Ugh, I know…I know….I'm sorry… I have good excuses, and I'd be happy to share them, but I think you would all just get madder. That being said, I will spare my excuses, remind you that I do not own the Dukes, and wish all of you a very happy Friday…well Saturday now. As always, thank you for taking the time to review and happy reading. Jordyn

The weeks that followed were painful ones for the Duke family. Every day Jesse, Daisy, or both would make a trip to visit Bo, usually bringing with them something that they hoped would jog his memory. Several of Bo's trophies found their way to his room, as did a promotional poster for the Carnival of Thrills, as well as his guitar. Several pictures sat on his bedside table, but all were to no avail.

It was early evening when Daisy stopped by the hospital with a medium bag in her hands. "How is he?" she asked quietly as she stepped into the room.

"Finally asleep," answered Luke, who refused to leave Bo's side still. "They been pokin' him with needles all day, getting ready for that big skin graft tomorrow."

"What's so funny about that?" asked Daisy indignantly noticing the slight smile on Luke's face.

"Nothin…s'just ironic. The one thing Bo does remember is his fear of needles… he sure gave the docs a run fer their money t'day… that's why he's so whooped. He was hollerin' somthin' fierce an threatenin' them with everythin' under the sun…."

Daisy nodded. "Sounds like Bo. I brung what ya asked for…but if he don't even recognize the General…"

That had been one of the biggest disappointments for the clan. Jesse, Daisy and Luke had been flipping through a photo album with Bo when he spotted a picture of the orange charger.

"Wow! Ain't she something?!"

Luke looked at the picture. "That's our General Lee, Bo."

"Our…you mean…I…we own her?!"

Luke nodded. "Yeah…we race…an' the General's a he…not a she…"

"We race?" asked Bo looking at the picture again. "Do we ever win?"

"Always…you're the best driver around."

"Me?! I'm a racecar driver?!"

Luke nodded.

"Wow."

Wow indeed, thought Luke. Bo couldn't remember a thing.

"I know Daisy, but we gotta keep tryin,'" answered Luke.

Daisy nodded. "Well, I gotta get to work. Good luck honey." With a soft kiss to Luke's cheek, Daisy gave her cousin an encouraging smile, before leaving the room.

A heavy rain pelted against the hospital window. Luke had dozed off, his hand still clutching tight to Bo's as he slept in the well-worn chair beside the bed.

Thunder shook the room, cracking so loudly that Bo woke up.

"Luke!"

Hearing his cousin cry out his name woke Luke quickly. "I'm here, Bo…s'ok…s'only a storm" he said hiding his surprise that Bo had called out for his big brother, quite as he had done when they were little.

Bo nodded a little, breathing heavily. The thunder booming outside, coupled with the lightning, making him more scared than he had been already.

"Luke, I wanna go home," murmured Bo, almost in a whine. It didn't matter that all he knew about "home" were the pictures in the album Daisy had brought up. What mattered was that Bo was sick of hospital food, sick of funny smells, flashing lights, strange noises and needle-bearing nurses. He wanted to go home…away from it all and to the life he once knew…and wanted to know again.

"I know ya do, Bo…but ya can't…not just yet…"

"But when Luke?! I don't wanna stay here no more!" cried Bo pitifully.

Luke rubbed his arm gently, hating the sadness in Bo's voice. "I know…I know. But you're still real sick little brother…"

Large tears started to drip from Bo's eyes.

"Oh, Bo…don't cry…please, don't cry." Luke took out his handkerchief, gently drying his cousin's eyes, mindful of the tender red areas. "Your tears are salty Bo… it'd hurt if the touch your bandages. Don't cry now…it's gonna be alright." Ever so softly he dabbed Bo's tears with the cloth.

don't cry…don't cry

"Bo?" asked Luke worriedly looking at his cousin.

"Huh?" asked Bo distantly.

"Ya kinda zoned out for a minute," continued Luke. "You ok?"

"Yeah…just seems like…I heard ya say that before."

Luke frowned. "Say what?"

"For me not to cry…"

Luke nodded, smiling a little. "I have."

Something in the way he said that made Bo wonder… "Have you said that a lot? Am I…am I a wimp or something?!"

"No Bo! You're far from it…in fact, you're the bravest man I ever met…an' I met a lot."

"I am?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah…ya just…" he thought a moment. "Ya ain't afraid t' let people know what ya feel…ya was always like that. If you're happy, ya love everyone… if ya ain't, the world knows it. Uncle Jesse an' Aunt Lavinia used t' say ya wore your heart on your sleeve."

Bo scoffed. "Sound like a pansy."

Luke looked him in the eye. "Well ya ain't. You're just not afraid t' be yourself. When people look at Bo Duke on the outside, they's seein' the inside too. That's why we all love ya so much…you're the real deal."

Bo couldn't help smiling a little as he heard that. The way Luke described him, Bo was a pretty good guy… either that or he was at least someone Luke thought the world of, and both possibilities brought a smile to the younger Duke's parched lips.

Luke nodded. "That's what I like t' see," noticing his small smile.

"What's in the bag, Luke?" asked Bo, his curiosity turning to the bag on the floor beside his cousin.

"Oh, just a few things I asked Daisy t' fetch…thinking it might help…."

"No offense Luke, but…" he looked around the room. "Ain't none of it worked yet.

"Yeah, well, maybe I just wanna take a trip down Memory Lane myself…"

"Well, what's in it?" asked Bo eyeing the bag with a critical eye.

"Let's take a look…" answered Luke, reaching for the bag.


So what's in the bag? If you wanna find out, you know what to do…