A bright orange car raced along a winding dirt road, close behind was an old black car.
       "Step on it cuz, or you're gonna lose him." Bo said.
       "I've got it to the floor already." Luke said.
       "Yeah well if you lose them we ain't never gonna be able to clear ourselves." Bo said.
       "I don't intend on losing them."
It was a typical day in Hazzard County, Bo and Luke Duke were trying to clear their names, after being falsely accused of a crime. However the event that would take place in a few short moments wasn't so typical for Hazzard. It would bring about further events that would change the lives of the Dukes forever. The other car slowed slightly and Luke cut in front of it, slamming on the brakes and bringing the General to a stop crossways across the road. The driver of the black car slammed on the brakes, the brakes on the old car squealed as it tried to stop before hitting the orange car. The black car couldn't stop quickly enough and slammed into the back end of the passenger side, slamming against it hard enough to push the General several inches.
    "You okay?" Luke asked.
    "Yeah." Bo responded.
Bo and Luke climbed out through the windows of the car, as the doors are welded shut. The two passengers in the black car got out and faced down Bo and Luke. The one who had been driving, Clayton, appeared to be in his late forties, he stood at least three inches taller then Bo. He was quite muscular. His raven black hair was streaked with silver. He stared at them with cold gray eyes. Clayton appeared to be the leader. The other man, Frankie, appeared to only be in his early thirties. He had long deep brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, hie eyes were a dark hazel.
    "You boys just can't leave well enough alone can you?" Clayton asked.
    "Well we don't take too kindly to having people frame us." Bo said.
    "You don't think anyone will believe your story, do you?"
    "We'll make you tell the truth if we have to wring it out of you." Bo said.
    "Just you try it boy."
Bo went to lunge at him but Luke grabbed him by the arm to hold him back. Something about Clayton's voice was familiar and Luke had a knot of worry in his stomach about it.
    "You don't got the guts to try anything plowboy, you're too chicken." Clayton said.
Bo's blue eyes darkened with anger and he tried to pull away from Luke.
    "Just forget it Bo, we already called Rosco, he'll be here soon."
Bo looked at Luke then back at Clayton. Luke didn't let go of Bo's arm until he felt Bo relax.
    Suddenly Frankie lunged towards Bo; he punched him so hard in the stomach that he knocked him to the ground. Luke glared at Frankie, his light blue eyes flashed with anger. Luke grabbed Frankie and roughly threw him over the hood of the black car. Luke slide across the top of the car after Frankie landed a firm punch to his stomach before he could even get up. Frankie suddenly regretted hitting to younger boy, seeing how protective Luke was of Bo. The two of them became entangled in a fight. Bo went to go around the car to help Luke out when he was grabbed by Clayton. Bo managed to twist out of Clayton’s hold. Clayton shoved him roughly, and Bo stumbled backwards. Bo slipped down the edge of the embankment, twisting his ankle when he landed. He tried to stand up when a shadow fell across him, he looked up to see Clayton towering over him. Clayton grabbed Bo by the arm and hauled him to his feet.  Bo tried to pull away, his ankle alive with pain. Suddenly felt the muzzle of a gun press up against the side of his stomach. Bo tried to get away but Clayton was bigger and stronger.
    “You ain’t gonna get away with this.” Bo said.
    “We’ll see who gets away with what country boy.” Clayton said and pulled the trigger of the gun.
The gunshot echoed through the woods, breaking the silence that had fallen across the land. Luke stopped fighting when he heard the gunshot and looked around for Bo.
     Bo gasped as a bot fiery pain seemed to explode through him. Clayton let go of Bo allowing him to drop to the ground. Bo looked down at where he had been shot; dark red blood was flowing quickly out of the wound. Bo pressed his hands against the bullet wound in a desperate attempt to slow the bleeding. He tried to call out to Luke for help but could make any noise above a very soft whisper. Clayton raced up the hill.
     “Hey there plowboy, I wouldn’t be so worried about fighting him if I were you, I’d be more worried about my cousin.” Clayton said.
Luke looked at him, noticing the blood on the man’s hands. His stomach knotted in anger towards the man and in worry for Bo. Luke let go of Frankie and rushed over to where Clayton came from. He looked down the embankment and saw Bo laying there, a pool of blood starting to form around him. Luke rushed down the embankment only distantly hearing the sound of the black car taking off.
