A/N: Hi Everyone! You guys are great! If I ever appreciated the reviews, it was after that last chapter. To show my appreciation, I'm posting a little quicker. No longer so behind schedule, and not as cranky as earlier this week, I hope you approve.
Just another little note: Somewhere along the line, Luke reacting badly to anesthesia had been engraved in my brain. I believe that it was Sparkle731 that may have introduced that theory, but to me, it is now fact and part of Duke history. If it was someone else that introduced it, I apologize for not being able to place it. It is mentioned in here, as I now can't picture Luke being put under without being sick afterwards. Hope that's ok! You know you've accomplished something when fiction becomes fact to a reader:)
Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes, and no infringements implied.
BLOOD BROTHERS
CHAPTER 14
FAST ACTING
By the time Daisy and Luke stepped back off the elevator, Bo's killer chemo had started. Luke promised that he just wanted to check on Bo, and then he'd go back to their room and get some sleep. He was expecting to see what he'd seen back in Georgia, though the doctors had explained that this wasn't like those treatments. Luke assumed that Bo would be looking drowsy, but that he'd wave and give him a thumbs up. Then Luke would go to the dorm room. That's not what they found.
"What's going on?" Luke asked his uncle, who had confiscated a chair for himself.
"Whatever they're giving him, it works fast," came the reply.
"Oh my gosh!" Daisy exclaimed, unable to believe that the drugs could have effected him that quickly.
"The doc wasn't kidding when he told us what was going to happen," Jesse observed.
"I just don't know why we can't be in there with him," Luke muttered.
"Luke, ya know...," Jesse began to explain.
"Yeah, I know what he said, but Bo needs us."
"Luke, they know what they're doing. We gotta let them do their job," he stated to his nephew. "Now, go get some rest."
"Uncle Jesse, I don't want to leave."
"I know ya don't, but you need to. Making yourself sick ain't gonna help, and if you do, they won't be able to take your marrow."
Luke started to open his mouth, but his uncle tore his eyes away from the window long enough to give him a cautioning look. Nodding his head, he took one last look in the room. From his point of view, it sure didn't look like they were helping his cousin at all. If he'd thought he was sick after his third treatment, that didn't even come close to what was taking place on the other side of the glass. It really bothered him that they couldn't be with him. He only hoped that Bo could sense their presence just outside his room, but he doubted that Bo was even thinking about the window. Putting his hand up to the glass for one long look, he saw Bo's eyes crack open. Luke gave him a grin and the thumbs up that he had expected to receive, and to his surprise, Bo imitated the action. Daisy smiled at him, then tugged on Luke's shirt. She was going to accompany him back to the room to ensure that he did as he was told.
Daisy came to relieve her uncle for lunch, but he wasn't gone long. When he did, he found his eldest nephew there, too. He wanted to spank him, like when he'd been a child, but he couldn't. Luke was an adult, and Jesse knew that there wasn't anything he was going to be able to really do to him to keep him away from Bo's room, whether Bo was aware of what was going on or not.
The rest of the afternoon, they watched as Bo suffered. When the shifts changed, they thanked the nurse that had taken care of Bo since early that morning. She had been kind and understanding, and they all liked her. The one coming on shift seemed like she was going to give them a little more trouble.
"You really just can't sit here," Nurse Sawyer told them. "You're in the way, and besides, he really doesn't know that you're here, anyway."
"My cousin knows," Daisy told her, saving the woman from a longer tongue lashing by her oldest cousin.
"I'm just saying that you're making it difficult for us to move around you. There isn't supposed to be a chair out here."
"Well now, if you tell us where we can put it, we'll gladly move it so that it's not in your way," Uncle Jesse told her.
Sighing and shaking her head, she figured out that they weren't going to leave. "Don't say I didn't warn you when you wear yourselves out or security removes you. Anyway, I was told to ask if there's a Lucas K. Duke here."
"I'm Luke."
