Post by melindajo2000 on Jul 15, 2012 12:11:37 GMT -6
JR sat at his wife’s bedside, hoping desperately that she would wake up. It was her right to be alert and alive for this critical moment in her life- their son had just been born. Under the circumstances, a normally joyous occasion was filled with gloom and doubt, as Sue Ellen hovered in and out of consciousness. A lapse in judgment on her part resulted in the premature birth of their son, and Sue Ellen’s current condition. He was a strong and powerful man, but never before had he felt so helpless.
The doctors said that she would probably survive, but probably wasn’t good enough for JR. He needed to know with 100% certainty that she would be okay. True, she’d brought this on herself by drinking and driving, but he knew in his heart that this was his fault. If he hadn’t pushed her over the edge with both hands, this wouldn’t have happened. She looked so weak, so tiny, and he would give everything he owned to make sure that she would be all right.
It was funny; he hadn’t really realized how much Sue Ellen had meant to him until this moment. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but what was the point? She couldn’t hear him, and even if she did, she wouldn’t believe him. She was off in her own world, dreaming about God knew what, but for once JR didn’t know what to do. Should he whisper sweet nothings in her ear, letting her know just what she meant to him? What good would that do- even if she heard him, she wouldn’t believe him. There had been too many lies, too many broken promises between them, so even if he finally broke down and said the three little words that she’d longed to hear from him, it would be too little too late.
In a way, he’d been glad that Bobby had been by his side for the past few hours. Kept him from becoming a totally broken man, which was what he felt like at the moment. He loved-thrived on-control, and this was one situation in which all of his power would do no good. So he would wait, wait for anything, a sign, a word, a flicker of the eyes, anything to let him know that she would be okay.
“JR?” Bobby announced himself. “Your boy is in his room. Don’t you think you ought to go visit him?”
“What’s the point? We both know he might not be my boy. “
“So you’re going to give up on him before he even has a chance? That’s not right, JR, and you know it.”
“I know that I should go, but Sue Ellen needs me here. I’m not leaving her side.”
“Come on. A walk out of the room would do you a world of good. Come with me. It’s what Sue Ellen would want.”
JR stared at his wife, then looked up at Bobby. In his heart he knew what the right thing to do was, but still, he couldn’t take a chance on getting attached to a Barnes baby.
“Come on,” Bobby reiterated. “I’m giving you no choice. Come with me,” he ordered.
“All right, but if something happens to Sue Ellen, I’m holding you personally accountable.”
“Nothing’s going to happen. She’s in the best hands in Dallas. Come on.”
Once they got to the nursery, JR slowed down his steps. He really didn’t want to do this, but under the circumstances, he couldn’t see how he had a choice. His hands were tied, and he hated that feeling. He looked through the window, and saw the tiny infant that Bobby had been talking about. Suddenly JR felt so huge, so big, compared to this tiny newborn.
“How is he, Bob? Is he going to be okay?”
“The doctors say he’s going to be just fine. He’s a fighter. He’s a Ewing. You know it and I know it. What do you think of him?”
“He’s a baby. They all look alike.”
“Look closer, doesn’t he look like Sue Ellen? You know as well as I do that that’s a Ewing lying in that bassinet, and he’s a fighter. He has to be. I can’t tell you what to feel; all I know is that in my heart that is a Ewing in there fighting for his life.”
JR said nothing. The boy was too small to resemble anyone, but he did look like a tough little guy. What if Bobby was right? What if that was his boy in there fighting for his life? God he was going to kill Sue Ellen when she woke up.
He looked at the baby once more, then turned around. “I have to go. Sue Ellen needs me. Tell me…tell me if there’s a change.”
Bobby nodded. It was a good start for JR, even if he wasn’t ready to claim rights to the boy. But knowing JR as he did, he was sure that his older brother would come around, even if it took some time. Both the baby and Sue Ellen had long roads ahead of them, but if they were both Ewings, as Bobby suspected, then they would surprise everyone. The word quit wasn’t in the Ewing vocabulary, and so as Bobby took another look at the baby, then at his brother, he knew that everything would be okay. They had to be. There were simply no other options for Sue Ellen and the baby. JR had a lot to account for, but it appeared as if he had finally done something right in his life. With that, Bobby went to the lobby to take a nap, feeling more sure than ever that his brother would do the right thing by the baby. It would be okay, he told himself- after all, Ewings did stick together, through thick and thin. No matter how old or how young, every Ewing counted, and he was going to fight for his nephew, even if his brother didn’t. Yes, it was a new day, and Bobby took a deep breath, knowing that every wrong had managed to right itself in their family, and this child was no exception. It would be okay- he would make sure of it.