     “Are you okay Bo?” Luke asked, his voice filled with worry.
Bo looked up at Luke, his eyes filled with pain, he couldn’t respond to Luke’s question. Bo didn’t need to say it Luke could see in Bo’s eyes how much pain he was in. Luke knelt down beside Bo.
     “Let me see.” Luke said softly, moving Bo’s hands.
Luke flinched when he saw the gapping bullet wound. He wondered if the bullet was lodged in Bo or if it had gone right through. Bo’s pale yellow shirt was soaked in crimson red blood around the wound, the material tattered and clinging to the wound. He figured from the look of the wound that Bo was quite near the gun when Clayton fired, Luke thought perhaps even point blank. He hoped the bullet passed right through and wasn’t lodged in Bo’s body, but he was too afraid to move Bo to find out. Luke took off his old jean jacket and pressed it against the wound. Bo cried out softly at the pressure Luke was applying.
     “I am sorry Bo. I know that it hurts, but I have to slow the bleeding.” Luke said.
Bo looked at Luke, locking eyes with his older cousin. Luke knew that Bo understood that Luke wasn’t intentionally causing him the pain, and was doing what he had to. Bo gave a faint smile gratefully that Luke was there to help to, he didn’t know what he would do if Luke hadn’t been there. Bo opened his mouth to speak.
     “Don’t even try to talk Bo.” Luke said softly.
Bo nodded with eyes; it hurt too much to move at all. Luke was concerned that Bo’s breath was growing slower and he felt to be growing cold. Bo’s eyes drooped shut.
     “Stay awake Bo, stay with me okay?”
Bo made a soft undistinguishable sound. His eyes fluttered opened. Luke kept the pressure against the wound with one hand and placed his other hand against the side of his younger cousin’s face.
     “It’s gonna be okay Bo, I promise. You’re gonna be okay. You just stay with me.” Luke said.
He could barely believe that Bo was lying on the ground fighting for his life, having been shot. He could barely even think of what to do as his thoughts spun incoherently. He didn’t know what he would do if he lost Bo. He loved Bo like a brother, Bo was his best friend in the world.
     “I am sorry that I let you get shot.” Luke said.
Bo seemed to speak to Luke with his eyes, saying it wasn’t Luke’s fault.
     “I told you not to lose your temper, then I go and lose mine.” Luke said.
Luke saw a tiny spark of laughter in Bo’s eyes.
     The sound of Rosco’s siren pierced through the air.
     “There’s Rosco, we can get you to the hospital now.” Luke said.
Rosco stopped his car and walked over to the edge of the road, he couldn’t see Bo’s injury from the angle he was standing at.
     “Alrighty just what in the name of Nelly are you two boys doing? I knew it was trick that you was chasing after the real bad guys cause you are the real bad guys.” Rosco said.
Luke turned to face Rosco. “It is not a trick. They got away . . . Bo’s been shot we have to get him to the hospital.
Rosco noticed the blood for the first time. “Oh . . . jumpin gee hossin fat. You ain’t lying. I’m gonna call an ambulance.”
     “We ain’t got time for that we have to get him there ourselves. Help me carry him back up there.” Luke said.
Rosco nodded slightly and rushed down the embankment, narrowly avoiding falling down the embankment. His stomach churned at the sight of all the blood but he realized that Bo’s life depended on them getting him to the hospital.
     Luke and Rosco carefully lifted Bo up, one standing one each side of Bo. Luke noticed that the bullet hadn’t passed through Bo, which meant it was still lodged in Bo’s body. Bo gave a soft cry of pain when Luke and Rosco picked him up and carried him up the hill.
     “I know it hurts Bo just relax.” Luke said softly.
Rosco helped Luke lay Bo down on the backseat of his patrol car. Luke sat in the backseat with Bo. Luke held Bo’s head on his lip, keeping his jacket pressed against the bullet wound with one hand and gently stroking Bo’s head with his other hand. He talked to Bo is soft whispers, trying to keep Bo calm and awake. Rosco sped along the road, his sirens blaring heading towards Tri-County General Hospital. Bo grimaced as the car bounced along the dirt road every bump they hit sent a wave of hot stabbing pain through his body, making him cry out in pain. Luke held Bo as firm as he could without hurting Bo more, wishing he could take away Bo’s pain. He hid his tears of fear from Bo, not wanting his younger cousin to see how frightened he was fearing that would only worry Bo more.
