Misunderstanding

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


Warnings: Angst, Slash, Violence


Rating: FRM


* indicates thoughts


Misunderstanding
Chapter 14


"You okay Bo?" Luke asked, as he followed his cousin into the barn.


"Yeah, I'm fine," Bo answered dejectedly.


"You don't sound like it. Come on cousin talk to me," Luke tried again. When no response was forthcoming, he added an observation; "You've been awfully quiet since Cooter and L.B. went back home."


"So, maybe I just ain't felt like talking."


"Booo...."


"What do you want me to say Luke?" Bo asked, tiredly.


"It's not what I want you to say Bo, I'm just worried about you."


"I know, and I'm sorry. I really am okay Luke, I just got some stuff to think about," Bo vaguely explained. He wanted to tell his older cousin what was going on, but he wasn't sure how Luke would react to the idea of Bo falling for a man. If he even was falling for L.B., maybe he was just confused.


"What kind of stuff?"


"I'm not ready to talk about it yet," was the only answer Bo gave. Without another word, and not waiting for Luke to respond, Bo walked out of the barn.


Luke stood there for several seconds after Bo left, not sure whether he should follow his cousin. By the time he decided to follow, he was too late. Coming out of the barn, Luke was just in time to see Bo climbing into the General.


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Bo drove the back roads of Hazzard for several hours, finally ending up at Hazzard pond, no closer to an answer than when he left the farm. Pulling himself out of the General, Bo walked down towards the water, stopping at the edge and looking at the surface as though it held the answers he needed. *I can't believe it's only been three days since L.B. went home. It seems so much longer, I miss seeing him every day. I feel like I'm sixteen again and going on my first solo date.... Wow, I think I really am falling in love with L.B.. How can this be happening? I don't understand why I never found myself attracted to a guy before this.* As Bo watched a dragonfly hovering above the surface of the pond, he stumbled back, nearly falling as a long forgotten memory was awakened. * "Hey Bo, watch this!" Josh called from the branch of an old oak tree. Looking up, seventeen year old Bo saw the nude form of his friend as he dove from the branch, arcing gracefully out over the water, his hands clasped together as he shot into the water like an arrow. Bo was surprised to find himself hardening at the sight of his friend and thinking he'd never seen a more beautiful image in his life.* "I can't believe I forgot about that," he whispered to himself. Feeling his legs trembling, Bo sat down on a nearby log. Lost in thoughts of the past and the possible future, he was unaware of the arrival of several men.


"Well looky here, if it ain't the faggot that killed Mark," a voice snarled from behind Bo.


Turning towards the voice, Bo was startled to find himself facing the other four men from that night in Cedar City. "What do you want?" he demanded.


"We want you faggot," the same man informed him. "You think we're gonna let you send us to prison?"


"What's your problem? I ain't never done anything to you, to any of you! What gives you the right to attack me?"


"Your kind's an abomination boy!"


Bo felt a sudden pain in his back as something solid slammed against him. Falling to his knees, he felt a foot connect with his chest, knocking him onto his back. Suddenly they descended on him, pummeling him with fists and rocks. He fought back, but just like that night, the odds were against him. The last thing he saw was a rock coming towards his face, then a blinding pain and darkness.


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L.B. was in the barn working on the Impala when the sound of a familiar engine caught his attention. Moving from beneath the hood, he wiped his hands on a nearby rag and went outside, hoping it was Bo coming to see him. As he stepped out of the barn, he saw that another vehicle was pulling in behind the General.


"You L.B.?" the driver asked, as he climbed from behind the wheel.


"Yeah, who are you?" L.B. asked, getting a very bad feeling.


"Me? I'm a friend of Mark Dawson's, so are they," he replied, nodding to the other men. "Got something for ya," he countinued, moving to the trunk of the gray car he drove.

"Bo!" L.B. cried out, when the other man pulled the blond from the trunk and dumped his battered form on the ground. "What did you do to him?" he demanded, rushing forward to kneel beside his friend.


