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

Warning: Angst, Slash, Incest, Established Couple

Rating: FRT

Choices

Chapter 11

"Welcome back young man, you gave everybody quite a scare," Dr. Bennett said.

"I'm in the hospital?" Bo asked, slightly confused.

"What do you remember Bo?" Dr. Bennett asked when he heard the confusion in his patient's voice.

"Um...Luke! Where's Luke? Where's my family? Are they okay?" Bo frantically asked, as the memories came flooding back.

"Calm down Bo, calm down. Your family is fine, all of them," the doctor assured him. Turning towards the door, Dr. Bennett saw a nurse entering with Bo's test results in her hands. "Excuse me a moment Bo," he said, before walking over to the nurse. Taking the test results from her, he began to carefully looking through them, a smile forming as he saw the report. Stepping back to his patient's side, the doctor gave Bo the news. "These are your test results Bo, you'll be happy to know that you're going to be just fine. When you were brought into the emergency room and Luke told me what had happened, I was afraid you had experienced a cardiac event. I'm happy to say I was wrong, these tests tell me that you didn't have any heart trouble at all this afternoon. What you had was a masssive anxiety attack, of course given what happened I'm not surprised."

"So I can go home?"

"Just as soon as I get the paperwork signed. Now the same things you were told this morning still apply, plenty of rest and no strenous activity. I'm going to take care of that paperwork now, in the meantime I believe there are some people outside waiting to see you."

Stepping out of the exam room, the doctor headed directly for the waiting room, glad that he would have good news to give to Bo's family. He had barely stepped into the waiting area when the Duke family came up to him. Holding up a hand, stopping their questions before they could begin, he quickly gave them the same news Bo had received. "I have a little paperwork to fill out before Bo goes home, while I take care of that you are welcome to sit with Bo. I'm sure he'd like the company," Dr. Bennett told them, a smile upon his face.

Seeing Dr. Bennett coming into the waiting area, Luke rushed towards him, Jesse and Daisy following closely. Opening his mouth to ask about Bo, he was surprised when the doctor stopped him. A moment later and he let go the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Hearing the great news about Bo, it took every ounce of self-control Luke possessed to prevent himself from screaming with joy.

The doctor barely finished and Luke was through the double doors, asking the first nurse he saw, where he could find Bo. Walking into the exam room, Luke felt the tears prickling his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he walked to his cousin's side, picking up Bo's hand, he gently caressed his face. "How are ya feeling?"

"Tired, but I'm gonna be fine Luke. Sorry I scared y'all," Bo softly told Luke, reaching up to brush at the lone tear that rolled down Luke's face.

"You ain't got nothin to be sorry for Bo. Ain't none of this your fault, the only one to be blamed is Jud. Just so you'll know, Sheriff Little took Jud back to Chickasaw, and this time he'll make sure that he doesn't get out again. He won't get the chance to hurt you again darlin, I promise."

"I appreciate that Luke, but don't make promises ya might not be able to keep. It's enough to know that you'll do your best to keep us all safe from Jud, I don't need more than that to feel safe." Pulling Luke down, Bo placed a gentle kiss on his lover's lips. Whispering, "I love you Luke Duke," as his cousin drew back and slowly straightened up.

After giving the boys a few minutes alone, Jesse and Daisy stepped into the room, grinning in relief when they saw Bo. Even though the doctor had told them Bo would be fine, it hadn't really sunk in until they saw him for themselves. "Bo, how you feel boy?" Jesse gruffly asked.

"I'm fine Uncle Jesse. Are you okay? Daisy said Jud hit you, did you have a doctor check you out?" Bo asked, worried about his uncle.

"I'm fine Bo, he didn't really hurt me none. Just dazed me is all, but it was long enough for him to tie me up."

"So you ain't let the doctor check ya out? Uncle Jesse you wouldn't let us get away with that..."

"That's different Bo. I'm telling ya I'm fine, I don't need to see a doctor," Jesse assured his nephew. "And don't you two start looking at me like that, I ain't hurt," Jesse growled at Luke and Daisy when he saw the worry on their faces.

"Uncle Jesse? Please let a doctor check on you. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you because of me," Bo told him, letting the tears run freely down his cheeks.

"Bo it ain't your fault I got hit," seeing how upset Bo was becoming, Jesse gave in. "I know I ain't hurt, but if it'll make you feel better youngin, then I'll let the doctor look at me, okay?"

"It would Uncle Jesse, thank you," Bo replied, smiling through his tears.

"Don't you worry honey, I'll go with him and make sure he's seen to. You two behave yourselves, we'll be back in a little while." Daisy told her cousins, patting Bo on the leg, she gave him a quick wink, before following Jesse out of the room.

"Pretty sneaky Bo," Luke said as soon as Jesse and Daisy left.

"Worked didn't it?" Bo asked, grinning mischievously at Luke. "Ain't like I lied or anything, I am worried about him. J...Jud could've hurt him worse than he realizes."

Leaving the exam room, Daisy approached a nurse and told her what was needed. Luckily the emergency room wasn't busy and Jesse was immediately taken to an exam room of his own.

Twenty minutes later, the door opened and Luke came into the room, followed by Bo. "Any news yet?" Luke asked for them both.

