Love Betrayed

Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard, not making any money just cheap thrills.


Warnings: Slash, Incest, Angst, Violence


Rating: FRM


* indicates thoughts


Love Betrayed
Chapter 10


It was the sound of somebody screaming that alerted Rosco to a problem outside. Hurrying out the door, the first thing he saw was a crowd gathered around the General Lee. "Alright break it up, what's going on here?" he bellowed as he pushed his way through the crowd. "Bo? What happened Luke?" he asked when he finally reached the focus of the crowd.


"Bo, please don't die darlin. I love you Bo, don't leave me," Luke quietly plead, as he held his bleeding cousin in his arms.


Seeing that he wasn't going to get any answers out of the older Duke boy, Rosco turned towards the crowd. "Somebody call an ambulance," he ordered. "Did anybody see what happened?"


"Ambulance is on it's way Rosco," Cooter called out as he returned.


"Did you see what happened Cooter?"


"No, I was too far away," he replied. Squatting down next to Luke, he laid a supportive hand on his friend's back. "Ambulance is on it's way Luke, how's he doing?"


"I can't lose him Cooter," Luke whispered, glancing at his friend with tear-filled eyes.


"Sheriff we got the guy that did it," Dobro Doolin called, dragging Gary forward looking a bit worse for wear.


"Gary Hawkins," Rosco shook his head in disgust. "Now why would you do this to Bo Duke?"


"He's trying to steal my wife, you can't expect me to let him get away with that," Gary yelled.


With those words the small crowd erupted. Rosco couldn't make out all that was being said, but it seemed some in the crowd were on Gary's side and some on Bo's. Pulling his gun from the holster, Rosco fired it into the air bringing silence to the early morning scene.


"He wasn't stealing me Gary!" Rachel screamed at her husband.


"What do ya call it when a man is keeping another man's wife from him?" Gary demanded. He watched the crowd with satisfaction as it seemed many of them were taking his side. With any luck he'd be able to get a fight started and in the confusion he could slip away with Rachel.


The sound of sirens announced the arrival of the ambulance. Pulling up next to the General, the attendants jumped out and rushed over to their patient. "Luke I need you to move aside so we can see to Bo," Harley Morris kindly said as he laid a supportive hand on his friend's shoulder.


"Harley?" Luke glanced at him, his eyes glazed with shock. "Help him Harley, help Bo," he plead, glancing down at his lover.


"I will Luke but I need you to move out of the way first, can you do that?"


Reluctantly he laid Bo on the sidewalk and stepped aside.


"He's gonna be okay Luke," Cooter soothed, laying an arm over his shoulder.


"I can't lose him Cooter."


"Damned wife stealer got what he deserved," a voice in the crowd called.


"Bo wouldn't do something like that," another voice protested.


"Ya ain't gonna lose him Luke," Cooter assured his friend. "Bo's too stubborn to leave you."


"We're just starting to make progress Cooter," Luke whispered. "He kissed me last night, it's the first time since I hurt him that he has."


"That's great Luke and y'all are gonna have plenty of time to work things out."


"How do you know he wouldn't? Ya know how them Duke boys are," a third voice called.


Luke snapped his head up as the voices in the crowd regiesterd. As he listened he realized that Gary was claiming Bo had been trying to steal Rachel from him. That didn't really surprise him, it was the sort of reasoning that an abuser would come up with. He was worried though by the things being said, afraid that Bo would be hurt worse if a fight broke out. "Rosco could you get their attention?" he asked, motioning to the crowd.


Giving a short nod, Rosco raised his gun in the air and fired, bringing instant silence.


"I've been listening to y'all talking about my cousin, saying he deserved to be stabbed for taking another man's wife. I just thought there's a few things you should know before you condemn him."


"Like we're gonna believe anything you have to say," a man scoffed. "He's your cousin, you'd say anything to defend him."


"Shut up and let him talk."


"First of all, Rachel is leaving her husband because he beats her. All Bo was doing was being a friend and giving her a ride to a lawyer so she could file for divorce."


"Yeah and we all know why he's being her friend."


"Second Bo ain't interested in Rachel because he's already involved with somebody else...me," he dropped his bombshell.


"See...what'd I tell ya? He'll say anything to defend his cousin."


"You think I'm just saying that to make him look innocent?"


"That's right," the man confirmed.


