Chapter Text
Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes of Hazzard, not making any money, just cheap thrills.
Warnings: Angst, Drama, Alternate Universe
Rating: FRT
Summary: A tragic accident will change the lives of the Duke family forever.
A/N: This story will be an alternate universe tale. As a result you may find quite a few differences between the characters as you know them and as they are in this story.
Changes
Chapter 1
"I'm sorry y'all," Cooter quietly apologized. He kept his head low, unable to look any of them in the eye after what he'd done.
"Cooter, did you force Bo to toss around a football in the junkyard?" Jesse asked.
"No sir, we was just passing the time until Herbert got back with the part I needed."
"Then it ain't your fault," the old man assured him. "Now has there been any word yet?" Jesse asked, sitting down in the seat next to Cooter.
"No sir, I ain't heard nothing since they brought him in."
"What exactly happened Cooter?" Luke asked, taking a seat on the other side of his friend. He wrapped one arm around Daisy as she sat down next to him.
"I got to the junkyard and Herbert hadn't pulled the part I needed yet. He said it'd be about thirty minutes cause the car it was on was way out in the back. Well I figured I'd wait for him, wish now I hadn't waited," he added miserably.
"Bo showed up while Herbert was gone?"
Cooter nodded, still not looking at them. "I told him how long it'd be. We got to talking and then Bo spotted an old football next to the office porch. I don't know what it was doing there, but we decided to toss it around some. Just something to pass the time ya know?" Cooter asked, sounding like a small boy begging for understanding.
"We know Cooter, me and Bo have done stuff like that lots of times," Luke said. He wanted Cooter to know that they didn't blame him. They all understood it had been an accident, nobody had meant for anything like this to happen.
"Bo kept tossing the ball over my head, guess he thought it was funny. It was too, but it started irritating me so the last time I got the ball I threw it as far and as high as I could. I never should've done it, but you know how I am when I get mad."
"We know Cooter, go on son."
"The ball landed in one of the old junk cars. It was near the top of a stack of 'em and when Bo told me I had to go get the ball I wouldn't do it. I told him he was the one that missed it, he could go fetch it. It was a damned fool thing to do and a rotten way to treat a friend," Cooter berated himself.
"Cooter please stop beating yourself up over it," Daisy plead. Reaching over Luke's lap she took Cooter's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It was an accident Cooter, nobody here blames you and that includes Bo."
"Thank you Daisy," Cooter softly acknowledged her words, though he didn't agree with them. "Bo just shrugged and started climbing. He made it up just fine, leaned into the car to get the ball. I don't know what happened exactly, but when he straightened back up he started falling. Maybe he missed his footing, or just got off balance, I ain't got a clue. I know he fell all the way down that stack of cars and I know he bounced off them all the way down. When he hit the ground he wasn't moving and there was blood coming from his side. I called an ambulance and waited with him until they came, then I called y'all on the way here. You know the rest."
"Thank you Cooter for taking care of my boy," Jesse told him, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Cooter's head snapped up at Jesse's words, his eyes wide with surprise. "I...you're welcome Uncle Jesse," he whispered.
Jesse opened his mouth to deliver his normal response but before he could a doctor approached the small group. "Are you here for Beauregard Duke?"
As a group they stood, but it was Jesse that spoke. "Yes sir, I'm Jesse Duke, Bo's uncle. How's my nephew?"
"Mr. Duke I'm Dr. Greene," he introduces himself. "Perhaps we should all sit down," he kindly suggested. Pulling a chair over, he sat facing them, a clipboard held in his hands.
"He's gonna be okay, ain't he doc?" Cooter anxiously asked. "He was bleeding so much..."
"I'm sure he was, but the injury to his side wasn't nearly as bad as it looked. While he did lose some blood from it, there was no real damage done and we were able to stitch him up without any trouble." Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for what he would now have to tell them. "That's the good news, the bad news is he suffered several severe blows to the head."
