SO HERE'S THE DEAL: THIS IS MY FIRST STORY EVER, "THE LONG HOT WALK HOME" MADE INTO ONE LONG CHAPTER. I ADDED AND REMOVED SOME THINGS, YOU KNOW, A FEW BASIC CHANGES. I LEFT IN SOME OF MY OLD a/ns, SINCE IT WAS MY FIRST EVER FIC. MY OLD a/ns WILL HAVE (*s).


*********I DO NOT OWN THE DUKES OF HAZZARD. (Oh how I wish that I did tho)

BTW THIS IS MY FIRST EVER FIC SO PLZ 4GIV ME. IT IS KINDA SHORT...

I HAVE BEEN READING OTHER PEOPLE'S DUKES OF HAZZARD FICS AND I LOVE THEM! I DECIED TO TAKE A CRACK AT IT MYSELF! I HOPE U ENJOY IT!

IN THIS STORY IT IS 1973, LUKE IS 17, DAISY IS 16 AND BO IS 15.***********


Bo was walking home from school. He and Luke'd had an argument and Luke refused to drive him home. Luke figured it would give both of them some time to calm down, and this way he got home first and got to sell his side of the story to uncle Jesse before Bo could even get home.

Bo was taking his anger out on an old soda can that was on the dirt road. He kicked it viciously and gritted his teeth at it. He had worked up quite a sweat from walking so long, since it was pretty hot outside. After a while he started to feel lightheaded. He decided to take a break. He sat down on a tree stump by the side of the road.

Meanwhile, Luke had been home for about 30 minutes, and he had told uncle Jesse all about his argument with Bo.

"Do you mean to tell me that you just left him to walk all the way home in the 101 degree heat?" Uncle Jesse demanded.

"Yes sir, I'm sorry, I just…"

"You just nothing! Go get him, NOW!" Uncle Jesse ordered.

"Yes sir, uncle Jesse." Luke trudged outside.

This is all Bo's fault. He deserves to walk home in the heat. After all, I'm older and he can't boss me around and tell me what to do!

Luke got in the car and headed down the road to pick up Bo.

Bo had been sitting on the tree stump for at least 15 minutes, but he couldn't seem to shake the light headedness. He decided to grin and bear it so he could go home and take a cold shower. He walked for a while longer, until he finally passed out on the side of the road.

About 7 minutes later Luke pulled up. He saw Bo laying on the ground face down. Oh, God what happened to him? He got out of the car and walked over to Bo, kneeled down next to him, and rolled him on to his back. He saw a bleeding bruise just below his eye. How did that happen? He pulled the handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at the wound.

"Bo, are you alright?" He whispered. "Wake up, Bo." Luke cleaned all of the blood from Bo's face. He felt Bo's forehead in the process. He's gonna burn up. Luke went back to the car and retrieved a water bottle. He poured the water on Bo's face, pushed back his blonde hair and poured it on his forehead.

"Wake up, Bo, please!" Luke shook him a little. "Oh, God, I'm sorry I made you walk, Bo." Luke picked Bo up, causing him to stir.

"Luke?" Bo almost whispered.

"Yeah, Bo, it's me." Luke set Bo down in the car and put his hand on Bo's shoulder.

"Please don't be mad anymore, I ain't." Bo croaked.

"I ain't, Bo, I'm sorry." Luke apologized.

"Can ya help me, then?" Bo coughed.

"Are you hurt anywhere other than your eye?" Luke asked.

"My chest kind of hurts." Bo coughed.

"Let's get you home, cousin." Luke shut the door and drove Bo home.

When they pulled up, Jesse was waiting on the porch.

"What in tarnation happened to you, son?" Uncle Jesse shouted as soon as he saw his youngest.

"I just got dizzy and fell down. I'm alright." Bo replied, leaning on Luke so he could stand.

"Well you don't look it." Uncle Jesse replied.

"Let's get you inside, Bo." Luke lowered Bo onto the couch and retrieved a wet cloth. He cleaned the cut on Bo's face and bandaged it.

"Drink some water." Uncle Jesse brought in a cup.

