Sheriff's not dead
How was he going to tell Lulu? Jesse Duke, telling him of Rosco's passing, it made him realize how much Rosco had meant to him and how much Rosco's sister meant to him. How was he going to tell her, her only brother was dead?
Enos was listening to the news to. "The Sheriff's dead?" If he was, where was his body? "Where is he Uncle Jesse?" Enos couldn't think of the Sheriff really being dead. Sheriff Rosco was like a father to him. He had touched so many people. Enos's father, Otis Strate had died on a ridge run when Enos was real young. He supposed he looked toward Rosco as a father figure. Rosco yelled at Enos sometimes but he probably didn't mean it. He'd miss Rosco's voice on the CB, while chasin the Dukes, Rosco yelling at him when he lost the Dukes. He'd never be called dipstick again. He looked up to Rosco. Rosco had been the one to get him the deputy job, right after he finished school. He didn't have to go to the academy in Atlanta like Rosco had done. Heck, he went to L.A. because Rosco inspired him too. He had to see the body for proof. You couldn't really call someone dead until you found the body.
"We don't know. The boys dove on the car several times. The current musta…pulled him away." Jesse's statement gave Enos hope. If they couldn't find him, Enos thought, maybe he's still alive. Even what Jesse said, didn't change his mind, that Bo and Luke had dove on the car several times. Then he recalled, "Sheriff, Rosco couldn't swim." His hopes of Rosco being alive were further crushed, as he picked up on Mr. Hogg's realization.
Jesse hated having to tell them. Rosco drove as dangerously as the boys but the boys were better at driving to be driving that way. But still it could have happened to any of them. He wasn't even thankful that is wasn't his boys instead of Rosco. Uncle Jesse wasn't that kind of person. It was Rosco's time to go.
Boss thought of all the times he took Rosco for granted. Rosco had always tried being a friend to him and he treated him with disrespect. Rosco had been a respected lawman and Boss had taken him down with him for his own personal gain.
Boss walked into his office. Enos walked over to Flash who lay by her food dish, her dinner still untouched. Enos picked her up and clang to the dog as if she was the only part of the Sheriff left. He did pour his heart and soul out into taking care of that dog. And Enos would take care of her just like Rosco would.
J.D. entered the house. Lulu knew instantly something was wrong. J.D. looked horribly upset. Usually as soon as he got home he would ask her what was for dinner or demanded her to get him something to eat. He was doing neither. He told her, Rosco…..was chasing the Duke Boys, he went into the lake and never came back up. They tried looking for him. They couldn't find him. I promise you, I'll do anything to find him." Even if he had to drain that lake, he'd bring his brother-in-law back to them.
Rosco never learned how to swim. In the fourth grade Hazzard elementary held swimming classes over at the Y, but Rosco refused to go. When he was three, he'd fallen into the pond while they were going fishing with their father. After that he wouldn't take a bath for the longest time. But he got over the fear of water a year later. That was when their father died. She didn't know why he refused to learn how to swim. Lulu picked up a picture of her brother. She took kindly to Jefferson's offer but it was unlikely that they'd find a body. The currants were strong in that lake, assuming he drowned before…..Lulu sobbed."My dear, dear baby brother. He'd gone and got his just rewards."
"Just rewards." Boss agreed.
Working in law enforcement could be dangerous as it already was. She couldn't always count on J.D. to keep him out of harm's way. Lulu had always looked out for her baby brother growing up. They were close and never fought. Before Boss could marry her he had to promise her mama that he'd take care of her and Rosco. And he did by giving Rosco the job as Sheriff. He was the best Sheriff Hazzard ever had. They had to give him the biggest wake.
Boss insured her that they would. He'd make sure. He'd have to make sure Rosco got the respect he deserved.
Rosco had pulled himself out of the lake. He was lucky he wasn't in the deep of water, seeing as he couldn't swim. Climbing up the embankment he had slipped and hit his head. He felt a little light headed and a bit dizzy. Sitting behind the tall bushes, he took a short break. After awhile he decided he should be headed home. Wherever home was, he was having trouble thinking about the simple things.
The roads he walked on seemed familiar and began to resurface in his memory. He knew the name of the certain roads he had to take, but he didn't know how to get there.
He must have been wondering around for hours as it was getting dark. He could still get back into town even without daylight.
Don't worry folks, Rosco seems a little hurt. But I reckon he'll be ok.
It was the morning of the wake. Enos stood outside of the Hogg residence to great everyone as they came to pay their respects. He looked down the sidewalk and saw the Sheriff walking in his direction. Enos wasn't sure what he was seeing. He had to squint to block out the sun. "Possum on a gum bush. It can't be. It can't be. Please let it be." As the person came closer it was confirmed that he wasn't just seeing things. "It is. It's the Sheriff. It's the Sheriff. He's alive." He wanted to run up and hug the Sheriff but he had to tell the others first. He ran into Mr. Hogg's and Mrs. Lulu's house. "Everybody. Everybody. It's the Sheriff. "
Uncle Jesse tried to hush Enos. Boss tried to comfort him. Lulu sat up from her chair. "What?" She hoped he was going to say what he thought he was going to say.
