Sorry I took so incredibly long to update this story. Anyhow as the title specified, this is 1977: Luke is 21, Daisy is 20, and Bo is 19. I wrote this chapter after the one that comes next to it in the story, but this chapter and the next are set back to back. And as always, I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard. *sniffles and wipes tear*
Daisy was at the Boar's Nest, Luke was out searching for fence mending jobs he and Bo could take on to pay for the repair of the General Lee, whose rear fender they'd creamed the other day, and Jesse and Bo were harvesting corn at the farm.
"After we finish this row, let's go on in and have lunch." Jesse decided.
"Yes sir." Bo wiped his thoroughly sweat covered face on his arm. "I hope Luke gets back soon so he can spell ya Uncle Jesse." Bo and Luke both felt bad about having Uncle Jesse fill in for Luke while he was looking for fences to mend, Jesse'd put better than 20 years of his life into them, and this was how they repaid him: always gettin into trouble.
"Don't worry about me, Bo: I might not be a spry young fella anymore, but I can still pull my load, and part of someone else's if I have to."
"You shouldn't have to, Uncle Jesse. You've been taking care of all three of us cousins since I was a baby. I don't reckon our own folks could've done a better job rasin' us."
"Why do you think I took you kids in 19 years ago?"
"Cause our folks… died."
"If I wanted to, I could've sent you three to the orphanage, but I didn't want to: because I love y'all."
Bo stopped what he was doing and turned to face Jesse. "What did we all do to deserve to have you?" he laughed softly as he pulled Jesse into a hug.
Once they finished that row of corn, they headed back for the house.
"I'll start makin sandwiches, an' you go CB Luke to see when he's gonna be back." Jesse opened the fridge.
Bo sat at the table where Jesse'd just out down two plates.
"I hope Luke finds enough jobs to pay fer the General. Shoot, we haven't even taken him to Cooters yet."
"Well even if it ain't quite enough, we's got the crop comin in." Jesse reminded him.
"Yeah, but don't you gotta pay the mortgage with that?"
"There'll be plenty."
…
After lunch Bo and Jesse headed back out to the field.
Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned to face Bo when he heard a sound that resembled a wheeze. "Bo?" Jesse was praying he hadn't heard that. Bo hadn't had an asthma attack for several weeks, so they'd all hoped he'd grown out of it.
"Hmm?" Bo stopped walking too.
"Take a deep breath."
"Okay…" Bo didn't know why Jesse wanted that, but he figured he'd best obey him. He went to take a deep breath, but he found it nearly impossible. He turned and looked Jesse in the eyes, conveying his problem.
"Do ya have an inhaler?" Jesse began searching Bo's pockets until he found one. He took Bo by the arm and sat him down on the ground, then he started helping him with the inhaler.
Bo coughed several times before he was able to start breathing in the medicine. Once he felt that he could breathe again, he laid back on the ground.
"I thought we were done with this." he panted.
"So did I." Jesse sighed. He'd thought for sure that Bo'd outgrown asthma. "I'm sorry, Bo."
"It ain't your fault. Its that dang doc Appleby who told me it'd go away." Bo let Jesse help him sit up.
"We can't blame him, Bo. Who knows, maybe this was just a one-off occurrence." Jesse started getting Bo to his feet. "Just to make sure you're alright, I think we'd best go see the doc right now." Jesse suggested.
"Uncle Jesse…"
"No buts. Come on, get in the truck." Jesse put an arm around Bo's shoulders as they walked over to the truck. He knew this was anything but easy for his nephew.
"Please don't tell Luke and Daisy, they'll get all worked up over nothing." Bo begged as they drove to docs.
"Bo, they're your family. If they have to know, they'll know." Jesse patted his shoulder.
Bo remained silent for quite some time. He was angry and confused: even a little scared. He hadn't noticed it, but he'd started shaking a little bit.
"Whatever happens, we's all gonna be here fer ya." Jesse reached over and placed a hand on Bo's arm. "You don't gotta worry about nothin, Bo. No matter what the Doc says, it ain't gonna change your life none."
"I've been lookin' forward to when my asthma went away for 14 years. I always thought that one day I'd be free of it. It's just kinda hard to have to lose that." Bo sighed.
"I know." Jesse gripped his arm. "But, everythin's gonna be jus' fine, you'll see." This was almost as hard for Jesse emotionally as it was for Bo.
They got to doc's place and rang the bell.
"What can I do for you two Dukes?' Doc asked hopefully. Bo hadn't been in to see him fer a spell now, and he was 19-years-old. Maybe his asthma had finally left him alone?
"Bo here ain't had no asthma attacks fer near a month. Today he had one, an' I jus' wanna make sure he's okay." Jesse kept an arm around Bo's shoulder as they walked in.
"Alright, we'll have a look then." Doc motioned for Bo to sit on his exam table, one of Bo's least favorite places in the whole world.
"Take your shirt off." Doc directed, and Bo did so. "Alright, deep breath." Doc began to listen with his stethoscope.
Bo managed two large breaths, but then coughing overcame him. At his release from the coughing fit, he wheezed loudly several times. His eyes grew large and scared as his lungs failed to get him any oxygen.
"Relax." Doc soothed. "Deep breaths."
Bo tried his best, but it wasn't of much use.
"Do you have an inhaler, Bo?" Doc asked.
Bo nodded and dug into his pocket, pulling out an inhaler.
"Bo, calm, calm..." Doc helped Bo with the inhaler, seeing as how his hands were shaking.
After several minutes of the inhaler, with small improvements, doc pulled out an oxygen mask and placed it over Bo's mouth and nose. "Just for a minute." he said as he put it on.
Once Bo was completely alright, doc took the mask off, took a step back and sighed.
Jesse looked at him sadly and doc reciprocated the look.
"Does it hurt you to breathe right now?" Doc asked.
"Not too much." Bo sighed. "I reckon this means it ain't gone yet, huh?"
"Unfortunately, if it hasn't gone by now, I'd be surprised if it ever does." Doc sighed.
"But you told me so many times-"
"Bo..." Jesse put a hand on his shoulder.
"I never promised anything, son. I'm real sorry it turned out this way." Doc sighed.
"Yeah, it ain't your fault." Bo looked at the floor. "Am I okay to go home?"
"Yeah." Doc handed him his shirt. "You take it easy for the rest of the day, though."
"Thanks." Bo managed a small smile at the doctor.
Bo and Jesse went on their way back to the farm. Bo went to sit in his room to be alone fer a spell, he was really upset or angry. He hadn't decided which one yet.
that's the end of this chapter. I wrote the chapter that comes next a few months before i wrote this one. If you want the continuation of this, just go on to the next chapter. anyway half of this was typed on an iPad during the day locked in the bathroom, and the other half at 4 am. I had a blast, I love fanfic! (and John Schneider ofc)
