Several weeks had passed since the accident. Bo was finally going to be going home at the end of the week, the fracture in Bo's spine had healed and Yeller's leg had healed as well. Both Bo and Yeller had been in a deep depression since the accident, neither one doing much of anything.
Bo couldn't really do much anyway in the hospital other then go around the hospital in his wheel chair, which he didn't do much of. He spent most of the time sitting by the window looking out at the people walking down the side walk and driving down the road. Bo hadn't been expecting any company that day and was surprised to see Luke come in the door.
"Well howdy cousin. Didn't expect to see ya sitting in the corner. Thought you would be trying to sweet talk that pretty nurse of yers. I know I would be." Luke said jokenly as he sat a bag on the small table in the room. Bo looked at it with no apparent interest and just turned to look back out the window. Luke noticed the uninterested look in his cousin's eyes.
Normally Bo would be the one so eager to find out what was in a bag or box or something like that. It pained Luke deeply to see his youngest cousin in so much pain. Luke started to pull the contents of the bag and sit them on the table. Luke had brought with him some get well cards that had been given to Jesse while he was in town earlier that day, two cans of pop, diet Coke and Sprite, a couple of Daisy's homemade chicken sandwiches, and a deck of playing cards.
"Hey Bo, we thought that you would like a homemade sandwich. Daisy made her famous chicken sandwiches for lunch and I thought you would like that better then hospital food again. Bo didn't even bother to look over at Luke as he was talking. Luke noticed that Bo wasn't paying attention to him. He walked over and sat down on the bed that was beside Bo. Luke put his hand on Bo's shoulder. Bo didn't even acknowledge Luke's presence.
"C'mon cousin, tell me what's buggin' ya. Maybe I can help ya."
"You wouldn't be able to help me. There's nothing you or anyone can do." Bo said not even looking at Luke. He wheeled out of the room, stopping just long enough to grab the sandwich and can of pop that Luke had brought. Luke sat on the bed looking out the door. He wished that he could find some way to help Bo out, but he just couldn't think of what to do. Luke sat on the bed waiting for Bo to come back.
Bo was on the first floor watching the news on the television that was in the furthest corner of the waiting room he was in. He sat there slowly eating his sandwich and drinking his can of pop not really listening to the news caster giving the latest breaking story.
After a while Bo decided to head back to his room. As he was heading to the elevator, he saw an all too familiar sight coming down the hall towards him. A short fat man in a white suit and a taller man in a sheriff's uniform came walking down the hallway jabbering something that Bo couldn't hear.
Bo made it to the elevator and was pushing the button almost hard enough to break it. Boss Hogg and Rosco made their way around the corner and spotted Bo. They were surprised to see him at the hospital, let alone even more surprised to see him in a wheel chair.
They hadn't heard about the accident so they had no idea why he was there. The first thought that hit Boss' mind was that Bo was pretending to be a patient and was attempting to steal all the records of patients in the hospital for reasons he didn't know.
"What in blazes are you doing here Bo Duke?" Boss said in a firm voice. "And what are you doing with that wheel chair? You stole that from an unsuspecting patient didn't you. Rosco arrest that Duke." Boss ordered the sheriff.
"Yes sir! Alright Bo Duke, get up out of that there wheel chair." Rosco ordered the blond Duke.
"Rosco as much as I want to get up, I can't." Bo said getting very agitated.
"Oh piddly. You are probably up to your old Duke tricks. Now you got 'til the count of three to get up or I'll pull you up. One…"
"Rosco I'm telling you I can't get up. Otherwise I wouldn't be in this dang chair."
"Two…"
"Rosco, what am I goin' to have do in order for you to believe me?"
"Three. You were warned Bo Duke." Rosco said as he grabbed a hold of Bo's arms and pulled him out of the wheel chair. Both Rosco and Bo fell to the floor. Rosco pushed Bo off of him and sat up quickly.
"ROSCO! I ain't paying you to sit down on the job. Not get up and arrest that Duke!" Boss yelled. Just as Rosco was standing up, Luke came out of the elevator. The first thing he saw when he stepped out was Rosco and Boss standing next to the elevator. He then noticed Bo laying on the floor. Luke looked back up at Rosco and Boss, his temper starting to flare.
"What's the big idea? Are you trying to hurt his back again?" Luke said in a firm tone. His attention was taken from the sheriff and commissioner and put on his younger cousin laying on the floor.
"Ya know Luke, as much as I love to be on the floor, will you kindly help me up?" Bo said in an agitated tone.
"Sorry Bo. Here put your arm around my neck and I'll help you up." Luke said as he bent down to help his cousin. Once Bo was back in his wheel chair, Luke turned his attention back on Boss and Rosco. He looked at them with an anger filled glare.
"What on earth are you trying to do? He's already been in this dang hospital long enough." Luke said to the confused commissioner and the equally confused sheriff. Luke saw the confused look on their faces and figured it would be no use to tell them.