"Anybody else believe that?"


Those on the sidewalk glanced at each other but nobody spoke up.


"Do y'all really think I'm stupid enough to out us both just to keep y'all from thinking badly of Bo."


"Luke we're taking Bo to the hospital now, you can follow us," Harley told him as he and his partner lifted the stretcher.


In a couple of steps he was beside the stretcher, gazing lovingly down at his lover. "Don't you give up Bo Duke, you hang on for me," he softly ordered. Gently brushing back Bo's hair, he leaned down and softly kissed his lips, "I love you Bo, please don't leave me." Cupping his cousin's cheek, he ran his thumb over his lips, oblivious to the stunned crowd that watched nearby.


"We need to go Luke," Harley interrupted.


Stepping back, Luke watched as they loaded Bo into the ambulance, that a moment later sped away from the scene. "Rachel are you coming with me?"


She looked at the sheriff, not sure if she could leave.


"You go ahead Rachel, I'll get your statement later."


"Thank you sheriff." Without another word she climbed into the General with Luke.


Rosco stepped over to the men who were holding Gary Hawkins and slapped the cuffs on his wrists. "Gary Hawkins you're under arrest for the attempted murder of Bo Duke." Grabbing his arm roughly, he marched his prisoner back to the jail.


"You knew about this?" Dobro asked Cooter after Gary was taken away.


"Yeah I knew."


"Why didn't ya tell me?"


"Cause it wasn't my place to tell anybody else, that was their decision. It gonna be a problem for ya?"


"Heck no, just clears the field for me," Dobro joked.


"Yeah with the Duke boys off the market ya might even have a chance." As he was talking with Dobro, he was also listening to the crowd as they broke up. He sighed with relief as he listened to them, quickly realizing that most in the crowd were fine with what they'd learned. They were clearly shocked and surprised, but it didn't seem to be bothering them for the most part. He took note of the few that did seem to have a problem. He'd have to let Luke know later who he might need to watch out for, not that he'd be surprised at the names. "I'm gonna go to the hospital Dobro, you coming along?"


"Nah, I'll come by later."


"Alright, see ya later."


_______________________________________________________________________________________________________


Luke paced the waiting room, unable to sit still as he waited for news of Bo's condition.


"I'm sorry Luke, I never should've come to him for help," Rachel apologized.


Turning to her, Luke quickly strode to her side and sat down, taking her hand between his. "You listen to me Rachel Ann and you listen good. Bo would never blame you for what Gary did and neither do I. Bo is your friend and he wanted, wants to help you. In fact it would've hurt him if you'd stayed with that jerk just to keep from involving him."


"I understand what you're saying Luke, but I can't help feeling guilty for what happened to Bo. If he dies..."


"He ain't gonna die," Luke snapped.


"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."


Jesse hurried into the emergency room, his niece close on his heels. "Luke how is he?" he anxiously asked as he neared his oldest nephew.


"I don't know," Luke replied, looking up at him with fear filled eyes. "There was so much blood Uncle Jesse," he mumbled, leaning against the older man as he sat down beside him.


"Shhh, he'll be okay Luke," Jesse soothed, wrapping his arms around the younger man. "Cooter said that Rachel's husband stabbed Bo?"


"Yeah, that's right," he confirmed.


"I'm sorry about this Mr. Duke," Rachel offered.


"You hush now Rachel, ain't your fault," Jesse assured her.


"I should've known Gary would do something like this."


"You a mind reader now?"


"No sir but..."


"No buts," Jesse interrupted. "You can't control Gary, we don't none of us blame you for what happened."


"Uncle Jesse's right, it ain't your fault," Daisy softly told her, wrapping a supportive arm around the girl's shoulders.


Rachel smiled sadly, as grateful as she was for their support she couldn't help wishing her own family was here, offering their help.


"I'm gonna go see if there's any news," Jesse announced. Walking away, he was back in just a couple of minutes. "The nurse said she don't know how long it'll be." Sitting down next to Luke, he absently rubbed his nephew's back as he silently prayed for his youngest.


Luke's head snapped up again as the doors leading to the back opened, hoping that this time it would be somebody with news about Bo. He sighed despondently as the man in the white lab coat walked over to a couple who had come in with their young daughter a few minutes after Bo's arrival. "When are they gonna tell us something?" he snapped, his fears for Bo growing with each passing minute.


