Dallas, Texas

"Jenna! How is she? Where is she? What happened?" frantic as he entered the hospital waiting room, JR threw questions at Jenna faster than she could answer them. After receiving a panicked phone call at the office his mind had not stopped running through terrible scenarios and he was desperate for information, desperate to know Sue Ellen was ok.

"They won't tell me much but she's alive, I know that. She was talking in the ambulance, not a lot, but she wasn't completely knocked out. We were shopping, that's all, it all happened so fast, we were crossing the road and a car just came out of nowhere", describing the situation, Jenna's explanation gave him chills. This wasn't the first time Sue Ellen had been in an accident involving a car and the feeling of complete helplessness and dread was quick to return to him.

"I need to see her", muttering a few words in Jenna's direction, he had no time for pleasantries, heading straight for the reception desk to seek whatever further information was available to him as her next of kin.

Later, perhaps ten minutes or an hour, he wasn't sure in his daze, he sat silently staring at the door to the secure area, Jenna by his side, anxiously awaiting any news, not at all comforted by the vague information he'd received or the fact that other than confirming her insurance information there wasn't much he could do for now.

Setting a paper cup down on the table in front of them, Jenna's voice cracked as she broke the silence between them, "JR, this might not be my place, but I feel like I should prepare you".

"For what?" turning to her, all sorts of things went through his head, however, nothing really prepared him for what she actually had to say.

"I think Sue Ellen was pregnant", holding eye contact with him as she delivered the news, it seemed it was too much for her in the end as the moment she uttered the final word she lowered her gaze and looked down at her clasped hands.

Quiet as he processed what she was saying, it took all of his own strength to ask a further question. "Was?"

"I hope she still is, but it was a heavy impact", meeting his eye again, her sombre expression told him as much as her words.

Breathing in and out, aware of his actions, he tried to make sense of the situation. He'd had his own suspicions about Sue Ellen's condition based on the way she'd been feeling recently, however, she'd always seemed to know herself better than he did and if she'd thought she was pregnant herself, she certainly hadn't shared that with him. "She told you she thought she was pregnant?"

Shaking her head, Jenna elaborated on what she meant, "I guessed and she laughed it off, but I don't think that was necessarily a denial".

Closing his eyes, he pinched his forehead and shook his head, softly answering her as he opened his eyes again. "I had a feeling too, but I didn't want to say it, she was so firm in her thoughts and it was only a couple of weeks ago that we discussed when to start thinking about more children, she can't have known then".

"I don't think she even knew now, not really", placing her hand on his forearm, Jenna spoke quietly again, saying all she could to comfort him, though it brought him little comfort.

Managing a small smile to thank her for her insight, he had nothing more to say and with that, they fell back into their game of silent door monitoring, waiting for news, any news.

Tensing every time the door opened and a staff member walked out, he was just beginning to grow numb to the feeling of dread and disappointment of not hearing anyone ask for the family of Sue Ellen Ewing when suddenly someone did. Jumping up, he made his way through the introductory dialogue quickly, more interested in getting to the important part of the discussion, "how is my wife? Is she ok?"

"Mrs Ewing is going to be fine in the long run, however, unfortunately she lost a considerable amount of blood when she miscarried and that does make her condition…" hearing first that she was going to be ok, he felt relieved, only to then be taken aback by the confirmation that she had in fact miscarried a baby. Aware the doctor hadn't stopped with the news of the miscarriage, he couldn't honestly say he'd heard anything else they'd said.

"Oh JR, I'm so sorry", squeezing his hand gently, Jenna's show of support was nice but it didn't change the outcome of the situation.

Swallowing, his mouth felt dry as he spoke, "does my wife know?"

Shaking his head, the doctor answered him, "no, she's not alert enough for any serious discussions yet".

"I understand, thank you. May I see her?" knowing he needed to see her he asked the important question.

"She's sedated, but if you wish to sit with her I have no problem with that", offering a sympathetic smile, the doctor showed him through the doors and down a hallway, talking to him as they walked before leaving him when they reached Sue Ellen's room.

