A/N - Hi everyone! I still can't believe so many of you are still with me. Thanks again for all the reviews. Special thanks to T.S. Blue. Part of this chapter, as well as the later story development is directly attributable to her insights. They really inspired me. Hope you enjoy. If you choose to continue following this story, just remember, the cost of tissues is at your own expense (lol). Thanks again.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes, and no infringements intended.


BLOOD BROTHERS

CHAPTER 4

SURPRISES

By the following day, Bo was no longer so ill. Drained and weak, he was unable to get up, but he was awake for longer periods and alert. Despite everyone's efforts to sweet talk him into eating, he refused, only accepting a few sips of water and liquids. The only thing that seemed to matter to Bo, though, was that Luke was home. Even the last few days couldn't wipe the smile off his face every time he looked at his cousin.

After Bo's first chemo treatment, friends and neighbors had stopped by to offer support and a helping hand. The second time around was no exception. One by one, they discovered that the oldest Duke boy had returned for good, and like all juicy gossip, the entire community soon knew. The people of Hazzard felt a wave of relief wash over them, somehow thinking that along with his arrival, Luke brought some type of a miracle cure for his family. Unfortunately, modern medicine just didn't work that way. They must have also assumed that his return meant that their help was no longer needed. After the news spread, Cooter and Enos were the only ones reporting for duty.

Enos, their childhood friend, wasn't allowed to see Bo. He never asked to, and the Dukes didn't offer. They knew that Bo wouldn't have been the only one uncomfortable in that situation. Cooter, however, was a different story. His name wasn't Duke, but he was family.

Luke was sitting next to his cousin and the boys were chatting when the mechanic stuck his head in their room. Bo shifted nervously, unaware that their friend had already seen him at his worst. The family had let him spend a few minutes with Bo the previous couple of days, but Bo hadn't been coherent enough to know or care.

"Hey buddies! How ya'll doing?" he asked in a softer voice than they were used to hearing. The boys knew he was really seeking permission to join them.

"Hey Cooter! Come on in," Bo invited, though he wasn't totally at ease.

"Thanks," he smiled, doing as he was told. "You look better," he commented, not thinking that he had just let the cat out of the bag.

"Feel better," Bo told him, deciding not to pursue the issue.

"Hey Luke! How you doing?" Cooter asked the other cousin, putting his hand on his shoulder. Since Luke was sitting in the only chair, the grease monkey lowered himself to the edge of the bed, laying his hand on Bo's leg or foot. He didn't know what the lump was under the blankets that his hand had come to rest on.

"Doing ok, Coot," Luke told him, though he didn't sound very convincing.

The boys talked a few minutes before Cooter brought up the subject of motor parts. Bo changed the topic immediately, and the mechanic got the distinct impression that Bo didn't want to discuss it in front of Luke. He thought it was odd since it was a joint venture, but he just went along with Bo's wishes. Before he could think of something else to say, Bo saved him.

"Hey Cooter! Do me a favor will ya?"

"Sure buddy, name it."

"Take Luke and get him out of here for a while, okay?"

"Bo!" Luke protested.

"C'mon Luke. You been home for days and ain't left this room except to do chores. I'm ok. Go on," Bo shoed them.

Luke opened his mouth to argue, then suddenly remembered that there was something he wanted to do. "Ya sure?"

"Yeah!"

"I won't be gone long. C'mon Coot."

Bo rolled his eyes, then told himself that something was up; that had been too easy.

Once Cooter and Luke were outside, the older Duke boy asked his friend if he'd mind giving him a ride into town. About mid-way there, the driver turned to look at his passenger. "So buddy, how ya doin? Really?"

For a few minutes, Luke hadn't thought about it. He'd gotten absorbed in the scenery and running down the list of things he wanted to do in town. Cooter's question put an abrupt end to his reprieve and it all came rushing back. "Kay," he whispered, keeping his head turned away. "I'm so mad Uncle Jesse didn't tell me. Ya know they found out the day before I even left!"

Cooter hadn't known for sure, but he had wondered. He knew that if they hadn't been told prior to Luke leaving, they'd found out right afterwards. He also surmised that for Luke, it was probably easier to feel anger than to deal with what he was really feeling: fear.

