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 Vinsmouse 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….

Chapter 10 How's the General?

Either Luke had been bored while sitting around waiting for him, or he had known that Bo would be bored since he couldn't move around all that much yet. Either way, there was a whole pile of their older car magazines out in the family room.

Enough to give him a large selection of some fine reading. Daisy always said that she couldn't understand how they could sit and read them cover to cover. Claiming it was all boring and useless information, they both claimed it was not and Jesse said it was different tastes.

It was about cars and engines and about their performances, so of course it was interesting. There was so much they could do with the General if they had a few extra bucks. There was also the fact that no matter how much he loved the General, there was so many other things he wanted to try out. There were four by four vehicles that were perfect for off road driving, and there was cars that might look kinda boring, but boy where they fast around the track. Who wouldn't be thrilled at the prospect of doing over a hundred miles per hour, and not breaking a sweat.

Though their uncle always did, claiming he was worrying himself to death when they did that. He knew how much the boys loved it though, and he wasn't about to forbid them to do it. Something that Bo was eternally grateful for. He was a very good uncle, and he still remembered what it had been like to be young. He let them do the crazy things he claimed belonged with the young people, as long as they took responsibility for it, he didn't care too much, except for a few things. He had a few rules, but if you broke them, then you wound up in the woodshed so fast you didn't always know what had happened.

"How's apple pie sound for supper?" Jesse called from the kitchen. "Or would ya rather wait fer a day or two when ya feel better."

"Apple pie?" He looked up from the magazine.

"Yeah, thought I'd make one, but I wanted ta wait until ya's able ta enjoy it." Jesse smiled to himself as he could hear the hope in Bo's voice. Maybe the boy was up to it, and maybe he was not, but after having heard the suggestion he would be very disappointed if there wasn't any.

He looked out the window as he could hear a car coming up the road, it was Cooter and Luke in the tow truck and he smiled even wider. After all, Luke had told him that they would just wrap it up before heading back home.

"Bo!" Luke was calling out before he was even on the porch, and Jesse didn't have to peek to know how Bo would be grinning.

"Hey there buddy, looking a great deal better today." Cooter laughed as he came in right on Luke's heels.

"A lot better." Luke agreed, "how's ya feeling?"

"Better, just a bit tired and sore," he admitted. There was no way he was gonna be able to hide it from Luke anyway, Luke always knew how he felt. "Is Uncle Jesse really making apple pie?"

Luke smiled, there was no doubt about it, Bo was returning to his old self and fast. "He's making an apple pie alright, and it looks like a big one. Ya hungry?"

"I ain't eaten a lot, have I?" Bo pointed out. He wasn't as hungry as you might think, and he doubted he would be able to eat a lot, but he was hungry. He was pretty sure he could eat both supper and dessert. Especially when the smells started to come from the kitchen, suddenly he found that he had trouble concentrating on the conversation. He was surprised when he heard Cooter laughing, almost doubled over. He turned to give him a confused look.

"What's so funny?" He asked, knowing that look in his friend's eyes all to well.

"You buddy," Cooter grinned. "Ya's been staring at the kitchen for ages now, an' ain't no way ta get ya attention either. Acting like ya's been starved fer weeks."

"Give me a break, will ya, it's just that it smells real good." Bo frowned, not quite sure how much he wanted to be teased about it just yet.

"Well, I reckon that if it's any of us got the right ta enjoy a good meal, it's ya." Luke grinned. He had gotten a good look at what Jesse was making. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and some corn cobs, all food that was well suited to Bo. Partially because he loved it, but also because it was fairly nice food. Right now Bo would be eating on a pretty much empty stomach, and the wrong kind of food would leave him with one bad belly ache. That was the last thing any of them wanted.

When Jesse was just about done, Luke went out to set the table, and then went back to help Bo. He could have helped him out there before he set the table, but that would have left him sitting and watching all the food, and it just didn't seem fair. He poured them all some milk and watched as Bo tried to cover up his desire to get started by arranging his legs under the table. Jesse knew it as well, and he was not about to let him eat without them all saying grace, but he made it shorter than he might other wise have done.

There was so much to be grateful for when Bo was there at the table with them, looking far better than he had just recently. The bruises were fading and he had a healthier colour to his cheeks.

Listening to the chorused amen's he took Bo's plate and filled it up. Not to much, better the lad took seconds than he tried to clear off a plate that had been filled with more than he could handle. When it came to food the boy didn't even have the good sense that God promised a turkey. "Take it slow now there," he said softly, as he handed him back the plate. "Ain't no hurry, though I know ya feel like ya's been starved. Still better ya take it slow than ya hurry it down and then hurry it all up again."

