Thank you all so much for all the reviews. I'm so glad you are liking this story so far and your opinions mean so much to me… you just don't know how much I appreciate y'all. That said, I hereby dedicate this chapter to everyone who takes the time to review because I know it's easier to just not and say ya did, but I know for me it gives me the encouragement I need to keep going. So to all who review… this one's for you! And of course, I better put in a TISSUE WARNING for some of you especially. You know who you are.

By the way, those of you who read this might want to check out the other story I posted: Letters from War. As you know I hardly ever post more than one story at a time, but I think you will understand why that one is special and I'd love to hear what you think.

A light in the hallway flickered, but Luke took no notice as he stopped just outside room 412…Bo's room. A nurse stepped out and smiled softly at Luke.

"You family?" she asked kindly.

Luke could only nod.

"Well, he's in there restin'. Ya can go on in if ya like…"

Luke didn't wait for another word. He turned the handle and made his way to the chair beside the bed.

It was a good thing the chair was there, it turned out. Seeing his cousin in the state he was in was more than Luke could bear standing up. Crumbling into the chair, he carefully picked up Bo's left hand and gently massaged the bruise on it. He couldn't tell if the bruise had occurred from the IV placed in the top of his hand, the seizure itself or both, but he was inclined to think the latter. It didn't really matter much anyway. The fact was that it was there... and on his right hand… and on his arms… and legs…and since they said he had a concussion, he knew there was a bruise on his brain as well.

Luke took a deep breath taking in the sight of his baby cousin as calmly as he could. He didn't look good. Bo had always had a healthy glow to him, complete with a nice tan from working in the fields beside his cousin making his blond hair seem even blonder than it was. Now, whether it was the pale light from the hospital, or Bo himself, the younger cousin seemed more to Luke like a colored shadow of what he had been. He looked so frail and helpless. His nose was turning slightly red from the oxygen being pumped into it and Luke couldn't help but wipe tears from his eyes as he thought back to the many times little Bo would come home from the hospital after having a breathing treatment for his asthma. His nose would always be red and sore and many were the times he would wake in the night with nosebleeds because of it. His closed eyes seemed more sunken than usual, and his lips were chapped and bleeding slightly.

Gently Luke held onto Bo's hand with his own, gently pushing the hair back from his eyes, gulping as he felt just how clammy his skin was. This couldn't be happening… it had to be a dream… a bad dream…

If it's a dream, I sure wish someone'd bring in the rooster 'bout now.

"Yer gonna be okay, Bo. Ya hear me cousin? Yer gonna be alright." Tears were beginning to fall from his eyes. Quickly he brushed them away, irritated at himself when more started to come. "God Bo, it ain't fair. It just ain't!"

Luke sighed despairingly. He was always the strong one, the one with the plan, the one who knew the answers. Now, he felt weaker than ever before and all he had were questions. He gently, put Bo's hand to his mouth and put a small kiss on it, gently tracing the IV tube with thumb. The feel of the clear plastic tube against his skin more than he could take, he bent over Bo sobbing his heart out.

He stopped just long enough to hear a vaguely familiar voice. "Luke?"

Luke wiped his eyes and looked at Bo who was staring at him with those big blue eyes of his. "Luke?" he whispered hoarsely again. Bo's bottom lip quivered as he squeezed his cousin's hand. "Luke, what's wrong?"

Luke smiled sadly, wiping the tears that continued to fall down his cheeks. "You remember me Bo?"

Bo swallowed, not sure what Luke meant by that question. He could tell that he was in a hospital, but he couldn't remember why, but seeing as how he had no broken bones that he could see and just a bad headache he figured it couldn't be anything major.

"Course I remember you Luke," he began, wetting his dry lips with his tongue as speaking seemed to make them dryer. "Who could forget a mug like yours?"

Why Luke started sobbing again as he stroked Bo's hair and why he hugged Bo's hand to him puzzled Bo for a moment, until Bo moved to look at Luke's face.

"Ow!" He tried to lift his hand to the back of his head where the pain had shifted from bad to worse, but soon discovered that his arms felt like they were weighed down with millstones. "Luke? What's wrong with me?" he asked weakly.

"Ya remember anything Bo? Anything at all?"

Bo thought for a moment. "I was getting ready for the party… did we go to the party?"

Luke shook his head. "No, buddy. We never made it there."

Something about the way Luke said those words worried Bo. "I 'member goin' t' take a shower… an' reachin' fer a towel… seems like I remember this older fella askin' me questions too… nothin' else." Talking made him tired and a yawn overtook him before he knew it, causing his eyes to water with pain.

"Bo?"

Bo looked at Luke, tears falling. "Somethin's wrong with my jaw," explained Bo quietly. "Hurts. Hurt ev'rywhere…"

Luke nodded. "Ya had some seizures and have a concussion there, Bo."

"I did?" Bo's eyes grew big with fear. He'd heard of people having seizures, but had never actually seen one. From what he knew they were mighty scary.

"Yeah… ya did." Luke opened his mouth to say more, but could only take his cousin's bruised hand in his own and hug it to his chest, having been more scared than he'd ever been in 'Nam.

Tears escaped Bo's eyes. Seizures? It didn't make sense to him. Something had to be wrong. He was Bo Duke. That kind of thing didn't happen… not to him. Looking at Luke so close to breaking down crying again, Bo felt his own heart contracting. He felt responsible for reducing Luke to the state he was in and he could only imagine what he had put Uncle Jesse and Daisy through. He felt his eyes begin to close as his own hot wet tears mingled together with Luke's on the pillow. Eyes still closed, he could only moan softly and mutter "Why Luke? Why?" Soon, sleep stole him away for its own bringing with it the temporary escape from reality that Bo so needed.

You know what to do. Thanks!