THIS CHAPTER IS SET IN THE SUMMER OF 1968, LUKE IS 12, DAISY IS 11, AND BO IS 10

"Bo, you okay?" Luke turned back and look at Bo.

"Yeah." Bo caught his breath and trotted to catch up with Luke.

"You've been coughin a lot, Bo." Luke reminded him.

"My lungs kinda hurt, but its fine. I don't wanna go inside." Bo sighed as he trotted back up to Luke.

"Maybe we'd best head in so you don't have an attack." Luke suggested.

"Yeah, soon. I'm fine right now."

"We're pretty far from the house. I think we'd best-"

"I told you, I'm okay." Bo interrupted.

"Okay, okay." Luke put his hands up.

This was the fourth time that a similar exchange to this one had transpired that day. The first three times Luke'd been exaggerating and there really was no problem, but this time Luke was right. Bo was so sick of Luke's nagging that he didn't care that he needed to go inside.

Thirty minutes later...

Luke trotted to the kitchen from outside, carrying Bo.

"Aunt Lavinia?" He called.

"In the kitchen!" She replied.

"Aunt Lavinia, ya gotta do something!" Luke urged and set his load down on the floor.

"What happened?" She asked. She wondered what her crazy boys had gotten into this time.

"His asthma." Luke replied.

"Go get your uncle." Lavinia instructed, so Luke ran out to the barn.

"Bo, can you hear me, honey?" Lavinia knelt on the floor and took his sweaty head in her lap.

"Luke...help..." he chocked.

"You're gonna be okay, Bo." Lavinia pushed the sweaty hair out of his eyes and pulled an inhaler from a kitchen drawer.

Bo coughed against it for a while, but he eventually got some of the medicine.

Luke returned with Jesse.

"How's he doin'?" Jesse bent down next to his wife and youngest nephew.

"I think he's overheated. Get some cool rags, Jesse." Lavinia suggested. "Luke, you're not in trouble, just please tell me what happened."

"We was out playin' in the woods. He'd been coughing all day and eventually he dropped to his knees wheezing. I tried to help him, but he couldn't take any of the inhaler: he was coughing too much. I gave up on that an' carried him back to the house." Luke told her.

"Alright." Lavinia smiled at Luke, and then returned to caring for Bo.

"Luke?" Bo wheezed.

"Luke, c'mere." Lavinia instructed.

Luke came closer and Lavinia handed Bo off to him.

"Luke, m'cold..."

"Jesse, hurry up!" Lavinia called.

"How can he be cold if he's overheating?" Luke asked.

"His body can't regulate his temperature so, he's getting the chills." Lavinia explained.

Jesse rushed back in the some wet towels and put one on Bo's face. Then he removed his shirt and started putting them on his chest, stomach, and wrists.

Bo tensed against the coldness and opened his eyes. Everyone seemed to be approving of what was happening to him so, he figured it must be okay.

"Hang on for a minute, you'll be alright." Jesse promised.

Once it was evident that Bo was indeed going to be alright, Jesse wanted to get to the bottom of the original problem:

"I told you boys to be careful today, on account of the fire in Choctaw county's got smoke in the air." Jesse reprimanded, mainly Luke, since he wasn't laying half-conscious on the kitchen floor.

"I'm sorry, uncle Jesse." Luke mumbled.

"It ain't Luke's fault. He tried to get me to come inside." Bo admitted, perking up a bit.

"Bo, its okay. Yer still layin on the floor ya don't gotta-"

"Yes, I do. You was tryin' to look out for me and I ignored you." Bo sat up a little. "I'm sorry, Luke."

"At least you're telling us the truth." Jesse sighed.

"Well I reckon I was naggin ya a bit too much." Luke sighed.

"This happens every time, boys! Bo, you are to tell someone when you ain't feelin okay! Luke, don't be so overprotective, and maybe he'll take yer help when he needs it!"

Jesse was right, but he was shouting when it wasn't exactly necessary... he always did that when he was worried over someone. "Alright, Jesse." Lavinia spoke up softly.

"ohhw...my neck hurts." Bo mumbled.

"What?" Now Lavinia was scared again: Bo didn't like to complain, and if he went out of his way to, he really needed help.

"Yer neck?" Luke asked.

"Yeah."

"Alright, take it easy. Where exactly?" Luke asked.

"It's probably just from the inhaler." Bo remembered.

"Yeah, you're right." Luke sighed in relief.

"Help him up, Luke. Bo, go take a cold shower." Lavinia instructed.

"Yes, ma'am." Bo and Luke said at the same time.

Once Bo was in the shower, Jesse took Luke to talk in the living room.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you an' Bo. You know how I get when I'm worried about one of you kids. I appreciate you being so responsible and willing to help take care of yer cousin, but if you over do it like this, he ain't gonna want yer help. If ya make him go inside every five minutes, he ain't gonna wanna listen to ya no more."

"I know, I know... I jus' get so worried. I don't mean no disrespect, but its kinda like how ya shout when yer worried. I can't help it, an I'm sorry." Luke sighed.

"Before you demand that he goes inside or ask him if he's okay, take a real good look at him and make sure its necessary. I'll also have a talk with him, 'cause it ain't all yer fault."

"Okay. Sorry."

"Ya don't gotta be sorry. Thanks fer bein so dang responsible." Jesse patted Luke's shoulder. "Now, you make sure Bo doesn't go back outside today."

"Yes sir."