"He's gonna be okay though?" Luke asked, echoing Cooter.
The doctor sighed, this was the part of his job he hated the most. "It's too soon to tell. You need to prepare yourselves for what lies ahead. Right now Bo is deeply unconscious, he's not in a coma but he's not far from it."
"What does that mean?" Jesse asked.
"It means he could easily slip into a coma, one he might never wake up from. If he does wake up you need to be aware that there are indications of brain damage. How much or how severe I can't tell you until he wakes up."
"Don't sound like you know much of anything," Luke growled.
"Luke," Jesse admonished.
"Sorry Uncle Jesse, sorry doc."
"It's quite alright Luke, I can understand your frustration. I really wish there was more I could tell you. The problem is that we don't know nearly enough about how the brain works, so all we can tell right now is that there's damage. However until Bo is awake we can't tell exactly how severe or what effect it will have. He could wake up with amnesia, blind, deaf, paralyzed or he could wake up suffering nothing more than a severe headache and confusion."
"Do you," Daisy began, pausing as she tried to force the words past the lump in her throat. "Do you know how long it'll be until he wakes up?"
"No miss I don't. He could wake up in a few hours or he might not wake up for weeks."
"Or he might not ever wake up," Cooter bitterly added.
"I'm sorry to say but yes that possibility exist too. He's being moved to room 416 at the moment. Give them thirty minutes to get him settled and then you can see him. If you think of anything you need to ask or there are any problems you can have me paged." Excusing himself, Dr. Greene left the family alone.
The days passed, quickly turning to weeks with no sign that Bo was going to wake up. Even when they removed the stitches from his side ten days after the accident, he didn't move a muscle. Nearing the three week mark they were all beginning to fear he would never wake up, though nobody dared to say it. A moan from the bed caught Luke's attention, bringing him to his feet and to the bed in seconds.
"Bo? That's it buddy, open your eyes," he quietly encouraged.
He could hear a voice calling his name. Whoever it was sounded like they were at the other end of a long tunnel. Struggling to wake up, he tried to blink open heavy eyelids as the voice continued to call his name. Finally after what seemed an eternity his eyes opened and he saw the man who had been telling him to wake up.
"There ya are," Luke grinned, relief flooding through him. Pushing the call button, he next raised the bed so Bo was partially sitting up. "That better?"
Bo nodded his thanks. He swept the room with his eyes, he could see he was in the hospital but he didn't know why. "Are you a doctor?" he croaked out, his voice raspy from lack of use.
Luke took a step back, surprised by the question. "No Bo I'm not a doctor," he quietly answered. "Would you like some water?" he asked to cover the awkward moment.
Bo nodded. He wondered who the man was if he wasn't a doctor, but he was sure glad he was there to help him get a drink. "Where's my Uncle Jesse?" he asked after he'd had a small drink.
"He's at the farm, I should call him and let him know you're awake."
"Well hello there," the nurse smiled at Bo as she stepped into the room. "I see you finally decided to wake up."
"Yes ma'am," Bo shyly responded.
"Miss could I talk to you for a minute?" Luke asked, motioning her back towards the door.
"Yes sir, what is it?"
"I think you should call the doctor."
"I already did, he's on his way."
"Good. I need to go call my uncle but I wanted to tell you something first. When Bo woke up he didn't know who I am, but he asked about our uncle. Is it possible for him to have just partial amnesia?"
"It certainly is, we'll know more after the doctor examines him. Why don't you go make your call, I'll stay with him until the doctor arrives."
"Thank you, I'll be back in a few minutes." True to his word he was back in only a few minutes, beating the doctor there by several minutes. "Uncle Jesse will be here in just a little while Bo," he told his cousin.
"Is he your uncle too?" Bo asked.
"Yeah he is," Luke replied with difficulty. He was surprised by how much it hurt that Bo had forgotten him.
"Do ya think he'll bring Luke and Daisy with him?"