"Luke, I'm sure he just didn't want to worry ya, considering wheres it was your were going."

"When were they planning on telling me? After Bo...," his voice cracked and trailed off. He realized but had not yet vocalized that had he not gotten hurt, Bo might very well have died before he ever made it back to Hazzard.

"Buddy, you're back now so it worked out," Cooter said, reaching over and squeezing his shoulder. "Just go easy on Jesse. This has been real hard on him, too."

"That's what Bo said," Luke snorted.

"Yeah well, you ain't the only one in Hazzard with some smarts, buddyroe, even though ya got most of em."

Luke couldn't help but laugh as the truck pulled into the town square. "Thanks Cooter."

"Anytime. Just remember, I'm here if ya need me, and guess what? Here we are. What are we here for anyway?"


Bo was just resting; he didn't need anyone sitting with him, but Jesse was when Luke and Cooter arrived back at the farm. The boy opened his eyes as he heard the commotion taking place.

"Clean off the top of that dresser, will ya Cooter?" Luke asked.

"Sure thing."

"Luke, what are you doing?" Bo asked as he watched Luke remove his pocketknife and slice open the top of a cardboard box.

"Gotcha something...well, it's for me, too," Luke informed him as Cooter helped lift the present up.

Luke had only been home a few days, but in that time Bo hadn't been able to leave his bed, and the dark haired boy guessed that there would be more days like that to come. He had seen the stack of worn racing magazines, ones he recognized from his last trip home. He wondered just how many times Bo had read them. By then, he was sure that he'd probably memorized the articles for lack of something better to do. He felt sorry for Bo, too sick to get up, yet alert enough to be bored. Luke Duke returned from Hazzard with a small television set for their room and a pile of fresh, new reading material for his cousin.

Later that night, Bo and Luke spent the first of many evenings to come enjoying the new edition to their room.

"Scoot over," Luke told his cousin. Bo slid himself next to the wall allowing his roommate to squeeze in beside him.

"Thanks Luke, this is really neat."

"Yeah, it is and now we don't have to argue with Daisy or Jesse anymore."


The next morning, Bo heard his uncle rise a little earlier than usual. Had he been able, he would have been getting up, too. His eyes searched around the room, surprised at what he saw. He remembered his cousin crawling into his own bed the night before, both having fallen asleep originally in Bo's bed while watching some creature flick, so he was surprised to find Luke sleeping in the chair.

"Luke. Hey Luke," he called, nudging the older boy's knee.

"Hhm? Huh? Bo! What's the matter?"

"Nothing, Luke. Sorry. It's just that it's time to get up. Jesse needs help." Luke nodded, rubbing his hands over his face. "Luke, this is gonna get old real quick, you sleeping in that chair."

"I'm ok."

"For now, but you can't be doing this every night."

"Yes sir!" Luke said, agreeing with his cousin rather than arguing. "You need anything?"

"Nah! Go on."

Luke trudged out of the house, scanning the barn to see what had been done and what was still in need. "Morning," he greeted his uncle in a civilized but cool tone.

"Morning," he called back, hurt by his nephew's lingering anger toward him.

After working side by side in an uneasy silence, the old man could take it no longer. "Luke, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to lie to ya. I's only doing what I thought was best and what Bo wanted."

In an instant, Luke saw something that he rarely ever witnessed, despite all the years he'd lived at the farm; his uncle at his weakest. Thinking back, he could only remember seeing it on a few occasions, and those were always in the face of a family tragedy; one that normally had claimed someone Jesse Duke loved. The strong patriarch sagged to the nearest bale of hay and covered his face with his hands. Luke watched in stunned silence, realizing that he couldn't find it in his heart to remain angry at a person who had raised him and whom he knew loved them, all of them.

"I'm sorry, too, Uncle Jesse," Luke murmured, sitting down next to his substitute father. With a few words, a few tears, and a long hug, all was forgiven. Though they performed the rest of their work in relative silence, it was no longer so thick that you could cut it with a knife. By the time they got back to the house for lunch, it was as if nothing had happened. Walking in the house smiling, they couldn't have been more taken aback to find Bo sitting at the table, fully dressed.

"Are you supposed to be up?" Luke asked, scrutinizing him closely.

