1982. LUKE IS 26, DAISY 25, AND BO 24. I DON'T OWN THE DUKES OF HAZZARD.
Around 6am that morning, Luke woke up to the sunrise, along with all the other Dukes: accept Bo. Bo was drifting in and out of sleep, curled on his side and clutching his stomach.
"Are you alright?" Luke put a hand on Bo's shoulder.
"Hurts..." Bo mumbled in his sleep.
"You want me to call the doc?"
"Jus' lemme sleep a little longer..." Bo mumbled.
"Let me see it, Bo." Luke rolled him on his back.
"Hurts..." Bo mumbled.
Luke gently placed his hands on Bo's stomach and felt around, trying to figure out why that was hurting him more than the bruises on his chest.
"I don't feel nothin' wrong in there." Luke scratched his head.
"I'll be alright, jus' lemme sleep..." Bo curled back up.
"Alright. Tell someone if you need anything." Luke pulled the covers up to Bo's face.
Luke decided to do Bo's morning chores for him.
"Uncle Jesse, Daisy?" Luke walked into the kitchen.
"Good morning." Daisy greeted.
"Morinin' Luke." Jesse said.
"Mornin' y'all." Luke headed for the back door in the kitchen. "Bo had a rough night and he's hurting this morning. Y'all better look after him while I do the chores. You should probably wake him up to eat soon too." Luke headed out the door.
"I'll go see to Bo." Daisy walked into the boy's room, where she saw Bo, curled on his side, clutching his stomach, half asleep.
"Bo? Time to wake up, honey." Daisy pulled the blanket down.
"Daisy?" Bo mumbled and rolled over.
"I'm right here, honey." Daisy put her hand on his arm.
"What is it?" Bo mumbled.
"Time to get up." Daisy stroked his hair.
"Okay, I'm comin'." Bo sat up and waited for Daisy to leave the room before he grabbed the side table to help him stand, and grabbed all the furniture on the path to the bathroom, trying to maintain his balance.
When he got to the bathroom, he laid on the floor on his back and let out a deep breath before he got to his knees to throw up into the bath tub. Now he wished he'd asked Daisy for help.
In the kitchen, Jesse and Daisy couldn't help but overhear the noises of someone throwing up.
"Ya think I should go help him, Uncle Jesse?" Daisy asked.
"Let's give him a minute." Jesse replied.
In the bathroom, Bo was getting quite sick of having to throw up on days that he had to use a lot of the inhaler. Bo couldn't understand why he was having so many attacks the last few days. Maybe it was from having bruised ribs? No matter what is was from, Bo was getting sick of it.
After 5 minutes and still no break in the throwing up noises, Daisy knocked on the bathroom door.
"Are you okay, sugar?" She asked calmly.
"No." Bo squeezed in between heaves.
"You need a hand?" Daisy asked.
"Please." Bo replied, although he was no longer throwing up, he was struggling to breathe and he still had some dry heaves. Daisy opened the door and knelt down on the floor.
"Are you hurtin'?" Daisy put her hand on Bo's back.
"Mmmhhm." Bo gave into Daisy.
"Where?" Daisy asked.
"My chest an' my stomach. Its mostly my stomach." Bo admitted.
"Lay down." Daisy folded a towel for Bo's head. "Where's the pain?"
"On the left." Bo groaned as Daisy pressed in on his abdomen, much as Luke had done last night.
"Luke already checked: I don't have appendicitis." Bo tensed his stomach muscles at every move Daisy's hands made.
"Does it hurt here?" Daisy took the palm of her hand and pressed it into Bo's stomach on the lower left side.
"Ahhhhh…" Bo curled around the pain.
"Good. You don't have appendicitis." Daisy smiled at him.
"It's probably jus' spasms from that dang inhaler." Bo panted.
"I hope so." Daisy fluffed Bo's hair.
"I think I'm alright now 'sides the pain." Bo sat up. Daisy helped Bo to his feet and into a shirt.
"Alright well, if you're stomach is up to it, it's time for breakfast." Daisy said, walking into the kitchen.
"How you feelin' boy?" Jesse asked when Bo walked into the kitchen.
"Fine, I reckon." Bo sat down at the table. "Where's Luke?"
"Out doing the- his chores." Jesse replied.
"And mine, too, right?" Bo asked.
"You ain't in no shape to be working, Bo." Jesse reminded him.
"Luke has outdone himself these past few days. He needs to get some sleep." Bo sighed.