"I know you're worried Luke, we all are, but snapping at us ain't gonna help anybody," Jesse quietly admonished.


"I know," Luke sighed, hanging his head. "I'm sorry Uncle Jesse, I didn't mean to snap."


"I know son," rubbing his back.


The sound of the double doors opening had Luke again looking up, surprised to see Dr. Appleby coming through them.


Glancing around the room, Amos quickly spotted the Duke family. "Jesse, Luke, Daisy," he greeted as he came up to them. "I'm sorry it took so long," he began.


"Nevermind that Amos, how's my boy?" Jesse interrupted.


"He should make a full recovery, barring any complications."


Daisy hugged Rachel, both girls nearly giddy with relief.


"Thank God," Luke sighed. "How bad was he hurt doc?"


"The worst damage was to his spleen, it was nicked by the knife, requiring emergency surgery. I won't lie to y'all, it was touch and go for a bit. Unfortunately during the surgery his spleen ruptured and we had no choice but to remove it."


"Remove it? What's that gonna mean for Bo?" Jesse asked for them all.


"Luckily you can live a perfectly normal life without a spleen. The only real problem is that a person without a spleen is a little more susceptible to infections and will have a little harder time fighting them off. Other than that Bo shouldn't have any problems."


"Is that the only reason it took so long?" Luke asked.


"Yes it is son, y'all can see him as soon as he's settled in his room."


"I'm staying the night with him," Luke firmly informed them.


"You're welcome to do so Luke, but don't expect him to wake up much if at all before morning. Between the surgery and the blood loss, he's going to be sleeping a lot, especially today."


"Do ya know what room he'll be in?"


"No son, but the nurse can get you that information. Do any of you have any questions?"


"How long will he have to stay in the hospital Amos?" Jesse asked.


"He should be able to go home in a few days Jesse."


"What will we need to do for him when he comes home?"


"Nothing too complicated, just change the dressing on the incision twice a day. The only other thing he'll need is a painkiller as needed, plenty of rest and no heavy lifting."


"Thank you Amos for taking care of my boy," Jesse said, his voice thick with emotion.


"You're welcome Jesse, I'm glad I was here. I've got to get back to work but y'all feel free to call me if you have any further questions. Oh and Luke, I'll let the nurse know that it's alright for you to spend the night with Bo," he added, before walking away.


"I'm gonna go see if the nurse knows what room Bo will be in," Luke said.


"Thank the lord he's going to be okay," Rachel whispered as she hugged Daisy.


"Of course he is, he's a Duke man and they're way too stubborn to give up easily," Daisy quietly said.


Rachel couldn't help giggling at Daisy's remark.


"She said he'll be taken to room 427 and that we can see him in about thirty minutes," Luke informed them.


"Just enough time to go get a cup of coffee from the cafeteria, come on," Jesse said.


A few minutes later the four of them were seated around a small table, sipping the hot coffee. "I think I'll stay here while y'all go see Bo," Rachel told them.


"Rachel honey ya got to be there," Daisy quickly told her. "Bo will want to see you when he wakes up, he'll want to know that you're okay."


"I hadn't thought of that," Rachel conceded. "I don't know though, I mean it's partly my fault he's..."


"We talked about this already Rachel, it ain't your fault," Daisy firmly corrected her. "Now are you gonna let your husband win?"


"Huh? What do ya mean?"


"Well if you stay away from your friend because of what Gary did then he wins, doesn't he? It's one more person he's taken from your life," she calmly pointed out.


Rachel looks at her, surprise clearly written on her face, "I hadn't thought of that. When ya put it like that I guess I will go up with y'all," smiling softly.


"Good girl," Daisy smiled, patting her hand.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________


Cooter finally pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. He couldn't believe how long it had taken him to get here. He'd just gotten into his truck after the stabbing, when he heard a call over the cb from Mr. Deakins asking for a tow. Working as quickly as he could he'd towed the old chevy back to the garage, only to have Enos calling him to tow Hobie's car to the impound lot. Parking his truck, he hurried inside and up to the desk to ask about his friend. Learning that he'd been admitted he made his way to Bo's room and slowly pushed the door open. "Hey y'all, how's he doing?" he quietly asked. Stepping closer to the bed, he swallowed at the sight of the younger man laying in the bed, as pale as he'd ever seen him. "What is it about hospital beds that makes everybody look so small and helpless?" he whispered.