He turned around and faced Bo who was enjoying every minute of his cousin chewing out Boss and Rosco. Luke motioned for Bo to head back up to his room and wait for him. Bo started wheeling himself towards the elevator. Once the doors closed and once Luke was positive Bo was going back to his room, he returned his attention back towards the sheriff and commissioner.
"I don't know what you think you were going to do, but you can't arrest him. He's done nothin' wrong. In fact he's been in the hospital for the past three and a half months. So if you was planning on arresting him for something he was supposed to have done, think again, cause he's as innocent as a new born baby." Luke said. Rosco and Boss looked at each other, neither one knowing what to say.
Luke turned around and waited for the elevator. Once it was at the floor Luke was on, he got onto the elevator and waited for the doors to close. After Luke was gone, Boss and Rosco stood there dumbfounded. Neither one knew what to say. Finally Boss got an idea.
"Rosco, I want you to go see if what that Duke boy said is true or not."
"What do you mean Boss?"
"What I mean dipstick is I want you to go to the front desk and see if Bo Duke has been here as long as Luke said. Now get!" Boss ordered. Rosco went to do as he was told. He walked away mumbling something under his breath.
Meanwhile back on the third floor, Bo was in his room laying on his bed when Luke came in. Both boys looked at each other not saying anything. Luke was the first to break the silence.
"I talked to the doctor. He said that you will be able to go home tomorrow afternoon. I called Uncle Jesse and let him know. He said that he'll make his famous crawdad bisque for you." Luke said to try to cheer up his cousin. Bo didn't even seem to hear. He was sure Luke would chew him out for letting Boss and Rosco see him. He was surprised when Luke sat down at the small table and started playing solitaire.
Bo watched Luke play three games of solitaire, winning all three. Luke had always been a very good solitaire player. He hardly ever lost a game. Bo kept watching Luke play until he started to fall asleep. Luke noticed Bo had fallen asleep and went over and covered him up with the blanket that Jesse, Jess, and Daisy had brought him the second week he had been at the hospital. Luke decided to play one more game before he went back to the farm.
Back at the farm, Jesse was finishing up the ramp that he knew Bo would need to get in and out of the house on his own. Daisy was inside fixing dinner and getting everything ready for when Bo gets home he will be able to move around the house easily. Jesse had just nailed down the last board, when Luke came pulling up the drive. Jesse was putting the hammer and nails away, when Luke came in the barn. Jesse looked at his nephew waiting for the news on how Bo was today.
"Hey Uncle Jesse." Luke greeted his uncle. The old man nodded his head in greeting.
"How was Bo today? Any change in his attitude?"
"Not much. He did say a little though."
"Oh, what did he say?"
"Nothing big. Boss and Rosco saw him. I guess they tried to arrest him for "stealing a wheel chair" from the hospital." Luke said. Jesse looked at Luke not wanting to believe what Luke just said.
"That little fat meadow muffin tried to have Bo arrested for using something that he needs? I should go down to his office and give him a piece of my mind." Jesse said angry at Boss for trying to arrest Bo. Just then Daisy came outside.
"Uncle Jesse, Luke dinners ready."
"Okay Daisy. How's Yeller doin'?" Luke asked.
"Not too good. He's still not eating and he still won't do anything. He sure misses Bo." Daisy said worried about the yellow dog. Yeller had been sleeping on Bo's bed ever since Bo went to the hospital. He hardly ever left his bed except to eat or go to do his business. It seemed like that no matter how much anyone tried, Yeller just wouldn't do anything. Jess had been trying to get Yeller to eat the whole time Bo was in the hospital.
She and Daisy hadn't been able to visit Bo as much as Jesse and Luke because of their job at the Boars Nest. Luke had been thinking about anything at all to make Bo and Yeller happy again. He had been thinking all day and that thinking finally paid off. He had an idea.
He decided to tell Jesse and Daisy about it after dinner. The three Dukes went inside and sat down at the table. Jesse said grace and soon the Dukes started eating. Dinner was still quiet that night like it had been since the accident. After dinner, Luke decided that he should tell Jesse, Jess, and Daisy about his plan.
"Uncle Jesse, Jess, Daisy. I think I might have figured out a way to make both Bo and Yeller happy again."
"How do you plan to do that?" Daisy asked.
"Well I was thinking that when I go get Bo tomorrow, what if I take Yeller with me. Then that way they can see each other sooner. Maybe then they will both stop being so depressed."
"That's just crazy enough to work. Lukey that's a great idea." Jess said calling Luke by the nickname she gave him when she moved in with the Dukes. Jesse and Daisy agreed with Luke and then finished cleaning up the dinner table. As soon as that was done, the four Dukes went to bed so that thy would be wide awake when Bo came home tomorrow.
well thats the end of chapter 7! took me forever to write. well anyawys hope you enjoyed it! please R&R!