SWEET DREAMS

SOMEWHERE, IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

"Sweet dreams, sugar." Daisy caressed Enos' hair, looking at him already sleeping. Sitting in the bed, she took a book from the night table, strange book she found in the cabin and decided to read, and she flipped through its pages; strange book, but amazing, about a man who waits for the woman he loves for fifty years, nine months, and four days after he first declared his love. She smiled and glanced at Enos.

Just the lamp on the nigh table drawing a circle of light around her, Daisy focused on the book in her hands, her mind in the distant world of the book.

SOMEWHERE, IN ATLANTA

Time for dessert, at the restaurant.

And, finally, time for talking of 'John Doe', something Dolly was longing for since they sat at the restaurant's table and something her friends were waiting for with deep curiosity.

Time for questions from the audience around Dolly.

"Really? No ID when he arrived at the E.R.?"

Dolly nodded, "It's why we called him John Doe. It's the name we usually use for someone whose identity is unknown. He was severely injured because of a head trauma and a gunshot wound. He was unconscious, and he couldn't help us about his identity." She swallowed a piece of apple pie and smiled, amused by her friends' curiosity.

"How do you usually manage to find the identity of unknown people?"

Dolly shrugged, "It doesn't happen very often. When John Doe arrived, we just took care of him while police officers tried to identify him: fingerprints… dispatches… and so on. We were waiting for someone coming to the Hospital, looking for him (if he was John Doe for us, he was a missing person for someone else), or waiting for him waking up and telling us his real name. Finally, some friends of him came to the Hospital and recognized him."

"WOW! Was he still in coma?"

Dolly nodded and sighed, "What a emotional scene. His friends were really shocked, especially his girlfriend. She cried and called his name; she repeated him that she loved him."

"OOHHH. So romantic! And so sad."

Dolly smiled, "Sad but with an happy ending. The man woke up and recovered. He came back home and he is happy with his girlfriend, now. You know, he is a cop, and the funny thing is that I thought he was a member of a gang."

"You have always strange ideas, Dolly. You watch too many crime movies."

Everybody laughed.

Dolly laughed too, "You are right. But I read tons of romantic books too, and I liked to see him finally safe and sound, his girlfriend by his side."

"Is he cute? It looks like you have a sort of crush on him."

Dolly blushed, "Oh no! No crush on him; I admit he is really good-looking, but too much shy for my taste."

Ellen nodded, "I agree, he is good-looking. I saw him just one time, and for few minutes, but it's enough for saying he is really good-looking."

"OK. He is now safe and sound. But, what happened to him? I mean, the head trauma and the gunshot wound. I am curious."

Dolly shook her head, "Unfortunately, when he woke up he didn't remember what happened to him." She stared at her friends around her and opened her eyes wide, "He didn't remember anything about the two previous months! Nothing. Blank page about his life along the months before his arrival to the Hospital!"

"Oh gosh! What a story. I thought it happens just in TV shows and movies."

Dolly frowned, "Unfortunately it happens in real life, too. I don't know how's his memory, now. But I am glad he is happy with his woman."

SOMEWHERE, IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

"Shoot me, there is no greater glory than to die for love."

By her side, Enos rolled on his back, had a deep breathe and sat up. Daisy closed the book, rested it on the night table and turned to him, "Are you OK?"

Enos nodded and stirred, "I am OK. No nightmares. Don't worry." He stood up and walked to the living room.

Daisy heard him opening the fridge and filling a glass with water.

He finally came back to the bedroom and slipped into the bed, "You should rest, Daisy. I don't want you to guard me while I am sleeping. It isn't what I was meaning when I asked you to wake me up if I am having a nightmare."

Daisy smiled, "I am not guarding you, Enos. I am reading a book - " she took the book from the night table and showed it to him, " – about a man who waits for the woman he loves for fifty years, nine months and four days."

Enos blinked and had a shy smile, "Poor man. I have been luckier than him."

Daisy laughed, "Oh, you know, even if he reserves his heart for the woman he loves, he spends these years in 622 love affairs."

Enos sat up, "WHAT? Really?"

Daisy nodded, "Really. You are so pure, Enos, but the other men aren't like you, preserving their virtue for the right woman." She glanced away, embarrassed, keeping for herself her following thought, "Neither women, preserving their virtue for the right man. Neither I."

Enos slowly lay down, his voice muffled by the blankets covering him, "You too are pure, Daisy, and beautiful. Sweet dreams."

Deeply touched by his words, she smiled and kissed his cheek, "Sweet dream, my Florentino."

Enos turned to her, "Florentino? After Sonny, am I Florentino, now?"

"You are the man I love." She kissed his lips, brief and soft kiss, "Sweet dreams."

SOMEWHERE, IN ATLANTA

Jo smiled, "Great story, Dolly. I really liked it. I am happy to be here with you." She glanced at Ellen, a grateful smile on her face.

Dolly had a wide smile, "I am glad you liked it, Jo. Ellen told me you are good friends since when you were really young. You lived in Atlanta and you left after you got married."