     “Maybe I should slow down so we don’t hit these bumps so hard.” Rosco said thoughtfully, the sound Bo crying out in pain worried him, he hoped that nothing would happen to Bo, he was basically a good kid after all.
     “We don’t have time to go slow Rosco, just keep going fast as you can, I’ll hold Bo down the best I can.” Luke said.
Luke could hear Bo whimpering softly in pain and his heart squeezed with grief, he wished he could take his cousin’s place, it would rather it had been him shoot then to see Bo going through this pain.
     “I know it hurts Bo just relax okay?”
Bo mumbled some kind of incoherent response and then seemed to go still. Luke became alarmed when Bo’s body seemed to go limp, his breathing extremely slow.
     “Come on Bo stay awake.” Luke said softly, gently patting Bo’s cheek.
Bo moaned softly in response.
     “That’s it kiddo stay with me.” Luke said softly.
Luke felt Bo’s pulse on his neck, it worried him that Bo’s pulse was growing slow. He felt a couple tears slid down his cheeks, Bo was lying there fighting for his life, all on account of some low down polecat shooting him. Bo seemed to be fading fast and Luke prayed they would reach the hospital in time.
     A few minutes later they pulled to a stop in front of the hospital, he moment they reached there Bo passed out. Doctor’s rushed outside with a stretcher, Luke could only faintly hear Rosco telling the doctor’s that Bo had been shot. Luke felt like he was walking in a dream, and that a fog seemed to have settled across his mind. He felt the doctor’s lift Bo up and took Bo away from him. Luke didn’t even realize that he was practically covered in Bo’s blood. Luke jumped out of the patrol car and ran after Bo, not wanting to leave his younger cousin alone. Bo looked so pale lying on the stretcher, doctor’s surrounded him and Luke couldn’t get too close to Bo. The doctor’s pushed the stretcher through a thick set of double doors, Luke was about to follow when he felt a hand grab him by the arm.
     “Sir, you can’t go in there.”
     “Let me go, that is my cousin . . . I have to be there for him.”
     “Sir, I do understand how you feel but you can’t go back there. Let the doctor’s do their work and take care of your cousin.”
Rosco walked over and put a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “The nurse is right Luke, you can’t do nothing now but wait. Why don’t you have a seat, I can call Jesse for you.”
Luke turned to face Rosco, the worry was apparent in Luke’s face, and his eyes were filled with a deep worry. He wanted to argue, he wanted to pull away and run through those doors and find Bo, but he knew there was really nothing to do but wait, he couldn’t help Bo now, and that thought scared him. After a moment Luke nodded and followed the nurse and Rosco back to the waiting room. The nurse handed Luke some paperwork to fill out while Rosco went to call Jesse. Rosco didn’t know exactly what he was going to tell Jesse, but he knew that Luke didn’t seem to be in any condition to be calling.
     Jesse grabbed the phone on the second ring. “Hello Duke farm, Jesse Duke speaking.”
     “Oh good Jesse I am glad that you are home.”
     “What do you want Rosco?”
     “There has been a slight problem, Jesse.”
     “What kind of a problem?” Jesse asked.
     “I don’t know how to tell you this . . . I think you should come to Tri-County hospital.” Rosco said.
A wave of worry swept over Jesse. “Why? Did something happen to Bo and Luke?”
     “Luke is okay, it is Bo.” Rosco said.
     “What happened?” Jesse asked, his voice fraught with worry.
     “I really think you should just come here, I think it is best that you hear it in person.” Rosco said.
     “Yeah okay I’ll be right there.” Jesse said and hung up.
He wondered what was so bad that Rosco didn’t want to tell him over the phone, he prayed that it wasn’t as serious as Rosco made it sound, after all Rosco tended to over exaggerate things. Jesse rushed outside and got into his old white pickup truck and sped towards the hospital.
     Luke stared blankly at the papers in front of him, it had been five minutes and he had still not filled anything in. His hands were shaking so badly that he doubted he could even write. Luke couldn’t bring himself to even write Bo’s name down, he didn’t really want to think of how badly hurt Bo could be though his thoughts spun rapidly with one thing, Bo could die. Luke felt tears burning his eyes but he held them back refusing to cry. He wished that he could be with Bo right now but knew the nurse was right, there was nothing he could do, he just had to sit there and allow the doctors to do their job.
