1974. LUKE HAS ONLY BEEN AWAY IN THE MARINES FOR TWO WEEKS OR SO. I don't own the dukes of hazzard. my OCD is finally happy now that all my chapters are in order by year! This whole chapter written in sweeeeet Daisy's POV.
I'd been sitting up in bed for hours. It was hopeless, I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. I didn't know why I couldn't sleep, but I knew there had to be some reason. And then it dawned on me: Bo. Dang, I shoulda thought of that sooner! I jumped out of bed and rushed to the boys' room, (now only housing one of them) and opened the door.
Unfortunately, the situation at hand was just as I'd expected it to be: Bo was falling off the side of his bed, with an inhaler in his hand. I could hear him wheezing from the doorway, and I knew that he was gonna pass out soon. I turned on the lights and rushed over and knelt next to him, picking his drooping head up a little. I guess Luke ain't the only one who can tell when Bo's in trouble.
"Luke?" He wheezed, desperately. I'd give anything to give him Luke right about now, but that's impossible.
"Bo, honey?" I almost whispered, I didn't want to scare him, although he was already scared it seemed.
"Daisy?" He rasped by name, followed by an attempt to stifle a cough.
"I'm here, sugar, let me help you, okay?" I eased him back into the bed and put the inhaler up to his mouth. He understood and did his best to cooperate.
After quite some time he was able to breathe somewhat normally. I put the inhaler away and started running my fingers though his hair. He was all sweaty and stressed out from the attack, and I figured he'd probably have another one if I didn't calm him down soon.
"Try to calm down." I soothed, as he was still panting and sweating, gritting his teeth at the coughs that escaped him.
"I can't, Daisy, I just can't." He panted.
I gently put his head back down against the pillow and stroked his hair for a while. Then he turned to his side and gave into a coughing fit.
"Sit up, sugar." I pulled on him a little. He slowly sat up, tossing his arm up to his mouth to cough into. I gently removed his arm and replaced it with the inhaler. He made a face, but accepted it.
"Just a little bit more." I coaxed.
Eventually, Bo stopped coughing. He shut his eyes and laid back, wheezing hard.
"Daisy, I want it to stop!" He wheezed, looking at me with rage and fear, mostly fear, cleverly disguised as rage.
"I'm trying my best, Bo." I handed him the inhaler, and he took some more of it.
"God, why do You do this to me?" Bo tried to yell, but his voice cracked and he lowered his head. I felt a tear drip on my hand, although I'll never tell him that.
How I wish Luke was here now. I wasn't being of much help to Bo, unfortunately: he was getting more stressed out.
I said a quick, silent prayer for help, and that He'd put the words that Bo needed to hear in my mouth, and then I began:
"We've been over this, Bo: everyone has their challenges. I know it hurts, and I know it's hard, but you can do it, I've seen you before. Relax and breathe deeply and calmly. Close your eyes and relax yourself." I slowly took his hand in my hands and rubbed his knuckles with my thumbs.
Bo shut his eyes and tried to relax. "Y-you d-don't understand..." He mewled.
"What don't I understand?" I asked calmly.
"Daisy, I just want Luke back!" Bo sobbed, grabbing me for a hug, which I returned.
"Oh, Bo." I didn't know what else to say, I couldn't promise that Luke'd come back.
After a while, I started to get scared: Bo doesn't just sob uncontrollably like this, especially not while someone's watching. Soon his sobs turned to little whimpers in between raspy breaths, and he released me, throwing himself back against the pillows.
I studied him for a while before asking, when I saw him restraining a heave:
"You gonna be sick?"
He was silent for a moment, before turning his head away and mumbling:
"Yeah. Sorry."
"I'll go fetch some things." I kissed his hand and left for the kitchen. Boy, am I ever gonna have a good cry over Luke once I get Bo back to bed.
I brought back a pot and some towels. I set the pot next to the bed, and he quickly leaned over to utilize it.
Once he was finished, he leaned back into the bed and took the towel that I offered him to wipe his mouth.
"Are you okay?" I asked him. The room had been silent, his head turned away from me as I cleaned up the mess.
Bo turned back and looked at me, tears shining in his bloodshot, blue eyes. "No."
"How can I help you?" I didn't know what else to do, I'd tried everything.
"Can I have a hug?" He asked, voice quivering.
"Any time you want one, sugar." I extended my arms to him and he practically fell onto me, gripping me with the grasp of a little boy who'd just lost his best friend. I felt and heard him softly cry onto my shoulder.
"It's gonna be okay." I whispered, partly for myself: I didn't know what to do, how to help him. It was honestly a pretty scary experience, having him cry in my arms like that. The only other time I'd seen Bo like this was when our aunt Lavinia passed away.
I didn't blame him though, his older cousin, the only brother he'd ever known, was gone, gone for a long time, and no one but God knew if he was gonna make it home. I was upset about it, too, and I wanted to cry, but I knew I had to be strong for him right now, so he could kick this and get back to sleep.
After a while of holding him, I felt his breathing surrender into sleep mode. I gently pried him loose from me and laid him down, pulling his covers up. I turned out the lights, but I had to stay and watch over him for a while, just to make sure he was alright.
Just as I'd figured, I had a good long cry when I got back to my room, but it was refreshing, I was finally able to get to sleep.
Not without praying for Bo and Luke for a while that is.
