Friends or Lovers?

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


Warnings: Slash, Angst


Rating: FRT


* indicates thoughts


Friends or Lovers?
Chapter 8


"I'm sorry y'all, I never meant to cause trouble between you and Jesse," Cooter apologized.


"Do you love Bo?" Daisy softly asked.


"More than anything," Cooter sincerely replied, his voice thick with emotion.


"Then ya don't have anything to apologize for," she told him, giving his arm a supportive squeeze.


"Daisy's right Cooter, Uncle Jesse's the one that needs to apologize," Luke added.


"I don't want y'all taking sides in this, it ain't right."


"Well it sure ain't right that Uncle Jesse is trying to say you're taking advantage of Bo," Luke immediately said. "So if we end up taking sides with you and Bo, it's his own dang fault."


Before anything else could be said a doctor came from the back and called out the name Duke. "Are you all here for a Beauregard Duke?" she asked as four people suddenly converged on her.


"Yes ma'am, I'm Jesse Duke, Bo's my nephew," Jesse introduced himself. "How is he?"


"Mr. Duke, I'm Dr. Bryce," she introduced. "Are you Bo's closest living relative?"


"Yes ma'am," Jesse nervously answered, wondering why she was delaying her answer. "How is he?" Jesse asked again.


"Well luckily he doesn't seem to have sustained any internal damage," she began. "There is however the matter of his head injury. While it doesn't seem to have caused any more than a mild concussion, he has yet to regain consciousness."


"What does that mean?" Luke asked.


"Well it may mean nothing, but it is worrisome as he should've awakened by this time."


"Can we see him?" Cooter asked.


"Yes of course," Dr. Bryce replied. "We'll keep him in the E.R. for a little while longer, but if he doesn't wake up soon, we'll be admitting him."


"You kids go on ahead, I need to ask the doctor something," Jesse told them. As the three younger people began to follow an orderly to the back, Jesse called out to Cooter. "Cooter could you stay out here while I'm talking to the doctor?"


Startled, Cooter looked between his friends and Jesse Duke, finally he gave a slight nod and stepped back over to Jesse's side.


"What is it Mr. Duke?" Dr. Bryce asked.


"I wanted to ask you a question. As Bo's next of kin I can decide who sees him, right?"


"You wouldn't?" Cooter gasped, surprised that he'd do something like that.


"Yes sir," she answered, confused by the question. "At least until he wakes up, then as an adult it'll be his decision as to who he sees."


"In that case I want something written down if he's admitted that Cooter Davenport is not to be allowed in to see him."


"Jesse please don't do this," Cooter begged.


Glancing between them, Dr. Bryce made a note on the chart. She hoped she wouldn't have to call security in to enforce it, knowing that it could be upsetting to her patient, regardless of his unconscious state. "Yes sir, I'll do that. Mr. Duke if I may say something...?"


"Yes?"


"I don't know the particulars of what is happening here, however if this man is somebody your nephew would like to see, I'd advise that you allow him to visit."


"I appreciate your advice doctor, but I've made my decision," Jesse firmly said.


"Very well Mr. Duke, I'll make a note of it. In the meantime your nephew is in exam two, through those doors, first room on the right."


"Please Jesse don't do this, ya know it ain't what Bo would want," Cooter tried to reason with him.


"That boy doesn't know what he wants, that much is obvious. I may not be able to do anything about it when he wakes up, but I can keep you away from him for now. Hopefully when he does wake up he'll have gotten some sense knocked into him," Jesse said. Leaving the mechanic standing in the center of the emergency room, Jesse walked back to where his family was gathered around their youngest.


As Cooter watched the older man go, a look of angry devastation crossed his face. "Well ya can't keep me from being here," he mumbled to himself as he sat back down.


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Jesse pushed open the door to exam two and walked inside. "Has he woke up?"


"No," Daisy softly answered. "Uncle Jesse," she began looking towards the door, "where's Cooter?"


"Oh, well he won't be coming back to see Bo," he replied. Stepping closer to the bed, he picked up Bo's hand, "Bo baby you need to wake up now," he softly said.


Daisy glanced at Luke, giving him a perplexed look, as she moved to Jesse's side. "Uncle Jesse, why won't Cooter be coming to see Bo?" she quietly asked.


"Because he ain't got no business seeing the boy, ain't like he's family."


"You told Cooter he can't see Bo, didn't you?" Luke asked, his voice heavy with accusation.


"It's my right as his next of kin to decide who sees him."


"Uncle Jesse, what do you think Bo is going to say when he wakes up and Cooter isn't here?"


"I'll deal with that when he wakes up."


"I can't believe you would do this," Luke snapped.


"Well I did it," Jesse snapped in return. "If you don't like it you're welcome to leave too."


"Uncle Jesse!" Daisy cried out in shocked surprise.


"I mean it, I ain't gonna listen to this from the two of ya's. Bo's my responsibility and I ain't gonna let him throw his life and soul away with this sinful behavior. Now you two can either accept that Cooter isn't coming in here, or you can leave, the choice is your's."