"He got plenty of sleep, Bo." Jesse stated, serving the breakfast plates.
Luke walked into the kitchen from outside. "Mornin' Bo." Luke patted Bo's shoulder as he walked past him to the sink to wash his hands.
"Listen, I'm real sorry about these past few days here, Luke." Bo looked at the floor.
"It ain't your fault, Bo. Every now and then your asthma acts up a little worse that usual and plus, you got smashed in the ribs by a mule." Luke dried his hands and sat down.
After the Dukes ate, the boys went into town to pick up some chicken feed. Luke begged Bo to stay home and rest, but Bo refused.
At Ruebottom's, the boys were loading chicken feed into the General Lee.
"I'll finish up here, Bo, you go give Cooter that four bucks we owe him." Luke tried to get Bo to stop working 'for he hurrt himself. 'Sides, it was obvious that he was already in a lot of pain.
Bo walked over to Cooter's Garage.
"Hey, Cooter?" Bo called.
"Howdy, Bo! How y'all Dukes doing?" Cooter asked.
"Just fine, Cooter. Here's the four bucks me and Luke owe you." Bo handed it to him.
"What'd I pay for?" Cooter asked.
"Beats me, ask Luke." Bo replied.
"I'll do that next time I see him." Cooter smiled.
"Anyhow, hows things going here at the garage?" Bo asked.
"Just fine. Are you feelin' any better?" Cooter remembered the incident the other day.
"Oh, yeah. I'm jus' fine now." Bo smiled.
"Good." Cooter patted Bo's shoulder.
"Bo?" Luke called.
"I gotta, go now, Luke's ready to go. See ya later!" Bo headed back to the General.
"Keep it 'tween the ditches!" Cooter called back as the General Lee burnt the pavement.
Once the Dukes were about half way home, Bo slowed the General down a little.
"Why you stoppin'?" Luke asked.
"It hurts real bad..." Bo pulled over to the side of the road and leaned against the door.
Luke knew he should've left Bo at home, he just knew it.
"You need to throw up?" Luke asked.
"No, it jus' hurts."
"Where?" Luke maintained a calm voice for Bo's sake.
"My stomach." Bo tucked his arm around the pain.
"Let me see it." Luke removed Bo's arm and pulled up his shirt.
"Ahh, it's awful..." Bo threw his head back against the seat.
"Take a deep breath." Luke requested calmly.
"I'd rather not." Bo replied.
"You feel that bad?" Luke asked him.
"Well it hurts, pretty dang good." Bo sighed.
"Are you sure you're not nauseous at all?" Luke asked.
"Not now, but I was this morning." Bo inhaled sharply as Luke pressed into the lower left side of his stomach.
"Maybe Maudine hurt you worse that we thought." Luke suggested.
"Why ya say that?" Bo asked.
"Maybe it's an internal injury." Luke suggested.
"There ain't no bruises on my stomach." Bo reasoned.
"There don't have to be." Luke replied.
"Can you drive us home, Luke, I don't think I can." Bo admitted.
"No, we're going back to docs." Luke helped Bo move over to the passenger seat and drove him to docs house.
When they arrived, Luke got out of the car. "You need help, Bo?" He asked.
"I don't think I can get outta here." Bo sighed.
"How long have you been in this much pain?" Luke grew concerned.
"Its been hurting for a while now, but it just got worse in the last two hours." Bo replied.
"Internal injuries can be like that. Dang Maudine!" Luke kicked the ground.
"Can we quit talking and do something please? It's killin' me." Bo leaned his head back.
"I'll pick you up." Luke reached into the car and pulled out his tall cousin, setting him on his feet.
Bo bent over and put his hands on his knees.
"Come on, lets get you in there and out of pain." Luke helped Bo up the steps and knocked on the door.
"Hello, boys. Back again I see? Did you not follow my orders, Bo?" doc asked.
"No, he developed a new pain." Luke replied for Bo, who was too busy trying to deal with it to speak.
"How did you make him agree to come over here?" Doc started walking over to his exam room.
"Well, he's in a pretty good bit of pain so, it wasn't too hard." Luke pulled on Bo's arm as he wasn't coming.
"I can't do it." Bo fell to his knees.
"Come here, cousin." Luke picked Bo up and carried him into the exam room.
"Lay him down here." Doc ordered. Luke did as he was told.
"Ahhhhh..." Bo moaned as Luke set him on the exam table.
"You're alright." Luke put a hand on Bo's chest.