"Sure. Can't stay in bed all the time. Well, I could now that I can watch TV, but I got something I want to show ya after lunch."

Enjoying the light meal Daisy fixed for all of them, they were glad to see Bo eating something again. The boy, however, could hardly contain his enthusiasm. He informed his cousin that what he wanted to show him was in the barn as he pestered him to eat faster. Luke took his time, encouraging Bo to eat more, but it was to no avail. Telling Bo they could go, he watched his cousin slowly inch his way out of the house. He hadn't fully appreciated Bo's limited physical abilities until a trip that should have taken seconds took more than a few minutes. Seeing his cousin unsteady on his feet, Luke slipped his arm around him as they slowly headed in the direction Bo wanted to take him.

Once inside, Bo motioned Luke to the far corner. Sitting there was a box covered with a cloth that had been stashed away. Bo reached down and removed the tarp, revealing treasures to Luke that others would have considered junk.

"Wow!" Luke exclaimed. Helping his cousin down, he sat on the ground next to him, and pulled the box closer. One by one, Luke removed each little gadget, inspecting it, then moving on to the next one. For a split second, the tough Marine looked more like a small child rummaging through a toy box. "You've been busy, Bo! This is some really great stuff. Where'd ya get it all?"

"Cooter came across some of them, and then me and Cooter kept hitting the junk yards. It's amazing what you can find when you really look. Might say we hit the jackpot!"

"No, I would say you did hit the jackpot. I can't believe it. You got almost everything we're gonna need, and it's great stuff, too. Tell ya what. I got an idea."

"Oh look out," Bo snickered.

Luke rolled his eyes, then dismissed his cousin's smart allec comment. "Let's inventory what we got and figure out what we still need. It can't be much. I say whatever it is, we don't wait. Let's just order it new. If we do, we should be able to start putting this puppy together in no time. What do ya think?"

"Sounds like a plan," Bo chuckled, and Luke couldn't help but notice the gleam in his baby cousin's eye. Sick or not sick, cars and racing were still something that Bo loved, and Luke was glad that he had something he could keep Bo motivated with. Of all the plans he'd ever had, this had to have been his best. When he'd suggested doing it, he'd been trying to get his baby cousin back. Now, he was using it to try and hang on to him.

The boys spent most of the afternoon in the barn, laughing and talking like they hadn't done in a long time. Realizing that dinner would be done in a bit and that they'd need to wash up before their uncle would allow them to sit at the dinner table, they repacked their prize pieces. Bo was handing the parts to his cousin, and Luke was repacking them neatly in their box when he saw a sudden movement out of the corner of his eye. Looking at Bo, he cringed when he saw the red flowing from his nose. Bo retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket, placing it over his face and tilting his head back. Luke scooted next to him, wrapping one arm around his shoulders and telling Bo to let go of the cloth.

"I got it," he told him. "Just relax and keep your head back."

"Sorry bout this," Bo said, feeling like he'd just ruined their afternoon.

"Nothing to be sorry for," Luke assured him, feeling Bo leaning into him for support. Suddenly, he remembered all the other nosebleeds that his baby cousin had the last time he was home, and assumed that they had something to do with his disease. This one, however, seemed to be even worse, requiring Luke after a little while to get out his own hanky to replace Bo's soaked one. After what seemed like forever, the spicket finally turned off. Luke tossed both hankies to the ground, making a note to come back out and get them later. They were too wet to put back in their pockets and they would have stained anything they came into contact with.

The dark haired boy was about to get a first hand lesson in one of the other side effects of Bo's disease and course of treatment. They'd sat in one place for so long that even Luke was a little stiff, and he didn't realize just how much blood Bo really lost in the course of one episode. He got to his feet, noticing that Bo was having trouble.

"C'mon cuz, let me help you," he said, reaching down and hoisting him up.

"Thanks, Luke," Bo said in an embarrassed voice.

"No sweat," he replied in the lightest tone he could. Trying to put his cousin's mind at east, he reached out to ruffle his curls in a gesture he'd done a million times. He caught himself, realizing that there were no curls to muss. In a quick save, he put his arms around Bo and gave him a hug instead. "C'mon, let's go."

