"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul."

Oscar Wilde

THE CURE

In the darkness under the blankets, Daisy heard uncle Jesse standing up, walking to the door and leaving the room, somehow understanding her niece's needing to stay alone with Enos, and supporting it. Did he already know her niece's real feelings? Or did he simply respect her need to intimacy with Enos in those circumstances? Daisy couldn't understand what was in her uncle's mind, but for sure she trusted his judging, and uncle Jesse's trusted hers.

Spooning him, her forehead pressed against his back between his shoulder blades, she slid her hand along the external side of his thigh, up to his hip and flank, to find out, with surprise, he was totally naked. Her sudden embarrassment was pushing her outside the bed when he gently shivered, so she instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist, adhering to him and holding him tight; she closed her eyes, adapting her breathe to his one and trying to sleep, making up for the previous sleepless night.

Even through her clothes she could feel his skin's coldness, despite the blankets; she prayed to warm him up (both his body and his soul), to cure him, and, before to realize it, she fell asleep.

In the hall, uncle Jesse was silently listening to Luke's words, the phone's receiver pressed against his ear.

Andrew Salinger. The man committing suicide with Rose Strate was … that man, the agent responsible for his brothers' and sisters-in-law's death, Bo's, Luke's and Daisy's parents. Rose Strate's lover was an ATF's agent, THAT agent.

After a long talk with Luke, he put down the receiver and he walked to a couch, sinking into it, caressing his beard thoughtfully. For sure everybody in Hazzard was talking 'bout it: Rose Strate's suicide was a pretty shock, it was enough without this tricky addition.

"Everything's OK, Mr Duke?"

Miss Kate sat near uncle Jesse, waking him up from his thoughts.

He slowly turned to Miss Kate, "What does Enos know 'bout that man? The man who …"

The woman by his side immediately caught his serious tone, looking at him with worrisome, "He doesn't know who is; sheriff McGregor showed him a picture of that man, but Enos said he's never seen him".

Uncle Jesse nodded, caressing his beard, again, before to talk, "Does he know that man's name?"

Miss Kate understood something was wrong, something really wrong, and she shivered, "No. Sheriff McGregor didn't say anything 'bout that man", she paused, taking a deep breath, "What's the problem? There's a problem… am I right?"

"A big problem, Miss Kate", uncle Jesse averted his eyes from her, "that man… was an ATF's agent, the one who killed Bo's, Luke's and Daisy's parents; it was an accident, yeah, a car's wreck… but… it happened because of him. It happened nearly 30 years ago. It was his duty… I know, he was a cop and we were moonshiners, so, I shouldn't be strict against him but… I've lost my family because of him. And, for sure, I'm not happy knowing 'bout him and Rose Strate 'cause…", he stopped, shaking his head, "… at that time there were rumors 'bout them two, only rumors, I've never seen anything suspicious 'bout them, but… now… this is somehow a proof those rumors were… not only rumors"

"Oh my God", Miss Kate's voice was a whisper, "what will Enos do when he'll know 'bout it?"

Uncle Jesse had another big sigh, "It'll be very difficult for Enos to accept it, but… I promise you we're going to find a way to make him understand he's not responsible of his mother's mistakes; he's nothing to do with that man"

She didn't know how much she's slept when his soft sobs woke her up. His shoulders were trembling as that evening, when he cried on uncle Jesse's shoulder; Daisy held him tighter, his trembling transmitting to her body.

"Enos…"

She whispered his name against his back, again and again, her tone changing from a simple call to a prayer, but he kept on trembling and sobbing, 'till Daisy realized he wasn't hearing her, he didn't even know she was there: he was still sleeping, he was crying in his sleep.

After a time that seemed eternity to Daisy, he calmed down, his sobs changing into a deep and regular breathe, and, few after, he moaned, coming out his nightmares. His stiffening and his holding his breathe made Daisy realized he was awake and now aware of her presence.

"Enos…", she called him, in her voice a tone both of worrisome and discomfort realizing his surprise to find her in his bed, hugging him tight from behind.

"Daisy… what are you doin'… here?", his breathe became heavier and heavier, as usual when he was nervous.

"Uncle Jesse and I came here as soon as possible after we knew 'bout… We are so sorry, Enos", she didn't leave him, her forehead pressed against his back and her arms wrapped around his waist.

"I… I didn't mean… here at the Institute. I mean… here in my bed, Dais, and… possum on a gum bush, Dais, I'm… NAKED", he squeaked nervously, huddling up as a hedgehog.

His clear discomfort made Daisy blush, so she slipped out the bed, sitting down near him and covering her face with her hands, "I'm so… embarrassed, Enos. I'm sorry… you were sleeping, and Doc Martin told us everything 'bout last night, and Miss Kate told me… I only wanted to be by your side"

The bundle near her moved gently and finally Enos' head came out the blankets.

"Did you talk to Miss Kate?"

Daisy didn't understand if in his voice there was surprise, worrisome or sadness. She slowly lowered her hands and she looked at him, a knife piercing her heart when she saw his red and tired eyes, his ruffled hair, his dry lips and a faint beard (grown in the last couple of days).