"We just gave him what he deserved, same thing you're gonna get," came the reply, as L.B. was hauled to his feet by rough hands. "We're gonna make you faggots sorry for what y'all did to Mark. He was a good man, a real man who was doing the Lord's work."


"The Lord's work?" L.B. asked increduously. "So it's the Lord's work to rape and murder?"


"What are you talking about faggot? Mark never raped nobody," one of the men protested.


"Like hell he didn't! He raped several men, including Bo, so what does that make him?"


"That's a lie! Mark wouldn't have done that? He weren't no faggot!"


"Ask the cops, they've got pictures of him doing just that. Pictures that Bobby Jensen took of him," L.B. told them. He never saw the blow coming, nor the two by four that slammed into his head.


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Luke had waited for Bo to come home, but after several hours he was starting to get worried. He hadn't wanted to mention it to his cousin, but there were four other men out there who had also been involved in the attacks. Men who might want to make sure they wouldn't be identified by any of their victims. Finally, he had tried to reach the younger man on the cb, which is when he really got worried.


"Breaker, breaker this is Lost Sheep one calling Crazy Cooter, you got your ears on?"


"Breaker one, breaker one, might be crazy but I ain't dumb, Craaaazy Cooter comin' at ya. What's ya need buddyro?"


"Cooter, you seen Bo today?"


"Nah, is he missing?"


"I don't know yet. He left here a few hours ago, he was kind of upset but I don't think he'd stay gone this long and I can't reach him on the cb."


"You think something's happened to him?"


"I'm starting to think so. I was hoping he might've come by there to see you and L.B.," Luke explained.


"Well L.B.'s at the farm, maybe Bo went up there," Cooter suggested. "Hold on a minute Luke." Cooter laid down the mic, and picked up the phone. Quickly dialing the farm, he listened with growing concerned as the phone rang but nobody answered. After ten rings, he finally admitted defeat and hung up. "Luke, I just tried the farm, there weren't no answer. Now L.B. stayed home cause I've been kind of hovering, but he promised he'd make sure he could hear the phone and would answer if I called."


"I'll meet you out at your place Cooter," Luke said.


"10-4 buddyro," Cooter replied. Locking up the garage, he climbed into his tow truck and headed out of town. Halfway to the farm, he passed Enos in his favorite speed trap. "Enos you got your ears on?"


"This is Enos, what's going on Cooter?"


"Not sure, Luke can't reach Bo and I ain't getting any answer out to my place. I'm meeting Luke up there now, you think you could come along? Just in case there's a problem."


"Sure Cooter, I can do that."


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The sounds of screams reached Luke's ears before he was halfway up the driveway. Pulling to the side of the gravel drive, he parked and got out of the truck. Grabbing his bow and arrow from the truck bed, he was just about to go the rest of the way on foot. The sound of an engine caused him to wait. He sighed with relief when he saw Cooter pulling up, Enos right behind him.


"Luke what's go..." Cooter stopped speaking as the sound of a blood-curdling scream reached them. Without another word the three young men ran towards the horrible sounds.


Slowing down as they neared the open yard, they moved to the side so that they would come up from behind the barn. Once at the rear of the barn, they separated; Luke headed inside and up into the loft, Cooter went to the right and Enos to the left.


Moving to the front of the hayloft, Luke peered out through the open door at a sight that would forever haunt him. Down below his cousin and L.B. had been tied with their arms above them, the rope then tied to a branch several feet above them. The two young men had been hauled up by these ropes, so that their feet no longer touched solid ground, all of their weight being supported by their arms. Luke watched in horror as four men tortured Bo and L.B.. It took all of his strength to wait for Cooter and Enos to get into position.


"Stop it! Leave him alone!" Bo screamed at their tormentors.