Luke just stared at him, confused by his cousin's question. How could he remember him but not recognize him? "I don't know Bo," he hesitantly replied.
"Hello Luke," Dr. Greene greeted him. "You must be Bo," he smiled at his patient. "I'm Dr. Greene, I've been taking care of you since you came in," he explained.
"Hi," Bo shyly greeted. "Why am I in the hospital? Did I have a bad asthma attack?"
"Asthma?" the doctor asked, glancing at Luke.
"He had asthma when he was a kid, but he ain't had any trouble with it in years."
"I see. Bo can you tell me what day it is?"
"It's April 22nd," Bo replied, his tone clearly saying that he thought the doctor should know that.
Dr. Greene noted in the chart that Bo remembered the correct date for the day of his accident. "Can you tell me what year it is?"
"Don't you know doc?"
"I just want to see if you're paying attention."
"Okay, it's 1968."
"And how old are you Bo?" As the doctor made notes and asked his questions, he gave no sign that anything was amiss.
"I just turned eight a couple of weeks ago," he grinned.
"You're getting to be a big boy," the doctor replied, returning the grin. "Can you tell me where you live Bo?"
"Uh-huh, I live with my Uncle Jesse and my cousins Luke and Daisy. Aunt Martha used to live there too, but she died in Feburary," his voice dropping.
"I'm sorry to hear that Bo. What town do you live in?"
"I don't live in town. My uncle has a farm, it's near Hazzard."
"That must be nice." As he spoke the doctor was making notes and taking vital signs.
"It sure is, we gots a mule and goats and lots of chickens. Don't tell Uncle Jesse, but I still chase the chickens sometimes even if I ain't a little kid anymore."
The doctor grinned at him, easily imagining how cute he must've been as a little boy. "My lips are sealed," he assured him, making a zipping motion across his mouth with his finger.
Bo giggled at the doctor's antics. Wincing he put his hand to his head, the sudden pain taking him by surprise.
"Why don't I get you something for your headache and then I'd like to run a few tests." Quickly he instructed the nurse to get Bo some medicine for his pain.
Bo looked up at him, fear filling his deep blue eyes. "Tests?" he stuttered, "With needles?"
"No needles Bo. You know what an x-ray is don't you?"
"Uh-huh."
"Well this is a special type of x-ray that will let us look at your brain."
"Is that all?"
"Yes son that's all except for a little more talking to another doctor. You think you can handle that?"
"Okay."
"Here's your medicine Bo," taking the small cup from the nurse and pouring a glass of water for his patient. "Now how about we go take care of your tests?" he asked after Bo had swallowed the pills.
"What about Uncle Jesse?"
"You go on Bo, I'll let him know where you are when he gets here," Luke replied.
"Okay."
By the time Bo returned to his room, Jesse and Daisy had arrived at the hospital. It had been an anxious wait for the three Dukes, each of them wondering what was wrong with Bo and if it was permanent.
"Uncle Jesse!" Bo cried excitedly when he saw his uncle. Spreading his arms wide, he sat up in the bed to greet his uncle.
Stepping over to the bed, Jesse enveloped him in a gentle hug. "It's good to see you awake son. You gave us all a good scare."
"I'm sorry Uncle Jesse," Bo mumbled, his voice thick with tears.
"It's alright Bo, I know ya didn't mean to," Jesse soothed him.
"Uncle Jesse, where's Luke and Daisy?"
"Oh, um, well they, we'll talk about that later son." Jesse stammered, uncertain about what to tell him.
"They're okay ain't they? The doctor said I was in an accident, were they with me? Are they hurt? They ain't ddddead are they?" Bo fearfully rattled off his questions.
"Shhh, calm down Bo, calm down your cousins are just fine."
"Ya ain't lying to me are ya Uncle Jesse?" Bo asked, looking up at him.
"Have I ever lied to you Bo?"
"No sir."
