Ghostly Encounter

The Morning After


Luke regained consciousness just before dawn, as awareness returned
so did the memory of what Roy Logan had done. Rising up from the bed
he felt tears pricking his eyes as he took in Bo's condition. Knowing
what would happen to Bo's muscles when they were released from the hours
of restraint, Luke carefully began by releasing Bo's left arm. As he
released Bo's arm he massaged it until he felt the muscles no longer
cramping beneath his hands, he then released each of Bo's other limbs,
attempting to reach him the entire time. However all this time there
was no response from Bo, who simply lay on the bed. As the night had
passed Bo had been left with nothing to do but relive the torment Roy
Logan had put him through. Between that and his injuries Bo had slipped
into a state of shock. "Come on Bo, please say something. Please Bo
I'm so sorry I couldn't stop him, I tried, you have to believe me.
Please....please talk to me Bo....please forgive me." Luke begged.
Getting no response Luke did the only thing he could, setting about to
clean Bo up as best he could Luke kept up a steady one-sided conversation.
As he began to get Bo dressed there was finally a response. "Luke....
is it you?" Bo asked weakly.

"Yeah it's me Bo....can ya ever forgive me?"

"Don't Luke....please don't blame yourself, it ain't your fault." Bo
paused and when Luke refused to look at him he reached for his hand,
"Luke I mean it, but if it'll make you feel better I forgive you, though
I still say there ain't nuthin to forgive."

Luke finally looked at Bo with love shining from his eyes, "You're
an amazing man Bo Duke and I thank God for bringing you into my life."
Feeling unusually shy Luke reached out to touch Bo's face before asking
his next question. "Bo,...would it be okay if I kiss you? I'll understand
if you don't want...."

"Stop it Luke, please love I know it wasn't you so would you just hush
up and kiss me?" and Bo leaned forward to touch his lips to Luke's in
a gentle carress. As he returned the kiss Luke was once again amazed
by Bo's love. Reluctantly breadking the kiss Luke got off the bed and
began gathering up their things. "Do you feel like you can walk Bo? We
need to get out of here and get you to a hospital."


"I may need a little help getting out to the General but I don't want
to go to the hospital."

"Bo you need to...." Luke began only to be interrupted by Bo.

"No, please love I don't want anybody else touching me. I just want to
go home, please Luke, please can't we just go home?" Bo begged.

Luke couldn't resist the heartfelt plea, not after what Bo had gone
through. However he also knew that Bo needed to be checked by a doctor,
needed to have his injuries tended to. "I'll tell you what darlin, we
won't go to the hospital if you agree to allowing Doc. Appleby to check
you over and treat your injuries. Deal?" At Bo's nod of acceptance
Luke stood back up and began to once again gather their things. "I'm
gonna take this stuff out to the car and pull over here near the door,
then I'll be back to help you out of here." Luke told Bo as he headed
for the door. Leaving the room door open Luke quickly headed out for
the General. Returning a few minutes later he carefully helped Bo out
to the General and into the passenger seat. Knowing the highway would
be easier on Bo, Luke guided the General back the way they had traveled
the previous day. Although they traveled slower then was normal for them,
the rest of the trip passed without incident and soon they were turning
into the drive of the Duke farm.


"Where in tarnation have you boys been?" Uncle Jesse asked as he and
Daisy came out of the porch door when the boys pulled up. His concern
quickly turned to fear as Luke helped Bo from the General. "Boys what
happened?" and then he got his first good look at Bo. "BO! Who did this
to you boy? And just where were you Luke while somebody was hurting Bo?"