Alone with Sue Ellen, having left Jenna out in the waiting room, he brushed a few stray hairs off her face and covered her arms with the thin blanket. Speaking to her about anything and everything, aware it was unlikely she was listening to him in her medicated sleep, he found comfort in just being with her and he hoped that when she did wake up, she'd find comfort in him. It was going to be difficult to break the news to her and he was sure there were going to be questions asked of him that he couldn't answer, but he wanted to do whatever he could to help her.

Moving from her bedside only when he was informed that his family had arrived, he took a brief break to confirm to his parents, brother and sister-in-law what the office secretaries had been told to communicate and break the news that until then, only he, Jenna and the hospital staff had known about. Expecting the shocked and upset reaction the news received, he accepted the condolences and well wishes offered to him and Sue Ellen, but much like Jenna's attempt to comfort him earlier, kind words didn't change the outcome of the situation.

Still in shock himself, he was anxious to return to his wife's side and told his family just that before he left, realising only then that although Jenna's name had been mentioned a couple of times, she was nowhere to be seen. Walking down the hall in a daze, his thoughts were all over the place again, with Sue Ellen, with his family, and with Jenna. He imagined she'd left as to not make an already upsetting situation worse, which he appreciated, because although on better days he found great amusement in her ability to stir the pot when it came to Bobby and Pam, now simply wasn't the time.

Finding Sue Ellen exactly as she had been when he'd left her, he was relieved; she was bruised and visibly injured but she looked at peace as she slept, unfortunately though he knew she was unlikely to look the same way once she awoke.

Getting as comfortable in the upholstered guest chair as he could, he was quick to get lost in thought, becoming aware a reasonable amount of time had passed later only when a nurse entered the room to check on Sue Ellen and he noticed the natural light outside the window had disappeared.

Not expecting Sue Ellen to wake up at the interruption as he'd assumed the medication would keep her asleep all night, he was surprised, relieved, and then uncomfortable when she opened her eyes and looked around confusedly at her surroundings.

"JR", whispering his name, she sounded confused and concerned, which was understandable considering the circumstances.

Opening his mouth to explain what was happening and why, he didn't get the opportunity to say anything before the nurse took advantage of the fact that her patient was awake and able to assist with the tests she'd come in to perform. In-between checking Sue Ellen's pulse, respiratory rate and blood pressure, she gave a basic explanation of what had happened and what was happening now, before giving him a look as if to ask whether he wanted to tell her or whether she should.

Knowing it would be easier if someone else broke the news to her, he felt it would be only right to tell her himself, and with a deep breath and a supportive hand squeeze, he quietly murmured, "darlin', I have some bad news".

Moving in an attempt to sit up upon hearing his comment, she winced, sounding panicked again as she asked, "bad news? Is John Ross ok?"

Cracking a smile for the first time in a while, he appreciated that in her confusion she was selfless, her mind jumping to thoughts of their son rather than herself despite literally laying injured in a hospital bed.

"Yes, John Ross is fine", shaking his head, he was quick to offer reassurance regarding their son's wellbeing, though he couldn't be sure he was making her feel particularly at ease.

"What is it then?" attempting this time to lay on her side to face him, she winced again before giving up and laying back down on the pillows as she had been before, likely understanding now that when the nurse had explained she'd been in an accident and would be bruised and sore for a while, she meant it.

Leaning close to her bed, he rubbed his thumb over her hand, hesitating for a while before finally speaking, "well, I don't really know how to say this so I'll just say it. You were pregnant".

"Pregnant?" sounding bewildered, like she couldn't comprehend the word in the context of her own life, her reaction surprised him a bit considering what Jenna had said earlier.

"Yes", confirming she'd heard him correctly, he continued to hold her hand in his, just as much for his own good than hers, appreciating the connection between them.

"But not anymore?" still sounding somewhat confused, she seemed to have an idea of what was going on, but no emotional reaction to the news.

"I'm sorry, no", holding eye contact with her, he was sure his facial expression was betraying his feelings; he didn't know how she felt about what he was telling her, but he knew what he felt and that was devastated.

"Oh", looking down, breaking their eye contact, he still didn't know what was going on in her head, whether she felt numb, upset, indifferent or something else entirely, that is, until he heard the change in her breathing, then he knew exactly how she felt. Moving quickly to sit on the side of her bed, he wrapped his arms around her just as she started sobbing, shaking and shallowly breathing.

To be continued…