"What's the matter sweetheart? You need some attention?" the leader asked. Moving to Bo's side, knife held in his hand, it's blade glowing red hot. Pulling the blade down Bo's chest, he smiled at the scream of pain coming from the young man's throat. The heat of the blade cauterizing the cut as it was drug through his tender skin.


"No! Please don't hurt him," L.B. begged, his words slightly slurred.


"Y'all just can't stand to have somebody else getting the attention, can ya?" one of the men asked. Picking up another knife from the fire, he moved to L.B.'s side and began to cut his chest.


"Come on guys," Luke muttered. "Finally," he whispered when he saw his friends in place. It had been killing him to watch and do nothing.


"Police Freeze!" Enos called out, stepping away from the barn, his pistol aimed at the four men.


"Better do as he says boys," Cooter chimed in from the other side of the barn.


"Now," Luke ordered from the loft, an arrow aimed directly at the leader.


"Alright, alright, no need to get upset," the leader said, dropping his knife. Nodding to the other men, he indicated they should also drop their weapons.


"Step away from the knives," Enos ordered. "Get on your knees," he ordered when he felt they were far enough away from their weapons. "Luke, Cooter wait..."


"Wait?" both men asked as one.


"I know you want to cut them down, but we need to secure the prisoners first. Cooter could you get some rope from the barn?"


"Sure Enos," Cooter answered, hurrying to do as the deputy had requested.


"Luke, could you put the cuffs on one of them?"


"Gladly," Luke replied. Taking the cuffs from Enos' hand, he stepped forward and placed them around the wrists of the leader, tightening them, stopping only when the man gave a slight moan.


By that time, Cooter had returned with the rope, and under Enos' watchful eye, they quickly tied the remaining three. "Enos would you call for an ambulance?" Luke asked, moving with Cooter towards the tree where their cousins were so cruelly tied.


"No, please."


"Shh, it's okay Bo, you're safe now," Luke soothed. Taking the knife from his belt, he reached up and cut the rope that held his cousin prisoner. With quick reflexes, he dropped the knife in time to catch his cousin's weight as he collapsed towards the ground. Carefully lowering him to the ground, Luke looked across at Cooter who had lowered L.B. to the dirt. "How is he?"


"Not good, Bo?"


"Looks pretty bad," Luke confirmed. "Shhh, it's okay Bo, I've got ya," he murmurred as Bo began to move, trying to escape his tormentors.


"Luke? L.B., where's L.B.? What'd they do to him?"


"L.B.'s here Bo, Cooter's taking care of him."


"He's okay, safe?"


"Yeah Bo, he's safe, ya ain't got to worry about him, you just worry about you," Luke replied.


It must've been what he needed to hear, because as soon as Bo knew L.B. was safe, he stopped struggling and fell unconscious.


"Bo!" Luke called out as he reached out with a trembling hand to check his baby cousin for a pulse. Sighing in relief at the steady thumping beneath his fingers, he looked at Cooter with a small smile, "He just passed out. Is L.B. awake?"


"No, he's still out," Cooter sadly replied. "Dang it! Where's that ambulance?"


"It'll be here Cooter," Luke said, offering what comfort he could and trying to believe it himself.


After what seemed an eternity, the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. Coming to a stop next to the General, the ambulance from Tri-county was a welcome sight. The sight of Rosco's patrol car pulling up after it and parking in an out of the way spot, was a surprising one.


"These the prisoners?" Rosco asked, nodding at the four men kneeling on the ground.


"Yes sir," Enos replied.


"Did you read them their rights?" Rosco asked. He wanted to make sure these four didn't get away with what they'd done.


"Yes sir, I sure did."


"Good, well let's get 'em into the jail. You take those two and I'll take these two," Rosco ordered.

By the time that Rosco and Enos had the four men secured in their cars, the paramedics had L.B. ready for transport and were working on Bo. Wanting to be available if they were needed, the two police officers stood next to their cars until both younger men were being placed in the waiting ambulance. "Luke," Rosco called.


