Scott listened intently as Bo explained the situation, hearing over again the story he had been told repeatedly in every town he had gone to. The typical loss of faith in god, the nightmares, the seemingly tense and always on edge nature each person had adopted…Luke had never been a person that Scott thought this would happen to but happened it had and now Luke needed help, blizzard or no. But first off was to sort Bo out as he would be an integral part to Luke's recovery as well as the 18 year old's own.
"I have to say Bo….Luke's reaction is surprisin' but then again it ain't either. You ain't the only one this has happened to, this ain't Luke just bein' nasty. This has happened to so many other families and if it's any comfort this isn't the worst that it can get to."
Bo swallowed and finally looked to Scott, tears streaking down his cheeks and his eyes starting to widen.
"What d'ya mean…."
He watched as Scott sighed and rubbed the black ringed eyes and shifted his slinged armed a little bit before looking to him, all honesty in his eyes.
"Luke ain't the worst case I've seen….others cut themselves off completely and spent one week at home before signing up again to the corps…"
For a moment, nothing but silence passed between the two men, both realizing the harshness of the words but neither one thinking the same thing. All Scott could think of was that Luke would never do that, while Bo could think of nothing but why the heck someone would want to go back. Looking at Bo, Scott realized instantly what so many people thought, people who understood the horrors of war only, not what else it could bring and he gently started to explain.
"Bo….out there in war…there are so many awful things that happen and yeah it gets to you, I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't. But the thing is, once you're used to it….it doesn't bother you so much. It becomes something like a normal job and when you return…if you return…back to base its just like going home again. You miss your family something crazy an' all….but in a way the platoon becomes your family. You watch each others backs and look after one another…just like a big brother or a father…"
Bo swallowed and nodded; Luke had looked after him like that before he had gone away and he always dreamt that it would be the same when he came back…it was a shock to find it wasn't so. Scott waited a moment for Bo to take the small explanation in before carrying on.
"Some people….when they get home they find that suddenly every horror they've seen comes back to haunt them and unfortunately they can't handle that. Their family don't understand and they think there is nothing that they can do to help when really all they have to do is talk to the people they love about it and let some of the 'forbidden' subjects in 'Nam come to light. Luke was always great at the out there in that damn country…he looked after us all as a Sergeant but never wanted anything in return…"
"That's Luke through and through…"
Scott chuckled and nodded a little.
"Figured it might be…but ya know….there was one subject he would never hesitate to talk about…the one way us in the platoon managed to keep him and us spirited…."
He watched as the blonde haired young man turned a tear stained, but interested face to him, his head cocked to the side slightly as he asked for the answer with blue eyes that Scott found he just couldn't say no to…as Luke promised the men he had been with they wouldn't be able to resist should they see them. With a smile, he gave him the answer with a small poke to his shoulder.
"M…me?"
"Yeah…you Bo. There was nothing Luke loved more than telling us about the mischief you and him used to get into when you were younger, about you as a baby, what you said in your letters…everything…he loved to talk about your Uncle and your other cousin too, don't get me wrong….but whenever he talked about you his eyes seemed to light up and he wasn't Sergeant Luke Duke anymore…he was just Luke…an older cousin and nephew who missed his family. I was only there a month or so before he went missing and then I got shot and all….but that much I could gather just by listening in."
Bo listened in earnest, swallowing hard with a small watery smile as he heard that…he had always been a source of entertainment for Luke, had always been willing to give his oldest cousin a hug when he needed it without shame and without the fear of being pushed away because he knew when Luke needed it the most. But recently Luke was so unpredictable he was never really sure when the show of affection would be rejected and when it would be accepted.
"I wish it was like that now Scott….I really do…"
"Whose to say it can't be?"
Scott asked gently, watching as Bo looked to him exasperatedly.
"Didn't ya hear anything I said Scott?!"
"Yes of course I did….but just because Luke's acting like that what makes you think that what he needs most is just a hug that is given because you want one….not because you think he needs one."
Bo frowned a little, not saying anything as he looked away again and listened as Scott continued.
