A/N It is now after Dukes fest and as I reread this I realize that I had some major grammar errors...so solly by golly. I've made my corrections and am hoping to have the next chapter up soon... and if anyone wants to know my Dukesfest experience...I have quite a few stories to tell so just ask, not the least of which includes a surprise kiss by a certain famous person and a certain Duke boy's wife who told me she didn't trust me...and if that's not enough to make you wonder I don't know what is...kew kew I'm gone!

"Luke, why don't ya go get a coffee…an' somethin' t'eat…" began Jesse as he gently caressed Bo's warm forehead.

"I'm fine…"

"Well, I ain't!" declared Daisy. "Uncle Jesse…" she began with tears in her eyes," Uncle Jesse can I go…make phone calls…get coffee…anything?!" She was near begging but she didn't care. She couldn't stand to see Bo hurt that way.

Jesse nodded in understanding giving her hand a squeeze. "Do what ya need t' do, Daisy-girl."

Frowning, Daisy squeezed her uncle's hand and looked sadly at Luke, unable to look at Bo in the state he was in.

Jesse sighed watching her go. "You really should eat something Luke…"

Luke shook his head again. "I told Bo I wasn't leavin'…an' I mean it."

Jesse smiled sadly. He loved how loyal Luke was to his family. He had always been like that, even as a small tyke. "Luke," began the old man gently, "son he won't know if you take a break an' go get a drink…"

"I'll know," replied Luke shortly.

"Now son, ya ain't gonna be no good t'him if'n ya get sick yaself…," said Jesse trying to reason with him, though doubting it would do much good. The Duke boys were alike in many ways, not the least of which was their stubbornness.

"No!"

Jesse nodded giving up and turned his attention back to his youngest. Bo had always been sickly as a youngster, his asthma having wreaked havoc on the frail body. Still he had always bounced back with doubled vigor and a renewed zest for life. This time, however, things were different and Jesse could sense it as soon as he walked through the door and saw the boy, once thought dead, lying still in the hospital bed. He pulled up a chair and sat on the opposite side of Luke talking softly. "Bo…Bo son…it's yer Uncle Jesse…" He swallowed hard as his voice choked looking at the boy. "Bo…. We's here…Luke an' me…we's right here with ya…" He sighed softly. "Good Lord help him," he prayed.

Luke said nothing. He simply sat stroking Bo's arm, every now and again wiping a tear that escaped from his eye.

"Daisy?! Daisy what are you doin' here?! Is Uncle Jesse alright? Luke?" asked a bewildered Cooter, having been delivering cards his Boy Scout troop had made for some of the patients and seen Daisy huddled on the waiting room couch.

"Cooter!" cried the distraught woman flinging her arms around him, sobbing into his neck.

"Easy darlin'… easy now…what's happened?" he asked gently.

"Bo…" she murmured.

"I know sweetheart, I miss him too, but Bo wouldn't want ya…"

"No! Cooter…Bo…he…he's alive…"

"Not you too…" thought Cooter to himself. "Now Daisy we went through this with Luke darlin'…Bo…well he ain't comin' back…"

Daisy felt her face flushing with anger. "Cooter! Bo's here!"

"Wh…what…what…" he stuttered.

"Bo was the John Doe in all the papers," she sniffed. " He…he's alive Cooter…."

"Bo…ain't…dead…. Bo … ain't…dead!" He grabbed Daisy in a hug then stopped. "If he ain't dead why ya cryin'?"

"He's hurt so bad Cooter…he won't wake up…he…he doesn't even look like Bo…"

The mechanic frowned. "What…what happened to him?"

Daisy shuddered. "Room 419. Look for yourself."

Cooter nodded, swallowing, and gave Daisy's shoulder a supportive squeeze before going to the room.

He paused outside the door, not sure whether to knock or go right in. He chose the latter, and silently creaked the door open stepping inside.

Luke paid no attention to the door, too absorbed in Bo to notice anything other than the slow raspy breaths of his cousin. Jesse however, looked up at the mechanic with teary eyes. "Come on in, Cooter… don't be shy."

Cooter did as he was told, taking off his hat as if stepping into a sacred place. "Saw Daisy in the waiting room…she…she told me about…" He lifted his eyes to take in the sight before him, feeling his knees growing weak. Daisy was right, save for the unruly blond hair it was hard to tell it was Bo under the bandages. Being the owner of the only wrecker in a town known for accidents (appropriately named Hazzard) Cooter had seen his fair share of hurt people, but nothing had prepared him for this.

"What…what happened Uncle Jesse?"

When the old man did not respond with his trademark "I ain't yer uncle Jesse" Cooter knew that Bo was indeed in dire straights. "They don't know fer sure, but uh…they think someone beat him…" The Duke patriarch guided his calloused hand through Bo's hair. "And they think whoever done that decided t' finish the job by…burnin' him… alive."

It was well that Jesse had been sitting nearby. Cooter paled at the last word, his knees buckling beneath him. Quickly Jesse got up, fanning the mechanic with one hand. "Cooter! You alright boy?!" he asked as the mechanic looked dazedly at him.

"Yeah…yeah…"

Luke glanced at him for a moment before continuing his vigil beside Bo.

"I just…I can't believe…"

"I know," sighed Jesse. "I know."

Cooter slowly made his way to Luke's side, knowing from the look on his face that he was having a hard time dealing with this. Sympathetically, he laid a hand on Luke's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze as he looked at Bo again, his mouth a tight line. "Who on earth coulda done such a thing?" he wondered out loud, not expecting an answer. He wasn't, however, the least bit surprised at the answer and who gave it.

"I don't know…" answered Luke slowly and deliberately. "But I'll tell you one thing…you can make double damn sure I'm gonna find out."

Uh oh…Folks I've seen that look in Luke's eyes before… and I wouldn't be on the receiving end of that stare for all the grits in the world…

Okay…there you have it…you know what to do if you want more….