Winter in Georgia

[coldcure08]

Title: Winter in Georgia

Category: TV Shows » Dukes of Hazzard

Author: Wind-Goddess17

Language: English, Rating: Rated: K+

Genre: Drama/comfort/hurt fic

Disclaimer: I’m Ba-aack! (sobs) I don’t own Dukes of Hazzard. (I WILL, just as soon as I get rich off my imaginary wealthy Great-Uncle. Lol.)

Winter in Georgia

By Lorea08

“HEH-CHOO!” Bo Duke shook his head, in part to clear the tickle in his nose and partly in disbelief.

“Bless you, cuz,” said Luke suspiciously, “That was some sneeze!” Bo rolled his eyes, he knew exactly what his older cousin was getting at .

“I’m fine, Luke.”

“I know, I know, I just care ‘bout ya. That’s all.” Luke pretended to have hurt feelings, but as soon as Bo saw the face Luke had made, he burst out laughing.

“Nice try, cuz... that guilt-look hasn’t worked on me since I was ten!” Luke gave up and started to laugh too. Soon, both Dukes were leaning on the General laughing ‘til their sides hurt. Luke suddenly shivered in his wool-lined coat ,

“Brrr! I sure hope Daisy hurries up or I’m liable to catch Pnuemonia!”

Winter had hit Hazzard county hard. For the past three days, the temperature had dipped just past freezing point. Snow flurries had begun to kick up again and an icy wind swirled past and around The General Lee and it’s owners. Bo sniffled and muffled another harsh sneeze into his hands,

“HEH-Issssh!” Luke frowned and started to say something to his stubborn cousin, but just then Daisy appeared at the door of the Boar’s Nest.

“Hey y’all,” said Daisy with a cheerful smile.

“Hey Daisy!”

“Hey Daisy!”

“It’s freezin' out here! Let’s fire up the General and head home!” Daisy said.

“Amen to that.” muttered Luke. He glared at his blonde friend, as Bo climbed into the driver’s seat. Bo ignored him. Luke, being Luke, hadn’t failed to notice how pale Bo was getting or the fact that Bo had started sniffling and wiping his nose. As they pulled into the Duke farm, Daisy continued to chatter on about work and such. Luke unceremoniously clambered out of the car before Bo had even brought it to a full stop. He stormed up the porch and yelled to Bo.

“I’m not goin’ to stand by and let you be mule-headed, Bo! This ends now!” He burst through the front door. Uncle Jesse stood at the stove, boiling coffee for Daisy and the boys. Hearing Luke come in, he hollered down the hall,

“Luke? Bo? Daisy? Y’all home?” Luke barged into the kitchen, followed by a protesting Bo.

“Uncle Jesse...” Seeing the serious expression on Luke’s face, Uncle Jesse asked,

“Luke? What’s wrong?”

“Bo’s sick!” Luke said sharply half-dragging his younger cousin out from behind him.

“Uncle Jesse!” Bo protested, “I’m fine! Really! I swear!” Bo started to cough. Jesse Duke had heard enough,

“Bo! Sit down now!” He demanded gruffly. Bo had no choice but to obey his uncle.

“Now Bo, you tell me honest, what’s wrong with ya’.” Bo fidgeted, uncomfortable with all this sudden attention. It was just what he had been trying to avoid.

“Sir, it’s nothin’ really, probably just a small cold...” Jesse frowned. He sensed Bo was being stubborn. He turned to Luke,

“What do you think is wrong with Bo?” Luke paused for a moment,

“I’m afraid I don’t rightly know, but he’s been actin’ strange and he was sniffling and sneezin’ since we went to pick Daisy up at the Boar’s Nest. He seems paler than usual too.” Bo sighed, he wasn’t going to get out of this easy. His fears were confirmed as a loud sneeze burst out of him,

“HETCHOO! ...excuse me.” Bo flushed beet red at being found out. Jesse pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to Bo with a “Hmmph...” Luke rolled his eyes,

“Bo, how long did you think you could hide this from us?” He asked matter-of-factly. Bo sighed again, but didn’t answer. He blew his runny nose into the hanky. Knowing his protective family, he asked sheepishly,

“ I guess you want me to get in bed, huh?” Uncle Jesse nodded and said,

“I’ll be up in a minute with some hot tea for ya’.” Bo turned and trudged up the stairs, with Luke following close behind. As soon as they had gone into the room the boys shared, Bo flopped down onto his bed next to the window and asked his older cousin with a grin,

“I can’t put anything over on you can I, cuz?”

“No you can’t. Now get under the covers before Uncle Jesse comes up here and sees ya, he’ll declare you’re asking for pneumonia.” said Luke chuckling a bit.

“Yessir, Mr. Duke, sir!” teased Bo in his best soldier voice. Mirth disappeared as Bo let out another gigantic sneeze and shivered.

“ATCHOOO! Brrr...Luke? I don’t feel so good.” Luke sobered quickly and pressed the flat of his hand to Bo’s forehead.

“Well you should be feelin’ poorly, you got a fever...” Bo shivered again and Luke pulled the quilts up to Bo’s neck, tucking him in like he used to when Bo was little. Bo’s eyes were closing involuntarily and he let out a dry cough.

A few moments later, Jesse came in with a mug of hot tea for Bo. Seeing Bo was asleep, he set it down on the night-stand, then he motioned for Luke to follow him out of the ill boy’s room. Once outside he asked,

“How is he?” Luke shook his head.

