Bo!"
Luke shoved the Major aside as he took a sprint into the hotel room. Daisy was right beside him when he reached Bo, who he turned onto his back looking for signs of the gunshot wound.
"Young man, I could have you arrested for that!" Major Edwards snarled as Jesse demanded information quite verbally from inside the hummer.
Luke scanned his cousin's body until he small syringe jutting out from his left arm.
"Oh Luke! It was a tranquilizer gun!" Daisy sighed in relief, removing the dart from Bo's arm and massaging it.
"Of course it is! Wait a minute…..you thought………" The Major trailed off.
"Well you didn't exactly let us in on that part of the plan!" Luke pointed out as he heard Jesse yelling from outside. "He's alright, Uncle Jesse!" He announced with a raised voice.
"Well not exactly." Daisy pointed out, examining Bo's bloody knuckles and bruises that resulted from his drug induced fit as she heard sirens outside.
Moments later, thanks to a call from the motel owner, an ambulance and police cruiser pulled into the parking lot.
"I'm going to get things in order here." The Major announced, leaving Daisy and Luke alone with Bo for a moment before the paramedics arrived. He called Sampson to join him as he explained things to the police before turning responsibility for Dewberry and Foster over to them.
As he was walking back, he saw the paramedics wheel Bo out of the room. He put up his hands to stop them before walking over and searching for the security belts that were attached to the gurney. He then ordered that the paramedics fasten the two on the ends securely while he fastened Bo's arms tightly to his sides.
"Why are you doing that?" Daisy asked as she and Luke looked at Bo sadly.
"We don't know what will happen when he wakes up." The Major explained, satisfied that Bo wouldn't be able to move should he return to consciousness. "We'll be taking him to the Veteran's Hospital in Atlanta." He instructed the paramedics who nodded their understanding.
The Major then steered Daisy and Luke toward Uncle Jesse so he would know what was going on as well. "We won't know what to expect until we get him to the hospital and they can do some blood work to determine the amount of drugs in his system. I'll also dispatch some officers to interview Dewberry and Foster. I don't think we'll have much trouble from them as far as finding out what was administered to Bo. I know it sounds crazy to all of you right now, but I'm sure they never intended for it to go this far."
"Yer right, it does sound crazy." Jesse confirmed.
It was decided that Luke and Sampson would ride in the back of the ambulance with Bo to Atlanta, while Major Edwards would drive the Hummer down with Jesse and Daisy inside.
"Bo. Bo can you hear me?" Luke asked during the road trip.
After a few long moments and Luke's repeated calls, Bo finally came to enough to focus on his cousin.
"Luke?"
"Right here." Luke announced.
"Luke, somethin's wrong, I can't get loose!" Bo exclaimed, realizing he was restrained. His face turned red with anger as he worked against the restraints. "Get me loose!"
"Fraid I can't, cuz. Just try to relax."
"Relax! Luke, if you woke up in a strange place all tied up and your cousin wouldn't do anything about it, how relaxed would you feel?"
"Bo, you're in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. Don't you remember what happened?" Luke asked.
Bo frowned in concentration as he thought. "I ain't real sure, but whatever it was, it mustave made me pretty mad 'cause I feel like I could beat somebody to a pulp right about now!"
"I'm with ya there." Luke had to admit.
Bo's angry expression gave way as he suddenly faced a wave of nausea. The paramedic grabbed something to help him deal with the sickness before Bo settled back down.
"What happened to me, Luke?" He asked, breathing deeply trying to settle his stomach.
"What's the last thing you remember?" Luke asked.
"It's kinda fuzzy." Bo admitted as he tried to remember. "Seems I's on a walk around Carter's Lake. I think you and Daisy were there too. We's all talkin' about goin' home….." Bo trailed off. He then shook his head. "That's the last thing I remember."
"You don't remember being at the farm last night? About the tree through the roof or Uncle Jesse spraining his ankle?"
"No I don't remember Luke! I don't remember anything you're talkin' about! I just think you're trying to keep my mind off the fact that I can't get up and you won't do nothin' about it!" Bo exclaimed in a rage as he struggled against the restraints again.
"Don't take it personal." Sampson told Luke as he watched Bo's struggle with worry. "It's the drugs."
XXXXXX
Once they arrived at the hospital, Major Edwards made sure the staff understood that it was in everyone's best interest to keep Bo restrained until they knew exactly what they were dealing with.
At least the Dukes had something to do while Bo was being attended to. Because Jesse was a veteran, he was qualified to have his ankle treated there at the hospital. Luke and Daisy were right by his side as he was x-rayed and diagnosed with a nasty sprain. By the time his ankle had been bandaged up and he had been outfitted with a pair of crutches, they arrived in the waiting area to find Major Edwards ready to talk to them.
"Let's go somewhere where we can speak in private." The Major announced, motioning them to a private room. The Duke family followed, not sure whether or not to be nervous. Normally a talk in a private room meant trouble, but considering the secrecy surrounding the situation, it was understandable.
They arrived inside where they were introduced to Dr. Kilmer, who had seen Bo upon his arrival.
"The preliminary blood tests have come back." Dr Kilmer announced as the Major and the Dukes settled into chairs. "I'm sure it will come as no surprise to you that he has a lot going through his system right now."
"We kinda figured that from his mannerism alone." Luke confirmed.
Dr. Kilmer nodded as the Major spoke up. "Before the doctor continues, I just want to let you know he can't go into details about the kind of drugs in Bo's system. You must realize that you have already been given far more information on the whole situation than you should have. I, especially, have risked discharge by allowing you the information you've gained so far."
"What drugs are in his system is far less concernin' ta me than what ya plan to do to git 'im back ta normal." Jesse admitted as Luke and Daisy nodded.
"Our main concern, of course, is the elimination of the failed enhancement drug…the emotion numbing drug that is making him violent."
"How will that happen, will it just wear off?" Daisy asked.
"As you might recall…" The Major announced. "Animal experiments have been performed with drugs using similar formulas. In those experiences, it showed that natural elimination often took four months or more."
"Four months!" Jesse snarled. "Ya mean ta tell me my nephew's gonna be like this for four months?"
"It could, if we went in that direction. But I don't think any of us want to do that, which is why our only other option is to try formula C-29X."
"What exactly is that?" Luke asked.
"It's another experimental drug, one that did show some success in flushing the animals of the other drug that was shown to have caused violence. "Dr. Kilmer explained. "The only problem is, according to the same lab experiments, there's a slight chance of further violence. The researchers are somewhat confident that this type of reaction would not occur on a human test subject. However, it has yet to be tested on a human."
"So my nephew's in all this trouble over experimental drugs and you're sittin' there askin' me ta let ya give him some more?" Jesse asked in disbelief.
"If we don't try this." Dr. Kilmer pressed. "...it could be a very, very long road to recovery."
"I don't like it, Jesse." Luke confirmed, standing up and crossing his arms. "I don't think we should let them give Bo this drug, not until they perform a human test on somebody else to make sure it's not gonna affect him in a negative way."
"Four months is a long time, Luke." Jesse had to admit. "Besides, where would they find a volunteer for a test like that, considerin' what's happened so far?"
"Right here." Luke replied, pointing toward his own chest.
Now what do ya'll think ole' Jesse's gonna have ta say about that
