Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Warnings: Angst, Violence, Slash, Incest, Established Couple

Rating: FRT

Italics signify thought.

Choices

Chapter 6

Quietly approaching the bed, Jud stopped and withdrew a pair of soft restraints from the supply cabinet beneath the bed. Sure am glad mom was a nurse, he couldn't help thinking to himself. Reaching for Bo's right wrist, he secured it to the bed, being careful not to wake Bo. After doing the same to the left wrist, he checked Bo's i.v., satisfied to see that there was a heperin lock in place. Good I won't have to inject into the bag, won't take as long to work that way. I sure am glad I kept mom's medical books, otherwise I wouldn't have known about that lock they put close to the vein. Bet whoever invented that never thought his device to let doctor's get medicine into a person faster would be used like this. Slapping a hand over Bo's mouth, Jud smiled in satisfication at the look of fear in the little fag's eyes.

Bo's eyes snapped open when he felt a hand covering his mouth. Looking up he saw his cousin Jud hovering over him, a look of hatred in his eyes. Bo had thought his nightmares were frightening, but now he was beginning to see how wrong he had been. Trying to bring his hand up to remove Jud's hand, he was stunned to find that he was tied down.

"Hello cousin, bet you thought you were safe didn't ya? I should've known those boys wouldn't have the guts to do what was needed. Luckily I don't have that problem, see this?" Jud asked, taking the syringe from his pocket and holding it up for Bo to see. "Bet you're wondering what this is? Well I'll tell ya, this is how you die fag. Luke'll be upset at first, but he'll thank me in the end for saving him from your perversions. You know my adopted mom was a nurse, and fortunately I still have her books. There's a lot of helpful information about all sorts of things in those books, like what I have here. This syringe holds potassium chloride, want to hear something interesting? Sure you do. Your body needs this to function properly, it helps your muscles, including the heart to work right. But...too much and it'll stop your heart, causes a massive heart attack if you give enough. Now pay attention Bo, cause this is the best part. When you die, your body releases potassium, so when the coroner finds elevated potassium...he figures it's supposed to be there. Ain't that great? I get you out of Luke's life and everybody thinks you died of natural causes. It's the perfect murder weapon, look at it Bo...in a few minutes you'll be gone, no longer a problem." Jud snarled, as he inserted the needle and began to depress the plunger.

"I don't think so!" Luke growled from the door, running into the room and tackling his brother to the floor.

Hearing the commotion from room 345 the nurse called security before hurrying to check on her patient. Clara Danridge had been a nurse for twenty years, and in all those years had never witnessed a scene like the one that greeted her. Her patient's cousin and another man were on the floor fighting, while in the bed her patient lay gasping for air. Rushing over to the young man in the bed, she ignored the two on the floor, she'd let security handle them. Seeing the needle inserted into the heperin lock, she carefully removed it. Quickly paging Dr. Bennett, Clara turned back to her patient, not even noticing when security entered the room. "Calm down sweetheart, you're going to be okay. Dr. Bennett will be here in just a minute and we'll find out what you were given, then we can help you. But you have to try to stay calm, okay?" Clara calmly soothed, knowing that until they knew what he'd been given there was little she could do.

"Potas..." Bo tried to tell her what Jud had called it, but he could barely breathe. Bo's chest hurt so much, he'd never felt pain anything like it. I sure hope that doctor hurries. Please somebody help me, can't breathe. Luke...don't want to leave you, please...

"Bo...look at me honey. Good boy, potassium chloride? Is that what he gave you?" Clara asked, smiling at his nod. "Okay, that's good Bo, we can treat that. Bo? Did you see how much was in the syringe?" Disappointed, but not surprised when he shook his head in the negative. Just then Dr. Bennett walked into the room. "Oh doctor thank goodness you're here. The patient is experiencing difficulty breathing and was apparently injected with an unknown quantity of potassium chloride."

Quickly examining Bo and knowing time was of the essence, the doctor began issuing instructions. "Nurse, administer 5 c.c.'s Insulin via the heperin, and 15 glucose soulution i.v., stat."

Jesse, Daisy and Luke had headed down to the lobby, reluctantly leaving for home when Luke suddenly stopped. "Luke, what is it son?" Jesse asked.

