"One day a long time from now you'll cease to care anymore whom you please or what anybody has to say about you. That's when you'll finally produce the work you're capable of"

J.D. Salinger

SALINGER… AND SALINGER

When Enos opened his eyes he realized he was in Hospital, and he suddenly remembered what happened: he felt ashamed of his weakness, a cop so easily attacked and knocked out.

As soon as he opened his eyes someone gently brushed his hair: he could recognize that touch between thousand of touches.

"Enos, sugar, are you OK?", Daisy bent down to him, smiling.

He turned to Daisy and he tried to smile, "I'm fine, thanks"

He raised his left arm to caress her hair but he realized how much heavy his arm was: plaster, a plaster cast covering half of his hand (sparing only his fingers), his wrist and his forearm 'till his elbow. So, that "crack" wasn't a product of his imagination, but it was really his wrist breaking. He let his arm falling along his body and he had a big sigh, something that made him moan because of a sharp pain on the right side of his chest: obviously that other crack wasn't because of his imagination, and he wondered how many ribs were broken.

"Your wrist and three ribs are broken, no more severe consequences, fortunately".

Enos turned to uncle Jesse who just answered his silent question. What other more severe consequences? A broken wrist and three broken ribs weren't enough?

"John Fitzroy is really a jackass. Luke'd have smashed every tooth in John's head instead of letting him go after a couple of punches". Near the door Bo rested his back against the wall, folding his arms.

"Beauregard Duke. I don't want to hear this kind of words from you. It's not what I've taught you", uncle Jesse reproached his nephew, and Bo lowered his head, respecting his uncle's authority.

"I'm sorry, uncle Jesse. But …", Bo looked up again at his uncle, trying to justify his previous harshness, "you listened to what Doc told us. The violence of those kicks could…"

Luke's hand squeezed gently Bo's shoulder, so the young Duke stopped.

"Enos is fine, now, Bo. It's pointless to wonder what could have happened if those kicks had reached the left side of Enos' chest (and his spleen, as Doc said) instead of the right one, or his head. It didn't happen, fortunately".

Through Luke's words, Enos understood what uncle Jesse meant talking about more severe consequences: if he hadn't raised his arm to block John's kick, it'd have hit his head instead that break his wrist; if Bo and Luke hadn't helped him, for sure he'd have had worse consequences. John hit him with all his strength and hate: did he want to kill him? Enos wondered how many people out there hated him because of his mother's affair with Andrew Salinger, or because of his possible relation to that man. Everybody in Hazzard respected him 'cause everybody knew he was an honest cop and a gentleman: was everything now over? Was it possible people stopped respecting him for something beyond him? All his efforts, along his life, to gain people's respect and acceptance, were useless?

"I don't want you to be a so damn gentleman, acting like a saint 'cause you need to be accepted by people, whereas you know perfectly well you're a loser"

He closed his eyes and he shivered, overwhelmed by nausea: why did his mother's words come to his mind in that moment?

Uncle Jesse caught Enos' reaction.

"Boys, stop, please"

Daisy reached Enos' right hand, squeezing it, "Oh Enos".

She couldn't find any other word: what to say? It seemed everything was going worse and worse. Her family tried to protect Enos from rumors and to help him through his grief, for…what? The worst thing that could happen, at the end, happened: someone attacked him in the most cowardly, hateful and unfair way. Thinking of Enos' way to do always the right thing, his honesty and his kindness beside his lack in self-confidence (his way to show he was worth to be loved and respected?), it wasn't so much difficult for Dukes (especially Daisy) to understand how that kind of rumors and people's reaction could affect Enos' soul. His mother's way to act when she was in town (Daisy remembered pretty well her flirting with a married man at the Boar's Nest when she was drunk, and Enos rescuing her), her way to die and rumors 'bout her love affair… everything was humiliating for Enos.

He opened his eyes, "How long have I to stay here?"

"'till tomorrow. You're goin' to stay here, tonight, and tomorrow we'll bring you home, sugar"

"Only one night. It means I'm not so badly injured, after all", he smiled.

A nurse entered the room, a clear sign that visiting time was over.

Daisy kissed his lips but he didn't answer her kiss, and it shocked her: only few hours before they were hugging, naked, in his bed, and now he didn't even answer her kiss. She prayed he wasn't going to show again his being offish and totally lacking in self-confidence as before his mother's death, as before that night at the Institute. Or, maybe, it was only 'cause they weren't alone in that room: Daisy hoped it was only his usual shyness.

In the General, on the way to the farm, Daisy was still thinking of that missed kiss; by her side, uncle Jesse rested his hand on her knee, "Daisy…", only that word, his tone showing a kaleidoscope of emotions: worrisome, sadness, tiredness.

"I don't think somebody is going to follow John's example. First, John Fitzroy is… ehm… you know, there are no many people like him", Bo tried to cheer her up, "second, now people know it's better not to hurt Enos if they don't want to mess with us, and, third, I think the most part of people respects and loves Enos, 'cause it's pretty impossible to hate someone like Enos, unless you are… ehm… unless…", Bo looked at Luke, searching for help, "I think that John attacked Enos for something else, and he used rumors as an excuse"

"Bo's right. John is a rare case. Maybe there's someone else like him, out there, but now he knows it's better to stay away from Enos if he doesn't want a couple of punch from us. How many times in the last year did John ask you out, Daisy? I think he's jealous of Enos, and it's why he attacked him: he wanted to hide his jealousy behind something else".

