Author's Note: A normal day in Hazzard is when the Duke boys get run into the pond. Not so much normal when one Duke boys get run into the pond, and can't get out of there.

Big thanks to JordynD for beta work and Gray Wolf for all the help.

Warning: The warning is placed here for Vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen.

Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix….

The Days After The Night Before

Chapter 9:

It surprised Jesse when Rosco came over shortly before lunch, even if was only to report that there was no new leads and ask how Bo was doing. Jesse peaked into the family room knowing that Bo had nodded off again, but now he got worried since he was much warmer than before. Clearly running more of a fever than he had done in the morning. He put his hand on the boy's brow and tried to determine exactly how much of a fever he had, and wondering if he should be worried about it yet.

"How's he doing there?" Rosco asked from the kitchen doorway, holding his hat in his hands and fiddling a bit with the brim.

"He's starting ta catch on sick." Jesse sighed. "But he should be alright I reckon. S' a strong lad."

Rosco nodded slowly. "Me an' Enos, we're still trying ta come up with sumpthing, but there ain't much ta go by. Was no witnesses so all we can really do is ask around an' hope we find something."

Jesse nodded slowly, the one time that Rosco was actually doing his job he wasn't going to complain about him not getting enough results. "I know Rosco, I want ya ta know that we appreciate it, all 'o us Dukes do."

Rosco left again, and the boys came in for lunch while Daisy left for work. She had taken the half finished car magazines from him and put it on the coffee table once he fell asleep. Luke went straight to the couch as soon as he was indoors.

"He's really burning up Uncle Jesse." He said worriedly as he touched his forehead.

"I know, he's been getting hotter and hotter." Jesse went over to stand beside him. "We all knew he was gonna catch sick from it Luke, there ain't no more to it than that. But I've been keeping my eye on him alright, and he ain't doing too bad right now. It ain't really bothering him none. He's just running a fever and sleeping."

"I gotta get back to the garage in a bit." Cooter stated thoughtfully, "want me ta give a holler to ol' Doc Appleby? Could ask him ta come on over here an' take a look at him. Make sure it ain't no worse than it looks."

Jesse shook his head and put a hand on his shoulder. "Nothing ta worry about just yet Cooter, if 'n he gets any worse 'n he is right now it'll be time to ask ol' Doc ta come on over here. But right now it ain't really nothing ta worry about, an' I'll tell ya what ya's gonna be doing. The two off ya has been working real hard, an' I know ya's gonna be doing the same this afternoon, so ya just sit down an' have ya lunch now an' I'll take care of him." He looked at both young boys. "Now git out in that there kitchen, ya here."

He shooed them out to the table to eat, getting a glass of cold water and returning to Bo again, speaking softly to him as he tried to make him drink.

"Come here now lad, ya's gonna be needing this if ya's gonna be as hot as ya are now." He smiled as Bo cracked his eyes open a little in response to the soft voice.

"Uncle Jesse, ah' ain't feeling good." Bo mumbled and Jesse smiled a little as he brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"I know lad, I know ya ain't, got some nice cold water here for ya, an' ya need ta drink, Bo, ya need ta drink a lot here. Ya's running a fever an' the last thing ya need right now is ta get ya self dehydrated."

Bo nodded and drank greedily as his uncle helped him, draining the glass of everything but the last sip.

"M' throat hurts." He mumbled as he pulled away from the glass.

"Want something hot instead, some tea?" Jesse asked softly, giving him a worried look as Bo shook his head. "Don't really want nothing."

Jesse nodded even if he had wished he would have drinking some more. "Ya rest some more now then, an' ya tell me if ya want some more later." He'd fill up a pitcher with ice water and leave on the table. Maybe it would be easier to make him drink a little at a time and more often, than it was for him to drink a whole glass.

He headed out into the kitchen and the two young faces with the worried expressions that sat there. Telling them to stop fretting for a few minutes and make sure they ate some. Filling up the pitcher and brining it back out into the family room.