"It's alright Enos." Boss said, trying to calm down the deputy. He thought Enos was having a panic attack. The deputy did have a bond with the Sheriff and in a way looked up to him.
"It's the Sheriff. He's alive. He's here. He's alive. He's here alive." Everyone followed him outside. Maybe it was the same case with when Bo and Luke had gone into the pond and "died." They could only hope and that Enos wasn't losing his bearings.
Rosco walked down the street past the familiar house with a picket fence. The house next to it, there was a familiar orange car parked in front of it. He had a feeling it shouldn't be there. And he saw Enos, standing outside. Before he could yell at the deputy, Enos took off into the house. Rosco turned up the pathway that led up to the Hogg residence. His friends and family were running toward him. Enos hugged him and spun him around. "You're alive Sheriff."
Lulu hugged him next. "My baby brother ain't dead."
Boss had to touch him, to make sure that he really was there.
He explained to them he climbed out and slipped and hit his head on a rock. There was a throbbing pain in his head. He suddenly felt a little queasy. He put his arms around Daisy for support and she put her arms around him to keep him balanced. For a few seconds he couldn't think of anyone's names.
"Rosco, your poor head is all black and blue." His sister made a fuss over him.
"I think we should get you to Doc Appleby right away." Daisy said her arms still around Rosco. Lulu nodded in agreement.
"Uh…the Doc…I already went to see Doc…uh." His mind drew a blank on the doctor's name. "He said it was just a minor injury." He turned to Boss, reminding him of the armored car that was bringing the money in. Boss had almost forgotten. The truck would be at the bank in an hour.
The Dukes and Cooter listened in, finding it strange that he was already talking business with Boss right away. Maybe he was ok.
"Rosco, uh excuse us." Bo tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. "You remember the parking ticket you gave us?"
"Uh parking tickets?" He didn't remember giving them any parking tickets.
"The one you gave us this morning." He had given them the ticket yesterday but he had to make sure there was nothing wrong with Rosco.
"We won't even give ye a run for it." Luke said. They weren't going to have him chase them right after what happened. Giving Rosco the satisfaction of them paying for the trumped tickets would make his day.
"Oh well uh…you can forget about those parking tickets because I got other things to think about." He didn't want to cause any trouble. He was behind as it was. He had to be there when the truck was. Boss ordered him along.
Cooter and the Dukes were left standing outside. All of them worried by Rosco's strange behavior. Jesse assured them he'd be back to his old self when he'd gotten some rest.
"It's great to see him alive." Luke grinned from ear to ear, his smile matching Bo's.
It sure was. Bo thought. Their day was started out a grim one. But Rosco surprised them all, being alive.
You could have a day that was downright miserable and just seeing Rosco could cheer you right up.
Bo reminded Luke that they still had Rosco's hat. He saw it as an opportunity to see if Rosco really was alright and he wanted a real chance to talk to him.
Luke seemed to have read his mind. "Let's go do that."
The two thieves and the fake Rosco were hiding out at an abandoned hunting shack a few miles outside of Hazzard. Irwin "Kelly" had gone into Hazzard to see if he could hear the news on the Sheriff. He came back with news Woody didn't want to hear. "Woody, we got a problem. The Sheriff isn't dead. He just took a serious knock to the head, looks like he might have a concussion."
"That'll explain why I don't know some things. All I have to do is play dumb like the Sheriff, they won't know the difference." He could use that to his advantage. He knew he was adopted for almost all his life and that he had a twin. It had taken forever but he had finally found his brother.
Bo and Luke entered the Sheriff's department. Bo had Rosco's hat on his head. It still was too big that it covered his eyes. He felt like a kid in his dad's clothes. Rosco had always been there for him when he was a kid. And he had been there the first time he'd gotten drunk. He only let Bo off with a warning instead of charging him for underage drinking. He could remember, a few times, when he was four and Hughie lived in Hazzard, Hughie used to bite him all the time. And Rosco would turn him over on his lap and tan Hughie's hide.
"Here's your hat back Rosco." Bo said handing it to him.
"I appreciate it Luke."
Boss gave Rosco a questioning look. Bo was looking down at the ground, thinking hard.
"This is Bo Sheriff." Enos corrected.
"Yeah, I'm Luke Rosco." Luke said. Something wasn't right.
"Of course ye are." The pain in his head wasn't allowing him to think straight. "I know that. It's just….I have this horrendous pain in my head." Bo was the blond one and Luke was the dark haired one. How could he get Bo and Luke confused?
Boss shooed the boys out, so they could give him some room.
