FORGIVENESS

Chapter 5

            Luke picked at the food on his plate, playing with it more than actually eating it. He had gone home with Jesse and Daisy only because Jesse had made him but his mind was still back at the hospital with Bo. Jesse noticed that Luke wasn’t eating but decided not to say anything. Finally, Luke shoved his plate away and looked at his Uncle “May I be excused?” he asked. When Jesse nodded, Luke stood up and left the table, going upstairs to his room. Daisy looked at her uncle with a worried expression on her face.

            “Uncle Jesse, are you sure Luke’s gonna be okay?”

            “He will be as soon as he can talk to Bo.” Jesse told her quietly.

            “I’ve never seen him like this before.”

            “He’s afraid and Luke doesn’t deal well with fear….he never has.” Jesse said, “Luke’s used to keeping his feelings to himself and when something like this happens that makes it hard for him to do that…..he doesn’t know how to handle it.”

            “Why is like that? I mean….Bo’s not like that. You always know how Bo feels.”

            “That’s just Luke. His dad was the same way so I guess he comes by it natural.”

            “But it can’t be good for him….not when it makes him hurt like this.”

            “I never said it was good for him….that’s just his way. And he’ll have to work through it on his own unless he decides to talk to one of us…..but we’re not the ones he wants to talk too….Bo is.”

            “I just worry about him when he gets like this.” Daisy said

            “I know, baby….and Luke knows it to. And even if he doesn’t show it, he does appreciate your concern.”

            Upstairs in his room, Luke pulled off his boots and lay down on his bed still fully clothed. He was exhausted and it felt good to be in his own bed but he still wished he were back at the hospital with Bo. Bo needed him and he wasn’t there by his side like he should be. Against his will, his eyes grew heavy and he finally slept a deep dreamless sleep. It was still dark in the room when he opened his eyes. Turning his head, he saw that it was only two A.M. Sighing, he shoved himself up off the bed. He knew he wouldn’t be getting any more sleep tonight. He pulled on his boots and silently made his way down the stairs.

            He slipped out the back door and walked over to the General Lee, climbing into the car. He knew Jesse would probably be mad in the morning when he woke up and found Luke gone. However, he had to go back to the hospital to be with Bo where he belonged. It was shortly after three in the morning when he stepped off the elevator and walked past the nurse’s desk to Bo’s room. Pulling a chair up beside the bed, he sat down and took Bo’s hand in his own, holding on tightly. “Come on, little cousin….open your eyes and look at me….” Luke said quietly, a desperate pleading tone creeping into his voice “You have to wake up….I have to know that you’re gonna be okay.” However, Bo just lay there, not responding to Luke’s touch or the sound of his voice. Luke blinked back the tears that burned at his eyes. The connection between the two boys was so strong that without Bo by his side, Luke felt as if a part of him was missing. He couldn’t bear to lose his cousin, his blood brother, his soul mate. Because if he did, he knew that a very big part of him would die too and his life would never be the same. It had always been that way with him and Bo. From the first day, Bo came to the farm when he was just a baby, Luke had made himself Bo’s protector, his big brother and through the years, the bond between them had just grown stronger. The only time they’d ever been separated was when Luke was in the Marines and he had missed his cousin terribly.

            Luke leaned his head down so that it was resting on the edge of the bed as he said a silent prayer to God to let Bo come back to him where he belonged. He didn’t realize that he had dozed off for a minute until he felt a hand on his shoulder, startling him awake. It was the nurse telling him that his time was up. Slowly, he shoved himself to his feet and went back out to the waiting room where he slouched down in a chair and immediately went back to sleep.

            In the morning after his rounds Dr Pyle told him that Bo’s condition had improved enough that he was being moved out of the intensive care unit. At least he would be in a regular room now so there wouldn’t be a restriction on when or how long Luke could stay with him. By the time Jesse and Daisy arrived that afternoon, Bo had already been moved to another room on the second floor and Luke had settled in with him. Luke had called the farm with the news about him being moved out of ICU and had given Jesse the new room number. Jesse started to reprimand Luke for leaving in the middle of the night but then decided against it. Sometimes Jesse had to remind himself that the boys were adults now and capable of making their own choices and their own decisions. And Jesse knew better than anyone the bond between those two. With Bo was where Luke wanted to be and that was where he was going to be and nobody was going to stop him from being there.

I know this chapter is really short, but it’s fair time here and I am working there all week so not much time to write or to update. In the meantime, please review.