Jo nodded and smiled, "Yeah. I left Atlanta and I moved to a small Country, here, in Georgia. It isn't far away from Atlanta. But actually, you see, I have decided to come back to Atlanta, 'cause my marriage is…" she shook her head, "… sometimes it happens. I don't want to talk about it. Sorry."

Dolly nodded, smiling sweetly, "Don't worry. Sometimes people break up. OK, talk about something else. You are a florist, aren't you? Ellen says you know everything about flowers."

Jo glanced at Ellen with a both reproaching and amused look: Ellen said too many things. She smiled at Dolly, "I love flowers, and I love their meaning. It's a beautiful language. I owned a florist shop. Oh, well, not just me, I worked with my husband." The dessert turned bitter in her mouth.

Dolly looked excited, "Great! I love it. Come on, talk to us about the meaning of flowers."

Ellen casted Dolly a reproaching look, "Hey Dolly, don't annoy Jo with your questions. Jo can't list you ALL the flowers with all their meaning!"

Dolly frowned like a scolded child, "I am not talking about ALL the flowers." She pointed at the daisies in the pot placed at the center of the table, "These ones, for example, what's their meaning?"

Jo caressed the white flowers, "Purity. Innocence. Beauty."

Ellen smiled, "She knows everything about flowers."

Jo blushed, "I am not so perfect, Ellen. I don't know everything, and I have tons of things to learn about flowers. In the Country where I lived, people came to my shop and asked me about the right flower to give for every situation. I liked it." She smiled, sad smile, "But it's the past. Having a florist shop in a small Country, where you know everybody and where everybody knows you, is pretty different than having a shop in a big city like Atlanta. Besides, I have no money to own a shop here."

Feeling her discomfort, Dolly changed the subject, "I have always lived in Atlanta, and I am curious to know about country life. You know, that man, John Doe, came from a small Country. Talk me about your old Country, about the life and people there. I think funny things happen."

Jo nodded, "I lived in a really small and rural Country, and, yeah, funny things happened there. You probably haven't ever heard about its name, Hazzard. It's – "

"HAZZARD?" Dolly stood up, unable to control her surprise, then, looking at people staring at her, all the eyes of the restaurant on her, she blushed and sat down, "Hazzard? That man, John Doe, is from Hazzard. He is the deputy, there. His real name is Enos Strate; his friends are Jesse, Bo and Luke Duke, and his girlfriend is Daisy Duke. If you lived in Hazzard, you should know them!"

Jo felt a sudden cold starting from her feet and running up to her chest, then a sudden heat. The restaurant started to whirlpool around her as she forced her voice out her dry throat, "Enos Strate is the man you called John Doe?" She recollected everything Dolly said, and she finally caught what she needed to: Dolly told John Doe (no, not John Doe but Enos Strate) arrived at the Atlanta Medical Center in April, and it meant that…

Jo stood up and rushed to the bathroom, Ellen following her.

Inside the bathroom, she washed her face with cold water, trying to ease the heat burning her. She had a deep breath and stared at Ellen, "It happened in April. It happened few after my leaving. What if…" She shook her head, she couldn't believe what she was going to say, "What if Nick tried to kill Enos? Nick was jealous, at that time he was obsessed about me having a love affair with the deputy. What if Nick is involved in it? I can't believe it, I don't want to believe it but – "

Ellen grabbed Jo's arms and looked into her friend's eyes, "Stay calm, now. That man is safe and sound. I met him last week. I didn't know he's your deputy, absurd coincidence, but he is fine. He was in the E.R. 'cause some friend of him, and his girlfriend was with him."

Jo nodded and tried to calm down, "Some friend? What friend? I hope Jesse Duke is OK."

Ellen shook her head, "I don't know what friend. Ask Dolly, for sure she knows something more about it, 'cause she talked to your deputy"

Jo had a deep breath, "Ok. Ok. I'm goin' to ask Dolly everything about her meeting with Enos. But…" she looked into Ellen's eyes, "… I need your help. I have to talk to Enos. I have to tell him about Nick. Maybe Nick isn't involved, maybe the culprit is already in jail and Nick is innocent. Or maybe Nick is involved in it and he has got away with it due to Enos losing his memory. I HAVE to talk to Enos."

Ellen half-closed her eyes, "Are you sure? Instead, you should go to the nearest Police Department, here, and tell what you are telling me. Atlanta Police Department will warn Hazzard Police Department about your report."

Jo shook her head, "No! I want to talk to Enos, face to face. JUST to him. He deserves my honesty, finally."

Ellen nodded, "Is it your choice? Going back to Hazzard?"

Jo stared into Ellen's eyes, "It's my choice. Tomorrow, in the morning, come with me to Hazzard, please."

Ellen hugged Jo, "Ok. Ok. I'll be by your side."

SOMEWHERE, IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

Daisy hugged Enos tight, enjoying the feeling of his warm breath on her chest while he was sleeping deeply.

Keeping him close to her, she could feel every change in his breath and every move, ready to wake him up if necessary.

She closed her eyes and fell asleep, lulled by his deep and regular breathing.

A cookie to everyone who guesses the book Daisy is reading: it was published in 1985, and its author is really REALLY famous.

Thanks for reviewing and reading. THANKS, again and again :-)