Jamie and JR sat in the hospital waiting room. JR slouched back in
his chair, supporting his head with his hands. Jamie stood and began pacing
the room.
"Will you sit down," JR said, annoyed. Jamie ignored him. JR stood and approached him, violently putting his hands on his shoulders.
"What's your problem?" Jamie said, pulling away. "Get your freakin' hands off me."
"Hey!" Jake yelled, noticing the boys' argument for outside the room. He ran in, positioning himself between them. "Both of you. That's enough."
"He started it," Jamie said, almost childish, turning his back on them.
"I don't care who started it," Jake said. "End it." The boys rolled their eyes. "Now." JR and Jamie still wouldn't look at eachother. "This is not the time to be at eachother's throats. This is the worst time for that."
JR shook his head. "I'm outa here," he said, pushing past Jake and Jamie.
"JR!" Jake called after him. JR just threw up his hands and kept walking. He boarded the elevator and, surprisingly, was the only one there. JR just wanted to let out a loud scream. This was all just too unbearable for him. He had never thought that anything like this would ever happen. He stepped off and into the lobby and made his way to the front door. He walked outside and paused a moment, letting the cold breeze blow back the hair on his head.
Without speaking a word, JR turned to his left and pulled back his leg, flinging it forward and kicking a trash can. He just wanted to tear the world apart. It wouldn't take back what had happened, but for the moment, it would help him feel a little better. JR turned now to his right and saw Dixie, leaning up against the hospital, weeping.
JR's anger became suppressed for a moment as he approached Dixie and sat on the cold ground beside her. They didn't say a word to eachother. JR put his arm around her shoulder. Dixie tried her hardest to pull herself together for her son. JR pulled Dixie into an embrace as she started to hyperventilate.
"Deep breaths, Mom," JR said, growing more concerned for his mother as she began shaking in his arms. "Let's go inside," he said, helping her to her feet. Dixie clung to JR as he started to lead her back into the hospital. Dixie still couldn't get a handle on what was happening. She felt responsible for what happened to Tad. The stress was overwhelming.
As JR and Dixie reached the lobby, Dixie's grip loosened up on JR's arm. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor. JR got down and put his arms behind her back, leaning her up a little.
"Hey!" JR called. "Help! Mom." Suddenly, doctors and nurses swarmed around JR and Dixie.
"What's her name, son?" one of the doctors asked JR.
"Dixie," JR said nervously. "Dixie Martin." JR was shaking. "It could be her heart. Her heart is..."
The doctor turned to one of the nurses. "Page doctor Martin. Get him to the ER now." He looked at JR. "We'll take care of your mom."
There was nothing that JR could do, but stand back and watch as Dixie was rushed off to the emergency room. He took a seat and just waited as the time ticked by on the clock.
"JR." JR looked up at the entranceway. Coming towards him was Adam Chandler. "What happened?"
"Why are you here?" JR asked him.
"One of the... the nurses recognized you and called," Adam said. "You're mother. Is she alright? Have you heard anything?"
"Like you even give a damn about her."
"What are you talking about? Of course I care about her."
"No, you never did. You just... used her to get what you wanted. And then you threw her aside."
"You know that isn't true."
"Isn't it though, Dad? You wanted a son, you got me. Then you made poor mom think she was crazy and you can still stand there and say that you care about her? Give me a break."
JR stood and pushed passed Adam. Adam snapped his hand out and grabbed JR by the arm. "I'm still your father," Adam said.
"And everyone knows it," JR said. "No matter where I go I can't escape you, can I? Oh, look it's Adam Chandler's son. Isn't that Adam Chandler's son? I'm tired of it, Dad. I'm sick of just being Junior Adam Chandler." JR pulled away from him. "I'm sick of it. I'm not you. I'll never... be you."
"JR," Jake approached them. "Adam?"
"Is she OK?" JR asked him.
Jake nodded. "She's going to be just fine. The stress was just too much for her. She's in 205. You can go see her."
JR started towards the elevator. Adam began to follow him. "Don't," JR said, disgusted. He stepped onto the elevator and the doors began to close. "Don't even bother following me." The doors slid closed and Adam stepped back.