     A few minutes later Jesse came into the waiting room, practically running. He saw Luke and rushed over to him. Luke looked up as he heard his uncle approaching.
     “What happened? How’s Bo?” Jesse asked, his voice was fraught with worry.
     “Bo was . . . Bo got shot.” Luke said.
     “What? How bad is it?”
Luke shook his head. “The doctor’s haven’t said yet, it was close range it looked . . . bad.”
Jesse’s face paled and he sat down next to Luke, unable to believe what Luke was saying. Luke turned and faced Jesse. “I am sorry Uncle Jesse this is all my fault I should’ve been looking out for Bo. I . . . I never . . . I failed to keep him from getting shot just like . . .” Luke’s voice trailed off and was choked with tears.
Jesse pulled Luke into a comforting hug knowing just what Luke was trying to say. “Hush Luke it wasn’t your fault. Not now and not then.”
Luke tried to talk but no words came out, he couldn’t even stop his tears. Luke gave into the tears allowing himself to cry against his uncle’s shoulder. Jesse just held him close softly soothing him, thinking this was the first time in many years he had seen Luke cry. Luke was never one for showing expressing his emotions when he was sad in front of people. Jesse knew that Bo getting shot was very hard on Luke and brought back a lot of old painful childhood memories that he had worked hard to bury. Jesse was juts as worried about Luke as he was about Bo. He prayed that the gunshot wound wasn’t that bad and that Bo would pull through this, just like he pulled through everything else.
     A few minutes later Luke had no tears left to cry. He pulled away from uncle’s hug, his cheeks stained with dried tears, his eyes red and puffy from crying. Luke went to the washroom to freshen up. Luke stood in front of the sink splashing cold water on his face. He stopped and looked into the mirror, his face was pale and his crystal ice blue eyes looked haunted, a single thought ran through his mind, ‘I can’t lose Bo the same way that I lost my parents.’ Luke’s knees felt weak and he thought he was going to collapse he grabbed hold of the sink to steady himself, his whole body trembling. Luke didn’t know what he was going to do if he lost Bo, there mere thought of it terrified him. Luke took a couple of deep breaths and waited for the feeling of light-headedness to pass before he went back out to the waiting room.
     “How you feeling?” Jesse asked, looking worriedly at his oldest nephew.
     “I’m fine.” Luke said, his voice sounded distant and didn’t reflect what he was actually saying.
Jesse didn’t push the fact that he knew Luke really wasn’t fine, he knew it would do no good to force the issue, and might only upset Luke more. Jesse had filled in all the necessary papers for Bo, while Luke was in the hospital. He didn’t have much trouble filling the papers in, he just kept telling himself it was routine and Bo wasn’t really in any life threatening danger.
     It was an hour later before any doctor even came around; Jesse wondered how bad the news was going to be, as the doctor’s expression looked grim. The doctor was young, and had fire red hair, his nametag read Rod Greyson.
     “How is my boy, doc?” Jesse asked.
     “He lost a lot of blood and there was quite a lot of internal damage done. The bullet was lodge right next to his spine. It is too soon yet to tell if he will pull trough this.” Dr. Greyson said.
Luke listened to what the doctor said, his face pale, he could barely believe that this was happening.
     “What do you know for sure?” Jesse asked.
The doctor only shook his head it is too early yet to know anything for sure. He is still unconscious. He is young so he might be able to pull through this.” Dr. Greyson replied.
Jesse looked at the doctor suspiciously. “Don’t be trying to spare my feelings doc, tell me how he really is.”
     “There was a lot of damage, and since he still hasn’t woke up that is a sign that there might be even more damage. There was massive internal bleeding, though he has remained able to breathe on his own. We have to run some more test once . . . if he wakes up.” Dr. Greyson said.
     “Can we see him?” Luke asked, speaking up for the first time.
Dr. Greyson nodded. “He is in room nineteen, I’ll take you there.”
     They stopped just outside the door of the room that Bo was in. “Don’t be taken back by all the machines, they are just monitoring Bo’s condition.”