"Uh… sorry, it's not my best… look", catching the surprise on her face, he lowered his eyes trying to smile, a sad and tired smile.

"He can't keep on thinking you care of him as a friend, a close friend but a friend, a friend… you somehow have pity of… You know perfectly well how much reserved he could be, always hiding things under his sweetness and shyness, feeling ashamed of showing his weakness and pain".

Another knife pierced Daisy's heart as she remembered Miss Kate's words, recognizing in his way to smile and to avert his eyes from her no more only his shyness and clumsiness (as she's thought for a long time), but his shame and pain of being "someone to have pity of", his pride dramatically crashed.

She forced herself to remain sitting, chocking back her desire to fling her arms around his neck and to kiss him: she wanted to show him her love, but, deep in her heart, she knew she had, first, to talk to him 'bout her feelings, in order he didn't misunderstand, again, her gestures, seeing not love but pity in those gestures.

She sighed deeply and she looked at the night table, "Hey, sugar, I think you need to drink some water", she stood up, she reached the table and she filled the glass on it with water, then she handed the glass to him. Looking at his trembling hand reaching the glass and at his thirst, for the umpteenth time Daisy's heart was pierced by a knife and her hand automatically reached his nape, "Enos, I want you to know…"

"You're finally awake, Enos"

Doc Martin entered the room with a smile, and Daisy had a step back, folding her arms and looking down at the floor, trying to hide her disappointment.

"Miss Daisy, I should talk to Enos, so… if you…"

"I'm goin' to wait in the hall", she nodded then she turned to Enos, smiling, "Bye sugar, see you".

When she closed the door, finally alone in the corridor, she burst out crying, silently: she cried for him, she cried for his tears.

"So, Enos is goin' to stay at the farm "till his mother's funeral", resting on his elbow, Bo turned to Luke who, lying down on his bed, was looking at the ceiling. Outside their room's window, a dark night hid everything, a winter and cold night, without moonlight.

"Yeah, uncle Jesse said that we have to", Luke sighed, "protect him from any rumors 'bout his mother and Andrew Salinger. He hasn't to know 'bout it from anybody but… us… after the funeral. Step by step, slowly. He's already enough shocked"

"Poor Enos. He doesn't deserve all this pain", Bo rolled on his back, looking at ceiling as his older cousin.

Silence filled the room, both cousins being lost in their thoughts, 'till Luke switched the light off, "It's better to sleep, Bo. Tomorrow Enos, Daisy and uncle Jesse will be back"

Lying down in Rose Strate's bed (in the bed where that woman slept when she was still alive), Daisy listened to uncle Jesse's gently snoring as he slept on the couch in the little living room of the cabin (where Enos slept so many times), whereas Miss Kate, in the bed near her one, slept silently. It gave her a strange feeling, a mix of nausea, confusion and disbelief.

Her mind was hopped up (as under a powerful drug's effect) 'cause of uncle Jesse's revelation 'bout the relationship between Rose Strate and Andrew Salinger, a thought that caused her rage (that woman could bring nothing but problems, even after her death) and worrisome (how could Enos react to that news? How tell him it without hurting him?). Besides, after Doc Martin entered Enos' room, she had no other chance to stay alone with him.

She couldn't sleep, no matter how much she tried, so she slowly got up; she knew what she needed and what she wanted to do.

When she was already outside the little cabin, Miss Kate's voice reached her; it was only a whisper, but perfectly audible in that silent night, the snow all around increasing that strange atmosphere: it was like walking in a sort of an enchanted world.

"Daisy, hug him and hold him tight. He needs it, and he'll need it, again and again".

Daisy turned to the woman, smiling and blushing at the same time, "Thanks, Miss Kate".

She walked to the Institute and then to Enos' room as in a dream, and fortunately the nurse at the hall's desk didn't even try to stop her, but she looked at her with an understanding smile.

Finally in Enos' room, she stopped, resting her back against the door and looking at the moonlight entering the window and drawing a lit square on the floor; little shadows were dancing in the square, and Daisy realized that, outside the window, it snowed.

She sat on the bed, caressing his ruffled hair.

When he opened his eyes, looking at her in confusion, she smiled, she gently put a finger on his lips, preventing him to talk, and then she replaced her finger with her lips for a brief but sweet kiss.

"I love you, Enos"

His eyes opened wide in shock, and even wider as she started to get undressed, the moonlight caressing her milky skin; with only her panties and her bra on, she crawled into his bed, completing her undressing and hugging him.

"Now, we are BOTH naked, Enos. I love you, I won't leave you and I'll always be by your side. Let me stay by your side and stop running away from me. Stop to be so scared and stop to underestimate yourself"

When he looked into her eyes, she saw his surprise slowing changing into doubt, then into a sad happiness (an happiness he was longing for but now contained by his pain) and finally into lust.

When he hugged her, kissing her deeply, Daisy felt all his excitement and all his desperation, all mixed together, an explosive mix, something pushing them in a new and undiscovered world, a world only for them, an enchanted world.