"I suppose it's just seeing somebody who's usually so active and strong lying there that makes it seem that way," Jesse replied.


"I guess so. How are y'all holding up?"


"Better now that we know Bo's gonna be okay."


"Well y'all will be glad to know that Rosco arrested Gary again, charged him with attempted murder."


"He say anything about him getting bail?" Luke asked, looking up from gazing at Bo's face.


"I didn't think to ask him Luke, but I'm sure the judge won't let him have bail this time."


"He did before."


"That was on an assault charge son," Jesse pointed out. "This time the charges are a lot more serious, I'm sure Cooter's right about the judge not giving bail this time."


"I hope so," Luke softly said, turning back to Bo.


"Is there anything I can do Uncle Jesse?" Cooter asked.


"I ain't your Uncle Jesse," came the growled reply. "I don't reckon there is Cooter, thank you," softening his tone.


"Um, did Luke tell ya that everybody knows about him and Bo now?" Cooter nervously asked.


"What? How did that happen?" Jesse demanded, worried for his boys.


"Gary was hollering about Bo trying to steal his wife and some in the crowd was believing it. Luke told them that it was a lie, then he told them that him and Bo were together. They didn't believe it at first, but when Luke gave Bo a kiss before they loaded him in the ambulance they started believing."


Sighing heavily, Jesse watched Luke with Bo, vowing that he would do whatever he could to protect them. "How'd they take it?"


"Most of them didn't seem to have a problem with it, shocked of course but not really bothered. There were a few that were making remarks about queers and not wanting them in town."


"Do ya know who?"


"The one's you'd expect, Ernie Ledbetter, Bobby Jensen, Sherry Alexander, a couple of others."


"I think I just figured out a way you can help Cooter."


"Help ya keep an eye on the troublemakers?"


"Yep," Jesse confirmed.


"Was already planning on it," Cooter told him with a grin.


"Thanks Cooter."


"How long's Bo's gonna be in the hospital?"


"Doc says a few days," Jesse answered. "They had to remove his spleen so the doc says he'll be weak for a while and more prone to getting infections but other than that he should be fine."


"That's a relief."


"Sure is," Jesse agreed.


A whimper from the bed brought everybody's attention to the Bo. Blinking open his eyes, Bo glanced around the room, his eyes coming to rest on Luke. "Hey," he whispered, his voice cracking.

"Here Bo, have a drink," Luke said, bringing a cup of water with a straw to Bo's lips.


The feel of the cool liquid going down his throat brought a sigh of relief from Bo and a small smile to his lips. "Thanks...what happened?"


"You don't remember?"


Furrowing his brows, Bo thought carefully, trying to remember why he was here. "Rachel?" he cried out, moaning with pain when he tried to sit up.


"Easy Bo, stay still," Luke said, placing gentle hands on his shoulders and lowering him back to the bed. "Rachel's fine, she's right here," motioning her over.


"I'm fine Bo," Rachel assured him, stepping up to his bedside.


"He didn't hurt ya?"


"No honey, you're the only one that got hurt," she softly said. Brushing his hair back from his face, she smiled gently down at him. "I'm so sorry that he did that to you."


"Not your fault," he assured her.


"They said you'd feel that way."


"Can't blame ya for what he done."


"I appreciate that Bo...I can't tell ya how much I..." she trailed off as she realized he'd fallen asleep. "Poor baby," she whispered, smiling softly down at him.


"I think we should leave, let the boy get some rest," Jesse said.


"I'll call if anything happens," Luke said.


"Thank ya son," Jesse quietly said. Stepping over to the bed, he leaned down and softly kissed Bo's forehead, "We'll be back in the morning sprout, you rest."


"We love you sugar," Daisy whispered, kissing his cheek. Stepping over to her uncle's side, she leaned against him as she wrapped one arm around Rachel.


"Take it easy buddyro," Cooter gruffly said, patting his shoulder. "Ya call if ya need anything Luke," he told his old friend before leaving the room.


"We'll see you boys in the morning, come on girls," Jesse said, leading them out the door.


"I love you Bo," he whispered, laying his head on the bed next to his lover. As he held Bo's hand in his, he silently prayed that the younger man would make a full recovery.

TBC

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