A CREAM-COLORED ROOM
For the seventh time the Dukes parked in front of the Atlanta Medical Center.
Daisy came out The General Lee and ran to the entrance of the building; before to enter, she turned round, "Hurry up uncle Jesse, Bo, Luke!"
She couldn't wait any more, her heart bursting in her chest since the morning, when the phone rang at the farm.
EARLY IN THE MORNING
When the phone rang at the farm, early in the morning, everybody was sitting at the kitchen's table for breakfast, ready for a new day, a copy of the previous days. Bo and Luke were going to stay at the farm for doing the housework and then they were going to drive to the town in order to find out something about what happened to Enos, whereas uncle Jesse and Daisy were going to visit Enos at the Atlanta Medical Center: since only two visitors for any patient were allowed inside the I.C.U., and since Daisy was unable to part from Enos during the visiting time and she needed uncle Jesse by her side, Bo and Luke preferred to be useful at the farm (doing what uncle Jesse and Daisy usually did) and to keep on their quest instead of walking around in a waiting room.
The Dukes instinctively looked at the phone and then at each other.
Uncle Jesse nodded at the silent request of his nephews and niece, he stood up and walked to the phone, "This is Jesse Duke speaking." His shoulders stiffened as he casted a glance to the kitchen, "Nurse Emily!"
Daisy dashed to uncle Jesse; by his side, she rested her hands on his shoulders, her knuckles turning pale in her grasping him, and she stared at him with her eyes wide open both because of fear and hope.
Bo and Luke glanced at each other before to stand up and walk to uncle Jesse and Daisy.
Uncle Jesse nodded, "Thanks nurse Emily. We're comin'," he put the receiver down and he looked at his nephews and niece, a smile of happiness, relief and surprise forming on his face, "Enos is finally awake. And he's fine."
Daisy's mix of fear and hope turned into tears of joy; she put her hands on her mouth, choking a whisper of relief, and then she hugged uncle Jesse.
Bo and Luke had a deep sigh and smiled, gently patting Daisy's shoulders.
After hugging each other, the Dukes came out the farm and reached The General Lee.
Uncle Jesse came out The General Lee, helped by Bo and Luke while a little crowd of children stared at the strange orange car, for sure more attractive than uncle Jesse's anonymous white truck parked there every past day along that week.
"Come on," Daisy impatiently entered the Atlanta Medical Center, she crossed the tidy hall and she reached the elevator. When the doors opened, after a time during hours in her mind, she dashed in, followed by uncle Jesse, Bo and Luke.
"What did nurse Emily tell you, exactly?" again, the same question from Daisy.
"She simply said Enos has woken up and he is fine. Nothing else," again, the same answer from uncle Jesse.
Finally out the elevator, the Dukes reached the I.C.U. entrance, where nurse Emily stopped them, "Your friend isn't here anymore. Since he has woken up, he's in another room, more…" she smiled, "… peaceful and normal. Come with me." She walked along a different corridor, several doors opening on it, and she stopped in front of the door 505, "You can stay with him," her eyes lingered on any of them, "you all. If he's still sleeping, don't worry, he's going to wake up soon." She opened the door, letting the Dukes enter in a sunny and clear room, everything cream-colored: blankets, table, chairs and couch.
Cuddled up under the blankets, Enos was sleeping peacefully, no more the monitor's beeps and the ventilator's noise around him, just a drip-feed recalling them it was a Hospital.
When the door closed, finally alone in the room the Dukes sat down and watched silently at Enos; nurse Emily was right: he was sleeping, his fetal position and then his turning on his back with a deep breath so different from the scaring and unnatural stillness he showed them when he was in the I.C.U.
Daisy moved from her chair to the bed, sitting by Enos' side and gently caressing his hair.
"Enos," she whispered his name.
Enos' eyelids trembled then he opened his eyes, staring at the Dukes around him. His initial confusion turned into a happy smile, "Hi uncle Jesse, Hi Bo, Hi Luke," his eyes lingered on Daisy and his voice turned shy, "Hi Daisy."
The Dukes had a deep sigh, relaxing: Enos was Enos, no strange consequences because of his head trauma.
"How do you feel, buddy?" An open and sweet smile on his face, Bo sat on the bed and patted Enos' naked shoulder.
"I'm fine. I'm just a bit weak and sleepy, but fine. Thanks," Enos mirrored Bo's smile.
"Yeah, you look fine," Luke smiled too, his arms folded as he stood near the bed.
"We've prayed for you, Enos, and God's answered our prayers, and not just our prayers but also all Hazzard's prayers," uncle Jesse had a happy smile, all the upset of the previous days finally gone.
Despite the joy in it, uncle Jesse's talk recalled everybody how much Enos came close to death, so recalling them how and why Enos was there. A silent agreement passed through the Dukes' eyes while they glanced at each other, and Luke finally expressed the question floating in their mind.