I know Uncle Jesse, I'll take it easy." Bo beamed at him. "Sure tastes great though."

"I'm glad that you like it son," Jesse smiled at him, glad beyond words to see him eat cheerfully, if albeit slowly. It seemed that the warning wasn't needed, because even while he chewed he had to stop for breath every now and again. Jesse kept an eye on him to make sure everything was okay, and he never really stopped smiling. How a boy could sit there and smile even while eating, and even while trying to catch his breath so that he could go on eating, well, that was Bo for you.

When he was reaching the bottom of his plate Bo had to admit that he was glad Jesse hadn't given him anymore. As it was he knew that he wouldn't be able to eat much of the pie, but there was no way they were eating it without him. It had been standing there to cool off the whole time, and it sure looked good.

Jesse cut him a small slice of it, and a generous scoop of ice cream on the side, thinking that eating most likely had been hard on his throat. Not wanting to be accused of coddling him in any way he gave Luke and Cooter a scoop of the ice cream too, neither of them would ever think about complaining.

"Have ya done anything about the General yet?" Bo didn't really want to admit that he couldn't finish the pie if he didn't take a small break to catch his breath and let what he had eaten settle. Talking with them seemed like a good way to do it without letting anyone notice that he was getting quite tired.

"He's coming along nicely." Cooter grinned, wondering how much detail he would be forced to give, and how much detail he thought he could give.

"Yeah," Luke nodded in agreement. "He'll be patched up and back in business long before ya self, so ya had better take it easy and hurry up an' heal."

"What do ya think I'm doing?" Bo frowned, it wasn't that he wasn't used to the teasing, and it wasn't like Luke wasn't right. It was just that it felt as if he was trying to cover up for something that he didn't quite want Bo to know. "How bad was he wrecked?"

"Wasn't one thing wrong with him that I can't fix." Cooter assured him hurriedly.

Bo frowned, now dropping his spoon as he gave it some serious thought. "Ya already said that Cooter, but that don't tell me nothing about how bad it was."

"That's cause it's true." Luke put in. "It ain't all that bad at all Bo, we took a bit of time to work on him today."

"That's where ya were?" Bo asked and looked between them as they nodded, then glanced at his uncle. "So how bad was it?"

"We'll have him fixed up in no-time at all." Cooter grinned.

Bo frowned, he had completely forgotten about the last bit of pie and the ice cream that was slowly melting on the side. Any time he forgot about food it tended to be a bad sign, and Jesse was pretty sure that it was.

"What's going on here?"

"What do ya mean Bo?" Luke frowned thoughtfully, not liking the tone in Bo's voice at all.

"I don't remember all o' it, but I know a bit o' it." Bo stated slowly. "An' the driver's side was really busted up, it would have ta be, I mean it trapped me. An' I know ya tore the door clean off, an' I reckon the engine was really messed up by the way it hit. An all ya saying is it wasn't nothing bad at all. We've busted 'im up good a few times, an' ya ain't ever refused ta tell me how bad before, so what's really up about it?"

"Bit o' body work, knocking out a few dents as well as replacing a few parts in the engine." Cooter shrugged.

"Ain't nothing more than a few hours worth of tinkering on him." Luke added.

"Uncle Jesse?" Bo turned to their uncle.

"I dunno nothing Bo. I ain't really seen him since." Jesse apologized.

"But they ain't telling me?1" He objected, not looking at either of them.

"Now Bo, I'm sure that if there was something wrong with the General, they'd tell ya." Jesse said soothingly, he himself wondering just why they wouldn't tell him more, but he didn't want to tell them too. "I reckon it's just what they say, nothing much at all ta bother about."

"It can't be, I don't really remember, but I know it was bad." Bo looked away as he started trying to get the crutches and push his chair away from the table. "I'm tired Uncle Jesse, I'm gonna go ta bed." He mumbled as he stood, keeping his balance while trying to sort out the crutches.

"Want a hand?" Luke asked, thinking he still looked a bit unsteady.

"I can manage just fine." Bo insisted. "Good night y'all." He made a few hops when Jesse stood up and moved to hug him.

"Ya take care now Bo, an' git some rest, an' if ya need anything, we'll be right here."

"Yeah, goodnight Uncle Jesse." He didn't really dare to sneak an arm loose to hug him back, but he leaned as far into the hug as he could get.

Once he had disappeared into the room and closed the door Jesse turned to the two remaining boys. "Now, what's up with that car that ya ain't telling Bo?"

"It won't really matter what it is, if it's something with the General an' they ain't telling Bo, then it's bad, one way or another…"

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