Between Here and the Hereafter
"You're always talking about the here and hereafter but it don't
make much sense to me." - Piranha Pool Blue Rodeo
 

     Luke sat quietly by the hosptial bed. Tears burned his eyes but he refused to cry. He would not allow himself to cry. He look at the figure laying ever so still on the bed, his younger cousin, Bo. Most of Bo's body was covered by bandages or casts. He was hooked up to oxygen as he had quit breathing, He could hear the faint beating of the heart monitor, Bo's heart beat so slow. An IV slowly dripped into his right arm. His face was so pale. He looked so small, so frail laying there as he fought for his life. It had been over a week and still Bo had not regained consciouness. Luke held Bo's left hand between both his. He had always felt he should protect Bo, he felt it was his job to keep Bo safe. He felt that he had so let him down by not being there to protect him when Bo had truely needed him. He loved Bo like a brother, altough he had never told him that. He sadly thought to himself that now he may never have the chance to tell Bo that he thought of him more as his little brother, then just a cousin. He realised how dark his life would be without Bo. He knew Bo brought light into his life. Bo always made him see the lighter side of things. He knew Bo understood him more then anyone. He could tell him things that he couldn't tell anyone else not even Jesse. He knew that these reasons were why him and Bo had become blood brothes as children.
      "Bo . . . please you have to wake up. You can't leave us . . . you can't leave me. Damn it Bo wake up. I swear I'll find who did this to you. I'll find them and then I shall make them pay. I will make them suffer for your pain." He gently laid Bo's hand back down then stood up. "I swear to you I will not let you down this time. I promise, brother."
      Luke quietly left the hosptial. It was a dull grey day. He walked through the parking lot, and over to the General Lee. Cooter had repaired most all the damage done to the extiror. The General had been quite smashed that dreadful day. The windows all smashed to bits the tires
slashed, and the body badly dent. Though that damge was nothing compared to the condtion that Bo had been found in. Luke slid in through the driver's side window, and sat quietly behind the wheel for a moment, thinking of how Bo had been found.

