A/N - Hi Everyone! Sorry for the delay, but I've gotten behind again. Hope this makes up for it.
Thanks again, for all the reviews.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes, and no infringements intended.
BLOOD BROTHERS
CHAPTER 11
DREAMS
"No...!"
"Luke, c'mon. It's ok." He thought he heard someone talking to him, only vaguely understanding what they were saying. How could someone be telling him that it was ok, anyway? Didn't they know that things would never be ok, again? Caught somewhere between his grief-stricken demeanor and his military training, he reached out blindly. It was more instinct than anything else. He'd been trained to do that for too long, and his sorrow needed some kind of release. Still trapped in a world that he wasn't familiar with, something in his brain registered the contact of his fist with a hard object. He heard a thud, then a wheeze, then a thump. Then he heard someone else yelling.
"Oh my god! Luke!"
He felt someone grab his arms, preventing him from striking something else. He felt himself being shaken. Slowly the fog lifted, and he opened his eyes. He looked around the room, and the first thing that he spotted was the clock. It read 4:35. "No," Luke whimpered, thinking it had only been three minutes. Still not totally aware of what was taking place, it slowly started to dawn on him that something wasn't quite right. It couldn't be three minutes because that had been p.m., and it had still been light outside the window. As he looked outside now, he could see that it was pitch black. It wasn't the day he was thinking of. This was early morning, but he couldn't remember what day it was or how many it had been. He tried to remember if there had been a funeral, and he found that he couldn't. He tried to remember the wake, and couldn't remember that, either. He felt two arms go around him, and instinctively knew that it was his uncle.
"Uncle Jesse!" Daisy screamed, diverting their attention in her direction.
Jesse let go of his eldest nephew, joining Daisy on the floor. Luke watched what was taking place, more confused by the minute.
"This ain't gonna stop. We gotta take him, now!" Jesse ordered. "Get dressed, quickly." Luke watched Daisy dash from the room. "You too, Luke. Now!"
Luke nodded, fumbling for his clothes and throwing them on, trying to comprehend what he was watching. His cousin, Bo, was on the floor. He was very much alive, but he was bleeding profusely from the nose. Luke had seen gunshot wounds that had bled less.
Seeing that Luke was now dressed, Jesse asked him to stay with Bo while he threw on his own clothes.
"Bo?" Luke asked, kneeling beside his cousin as he held the cloth up to his nose. He could see that it wasn't doing any good, but at least they felt like they were doing something.
"It's okay, Luke...My own fault...," he said, before his eyes rolled back and he passed out.
Despite his age, Jesse dressed in record time. "Luke," he said, really telling his nephew to pick up Bo, which he did. Hurrying out to the truck, Jesse practically flew to Tri-County, worried that Bo would be out of blood by the time they got there.
Pulling up to emergency, Bo was rushed away. A few minutes later, Luke was still trying to figure out just exactly what had happened. He couldn't remember a thing.
"Uncle Jesse, what happened?" Luke asked, still plagued by the nightmare of Bo dying in his arms. It had seemed so real, and still did, though he could see that Bo was alive. At least, he had been when they'd pried him out of Luke's arms in reality.
Jesse and Daisy looked at him, wondering what was going on, too. "What's the last thing you remember?" his uncle asked him.
"I don't know," Luke said, confused, but stating the truth. "Bo died," Luke muttered.
Jesse slid his arms around the shoulders he could see starting to shake. "No Luke, Bo's not dead. Do you remember being in the barn earlier?"
Slowly, Luke remembered the barn, the letter, and the fact that if Jesse hadn't stopped him, he would have destroyed their motor. The brunette nodded.
Jesse rubbed his back, feeling bad for his nephew. He took things so hard, and keeping them bottled up didn't help, no matter what he thought. Bo's ability to let off steam was also the reason why he was always able to bounce back quicker than Luke. He'd get it off his chest, deal with it, then move on. Even though Luke claimed he wasn't doing it, he'd stew over things, letting them boil like a pressure cooker, which is exactly what he was like when he finally did blow. When he'd found him in that barn, and finally held him as he cried, he'd hoped that some of that excess pressure had been let out. He was tired, and maybe if he'd been able to sleep for several hours uninterrupted, he might have gotten his bearings back. It had been a stressful few days, being told that Bo's treatments weren't working and waiting for results that only Luke really held any hope in. It wasn't surprising that it had happened. It was just too bad it had happened the way it had.
"You went to bed after I got you in from the barn. You must have been dreaming. I heard you scream, that's why I was coming to your room," Jessue said, supplying another part to the puzzle.
"Oh no!" Luke exclaimed, realizing now what had taken place. "Bo tried to wake me up? Oh no! Dang fool! I told ya'll not to do that. Now, ya know why! Oh God! I hit him, didn't I?" he cried.
"I think so, but I didn't see for sure."
"Oh God! All that blood," Luke murmured, remembering how they'd been told that Bo could bleed to death if he was ever injured. "Oh no! If he dies, it'll be my fault," he cried.
