Dallas, Texas

"…your blood pressure is a little high and although you appear to be healthy in other areas, I do worry about your mental health and the way that affects both you and your baby. High levels of stress can be detrimental during pregnancy and can lead to premature birth; low birth weight; low immunity and increased risk of infection, and in some cases, the stress of a mother during pregnancy can affect the baby's life for much longer than the period of gestation or their first few months after birth. As your doctor, I must urge you to reduce your stress levels and work on lowering your blood pressure; I want you and your baby to be healthy and if we deal with the problem now before it becomes a real concern, then I think you have a much higher chance of a healthy pregnancy and safe birth". Sue Ellen sat quietly and listened as Doctor Krane frowned at the blood pressure reading and then gave her a speech about reducing her stress levels, a speech Sue Ellen really didn't appreciate at the moment. It wasn't her fault that she was so stressed right now, she wasn't the one that had cheated and she wasn't the one who had revealed the cheating, she and her child were just innocent victims in the situation. "I understand and I'll try my best. I want my baby to be happy and healthy," she sighed to herself as she considered the situation, how was she supposed to reduce her stress? If she stayed away from Southfork, whether it be in Austin or Dallas, she would still feel pressure from Jock, Miss Ellie, JR, her mother and society in general to do the 'right thing' and accept her husband's wrongdoings for the sake of their marriage, their child and most importantly, for the sake of keeping up appearances. The women's liberation movement could only do so much and the reality of her situation was that, being a 'single', pregnant woman, she would be viewed as selfish, unstable and unfit to be a mother if she purposely decided to stay away from her marital home and support system for much longer than she already had. She had always been concerned about what other people thought about her, so the judgement she would receive from society would cause her distress and that wasn't good for her health at all.

In her mind, she knew that staying away from Southfork and JR was not a realistic permanent solution. If she was to reduce stress in her life, then logically, moving back to Southfork wasn't a stupid idea, her presence there alone would reduce the external pressure she had on her. However, she knew that JR would get the wrong idea and any progress they had made toward improving their marriage would regress and their relationship would possibly worsen if she did return now before they resolved any of their problems. She had no doubt that even if she told him she was moving back for her health and the health of their child and that it didn't mean anything about the state of their marriage, he wouldn't see it that way, he would see it as some kind of personal victory and any progress they had made would be lost. It was a complicated situation and it was one she really didn't have an answer to right now, though that didn't stop her from giving the doctor her standard, people-pleasing answer. Doctor Krane accepted Sue Ellen's answer for now, she knew Sue Ellen and she knew that it would do more harm than good for them to get into a discussion about the reason for her stress, especially since she wasn't a psychiatrist and she wasn't trained to deal with in-depth mental health issues. However, she did make a note of her concerns on Sue Ellen's patient file and instead of scheduling Sue Ellen to come back in four weeks, she scheduled her next appointment for two weeks' time; even if it wasn't of immediate concern, she wanted to keep an eye on Sue Ellen's wellbeing. Thanking the doctor and leaving her office, Sue Ellen left the hospital building and walked toward the parking lot, but as she unlocked her car and got in, she was suddenly struck by the overwhelming urge to cry. Everything was so complicated and confusing right now, her whole life was a mess and even simple tasks like deciding her destination seemed overwhelming in the present moment. "What am I going to do?" she mumbled aloud to herself as the tears began to stream down her cheeks; crying wasn't a solution, but it was necessary part of her life right now, especially since she knew that if she repressed her feelings then she was doing the exact opposite of what the doctor had told her to do.

"I'm looking at her right now, she's just sitting in the gazebo in Central Square Park; it's very close to the hospital…" JR listened as his private detective informed him of Sue Ellen's live movements; she was much easier to track now that she was back in Dallas; "ok, keep an eye on her and keep me updated. That's all for now", he could have been there in less than ten minutes, but JR knew that just showing up at her current location would frighten her more than it would endear him to her, so he stopped himself from making any sudden moves. However, he saw no harm in knowing where she was, even if he did nothing with that information in the present moment. Her check-up at the hospital answered the question of why she was back in Dallas and it pleased him that her current mental and emotional instability wasn't affecting her so badly that she was neglecting their child. However, just knowing that she was back in Dallas and she was acting somewhat rationally just wasn't enough for him and what he wanted to know now was what her plan was now that she was here, though from what his private detective had told him, it sounded as if even she didn't really know what she was doing. From what he understood, she had gotten into her car, sat there for fifteen minutes, not moving or even turning on the ignition, she had then gotten out and walked to a nearby park and had now been there for almost twenty minutes, just sitting and staring off into space. Those simply weren't the actions of a decisive woman and he had no doubt that she was confused about their marriage, he sure was. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was nearing three in the afternoon; in just a few hours, it would be dark and she would be forced to make a decision about what her plan was now that she was back in Dallas. Making a decision that may have seemed quick and nice to an outsider, but was really rather well-thought-out and manipulative, he decided that if she didn't make contact with him by the end of the day, then he would leave her alone for a few days before he made an effort to contact her again. Her lack of communication was the biggest sign that she obviously wasn't ready to talk to him just yet, and for right now, he was ok with that, because she had come to Dallas on her own and that was more progress than both he and his mother had managed to make in their attempts at persuasion. If he played his cards right and gave her the space she so clearly wanted, then she may just come back to him without him really having to do anything; it was a mind game, but he liked mind games and he was ready for this one.

To be continued…