"Enos, what happened?" Luke's smile was gone, now, and in the room the air became rarefied.
Enos looked at the ceiling, thoughtful, "Doc Hunt told me I was found in Rockdale County, severely injured, and then brought here. It seems I stayed in coma for 10 days!"
Luke scratched his head, "Enos, we already know it. I mean… how did it happen?"
"We want to know who hurt you and why." Bo's direct and serious question, while Daisy held her breath.
Enos' eyes slowly moved from the ceiling to Bo's face, "Honestly, I don't know it. I don't remember anything of it."
"What?" Daisy let her breath go, "Nothing?"
"What's the last thing you remember, Enos? It could be useful." Uncle Jesse's pragmatism while Bo stood up and walked to the room's window, disappointed by Enos' answer, his disappointment in his inability to stay still.
Enos stared again at the ceiling, trying to catch his last memory, "I remember those felons kidnapping Boss. When Rosco tried his magic act."
"But… Enos… it was TWO MONTHS AGO!" Bo's incredulity while Luke, Daisy and uncle Jesse looked at each other, expressing the same incredulity and worrisome through their eyes.
"Nothing else, sugar?" Daisy grabbed Enos' hand with hers and she squeezed it, "Nothing?" Enos' hand answered her gentle squeeze and she smiled, trying to relax him.
"Uh… well… I remember a picnic we had… I don't remember where. I was lying on the grass and we were talking; I remember Daisy sleeping." Enos glanced at Daisy and blushed.
Luke opened his eyes wide, "A picnic? You lying on the grass? Yeah, in the past we had a lot of picnics… but not along the last months, and I don't remember you lying on the grass and Daisy sleeping."
The soft red on Enos' cheeks turned into a purple red, "Sorry. Maybe I simply dreamt of it… I feel a bit sleepy and my mind is foggy. I'm really sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for, Enos. Don't worry 'bout your memory," uncle Jesse smiled, toning down the heavy atmosphere, then he stood up, "I'm goin' to talk with Doc Hunt."
Enos looked at uncle Jesse coming out the door, thoughtfully.
"You know, Enos, everybody in Hazzard is really worried for you. I have never seen Rosco and Boss so upset and sad," Daisy kept uncle Jesse's task on, trying to relax Enos with her smile and her sweet talking.
"Really?" Enos grinned and turned to her, "Boss too?"
"Of course, buddy! Everybody loves you!" Bo washed away his previous disappointment, he sat again on Enos' bed and he smiled as usual.
They started to talk about Hazzard and how things were going during the last days, managing also to find something funny about it, until Enos' talk became more and more sleepy.
When uncle Jesse came back, nurse Emily with him, Enos was sleeping, and visiting time was over.
"What did Doc Hunt tell you?" Bo helped uncle Jesse to enter The General.
"What about Enos' memory and his bein' so sleepy? Is it normal?" Daisy followed uncle Jesse in the back seat of the car while Bo and Luke sat in the front seat.
"If Enos doesn't remember what happened, how are we going to find out who hurt him and why? We haven't found anything interesting, yet," Luke started the engine and The General left the side of the road, entering Atlanta's traffic.
"Keep calm, now. Doc Hunt says it's pretty normal to have a sort of black out after a head trauma; it's a loss of memory concerning the time before the trauma, and the length of this memory's loss can varies very much. Two months are a lot of time, but Doc Hunt thinks Enos is goin' to recall a lot of things, maybe not everything, but his memory is goin' to improve. But… it's possible that Enos isn't goin' to recall what happened few before the trauma, a permanent black out 'bout it." Uncle Jesse circled Daisy's shoulders with his arm, and his voice turned less serious and more sweet and caring, "When we came here for the first time, 10 days ago, we feared Enos was dead, and we were glad when we knew he was … just… in coma. Now Enos is awake and, despite his memory's loss, he looks fine, so we should be glad of it. Things are goin' better and better."
Luke nodded, his eyes focused on the street, "You're right, uncle Jesse. If Enos can't help us to find out what happened to him, for sure we won't surrender. We'll catch who hurt him, some way or another."
Bo nodded, "Well said, cousin."
"And I'm goin' to cook something good for him in order to help him to recover. He looks pale, poor Enos," Daisy rested her head on uncle Jesse's shoulder, her voice caring.
Bo turned his head to her, smiling, "Woman's task."
Daisy parted from uncle Jesse and stared at Bo, "Hey, it doesn't mean I'm not going to help you to find and catch who hurt Enos. I am perfectly able both to cook and to help you in everything you're planning."
Luke glanced at Daisy through the driving-mirror and smiled at her, "Well said, cousin."
Daisy sank into the back seat and smiled.
This story is set two months after the TV-show ended (a reference to "Opening night at the Boar's Nest", in this chapter).