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The very next day, Boss Hogg was released from the hospital and four days later, Bo was allowed to go as well. The only person left still at Tri-Counties was Daisy.
Dr. Davis had allowed her to wake after the third day, but the painkillers she was on still made her groggy and tired. It would be at least another two weeks before she could even think about going home. The doctors had to make sure that her burns were not going to get infected and that the damage to her neurological system was minimal at best.
She had been moved out of ICU and into a regular room on the fifth day. That's when the flowers and cards started to arrive from well-wishers. She was also granted the privileges of regular visitors. At least once a day, Jessie showed up, or Luke.
On the seventh day, she got a special visitor. She had just woken up and was adjusting the blankets on the bed when a knock came on the door.
"Come in." she called out.
Enos entered, his hat held in between his hands. "Hi, Miss Daisy. I sure hope I'm not bothering y'all."
Her whole face lit up with a smile. "No, Enos, you're not. I'm really glad you stopped by."
He stood at the side of her bed, at a surprised expression crossed his face. "You are?"
"Yes, Enos. Why don't you sit down for a bit?" She looked at the chair by her bedside.
He followed her gaze and sat, nervously twitching his hat. "How are you feeling today?"
"To tell you the truth, I'm pretty tired of being stuck in this hospital. I wish they would allow me to go home." Her brown eyes filled with tears. She was tired of being poked and prodded and tested. "I miss the farm, Enos." One tear slipped from her eye and she made to wipe it away, but Enos was quicker. He took out his handkerchief and very tenderly wiped it away for her.
"That's understandable, Miss Daisy. No one likes hospitals for long. I'm sure you won't be in here much longer. You seem to be on the mend right quick." He let his fingers linger a second to long on her cheek, then blushed a deep scarlet red. "Sorry."
Daisy reached up and touched his hand. "Don't you ever be sorry, Enos. I like it when you show you care."
He gulped and tried not to blush again. "You do?"
She nodded, "I do." This seemed to make Enos even more nervous and Daisy had to laugh lightly. "Enos, will you stop twitching like that? It's no secret that you have feelings for me. I decided two days ago that I was given a new chance to live and this time I wasn't going to take it for granted."
Enos found it suddenly hard to swallow. "You know how I feel?"
She nodded. "I think I do, but you know something?"
"What?"
"I'd really like it if you just came out and told me." She raised one hand slowly to touch the side of his face. "Don't be afraid to tell me what is in your heart, Enos."
He gulped again and his eyes caught hers. "Well, It's like this, Miss Daisy."
"Yes?" She held her gaze steady until he stopped fidgeting. The longer she looked at him, the more confidence he seemed to get.
He placed his hat down on the chair behind him, and took one of her hands in his. "I really do fancy you, Miss Daisy. I've always fancied you, ever since we've been little kids."
Daisy smiled. "I've always fancied you, Enos." She licked her lips slowly. "Thank you for finally telling me."
He brought his face closer to hers. "I thought we were gonna lose you in the fire. It really scared me."
"Oh, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." She raised her head up to meet his, their lips were just inches apart now. "Not without giving you a much needed chance to tell me how you really feel."
He lowered his mouth down and their lips just barely brushed each other when the door to her room opened with a cheery, "Hey, Daisy!" from a very excited Bo.
Enos seemed as if he had just been goosed and he jumped nearly three feet in the air before landing awkwardly back in the chair and onto his hat. He stood up and picked it up, slipping right back into his nervous mode. "Oh, Hi, Bo. I was, um, just checking on, ah, how Daisy was doing."
Bo looked from Daisy to Enos and realized that he had just interrupted something very important. He flushed lightly. "Uh, maybe I should come back later?"
Daisy shook her head, knowing the moment was now lost. "It's okay, Bo."
Enos nodded. "I gotta get back on duty anyway. I'll stop by and see you again later, Miss Daisy."
"Alright, Sugar. You do that. Oh and thank you for all the lovely flowers." She pointed at a table that held the very pretty bouquets that he had sent her alone. There was one for each day she had been in the hospital. "That's really sweet of you."
"You're welcome." He smiled at her, and then flushed. "I'll see y'all. Take care, Bo." He fumbled awkwardly until he got to the door and left.
Bo strolled over to her bed and gave her a gentle hug, being very careful of her arms that were now lightly bandaged. "Hi, sweet stuff. How are you feeling?" This was his first visit to her room
since he had been released.
"Oh, I've seen better days, how about you?"
"I'm doing quite well, I'm glad to be out of this place." He brought a hand up and rubbed his nose gently. He hadn't been paying attention when he had walked in the room and didn't really notice all the flowers sitting about. "You know, I think Enos has a thing for you."
She winked at him. "I know he does. I think all of Hazzard County knows."
Bo had to laugh at that. "You ever gonna tell him you fancy him?" His nose was beginning to twitch now and he rubbed it again.
"Well I was in the process of doing just that when you burst in my door." She sighed dramatically. "Another chance lost."
Now it was Bo's turn to feel awkward. "Oh, Daisy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" He paused to sniff away a tickle. "I really didn't know you had company."
She waved a hand at him. "Don't worry about it. We can pick it back up later."
The tickle was now intensifying and Bo finally took his eyes off Daisy to look around the room and see just what was making him feel like he was about to sneeze. He saw the flowers and his face fell.
Daisy noticed. "What's wrong, Bo?"
His breath hitched in his chest and he brought his fist up under his nose. "I just –" he didn't get a chance to finish as he had to turn away to keep from sneezing on her. "Heh-HEKT-chuhhh! Eh-he-KISSHh!!" He looked around for something he could use and spied Enos' handkerchief on the side table where he had left it. He panted into his fist and pointed, "May I?" before sneezing harshly again. "KHET-Chuuhhh!! ESHIsshhh!!"
Daisy nodded and watched him unfold the white square to cover his nose and mouth. He blew his nose once, and then again, trying to clear it enough to talk. "Dang flowers," he managed to get out before his eyes slammed closed and he sneezed again. "HehhheChIshhh!!"
"Bless you, Bo. Maybe you better go."
His eyes were watering now, and he found it difficult to breathe. "I'm sorry," he paused to sneeze again, this time his nose stayed buried in the hanky. "HEKT-CHIssshh! Eh-Heh-EhhShooo!!"
"It's okay, Bo. I understand. Go, now before it gets worse." She now felt miserable for what Bo was feeling.
He nodded, and gave her hand a small squeeze. "Get better soon." He managed to say before sneezing again. "HEKT-Chuhhh!"
He then turned and practically ran from the room and into the nearby men's room. It took a few minutes of him washing his face and blowing his nose before the sneezing actually died down. He sighed and headed for the exit, feeling even more miserable than ever. He couldn't even visit Daisy without breaking out in a sneezing fit.
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