"So if we don't agree with you, we're going to be banned from seeing Bo too?" Luke asked incredulously.


"I'd hate to do it, but that's right," Jesse confirmed.


*What are they talking about? Uncle Jesse? Luke? Daisy? What's wrong? Why can't I wake up? Where's Cooter? No...can't take them...please...* Moaning lightly, Bo fought his way to full consciousness.


"Bo? Come on cousin, wake up, that's it...open them eyes for us," Luke encouraged, forgetting about his argument with Jesse.


Blinking open eyes that seemed heavier than he could ever remember, Bo focused his blurry gaze on Luke's face. "Luke?" he weakly called.


"Yeah, it's me," Luke confirmed. "How you feeling Bo?" he quietly asked.


"Head hurts, what happened?"


"You don't remember?" Luke asked. Giving his uncle and Daisy a concerned glance, he carefully laid his hand on top of Bo's head. "Daisy, would you go let the doctor know that Bo's awake?"


"I'll be right back," Daisy said. Hurrying from the room she went in search of the doctor.


"Bo, do ya remember anything?" Luke asked.


"No."


"Well I hear you decided to wake up," Dr. Bryce cheerfully greeted Bo as she entered the room.


"Yes ma'am," Bo softly responded.


"I'm Dr. Bryce, I've been treating you since you came in."


"Okay, what's wrong with me?"


"You don't remember what happened?"


"No ma'am."


"Well let's find out what you do remember, can you tell me your name?"


"Bo Duke."


"Do you know what day it is?"


"Ummmmm....Wednesday, I think."


"Very good..." continuing with similar questions, the doctor determined that Bo wasn't suffering from any significant brain damage. "Alright Bo, what's the last thing you remember?" she gently asked.


"I was at the garage," Bo began, wrinkling his brow in concentration. "Cooter! Where's Cooter? He ain't hurt is he?"


"Calm down Bo, Cooter's fine," Luke immediately soothed his cousin.


"Why isn't he here?"


"We'll talk about that later Bo, for now you need to answer the doctor's questions."


"Last thing I remember?"


"That's right," Dr. Bryce confirmed.


"Uncle Jesse came into the garage and...um...I'm sorry I can't remember anything after that."


"It's alright Bo, that's perfectly normal."


"It is?"


"You were in a car wreck Bo, you hit your head and have a slight concussion."


"Is that why I can't remember?"


"Perhaps, but it may simply be the trauma of being in an accident. I promise you Bo it's quite common for accident victims to have no memory of the accident itself, or of the events leading up to the accident. Those memories may return, but if they don't I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, as I said it's quite common."


Bo let the information sink in, thinking carefully before asking his next question. "You said I hit my head, what else is wrong with me?"


"Other than some bumps and bruises, you're going to be just fine. In fact now that you're awake I'll be sending you home to get some rest. That is just as soon as I finish examining you," she added as she began to check his eyes with a penlight. After a complete exam, Dr. Bryce gave her patient a beautiful smile, "Well Bo I'd say all you need is some rest for a couple of days and you'll be fine. Now you will have some pain, so I'm going to prescribe a mild painkiller for you to take as needed, alright?"


"Yes ma'am."


"Do you have any questions?"


"No, none that you can answer anyway."


"Alright then I'll just get your release papers ready, and if you experience any of the symptons described in the aftercare instructions you should see your regular doctor as soon as possible."


"Don't you worry about that doctor, I'll see that he does," Jesse assured her.


"Very well then, if you'll excuse me. You can pick up your paperwork at the admittance desk on your way out," she informed them before leaving the room.


The moment the doctor left the room, Bo turned fear filled eyes to his oldest cousin, "Are you sure Cooter ain't hurt?"


"He's fine Bo, I swear to you," Luke replied.


"Then why isn't he here? Is he angry with me? Did I do something wrong?" Bo asked, trying to make sense of his lover's absence.


"No he's not mad and you did nothing wrong," Luke immediately answered. "He's not here because the hospital said family only."


"That's all?"


"Yep," Luke confirmed the lie. "Daisy why don't you go let Cooter know that Bo'll be out soon," he suggested.


"Sure Luke," Daisy agreed, hurrying from the room.


Once Daisy was gone, Luke and Jesse helped Bo to get dressed. "Uncle Jesse would you go get his paperwork while I help him get his boots on?"


"Be right back," Jesse said.


"Luke, is everything okay?" Bo asked when they were alone.


"As okay as they can be with you hurt."


"Why is everybody so tense?"


"We've just been worried about you Bo, ya didn't wake up as quick as the doctor thought you should," he explained.


"Well heck Luke, you know I'm always hard to wake up," he teased, hoping to lighten the moment.


Chuckling, Luke nodded his head in agreement as he slid Bo's second boot on. "All set, come on," standing up, he offered Bo a supportive hand.


Taking Luke's hand, Bo slid from the exam table, swaying slightly as his feet hit the floor. "Whoa," he gasped, gripping Luke's forearm tightly as the world around him suddently tilted.


"Ya okay?" Luke asked.