"Just like I told you, I'm fine. Doctor said there weren't no sign of a concussion or anything more serious. He said I'll probably have a headache for a few hours, but I'll be fine. I could've told him that myself," Jesse gruffly answered. "I'm just waiting on the release papers, then we can go, that is if Bo's ready to go."

Stepping out of Daisy's jeep, they all heard the phone ringing inside the house. Running inside, Daisy grabbed up the receiver, "Hello, Duke farm Daisy speaking."

"Hello Miss Duke," the deep voice of Sheriff Ed Little greeted her. "I'm sorry to bother y'all, I know you've had a hard day, but I need to speak to your cousin Luke."

"Yeah, I mean yes sir. I'll get him for you," Daisy answered, a little disconcerted by the sheriff's friendliness. Laying the receiver down, she turned towards the kitchen and motioned Luke to the phone. "It's Sheriff Little," Daisy whispered as he passed her.

Startled by his cousin's words, Luke picked up the phone, hoping it wasn't bad news. "Sheriff Little? This is Luke Duke, is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, well not anything like what you're worried about. Is your cousin going to be alright?"

"He's fine sheriff, but that's not why you called is it?" Luke asked, wishing the man would get to the point.

"You're right it's not, or not entirely anyway. Your brother is asking to see you, I decided it'd be better if I called you, rather than allowing him to."

"Do you have any idea what he wants?"

"Well, the impression I got is he wants to apologize. If you want to see him..."

"I don't want to, but I think maybe I'm going to have to if I want any answers," Luke replied. "I'll be there in the morning Sheriff, will that be alright?"

"That'll be fine, but be sure to get here before noon. He's being transferred to Atalanta after lunch. He'll be held there until the trial since they're a bit more secure than we are."

"Okay, I'll be sure to be there. Oh and Sheriff Little, I want to thank you for everything you've done."

"No need to thank me Duke, just doing my job," Little snapped. "I'll tell your brother you'll be here tommorrow, goodbye."

The next morning after chores and breakfast, Luke climbed into the General and headed over to Chickasaw county. "I'm here to see Jud Kane," Luke told the deputy at the front desk.

"And you are?"

"I'm his brother Luke Duke."

"Have a seat, I'll need to check with Sheriff Little first."

A few minutes later the deputy returned and escorted Luke back to Jud's cell. Stopping in front of the cell that held his baby brother, Luke couldn't help wishing things could've been different.

"Hello Jud. Sheriff Little said you wanted to see me?" Luke said, the unspoken why plainly heard in his voice.

"Hey Luke," Jud softly answered, before looking up at Luke, hope in his blue eyes. "I'm sorry about what happened to Bo, but no matter what they try to say, it wasn't murder."

"Why would you say that Jud?" Luke asked, not bothering to tell Jud that Bo was alive.

"I didn't shoot him out there in the barn. I was going to, but I changed my mind. It's not my fault if his heart couldn't take the shock when he heard the gunshot." Jud told his brother, looking at him with a triumphant smile. "I know you're mad right not Luke, but believe me, once his influence wears off, you'll be thanking me."

"Thanking you? Why in the world would I thank you? I love Bo, get that through your head Jud, he never did anything to influence me. He ain't brainwashed me, or put me under some kind of spell. The only thing he's ever done is to be himself, that was enough." Luke told his brother, the love he felt for Bo clearly heard.

"I know you believe that now Luke, but that's just cause whatever he did hasn't worn off. It will and then you'll be thanking me," Jud insisted, confidently.

"I have another question brother, what makes you so sure Bo's heart couldn't take the shock?"

"Cause on the way to the barn I saw the way he was sweating and shaking. That's when I realized, he was still weakened by the potassium..."

"You son of a ...you didn't change your mind about shooting Bo. You were counting on the scare being enough to give him another heart attack. One you figured he wouldn't survive!" Luke yelled, bringing the deputy running. "Sorry deputy, everything's okay, it won't happen again." Luke waited until after the deputy left before turning back to Jud. "Well Jud, let me be the one to disappoint you then. Bo didn't have a heart attack, true he passed out from the shock, but he's fine. He's a lot stronger than you probably think he is. Before I leave here Jud there's something you need to know, I just hope this time you'll listen. Bo didn't do anything to talk me into this relationship. Bo never felt like this about me until you came to town that first time. It was when I got hurt by Tex Tompkins, it scared him bad and that's when his feelings started to change. If you asked him to pinpoint it he probably couldn't, but somewhere between my waking up in the hospital and you leaving, he fell in love. The thing you need to know Jud is, Bo might only have started loving me at that point, but I had loved him for several years. So you see brother, if you want to blame anybody for me being with Bo, it's me." Luke told his brother, hoping he would get through to him. When Jud only looked at him with disbelief, Luke gave up and turned away. As he walked away from the cells, a thought occured to Luke. Turning back to his brother, Luke shared that sudden thought. "You know Jud now that I think about it, in a way I have you to thank for what I have with Bo. If you hadn't come into my life, Bo might never have fallen in love with me and we would've continued as friends and cousins only." Leaving the cell area, Luke couldn't help the small smile at his brother's howl of outraged denial as the words he'd spoken hit their mark.

TBC

Hope you liked it, please review and let me know what you think.