Luke rolled his eyes and groaned turning out the light.
Luke realized what his younger cousin was up to.
Luke had enough of this. He whacked his cousin in the head with the pillow.
Bo realized Luke was making fun of him. He picked up his pillow and whacked Luke.
The pillow fight lasted for quite some time. It had been awhile since their last pillow fight. Neither of the boys were really tired to begin with since it was eight o'clock. They were hyper for the next day. Feathers flew everywhere. Finally they sat on there beds and the feathers still fell from the sky. Bo laid back and blow at the feathers.
Bo and Jesse sat for a half an hour in the waiting room. Actually Jesse did not want to know Luke's condition until his other nephew and niece where he to hear it as well. Daisy walked in around six with Enos and Lacy at her heels.
A few minutes later Luke's doctor came up to them.
Dr. Grady left. The Dukes tried to figure out who would go first. Finally they had Jesse go. Jesse walked in and pulled up a chair next to Luke's bed. Luke has lying flat on the bed. He was wearing a hospital gown and the bed blanket covered him to his waist. There was an IV coming out of his left hand. The tubes were coming in the top part of his hand. On his right was a machine with lots of little numbers. The wires ran from the box to patches on his chest under that gown to monitor his breathing. Luke was breathing oxygen though an oxygen mask. Jesse took Luke's left hand in his. He listen to the beeping of the breathing machine, the dripping of the IV and the breathing sounds from the oxygen mask and Luke.
Jesse has been in the hospital many times with his nephews. He was in here a little less with Daisy. He should be used to this by now but it still hurt him. He sat with Luke for about ten minutes before Bo took his place.
Bo was not prepared enough for all the medical equipment. Bo never liked needles so the thought of how they put the IV in made him sick. He was just glad that Luke would be fine once he woke up. He told Luke about being in fifth place, which made him happier now. He also told him that Cale Yarbourough had been in the crowd. Ten minutes later he got up for Daisy to take his place.
Luke woke up five minutes into Daisy's visit. He started moving his hand in Daisy's hands.
Luke was still groggy grunted as he struggled to open his eyes.
Daisy asked moving closer so Luke could see her better.
Luke made a face.
Just then a nurse came in to check Luke's chart. Daisy told her Luke was awake. The nurse went to get the doctor.
Dr. Grady came in about twenty minutes later. Luke was trying to ignore the fact
that the oxygen was making him nauseous. He tried to get Bo to keep repeating the end of the race.
Dr. Grady came in with an assistant doctor, Nathan Henry. They performed a quick physical.
Everyone said good-bye to the doctors. Enos offered to take Daisy, Lacy and Bo home since Jesse would want to stay. They left Bo and Luke's car in a garage close by. Then they left.
The next day Bo and Daisy drove back into Jackson County in Dixie. It was about an hour and a half drive. Jesse and Luke had been talking most of the night. Luke could not sleep in the bed with all the machines. Jesse was just happy that Luke was ok.
Dr. Grady and Assistant Henry came in around nine in the morning. They looked over Luke thoroughly this time. He asked him if he felt any different. Luke said no. Then they checked his legs. They tested his reflexes on the ball of his foot but nothing happened. The doctors were silent for a second. Jesse did not catch it but Luke did. He had seen that look when he was in the Marines.
Luke nodded. For the nest few agonizing minutes Dr. Grady poked Luke's leg all the way up to his waist before Luke said he felt anything. Then he checked the right side to make sure. Both Luke and Jesse knew what was wrong by the time he was done.
Luke nodded his head but had no expression on his face.
Dr. Grady left. The room was silent. Jesse did not know what to say to his nephew. None of the kids ever lost the use of their legs. Then there was the polio scare and they were worried about Bo. That was nothing like this.
Bo and Daisy walked into the room about and hour later around 10. They were happy and cheerful. They notice Jesse and Luke did not share their feelings.
Jesse and Luke looked at each other.
Daisy and Bo were silent and stunned.
The Dukes sat around with Luke until 1pm to keep his spirits up and reassure their own.
Dr. Grady took Luke to a large room with more medical equipment. The rest of his family waited in the waiting room. It seemed odd to all them to see Luke in a wheel chair.
Dr. Grady decided to do some x-rays first. He decided to x-ray Luke's back because that
is where he was sure the problem was. Then some nursed and Nathan Henry poked Luke with some more instruments testing his reflexes. After two hours, they wheeled Luke into the waiting room.