"What is it Rosco?" Luke asked, trying to keep the impatience from his voice.


"You and Cooter go on to the hospital, I'll see to it that Daisy and Jesse are told what happened."


"Thanks Rosco, I appreciate it," Luke said, clearly surprised, though he tried to hide it.


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Several hours later, a doctor finally approached the waiting family. "For Bo Duke?"


"Yes sir, I'm his Uncle Jesse and these are his cousins Daisy and Luke. How's my boy?"


"Mr. Duke, I'm Dr. Ryan. Bo will recover, but he will need some physical therapy for his shoulders."


"His shoulders?"


"Yes sir, both of Bo's shoulder's were dislocated. Now we were able to reduce the dislocation. However because of the stress that was placed on them, I'm afraid Bo will need some therapy if he hopes to regain full mobility. Aside from the injury to his shoulders, he has several cuts and burns, all of which are minor, though they will be painful. He is also suffering from several broken ribs, luckily none of them punctured any organs. There is only one other injury, aside from a large amount of bruising, he has a slight concussion from a blow to the head which required eight stitches. Do you have any questions?"


"Are you sure he's going to be okay?" Jesse asked.


"Yes sir, as long as he doesn't do anything to aggravate his injuries, he should completely recover."


"Can we see him?"


"As soon as he's settled in a room, I'll have a nurse come and get you," the doctor replied.


"Uh, doc, you know anything about L.B. Davenport?" Cooter asked.


"No sir, I'm sorry I haven't been treating him."


"Oh," Cooter said.


"I'll see what I can find out, how's that?" the doctor offered when he saw Cooter's disappointment.


"Thanks doc!" Cooter replied, brightening up considerably.


"L.B. will be okay Cooter," Luke assured his friend.


"Of course he will," Cooter agreed. "That's great news about Bo!"


"Um, are you here for L.B. Davenport?" a middle aged doctor asked, interrupting their conversations.


"Yes sir, I'm his cousin Cooter. How is he?"


"Mr. Davenport, I'm Dr. Lawerence," the man introduced himself. "Why don't you come with me?"


"Oh God, is he...?"


"No sir, he's alive," the doctor hurried to assure him.


"Then why can't you tell me right here?"


"Calm down Cooter," Luke said, giving his friend's shoulder a supportive squeeze.


"Alright, but perhaps we could sit down," the doctor agreed to Cooter's request.


"Fine," Cooter said, moving to a nearby seat. He barely noticed when Luke and Jesse sat beside him, one on either side. "Now doc, tell me how my cousin is?" Cooter asked, his focus on the doctor.


"Mr. Davenport, as I said L.B. is alive, however his condition is serious. He has several cuts, burns and bruises. His left shoulder was dislocated, however it has been successfully reduced."


"Excuse me doc, but don't none of that sound very serious."


"No sir, the reason L.B.'s condition is considered serious is because of the head injury. He received a severe blow to the back of his skull. As a result there is some swelling of the brain and he's slipped into a coma," the doctor explained as gently as possible.


"A coma?" Cooter asked, growing pale as the doctor's words sunk in. "Can I see him?"


"He's being moved to intensive care, you can see him then. If you'll come with me I'll show you where the ICU is," the doctor offered.


Without another word to the Dukes, Cooter stood and followed the doctor to the elevator.


Watching their friend go, the Duke family prayed for L.B.'s recovery as they gave thanks for the good news about Bo. "Bo, Uncle Jesse how are we going to tell Bo about L.B.?" Luke asked suddenly.


"As gently as we can son, but he has to be told. It wouldn't be right to keep it from him," Jesse replied. "I just hope he's strong enough to handle it," Jesse whispered, sending up the thought in a silent prayer.


TBC


Thought we needed another cliffhanger. ;) Please feed the muses with reviews before they go on a hunger strike. LOL. I'll try to update soon, and thanks for all the reviews that have already been left.