"I don't know Uncle Jesse, guess I'm just tired," Luke responded, once again heading towards the doors. As he stepped outside, he couldn't help the sudden feeling of dread and impending loss. The sensation was so strong, he stumbled, nearly falling to his knees. Without a word to his uncle or cousin, he turned and raced back into the hospital, like the devil himself was chasing him. He hadn't waited for the elevator, a little voice whispering that there wasn't time. Listening to that voice, he hit the stairs running, taking three flights of stairs in record time. Luke arrived in Bo's room, just in time to hear Jud telling Bo that he would soon be gone. Seeing the needle in Jud's hand, he felt his blood run cold at the sight. "I don't think so," he snarled and tackled his brother.

Though Jud was a professional boxer, Luke had anger and fear on his side. Funneling all of the anger and fear he'd felt for the past couple of days into his punches, it didn't take him long to get the upper hand. He didn't know how long he fought Jud, wasn't aware of anything until somebody grabbed him and began to pull him away from his brother. Luke fought back, trying with all of his strength to reach Jud. He wanted nothing more than to make Jud pay for all of the pain Bo had suffered. How dare his brother think he had the right to decide who Luke should love? He stopped fighting only when the man holding him slapped cuffs on his wrists. It was then he realized it was a security guard who held him and that another held Jud. Leading the two men from the room, the guards forced them to sit in the chairs outside the room. While one of them went to call the police, the other stood watch over the two men.

"Luke, what's going on?" Jesse called, as he and Daisy came down the hall.

"Uncle Jesse, thank God you're here. Jud...he poisoned Bo. I tried to stop him, but...I don't know if I was in time."

"Poison?" Jesse asked, shocked that Jud would go to such lengths over this. Before he could say anymore, Sheriff Little arrived in response to the call from hospital security.

"Alright, what's going on here? Well, well, Luke Duke. Now why am I not surprised to see you here? Taken to brawling in hospitals now, have we?" Turning to the security guard, the sheriff asked him what had happened.

"We received a call from Clara Danridge, the nurse on duty. She reported a fight in a patient's room. When we arrived we found these two in room 345, fighting. We seperated them and restrained them before removing them from the patient's room."

"Okay, first of all. Who are you?" Sheriff Little asked Jud, not having seen him before.

"Jud Kane, I'm Luke's brother," Jud sullenly answered.

"So you're a Duke too. Well now I don't think I've ever heard of a Duke fighting a Duke before. Suppose you tell me just why y'all were fighting, and in a hospital?"

"He was trying to kill Bo, I caught him. He was putting posion in his i.v. line, and I heard him telling Bo that he would be dead soon. That's when I tackled him,...I just hope I was quick enough. They're working on him now but they haven't come out and told us anything." Luke explained, hating the necessity of turning his own brother over to the law.

"You're trying to tell me that your own brother tried to kill Bo? Now why would he do that?" Sheriff Little demanded, incredulous at what the Duke boy was telling him. "Well if that don't beat all. So what's your story Mr. Kane? Did you try to poison your cousin?"

"Damn right I did, and I'd do it again. Little faggot doesn't deserve to live, him and all his kind should be killed. I was doing the world a favor." Jud ranted, not caring that he had just confessed to attempted murder. Jud didn't believe for a minute that any jury would find him guilty, not once they knew the whole story.

For several minutes, nobody moved, too stunned by Jud's confession and hate filled words to react. When the reaction came, it was the last thing any of them would've expected. Big Ed Little suddenly jerked Jud from his chair and slammed him against the nearest wall. "Did I hear you right boy? You just admitted that you tried to kill your cousin...because he's gay?" The sheriff snarled into the face of his captive, sneering in disgust when the man in his grip paled in fear. "Who the hell gave you the right to decide who should live and die? You ain't God boy, it ain't your job to make that decision. People like you make me sick, ya think you're better than everybody else. Think your way is the only way and don't care who you hurt as long as things are done your way. Well you're in my county now boy, you'll be lucky if we don't put you under the jail. We don't look too kindly on murderers and bigots in Chickasaw county. Mr. Schumacher, you can release Luke there. Seems all he did was to protect a life, hopefully he managed to save his cousin's life," he told the security guard. "I'll be taking this one over to the jail. I suppose you'll be over later Mr. Duke to swear out a complaint?" He asked Jesse, at a nod from Jesse, the sheriff turned back to Jud. As he marched him off towards the elevator and jail, they could hear him reading Jud his rights.