The end
The doctors said that she would probably survive, but probably wasn’t good enough for JR. He needed to know with 100% certainty that she would be okay. True, she’d brought this on herself by drinking and driving, but he knew in his heart that this was his fault. If he hadn’t pushed her over the edge with both hands, this wouldn’t have happened. She looked so weak, so tiny, and he would give everything he owned to make sure that she would be all right.
It was funny; he hadn’t really realized how much Sue Ellen had meant to him until this moment. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but what was the point? She couldn’t hear him, and even if she did, she wouldn’t believe him. She was off in her own world, dreaming about God knew what, but for once JR didn’t know what to do. Should he whisper sweet nothings in her ear, letting her know just what she meant to him? What good would that do- even if she heard him, she wouldn’t believe him. There had been too many lies, too many broken promises between them, so even if he finally broke down and said the three little words that she’d longed to hear from him, it would be too little too late.
In a way, he’d been glad that Bobby had been by his side for the past few hours. Kept him from becoming a totally broken man, which was what he felt like at the moment. He loved-thrived on-control, and this was one situation in which all of his power would do no good. So he would wait, wait for anything, a sign, a word, a flicker of the eyes, anything to let him know that she would be okay.
“JR?” Bobby announced himself. “Your boy is in his room. Don’t you think you ought to go visit him?”
“What’s the point? We both know he might not be my boy. “
“So you’re going to give up on him before he even has a chance? That’s not right, JR, and you know it.”
“I know that I should go, but Sue Ellen needs me here. I’m not leaving her side.”
“Come on. A walk out of the room would do you a world of good. Come with me. It’s what Sue Ellen would want.”
JR stared at his wife, then looked up at Bobby. In his heart he knew what the right thing to do was, but still, he couldn’t take a chance on getting attached to a Barnes baby.
“Come on,” Bobby reiterated. “I’m giving you no choice. Come with me,” he ordered.
“All right, but if something happens to Sue Ellen, I’m holding you personally accountable.”
“Nothing’s going to happen. She’s in the best hands in Dallas. Come on.”
Once they got to the nursery, JR slowed down his steps. He really didn’t want to do this, but under the circumstances, he couldn’t see how he had a choice. His hands were tied, and he hated that feeling. He looked through the window, and saw the tiny infant that Bobby had been talking about. Suddenly JR felt so huge, so big, compared to this tiny newborn.
“How is he, Bob? Is he going to be okay?”
“The doctors say he’s going to be just fine. He’s a fighter. He’s a Ewing. You know it and I know it. What do you think of him?”
“He’s a baby. They all look alike.”
“Look closer, doesn’t he look like Sue Ellen? You know as well as I do that that’s a Ewing lying in that bassinet, and he’s a fighter. He has to be. I can’t tell you what to feel; all I know is that in my heart that is a Ewing in there fighting for his life.”
JR said nothing. The boy was too small to resemble anyone, but he did look like a tough little guy. What if Bobby was right? What if that was his boy in there fighting for his life? God he was going to kill Sue Ellen when she woke up.
He looked at the baby once more, then turned around. “I have to go. Sue Ellen needs me. Tell me…tell me if there’s a change.”
Bobby nodded. It was a good start for JR, even if he wasn’t ready to claim rights to the boy. But knowing JR as he did, he was sure that his older brother would come around, even if it took some time. Both the baby and Sue Ellen had long roads ahead of them, but if they were both Ewings, as Bobby suspected, then they would surprise everyone. The word quit wasn’t in the Ewing vocabulary, and so as Bobby took another look at the baby, then at his brother, he knew that everything would be okay. They had to be. There were simply no other options for Sue Ellen and the baby. JR had a lot to account for, but it appeared as if he had finally done something right in his life. With that, Bobby went to the lobby to take a nap, feeling more sure than ever that his brother would do the right thing by the baby. It would be okay, he told himself- after all, Ewings did stick together, through thick and thin. No matter how old or how young, every Ewing counted, and he was going to fight for his nephew, even if his brother didn’t. Yes, it was a new day, and Bobby took a deep breath, knowing that every wrong had managed to right itself in their family, and this child was no exception. It would be okay- he would make sure of it.
The end
