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 15: Thank You
Bo kept to the farm the day after, apparently worn out from the previous day. He moved out to the porch swing after breakfast, and then followed Luke to the barn to keep him company while he did the chores.
That was one thing that was worrying Luke, Bo moving around more was good but he also was wearing himself out doing it. He seemed to be determined to keep up with Luke as he normally did. While it was a good sign that he wanted to, Luke was worried it would be too much for him.
He had been following back and forth over the yard the whole morning, and when Luke got up to mend the barn roof after lunch Bo got up to go with him.
"Hold it there Bo, ya ain't gonna be able ta git up on that there roof." Jesse said as he shook his head.
"I wasn't gonna Uncle Jesse." Bo told him.
"Why don't ya sit down for a spell then?" Jesse asked softly. "Ya's been up an' around all day.
Luke was inclined to agree, the day before he had fallen asleep once at Cooter's and then on the porch swing. Now, he was starting to look really tired.
"I'm fine Uncle Jesse." Bo shrugged, he was tired of having to take it easy. Even though he knew deep inside that it was a stupid idea he was trying to deny to himself how weary he was.
"Bo, ya had a mighty busy day yesterday, we's just thinking maybe ya should take it a bit easy today." Jesse suggested.
Bo shook his head. "I've had all I can take o' taking it easy. I 's just gonna go over there anyway, it ain't hard at all."
"Ya sure?" Luke asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Bo was starting to get annoyed, and with that even more determined not to let anything slow him down. Luke recognized the signs, so he backed down. Knowing that the more they tried to make him take it easy, the more determined Bo would be to prove that he could handle it.
However Bo soon figured out that merely standing around and watching as Luke was up on the roof was mighty boring and he headed back towards the house.
Luke up on the roof had kept a very close eye on him, so when Bo moved away he followed him with his eyes. He was half way to the ladder when one of Bo's crutches slipped on a loose rock and Bo fell as he lost his balance.
He hurried down the ladder and over to where Bo had pulled himself up to sitting.
"Are ya okay Bo?" Luke asked, concerned as he knelt beside him.
"Yeah." Bo looked at him, a bit of guilt in his eye. "I just slipped Luke, I'm okay."
"Now do ya believe us when we say ya should be taking it easy?" Luke chided gently.
"Luke, I just tripped on that dang rock." Bo objected, even though he knew that Luke knew it wasn't all true.
"Because ya was tired, yeah." Luke nodded. "Does it hurt anywhere?" He asked, given the way Bo was rubbing his wrist he was waiting for an affirmative answer. Anything else and he was gonna have a talk with Bo, a very serious one.
He didn't have to, Bo gave a small nod. "My wrist is sore." He admitted.
Luke nodded, it was what he had expected. "See now why ya should take it easy?" he asked. "The last thing ya need now is a sprained or broken wrist. Come on, lets git ya inside an' have Uncle Jesse take a look at that."
Luke pulled him to his feet and wrapped an arm around his waist to help him inside. Easing him down on the couch before fetching their uncle. Bo wearing an expression of embarrassed guilt the whole time.
"Ya never did know when it was time ta take it easy fer a bit." Jesse sighed softly as he sat down beside him. Then he ruffled his hair to show that the grumpiness in his voice was only out of concern. "Lets take a look at that shall we?"
He took Bo's wrist in his hands and examined it carefully. It was to be expected that he would be sore, but it didn't seem to be sprained, so if he just stayed put for the rest of the evening, Jesse guessed that he would be as good as new the next day.
"Nothing that won't heal over night." He told Bo gently, "but fer the rest of this day, ya's staying put where ya are, got it?"
"Yes sir," Bo nodded slowly. "I'm sorry Uncle Jesse."
"I know Bo, but ya's gotta learn fer ya 'self when's it time ta back off." Jesse chided him gently. "What if ya had broken that there arm instead, then ya'd have really been stuck doing nothing."
Bo nodded, he knew that. Now that he was sitting still he was also starting to nod off. It didn't take five minutes before he was asleep. Luke went back to fix the barn roof and Jesse sighed softly. He loved them two boys to distraction, but half the time he didn't know what to do with them.
Those were the times where he wondered if things would have been better if his brothers had lived to raise their children. The three wouldn't have been as close as they were, but maybe then there would have been more than three. He knew that Bo had been planned to have a younger sibling. Most likely there would have been a baby for Daisy as well.
While the three of them was the most precious thing he had ever had in his life, he could not always help thinking that maybe their parents would have done a better job, maybe they could have kept them safe where he did not seem able to.
Those were the times when he blamed himself for the two of them being on probation. While it was far better than prison, it was no life for two young boys. Having that kind of restriction placed on them. What more, he knew that Bo kept thinking that if he had been a better driver they would never have been caught.
It was times like this when he wished nothing more than to be able to provide a better future for his young ones.
He sighed softly, and Bo couldn't have been sleeping as deeply as he thought, for now the young boy opened his eyes to look at him.
"Uncle Jesse?" He mumbled sleepily.
"Didn't I tell ya ta rest?" He said gruffly. Once more masking what he really felt with an air of gruffness.
"Yes sir." Half asleep Bo gave him a confused look. "I'm sorry Uncle Jesse."
Jesse sighed, he hadn't meant to make Bo think he had done something wrong. "Ya ain't got nothing ta be sorry fer Bo, s' just this old fool's thinking."
"Bout what?" Bo's curiosity was peaked, especially since he had been afraid it was something he had done.
"Nothing Bo." Jesse shook his head. "Nothing ya need ta worry about. Now put that head down and git some rest so I don't have ta stand here an' watch over ya, will ya."
Bo nodded, he was not as adept at reading his uncle or anyone else as Luke was, but there was a few things he could tell just as well. "Uncle Jesse."
"Yeah." Jesse turned back to him, and if nothing else the tone of his voice let Bo knew he had been right about what his uncle was so deep in thought.
"Thank ya Uncle Jesse." He mumbled sleepily.
"Whatever for?" Jesse wondered confused.
"Fer taking so good care 'o us." Bo told him, and there was an honesty in his voice and on his face that near brought a tear to Jesse's eye. That was his youngest true to form. When the boy was a mere toddler, there was no doubt about it that he saw his Uncle and older cousin as his heroes, apparently he still did.
"Didn't I just tell ya to rest?" He asked, this time the gruffness was there to hide the fact that he was embarrassed over what his youngest told him.
Bo wasn't paying him anymore attention though, already sound asleep.
"Some of ya might not believe it, but I know Jesse, an' taking care of them boys was never a chore to him…"
/Please leave a review, the cricket is hungry.