Taking a deep breath, he waited for the dizziness to pass, "Yeah, just a little dizzy."


"Guess that's probably normal," Luke mumbled. "Ready to go?"


"I think so," came the soft reply.


"Let's go then," Luke encouraged. Giving his cousin the support he needed, Luke helped him from the room and out to the waiting area.


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Cooter hadn't taken his eyes off the double doors since sitting back down. When he saw Daisy coming through them a short time later, he jumped to his feet and hurried to her side. "Daisy, is Bo okay?"


"He's awake Cooter and the doctor is sending him home," she quickly answered. Seeing the fear on his face, she felt her anger at Jesse rising rapidly. Daisy could understand being uncomfortable with Bo's choice, she could even understand disapproving, but she couldn't grasp why Jesse would go as far as he'd gone. "I'm sorry Cooter, did you say something?" she sheepishly asked as she realized the mechanic was talking to her.


"Yeah, does Bo know why I wasn't there when he woke up?" he asked. As he'd sat in the waiting room, keeping a lonely vigil, Cooter had spent nearly as much time worrying that Bo would be mad at him for not being there as he did simply worrying about Bo.


"No he doesn't, Luke told him that the hospital wouldn't let anybody except family see him."


"But y'all know why I wasn't there, don't you?"


"Yeah we know, and we don't neither one of us agree with it either Cooter," she was quick to assure him. "I don't know why Luke lied to Bo, you'd have to ask him about that."


"I will, but right now I got more important things to worry about. You said the doctor's sending Bo home, so he's gonna be okay?"


"Yeah, oh but you should know he doesn't remember the accident at all. In fact the last thing he remembers is being at the garage with you and Uncle Jesse showing up."


"I need to find that doctor, she shouldn't be letting Bo go home if he can't remember things. She should run more tests, maybe there's something wrong that she missed..."


"Cooter stop," Daisy ordered, grabbing his arm to keep him from running off in search of Dr. Bryce. "The doctor said it's perfectly normal, that a lot of accident victims never remember the accident or the stuff that happened right before it," Daisy explained. "She said that the memories may come back, but that if they don't he shouldn't worry about it."


"What else did she say?"


"Just that he should rest and take a painkiller that she's prescribing if he needs it. She also said that if he started having any of the symptons that are described in the paperwork she's giving him, he should see Dr. Appleby."


"Bo," Cooter whispered as his battered lover came through the doors, leaning heavily on Luke for support. Hurrying to Bo's side Cooter wrapped his arm around his lover's waist, taking his weight from Luke, "You okay?"


"I'm fine, just got a headache and I'm a little sore."


"Bo," Luke said, drawing his name out.


"Well I might've been a little dizzy when I first stood up," he reluctantly admitted.


"A little dizzy huh?" Cooter asked, smiling at his lover.


"You ready to go home Bo?" Jesse asked as he joined them.


"Have you changed your mind about what I told you?"


"I'm sorry Bo but I can't approve of something that I beleive is a sin," Jesse replied.


"Then I won't be going to the farm," Bo told him. "It still okay if I stay with you Cooter?" Bo asked, trying to sound like nothing more than a friend.


"Of course you can babe," Cooter answered without thinking. Seeing the panicked look on his lover's face, he was quick to assure him, "It's okay Bo, Jesse knows."


"He does?"


"Yeah, so you're coming home with me?"


"If you still want me to," Bo confirmed.


"Absoulutely."


"Bo ya need to come home with your family," Jesse interrupted their conversation.


"So you can try to convince me that I'm wrong to love Cooter?"


"You are wrong," Jesse insisted.


"I don't agree with ya Uncle Jesse and I'm not gonna stay where I'm not accepted for who I am," he told the older man. "Can we go now?" he asked, turning to his lover.


"You bet," Cooter replied. Taking the paperwork from Jesse's hand before he could protest further, he quickly helped Bo out to his truck.


"Uncle Jesse how could you do that? Do ya really think Bo needs to hear that right now?" Luke asked as soon as Bo was out of hearing range.


"Don't tell me you think it's okay for him to be living with Cooter," Jesse scoffed.


"I think it's fine for him to love whoever he chooses. I admit I don't understand the attraction myself, but if Bo's happy and Cooter treats him right then I ain't gonna object."


"Then why did you lie to him?"


"Lie to him?" Luke asked.


"You told him Cooter wasn't there because of hospital policy," Jesse reminded him.


"I didn't do that to protect you, or because I agreed with ya, I did it to protect Bo. I didn't figure he needs to know right now that you were the reason Cooter wasn't there when he woke up."


"Does that mean you plan to tell him the truth later?"


"I hadn't really thought about it yet," Luke replied. "Right now this very minute I'm going to go to the Boar's Nest and have a beer, see if I can get rid of the bad taste in my mouth. You want to come along Daisy?"


"I'd love to sugar, I could use a beer myself," Daisy answered, taking his arm.


Jesse sadly watched them walk out of the hospital, leaving him behind. Sighing heavily, he slowly trudged out to his truck, feeling every one of his years with each lonely step.


TBC


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