Slowly they come, but yes they come…here's the next chappy…forgive me for being slow…I just have many other irons in the fire right now. Hope you like it. This is dedicated to my patient readers. Thank you all!

The doctor sat too, setting a file in his lap that Jesse saw was Luke's. "Mr. Duke…Luke started to have some convulsions after you left the room…"

"Convulsions? Well is he alright? Why…?"

The doctor shook his head. "We're running a CT scan on him right now…but…you need to be aware that, in this case, the convulsions are most likely a symptom of a larger problem."

Jesse looked at him setting his cup down thoughtfully. "You talk like…you have an idea of what that problem is…."

"Yes sir I do…I believe that Luke has developed a subdural hematoma…"

Jesse looked at him. "And what's that?"

"Basically it means that he's had a slow bleed on his brain which was undetected in the initial scans… it's built up now to where we are seeing the symptoms."

Jesse swallowed hard. "But…it's fixable right…I mean…you can stop it…"

"Well, here's the situation Mr. Duke…it's been three weeks now. Your nephew is weak at best…if this is a hematoma, and it most likely is, we will need to do a craniotomy."

"You're talkin' all Greek t' me Doc…." retorted Jesse. "Just speak in plain English!"

The doctor sighed. "We'll have to drill into his skull and insert a drainage tube into his brain."

Jesse paled at the thought.

"The thing is Mr. Duke," continued the doctor, "with as weak as he is…and his breathing problems…Mr. Duke I don't think he would survive the operation… and with an acute hematoma…he won't survive without one."

Jesse swallowed hard his hands fingering the fob that hung from his overalls.

"I believe the best thing you can do for him at this point, is to let him go."

"No…"

"Mr. Duke…"

"No…you go make sure that's what it is first…we'll decide from there…" answered Jesse firmly.

The doctor sighed. "Yes sir…I'll touch base with you shortly." Turning, he quickly walked down the corridor.

Jesse meanwhile buried his head in his hands. "My boy…my poor boy…"

It was in this way that Daisy and Bo found their uncle as they came in an hour later.

"Uncle Jesse?!" asked Daisy worriedly.

Jesse looked up into the anxious faces of Daisy and Bo.

"Where's Luke…where is he?" asked Bo prepared to go in search of him.

"Sit down you two…" said Jesse softly, not even expressing any surprise to see Bo there.

"But Luke…" began Bo.

"SIT!" snapped the patriarch.

Bo sat. When his uncle spoke that way, he had no choice but to obey. "Uncle Jesse what…"

Jesse took a deep breath. This was the hardest thing he ever had to say. "Kids...Doc was just here…" He quickly explained everything the doc had told him earlier. "They done the tests now…it's certain…" The patriarch near choked on the next words he spoke. "We gotta make a decision…doc says…it may be kindest t' not make him go through that…"

"Oh Uncle Jesse!" cried Daisy, going quickly to her uncle hugging him.

"No!" shouted Bo, tears forming rapidly in his eyes. "No!"

"Bo son…we need t' think of Luke…doc says he likely ain't gonna survive the operation…an' the operation itself is gonna stress his body out even more…" said Jesse, his voice shaky.

"I don't care what the docs say! They don't know Luke!"

"Bo…" began Daisy hesitantly.

"Don't "Bo" me Daisy! It's true! Luke wouldn't want us givin' up on him…he never gave up… on us…" Here the blond broke down, his body shaking. Luke never had given up on Bo…it had been Bo who deserted him all along. "Where is he?!"

"Restin' in his room. Doc said as soon as we made a decision t' let him know an' we could go from there…" answered the old man softly.

"Well you tell that Doc to do the operation…"

"Bo…son listen t' me…"

"No you listen! Luke is a survivor! He survived Nam! He survived bein' hit with a car! He'll survive this too! He will!"

Daisy bit her lip, salty tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Is that our decision then?" asked Jesse shakily.

"Course it is! Now where's Luke?!"

"Third door on the left," answered Jesse quietly.

Bo nodded walking quickly down the hall. He bit his lip as he came to the door, putting his hand on the cold knob creaking it open. "Luke…" he choked out as he saw his cousin, pale and still on the hospital bed. "Oh God Lukas…"

Swallowing hard against the tears that were already falling, Bo made his way to the bed managing to sit in the worn chair beside it before his knees gave out. "Lukas…" Carefully he picked up his cousin's hand, near dropping it as he felt how limp it was and how clammy.

"Luke you can't do this you hear me?! You can't just give up!" Scrubbing a hand down his face, he allowed it to come to rest over his mouth, his baby blue eyes closed against the tears as they leaked out steadily. "Luke, please…." he choked. "Please…don't leave me. Prove 'em wrong Lukas…prove 'em all wrong…"

He looked to the monitors, half expecting them to start beeping faster as Luke made his recovery. He was Luke after all… Luke the survivor… "C'mon Luke…" he said softly willing his heart rate to improve, for him to start breathing on his own again.

It didn't happen.

"Luke…Luke I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" began Bo, taking his IV'd hand in both of his, massaging his knuckles gently. Carefully he turned the limp hand over in his own, revealing the faint scar on the palm, pressing his own scarred palm over it. "I need my big brother Luke…I...I know I ain't acted like it lately…I been a class-A jerk… but I do….I need you so much…I always have…"

Again he looked hopefully to the monitors. No change.

Bo found it hard to keep back his tears. "Luke please…please…I didn't mean it Luke…" he choked out, his baby blue eyes dripping tears non-stop. "If I'd known…I never…God Luke come back…come back brother…"

There was no sound save for the rhythmic hiss of the ventilator.

"I ain't givin' up on you Lukas…I'm gonna stay right here. I ain't movin' til you tell me to…you hear me?!" he said stubbornly.

Luke didn't answer.

His lip quivering at the silence, Bo carefully ran his hand over the hair on Luke's head, mindful of the many tubes attached to him. "Luke…I…I know we don't tell each other this enough…I guess…we just assume we know but…I love you…I love you so much Lukas…you gotta be okay…you just gotta…" he said shakily.

When again there was no response Bo broke down sobbing holding Luke's limp hand to his heart. "What've I done…oh Lord…what've I done?!"

you know what to do!