JR waited impatiently for the elevator doors to open. It seemed like forever, but they finally did and he made his way down the hall to room 205.
He pushed his way in and saw Dixie lying in bed. "Mom," he said as he approached her. Dixie propped herself up. "You scared me to death," he admitted.
"I'm sorry," Dixie said softly, as JR took a seat beside her. She lifted her hand and cupped his cheek. "Jake said I could get out of here in a day or two."
"Did he say what happened? I mean, medically?.."
"I'm fine," Dixie said. "It's not my heart. I know that's what you're worried about."
"I am worried about you, mom," JR said. "After today..."
"I know," Dixie wiped her eyes. "You're a good kid, Junior. Don't let anyone tell you differently."
JR smiled. Dixie could see good in everyone, but just hearing those words form his mother reinforced in JR's mind that he was more than just his father's son.
There was a knock at the door. Dixie and JR turned their heads as Jake entered the room. "Can I talk to your mom for a minute?" Jake asked.
JR didn't want to leave Dixie. "Go ahead," Dixie said to JR. JR kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Jake walked closer to Dixie and sat down. "What is it?" Dixie asked. "Tad?"
"No, no," Jake said. "It's nothing about Tad. It's you I'm worried about now."
"Why? I thought you said..."
Jake stopped her. "We just got some more of your labs back. You need to take it easy for a while, Dixie. The stress is a lot for you to handle right now." Dixie was silent. "As your doctor, I suggest you stay in bed for a few days, or you're going to go through the whole ordeal with your heart again. We don't want that to happen, but judging from you passing out before, that's exactly the direction you're heading if you don't take it easy." Dixie still didn't say a word. "Now... as your brother-in-law, I want you to know that deep in my heart, I know that everything is going to be fine. I'm here for you, Dixie. For anything you need, just ask." Dixie bit her bottom lip. "We'll get through it. We'll all help eachother through this, no matter how long it takes. OK?" Dixie nodded as Jake took hold of her hand. "I'll check in on you a little later."
Jake stood and walked to the door, leaving Dixie alone in the room. She would need everyone's support, she thought, because if Tad didn't wake up soon, she might not be able to go on.
"Will you sit down," JR said, annoyed. Jamie ignored him. JR stood and approached him, violently putting his hands on his shoulders.
"What's your problem?" Jamie said, pulling away. "Get your freakin' hands off me."
"Hey!" Jake yelled, noticing the boys' argument for outside the room. He ran in, positioning himself between them. "Both of you. That's enough."
"He started it," Jamie said, almost childish, turning his back on them.
"I don't care who started it," Jake said. "End it." The boys rolled their eyes. "Now." JR and Jamie still wouldn't look at eachother. "This is not the time to be at eachother's throats. This is the worst time for that."
JR shook his head. "I'm outa here," he said, pushing past Jake and Jamie.
"JR!" Jake called after him. JR just threw up his hands and kept walking. He boarded the elevator and, surprisingly, was the only one there. JR just wanted to let out a loud scream. This was all just too unbearable for him. He had never thought that anything like this would ever happen. He stepped off and into the lobby and made his way to the front door. He walked outside and paused a moment, letting the cold breeze blow back the hair on his head.
Without speaking a word, JR turned to his left and pulled back his leg, flinging it forward and kicking a trash can. He just wanted to tear the world apart. It wouldn't take back what had happened, but for the moment, it would help him feel a little better. JR turned now to his right and saw Dixie, leaning up against the hospital, weeping.
JR's anger became suppressed for a moment as he approached Dixie and sat on the cold ground beside her. They didn't say a word to eachother. JR put his arm around her shoulder. Dixie tried her hardest to pull herself together for her son. JR pulled Dixie into an embrace as she started to hyperventilate.
"Deep breaths, Mom," JR said, growing more concerned for his mother as she began shaking in his arms. "Let's go inside," he said, helping her to her feet. Dixie clung to JR as he started to lead her back into the hospital. Dixie still couldn't get a handle on what was happening. She felt responsible for what happened to Tad. The stress was overwhelming.
As JR and Dixie reached the lobby, Dixie's grip loosened up on JR's arm. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor. JR got down and put his arms behind her back, leaning her up a little.
