss, do you know Bo's fiancée is at Hazzard Hospital right now, in labor to have their son?"
"Isn't the baby already born?" Rosco asked.
"No, that's just a rumor," Bo denied vehemently.
"Oh, is she now?" Boss asked, obviously ignoring Bo and Rosco.
"Yes, please, Boss, let me go see my son be born," Bo begged.
The pleading was wasted on Hogg—which the Dukes should've known or anyone, really, judging the fact he had no children of his own. "Waiting here, waiting in the hospital, waiting is waiting, Bo Duke."
"Boss!" he protested strongly.
While Rosco seemed only the slightest bit sympathetic with a slightly softer look to his face than Boss's, his deputy shrank back into the corner quietly. Both Dukes strongly suspected kind and generous Enos was on their side, despite everything else.
"Pay the bail, or leave," the round Boss Hogg said to Luke.
"I'll gladly leave," the Duke replied. "With Bo, that is."
While Luke ran towards Bo's cell and the keys hanging on the wall feet away, he kicked a desk chair out towards Boss and Rosco, toppling them both. As one hand grabbed hold of the keys, the other reached out and pulled Enos' hat down over his face.
In seconds, the door to Bo's cell was open and the younger Duke cousin was dashing out. Bo paused for a minute to shove Rosco and Boss into the cell and fling the door closed.
And it seemed to Luke as he ran out the door that it was taking Enos longer than it should have to get his hat back right.
-+-+-+-
Oh, please, Lou, tell me you held on long enough…
Bo was running as hard as he could down the hospital corridors to find where Lou was… hoping against everything that Xavier hadn't yet come into the world. Luke was behind him somewhere, but being powered by adrenaline, Bo had left him far behind.
He had to pause at a desk to ask where Lou was, panting around his question. "Where's Betty-Lou Johnson?"
The nurse gestured. "Up the hall here, room 216," she said. "And sir, I have to tell you—"
"Thank you!" Bo interrupted, not waiting to hear more. He ran on down the corridor, skidding to a stop outside the open door that read 216…
And he stopped, right there.
Lou was lying on the bed inside calmly, albeit wearily. Covered by the thin blankets of the hospital bed, the bulge of her belly was still obvious. Her head, with still wet hair from the swim about an hour ago, was leaned back against the pillow, turning towards him as he slid to a stop.
"Bo!" The purple half-circles beneath her eyes were painfully obvious as her gray eyes widened in surprise.
"Lou," he breathed in return, hurrying to her bedside and taking her hand. "Please tell me our son hasn't been born yet. Please." His grip on her hand tightened expectantly.
"No, he hasn't."
Bo's eyes scanned the room, but he saw no one else. "Well then, where are the doctors? What…?"
"I wasn't in labor after all," she replied tiredly.
The shock took a minute to sink in and Bo's forehead wrinkled. "What was going on then?" he asked.
She smiled weakly. "Severe indigestion due to some kind of severe allergy to something I ate. Probably wasn't such a good idea for me to go swimming right after lunch huh?"
"But you look so tired…"
"They had to pump my stomach on top of all of that. Not comfy."
"Oh." He realized he was still clutching her hand, and softened his grip. "So, are you alright, Lou?"
"Yeah," she answered tentatively. "I'm alright. I'll be fine."
"Well, you sure gave me a scare."
Sighing, Lou turned her gaze from Bo's face to the ceiling above. "You gave me a scare too. Where the heck were you?"
That's right… Lou had been far too occupied to notice Bo being arrested…
"Rosco managed to catch me before I got into the hospital," he explained. "And he threw me in jail. Luke busted me out."
"He kept you in jail even after you told him your son was about to be born?"
"Yeah. Boss kept me in there under a big bit of bail too."
Jaw tightened, Lou shook her head. "Cold-hearted jackass. That's just what Hogg is. Penny-pinching, selfish little pig. And let's not forget his little idiot follower Rosco." When Lou turned her gaze back to Bo's face, he read pure fiery fury in her eyes, not the least tampered by the tired bags beneath them. "And I'm gonna tell Boss just what I think of him too. He could've made you miss the birth of your firstborn son!"
Bo chuckled lightly. "I agree, darlin', but telling Boss all of that's not going to make much of a difference. And besides, I didn't miss the baby's birth. It's alright."
"No, it's not. I know things turned out alright, but it's just the principle of the whole thing. You almost missed it…"
"I know, Lou, I know." Unconsciously, Bo's fingers began to gently caress Lou's palm. "And I wouldn't be able to live with myself or ever forgive Boss for getting in the way if I really had missed it."
"Good." Quietly, she added, "I never would've forgiven you either."
Bo sighed. "Well, our wedding is the day after tomorrow. Wouldn't do to have us angry at each other, would it?"
"No, wouldn't do at all." Lou sighed. "So I guess that it's a blessing from God that it wasn't Xavier on the way. I never thought I'd be so happy to be allergic to something."
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Jo was sitting in a waiting room outside of Lou's hospital room when Bo went running past. So he was about to find out from Lou herself that the baby wasn't here yet… With a sigh, Jo pushed herself up out of her chair to follow.
That's when Luke came hurrying down the hallway.
"Jo," he huffed, apparently out of breath. "What's going on?"
Smiling lightly at her fiancée, Jo stopped. "Lou had some kind of allergic reaction to something she ate," she replied. "She wasn't in labor after all."
Blowing out a sigh of relief, Luke said, "Well, that's good I guess."
"Yeah," Jo agreed.
"So she'll probably wind up having the baby after the wedding. Well, that's a relief. Then Xavier can meet his married mom and dad."
Nodding, Jo sat herself back down in the chair she'd just recently vacated. "Where were you?" I've been wondering this whole time.
"Breaking Bo out of jail so he could be here," Luke replied, taking a chair beside Jo. "Rosco got him for speeding and outstanding tickets."
"Oh."
The agonies of being back in Hazzard, Jo reflected quietly. Corrupt lawmen and hectic situations. Well, get used to it Bobbie-Jo. You're probably gonna live out the rest of your days in Hazzard County with Luke Duke and a yard full of kids. It was then that she really realized how quickly that life was coming up on her… Two days and then she'd be bound to Luke forever.
Well, nobody get excited... Boss and Rosco aren't done with the Dukes yet, and Lou's not just talking about telling Boss off to be talking...
I dunno when the next chapter will be up... I have school to go back to very soon. And I have mid-terms in 3 of my 6 subjects... -sigh- The horrors of high-school!