"He knows you love him Bo…he just needs reminding instead of thinking all the time that the only reason you give him affection is to stop him being so Marine-like and start being the Luke you knew. We all know that's who you want back….but getting through to Luke is going to take more than just a hug and begging to know what's going on…as you are probably reminded from the nice shiner he's left on yer chin."
He watched as Bo's hand unconsciously came up and rubbed the sore spot gently, nodding slowly. He let the silence hang between them again and looked around at the small community that was gathered in the hall, smiling gently as he saw the warmth between everyone. He could see why Luke talked so fondly of the place in which he lived…even if it was a slow, backwater county like he had admitted.
A small bang behind him made him jump and he looked round to see the door close, frowning a little but putting it down to the howling winds again before he looked back, taking a breath as he turned to Bo…letting it out in a whoosh as he found the young man missing from the spot beside him. Swallowing he quickly made the connection, standing up hurriedly.
"Uh oh…."
--------------------------------------
Luke carefully adjusted the blankets and towels underneath Grace, making sure the oil lamps he had found were still burning around them and checking the piled up towels for the umpteenth time before he was stopped by a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked over to the woman and smiled back, taking the hand in his and squeezing it softly, rubbing it with his thumb.
"It's okay…yer doing fine…" Grace assured softly with another slight chuckle, resting in the break between her contractions which were getting closer together. The current time between them was a little under a minute and a half now, meaning that it would be a little while before the real action started…a painful little while at any rate.
Luke smiled back and nodded, asking with a slight teasing tone as he raised his eyebrows.
"Ain't I supposed to be the one saying that to you?"
Grace laughed gently again, shaking her head.
"I think you need it more than me right now…."
Luke nodded in agreement as he smiled again, feeling the temperature of the bowl of water he had retrieved from the house that was resting on the top of the oil lamp and the jug of shine resting close but not too close beside it. Both needed to be warm when the baby arrived and heating up the freezing water to the right temperature would be a while as the cold shine would need to be added too. He swiftly tuned his attention back to Grace however as another contraction hit, helping her to sit forward as he slipped behind her in straddle, her between his legs and his arms underneath hers so their hands met and clasped together rested on his knees and effectively hugging her too as he softly spoke soothing and claming words through the pain.
After a minute or so of his hands being crushed, Luke smiled as he helped Grace lay back against him gently, her head resting on his chest as she listened to his heartbeat which was calmer and steadier than he actually looked. To Grace, he still looked like a deer caught in the headlights, especially when she had asked him to do those particular actions when a contraction hit. But done it he had, all too willing to help in anyway he could. Eventually, she spoke up.
"Thank you….so much for all of this…I'm really sorry…"
"Hey….you don't got to be sorry for nothing. Yer little one and you are the most important things right now and I'll help in any way I can."
She sighed softly with a smile and nodded, waiting for the question that she knew he was wanting to ask without being rude. Eventually, she just answered it for him.
"I asked you to do this during the contractions because it's what my husband and I practised before he went away…I always found his heartbeat comforting…"
Luke swallowed and rubbed her arm gently, nodding softly. He really didn't mind why she needed to be like this, but that didn't matter as long as she was calm and happy. Still, he couldn't help but wonder and he was relieved she had brought the answer to his unanswered question so he could find something to distract her from what was going on.
"You…sound sad…what happened?"
He watched as she shifted and looked to the opposite side of the barn, her voice lowered and soft as she spoke.
"He….went….went to War….joined the Marines….last I heard he was MIA but presumed dead….he was only there a few months…I haven't been home since the funeral."
Luke nodded, sighing. There went another one…he obviously wouldn't have known them because he had been MIA himself for while, locked in a POW camp where there was nothing but solitary confinement and torture day in day out for 6 months…him being a Sergeant and all. He quickly shook those thoughts from his head and focused on what was happening as another contraction hit and he supported Grace through the pain again, feeling the birth getting closer and closer. The time between this and the pervious one was shorter than before and he knew she knew it too.
When the next breather came, they carried on talking.
"So…what was your husband's name?"
"Scott…Scott Brigshaw."