"Where is the pain, Bo?" Doc asked as he put on exam gloves.
"Left side of my stomach." Bo panted.
"Luke, 1-10 how bad's he hurting?" Doc asked.
"I'd say about 7-8." Luke replied, studying his cousin's flushed, sweaty face.
"Why don't you ask me, I'm the patient?" Bo complained.
"Because he's a better judge of that than you. You always just say 'it ain't too bad.'" Doc laughed. "Let me see your stomach." Doc ordered. Luke pulled Bo's shirt off.
"Your ribs are doing fine." Doc commented as he listened to Bo's heart and lungs.
"Get to his stomach already, he's in pain." Luke complained. Seeing Bo in pain was like being in pain himself.
"This might hurt, Bo, and I'm sorry in advance." Doc took his hands and pressed into various spots on Bo's abdomen until he received a loud moan that was almost a scream.
"Let's see this area here." Doc felt around the area, receiving whimpers and moans along the way. Bo squeezed Luke's hand as the pain throbbed in his stomach.
"You have a torn muscle in your left lumbar." Doc removed his hands. "Have you been throwing up or working hard? Because the injury has been stressed: that's why you're in excruciating pain." Doc said.
"Yeah, he's been throwing up from his asthma inhaler." Luke saw that Bo was in no condition to speak.
"Let me give you something for that pain." Doc retrieved a syringe and filled it with some light pain killers, he knew Bo would refuse to be sedated.
"Will it knock me out, too? Cause if it does I don't want it." Bo asked.
"No." Doc replied.
"Are you sure?" Bo asked.
"C'mon, Bo, you're in pain. You asked me to help you, and this is the way." Luke put a hand on the side of Bo's neck.
"Alright fine. Just don't make me sleep involuntarily, if you know what I mean." Bo looked a doc.
"Don't watch, it makes it seem worse." Doc pushed Bo's head away as he swabbed his wrist with rubbing alcohol. Luke pressed his hand on the side of Bo's face.
"He's right. Don't watch." Luke took Bo's hand: he knew how much Bo hated injections.
Doc Appleby looked at Luke to confirm that Bo was ready, and Luke nodded back. Doc quickly injected the medication. Bo's arm flinched and he tired to move a little, out of shear fear and force of habit: over the years so many doctors had stuck him with needles that it was natural reflex to resist.
"Easy, cousin, it'll make you feel better, not worse." Luke promised.
"I know, I'm sorry." Bo couldn't help the flinching and he felt bad about it: he had given Luke a hard enough time already.
"Lie still for a few minutes and the pain will go away." Doc said as he threw away the syringe.
"It's already kicking in." Luke studied Bo's face and body language, which didn't look much different to the doctor.
"Now, I ain't even gonna ask how you could tell that." Doc stared at the two cousins: it was like they had twin telepathy.
"Maybe some day I'll teach you the secret Bo language. It might come in handy some time." Luke laughed.
"I think I would fail the class." Doc laughed.
"Hey, Luke?" Bo leaned forward a little, indicating that he wanted to whisper something to Luke.
"What is it, Bo?" Luke leaned toward Bo's face.
"How are we going to pay all these dang doctor's bills?" Bo whispered.
"Don't you worry, we'll take care of it, you'll see." Luke laid Bo back down.
"How is the pain now, boys?" Doc leaned over his patient.
"It ain't too bad." Bo laughed.
"He's okay, now. About a 2-3." Luke smiled.
"Be honest with me, please, I need to know: how long have you had this pain in your stomach?" Doc asked.
"Since the day that Maudine rammed me. It started out pretty much unnoticeable and by around 12:00 today it was killing me. I think I went and made it worse by all my dang throwing up." Bo explained.
"I'm going to prescribe some pretty heavy duty pain meds for you." Doc started writing. "You'll need a brace, too." Bo rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Luke, make sure that he does not, I repeat, does not do any work or any other strenuous activity. Make him rest for most of the day and alternate between ice packs and hot rags on the injured area. He has to wear the brace for 20 hours a day. Come back in a week and I'll have another look." Doc wrote the instructions down, too.
"Come on, Bo, lets go home." Luke helped Bo to his feet and into his shirt.
"Stop by the pharmacy and fill out the prescription and pick up a brace." Doc handed Luke the instruction papers.
"Oh, and Luke, make him take those pain pills." Doc knew that Bo would probably refuse.
"You got it." Luke helped Bo out to the car.