"Mr. Duke, they want you in admitting. You're scheduled in the OR tomorrow morning bright and early."
Luke nodded, telling his family he'd see them in a little while, then following the wicked nurse of the west to the area indicated. He was going to be glad when she went off shift and they sent back the other one, but her day was just starting.
An hour later, Luke was in his own room, but he was on a different floor. The floor Bo was on was reserved for the patients who were either waiting to undergo a transplant or had already done so, but weren't over the several week waiting period. In essence, they were the sickest and the most at risk patients in the hospital. Luke would have liked to have been closer, but he just didn't qualify.
Dr. Frenzi, Bo's hematologist, had just entered Luke's room to go over the details one last time when the door opened. Jesse was there to check on him, and Luke was surprised that the nasty nurse had even bothered to inform his family where she'd taken him.
"How's Bo?" Luke asked.
"Bout the same," Jesse told him, wishing that he could have told him better news.
"Doc, isn't there anything you can give him?" Luke asked.
"Luke, we are giving him drugs to minimize the effects. They'd have to be increased so much to totally eliminate the side effects that they, in turn, wouldn't let the chemo do it's job, and we can't have that. I know it seems bad, but it's the only way."
"Well, it sure don't seem that it's minimizing anything to me," Luke told him.
"I know. Patient's families often feel that way, but believe me, if they weren't, it would be a lot worse," the doctor told him.
Luke shrugged, finding it hard to believe that anything could be worse than what he'd seen earlier.
"Okay, now let's talk about you and tomorrow," he said, changing from a subject that he couldn't do anymore about. "You've said that you've had minor surgeries before?"
"Yeah," Luke said. "Most recently for the gunshot wound, in the war."
"He had his appendix taken out, too, Doc," Jesse added.
"Okay, well then you sort of know what to expect, only this won't be as bad as either of those. Early in the morning, the nurses will start giving you something in your IV to help you relax. You'll then be taken into the operating room, where an anesthesiologist will put you completely under. While you're out, a needle is going to be inserted into a cavity in your back where the marrow will be removed. We call that harvesting. You'll then be taken to recovery, where you'll be administered something for the pain, though I've been told it really is minimal. Most people describe it as sore, like if you slipped and fell."
"Doc, Luke gets real sick from the anesthesia," Jesse told him.
"Oh, that's good to know. We can give you something for that to try and prevent it, but if you're real sensitive, you might still experience some after-effects."
"That's ok," Luke said, brushing his concern off. "So, then what happens to Bo?"
"Well, he'll start receiving your donation sometime tomorrow afternoon. It will be administered over the course of the next couple of days, and the extra will be preserved for later. Like I told you earlier, as long as he accepts it and there's no complications, that part is gonna be easier for Bo than for you."
Luke nodded, glad to finally hear that something was going to be easier rather than harder for his baby cousin. He then corrected himself, replacing the term 'baby cousin' with 'blood brother,' smiling at the idea.
"How long will it be before we know whether it works?" Uncle Jesse asked.
"Bo's body will start using it immediately to produce new blood cells. At first, they will appear normal, though they won't have the same type of antibodies that a person usually does. That's why those first few weeks are so important that he doesn't develop any infections. If he doesn't, we should be able to get some feel for whether or not the disease has been destroyed at around six weeks. Now mind you, that's just initially. Even if everything appears fine, the disease might not show back up right away. Bo will have to be tested weekly after he gets back home and monitored closely." Taking a breath, he continued, "however, there is another risk which will affect Bo for the rest of his life." Seeing their looks of concern, he explained. "Sometimes, the new marrow, which has made itself at home, can start to view the other systems and organ's as a foreign material and attempt to destroy them. It's kind of like rejection in reverse, and it's normally always fatal."
"So what you're telling me is that my marrow could actually kill him?" Luke asked, not having heard this before.
"In essence, yes." Seeing his reaction, the doctor continued. "Luke, without it, he will certainly die soon, so even if the host rejection occurs down the road, you've given him more time and a better life than he would have had without it."