Luke decided to would be better for him to ride with Jesse in the pickup instead of Dixie which had no doors. Luke kept insisting that he could pull himself into the pickup buy Bo and Daisy kept telling him to save his strength. Luke continued to be stubborn about it. Soon Daisy and Bo gave up. Jesse had thought it best not to get involved. Luke had a great deal of arm strength from farm chores that he lifted his limp legs up fairly easy.
Jesse and Luke were silent on the way back to the farm. Jesse knew Luke was stubborn about most things. He knew Daisy and Bo were just as bad. He knew there were going to be some fights brewing soon.
Luke just stared out the window thinking. He thought how he would have to drive to Atlanta for another company reunion. Then he realized he could not drive. He also began to think of all the things he could not do. He tried to be more positive but he had to face the truth. Lying to himself would get him nowhere. This is the way life would be for the next couple of weeks.
Four days after Luke came home, Jesse served the crawdad bisque that he had made several days before for lunch. They all knew it would taste better anyway. After dinner Enos, Lacy and Rosco stopped by. Rosco stayed just a couple minutes then had to leave to go back to the Boar's Nest to keep an eye on things.
Luke put his book down. His legs were covered with a blanket. He was wearing sweatpants and a tee shirt.
Jesse sat in his chair by the bookshelf with Daisy beside him. Bo stood near the kitchen.
Enos, Luke, Jesse and Lacy talked for awhile. Daisy and Bo said nothing. They hated Luke's attitude towards the situation. Daisy and Bo finally decided to go to the Boar's Nest. Daisy had to work soon anyway. They finally talked on the way there.
Enos and Lacy left about an hour later. Enos was going to take Lacy back to Savannah and he wanted to get there before dark. Jesse and Luke were left in the house. Luke picked up his book, To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee. He had seen the book many times but had never stopped to read it. It was about a Southern town, which he could relate. Jesse decided to feed the animals then come back and cook some dinner.
Jesse smiled.
Jesse went over to the bookshelf and picked up a book. It was Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. He did not even know it was there or how it got there. He figured he would take a chance. He sat down in his chair across from Luke. Luke smiled and they sat in silent until Bo and Daisy came home.
The three cousins exchanged glances but did not say anything. Daisy and Bo went to their rooms leaving Luke still in the living room reading the last two chapters of his book.
Bo was silent. He could not fight Luke after that. He left the room in an angry huff.
Bo smiled.
Just then Cooter drove up in his tow truck. He climbed out and walked over to Bo and Rosco.
Rosco and Cooter went about their business. Bo went to see Nora to forget about Luke. Cooter went to talk to Luke later that day and told him about his story. Luke was happy that someone else understood. Cooter asked Luke just to come to the Boar's Nest once before the doctors called about the results. Cooter said that he would have a party not a surprise one like some people would and to keep them from doing it. Luke agreed. He was getting tired of sitting there. He even said he would use the wheelchair but he was not sitting in it all night. Cooter agreed and told Daisy and Bo but warned them not to harass him or he would change his mind. Cooter left and Jesse, Daisy and Bo walked into the living room to receive a great shock. Luke was doing 360's in his wheelchair. They could not believe that especially since it was near the piano.
After they left Jesse stood still in place.
Jesse went out to the barn where Bo and Daisy were. They worked in silence. They had wanted Luke to get out for three weeks and now they acted like nothing good had just happened. When Jesse walked in they looked up and stopped.
Jesse sighed.
Bo and Daisy looked down at the ground.
They decided to finish the ramp. Jesse went back inside. Luke was sitting on the couch holding his head.
Jesse laughed and went to get Luke some aspirin. Those were his boys they never did grow up. Enos had made some ramps for in town like for the sidewalk and the courthouse but did not put them anywhere. He heard about the party at the Boar's Nest. There were not any steps there so he stopped. Boss and Lulu came back the day of the party. Boss was not thrilled about it but he was glad Luke Duke was feeling better though he never really cared about the Duke family.
The party already started before the Dukes got there. Cooter made sure that no one would try and surprise Luke or anything else.
The cousins were silent for a few minutes.
