A/N Legionnaire disease is a real thing, just in case anyone was wondering. Also, this chapter will contain some pretty intense emotions and violence, so you've been warned. Anyway, on with the story.

It wasn't long before Jesse arrived at the Hazzard county commissioner's office. Before getting out of the car, Jesse caught his reflection in the side view mirror. His red and puffy eyes had bags under them, his face overall was bearing a gray hue. He sighed before climbing out of the car and making his way to the main office. There he found Boss Hogg, counting his money gleefully and smoking a cigar.

"J.D., I need to speak with you." As soon as Boss heard Jesse's voice, he shoved the money he was counting under some loose papers.

"Oh Jesse. What a lovely surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He tried to sound charming, but it never sounded natural when Boss Hogg complimented someone.

"I'm afraid I'm not here on a social visit." Jesse felt a lump in his throat as he spoke. "Luke, Bo and Daisy are all very sick."

"Oh." Boss Hogg put out his cigar as his brow furrowed. "I'm sorry to hear that." His voice sounded more sincere this time.

Jesse took a moment to collect himself and continued. "They were swimming in Hazzard lake. The doctor believes that's what made them ill. I need you to send some people to put warning signs around the lake so everyone knows it's contaminated. Then send the health and safety department to clean it."

"Hang on a second, hang on!" Boss put his hands out defensively. "How do you know that it was the lake that made them sick? You better have some hard evidence before you go making an accusation like that."

A knot formed in Jesse's stomach. There was something wrong about Boss Hogg's reaction, and Jesse got the feeling that he knew more than he was letting on. "I'm not making an accusation. I'm just telling you to warn people before someone else gets hurt."

Just then, Roscoe came in. He was holding the landline phone in his right hand, the cord stretched from the other room. "Good news Boss, good news. The mayor of Sweetwater county is on the phone. He said he'll double the pay if we let him double the car parts that are dumped into Hazzard lake this afterno-"

"Roscoe, would you be quiet!" Boss yelled. "Can't you see that Jesse Duke is here? Tell the mayor I'll get back to him soon." Roscoe hurried to the other side of the room, eager to escape Boss' wrath.

It all suddenly came to Jesse with sickening clarity. Boss Hogg had been the one who contaminated the lake. When those old car parts, which no doubt contained rust, were dumped into Hazzard lake, it caused the bacteria to grow and the disease to spread to Bo, Luke and Daisy.

"You did it." Jesse's voice was quiet, yet it had a presence of red hot anger. "You dumped those car parts in the lake, that's how my kids got sick." His eyes were burning with unshed tears. As Jesse stared down Boss, only one thought entered his mind: he wanted to kill him.

"Now hang on a second," Boss replied, slowly backing away from Jesse. "I-I had no idea that would make them Dukes so sick. You can't blame me for that."

"Now, that ain't exactly true…" Roscoe murmured to himself, as if forgetting that Boss Hogg and Jesse were still there "That health inspector, she told you this could happen, but y-"

"ROSCOE WOULD YOU GET OUT!" That sent Roscoe away for good. But the damage was already done. Jesse grabbed Boss Hogg by a fistful of his shirt, pinning him against the wall.

"You knew about this?! You knew that it would make people sick, and you still let the lake get contaminated, just to line your filthy pockets?!"

"N-now wait, let me explain," Boss squirmed under the pressure of Jesse's iron grip. "That health inspector said people may get sick, with a fever or-or a cough, but I really didn't think it would be this bad." Jesse was barely comprehending what Boss was saying. Or how hard he was pressing him against the wall. All he could think about was Luke, Daisy and Bo. How scared Luke had looked when he couldn't stop shivering. How panicked Daisy was when the coughing fits got bad. How Bo barely even recognized his own family. How Jesse didn't even know if any of them were going to survive.

Boss Hogg was attempting to pry himself free from Jesse, with very little luck. "J-J-Jesse, p-please, I-I c-can't breathe."

"DAISY COULDN'T BREATHE!" Jesse yelled. "But you didn't think about that when you made that deal, did you?!"

"W-What do you think a-about a new deal?" Boss's forehead was matted with sweat, his face slowly turning purple. "I'll pay for 20% of the hospital bill." Jesse's grip didn't cease. "How about 50%? Or 59?"

"You're gonna pay alright." Before Jesse could process what his body was doing, he slammed Boss Hogg into the wall with all his might.

Roscoe was in the other room when he heard what sounded like someone falling down, followed by screaming. He rushed into the office to find Boss laying against the wall, holding his head and yelling incoherently. Roscoe looked around for the culprit, but nobody else was there.