"So how long before we really know something?" Jesse asked again.
"The sixth month mark is a good indicator, and the year mark is a better one. After that, they'll test Bo every six months for the first five years, than annually after that. The good news is that one of the hospitals in Atlanta is close to opening a leukemia and transplant center, so you won't have far to go once you get back to Georgia. I think it's slated for officially opening their doors in the next couple of months. With better timing, you wouldn't have had to come all the way here."
"Don't you worry about that none, doc. We'd have driven to China if it would have helped Bo," Jesse said.
The doctor smiled, knowing that most of his patient's families felt the exact same way. "Do you have any questions?"
When they both indicated that they didn't, he promised to see Luke in the morning, and told him to get a good night's rest. Luke hadn't been a patient long enough for the good doctor to know that he wasn't good at following that kind of advice; not when his soon-to-be blood brother was a few floors above him fighting for his life.
Luke thought he'd be safe, waiting until the wee hours of the morning when the hospital was quiet. At home, he slept in boxers or sweat pants, and rarely wore a shirt unless it was really cold. Since neither of the boys wore proper sleeping attire, they didn't have pajamas or a robe. They wouldn't have let him wear pj's anyway, but he wished he had the robe. Roaming the hospital with an exposed backside wasn't something he was comfortable doing, in spite of the late hour. Finding an extra gown, he put it on backwards, protecting his modesty and virtue, as he quietly opened the door and tiptoed down the hall.
Using the steps so that the ringing elevator wouldn't alert anyone, he opened the door to Bo's floor. It didn't surprise him to find Daisy perched in the chair. Though their uncle would have stayed the night rather than leaving Bo alone, it was easier for them since they were younger. Jesse Duke was early to bed and early to rise, but he needed a full eight hours of sleep.
"Luke! What are you doing here?" Daisy asked when she noticed he was standing next to her.
"Came to see Bo. How's he doing?"
"I don't know," she replied, and he could hear the anguish in her voice. "I know that they say this is normal, but I just feel so sorry for him."
Luke could see that little had changed. Bo was still extremely sick, and he wondered how long a person could go on like that before something had to give. At least Bo's good nurse was back on duty, and she was doing her best to make him comfortable, though it didn't seem like that would be possible no matter what she tried.
If she noticed Luke's presence, she didn't say anything. Nor did she comment on the fact that he should be back in his own bed, arriving at the decision by his attire. She simply smiled at them, and assured them that this was common. It wasn't until after Jesse joined them after five, that she approached him.
"Mr. Duke, they're gonna be looking for you downstairs in just a little bit."
Luke nodded, then turned his own version of puppy dog eyes on her. "Isn't there some way I can see him?"
Years of experience told her that it was best not to start that practice too early in the game, but something about the way he was looking at her left her unable to refuse. "Come with me," she said. "We'll get you into a gown, and mask, and gloves."
"Thank you," he told her, following her into another little room down the hall. He came back out a few minutes later looking very much like part of the hospital staff rather than a patient. She told him to go ahead and go in, but once he'd been given the opportunity, he became hesitant. "This ain't gonna hurt him more, is it?"
"We've taken all the necessary precautions we can. You're dressed the same way we are. A fly could fly in there and do damage, too, but it should be ok."
Luke didn't know what to do, torn between wanting to see Bo, but afraid that he might pass on some germ he didn't even know he had.
"Mr. Duke, go ahead. They really are going to want you any minute."
"Go ahead, Luke," Jesse told him. "This is in the Good Lord's hands now, not yours."
Nodding, Luke pushed the door open, pausing a minute before walking up to Bo's bed. The retching was hard enough to watch through a pane of glass. It was almost unbearable to listen to, though he should have been used to it by then. Luke reached out a gloved hand and laid it on Bo's shoulder, noticing that he was drenched in sweat but shivering uncontrollably. He reached down and pulled the covers up that he had kicked down in his restless stupor. As soon as the blankets hit his shoulder, Bo seemed to relax a little and the shivering eased.
