To all my readers I feel I owe an explanation- this story was put on hold because of one particular person on this site: Mrs. Luke Duke. That person insisted on messaging me day after day after day demanding that I update...this person even harassed me on another web-site I frequented (needless to say I no longer go there). It takes the fun out of writing when you know that every time you write you will get harassed and bullied by someone into updating. I say this because I am going to attempt to write again...Mrs. Luke Duke...or any other pen names you have on here...please leave me alone...if you do not...or if someone else does the same the story will be put on hold yet again...but my readers will understand that it is not that I don't want to write...or that the story is incomplete...I don't want to be harassed and I don't want something I love to do to bring me aggravation. That all being said, let's try again and see if we can get this story done!

Bo was sitting beside Luke when Jesse and Daisy burst inside the room. He looked up nervously as they stared, jaws dropped, at the person laying in the bed...still pale...still motionless...but unmistakably still Luke.

Bo tried to speak first but words failed him as Jesse shook his head. His youngest had lied to him...not only to him but to Daisy and the rest of Hazzard. "WHAT IN SAM HILL WERE YOU THINKIN" BOY?"

"Uncle Jesse," murmured Daisy. "Your blood pressure..."

"HANG MY BLOOD PRESSURE! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE PUT US THROUGH?"

Bo hung his head tears welling in his eyes. He knew far too well.

Jesse sighed heavily shaking his head. "I shouldna yelled like that," he admitted taking a deep breath, " but you know you can trust us...why...would you lie...especially...about this?"

"I had to..." began Bo his lip quivering. "I knew...they'd be coming back...to finish what they started."

"That don't make no sense..." began the patriarch.

"It does...if they heard...he was dead...they wouldn't come after him...and it gave me time...to find 'em."

"How did you know...it was them..." asked Daisy softly.

"I didn't at first..." he sniffed, as he stroked Luke's hand with his thumb fingering the circlet of silver. "Til I saw the ring...when Enos found Luke he wasn't wearin' it...and his wallet was gone...I didn't find the wallet but...that bastard was wearing his ring...like he owned it...like it was some sort of sick trophy to him..." Bo couldn't continue choking over his words.

Jesse sighed. "You lied...you lied to yer family..."

Bo simply nodded.

Jesse shook his head. "But I can't be mad atcha... ya may have saved his life."

"There...there's somethin' else...I better tell ya..."

Jesse and Daisy stared at him not sure how many more surprises they could handle.

"They...drilled the hole...drained...what they could in...in his head..." he faltered feeling very uneasy realizing he had taken a lot of liberty with Luke's life without his uncle's consent.

"And...?"

"The swelling's gone down...but...they said it's hard to say...about complications an' such... 'til he wakes up..."

"But...he made it through that...that means...he's fightin' don't it?" asked Daisy hopefully.

Jesse nodded resting his hand on his eldest's cheek, tears in his eyes. "I recon it does."

"I'm sorry Daisy...Uncle Jesse...I just..." began Bo in a whisper.

"You did what ya felt ya had to do...I dunno that Luke wouldna done any different if that was you in that bed..." he reasoned.

Bo gave a small sigh of relief as Daisy squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. He then gave a small gasp. Daisy wasn't the only one giving him a squeeze.

Luke was holding his hand back...weakly, and still unconsciously...but holding on...holding on.