"Are you gonna be alright, Bo?" Luke asked.

"I think so. I'm just tired." Bo closed his eyes. He fell asleep after a few minutes.

Uncle Jesse took Luke out to the barn.

"Before you say anything, I just wanna say that I am sorry for being so irresponsible and leaving him to walk home when it was so hot outside. I was being stupid." Luke apologized to his uncle.

"Now that's just fine, but you are still gonna have to do his chores for a week, ok?"

"Sure, I guess I deserve it." They walked back into the house.

"Doesn't he look kind of sick, Uncle Jesse?" Luke asked, looking at his younger cousin sleep.

"Oh, Luke. You worry to much. He just overheated is all. He'll be ok." Jesse comforted.

THAT NIGHT when my muse was being hurt/comfort-y

Luke looked over at his younger cousin's bed. Bo was shivering in his sleep. How was that possible? It was scorching outside. He got out of bed and turned on the lights on. He grabbed Bo by the shoulders and shook him gently.

"Wake up, Bo." Bo's eyes fluttered open, but they weren't focusing.

"Luke?" Bo asked through chattering teeth.

"Just relax, cousin, I'm right here." Luke sat on the edge of Bo's bed.

"Luke, I don't feel good." Bo closed his eyes. Luke became very worried; if a Duke ever admitted to feeling bad, it meant that he was feeling worse than dog crap.

"Are you alright?" Luke asked. Bo didn't reply, he only curled up and leaned onto Luke's warm body. Luke embraced him before asking again, "Bo, are you alright?"

"I'm too cold." Bo shivered. Luke took the blanket from his bed, wrapped it around Bo's upper body, and ran to Jesse's room.

"Uncle Jesse, wake up!" Luke said as he opened the door.

"What in tarnation?" Jesse sat up. "What's the matter, boy?" He asked.

"Somethings terribly wrong with Bo." Luke's voice quivered a little.

"His asthma?" Jesse asked, getting out of bed.

"I think he's sick, probably got a fever." Luke replied.

"Go call doc Appleby and I'll go see to Bo." Jesse instructed.

Jesse walked into Bo and Luke's bedroom and knelt at the side of Bo's bed.

"Uncle Jesse?" Bo wheezed.

"I'm right here, Bo." Jesse was taken aback by Bo's condition.

"It hurts, Uncle Jesse." Bo moaned.

"Where, son?" Jesse asked, shocked that his nephew was admitting this.

"My chest." Bo whispered.

"Luke is calling the doctor, Bo." Jesse took Bo's hand.

Bo's breaths were getting choppy and shallow as he struggled to breathe.

"Uncle Jesse, please, help me." Bo curled on his side and moaned in pain.

Luke had just hung up the phone and ran back into the bedroom.

"Get the shine bottle, he's in pain, bad." Jesse ordered.

"I will, but also try his inhaler." Luke recommended, running to the kitchen to get the small bottle of shine that Jesse had around for medicinal purposes.'

Jesse put his hand on the back on Bo's head, lifted his head, forced the inhaler into his mouth and helped him take it a few times.

"Here." Luke handed Jesse the shine bottle. Jesse lifted Bo's head once again and poured a small amount of shine in Bo's mouth. Bo struggled to swallow it.

"Is he gonna be alright, Uncle Jesse?" Luke pleaded.

"I don't know, son." Jesse replied.

Just then, Doc Appleby pulled up and Jesse went to the door. Luke offered Bo his hand to hold, and Bo gripped it for dear life.

"What's the trouble, Jesse?" Doc asked.

"Bo is sick something awful." Jesse replied, showing the doctor to Bo and Luke's bedroom. Jesse and Doc walked into the room.

"You're doing fine, Luke. Keep ahold of his hand so he stays calm." Doc instructed.

Jesse woke Daisy and told her about the unfortunate events. Fifteen minutes later, Doc walked out of the bedroom.

"How's my boy?" Jesse asked.

"He's very sick." Doc replied, somberly.

"We know that!" Luke shouted, after he shut the door.

"Calm down, Luke." Jesse ordered.

"What exactly is wrong with him?" Daisy asked.