"You're doing good, cuz. You keep fighting, ya hear me?" Luke whispered.
Realizing that it wasn't a nurse, Bo rolled over. "Luke?" he hoarsely asked.
"Yeah Bo, it's me. I know this is awful, but you really are doing great. It'll be well worth it when it's over. You just remember that, okay?"
"Kay," he replied, opening his eyes a little further. "Why you dressed like that?"
"So I don't give you any of my germs."
"Oh," Bo responded. "It's probably a little late for that after all these years," Bo said, giving a half grin.
Normally, Luke would have made some witty remark, but at that moment, all he could do was nod.
Bo reached out for Luke's hand, and Luke wrapped both of his around it. "You really don't have to do this."
"Bo, we've been through this already. There's no way I wouldn't do this, and besides, it's a little too late now."
"I'm scared Luke."
"Don't be scared Bo. We're both gonna be ok. I'll be back here before you can even miss me."
"Promise?"
"I promise," Luke said, squeezing Bo's hand a little harder. "Now, you promise me you won't go anywhere while I'm gone."
"I promise, Luke."
Luke had made Bo promise several times over the past months that he would fight and wouldn't give up. He'd said the words, and would do everything he could to keep the vows, but the words hadn't been said with any conviction. This promise was genuine, and nothing could have made Luke happier.
"Mr. Duke, you're needed in your room," the nurse called from the door.
"I gotta go now Bo. I'll be back. I love ya."
"Love ya too, Luke."
Luke noticed a stray tear sliding down Bo's cheek and reached out to wipe it away. "None of that now, ya hear?"
Bo just nodded as the shivering once again started, which probably meant the retching wasn't too far behind. Tearing himself away, Luke forced himself to leave the room.
Knowing that Jesse would want to go down with Luke, Daisy offered to stay close to Bo. "I'll see ya a little later," she told her cousin, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him on the cheek.
"You just keep an eye on him. I'll be fine," Luke replied.
With that, Jesse and Luke made their way to the elevator, no longer having to worry about whether he was quiet or not.
Once Luke was back in his own bed, the nurse started an IV. It didn't take long before Luke found himself getting very tired. He knew that the doctor had been there to talk to him, and he knew Jesse had said some things, too. Between worrying about Bo and the drugs they were giving him, he couldn't concentrate on anything else. He was only vaguely aware of being transferred to a gurney and wheeled away.
Luke's mouth felt like a big cotton ball had been stuffed in it when he started to regain his senses. Opening his eyes, they were assaulted by bright lights high above him in a ceiling. He was laying on his side, and could see that he was still attached to an IV and other wires.
"Welcome back, Mr. Duke. How are you feeling?" a large nurse, dressed in green scrubs, asked him.
"A little sick," he told her.
"Ah yes, the doctor had us give you something for that, but you're still feeling sick, huh?" Luke nodded. "I'll see if we can give you a little more. You're in recovery. You're all done, and everything went fine."
"How's Bo?" he asked.
"Bo?" she repeated.
"My cousin."
"Oh, you mean the recipient?" Luke nodded his head. "Mr Duke, I'm sorry I don't know. I work here in the OR so I'm not familiar with your cousin. I imagine, they might be getting ready to start giving him some of your valuable bone marrow."
"Can you find out for me, please? He was real sick when I left him."
"Mr. Duke, I can't. I'm sorry. I have other patients here to tend to, but I'm sure that your family will let you know. You'll be back in your room in just a little bit."
Luke didn't have the strength to argue with her. Before he knew it, the effects of the anesthesia had him in their grasp. He didn't know why he did this; Bo never reacted well to it, either, but it always affected Luke the worst. He could only hope that it wouldn't be too bad or last too long. He had to get back up to check on his blood brother.