"Hey!" JR called. "Help! Mom." Suddenly, doctors and nurses swarmed around JR and Dixie.
"What's her name, son?" one of the doctors asked JR.
"Dixie," JR said nervously. "Dixie Martin." JR was shaking. "It could be her heart. Her heart is..."
The doctor turned to one of the nurses. "Page doctor Martin. Get him to the ER now." He looked at JR. "We'll take care of your mom."
There was nothing that JR could do, but stand back and watch as Dixie was rushed off to the emergency room. He took a seat and just waited as the time ticked by on the clock.
"JR." JR looked up at the entranceway. Coming towards him was Adam Chandler. "What happened?"
"Why are you here?" JR asked him.
"One of the... the nurses recognized you and called," Adam said. "You're mother. Is she alright? Have you heard anything?"
"Like you even give a damn about her."
"What are you talking about? Of course I care about her."
"No, you never did. You just... used her to get what you wanted. And then you threw her aside."
"You know that isn't true."
"Isn't it though, Dad? You wanted a son, you got me. Then you made poor mom think she was crazy and you can still stand there and say that you care about her? Give me a break."
JR stood and pushed passed Adam. Adam snapped his hand out and grabbed JR by the arm. "I'm still your father," Adam said.
"And everyone knows it," JR said. "No matter where I go I can't escape you, can I? Oh, look it's Adam Chandler's son. Isn't that Adam Chandler's son? I'm tired of it, Dad. I'm sick of just being Junior Adam Chandler." JR pulled away from him. "I'm sick of it. I'm not you. I'll never... be you."
"JR," Jake approached them. "Adam?"
"Is she OK?" JR asked him.
Jake nodded. "She's going to be just fine. The stress was just too much for her. She's in 205. You can go see her."
JR started towards the elevator. Adam began to follow him. "Don't," JR said, disgusted. He stepped onto the elevator and the doors began to close. "Don't even bother following me." The doors slid closed and Adam stepped back.
JR waited impatiently for the elevator doors to open. It seemed like forever, but they finally did and he made his way down the hall to room 205.
He pushed his way in and saw Dixie lying in bed. "Mom," he said as he approached her. Dixie propped herself up. "You scared me to death," he admitted.
"I'm sorry," Dixie said softly, as JR took a seat beside her. She lifted her hand and cupped his cheek. "Jake said I could get out of here in a day or two."
"Did he say what happened? I mean, medically?.."
"I'm fine," Dixie said. "It's not my heart. I know that's what you're worried about."
"I am worried about you, mom," JR said. "After today..."
"I know," Dixie wiped her eyes. "You're a good kid, Junior. Don't let anyone tell you differently."
JR smiled. Dixie could see good in everyone, but just hearing those words form his mother reinforced in JR's mind that he was more than just his father's son.
There was a knock at the door. Dixie and JR turned their heads as Jake entered the room. "Can I talk to your mom for a minute?" Jake asked.
JR didn't want to leave Dixie. "Go ahead," Dixie said to JR. JR kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Jake walked closer to Dixie and sat down. "What is it?" Dixie asked. "Tad?"
"No, no," Jake said. "It's nothing about Tad. It's you I'm worried about now."
"Why? I thought you said..."
Jake stopped her. "We just got some more of your labs back. You need to take it easy for a while, Dixie. The stress is a lot for you to handle right now." Dixie was silent. "As your doctor, I suggest you stay in bed for a few days, or you're going to go through the whole ordeal with your heart again. We don't want that to happen, but judging from you passing out before, that's exactly the direction you're heading if you don't take it easy." Dixie still didn't say a word. "Now... as your brother-in-law, I want you to know that deep in my heart, I know that everything is going to be fine. I'm here for you, Dixie. For anything you need, just ask." Dixie bit her bottom lip. "We'll get through it. We'll all help eachother through this, no matter how long it takes. OK?" Dixie nodded as Jake took hold of her hand. "I'll check in on you a little later."
Jake stood and walked to the door, leaving Dixie alone in the room. She would need everyone's support, she thought, because if Tad didn't wake up soon, she might not be able to go on.