Luke climbed into the wheelchair that was next to his chair. That impressed Daisy and Bo that he was that strong. Then they walked out first. Luke followed and flew down the ramp. He told them to fix it. It was too quick for the handicapped. When they got to the General, Bo started to offer Luke help but stopped cause Luke was stubborn and he wanted to see if Luke could do this. Sure enough, Luke grabbed on the welded door and pulled himself up. He grabbed on the roof as he moved to get his legs in. The he slide down like usual. Bo and Daisy hopped in soon after. They sped off toward the Boar's Nest. When they got there, Bo got Luke's wheelchair as Luke pulled himself into the window until Bo came around. He plopped in and they all went in. There were a lot of people there dancing, drinking and listening to louder than normal music. They did not notice the Dukes come in. Luke wheeled over to where Cooter was at one of the booths. He got into the one opposite Cooter and Bo took the wheelchair out of site.
Everything went well for the first few hours. Then after awhile there were at least two bar fights. The first Bo was in. Luke hated not being able to stand and fight. The again Bo was having trouble standing and he could walk. Enos finally broke it up. The second one Enos broke up quickly cause it followed the first.
Daisy rolled her eyes and opened the kitchen door for whenever they got up the ramp.
They were silent cause then they remembered how late it was. Luke finally decided to help push his way up. When he did Bo lost his balance and fell.
Bo made his share of faces until Luke noticed. They did not fight that night cause they were too tired.
The next morning Bo was working on the General. Daisy was doing the laundry. Luke was sitting outside with the chickens drinking lemonade. He said he was supervising. Jesse was inside making some more coffee when the phone rang. It was the hospital. Dr. Grady told Jesse the results were in they should come down later that day. Dr. Grady also said that he was better at telling news, any news, face to face than over the phone. Jesse thanked him and hung up.
Luke's stomach dropped. He had kinda forgotten about that. He decided not to show it on his face.
The Dukes climbed into the General an hour later. They talked most of the way but in nervous intervals.
The boys groaned and Jesse lightly punched her.
The Dukes finally arrived at Jackson County Hospital. One of the ambulance drivers remembered Luke, tried to help. But Luke said he was fine and proved it to the driver by getting out of the General with ease. They had to sit in the waiting room for awhile cause they were early. Dr. Grady finally came down the hall.
Luke breathed a sigh of relief.
Luke stayed the night. Bo and Daisy went back to Hazzard to get him some stuff. They were happy about Luke. Luke was happy too but not about the operation.
Luke went home four days after they fixed his disk. Within two weeks he was feeling a bit in his legs and feet. After a month it was mostly back. Doc Appleby suggested a physical therapist in Atlanta for Luke since it was relatively close. Luke was not thrilled with the idea and insisted he could do it on his own. On the therapists at the hospital, when they finally got Luke there, was a former Vietnam veteran and understood where Luke was coming from. He told Luke had worse patients than him. Luke finally agreed. Within three months Luke was walking with crotches. He could not drive just yet so he drove Bo crazy in the drivers seat. By January Luke was back to his old self again about the fight the system as usual.
Daisy and Bo saw them there and could not believe it.
Two weeks later Luke was still on the couch. He still boldly refused his cousins pleas to use the wheelchair. Jesse had tried to talk to Daisy and Bo not to bother Luke anymore but they did not listen. Luke was now reading his sixth book. Bo had enough of his cousin sitting about and not getting on with his life.
He went outside, got into the General and drove to Cooter's Garage. Jesse had tried to tell him to leave Luke alone but Bo was a Duke just as stubborn as the rest of them. Cooter was not there when Bo pulled up in the General. Bo got out and sat on the General's hood. Rosco saw Bo from the steps of the courthouse. Since Boss was away with Lulu in New Orleans, he had not seen much action with the Dukes. Ever since Luke's accident he did not have the heart. He did chase Daisy once for fun. She ran off the road and when Rosco caught up to her; he let Daisy watch Flash for the afternoon. Daisy laughed. It seemed to lighten her spirits but not much.
Luke was pretty good at using the wheelchair by now. It was not one of those electric ones. Luke had great muscle strength anyway so it was not that hard. Bo and Daisy put the ramp up then went back into the kitchen where Luke was at the table.
Every now and then people would take notice. Some of the girls apologized then remembered they should have said something else and turned red. Luke did not actually mind. He prepared himself for it to be worse.
The Duke cousins did not get back to the farm until late that night. Jesse had left a long time ago. They were happy and getting along now. Luke had a little bit of a problem getting up the ramp because it was so steep. Bo had to push him.
