Author's Note: This is a story I wrote about the Dukes and their first years at the farm. I tried to keep it with them from the point where they got to the farm, and carry on throughout a couple of years. It's a growing and learning experience for all of them. There are also notes at the end of each chapter, a credit of sorts to a father from his son.
Warning : The warning is placed here for vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen.
Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix….
Learning To Love…
Chapter 20 ……Sick Days
"Ain't ya hungry today, Luke?" Jesse asked as he watched Luke sit and poke around in his breakfast. He had been slow at his morning shores as well, dragging his feet after himself as he fetched the eggs.
"Not really," Luke told him as he tried another small bite of his grits.
Martha frowned and reached her hand out to touch his forehead. "He's a bit hot Jesse," she stated.
"Alright, I reckon we best keep ya home from school today then," Jesse decided. The boy looked tired, and obviously wasn't feeling well.
"Luke ain't going to school?" Bo asked where he was battling with his own breakfast. He was a big boy now, who could eat himself, but it was a bit messy.
"No, Luke ain't going to school today," Martha nodded. "He'd do better to stay home."
"So Luke can play wi' me today," Bo declared as he started to bounce in his seat.
"I don't think Luke is gonna be doing all that much playing," Jesse explained to him. "I think he's coming down sick Bo."
"Aunt Martha, may I be excused please?" Luke asked, try as he might he didn't seem to be able to finish his breakfast, and he couldn't even feel enthusiastic about not going to school either.
"You may Luke," she told him softly.
"Thanks Aunt Martha," Luke told her, slipping off the kitchen chair and walking into the living room.
"Why don't ya go an' rest darling?" Martha suggested as she saw how tiered he looked shuffling away.
"Kay," Luke mumbled, crawling up in Jesse's chair he pulled off his boots and dropped them to the floor before curling up.
"Luke sick?" Bo asked thoughtfully as he fiddled with his grits.
"Yes Bo," Martha nodded.
"Can I stay home to then?" Daisy asked, she didn't care much for kindergarten, even though she had made plenty of friends from the girls in her class.
"No Daisy, you still have to go to school," Jesse told her.
"But I can't go to school without Luke," she objected. "He always carries my lunch an' follows me to the classroom."
"Well, Daisy, today yer just gonna have to do it yerself," Jesse told her. "I'm sure yer gonna do fine."
"An' yer gonna be a good boy today, ain't you Bo, so that we can take care of Luke an' make him feel better."
"I's good," Bo declared nodding his head.
"Uncle Jesse, what if I get sick to?" Daisy asked worriedly.
"Then ya tell yer teacher, an' she's gonna call me, an' I'll come an' pick ya up," Jesse explained to her. "Now eat up, an' go get yer bag."
Daisy did as she was told, though she was scared since she had never gone to school alone yet. Luke always walked her to the classroom in the morning. She hadn't even thought about the possibility that she'd have to do it on her own some day.
She and Bo both finished and climbed down to the floor, Daisy going to her room to get her bag, while Bo went into the living room.
"Goodbye Luke," Daisy told her older cousin as she gave him a hug, before running to give the others their hugs. Bo stood trying to decide how to best be a good boy to make Luke feel better. The first thing he did was run into his and Luke's room, taking Luke's teddy bear from his bed, and the soft blanket from his own before he ran back into the living room. There he paused, frowning thoughtfully as he saw how Luke was curled up. Dropping everything on the floor he darted back to the bedroom for his pillow, standing on tip toe he called Luke's name softly, pushing the pillow under his head when Luke looked up.
Smiling to himself Bo put the teddy bear beside him but then it got harder because he was to short. Putting the blanket up on the armrest Bo pushed he footstool closer and climbed up on it where he could reach and spread the blanket out over Luke.
"I swear that is the cutest thing I've ever seen," Martha sighed softly where she and Jesse had watched.
"He sure got what ya told him about taking care about his cousin," Jesse mused as he watched Bo curl up himself on the footstool, sticking his thumb into his mouth as he kept an eye on his big cousin.
"Oh well, I've got to get to work," Jesse stated. "I'll be back here by lunch, but I don't reckon that yer gonna have any problems.
"I don't think so either," Martha smiled. "Bo looks like he's gonna try to take care of Luke all by himself."
"Well, ya holler on the CB if ya need me," Jesse sated, going by the living room and hugging both boys before he went out.
Martha took care of the dishes after the breakfast, and once they were done, she took the time to read a story for the boys, Luke sitting half asleep and Bo curling up in his lap. Then she sent Bo out to play for a while, telling him that Luke needed to get to sleep in peace. She knew Luke could sleep just as well with Bo there, but sooner or later the young boy would get restless unless he got to spend some of his energy. Keeping an' eye on both boys she was still able to get the washing done.