No sooner had Mr. Schumacher released Luke from the cuffs, than the doctor stepped out of Bo's room. "Doctor, how is he? How's my boy?" Luke and Jesse asked in unison.

"He's resting comfortably at the moment Mr. Duke. Your nephew was injected with potassium chloride Mr. Duke. Luckily, Luke here managed to stop the killer before he was able to inject much of the potassium. However he did manage to inject some. As a result, Bo did suffer a mild heart attack. I believe we were able to counteract the potassium in time to prevent any permament damage. I've ordered tests to be scheduled for first thing in the morning. We should be able to tell you more after we see the results of the tests. In the meantime we will be monitoring him closely throughout the night."

"A heart attack," Luke whispered in shock. "But he's only twenty-five...that's what the potassium did?"

"Yes sir, that is exactly right. As I said hopefully we were able to prevent any permament damage. Now I suggest that you all go home and get some rest. We'll begin the tests at 8:00 in the morning. You can of course be here if you like or you can come back in the afternoon, by then we'll be done."

"I'm not going anywhere doc, I'm staying right here with my cousin. After all he's been through I'm not letting him out of my sight. Don't bother arguing with me doctor, besides if I'm here I can help keep an eye on him. I'll be there to get the nurse if there's any kind of changes," Luke informed him.

"I'm sorry Mr. Duke but I can't allow that. You're cousin needs his rest and hospital policy..."

"I don't give a hang about hospital policy. I ain't leaving him alone, the only way you're gonna make me leave is to call the sheriff. Do you really want to do that?"

"Alright...fine you can stay. But you better stay out of the way of my nurses and if you don't...I will call the sheriff." The doctor told him not wanting to upset his patient and seeing that Luke wouldn't leave.

"Doctor, would it be okay if me and Daisy said goodnight to Bo, before we leave?" Jesse asked.

"Yes of course Mr. Duke, though he should be asleep by now," Dr. Bennett said, before walking down the hall.

Looking down at his youngest nephew, Jesse felt the tears of relief burning his eyes. He couldn't believe how close they had come to losing Bo. All because Jud couldn't accept the fact that his brother was in love with a man. "Guess you were right to be afraid of his reaction sprout. It's gonna be okay now though, he ain't going to hurt you again. Luke's gonna stay here with ya tonight, but me and Daisy we got to take care of the animals so we'll be going home. You get some rest Bo, we'll see you in the morning," Jesse whispered, leaning over and kissing his nephew's forehead before stepping back.

"Hey Bo. Ya sure gave us a scare cousin. Guess it probably scared you too, Jesse's right ya know. Jud ain't never gonna hurt you again. I love you baby, get better," Daisy whispered, gently kissing Bo's cheek. Snuggling into Uncle Jesse's embrace, Daisy gave Luke a watery smile before they left the room and headed for home.

Drawing a chair up to sit beside Bo's bed, Luke settled in for the night. Reaching out, he lovingly picked up Bo's hand and began to caress it. "I love you Bo, more than I could ever say. You have to get better darlin, I...I can't go on without you. Don't want to go on without ya. The doctor says he doesn't think there was any permament damage. I sure hope he's right, I ain't got the strength to do this without you. I know everybody always thinks I'm the strong one, but they don't understand where I get it from. Bo you're the only reason I have the strength I do. Without you, even before we found each other, just knowing you were there for me... That's what kept me going Bo, knowing you were here is what got me through the war and back home. Knowing I had you to turn to is what gave me the strength to get out of bed each day when I finally did make it home. If you hadn't been here, I swear I would've just given up. Probably would've turned into a bitter drunk who'd be dead by now. You hang on Bo. You have to get better for us. We've got a lot of years to spend together...Bo?" Luke whispered as he saw his lover jerk suddenly in his sleep. A moment later one of the monitors began to shrill an alarm and nurse Danridge was rushing into the room. Shoving Luke away from the bed, she focused on Bo. Staggering back from the bed, Luke suddenly found himself on his knees, praying that God wouldn't take his Bo from him, the alarm continuing to shrill in the background.

TBC

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