OCTOBER OF 1974. LUKE HAS BEEN IN THE MARINES FOR ABOUT 5 FIVE MONTHS. LUKE IS 18, DAISY 17, AND BO 16. I DON'T OWN THE DUKES OF HAZZARD. i did make up ben march tho. yea well he sucks anyways so idc if i own him or not.
"I think I can take you out." Ben March stood up as straight as he could on his toes to just reach Bo Duke's height.
"You think so, huh?" Bo questioned as he balled his fists.
"Now that your baby killing, trench monkey, cousin isn't here to save ya...yeah I think so!" Ben shouted. Oops...you ought not to have bad mouthed Bo's family like that. Especially not Luke... just don't do that.
"I'll teach you ta..." Bo began pounding on the slightly smaller teen. Ben tried to fight back, but he couldn't too do much to slow Bo's skillful blows, which he continued the throw, as he grunted about how Luke was not a 'baby killing trench monkey'. Ben regretted saying that and had no intent of ever bad mouthing Bo's older cousin ever again. At least not until he was healed up from this beating, then maybe he could take another one.
Bo and Luke's truck was at Cooter's for repair so, Cooter had driven Bo and Daisy to school and was going to pick Bo up after to bring him to the garage for a while. Daisy was getting a ride home with one of her friends. Cooter drove up just in time to see Bo cold cock Ben with both of his fists in an upward swinging motion.
Cooter got out of the truck and trotted over to Bo, who was coughing harshly. His lip was bleeding and he had the makings of a black eye, too, but it was nothing compared to the doozy of a black face that Ben was going to have.
"What'd he do to you?" He knew that Bo had to have had a good reason to do what he'd just done.
"He called Luke a baby killing, trench monkey!" Bo shouted as he kicked the lifeless bully in the back.
"Then he deserved that, huh?" Cooter smiled, but the smile faded when he turned his attention back to Bo's bleeding lip and struggle to breathe.
"He sure as heck deserved it...he double damn deserved it!" Bo shouted, blood dripping from his lip onto his shirt as he spoke.
Cooter put a gentle arm around Bo's shoulders and led him over to the truck. He felt bad for Bo. His older cousin- no brother was gone without a 100% chance of return. He missed Luke, too, and so did a lot of other people in Hazzard, but no one missed him more than his baby cousin Bo did.
"You get on in and I'll see to him 'fore we go." Cooter was about to shut the truck door.
"Just leave him there." Bo muttered, still just catching his own breath.
"No, we can't do that." Cooter reasoned.
"Why not?"
"I reckon your uncle Jesse brought you up beter'an that, huh?" Cooter questioned.
"I reckon so." Bo sighed.
"I'll be right back." Cooter headed over to Ben, who was just stirring.
"You need a ride home?" Cooter asked him.
"No, I got one." Ben stood up and tossed Cooter's hands off of him, trotting over to his bicycle.
"Alright Bo, let's go." Cooter climbed into the truck and started down the road.
Cooter was 11 years older than Bo, but he had made friends with the Duke boys when they were young because the bigger kids didn't want to hang out with him. Bo felt safe to talk to Cooter, he probably wouldn't snitch on him.
"Cooter what would you do if a bunch of no goods was bad mouthin' someone you loved?" Bo asked quietly.
"I'd do what you did, Bo. That don't make it right, though." Cooter replied.
"He don't have no family in 'Nam!" Bo shouted so loud that it startled Cooter. "He don't know what it's like to have to worry if you'll ever see your brother again, every single, damn day!"
"I reckon he deserved all that hittin' you did to him." Cooter stated in a calm quiet tone, cautiously placing a hand on Bo's shoulder. He knew he had to calm him so that he could get him breathing correctly. "Luke'll make it home just fine, you'll see. He's a Duke." he almost whispered.
"He'd better..." Bo lowered his head and let a tear fall.
"Bo your lungs sound awful, you'd best use your inhaler 'fore ya have an attack." Cooter suggested softly.
"You sound jus' like Luke..." Bo smiled slightly as he pulled out his inhaler.
"He does say that a lot, don't he?" Cooter grinned. "How old are ya, now, 16?"
"Yeah."
"That's how old I was when you got asthma. You weren't nothin' but a little guy, five-years-old," Cooter sighed, "You've been fightin' it like a champ since then kiddo."
"Hey thanks fer everythin' Cooter, not jus' today. I mean everything everything." Bo smiled at his older friend.
"Hey, thank you." Cooter smiled back.
"But I miss him, damn it." Bo sighed.
"Me too, buddy, me too."
"Damn." Bo sighed, trying his best not to cry.
"You better watch your dirty little mouth, Bo. Your uncle Jesse hears you you'll be across his knee from now 'till next week!" Cooter chuckled, in an attempt to lighten to mood.
"I know it." Bo felt the corners of his mouth turn up, and he couldn't help but laugh a little.
They arrived at the garage and Cooter sat Bo down on some tires. "I'm gonna clean yer face up real quick." he told him as he wet one of the only clean rags in the whole place.
When Cooter turned back to Bo, he saw that his face was not only streaked with blood, but now tears as well: the ones that were actively flowing from his eyes. "I know you hurt, Bo... 'an I know how hard this is." He offered as he started wiping the blood from Bo's face. "You jus' stay strong, man, you're gonna make it."
Bo sniffed and blinked rapidly, fending off the embarrassing tears.
"You can cry, Bo it's okay..." Cooter wrapped an arm around him and hugged him. He knew how hard it was to transition from a teenager to a man, and that was what Bo was going through right now, along with the extra pain of Luke not being there for him.
Cooter finished cleaning Bo's face up and let him alone for a minute.
After a while Bo calmed himself down. "Hey, thank ya Cooter."
"Don't you worry about it. Ner nothin' else fer that matter. You jus' keep on workin' at growin' up. I know how hard it is, shoot, I ain't even finished yet an' I'm 27." Cooter laughed as he patted his shoulder.
Then they started work. Bo had spent most of his time at Cooter's since Luke left, filling his day with things to do so that he didn't have to think too much, but night time was different. Some nights he just sat up and rubbed the scar on the palm of his right hand until he cried or tired himself to sleep.
After they had done a good bit of work and it was time for Bo to be getting on home, Cooter took Bo to get a soda and then started driving him home.
"Uncle Jesse's gonna ask me what happened to my face." Bo started.
"He'll understand." Cooter smiled: Jesse Duke was a good, kind, understanding man who loved his kids very much. He'd understand.
Cooter dropped Bo off and winked, wishing him good luck. Bo trudged into the house and faced Jesse right away, the easiest time.
"Who were you fightin' with?" Jesse said after one look at Bo's face.
"Ben. He called Luke a baby killing, trench monkey, and I lost it. I'm sorry." Bo lowered his head.
"You started it?"
"He egged me on." Bo replied.
"But you threw the first punch?" Jesse couldn't count how many times he'd had to ask his youngest boy that question.
"Yes sir." Bo sighed.
"Just because he was calling Luke names don't mean that you get to hit him. I don't know how many times I've told you this, son, 'don't start fights'." Jesse sighed. "Yes, I know he technically started the verbal fight, but that don't give you no call to hit him, understand?"
"Yes sir." Bo turned his head away and shut his eyes tightly.
"Come here, son." Jesse turned him around and pulled him into a hug. "I know how hard this is for you, but I've seen you get through things before. You can do it, he'll be home before you know it." Jesse released him and smiled at him.
"Thanks." Bo mumbled before heading off to do his homework.
THAT BE ALL FOR THIS CHAPTER