"I ain't lying now either, your cousins are fine."
"Excuse me Mr. Duke," the doctor quietly interrupted. "Could I speak to y'all for a moment?"
"Yes sir," Jesse agreed. "You two go on out, I'll be there in a minute," he told Luke and Daisy. "I need to go talk to the doctor now Bo, but I'll be right outside if you need anything. Okay?"
"Okay," Bo quietly agreed, doing his best to be brave.
"You lay down and try to rest now, I'll be back soon." Smoothing back his hair, he leaned down and kissed his forehead. Smiling sadly as the boy's eyes drifted shut, he quietly left the room. "What did your tests show doctor?" he asked as soon as he joined the others.
"Did Luke tell you that Bo thinks he's eight years old?"
"Yes he did, but that ain't answering my question," he gruffly replied.
"As I told you before Mr. Duke there is brain damage, now that Bo's awake we have been able to assess it. I wish I could tell you more, but there is so very much about the brain we don't understand. Bo doesn't have amnesia exactly. From the tests we ran, including psychological, Bo is mentally and emotionally eight years old. All of his memories up to that time seem to be intact. However the memories from the age of eight to twenty-five are missing."
"They'll come back though won't they?" Luke asked.
"I'm sorry son, but with this type of damage the memories never return."
"He's gonna be like this forever?" Luke was shocked. "Always eight years old?"
"Maybe," Dr. Greene answered.
"Maybe? What do ya mean maybe? Either he's gonna be like this forever or he's gonna get better," Luke growled.
"Luke calm down and let the doctor explain," Jesse quietly ordered.
"Yes sir," Luke sullenly obeyed.
"As I said we don't know a lot about the brain. I'm going to try to make this simple, there are basically two ways Bo could progress. He could in fact forever remain eight years old, mentally and emotionally. However there is the possibilty that as his brain recovers from the trauma it will repair the damage to an extent, allowing him to age mentally and emotionally. If that happens he would eventually reach an adult level of maturity, allowing him to live and function as an independant adult."
"What do we do in the meantime doctor?" Jesse asked.
"Take him home, treat him just like you would if he really was eight."
"What about his cousins? He's going to be expecting them to be ten and twelve, what do I tell him?"
"You tell him the truth Mr. Duke. You might show him family photo albums to help him understand, but in my experience it's never a good idea to keep the truth from somebody in this type of situation."
"Doctor you said he might mature, how long would that take?" Luke asked.
"There's no predicting that. It could take just as long as it normally would, or it could take either less or more time. Unfortunately all I can tell you is what I already advised. Take care of him, treat him as you did when he was eight and wait. I'm sorry I can't tell you more," he sincerely added.
"When can we take him home?" Jesse asked.
"In about a week. The range of motion exercises the nurse has been doing with him while he was unconscious helped, but he will need a little physical therapy. Even with therapy he will be weak for a while and his muscles will tire easily. The more he uses them though, the more they'll improve, until he's back to normal, physically."
"Thank you doctor, for all you've done," Jesse said, shaking the man's hand. Sighing heavily, he looked towards the door of Bo's room. "Let's go see your cousin," he said after the doctor left, leading them back to the room.
With a heavy heart, Luke followed his uncle and cousin. Quietly he grieved the loss of his best friend as he mentally braced himself to help his cousin through this, no matter how long it took.
TBC
Hope y'all liked the beginning of this new universe. There is another fandom I read that has several alternate universes, including one in which a couple of the characters are children while the others remain as adults. My friend Elenhin has recently begun reading these stories and suggested that wouldn't it be fun to do that in Dukes of Hazzard. I gave it some thought, but I didn't want to do the same types of stories as that other fandom. I wanted something unique and that I felt would work better for the Dukes of Hazzard. This is what I came up with, so for those who are hoping for a miraculous cure, there won't be one. Bo is now for all intents and purposes eight, while Luke, Daisy and Cooter are adults.