     “Thank you doctor.” Jesse said, shaking Dr. Greyson hand.
Luke had already gone into Bo’s room.
     Luke stood at the foot of the bed for a moment just looking at his younger cousin, his eyes watering with tears, that he refused to allow to flow. Bo looked so pale, his chest was bare, his stomach wound with a thick layer of bandaging and there was wires hooked to his chest to monitor his heart rate. Luke trembled as he moved over to the edge of the bed and gently took Bo’s hand and held it between his own. Luke was only dimly aware of Jesse coming into the room and standing on the other side of Bo’s bed.
     “C’mon Bo you gotta awake up . . . you have to be okay . . . please.” Luke said softly, in an almost pleading tone.
Luke looked up at his uncle. “It’s not fair Uncle Jesse.”
     “Things like this never are fair.” Jesse said.
Luke looked down at his cousin with tear-filled eyes, he brushed back a stay lock of Bo’s blonde hair that had fallen across his eyes. “I can’t lose him . . . not the same way that I lost my parents.”
     “Bo will pull through this, you have to trust in that.” Jesse said.
Luke looked back at Jesse. “And what if he don’t?”
     “I don’t know, I would rather not think about that.” Jesse said.
     “I could’ve stopped it from happening.” Luke said.
     “No you couldn’t have Luke, you did all you could.” Jesse said.
Luke shook his head. “I didn’t do nearly enough . . . I failed to protect him Uncle Jesse, it is my fault he got shot.”
Jesse sighed, knowing how protective Luke was of Bo, they were more brothers then cousin, and Luke had helped out a lot in raising Bo.
     “You can’t blame yourself Luke.” Jesse said.
     “And why not? It is my fault.”
     “No it is not. You know that Bo wouldn’t want you to be blaming yourself.” Jesse said.
     “It’s like when my parents died . . .” Luke said, his voice trailing off, he had never really talked to anyone about how his parents had been killed, not even Bo.
     “You were only five, there was nothing you could’ve done then and nothing you could’ve done this time.” Jesse said.
     “There is something that I can do this time that I didn’t do last time.” Luke said.
     “And what’s that?” Jesse asked.
     “I can find the bastard that shot Bo and make him not let him get away with shooting Bo . . . endangering his life. I am not going to let him get away . . . not like I let the guy who shot my parents get away because I was too afraid.” Luke said, fighting back the tears of pain and rage that burned in his eyes.
     “You said you couldn’t remember the face of the man who shot your parents.” Jesse said.
Luke got up to leave the room, he didn’t want to talk about, knew if he stayed there and talked about the day his parents were murdered, and to be there seeing Bo fight for his life that he would surely break down crying. Jesse grabbed Luke by the arm before he could leave the room, and spun Luke around to face him.
     “You said you didn’t remember.” Jesse said.
     “I lied, okay? I remembered his face every night in my dreams for nearly two years before I managed to block it.” Luke said.
     “Why did you say you didn’t remember then?” Jesse asked.
     “I was too afraid . . . he said if I told he would come and kill me and whoever I was with when he came to get me . . . I was afraid that he would.” Luke said.
Jesse didn’t know what to say he just looked at his nephew, he could see tears watering Luke’s eyes.
     “I can’t make the same mistake again . . . “ Luke started to say, the image of the man who had killed his parents, and the image of the man who shot Bo flashed through his mind. “It’s the same guy.”
     “What?” Jesse asked.
     “The same guy who killed my parents shot Bo . . . I have to find him make him pay for taking my parents away from me and . . . possibly taking Bo away from me.” Luke said.
     “I don’t think you should be going anywhere.” Jesse said.
     “I have to. If . . . if Bo wakes up when I am gone tell him I am sorry to not to be here for him but . . . I have to set tings right.” Luke said.
     “I think you should just stay here.” Jesse said.
Luke shook his head, he felt as though he would start to cry at any minute, his knees were starting to feel too weak to hold up his wait. “No. I have to go.”
Luke ran out of the room and Jesse watched from the doorway has Luke vanished down the hallway. Jesse sighed and walked over and sat down next to Bo’s bed. He prayed that his young nephew would pull through this.
     Luke sped along the back roads of Hazzard for sign of the man who had shot Bo, the same man that had shot and killed his parents. He started to think about the past, when his parents had been murdered, when he was only five.