A/N First of all, sorry for the shortness of this chapter, it's kind of a filler chapter, but... there's angst, so if you're in to that, you'll like it! I still ain't sure if this story will need a tissue-warning or not, but I think that if I let Luke die, some people will not be so happy with me... Ducks away for the flyin tomatos
Once again, thanks for all the encouraging reviews, they really keep me writing! The next chapter will probably take about a week, because school is a ...#$... wel ya know what I mean. ;-) In the meantime, enjoy the story, and I'll try ta make my deadline...

13

A feeling of complete and utter emptiness took hold of Bo's heart, the minute those words left the doctors mouth. The air inside the small hospital room seemed to breathe the pain and worry the inhabitants felt at that moment. As if feeling this, doctor Ramirez coughed softly and turned around to quietly leave the room to give this family some space. One request however, stopped him.

"Can we see him?"

Turning around to face these family members, with pain etched on their faces and worry lines covering their foreheads, he told them that they could see their cousin, albeit one at the time.

He was probably the only surprised one in the room, when Bo Duke sat up and started to swing his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Wait a minute, you can't get up yet-," he stated, just as Bo's carefully stitched leg gave away from underneath him. While Jesse caught his right arm, doctor Ramirez took the other, gently but firmly guiding the protesting young man back into the small hospital-bed.

"Ya don't understand, I gotta go see him," turning towards his uncle, Bo laid pleading eyes on him, "Uncle Jesse? Please, it's my fault he's in there, jus lemme go see him?"

The painful look in his nephews eyes tore at Jesse's old heart, but a question popped into his head, as he pondered Bo's words.

"Whatta ya mean when ya say it's your fault Bo? That storm wasn't anybody's fault."

Bo shook his head vehemently, "Uncle Jesse, I crashed that truck, an' if I'd gotten Luke the help he needed sooner, he'd be fine!" he exclaimed, feeling hot tears fill his eyes at the thought of loosing his cousin like this.

"Now you listen ta me boy," Jesse spoke with a certain clarity in his voice, "Ya didn't know that storm would be that big, an' ya did everything ya could ta keep yur cousin safe, from what I heard. Now stop beatin yourself up 'bout this an' be there for Luke, cause he sure as heck is gonna need us, now more than ever."

As Jesse ended his speech, he seamed to deflate in front of them, sagging stiffly into the chair standing behind him.

"Now," he said, turning his eyes towards the doctor, "is there anyway my nephew can see Luke? Those two are closer then two foxes in a henhouse, so it 'd be mighty nice if y'all can figure a way ta get him there?" he asked, with a small twinkle in his dull eyes, knowing the doc wouldn't let this request slide.

Bo sighed a sigh of relief when he saw the small nod doctor Ramirez gave before saying,

"I'll get you a wheelchair, and then I'll take y'all to him."

Now what did I tell ya? Uncle Jesse ain't the Duke patriarch fur nothin. I'll bet he could talk Luke outta his coma without breakin a sweat… Hmm, I'm startin ta think it 'd be a good idea for them ta go see Luke, it might do him a world a good.

Although Bo had set his heart on seeing his cousin, didn't mean he wasn't afraid. After stepping in the wheelchair doctor Ramirez had brought him, it only took a few minutes for them to reach the ICU, the air smelling of antiseptic while the soft beeping of machines could be heard from the several occupied rooms. Hearing those sounds in this cold and silent atmosphere, Bo suddenly lost his nerves. Did he want to see his cousin lying in here? Maybe dying in here? A slight shiver wracked his body, but the wheels underneath him kept rolling. And he didn't stop them, because the need to see Luke was always stronger then his fears were…

They came to stop in front of a small room, with blinds covering the window, so it was impossible to look inside. Dr. Ramirez turned to the three Dukes,

"Now, he probably don't look like himself now, with his broken arm and the bandaged wound on his head. There are a lot of machines in there, all attached to him, but they are there so we can monitor his condition all the time," he ended, seeing how these people only wanted to see their family member, not hearing him talk about him.

Taking the wheels of his wheelchair, Bo looked up at his uncle, searching for the sign that he could go in.

"You go in first Bo, tell im we love im…" he said to his youngest nephew, putting a weathered hand on his shoulders, unconsciously giving Bo the support he needed.

While Jesse and Daisy stayed outside, doctor Ramirez opened the door and Bo wheeled in, coming to a sudden halt when he saw Luke, lying in the hospital bed, looking like something out of a bad horror movie.

Tubes sneaked from under the sheets, going to all kinds of machines that were making whirring sounds while other ones were beeping steadily.
The whiteness of the sheets almost resembled the paleness of Luke's skin, which was almost entirely covered with bandages and breathing tubes. A large cast covered his right arm, which was resting on top of the sheets.

Shaking off the momentary shock, Bo noticed how the doc had moved him so he sat next to the bed, and was now able to take Luke's uninjured hand into his. Looking around, he also noticed the doctor had made a silent exit, and he was grateful for it. He needed some time alone, because all the emotions whirling inside of him threatened to come out of each and every pore of his body.

And so he sat there, his head bowed, finally letting the whole heaviness of the situation get to him. As it sank in, he couldn't hold back the one thing he had been able to hold back this entire time. Silent tears started to roll down his cheeks, dripping onto the sheet below him, while a large shudder wracked his body as a sob made itself known.

Turning his wet eyes up to look at his cousins still face, bandage covering his head and a breathing tube filling his mouth, he couldn't help but feel the desperate need to talk to his cousin like he always did when things went bad. But this time that wasn't possible…

"You jus got ta get back to us cuz. We's all worried real bad, and ya know what? We didn't make it through all that to loose ya now. Remember what ya said when we were stuck in that tree? Ya said you 'd keep the promise ya made before ya went to the marines. Ya kept that promise when ya came back from the marines, but ya also have at keep it now," sniffling a little, Bo ended his plea. Seeing the stillness in Luke's face told him this wasn't working. But, being no quitter, Bo kept talking.

He talked about the farm, the General Lee and the town. He talked about the time Luke was in the marines, and how he had spent his days going to school and waiting for letters to arrive. He talked until his throat felt hoarse and only stopped talking when the door opened, revealing doctor Ramirez and uncle Jesse.

"Bo? It's time ta rest now," the doctor said while slowly taking the handles of the wheelchair, turning it around.

Bo gave Luke's hand one last squeeze before turning to his uncle, a look of utter hopelessness in his watery eyes, "I tried uncle Jesse, I tried but…"

Putting his hand on Bo's shoulder, Jesse gave him a small smile, "I know son, I know."

Seeing his uncle sitting down next to Luke, Bo felt a small amount of relief going through him, knowing Luke wouldn't be alone anymore. And knowing Daisy, Bo realized she would be going in this room too, when she had the chance.

With that knowledge Bo let himself being rolled out by the caring doctor, who made sure Bo got to his room, where the reins of sleep claimed his troubled mind once again.

I can't help but be worried 'bout those boys. With Luke in that darned coma, and Bo blamin himself for it, that jus don't look good. If Luke would jus pull through… I'll tell ya, if that boy doesn't wake up, I ain't ashamed ta say I'd shed a tear. Lots of em…