Paralyzer

The Truth Is Not Always What You Believe

Each day that passed on, Luke grew more agitated and was spending less and less time at home, and more time alone at the pond. Bo was regaining some movement in his legs but he couldn’t move around much when Luke wasn’t around so his healing was taking twice as long as it should’ve.

Luke had gotten to bed late one night and no one had said one word to him; he looked like crap, that much was evident, but no one knew why. Later in the night Bo was getting restless, and decided to wake Luke up so he could help Bo to the washroom.

“Luke, you awake?” Bo whispered quietly. When Bo didn’t get a response he repeated his question, but a little louder this time. Again with no response, he grew more impatient and began yelling.

“Damnit Luke! Wake up!” Bo shouted repeatedly, not noticing his cousin hadn’t moved one bit throughout all his shouting. Daisy and Jesse ran towards the boy’s bedroom to find out what all the commotion was about.

“What’s all the commotion about in hear?” Jesse grumpily asked. Bo explained of Luke’s arriving home late every night and then not waking up, Jesse became very concerned for his eldest nephew.

Daisy and Bo were a bit shaken up, both in tears while they watched a tragic scene fall before their eyes. “Is he going to be alright Uncle Jesse?” Daisy cried out shortly later.

“I’m not sure Daisy. I hope so.” Jesse replied drastically. Not long after Jesse had answered Luke began to stir, mumbling incoherent words and shaking slightly and tremors of pain and sweat shook his body. Bo immediately tensed at the sight of his older cousin shaking so bad while trying to wake up.

“Luke? Luke; it’s your Uncle Jesse here. Open your eyes son, everything is okay I promise. Just open your eyes.” Slowly but surely Luke opened his glassy blue eyes to have 3 sets of eyes stare back at him.

“Whad I mizz..?” He slurred quietly.

“Luke are you drunk?” Daisy gasped.

“djrunk?” Luke mumbled again. “Ne’er djrunk cusinnn”

Jesse cursed under his breath at the sight of his oldest nephew, Luke had taken to drinking to rid himself off all his bottled up emotions and was now hurting the rest of his family.

Bo rolled on his bed, impatient because he needed to go to the washroom. “Uncle Jesse I need to go to the washroom and Luke can’t get me there.” Embarrassed as he was, he needed to get out of the room instantly.

“Daisy, help me with Bo please. I can’t help him on my own” Jesse announced quickly spurring into action.

“We need Cooter to start coming over again Uncle Jesse. I ain’t much help and Luke is apparently going to constantly be in a drunken stupor. He is our only hope.” Daisy retorted quickly.

“Bo, can you hold it until Cooter gets here? Daisy, go get Cooter on the phone, he may need to bring some stuff, he may be here for a few days until we can figure out what is going on with the dang cousin of yours.”

Both Daisy and Bo nodded quickly, with Daisy leaving the men all in one room. “Uncle Jesse, I am worried about him.”

“I know Bo, I am as well.” Jesse answered emotionally.

Ten minutes later Cooter pulled into the yard and ran up to the farm house with full intentions of being there for Bo, and when Luke was sober enough the next day, to let him know how bad what he did really was.

After everyone got settled in, after the little fiasco of Bo having to go to the washroom, the Duke farm was at peace once again.

The next day was full of tension. Luke was stilled laid up in bed, and everyone thought he had been drunk. Bo was relaxing in the living room with Daisy while Jesse and Cooter went out to do the chores.

“Luke owes you for doing his chores Cooter. If you ever need help on anything; anything at all, give me a call and I’ll send Lukas your way”

“Thanks Uncle Jesse”

“I ain’t your Uncle Cooter” Jesse chuckled slightly. “I might as well be, you are as much of a Duke as the rest of us”

Cooter smiled back at the elder man, and sent him a grin. Finishing the chores the men went back inside, where Bo was seated at the table and Daisy was cooking.

“Bo, go wake Luke please. Breakfast is ready and he has already slept in longer than he should” Jesse asked aloud.

“Yes sir” Bo replied gradually before wheeling his way to his bedroom. Wheeling in as casually as he could Bo yelled for his older cousin to wake up before actually looking at him. “Luke, Uncle Jesse says it’s time to get up. Breakfast is on the time.”

He was about to leave the room, when he didn’t receive a reply. “Luke, get up would ya?”  No answer again, whipping the wheel chair around Bo saw his older cousin for the first time since the night before. “Luke what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“I am not crying Bo.” He stated quickly.

“Crying involves tears, and I believe those are tears I see. What’s wrong cousin?”

Luke got up and took off running, flying passed everyone and jumping into the General and speeding off. Bo quickly wheeled himself into the kitchen, “Luke shouldn’t be driving in his condition. I don’t think he was drunk last night, he was exhausted and full of emotion; he must be sick if he let his emotions get this far. He won’t even tell me what’s wrong.

Balladeer: Look’s like Ol’ Cooter was right about Luke. He saw emotion in those bright blue eyes.