It was a good thing that Luke had kept an arm around the boy. After only a few steps, Bo started going the wrong direction; down. Luke's quick reflexes kept him from hitting the ground hard. Easing him down, he held him tight. He didn't know what was going on, and it scared him. Suddenly, he had visions of Bo dying right there in his arms. Shaking from panic, he started screaming. "Uncle Jesse! Uncle Jesse!"

Jesse and Daisy came running out of the house, following the screams of the eldest cousin. When they got to the barn, they took in the sight of Luke holding an unconscious Bo and the bloodied hankies resting a little ways away. They knew what had happened, but understood that Luke did not.

Kneeling next to them, Uncle Jesse tried to calm his oldest. "It's okay, Luke."

"How can you say this is ok?" Luke asked, looking at him with bewildered eyes.

"It happens, especially after a nosebleed. It's the loss of blood and the chemo. We just gotta keep an eye on him when that happens." Luke looked at his uncle like he didn't believe him. "Let's get him in the house, okay? You think you can manage?"

Luke nodded, picking up Bo and carrying him to their room. He still hadn't woken up, and that was only fraying Luke's nerves even more.

"C'mon, Luke," Jesse said, tugging on his nephew.

"No, I want to stay with Bo."

"Daisy will sit with him for a minute. You need to get yourself together."

Understanding that his uncle was right about collecting himself, he let himself be lead to the kitchen. Jesse retrieved a little jar and poured some of the moonshine into a cup. "Here, drink this."

Luke gulped it down, staring at the cup after he set it back on the table.

"I'm sorry, Luke. We should have warned you about that. The doctor explained it to us, but it's only happened a couple of times so I guess with everything else, we didn't think about telling you. I know the fainting is probably more scary to watch, but it's the bleeding you gotta be careful with. If you're ever with him and it doesn't stop or seems too heavy, you gotta get him to the hospital right away."

"Why?" Luke asked, hoping he didn't already know the answer.

"Because he could bleed to death in minutes."

That was all Luke could take, he ran out of the house and up to the hayloft. He found himself fighting with his own feelings. In one breath, he was praying harder than he ever had in his life, making all kinds of deals with God if he only spared Bo. In the next, he was cursing him up and down, reverting to anger, stating that he wouldn't let him take Bo. He sat there rocking himself back and forth until the alcohol kicked in and calmed him down. Wiping his face, he knew he needed to check on Bo.

Meanwhile, Bo had woken up to find Daisy smiling down at him. "Welcome back, sugar," she told him. "I brought you some juice," she said, helping him to sit up.

"Where's Luke?" he asked, noticing that the question made his cousin extremely nervous. "I scared him to death, didn't I?" Bo asked, remembering her own similar reaction the first time it had happened.

"Well, it shook him up pretty good," Daisy admitted, "but Jesse will talk to him. It's scary if you don't know what's going on, and I think we forgot to tell him about this."

"Dang it!" Bo said. "Some homecoming this has been for Luke."

"Oh now, c'mon on Bo. He'll be ok, and you know he's glad to be back. He wants to be here with ya."

Bo nodded, feeling extremely guilty about everything he was forcing his family to have to endure because of him.

The door opened a second later, and Luke meekly walked into the room. "Hey cuz. How ya feeling?"

"I'm ok, Luke," he replied. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for Bo. I'm sorry I ran out like that. Guess I'm just a low down polecat."

Daisy slipped out of the room unnoticed, knowing that the boys had to sort this out on their own. They were both good at trying to feel worse than the other.

"No Luke, you're not a polecat. If it had been me, I probably would have fainted right alongside ya."

"I almost did," Luke confessed, and the boys laughed for a second.

"I'm sorry bout all this, I'm sorry this is what you had to come home to," Bo said, continuing to apologize.

"Hey, now you just stop that," Luke told him in a firm voice, reaching out to pull him close. "There's no place else I'd rather be."

"It's just so unfair, me putting ya'll through this. Sometimes I think it would be better for everyone if...,"

"No way Bo! Don't even try to finish that," Luke said in an angry tone. "Wouldn't be better off for none of us, especially me. You're gonna beat this. I am not going to let you go!" Luke told him. "Ya hear me, Bo?"

Bo nodded against his cousin's shoulder. "I hear ya."

"You promise me, Bo. You promise that you won't let go!"

"I promise, Luke."