Chapter Seven
Bo suppressed a moan as he opened his eyes.
He was lying on the floor in an apartment.
The room was dark, just as dark as the darkness that filled the sky outside.
Images of Luke being hit and falling to the ground filled Bo's mind and he shuddered.
"Luke." Bo whispered sadly as the tears fell down his cheeks and splattered on his bright, blue T-Shirt.
The promise that Luke had made last year rang in Bo's mind.
Luke and Bo were sitting on the porch watching the sunset. Luke had just gotten back from the Marines four months before, and all that time Bo had tried to ignore him.
All the praises to the Duke 'war hero' got on Bo's nerves and nearly set him off a time or two, until that morning, when everything had gone wrong.
Bo had been in town when the local riff-raff had found him and quickly started to use him as a punching bag.
He had tried to fight them off, but he was greatly outnumbered and no one would help him!
The leader had just punched Bo in the ribs so hard that the blonde haired man felt and heard the ribs on his left side break when a voice penetrated his thoughts.
"HEY, LET'EM GO!"
The leader turned, still holding on to Bo's now bloody blue shirt.
"Well if it isn't the ol'e war hero, come ta rescue his baby cousin. How touchin'." Williams had said.
"If ya touch him one more time, I'll.." Luke had said, raising his fist menacingly as he approached the man who was holding his cousin.
"You'll what?" Williams had asked.
In answer, Luke had smashed the guy in the face before he ripped his cousin away from the bully's grasp.
Luke had laid Bo gently on the ground before he had turned and gave William's and his gang a piece of his mind.
A broken arm here and a busted leg there drove off the gang and allowed Luke to return to his cousin, who was now leaning against the side of a building.
"Bo, ya alright?" Luke asked.
"What are ya doin' here? Yer supposed to be at that party at the Boar's Nest." Bo had replied angrily.
Luke shook his head and said, "Didn't seem like much of a party, least way's with you gone, Ma heart jus' wasn't in it."
At those words, Bo had really looked at his cousin for the first time.
"I can understand why yer angry with me, and believe me, I don't want all the attention, all I want is fer things ta return ta normal. I want us ta be friend like we once were." Luke had said.
"Ya really mean that, Luke?" Bo had asked.
"Yeah Bo, I do." Luke had replied.
Bo smiled and then allowed Luke to help him to their car, the General Lee, which sat at the curb.
Luke had seen Bo grimace as he climbed through the window, so he asked, "Ya sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, just a few cracked ribs." Bo replied.
As Luke also climbed into the General he said, "Sorry I wasn't there sooner."
"S'alright. Ya couldn't of known." Bo replied with a slight smile.
"Bo, I promise you, that next time, whenev'a ya need me, I'll be there."
Bo had laid his hand on his cousin's shoulder as Luke had started the General and roared off towards the farm to bandage his cousin.
Bo came back to the here and now as lightning flashed through the sky.
As the thunder boomed, Bo jumped and pulled himself into a little ball on the floor, but somewhere in his mind, he heard Luke say, "Whenev'a ya need me, I'll be there."
Bo smiled slightly and whispered, "I know ya will Luke, I know ya will."
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As the jeep had roared off with his youngest nephew, Jesse had knelt on the ground, cradling his oldest nephew who now sported a gunshot wound to his side.
Knowing that he was the only one who could help Luke, Jesse had risen and gone to the phone to call for an ambulance.
After two minutes Jesse had returned and stayed by Luke's side.
While they waited, Luke whispered, "Uncle Jesse, ya gotta hel..help Bo."
"Can't. They took'em." Jesse replied with tears streaming down his face.
"If anyone can find'em Uncle Jesse..ya can." Luke replied.
"Luke, don't talk that way, yer gonna be alright." Jesse said as he silently thought, 'Where in tarnation is that ambulance!'
Finally the wail of an approaching siren caused a small smile to break across Jesse's face.
"See? I tol' ya that ya'd be fine." Jesse said as he looked down at Luke's face, but Luke had slipped into unconciousness.