"He's got a lower respiratory tract infection and a really bad case of the flu." Doc answered.

"Is he alright?" Luke asked.

"Hardly, son." Doc replied.

"Should he be in the hospital?" Jesse asked.

"If his fever gets up to 104, or his condition worsens, yes. I know y'all like to keep each other out of the hospital." Doc replied.

"What's his temperature, now?" Daisy asked.

"102.6" Doc reported. "Also, what happened to his eye?" Doc asked.

"He fell down." Jesse answered quickly, not wanting to explain the events of earlier.

After they talked for a while, Doc left them with some instructions and a prescription. Luke returned to Bo's bedside.

"Just breathe easy, cousin, you're gonna be alright." Luke stroked Bo's hair.

"I feel real bad, Luke." Bo whispered.

"I know, Bo. I'm so sorry." Luke comforted. It was rare for Bo to say he felt 'real bad'.

Luke stayed with Bo until Bo fell asleep and then he went to bed himself, waking up every 30 minutes to care for Bo.

At around 3:15am, Luke stirred when he heard gagging sounds. He turned and saw Bo leaning over the side of the bed trying to suppress his urge to puke. Luke got out of bed, scooped Bo up in his arms, and carried him to the bathtub where he held Bo under the arms and across his chest, head dangling over the tub as he ridded himself of his insides.

"It's alright, Bo. Almost done." Luke rubbed Bo's back with his free arm.

After Bo was finished puking, Luke wiped Bo's face and leaned Bo against the wall.

"Are you ready to go back to bed, Bo?" Luke put his hands on Bo's sides to hold him up.

"Yeah." Bo replied. Luke picked his cousin up and carried him back into the bedroom, laid him down, and tucked him in tightly.

"Are you alright, now?" Luke asked before retiring to his own bed.

"Think so. Thanks." Bo quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Luke quietly got out of bed, so not to wake his sick cousin. He walked into the kitchen to find Daisy making breakfast.

"Where's Uncle Jesse, Daisy?" Luke asked.

"He had to go out and fill the prescriptions that doc AppleBy gave for Bo." Daisy replied.

"Oh. Do you want any help with the breakfast?"

"Sure, thanks."

After they had made themselves breakfast, Daisy cleaned up the kitchen and Luke went out to do his and Bo's chores. Daisy was drying plates when she heard something. She walked into the living room. The noise was getting louder. She followed the noise into Bo and Luke's bedroom, where she had suspected it was coming from. Bo was coughing his lungs out into his pillow.

"Are you alright, sugar?" Daisy put her hand on the back of Bo's neck. Bo continued coughing. "Can you talk to me, honey?" Daisy asked.

"Can't breathe." Bo managed, rolling onto his back. Daisy rummaged through the drawer until she found Bo's inhaler. She picked Bo's head up and put the inhaler in his mouth.

"Deep breath, honey." She coaxed, releasing the medicine. After repeating this process until Bo stopped coughing, she laid his head back onto the pillow.

"Are you okay, now?" She asked.

"Hurts." Bo wheezed.

"Hang in there, honey, Uncle Jesse went to get you some medicine." Daisy reassured.

"I'm dizzy." Bo rasped. There was nothing Daisy could do but comfort Bo until Jesse returned with the medicine.

"It's alright, honey. Uncle Jesse will be back soon." She ran her fingers through his hair.

"I have to throw up." Bo whispered. Daisy ran out of the room and retrieved a large kitchen pot, placing it on the floor next to the bed. She pulled all of the blankets from Bo and held his hand and supported his shoulder while he leaned over to puke.

"It's okay, Bo. Don't try to hold it in it makes it worse." She instructed, seeing that Bo was struggling against it. After a few minutes, the puking reduced to dry heaves and wet coughs. Daisy removed the pot and laid Bo back down.

"Let me take your temperature before we put your blankets back on." Daisy said, retrieving the thermometer.

"103.3" She reported, tucking Bo in again.

"It's hurts, Daisy..." Bo moaned as he curled around the pain.

