DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own The Dukes of Hazard.

I got this idea after re-watching The Ghost of General Lee on You Tube.

Note added as of 9.15.10 =If you lose interest and walk away from the story it is fine only PLEASE...leave me a review and let me know why. I AM honestly working on my writing skills and need the input in order to improve.

To Hell and Back

Ch. 1

OPENING SCENE

Bo stood in the graveyard looking down at the headstone he'd was known to visit at least every other day. "LUKE DUKE" ...tears rolled down Bo's cheeks. His cousin actually lay somewhere at the bottom of Hazard's pond. The town had looked for a solid week. He'd looked for two but no one had ever found his body.

Bo blamed himself tfor the accident. "I'm sorry cuz, I should have gone with you. I shouldn't have insisted on using the General Lee. If you'd been driving it instead of Daisy's jeep you would have been just fine!" Okay, maybe that was true but it wasn't...only he felt like it was.

Uncle Jesse opened the gate and walked up to his nephew. He hated to see Bo beating himself up like this, "Bo, let it go. It was just an accident. If anything it was Boss Hogg's fault not yours. After all, he's the one who had Roscoe chasing him on the pretense he'd stolen that watch of his. Let's just be grateful the real crook was caught and your cousin's name cleared okay?"

Slowly Bo turned around, "I am grateful his name was cleared just the same-it still hurts."

Jesse sighed, "I know, boy, I know. All we can do is give ourselves the time we need. Come on home, Daisy is cooking supper and the last thing we need to do is get back so late the food is cold. Remember, you're not the only one grieving."

"Yea, don't need my supper thrown at me again' Bo nodded as he remembered what had happened the last time he was late for supper, "I know." He answered as he followed Jesse to his white pick up truck.

BALLADEER: Don't ya just want to take that poor boy in your arms and make all the his hurt go away? For that matter, I think Uncle Jesse and Daisy could use some hugs too.

SCENE ONE

Paula walked down the corridor of the hospital. One by one the nurses smiled and said hello."How is he today?" she opened the door to the room 'Matt' was in and walked in.

"Improving but still not talking," the nurse answered as she finished checking her patient's vitals, "he's lucky you and your brothers found him and," she paused, "that you're picking up the bill. You didn't have to you know?"

Paula chuckled as she sat down beside the young man; she guessed him to be in his early twenties, "Tell me something I don't already know. Think he's strong enough to hold a paper and pencil yet?"

"I tried that a few moments ago. He just looked at the items like they were foreign objects." She answered as she headed for the door.

As soon as the nurse left Paula took the stranger's face and turned it towards her, "You keep fighting ya hear? Let's prove the doctors wrong...AGAIN." for a split second she could have sworn she saw a flicker of laughter in the man's eyes. If she had she knew he had every right too; after all the doctors had first told them he wouldn't make it through the night. Here it was two months later and he'd not only lived though the night but he'd been making steady progress; okay-slow progress but who cared? At least he was moving in the right direction.

She set back expecting him to turn his face back to looking at the wall before him-that was the routine. She would come in, hold his head towards her, talk to him then he'd look back at the wall while she continued talking. She was shocked, but elated, when he kept his eyes on her.

There had to be a way to communicate with him. Slowly an idea came to her, leaning slightly forward she said, "If you understand what I'm saying blink your eyes once." For a moment nothing happened then to her delight the young man blinked once. This way great! Now maybe she could get some answers.

"My brothers and I came upon you lying among some tall grass near a pond in Hazzard County. Do you remember how you got there? Blink once for yes and twice for no, okay?"

Slowly he blinked twice. She frowned then told him, "We gave you the name Matt just to have something to call you. I don't suppose you remember your real name?"

By the look that came on his face as she could tell he was thinking. She got the shock of her life when he first blinked once then paused then blinked twice. What? Maybe... "Are you trying to say you remember part of your name but not all?" With an answer like that it was the only thing that made sense in her mind.

He blinked one time.

'This is going to be one long game of twenty+ questions' she couldn't help but think, "If you remember your first name blink once; if it's your last name then blink twice." she sat back in her chair.

He answered with one blink but she could tell he was getting ready to fall asleep on her, "Well, until you start talking or can hold a paper and pencil we will have to continue communicating this way. I'll tell you what though; you rest and I'll be back tomorrow."

He gave her a weak smile and closed his eyes.