Even though he didn't want to leave the Dukes, Cooter had to get back to the garage, thought once more he said something about returning in the morning and helping out with the chores. Jesse suspected that he would be using that excuse the whole time until Bo was better. He would have objected if he hadn't known how it was concern about Bo that made it. He had also been an uncle for too many years not to see other possibilities in it as well. Every day that Cooter dropped by in the morning and stayed to lunch, Jesse could make sure that there was two good sturdy meals he ate where he knew Cooter might not care for himself on his own.

Even when Bo was the most immediate object of his concern he was still worried about Luke, Daisy and Cooter. He couldn't imagine not worrying about them. By this time it was a way of life more than anything else.

Cooter left and Luke got a bowl with some cold water, sitting down on the edge of the couch and started trying to bring his fever down. Wiping his face and chest with a washcloth dipped in the cold water. It soothed him a little and Luke was able to make him take another half glass of the water. Though he complained about it being to cold.

It wasn't until late in the evening that he really woke up again. Focusing on Luke with fever clouded eyes.

"It hurts." He groaned.

"What hurts Bo?" Luke asked softly, worried that his leg would be bothering him even more now.

"Me." Bo mumbled sleepily and Luke smiled softly.

"Where do ya hurt Bo? If ya tell me maybe I can help ya with it."

"Dunno, s' just hurting." Bo looked at him again and grasped his hand. "S' nasty."

"I know Bo, I know." Luke took his other hand and pushed a few locks of hair away from his eyes. He had been blinking so clearly it was bothering him. "Ya know what I think Bo, I think we should get ya ta bed, how's that sounding?" He was quite surprised to see Bo shaking his head over it.

"Bo, ya'd be much better of in bed by now, come on."

"No." Bo gave him a stubborn look. "I dun wanna."

"Why."

"Cause I'd just dream lots 'a bad dreams, an' I dun wanna."

"Oh." It made sense, the nightmares had to be twice as bad for him now with the fever. "Bo, I know ya's been having nightmares, but ya still gotta sleep. Ya ain't gonna get no better if ya don't."

"Bad nightmares," Bo mumbled. "Really bad Luke."

"I understand kiddo, I really understand, but not sleeping ain't gonna make it any better at all." He ruffled his hair again. "Come on now, lets get ya to bed buddyro, I'll stay with ya until ya's asleep, how's that sounding?" He didn't really wait for objections, instead he just picked him up and carried him into the other room. Returning later for his pillow and for the water. Coxing him to drink another sip and continuing to sponge him off trying to cool him. At least he slept peacefully well into the night. Even when he woke up Luke could easily sooth him back to sleep again.

Nothing really changed the first week, Rosco didn't get a single lead, Cooter kept dropping by, and while Bo's fever never grew too bad it was persistent. Therefore they kept him in his bed instead of on the couch. Thought Luke moved him regularly to his own bed so that Daisy could change the sheets in Bo's bed to fresh ones. One moment he was shivering with cold, and the next sweating and trying to throw off the sheets. They had to check on him very often, because when he shifted from sweltering to shivering they had to cover him up with more blankets. When he went from too hot to too warm they had to try and cool him down.

Luke couldn't hide the fact that he was worried either, and with spending most of his time watching over Bo he didn't get to help Cooter as much as he had wanted either, which didn't really matter since Cooter spent most of any free time he had at the Duke farm. If it had gone on much longer, Jesse suspected he would have been forced to command them away to sleep for some time. He was mighty tempted to do it when he walked into the boy's bedroom and found Bo wide awake there. Looking tired and his hair was sweat matted, but his eyes were clear from the fever and his brow was no hotter than it should be.

"How are ya feeling?" He asked softly, it was mid afternoon, and he had been sleeping the whole day up until then.

"Lot better." Bo smiled at him and rubbed at his eyes a bit. "I wanna get up, I'm tiered of lying around here."

"Okay," Jesse nodded. "But ya had better take it easy today ya hear boy, cause ya ain't all that well yet."

"Kay." Bo nodded slowly as he sat up. "Where's my clothes?" He frowned. Normally they would have been on the floor next to his bed, but now there was nothing there.