"I'm so sorry, sugar." Daisy comforted, stroking his hair. She could feel him sweating and she could hear his lungs struggling with every breath. She silently prayed that Jesse would come home soon and make her little cousin feel better.

"Is Luke alright?" Bo asked suddenly.

"Yeah, why?" Daisy asked.

"Haven't seem him all day." Bo coughed.

"Honey, for you, all day has been about half an hour. He's doing chores." Daisy reassured. "Try to sleep honey, its the best thing for you." Daisy suggested. Bo took Daisy's advice and was asleep within 10 minutes. Daisy returned to her cleaning.

Out in the barn, Luke was beating himself up about the whole situation.

If I had've brought him home yesterday, he wouldn't be so sick. I wonder how long he was sick and didn't tell me because I was mad at him? It must be at least a few days in order for it to be long enough to get an infection in his lungs. I should do his chores for two months. I am supposed to protect my younger cousins and look what I do! Suddenly, Luke was taken from his thoughts by Jesse pulling up in the driveway. He ran to his uncle.

"Good morning, Luke." Jesse said as he got out of the truck.

"Morning, Uncle Jesse." Luke replied as they walked to the house.

"Howdy, Daisy." Jesse greeted his niece, who was washing out the puke pot.

"Did he throw up?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, poor thing." Daisy replied.

"Why didn't you get me?" Luke asked.

"I handled it." Daisy reassured.

"How is he?" Jesse asked.

"He was wheezing a lot and he was in pain, but he's sleeping now." Daisy replied.

"I've gotta go wake him and give him this medicine." Jesse walked into the boys' bedroom. Jesse knelt down next to his youngest's bed. He reached out and rubbed Bo's cheek with his calloused, sun burned hand.

God please, heal my boy. I know he ain't my son, but you done give him to me and I am going to take good care of him. Jesse prayed.

"Bo? Time to wake up and take some medicine." Jesse continued rubbing Bo's cheek until his eyes opened a little.

"Uncle Jesse?" Bo asked hoarsely.

"You need to wake up, son." Jesse brushed the hair from Bo's eyes.

"Then it'll hurt..." Bo complained, still half asleep.

"I've got something that's going to make you feel better." Jesse offered.

"I don't wanna wake up..." Bo choked.

"It won't hurt for long, son." Jesse promised, lifting Bo into a sitting position. He leaned Bo against the headboard of the bed.

"uncle Jesse...help me..." Bo slurred

"Take this." Jesse slipped three pills into Bo's mouth and lifted a glass to his lips, putting his hand on the back of his head and helping him swallow. Bo coughed as they went down.

"There you go." Jesse laid Bo back down.

"Can I sleep now?" Bo wheezed.

"I want to tell you what the doctor said." Jesse replied.

"Okay." Bo mumbled.

"The doctor said that you have a really bad case of the flu, and a lower respiratory tract infection. He said that you had been lightly sick for a few days. Why didn't you tell us that you weren't feeling well? You know we all love you." Jesse asked.

"It wasn't so bad." Bo choked.

"Well it is now. Next time please tell us so you don't end up like this." Jesse requested.

"Yes sir, Uncle Jesse." Bo rasped.

"You'd better get some sleep now, Bo." Jesse rubbed the side of Bo's neck until he fell asleep.

An hour later, Bo opened his eyes to see Luke looking over him.

"Are you ok, Bo?" Luke asked.

"Yeah. Water, please?" Bo hoarsely replied.

"I'll be right back." Luke ran to get his cousin a glass of water. When he brought it back, he lifted Bo's head and tipped the glass up to his lips.

"Thanks." Bo rasped when he was finished.

"You need anything else?" Luke asked. Bo wanted to complain about the pain, but he didn't want to worry Luke anymore than he already was.

"No, I'm ok." Bo coughed.

"How do your lungs feel?" Luke asked.

"Fine." Bo replied, trying to suppress the obvious pain he was in.

"It hurts you doesn't it?" Luke put his hand on Bo's shoulder.

"Like you wouldn't believe." Bo replied, knowing he could no longer hide his pain from Luke.

"Hang in there, cousin." Luke patted Bo's hand.

"I'm sorry to be such a burden, Luke." Bo apologized.