"No Luke, it won't be. You didn't cause this disease," his uncle told him, continuing to rub his back.
"Don't matter! I hit him."
"Not on purpose, sugar," Daisy said, also trying to console him.
"Wouldn't matter," Luke stated, horrified that Bo's death could litereally be at his own hand.
Before they could argue anymore about whose fault it would be, a doctor came out looking for the family of Beauregard.
"That's us. How's Bo?" Jesse asked.
"He'll be fine. You did the right thing, bringing him in. He lost a fair amount of blood, but we got it stopped. We're gonna keep him for a little while, so we can replace what he lost and just monitor him, but he should be able to go home in the morning. Oh, I guess it is morning. Make that afternoon. I've put in a call to your family doctor to let him know what happened, so you'll probably be seeing him shortly."
"Can we see Bo?" Luke asked.
"Sure. It'll take them a little while to get him settled, but I'll have them come get you when he's in a room."
Half an hour later, a nurse told them where they could find their youngest. Stepping inside the room, Bo turned to look at them and gave them a smile. Daisy and Jesse rushed over to him, but Luke hung back, pretending to look around the room. There was an IV pole that appeared to have blood being dispensed, as well as what Luke guessed were platelets and another bottle of something that he hoped was just a regular solution. While he was checking to see what they were doing to his cousin, he was also afraid to face him. He hoped that Bo wasn't mad at him for being the responsible party for his unexpected hospital visit.
After making sure that he was all right, and seeing the sun was now up, Jesse stood up. "Bo, why don't you get some sleep? We got to go home and tend to the animals, but we'll be back as soon as we get done."
"Okay," he agreed.
"Can I stay?" Luke asked, not knowing whether he should direct his question to Jesse or to Bo.
Jesse nodded, knowing that his guilt ridden nephew wasn't going to be much good at home anyway. When they were gone, Luke pulled up a chair, slipping his hand under Bo's, but being careful not to disturb the IV.
"Bo, I'm sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry for. It was my own fault. You told us all not to wake you up, but you know, I never listen."
"Why did you, Bo? There's a reason why I told ya'll that."
"Yeah, I found that out first hand. They really teach you guys to do that?" Bo asked, surprised that anyone could be trained to come out fighting in their sleep.
"They try. You never know where you're gonna have to get some sleep at or what you'll be waking up to. Sleeping too soundly can mean the difference between living and dying."
"You think that'll ever go away? Cause I'm telling you, Luke, someday you're gonna get married, and you're wife's gonna go to put her arm around you, and end up splattered against the wall!"
Luke couldn't help but laugh. He remembered reading in Bo's letter that he made Bo feel safe. Bo made him feel happy, and could make him laugh like no other. "I hadn't thought of that, but now that you've pointed it out, I'll keep it in mind."
"I'm sorry, Luke. I know what you told us, but you scared me. You were dreaming something awful, and then you screamed like I've never heard you scream before. That's my department; nightmares. Anyway, I just wanted to get you out of that dream, and I know you've woken me up like that on many a night, so I thought I'd do the same."
Luke nodded, understanding that it was just instinct to do that, but hoping that his cousin realized how dangerous it could be. "Well, don't do it again. Throw something at me, soak me with cold water, but don't do that again."
"Believe me, I won't. Cousin, you pack quite a punch."
"It could have been worse," Luke said, shuddering at what could have happened if he had actually gotten behind Bo. "I'm sorry."
"Already told ya, ain't nothing to be sorry for. My fault."
After sitting in silence for a few minutes, Bo decided to pursue the issue a little further. "Can I ask you something, Luke?" After Luke nodded, he went on. "What was you dreaming about?"
Luke couldn't stop the images from flashing through his mind, but there was no way that he could tell Bo about it. "Don't remember," he fibbed, hoping that his cousin couldn't tell he was lying. If he'd hoped that he might pull it off, he should have informed himself that crying didn't make that statement very credible. He didn't want to, but he couldn't help it. It was the worst dream he'd ever had, and he knew he'd never forget it as long as he lived. He prayed that it wasn't a premonition or a glimpse into the future. As a dream it was horrible, to live it wouldn't be possible.
Bo knew that his cousin remembered, and remembered very well. He also could tell that he didn't want to talk about it. He had a strong hunch that it was more about him than it was about his days in the war. Luke looked so tired and so sad that it broke Bo's heart, especially when he thought about the fact that he was responsible for it. Latching on to his cousin's hand, he gave it a little tug. He was tired, and so was Luke, and the oldest Duke boy didn't need more sleep that was obtained in a chair. Luke looked up to see what Bo wanted. "Come here," he said, patting the bed. Luke shook his head, but Bo tugged a little harder. "Plenty of room. Come on. I'm tired and you are, too. No sense in not taking the opportunity to get a little shut eye. Come on."
Luke didn't have to be asked again. He could vividly recall holding his cousin's lifeless form in his dream. He wanted desperately to eradicate that image from his mind, and maybe feeling Bo warm and alive, next to him, might help him do it.