Thinking of that new reason to explain John Fitzroy's attack to Enos didn't please Daisy, "Oh thank you Luke. So, it's all my fault".

"Daisy, I didn't mean it's your fault. I think it's more probable someone is jealous of Enos 'cause of you than someone hates him 'cause of his mother… or his father (whoever is). Men's things".

A new perspective, somehow positive but at the same time negative for Daisy.

"So, Luke, does it mean that any man jealous of Enos because of me now can use those rumors as an excuse to attack Enos?"

Luke looked at Bo by his side, who kept on driving the car without a word, and then he turned to uncle Jesse who sat on the back-seat with Daisy, "Hey, uncle Jesse…", in a desperate search for help.

Uncle Jesse squeezed gently Daisy's knee, "No, Daisy, it doesn't mean Enos is going to be attacked because of you. Bo and Luke are trying to tell you that people respect and love Enos because they know him, besides rumors… but… obviously, we can't please anyone (Enos can't please anyone, even if he's a good guy, you can't please anyone, and Bo, and Luke, and I). So, if someone doesn't like Enos, for jealousy… for example… but for other reasons too (Enos is too much honest for some people), well, now he could decide to attack Enos using rumors as an excuse. An excuse to dislike him even more".

Luke sighed in relief, "It's exactly what I was trying to say. Do you remember when Scanlon came to Hazzard to kill Enos? Everybody helped us to save Enos, the town was ready to fight against Scanlon in order to help Enos. And do you remember when Boss hired that new deputy with the excuse to promote Enos to … Commissioner of Records? When Boss said publicly, at the Boar's Nest, that a new deputy was going to take Enos' place, people who heard 'bout it showed their disappointment. People like Enos… the most part of people, but, obviously, there's someone who dislikes him (the same way there's someone who dislikes you, or me, or Bo, or even uncle Jesse), and such a kind of rumors can push these people to act as John Fitzroy. Few people, fortunately, and I hope they're going to think of their actions if they don't want to mess with us. I sincerely don't think someone could start to hate Enos BECAUSE of this kind of rumors. Enos is Enos, as we told him, no matter his father's identity, no matter his mother's affairs"

"NOW, it's more clear. Anyway, I'm not relieved. The way John attacked Enos…", Daisy shook her head, "I can't stand to see Enos…injured, physically or psychologically. I REALLY can't stand it"

"It's the same for us, Daisy. In a different way, 'cause you… love him, but, anyway, any of us can't stand to see Enos injured", Bo took a deep breath, his eyes focused on the road whereas his mind was driven to those terrific moments of only few hours before, as Enos grabbed his shirt, burying his face against his chest and gasping for air.

"Because of his broken ribs and wrist, now, Enos can't come back to work for a while. So we'll better keep an eye on him, while people will slowly forget rumors".

Daisy nodded, "You're right, uncle Jesse. But… will Enos forget rumors? I'm really worried because of his obsession about it. He talked to me 'bout … the coroner's and Sheriff McGregor's reports. How his mother and that man died: homicide-suicide, not a double suicide, as he thought, and he's shocked 'bout it"

"WHAT?", the men in the car looked at her in shock, even Bo, who forgot for a while 'bout the road.

Daisy had a deep sigh before to explain them what Enos explained her only few hours before. Somehow it was like betraying Enos, revealing it, but she knew her family had to know it in order to help Enos: she had to relate on her family in order to help Enos in the best way.

After Daisy's explanation a deep silence filled the car, 'till uncle Jesse conclusion, "I really hope that guy won't start to feel responsible because of something his mother did. I hope he won't start to wonder 'bout that man's family (if he had a family) and how his mother's action affected that family. He's a cop, after all, and a caring and sensitive guy, and his mother killed a man, another cop. Enos should learn to love himself, first of all".

Nobody could deny the truth in uncle Jesse's words: if there was someone who could blame himself for everything happened 'round him, that man was Enos, and it wouldn't have been surprising if he had started to blame himself for that man's death.

At the Hazzard's Hotel, Erika Salinger laid down on the bed, the phone's receiver pressed against her ear.

"It's absurd, Josh. But… when I saw him… it was like looking at… dad".

She heard silently the voice at the other side of the receiver then she snapped, "Obviously I can't be sure. But… people here talked 'bout this possibility, 'cause… my father probably had an affair with that woman before that woman's son was born. Now, I asked exactly when that deputy (AH, what a funny thing, a cop… like my father… like us) was born, so I know my father had an affair with that woman BEFORE he met my mother… before I was born. What I don't know it's if that affair lasted along all those years", she swallowed against the lump in her throat, "Did he still love that woman when he married my mother? Did he keep on meeting that woman as he stayed with my mother? Or did he simply meet that woman, again, only recently, to be… killed in a sort of revenge 'cause he left her years ago?"

Listening to Josh, she sat up on the bed, angry; that man could really drive her crazy.

"I want an ANSWER. Now it's too late to come back home. How could I forget 'bout everything? That deputy is probably my brother, and he has to know it. I hate his mother, but… if he's really my brother, I can't hate him. It's an… absurd situation: I hate him because of his mother, but I can't hate him because of... his (and my) father. I want to know it, I want to observe him and to know everything 'bout him, and, through him, I want to know everything 'bout his mother and my father. And I bet he too wants to know the truth 'bout our parents' relationship, and 'bout his real dad".

Meanwhile, the woman at the Hotel's reception desk was talking by phone with one of her friends 'bout a young woman, Erika SALINGER, asking her, only few hours before, some brief information 'bout Enos Strate.