"You ain't no burden, cousin. We all love you very much." Luke replied.

"I love you, too." Bo closed his eyes and fell asleep again.

Later that day, Luke was feeding the chickens with Daisy.

"How are you doing in school, Luke?" Daisy broke the awkward silence.

"Just fine. You?" Luke replied

"English isn't going too good, but I got an A+ in arithmetic."

"Nice."

"Are you alright, Luke?"

"Yeah, I guess I'm just-"

"Worried about Bo?" Daisy interrupted.

"Yeah. I wish that I hadn't made him walk home that day!"

"He was sick before that."

"Yeah, but it made it worse."

"He's gonna be alright, Luke."

"I hope so."

The two eldest Duke cousins waked back to the house for lunch. When they got to the kitchen, there were two sandwiches already on the table. Uncle Jesse was no where in sight, but they heard the familiar sound of Bo heaving into the bathtub so, they knew where Jesse was.

"I'm gonna see if Bo is okay." Luke walked over to the bathroom.

"Calm down, son." Jesse soothed as Bo choked on his own puke.

"He ok, Uncle Jesse?"

"I think so." Jesse replied as he stroked Bo's hair.

Luke returned to the lunch table and he and Daisy ate.

"Luke, come here a minute!" Jesse hollered.

"Coming!" Luke ran over to the bathroom.

"Will you help me get him back to bed? He refuses." Jesse asked.

"Sure."

"I'm still nauseated, Uncle Jesse!" Bo complained, drooping his head.

"There ain't nothing left to come out of you, Bo." Jesse soothed.

Bo flopped himself on to the bathroom floor and shut his eyes. Jesse took his hand.

After several minutes of catching his breath on the bathroom floor, Bo agreed to go back to bed. Luke picked him up and laid him down in bed, pulling the covers up close to his face.

"Thanks y'all." Bo wheezed just before falling asleep.

That night was a long one for Luke. Getting up every other hour or so to help Bo puke, getting up every three hours to take his temperature, and waking up whenever Bo just needed something. Luke was happy to care for his cousin, but he was exhausted.

At around 2:30 Luke got up to check Bo's temperature and found him in the middle of an asthma attack. Bo was trying to breathe, but his airways thought otherwise.

"Luke?" He wheezed.

"It's alright, Bo." Luke got Bo's inhaler from the dresser drawer, sat Bo up, and put it in his mouth.

"Deep breath, cuz." Luke instructed as he released the medicine. Once the medicine took it effect, Luke laid Bo back down and spoke softly to him for a while: until he was asleep again.

The next morning Jesse and Daisy did all the chores and let Luke sleep until it was time to go to school. Luke brought an excuse note for Bo and drove himself and Daisy to school. Jesse stayed home with Bo, who was now becoming delirious from the fever.

Jesse took Bo's temperature and it read 103.8. He really didn't want to have to take Bo to the hospital, since he knew Bo hated it, so he got some cold rags and took Bo's blankets off. He placed the wet rags on Bo's chest, stomach, and forehead.

"I'm freezing." Bo shivered.

"I know, I know. You need to cool down a little, Bo." Jesse soothed.

After about 20 minutes of the wet rag treatment, Jesse took Bo's temperature: "102.4, thats better." Jesse told his nephew.

"Can I have the blankets?" Bo begged.

"Okay, Bo." Jesse tucked Bo in again.

A few hours later, Jesse went in to make on of his temperature checks. He found Bo not just asleep, but unconscious. He couldn't wake him up. He quickly took his temperature. 105.6

"Good Lord!" Jesse picked Bo up and put him in his truck, driving him to tri-county emergency.

When he pulled into the parking lot, Bo woke up.

"Luke?" Bo tried to move around but his head hurt him. "Uncle Jesse, Daisy?" Bo called.

"I'm right here, son." Jesse picked Bo up and carried him inside where the doctors intercepted him and took him back, telling Jesse to stay in the waiting room.

Please let my boy live, you've got too. He's got a long life ahead of him. Jesse prayed.

An hour later...

"Family for Bo Duke?" A doctor came into the waiting room.