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     Bo and Luke were trying to clear themselves from a typical bad rap, and had split up to solve their problem and find the bad guys hideout. Hours passed and Bo had not check in, nobody could reach him over the CB. Luke had a very bad feeling about it. He met up with Cooter and the two of them started to search Hazzard for some sign of Bo. Luke and Cooter spotted the General along the side of Old Mill Road. They got out of the tow truck. Luke was the first to see around the far side of the car. He felt as though his heart stopped cold, when he saw Bo's battered and bloody form laying ever so still on he ground.He rushed to Bo's side and check quickly for a pulse, there was one. It was weak but still it was there Bo's breathing was extremly shallow Luke couldn't even see the rise and fall of Bo's chest. He hollared at Cooter to call for an abulance. He carefully rolled Bo's body over. He saw Bo's body was badly bruised and bleeding. Bo had four ribs, one rib was rubbing against his lungs, threating to puntuce it. He had a massive conciouson caused from several blows to the head. His left leg was badly broken, the bone putruding through the skin. His kidney's were badly bruised and there was internal bleeding.
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      Luke shook his head, clearing it from the thoughts of the past. "I will make them suffer for your pain. I shall make them suffer for what they did." Luke silently vowed to himself.
He started the General and sped off back towards Hazzard. He didn't know where he was going he just drove blindly down the back roads. A deep part of mind knew where to go he knew where the ones who killed Bo where.
 He stopped in front a small cabin in Broson's Canyon. He quietly walked up to the cabin and peered through the small window. He could hear them talking, laughing about what they had done to Bo. This enraged Luke even further. He burst into the cabin.
      "What the hell do you think you are doing here?" Peter asked
Luke didn't respond he just glared coldly at the guy.
      "That is the other Duke boy." Frank said.
The tall one, with long brown hair, Peter, lunged towards him. Luke used combat moves that he learned in the Marines. Moves he had not done in such a long time. He snapped the man's shoulder out of place, and smiled as the guy howled in pain. He flung the guy across the room. The shortest one, with red hair, Eric, then came at Luke. Luke flung him against the stove. The one burner was one, Luke grabbed the back of the guys neck and pressed his face against that burner. The guy screeched in pain, his attempts to pull away were futile. Luke realesed his hold as the third guy, Frank, came towards him. Frank was the oldest of them all, his hair was grey. Even in a normal fight Luke is one of the best fighters in Hazzard, but in his enraged state, he became an even better fighter. Luke brought his leg up and kicked the guy square in the chest, knocking him backwards. the guy charged again. Luke kicked him again, knocking him to the ground this time. He walked over and placed his foot on the guys throat. The guy gasped for air, and Luke just stepped down harder. Luke felt that they deserved death, and it was only fair that they die. After all the pain they had cause Bo, all the pain and torment they put him through. "If only I had been there Bo might not have . . ." Luke started to think to himself." Luke stepped all his weight onto the man's throat, and he felt it snap beneth his weight.
      "One down, two to go." Luke said with a laugh.
      "You ain't gonna get away with killing Frank." Peter said.
      "You are wrong there. It is you shall not getting away with what you did to Bo."
Peter lunged at Luke. Luke just watched Peter approaching, not moving even the slightest inch. When Peter was inches in front of Luke, Luke punched him in the ribs.
Peter flinched at the pain and held his ribs. "Yeah well that plow boy deserved it. He was in the way."
 Luke glared at the guy, not responding, he felt more anger fill him.
      "I can't see how you can fight so well, unlike your cousin. Of course we kinda ambushed him and he didn't see it coming." Peter said, thinking his words would throw Luke off his guard, not knowing his words were like throwing gasoline onto a fire.     "That was fun watching him
suffer. Do you want to hear all about that? I can tell you all about it"
      "Go to hell." Luke said coldly, he kicked Peter in the ribs, knocking him to the ground.
Luke walked over to the fireplace, and pulled the poker out of the fire. It's tips glowed red hot. He walked over to were Peter lay. Peter's eyes were filled with fear as he realized his words only further enraged Luke. Luke plunger the poker through the man's heart. Eric had got up and was trying to make a run for it. Luke rush over and tripped him.
      "Oh don't go yet, the party ain't over yet. There is two down and only one to go."
Luke pulled the guy to his feet and flung him across the room. He hit the far wall, his body landing against a hook on the wall. The hook punturced through his lungs, there was a slient pop as the man's lung burst. Luke smiled that he had caused death to the ones that caused Bo's suffering. He left the cabin and went back to the hosptial.
     Jesse and Daisy were standing outside Bo's room. Both their faces were wet with tears, their eyes red from crying.
      "What is wrong?" Luke asked.
      "Bo . . . the doctors said there was just so much internal damge there was just more then Bo's body could handle. He . . . his heart stopped beating. They tried to save him, they tried . . . but they couldn't." Daisy said softly.
      "No you have to be wrong Bo is gonna be okay." Luke said.
      "Luke . . ." Daisy started tosay, she realiazed she just couldn't speak the words.
      "Bo is dead." Jesse said solmenly finshing the sentence.
      "NO!" Luke yelled.
     At that instant there was the sound of a heart montior going flatline. Then the sound of doctor's rushing about. Then there was silence exccept for the sound of silent crying. Daisy walked over to where Bo sat and placed a hand on his shoulder. His deep blue eyes were filled with such a deep pain and saddness. Tears streaked his cheeks. He looked up at Daisy, saying nothing.
      "Oh Bo . . ." she said giving him a small hug.
      "No Luke can't be gone . . . he can't be dead. He wouldn't leave us." Bo said. "My brother wouldn't leave me." he added in thought.
      "Bo . . . it is over. Luke is gone. Luke is dead his injures were just to bad . . ." Daisy said trying think of something to say to ease her younger cousin's pain. Though she knew she had no idea what to say to ease his pain when she couldn't ease her own.
Bo shook his head. "No he can't be really gone . . ." but in his heart he knew Luke was gone.
     He tried to think of how he continue without his closest friend. Without the one who understand him. Without the cousin he thought of as his big brother. He knew his life wouldn't be the same without him. His life would be dark with no light. He knew he could never find the strength to carry on, it would be too hard without Luke. Daisy looked at Bo not knowing what to say she could tell that this was all very hard on him. She wished she could do or say something to ease his suffereing but knew there was nothing she could say. She wanted to tell help there would at least be justice the people who had killed Bo had been caught and would be tried with murder, but she knew that would do nothing to comfort Bo.
     Bo took a deep breath and walked into the room where Luke's dead body lay on the bed. He had been unhooked from the machine that he had been for the past two weeks. Bo sat on the edge of the bed and took Luke's hand in his. He tried to hold back his tears to no avial, his tears softly streaked his cheeks. Bo sat silently for a moment looking at Luke. The look in his eyes changed from sadness to the a look of knowing what to do next."I shall join you soon, brother." he whispered softly.
The criminals were sentenced to life in life in prision with no parol.
     Two figures still remained standing in the graveyard as the sun slowly began to set over the distant horizon. Daisy leaned against Jesse, she found she had no tears left to cry. She leaned against Jesse, as they both stared at the two grave stones.
 Daisy thought to when she had gone into see how Bo was doing he had been in the room for a few minute. She saw Bo half sitting on the chair by the bed and halfing lay on the bed. Bo had taken his own life. He used the empty IV bag, with the needle to put air in his blood stream when the air bubble reached his heart he had died instnatly.
     "Why did Bo have to take his own life?" Daisy asked.
Jesse looked away from the graves. "He felt it was the only way. He couldn't handle losing Luke."
Jesse glanced back at the two graves, his eyes filled with a deep saddness that they had lost both Bo and Luke, he loved both of them as though they were his own children.
     "Why though? Now we lost both them. It really hurts." Daisy said, her voice trembling.
     "I know it hurts. Bo just couldn't stand to lose Luke, they were both just so close. I think that Luke's death killed something inside of Bo before he even took his own life." Jesse said.
They were silent for a couple moments. Jesse sighed breaking the silnce.
     "The only thing that helps to ease the pain is to thik that wherever they are that they are together." Jesse said.
Daisy said nothing she just nodded. They turned and walked away from the graves. The sunset fillled the sky in a deep orange colour.
     If you listen really close you can sometimes almost hear the sound of the genral's engine being carried through the breeze through Hazzard, and the sound of Bo and Luke Duke having fun.

*****Note: The fact that the characters change half way through is not a typo is meant to be that way. While Luke's mind is hovering between the two existances it is creating it's own reality in which that is what he thinks is happening but it is for the most part the reverse, it was actually Luke who was injured. So until the character change it is all a dream. Then it converts back to the reality.*******