Bo was racing around on the tricycle, and Luke had taken a book and sat reading all curled up in the chair. He didn't want to sleep, but he didn't have the energy to really do anything either, and every now and again the book would drop. Pausing in the laundry Martha started a pot of chicken soup, hoping she'd be able to make him eat some for lunch.
Luke himself felt just plain miserable though he tried not to let it on, he wanted to be a big boy, and so he curled up and didn't complain. He didn't want to admit how nice it had been when his aunt read the story either, or when Bo came with the pillow and the blanket for him. He started getting hot though, so he took off his shirt, and when it didn't help very much, his jeans as well. His aunt and uncle didn't want them to walk around with no clothes on them, but he was just too hot, and then he started coughing, so he put the book down.
Sliding down from the chair he shuffled out into the kitchen on bare feet.
"Oh dear, ya must be awful hot there Luke," she sighed softly as she saw him, drying her hands off on her apron.
Luke nodded slowly, "I'm thirsty," he told her, coughing again.
"I'll get you some water," Martha assured him. The indoor plumbing was wonderful when you had kids, much better than a well, but even Luke as the oldest couldn't reach the tap unless he stood on something. "You are hot darling," she stated as she touched the back of her hand to his forehead again. "Maybe we should put you to bed."
"I'm just a little hot, an' thirsty," Luke assured her, he didn't want to go to bed, because it got more lonely there.
"Well, we'd best get ya some water then," Martha sated, reaching to fill a glass for him, and watching as he drank it down greedily. "I think we should go find yer pajama pants though," she stated. It really didn't do to have him walk around half naked like he was.
"Please, it's so hot," Luke pleaded, holding out the glass. "Can I have more?"
"Alright then," she gave in, hoping that he wouldn't be so hot in a minute and put something on. Filling up the glass halfway and giving it back to him. Watching as he drained it again.
Half an hour later when Bo came back inside, Luke still complained he was too hot though, so Martha decided to do something about it. "I'm gonna draw ya up a nice cold bath," she decided. "How does that sound Luke?"
"Good," Luke nodded.
"Can I take bath with Luke?" Bo asked hopefully. "Can I, please?"
"I don't think so Bo," Martha shook her head. Sometimes she allowed the two boys to take their baths together, Luke could help make sure that Bo washed off like he was supposed to. "But ya can watch him fer me, do ya wanna do that?" Luke was too old for her to stand over him when he took her bath, but since he was sick she wasn't sure if she wanted him to be on his own.
"I can do that, I can do that when I take a bath with him," Bo declared as he started pulling of his shirt.
"Alright then Bo," she gave in. "But ya have to remember, if ya need help, ya have to call me right away, do ya understand that? An' no playing, just sitting nice and quiet? Can ya do that?"
"I's can," Bo nodded. "I's gonna be real, real good."
"Be sure ya do," she told him before going to fill up the tub.
Bo did, he waited until the tub was filled, then took Luke by the hand and walked there with him, Martha left them to themselves and Bo waited for Luke to get in first before following. Settling down quietly beside his older cousin, and putting one arm around his back.
"I's gonna take care of ya, Luke," he declared. "Do ya feel better now?"
"I feel sore all over," Luke explained. "It's nasty," he told him, coughing again.
"Poor Luke," Bo declared, hugging him. "I can be yer pillow Luke," he offered, allowing Luke to slide down more in the cool water and rest his head against Bo's shoulder while his baby cousin altered between patting his head and kissing his cheek. Then when he realized that Luke was starting to fall asleep he called for their aunt.
"Bo, you was very good," Martha stated as she picked up a very sleepy Luke out of the tub, he was so tired he simply let her pick him up and carry him to the bedroom while Bo climbed out and wrapped a towel around himself. "I am very proud of ya Bo," she told him as he came following them into the bedroom.
Bo grinned and did his best to dress himself, before climbing up on the bed beside Luke, quietly repeating the stories Luke had told him so many times, and Luke smiled himself as he kept mixing things up.
When Jesse came back for lunch, and even brought a little ice cream for his sore throat, that he and Bo shared after he had eaten some of the soup, Luke decided that while he didn't care none for being sick, Bo was pretty nice to have around.
As far as he could tell, Bo was trying to do all the things Luke did for him when he was sick. He really appreciated it, Bo could be so very lovingly and nice at times, like when he once more settled down on Luke's bed, and started singing to him. It even had Luke fall asleep.
In credit of the man who took pretty good care of me….
TBC
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