1968, within a few weeks of the last chapter. Luke is 7, Daisy 6, and Bo 5. i don't own the dukes of hazzard.
Lavinia and Daisy had gone over to one of Daisy's friends houses (Daisy played with her friend and Lavinia jawed with the mother), Jesse was out in the fields, and Bo and Luke had been playing cars in the house, until it was time for Bo to take a nap.
"Alright, Bo, nap time." Luke picked up all the cars.
"Aw c'mon..." Bo whined.
"I ain't never gonna play with ya again if ya don't take yer nap." Luke threatened.
"Okay, fine!" Bo climbed up on the couch and curled up.
"Ain't ya gonna use yer bed?" Luke questioned.
"Nope." Bo turned his head away.
"Okay, see ya in a hour or so." Luke started off to do his homework.
"Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"Howscome you don't have to take a nap?"
"Howscome you don't have to do homework?"
"Cause I already know all the answers!" Bo sat up.
"You do? Than can ya do my work fer me?" Luke asked sarcastically.
"Sure, I can do anythin' you can do." Bo followed him into the bedroom.
"Here." Luke set his math and a pencil on Bo's bed.
2+2, 4+3, 5+2, 3+2, 1+2, 2+3...
Bo looked at the seemingly random numbers all lined up on the paper. He took the pencil from Luke's hand and started chewing on it.
"No chewing on my pencil!" Luke scolded.
"Okay." Bo took it out of his mouth.
After deciding what seemed like the smartest way to do the work, Bo began crossing out the numbers that he didn't like.
"That ain't how ya do school work, Bo." Luke chuckled.
"It's how I do it." Bo continued crossing out all of the fives, threes, and sixes: the most evil numbers, don't you know.
"Well, it ain't how the mean teacher wants it done so, I'm gonna have to do it." Luke took the pencil and paper from him.
"The teacher's mean?" Bo asked.
"He jus' don't like me is all." Luke started erasing Bo's 'work'.
"Will he like me?" Bo asked.
"Teachers don't like nobody." Luke sighed.
"Will they hit me?" Bo asked.
"No, they don't hit you, they just give you too much work." Luke started actually doing the work.
"I ain't gonna go to school then." Bo crossed his arms.
"You don't have to until next year." Luke reminded him.
"I ain't goin' then, neither!" Bo pouted.
"You have to go or else-"
"You ain't never gonna play with me again, I know." Bo sighed.
"That's right." Luke walked over to Bo's bed. "Lay down for yer nap." Luke pulled the blankets back.
"Okay, okay." Bo curled up and let Luke pull the blankets back over him. "Howscome Daisy gets to skip her nap?" Bo asked.
"She's takin' a nap right now, she's jus' doin' it with her friend at her house." Luke assured him.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure, aunt Lavinia's there." Luke went back to his homework.
After a while, Bo was sound asleep and Luke was done with his work. He put his stuff away and took a quick glance at Bo before he left the room. In the brief second that Luke looked at Bo, it didn't seem like he was breathing.
Luke ran out to the barn and found Jesse.
"Uncle Jesse!" Luke burst into the barn.
"What is it, Luke?"
"Bo's dead!" Luke exclaimed through tears.
This was the fourth time this had happened since Bo had come home from the hospital with his new problem: asthma.
"He ain't dead, Luke, relax. I'll come see though." Jesse didn't want to take any chances. Luke had been exaggerating, but you never know.
Jesse brought Luke back into the house and Luke led him into their bedroom, where Bo was sleeping.
"See, he's dead." Luke whimpered, standing behind his uncle.
"He ain't dead, Luke." Jesse put his hand on Bo's neck just to make sure.
"He ain't breathin'!"
"Shhhhh. He is breathing, see." Jesse gently pulled the blankets down a few inches and placed Luke's hand on Bo's chest.
"His chest is goin' up an' down, airs comin' in an' out." Jesse assured him. "And you can tell his heart is still beatin' if ya put your fingers here." Jesse took Luke's other hand and placed a few of his fingers on Bo's neck.
Jesse stood back and watched Luke in silence for a few minutes, before he wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him out of the room.
"Your cousin is just fine, Luke." Jesse promised.
"I'm sorry, uncle Jesse, I jus' get worried..." Luke wiped his eyes.
"I know, I get worried, too. But now ya know that every time ya get worried, you can do what I just showed ya and see that he's still alive." Jesse led Luke into the kitchen and poured him a glass of milk.
"What if someday Bo does die?" Luke questioned.
"Everyone dies someday, Luke. Bo ain't gonna die fer a long time, though, not with you around watchin' over him." Jesse smiled.
"I'll take good care of him uncle Jesse, 'cause I'm the oldest." Luke smiled proudly.
"I'm sure you will." Jesse patted his back. "I've gotta get back out to the barn now, I'll see ya in a few hours." Jesse headed out.
"Bye." Luke finished his milk and went back into the bedroom: Bo would be waking up soon, and it'd be time to play with him again.