"I'll git them." The jeans were in the living room where Daisy had temporarily modified them to easier fit over a cast. Then he got him a t-shirt and a shirt from the closet, separating one sock from a pair for him as well. Bo thanked him and started getting dressed. Slowly, a bit worn out, but he was most defiantly better, and getting the crutches he was fairly steady on his feet as he made his way out into the family room, looking around curiously.

"Where's everyone?" He asked as he couldn't spot either cousin.

"Well, Daisy just about took off for work, and Luke went with Cooter after lunch." Jesse explained to him.

"Oh," he couldn't say that he was disappointed, it wasn't fair to expect them to hang around to wait for him, but he would have wanted to talk with them. Even if he had been on the farm the whole time it felt as if he had been missing them, as if either them or he hand been away. Granted he and Luke generally started missing each other any time they were separated for more than a few hours since they were used to being together all the time. There were those who claimed that they had never seen one of them without the other.

Jesse smiled at him, he could tell what the boy was thinking, he knew well how Bo craved the closeness as much as he wanted it.

"Ah, they'll be back here soon Bo, don't 'cha worry none 'bout that now. I told Cooter he ought ta drop back here fer supper. Them too boys are just taking care of some business o' one sort o' another."

Bo nodded slowly, he should have known that. It made a great deal of sense.

"Come here now boy."

He looked up to see his uncle give him a warm smile just before he was pulled into a strong embrace. "Now, ya's been sleeping this whole day, and Cooter was by here before lunch, then Luke went with him and helped him with something. They wouldn't have if they had known ya's gonna come around, there was just no way o' telling how long ya's gonna sleep."

"I know Uncle Jesse." Bo took a deep breath as he had his cheek nuzzled against his uncles shirt. "I just feel like I've missed him in some way."

"Ya's been pretty out of it fer a week now, 'course ya missing him." Jesse smiled. "An' I'm gonna give them a call on the CB ta let them know ya's awake an' doing better. I've a feeling they's gonna hurry it home here."

Bo nodded slowly, they would, that much he knew.

"Anything ya want now?" Jesse asked before heading into the kitchen.

"Can I have something cold?" His throat still felt a bit sore and something cold would be really nice.

"Lemonade or ice cream." Jesse grinned where he was already taking out the ice cream and took down a bowl.

"Ice cream please."

Maybe he shouldn't have even bothered asking when he knew what the answer would be. Bo loved ice cream, and for him it was a comfort food as well. Lavinia had used it to comfort him when he was sick, and it worked really well. Still it was nice to give the boy a choice, and not because it seemed to make the lad twice as grateful when he got the bowl instead of the glass, but because it was one of the few things he could give him the choice of.

He took the bowl back out into the family room where Bo was sitting. Not really trusting himself to the crutches yet but worrying that he would trip over himself and fall. Watching him dig in happily Jesse headed back into the kitchen to raise the other two boys on the CB. Not asking where they were since he already knew that, and once Luke was told that Bo was awake, he didn't say anything about what they had been doing either.

He and Cooter had agreed that it would do Bo no good to know ho badly damaged the General had been. Cooter had gotten the body straightened out, and now they tried to fix the rest of the wreck. Stripping the other Charger they had gotten from the junkyard took care of a great deal, thought it did dampen the General's performance to a certain extent. The left front fender and door was the same no matter what car it came from, it was all the engine works the boys had put there that they lost when they transferred parts from the old wreck into the General. It was an old worn out engine that had never been anything special to start with.

Cooter wiped his hands on a rag as he looked at it. "Well, there's no way around it, he's gonna be a bit slow for a time here, but at least he'll be running."

"And we couldn't have afforded getting him trimmed up all at once." Luke nodded. "Working conditions fine Cooter. We can get him back to his old self in time." He grinned at Cooter as he started gathering up the tools. "Right now I reckon there's someone at the farm who's been a wearing a hole in the carpet waiting fer us ta get back there.

"I'd say he's abut halfway through the floorboards by now, but getting the General working seems good to me…"

A/N: Sorry this was late, but please review anyway, the cricket is hungry…..