"Now hold on Uncle Jesse this ain't Luke's fault and we'll explain if
you just give us a chance....just first could we get inside." as Bo
finished his legs buckled and he would have fallen had Luke not been
there to catch him. Uncle Jesse realized his questions would have to
wait. As between them Jesse and Luke were helping Bo into the house
Luke asked Daisy to call Doc Appleby and ask him to come out. Once Bo
was settled in their bed, he and Luke began the difficult task of
explaining to Daisy and Uncle Jesse exactly what had happened. Bo
hesitantly began, "Uncle Jesse, Daisy, well it's hard to talk about what
happened and before I do you have to promise to hear us out." After
receiving a promise from each of them to listen to the whole story Bo
started again. "Well see after our meeting we was headed home and there
was an accident on the highway and we had to take a side road. Then this
storm blew up and we had to find shelter, the only place around was this
motel that had been abandoned. When we got there Luke parked under a
carport by the office and he went in to see if there were any room keys
while I got our stuff out of the trunk. I don't know what happened
when he was in the office, but he came backe with a room key and when
we started into the room something hit me in the head." Here Bo stopped
unable to go on, he looked to Luke who reluctantly took up the story.


"What we didn't know when we pulled into that motel was that a long time
ago there were several murders took place in it. The killer himself was
shot down by the police and his ghost still haunts the place. When I
went into that office his ghost attacked me and took possession of me.
I tried to fight him but he was too strong and when Bo got knocked out
it was me that did it. Well actually it was the ghost using my body, he
had complete control of my body until Halloween ended, all I could do
was watch while he tortured Bo, while he used my body to do unspeakable
things to Bo. I'm so sorry, I know I'm supposed to protect him, I tried
to fight Logan, I love Bo more than my own life, if I could have saved
him this pain I would have, I swear it." By the time he'd finished both
boys once again had tears streaming down their faces.


As he took in the look in their eyes, saw the pain and anguish they
both were suffering Jesse Duke knew they were telling him the truth. As
terrifying as the thought was he had to accept the facts, and he knew
that although Bo may have been the one to suffer the most, Luke also had
suffered through a different sort of torture. Not knowing what to say
Jesse did the only thing he could think of and drew both boys in for a
hug wishing all the while that a simple hug could fix this hurt as it
had the scrapes and bruises of childhood.


When the doctor arrived he asked them all to leave the room so he
could examine Bo. Before he began however Luke took him to the side
and told him that Bo had been raped repeatedly in addition to his other
injuries. While they waited in the kitchen for the doctor to finish
Luke told Jesse and Daisy the same thing he'd told the doctor. Unable
to look at them, afraid of what he would see Luke started to leave the
room only to be stopped by Uncle Jesse. Both Uncle Jesse and Daisy
reassured him he was not to blame for the torment Bo had endured and
they knew by the way he acted that Bo didn't blame him. All things
considered they told him, the least he could do for Bo was to stop
blaming himself. Knowing they were right Luke promised to try, "It's
just....you have no idea what it was like, especially before Bo knew
about the ghost. The look of betrayal in his eyes, he's never looked
at me like that before Jesse and I don't ever want him to again." Luke
said in a dejected voice.

"You're right Luke I don't know what it was like, but I can imagine it
must have been hell on earth to watch the person you love most being
hurt so badly and not be able to stop it. I wish neither of you had
been put through this but you were and all I can do now is be here for
you, for both of you. Never forget that Luke, you and Bo are not alone
anymore, Daisy and me will be here both of you for however long it takes
you to get through this and beyond." Jesse assured him.


Finally after what seemed like an eternity later the doctor emerged from
Bo and Luke's room to report the results of the exam. He quickly related
his findings knowing Bo's family would be worried. He told them Bo
would recover physically with time, he went on to tell them that while
Bo's emotional recovery would probably take longer he was confident that
he would recover. Leaving them with antibiotic ointments, pain killers
and care instructions the doctor was soon on his way. Going into the
bedroom Luke stood there watching Bo as he slept filled with love and
tenderness for this very special man, he knew it wouldn't be easy but
he ws sure that together and with the love of their family they would
get through this. Knowing Bo would probably sleep for awhile Luke went
to find Jesse, needing to warn him that Roy Logan had told Bo about his
parents being alive, and that Bo would surely have questions that would
need answered.

TBC.