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 23 ……..Medicine
Jesse was relieved that Daisy was once more staying with her friend from the Sunday school. Both boys were sick with a stomach bug, and it was all he could do to keep up with everything. Doc Appleby, the country doctor and friend of the family had given them some medicine for it. Unfortunately it tasted pretty bad. Bo didn't want to take it at all and fussed a lot, crying and whining every time.
Luke was too old to do that, but he to complained. He for sure didn't want to take it and he near gagged a time or two as Jesse gave it to him. He tried to swallow it without tasting it on this tongue, and as a result, a little of it slipped down the wrong way.
Earlier when it was time for the medicine again Bo had gone over to Luke's bed and attempted to hide under the covers, while Luke declared he was feeling much better, and there was no need for it anymore, right before he fetched up everything from his last meal so that Jesse had to strip the bed and wash all the sheets, and booth boys to.
He really did feel sorry for them boys, but he also knew that taking the medicine was something that they would have to do. In the meantime he tried to make them feel better as much as he was able to. Bo always got more huggy when he was feeling sick. Luke mostly wanted to curl up and be alone, but Bo wanted to be held and hugged.
Now he searched out his cousin more than anything else, snuggling down with Luke, sitting in his lap and begging for stories. A time or two Luke just pulled the cover over his head and told his cousin to go away. When he was sick, Luke reminded Jesse a lot about a pup, he found somewhere comfortable and curled up there until he felt better. Before then he didn't want anything to eat either. Just some water every now and again.
Bo and Daisy both made sure to let you know when they were sick, but on Luke it was easiest spotted by the fact he curled up somewhere and didn't budge for hours. Just like Bo, Luke never seemed able to sit still for more than a few minutes at a time. He was always running around, and it didn't mater what kind of whether, both boys wanted outside to play, and Jesse let them because he knew what they got like when they were cooped up.
Not so when they were sick. He wasn't sure you could make Luke move by force, and Bo wasn't going nowhere unless someone guaranteed him hugs and cuddles for the trouble.
Luke was being the good big brother, doing his best for his cousin by finding various ways to keep Bo amused. He had already made Bo pick out shapes from the grains in the painted ceiling. Bo would tell him what he saw and Luke would make up a story about it. Mostly it was cars, but sometimes he challenged Luke by seeing something else.
Jesse just had to be careful to make sure that Bo didn't keep Luke from getting the rest he needed. To make sure that didn't happen Jesse had taken a habit of taking Bo with him to the couch for a few hours giving Luke some time to rest alone.
Settling Bo in his lap and wrapping him up in a blanket he took a story book and started reading to him while Bo stuck his thumb in his mouth, listening closely. Then hearing retching from the bedroom Jesse had to go into the bedroom and check on Luke. He hadn't fetched anything up, because there was nothing in his stomach for him to fetch up, but he was moaning miserably because it hurt.
Grabbing a cold washcloth he eased some discomfort, before taking Bo back into the bedroom where he finished the story. By that time it was time for their next dose of medicine so he left them and headed out to the kitchen. Measuring up the dose in two cups he carried them into the bedroom where the boys were.
"Boys," he called softly. Bo was back in Luke's bed by now, he kept going there the whole time. It seemed to make him feel better.
"Uncle Jesse, please, do we have to?" Luke asked him.
"Yes boys, ya do," Jesse nodded.
"Yucky," Bo declared.
"I know boys," Jesse sighed. "I know, but yer gonna have to be good fer me an' take it anyway."
"But why's it got to be yucky?" Bo frowned, turning to Luke for an answer.
"Simple Bo, if it wasn't, it'd do no good. Sides, I bet they's scared if the medicine didn't taste so yucky, people would want to be sick," Luke reasoned and Jesse hid a smile behind a gruff expression. Lord, where did the boy get it from? He wasn't all wrong, that was for sure. The boy had a way of cutting down to it, and he was pretty sharp when he was at it.
"But wouldn't the doc want people to be sick?" Bo asked.
"Nah," Luke shook his head. "Who'd wanna deal with sick kids all the time?"
That comment however set Bo's lower lip trembling. "Don't ya wanna deal wi' me Luke?" he asked with tears in his voice.
"Yer not a sick kid Bo, yer a sick cousin, that's a difference," Luke told him.
