Dallas, Texas

"Tell me JR, how did you and how do you feel about all of this?" having heard a slew of Sue Ellen's thoughts, but surprisingly, none of JR's, Doctor Williams directed a specific question toward him. Things were clearly much better in between he and Sue Ellen now than they had been when they had first started their joint sessions a few months ago, and he had come to see him a couple of times independently for advice, however, he still wasn't as open and willing to talk as he would have liked him to be. From what he heard from Sue Ellen though, JR was communicative about his feelings with her in private, so that was progress.

"Is that a joke? How do you think I felt? I was angry and I still am. Patricia is a terrible mother and a horrible person; I gave her a chance for Sue Ellen's sake, but she pushed her luck too far this time and I am through with dealing with her and honestly, I'm sick of talking about her and giving her the attention I know she craves. I don't want to incriminate myself, but I know a thing or two about pushing people to the edge of their tolerance and revelling in their exasperation or simply enjoying that just for a moment, you're the one receiving people's attention. It's selfish and petty, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Patricia craves attention just as much as she craves money and for years we've humoured her needs and wants because it was easier than arguing otherwise, but I'm done now and I'd really rather not give her the satisfaction of having us dedicate so much attention to discussing her, even if she doesn't actually know we're doing so. Sue Ellen came to my office yesterday and told me everything you had said to her, and for once, I happened to agree with you, so if we have to discuss something for the rest of this appointment, then I propose we discuss that. From what I understand, it's not good for Sue Ellen to focus so deeply on her anger toward Patricia, because in doing so, she's wasting time and energy on things she tried hard to but cannot change and is missing out on enjoying the good things she does have. I think it's only fair to say the same for me, isn't it? I'm a busy man, I come here twice a week during my lunch break and when I'm not at work, I try hard to focus on enjoying what I so easily could have lost if I hadn't had a harsh reality check last year. Sue Ellen and John Ross are my priority in my personal life and Ewing Oil is a priority in my professional life; I don't have time to sit around analysing Patricia's petty, manipulative behaviour and I'd rather not waste any more time explaining why I feel that way". Annoyed that the doctor seemed more interested in finding out his feelings about the situation as a whole rather than complimenting him on his improved communication and negotiation skills when it came to his and Sue Ellen's relationship, JR couldn't help but use a less than positive tone as he responded to his silly questions.

Glancing back and forth between JR and Doctor Williams, Sue Ellen cleared her throat and was ready to speak as soon as JR finished speaking. Doctor Williams was used to both of their personalities by now and rarely did he have a problem with honest responses, even if they were spoken in a frustrated tone, however, for Sue Ellen, there were still times where she felt the need to clarify things in a politer tone. "I'm sorry, what JR means is…" as she opened her mouth to speak, she was quickly silenced by the looks the two men were giving her. In a kind, but firm manner, Doctor Williams then interrupted her before she had a chance to finish speaking, "it's ok Sue Ellen, I know what JR meant and I appreciate his honesty and his points. This is a private, safe space, there are no right or wrong answers and unless things begin to get physically dangerous, anything goes. There is no need to be overly polite when there is a more succinct way to say things. So, thank you for coming to your husband's defence, but it's not necessary, I wasn't offended by JR's words, in fact…"

Turning his attention to JR, he continued speaking, "I applaud you and I agree with you. You're right, I did tell Sue Ellen something very similar to what you just said and I understand exactly where you're coming from in regard to your priorities. I think you need to hear it as much, if not more, than anyone else, but I am proud of you for the progress you have made, in your marriage and in your personal life. Don't be fooled into thinking that just because I don't open our meetings asking you about your interactions with your father or Sue Ellen, I don't take note of the things you do tell me. I know it must have taken a fair amount of negotiation, courage and confidence for you to submit your leave application form. You didn't say so, but in the way you and Sue Ellen described yesterday's events, it was obvious that some negotiation and compromising had to be done to come up with the mutually satisfactory agreement you've now agreed to. There was no argument, neither of you are unhappy and although your father may not be thrilled, you still did it and didn't allow the fear of being chastised by him or disappointing him to stop you. I notice your progress and I am very proud of you for your progress; that is the truth. The other side of that truth though is that while I'm sure you're no stranger to speaking first in other situations, in this room, you don't make it very easy for us to discuss things other than many of the issues on Sue Ellen's mind, which at present are related to her mother and your marriage. As you did answer the question honestly and succinctly though, and since you did ask and it is a completely understandable topic for you to want to discuss, let's now put talk of Patricia behind us and instead focus on the good things. I can name a number of things in your life that I think are worthy, positive topics, however, the floor is all yours; what would you like to start with?"

Watching as the two men made and maintained eye contact as Doctor Williams spoke, Sue Ellen held her breath for a moment as she waited for JR to react. Doctor Williams was an interesting man, his education and experience indicated he knew the best way to handle his patients, however, there were times when he was speaking to JR that she was never too sure whether his methods would work; this time was no different. Either JR would be thrilled that someone was finally giving him the attention and credit for his efforts that he deserved, or, he would be angry with the doctor for assuming he knew anything about him, even if the truth was, he did have a fairly good understanding of him. Looking at JR, she anxiously waited for any indication of his thoughts, silently cursing him for having such a good poker face from years of business negotiation experience. She wanted to know what was going on in his head as it happened, but she would have to wait for him to react in some way before she knew anything, because as it was, his expression and body language revealed nothing except that he was listening and carefully considering everything Doctor Williams was saying.

To be continued…