“He’s runnin’ a pretty high fever, I’d say. And now he’s got a cough to boot... I just don’t know when he’ll learn that he’s gotta take better care of himself.” The older Duke boy sighed. Some things just never change. Luke snapped out of his thoughts and said,

“I’d better head down to the general store and pick up some medicine for Bo.” Jesse nodded,

I’ll get a cold compress on him meanwhile.” Luke peered in at his sleeping cousin one last time before turning to leave.

Luke stared up at the ceiling over his bed and sighed. Three hours... He couldn’t believe that it had been three hours since he had come home with Bo’s medicine. He frowned as he remembered how relieved Uncle Jesse had looked when he had walked through the door with the pills... God only knows what sitting here alone with Bo being so sick for an hour, did to his uncle’s spirits.

Luke paused, jolted out of his private thoughts by a noise coming from Bo’s side of the room. He sighed again, clambering out of his bed; crossing over to Bo’s.

“Aww..., Damn it.” He cursed softly. Bo was coughing Jesse had been worried about the cold settling in Bo’s chest. Luke found himself reacting without thinking: he sat on the edge of Bo’s bed, gently rolling the boy over onto his side, to ease his breathing. He, then, began rubbing small circles into his cousin’s back until the hoarse coughs subsided. He stared at what he had just done in surprise. It had been so many years since he had done it, but it still came back to him like second nature.

<Flashback>

Suddenly, Luke wasn’t in his bedroom any longer. He was looking into a hospital room. He felt a firm hand on his shoulder; he looked up to see a younger, thinner Uncle Jesse Duke. It was then that Luke realised that he was remembering when Bo went to the hospital after being horribly sick with the flu. He heard a young boy’s voice ask,

“Will cousin Bo be alright, Unca’ Jesse?” Luke started as he recognized the voice was his. The younger Jesse Duke looked toward the hspital bed where three year-old Bo lay attached to monitors, oxygen, and IV’s.

“I don’t know, Luke.” Jesse’s voice was hoarse with unfallen tears. Luke felt tears come to his eyes as the terrifying and painful memory faded. Bo had nearly died! It was no wonder Bo always complained, even now, about being “babied” whenever he got sick. Jesse and Luke never forgot what could happen if Bo ever had a relaspe. To make things worse, Bo had no memory of being that sick because he was so young, so naturally, he was always slow to tell Luke or Jesse if he was ill. Luke thought of all the times he and Bo had run Rosco off the road and gotten-off scot-free. Not to mention all the fights they had been through, and how glad he had been to know that Bo always had his back. Tears fell again, and he sobbed silently, as he thought of what his life would be like without Bo in it.

About an hour later, Jesse Duke decided to go in and check on Bo. Moonlight spilled onto Bo’s bed, falling upon two sleeping figures. Bo was sound asleep still covered in his quilts and blankets. Propped up against the rear bed-post, also fast asleep. Jesse smiled, there was no separating those two.

Luke woke up to a pair of blue eyes staring at him. Startled, he jumped and fell off the bed. The owner of the blue eyes burst out laughing, but dissolved into coughs. Luke sobered instantly, concerned for his cousin. He realized a moment later that Bo’s coughs were loosening and his breathing was more steady and even. He sighed in relief. When Bo’s coughing fit ended, Luke ventured to ask,

“You okay now?” Bo nodded,

“Yeah, I think I’m feeling better!” his enthusiasism only lasted until he let out a loud sneeze, “Heh-EhehCHOOO!” He sniffled and grinned at Luke, sheepishly. Luke shook his head, Bo never quit. He fished in his shirt pocket, and pulled out a handkerchief, handing it to Bo.

“Thanks Luke.” Luke just nodded in reply. He felt a mix of emotions boiling inside of him: relief, anger, sadness, disbelief, and one he couldn’t place. He felt like he had been picked up by a twister, screaming his lungs out, and a second later he was on the ground again with every hair in place. He shook himself out of it when he heard Bo ask him something.

“Huh? Sorry, Bo, I was thinking about something else.”

“I said, How long was I out of it?” Luke paused,

“I’d have to say about two days total. You really scared us, Bo. Aww, dang it, I forgot about Uncle Jesse! He must be going half outta his mind with worry, right now.” Luke without further ado, went careening down the hall, towards Uncle Jesse’s room, feeling satified and relieved. Bo was going to be okay now. He wasn’t going to end up in the hospital. he wasn’t going to leave him, Daisy, and Jesse behind. He was just having a bad cold, and now the worst was over.

“Uncle Jesse? Uncle Jesse?” The elder Duke boy called, knocking on the rough wooden door. Jesse was up in a flash, fearing the worst, and ran to the door,

“Luke! What’s wrong? Did he get worse o’ernight?” Jesse asked frantically, his voice trembled, inlaid with panic. Luke just hugged his uncle, his brown eyes brimming with tears.

“ He’s alright! Bo’s alright, He’s going to be alright.” Jesse, completely stunned, pushed past his nephew, entering the bedroom of his youngest. Hearing the door open, Bo sat up and stretched, giving his uncle a prize-winning grin. Luke watched as Jesse’s jaw dropped, flabbergasted. Then, he smiled, as Jesse Duke walked to Bo’s bed and wrapped his arms around Bo, happy tears falling down his face.

***Hope You Enjoyed! I am currently working on two new fics: one for Ouran High School Host Club and one orignal fiction.***

[sneezerwoman]

I did enjoy thanks for posting.

[Aprilcot]

Nice! I liked it

[snuffles]

I so love Dukes fanfics <3 Yours is right on!

I can't wait for your new fics, Ouran