Thank you so much for all the reviews for the last chapter. I thought I better get a move on and not leave you all hanging.
---12---
Luke watched in horror as his cousin's legs crumpled from under him and he pitched forward in a dead faint. Ricky caught him before he hit the ground and Luke hurried over to help him lay Bo down, taking his cousin's weight from Ricky and cradling the boy against his chest. Bo lay limply in Luke's arms.
Luke noticed wet spots of blood appear on the front of Bo's shirt, like raindrops falling from the sky. Drip…drip…drip… Was it raining? Maybe that was why Luke's cheeks were wet.
"Someone get a medic!" Ricky screamed.
"Bo!" Luke called desperately. "Bo!"
The boy's lips moved as if he was trying to answer, but he didn't open his eyes. A red raindrop splashed onto Bo's cheek and rolled down his pale face like a crimson tear.
Two guards came over, yelling for medical help. One took Bo from Luke's arms and placed him down on the ground, checking his pulse and breathing before rolling him into the recovery position.
It seemed like an eternity before medical help came, but was in reality only a few minutes. Luke watched helpless before a guard pulled him away. People crowded around Bo, obscuring him from Luke's sight. He started forward but Ricky held him back.
"Let 'em do their job, Luke." He told him.
Luke pulled away, harder this time, trying to get back to his cousin, but a guard barred his way and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Sit down before ya fall down, son." He said and pressed Luke down. Luke buckled under the firm pressure and half fell to the floor. His head was hurting again and his thoughts seemed to be wrapped in thick cotton wool.
Ricky knelt down and shrugged out of his shirt. He pressed it to Luke's head. "You Dukes sure know how ta attract trouble."
---
"Now about the time ol' Andy was givin' the good news ta Sammy, his boss was puttin' the finishin' touches ta the deal. An' friends, I do mean finishin'."
The phone rang sharply, disturbing Boss from his huge pile of pickled hog trotters and fried chicken. He grabbed the receiver with a greasy hand and answered.
"Is this Commissioner Hogg?" A polite voice asked.
"Yeah, whatda ya want?"
"I have here the agreement from the DA's office concerning Beauregard and Lukas Duke and I just wanted to check a few details with you."
Boss frowned at the names. "Agreement?"
"I take it Ms Davies has informed you?"
"Ya'll see what I mean?"
"Er…why yes she has." Boss lied sweetly. Then his voice dropped. "What about it?"
"Well in order to grant the Dukes probation, I'd need to an official person such as yourself to act as their parole officer."
Boss was horrified. "Parole?" He choked out a large piece of hog gristle. "Ya wanna parole them law-breakin' Duke boys?"
"I assumed-"
"Well ya assumed wrong!" And he slammed down the phone and grabbed a drumstick. Anger always made him hungry.
He chewed while he thought and after a minute, tossed a way the bone and grabbing a hog trotter, he made for the door.
"Rosco!"
---
Luke watched as the medics bundled Bo away on a stretcher. Ricky stayed at his side, keeping pressure on the gash in Luke's forehead. His shirt was slowly turning from prison issue blues to brilliant scarlet.
"Where are they takin' him?" Luke demanded. "Is he OK?"
"They'll probably take him up to Tri-county. He's lost a lot of blood." Ricky told him. "Guess they might treat him here on the hospital wing if ain't deep."
But they both knew it had looked deep.
A medic came over and knelt down beside Luke. He took Luke's chin in his head and tilted his head back, inspecting the large cut which had at last stopped oozing blood.
"Ya better come too, son." He said. "That'll need stitching."
Luke got up. "I ain't leavin' Bo."
"Ain't got a choice." He told him. "That boy needs a proper hospital."
"He's my cousin. He's like my little brother." Luke pleaded. "I've gotta go with him."
"I'm sorry." The medic helped Luke to his feet. "But rules is rules."
---
"Sammy an' Andy broke a few speedin' laws on the way to the farm – bein' round the Dukes can do that ta a body – an' they arrived just as Jesse was dishin' up his famous crawdad bisk."
"How are ya, Andy?" Jesse said. "Ya just in time fer lunch."
Daisy immediately got two extra plates out of the cupboard. Jesse had made too much after years of cooking for four, and they'd been wondering what they would do with the leftovers.
"Now ya know I'm mighty fond of ya bisk, Jesse, but, um, I'm gonna have ta pass." Andy told him. "We ain't got the time."
Both he and Sammy exchanged looks and huge grins. They reminded Jesse of Bo and Luke when the boys had a secret they was itching to share.
"Well ya just better share whatcha ya'll are grinnin' at 'fore the wind changes." Jesse said.
"Do you remember what you told Daisy last night?" Sammy asked.
"I ain't that old," Jesse grumbled, but really hadn't any idea what she meant.
"Well we weren't eves-dropping, just…" And she trailed off, faintly embarrassed.
"We overheard ya, Jesse." Andy cut in.
"And so Andy called a few people and told them." Sammy continued. "They agreed, Jesse! That's really all the IRS office ever wanted, so they agreed."
Jesse was growing confused. "Well, ya best tell me what they agreed to."
"For you to stop making shine." Sammy told him. "Just like you said last night. TheATF thought throwing the book at Bo and Luke might be the only way to stop you, and I guess they were right." She took a breath. "Oh Jesse, they're prepared to let the boys be paroled, if they plead guilty and if you sign an agreement saying you won't make shine again."
Jesse looked at Andy.
"Its true, Jesse. Sign the papers an' we get my boss ta sign them, and the boys're free ta go."
Daisy threw her arms around Andy and Sammy.
"I can't believe it!" She cried and hugged them again. "Thank you!"
Jesse went to sit down at the kitchen table.
"Ma boys are comin' home?" His voice was rough.
Sammy knelt at his feet and looked up into his moist eyes.
"Yes, Jesse, the boys are coming home."
---
"Now ya'll know that things is never that simple in Hazzard County an' friends, this is a day fer complications."
Outside the farm, the sheriff's car pulled up and Rosco and Boss got out.
"Boss, are you sure you wanna do this?" Rosco asked, twisting his hat in his hands.
The commissioner stared up at the house, cigar in his mouth. "I ain't lettin' them no good Dukes skip justice."
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Thanks to HazzardHusker and vinsmouse for the info on the ATF!