"You ready?" Luke leaned Bo against the car.
"Do it." Bo shut his eyes and Luke lifted him into the car. Bo caught the scream in his throat before it escaped him as he settled into the car.
"Dang these doors!" Luke kicked the ground when he saw Bo tense in pain. "You gonna be alright?" Luke asked.
"I'll live." Bo laid back in the seat. Luke climbed into the car and drove off to the pharmacy. In the parking lot, he CB'd Jesse.
"Lost sheep to shepherd, you got your ears on out there, come back?"
"This is shepherd, go ahead."
"Bo tore some muscles in his stomach the other day when he was wrestling with maudine. I took him to docs cause he was hurtin' and now we's picking up his medicine. Sorry we'll be late home for lunch." Luke filled Jesse in.
"Is Bo alright?" Jesse asked. Bo grabbed the receiver.
"I'm just fine, Uncle Jesse." Bo replied for Luke.
"Alright, see you boys at home, I'm gone." Jesse said.
"You wait here, I'll go in and get it." Luke climbed out.
"Don't worry, I ain't going nowhere." Bo promised: it hurt too badly to go anywheres.
Luke went inside and filled the prescription and bought a brace according to what Doc's note said to get. While he was inside, Rosco pulled up next to the General Lee.
"Alright, Bo Duke, out of the car!" Rosco ordered.
"Rosco, what did I do now?" Bo rolled his eyes.
"Illegal parking! I love it, I love it!" Rosco laughed.
"I'll move it then, but this ain't illegal." Bo slid over to the drivers side.
"I'm gonna have to write you a $50 ticket!" Rosco stated.
"Catch me, than you can!" Bo sped away.
"Oooh, flash, hot pursuit!" Rosco took off after Bo.
I'll have to loose him real quick and come a back for Luke. Or maybe Daisy can pick up Luke?
"Bo Peep, this is lost sheep #2, you got your ears on?"
"This is Bo Peep, go on ahead, Bo."
"Rosco's chasin' me and I accidentally left Luke at the Hazzard pharmacy. Could you pick him up while I shake Rosco?"
"Sure thing, honey, I'm down and gone." Daisy left the Boar's Nest early and sped off to the pharmacy, where Luke'd worked himself up into a state worrying about Bo.
"Luke, Bo called me on the CB and told me to pick you up. Rosco's chasing him." Daisy said as Luke climbed into Dixie.
"Is he alright?" Luke asked.
"Yeah, he seemed okay. What're you doing at the pharmacy anyway?" Daisy asked.
"Bo's got some torn muscles in his stomach, I took him to Docs and he sent us here." Luke filled Daisy in.
"How'd he do that?" Daisy asked.
"Maudine the other day." Luke replied, picking up the CB. "Bo, are you out there, come back?"
"Yeah, Luke, I'm sorry I took off, Rosco wanted to stick me with a phony $50 parking ticket."
"Don't worry about it, Daisy intercepted me. Don't overdo it Bo, you heard the doc, no strenuous activity."
"Okay, I'm gone." Bo dropped the CB and went back to concentrating on loosing Rosco.
Ahead there was a construction crew. Bo saw the perfect place to jump and leave Rosco in the dust.
The General Lee was flying for a good six seconds before it hit the ground, jarring Bo and causing the pain to flare up. For a few seconds, Bo couldn't see, as he was doubled over clutching his stomach. When he regained his composure, what he saw terrified him: a huge boulder, right next to a bunch of trees.
Avoiding as many obstacles as he could, Bo crashed the General Lee, rolling it once. After he checked to make sure that his legs worked, he reached for the CB, changing the channel (so Luke wouldn't hear) and praying that Cooter was on it.
"Cooter, you out there, come back?"
"This is Craaaaaazy Cooter coming at you long and strong, come on."
"I wrecked the General Lee. Could you come take it to the garage? I'll have to mend some fences to pay for it or something, Luke is gonna kill me!"
"You mean he ain't there?"
"No, just me."
"Okay, calm down. I'll be there soon."
"Hey, Cooter?"
"Yeah, Bo?"
"I think I'm hurt."
"How bad? You need an ambulance?"
"No, just, be prepared to help me outta here and please, don't tell my family."
"I think they might notice the damage to the car, Bo."
"Please, just get on over here and we can discuss the details later, I'm gone." Bo laid down as best as he could and tried to get his pain under control. He put his hand up to his face and drew back blood. This is just great. Bo wanted to kick himself.