When they were snuggled together and almost asleep, Bo chuckled.
"What?" Luke mumbled.
"Ya ain't gonna splatter me into the wall, are ya?"
Luke matched his cousin's giggle. "Only if you don't be quiet and go to sleep."
The boys were sound asleep in the bed when Jesse and Daisy came back. The IVs were gone, and the nurse at the desk told them that they were just waiting for Doc Appleby to sign Bo's release form. Sneaking into the room, they remained as quiet as they could, letting both boys get as much sleep as possible. Jesse shook his head, wondering how either of them could sleep being sandwiched in a small bed like that. For years, he had provided them each with a bed, only to discover on many a morning they were both in the same one. He knew that it had to do a lot with Bo and his nightmares, but this time, the roles were reversed.
They weren't there long when the door opened and their friend walked in. Chuckling at the sight, he shook his head. "They still do that?" he asked, remembering some of Bo's hospital stays when he'd been small.
"I learned years ago not to question it, Amos," Jesse replied.
Hearing the conversation, both boys started to wake up. Luke sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to figure out where he was. Bo followed, more alert than his cousin.
"Well, if ya'll want to go home, I can release you, but if you prefer to stay and sleep, I can arrange that, too," the doctor joked.
"No, no. Home is good," Bo said, trying to get himself into a sitting position, which Luke immediately helped him do.
"Everything's fine, Bo, but try to stay away from anyone else's fists."
Bo grinned, but Luke put his head down until the boy nudged him. "Ah, come on Luke. He's just kidding."
"Yeah, I was. I'm sorry, didn't mean anything by it. Now, if ya'll want some real interesting news, I've got some," their family physician stated.
"Well go on," Jesse invited. "We can use all the good news we can get."
"I'm not sure I quite believe it myself, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised," he laughed, only adding to their wait time. "Luke, I got the results back from that blood test you took. It made it through the initial screening."
"You mean it's a match?" Jesse asked, not believing his ears.
"Yes it is," the country doctor replied.
"Yee-haw!" Luke screamed, causing several nurses to come running into the room. When they found the source, they firmly told him not to do it again. "Did you hear that Bo? We match. I knew we would," he said, throwing his arms around his baby cousin, while Daisy and Jesse hugged each other, too.
"Now hold on a minute," the doctor cautioned. "Don't get overly excited just yet. That first test is a very basic one. There's a lot of other things they'll be screening for with the next one, and just cause you match on the first one, don't guarantee you will on the second."
"We will. I just know we will," Luke stated, happier than he'd been in years. It seemed to be contagious, because the Dukes were all grinning like Cheshire cats. Everyone except for Bo.
"Would someone like to tell me what's going on?" the patient finally asked.
"We match Bo, our blood matches. It means that I can be a donor for the..., what was it called doc?"
"Bone marrow."
"Bone marrow transplant. Bo this will make you well," Luke stated.
Seeing that Bo wasn't responding exactly how they'd expected, Doc Appleby thought he might not have remembered the transplant option. "You remember, Bo? We talked about the new transplants they were doing..."
Bo interrupted him. "I remember, doc," he said. It wasn't that he didn't remember. He just hadn't been wild about having to ask anyone to do it for him. He was sure it was painful, involving needles, and it had to carry risks for the donors. He'd never be able to live with himself if he was responsible for something happening to someone else. He hadn't even wanted to ask anyone to be tested, but Jesse hadn't bothered to consult him. He'd just put out a call to every Duke that he could think of, and in true Duke form, they started coming out of the woodwork. They lined up to offer a sample of their blood; blood which they hoped could save Bo's life. When no one had matched, Bo felt a wave of relief wash over him, even as he realized that his own fate might have been sealed. He hadn't told Luke about it on purpose, knowing that his cousin would donate his body as a human guinea pig if he thought it would do any good. Finding out he was a match was something of a mixed blessing. Bo had been told that his blood was so strange that they truly doubted they would find a match. Therefore, he really didn't think there was any possibility that it would get any further than the next step, which he heard the doctor explaining to Luke, again.
"Just like last time, Luke. Go to the same place. They'll do the same thing, only this time they'll take a little more. They'll pack it, and ship it immediately to a lab where they have the technology to break it down and test it further. Like I said, it'll probably take a few weeks to get the results back."
"Luke, you don't have to do this if you don't want to," Bo whispered.
Luke looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "Of course, I want to," he stated, ignoring him and turning back to Doc Appleby.
"Okay, I knew you would. Your appointment time is tomorrow at 11:00," Doc Appleby informed him.
"Can I go with ya, Luke?" Bo asked.
"Well, I don't know?" Luke responded with his own question, looking at the doctor.
"As long as you feel up to it Bo, there's no reason why you can't go. Just don't over do it, and be careful."
"I feel up to it, and I want to," Bo told him. Luke was doing this for him, he didn't want him to go alone. Besides, he got the feeling that if this didn't work, he wouldn't have many more opportunities to go anywhere with his cousin, and he wanted to make the most of the time he had.