"I'm his Uncle and legal guardian." Jesse stood up. "How's my boy?" Jesse asked.

"He's stable now, but he's not doing very well. He's unconscious. You can see him if you would like. Room 302." The busy doctor walked away. Jesse made his way to Bo's room. He walked in and braced himself. He pulled up a chair and sat down next to the bed. He looked at Bo's face, tubes and wires running from his nose and connected to his chest. He'd seen this and similar things so many times, but it still made him nauseous. Jesse took Bo's hand, careful of the IV in the back of it.

"I love you, Bo, baby." Jesse choked back sobs. He stared down at his baby nephew until a doctor walked into the room.

"Would you like to talk about his condition?" He asked.

"Yes please." Jesse looked up from Bo's seemingly lifeless form.

"As you know, his temperature got very high. I have spoken to your family doctor and he told me about the infection and illness. The infection got a lot worse, causing his fever to spike. We have brought his temperature down, and he's doing a little better now. I just need him to wake up to see if there is any brain damage from the fever before I give a prognosis." The doctor reported.

"I'm going to call my nephew and niece home from school." Jesse called the school and told them to end Luke and Daisy's day early and tell them to drive up to tri-county emergency.

Luke and Daisy drove up and ran into the waiting room.

"We're here to see Bo Duke." Luke told the desk nurse.

"Are you his family?" She asked.

"Yes, we're his cousins." Luke replied.

"Our Uncle Jesse Duke is already here." Daisy added.

"Room 302." The nurse provided.

Luke and Daisy practically ran down the hall. They entered the room to see Jesse holding Bo's hand and stoking his hair, Bo, oblivious to this, laid lifelessly, still unconscious.

"Uncle Jesse, is he gonna be ok?" Daisy started crying.

"The doctor says that he needs him to wake up to see." Jesse replied, hugging his niece.

Luke simply stood in silence, again, he'd seen this so many times, but it hit home harder each time that any day, he could loose his cousin to asthma. And this time, it wasn't even because of that.

"My God." Luke finally spoke up, walking over to Bo's right side, taking his hand.

After a few hours, visiting hours were over and the hospital sent the three worried Dukes home.

The next day, Luke, Daisy, and Jesse returned to see Bo again. Luke sat next to the bed and took Bo's hand.

"Luke?" Bo turned to Luke's presence and opened his eyes.

"Bo, you're alright!" Luke exclaimed.

"I'll get the doctor." Jesse ran to get a doctor.

"How do you feel, cuz?" Luke asked.

"I'm okay." Bo rasped.

"How do your lungs feel?"

"That's the only thing that's really hurting me." Bo replied.

"Just breathe easy, Bo. The doctor will be here soon." Luke reassured.

Daisy kissed Bo's forehead. Jesse returned with the doctor.

"How are you feeling Bo?" The doctor asked.

"My lungs hurt, but other than that, I feel just fine." Bo coughed.

"Lets have a look." The doctor checked Bo over throughly.

"Can I go home, now?" Bo complained.

"You can go home in about an hour, son." The doctor laughed a little.

"Thanks." Bo replied.

"Well?" Jesse asked.

"He's still sick, but he's doing much better. Temperature is down to 101.7 and the infection his getting a little better." The doctor told Jesse.

And then about an hour, just as the doctor promised, the Dukes took Bo home.

After Bo was settled into his bed, Luke sat next to him.

"Can we talk for a minute, or are you too tired?" Luke asked.

"Sure, I'll talk to ya." Bo replied.

"I'm really sorry about the other day, Bo. Leaving you to walk home and all that." Luke looked at the floor.

"Well, I blew my top at you. I deserved it." Bo laughed a little.

"No, you didn't Bo. It was my fault to begin with. I should have never started the argument." Luke replied.

"Well I ain't mad." Bo coughed a little.

"Maybe you'd better get some sleep, cousin." Luke suggested.

"I think I will." Bo curled up and fell asleep with Luke rubbing his back.

A week later, Bo was no longer sick, but the infection was still hanging around. It quickly cleared up and the Duke's lives went back to normal.

da end.