"But I's a kid to him, right?" Bo wasn't entirely convinced.
"To doc Appleby yer a sick Bo," Luke told him. "Now ya know he likes ya Bo, would he be giving ya lollipops if he didn't?"
Bo gave his little head a tiny shake and Jesse ruffled his hair. "Don't worry sprout, ol' doc thinks yer a mighty nice little kid," he assured him with a grin.
"Luke to?" Bo wanted to know.
"Luke to, yer both very good boys," Jesse nodded. "Now please try an' take yer medicine." He gave Luke the cup first, knowing that if he took it, it would be easier to make Bo take his.
Making a face Luke swallowed as quick as he was able to, coughing slightly. Bo gave him another pleading look, but then he swallowed his dose the same as Luke had.
"That's good boys," Jesse grinned at them. Taking the two empty cups he put them in the sink before getting two spoons he had already prepared. "Here's something fer ya," he beamed as he showed them the spoons.
"No' yucky?" Bo asked suspiciously.
"Not unless Mr. Pringles' bees has started to pick their honey from his spinach," Jesse grinned. "It's a little honey to take that bad taste away Bo."
"Honey?" Bo shone up, eagerly reaching for his spoon. The boy had a sweet tooth, and that a whole mouthful. He put the spoon in his mouth, and that dang well near the whole spoon, while Luke put his in his mouth and let the honey melt down onto his tongue.
Jesse chuckled as he thought Bo was attempting to eat the spoon the way he kept licking and biting at it. "More?" he asked hopefully with the spoon still in his mouth.
"Not right now Bo, sorry," Jesse told him, smiling as Bo pouted.
"When?" Bo asked, still biting at the spoon as if he was trying to crack it open in the hope of more honey inside it.
"The next time I have to give ya some more medicine," Jesse explained.
"When?" Bo asked and Jesse had to laugh.
"I thought ya didn't like that yucky stuff," he teased lightly.
"Don't," Bo told him seriously. "But honey ain't yucky, is' yummy, I's like yucky medicine wi' yummy honey."
"Good, ya can have mine," Luke told him. The honey hadn't done it for him quite the same way that it had for Bo.
"You boys want something to eat in a bit?" Jesse asked, not wanting to get Bo started on more honey.
"No please," Luke shook his head, putting a hand to his stomach.
"Luke's tummy still ain't good," Bo explained to Jesse. The little boy seemed to have perked up some though, and Jesse was happy for that.
"How's yer own tummy Bo?" he asked the little boy. Even Luke smiled when Bo hitched up his pajama jacket to take a peek.
"Look good," Bo declared. "Isn't bad anymore, not a lot, s' just wanted the honey."
"Ya should've given it some right away then," Luke told him, laying back down and curling up.
"Yeah," Bo nodded eagerly.
"Do ya want something to eat in a bit then, Bo?" Jesse repeated the question.
"What?" Bo asked, not really all that hungry still.
"I though I could make ya some scrambled eggs," Jesse told him. "An' milk."
"Okay," Bo nodded, it sounded good by him.
"Alright, why don't ya lie down' an' rest yerself a little then," Jesse suggested to the little boy. "Maybe Luke want some company."
"Do ya Luke?" Bo asked, turning around and crawling over to his cousin's face.
"Billy does," Luke mumbled.
"Not Luke?" Bo asked, his voice dropping a tad.
"My tummy don't feel good," Luke explained to him. Maybe if he lay still it would feel better.
"Bad tummy," Bo stated as he sat up on the bed. Once more Jesse chuckled over Bo's antics, the little toddler was chiding Luke's stomach in a very serious voice. The behavior that seemed so cute to him came natural to the boy, and when he was done, he bent down to give his cousin's stomach a hug and a kiss.
"Better?" he asked, putting his face an inch from Luke's.
"Little better," Luke told him, it did, just because he knew his baby cousin really cared. He held up one arm, and an instant later Bo was pressing up against him for the hug. Jesse smiled softly from the doorway with two spoons in his hand. The boys were sure something special. He let them be for a moment, knowing that they were taking care about each others in a way he couldn't do.
Now Jesse had to figure out the most important thing of all, how to keep Bo from talking his ears off begging for more honey.
In credit of the man who made me feel loved most of the time….
TBC
Please review, the Cricket is hungry……