Dixie's eyes fluttered. She took a deep breath as she opened them. The room
was a blur of mixing, spinning colors, no one in specific that she could
focus on. Dixie moaned softly. The voices around her were muddled. She
couldn't pinpoint from where exactly in the room each was coming from, or
whether it was a male or female.
"What did I do?" Dixie managed to say in a breathy whisper. The colors and figures began to become more noticeable. "I did this, it's my fault."
JR sat at her bedside. He took her hand as he looked up at Jake. "What is she talking about?" he asked. "What did she do?"
Jake just shook his head. "the medication must be wearing off," Jake said. "Dixie?" Jake checked her pulse. "How are you feeling?"
"Jake?" she said. "What... what happened?"
"The baby..."
"Oh, my God, the baby," Dixie said. "Jake, please tell me the baby's OK."
"The baby's OK, Dixie," Jake said. "We checked you out. With your heart condition and your pregnancy... The baby is draining a lot from you."
"But everything's OK?"
"Dixie," Jake said. "You're going through way too much right now. When you collapsed before, I have to be honest with you... I thought you were going to lose the baby."
"But I didn't."
"No," Jake paused. "Dixie, I don't want to have to keep you here again, but I don't think I have much of a choice."
"Oh, Jake," Dixie moaned. "You can't keep me here, I hate this place."
"It's either you stay here... or you can go home. But... you need to rest," he paused. "A lot of rest."
"I'd rather rest at home," Dixie said. "No running around. I'll take it easy. I swear."
"I'll make sure she stays off her feet," JR said.
Jake nodded. "You listen to your son, Dixie," Jake said.
"Will do, doc." Dixie managed a smile.
"I'll go see what I can do about your paperwork." He headed for the door. "Don't stay too long, JR, OK?" I want your mom to get some rest."
"No problem," JR said. Jake left the room and Dixie looked back over at her son. "You really scared me," JR admitted to her.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Dixie said.
"I just... ever since the party you haven't seemed... you know." Dixie lifted her hand and cupped JR's cheek. "What happened mom?"
"Nothing," Dixie said. "Please... Junior. Just drop this." JR looked at her, his eyebrows drawn close together in thought. His mouth gaped slightly as he stood. "Junior," Dixie said as he started for the door. "Junior, where are you... Junior." JR walked out of the room and closed the door.
He just sat there. He sat in the driver's seat, his hands on the steering wheel, the motor idling. Sooner or later, he knew the driver would pull away. They would be alone. That's exactly what he wanted.
He waited patiently for the car to pull away before shutting his own off and stepping out. He went unseen as he made his way further into the park.
The park was the perfect place. He knew that other people would be around to jump in if things got out of control, but that wouldn't prevent him from doing what he had to do.
Adam was siting on a bench, a small stack of manila envelopes sitting beside him as JR approached.
"Working out of the office today?" JR said as Adam looked up at him. "You mean sunshine and fresh air aren't below the great Adam Chandler?"
"Is there somewhere this animosity is coming from?" Adam asked. "Because frankly, JR..."
"What the hell did you do to her?" JR screamed.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Adam said. "I haven't done..."
"She's in the hospital again. Did you know that? Mom's in the hospital again and it's because of you!"
"Dixie?" Adam stood.
"You know, Dad. I don't know why you think you need to destroy her life... when she's done nothing but show you.... kindness and understanding, even after you treated her like dirt!" JR stood directly in his view. "I don't know what your angle is."
"I don't have an... angle," Adam said. "I want what's best for my family."
"She's not your family!" JR's voice raised again. "Not anymore." he paused. "And if I had my way, I wouldn't be either." Adam was hit below the belt. He was speechless. "You think I asked to be born Adam Chandler Junior? I didn't ask for this. I don't want it! I don't ever want to be you! Ever!"
"Don't you dare talk to me like that," Adam said. "I'm still your father."
"I may have your name," JR said coldly, "but you're not my father." Adam sank back. His children were his life and now he was standing there losing one. JR slowly backed away from him. "Stay out of our lives. Stay away from her... and stay away from me!" Adam was speechless as JR turned and stormed back to his car. He fell back onto the bench, partly shocked and partly surprised as JR's car sped away.
"What did I do?" Dixie managed to say in a breathy whisper. The colors and figures began to become more noticeable. "I did this, it's my fault."
JR sat at her bedside. He took her hand as he looked up at Jake. "What is she talking about?" he asked. "What did she do?"
Jake just shook his head. "the medication must be wearing off," Jake said. "Dixie?" Jake checked her pulse. "How are you feeling?"
"Jake?" she said. "What... what happened?"
"The baby..."
"Oh, my God, the baby," Dixie said. "Jake, please tell me the baby's OK."
"The baby's OK, Dixie," Jake said. "We checked you out. With your heart condition and your pregnancy... The baby is draining a lot from you."
"But everything's OK?"
"Dixie," Jake said. "You're going through way too much right now. When you collapsed before, I have to be honest with you... I thought you were going to lose the baby."
"But I didn't."
"No," Jake paused. "Dixie, I don't want to have to keep you here again, but I don't think I have much of a choice."
"Oh, Jake," Dixie moaned. "You can't keep me here, I hate this place."
"It's either you stay here... or you can go home. But... you need to rest," he paused. "A lot of rest."
"I'd rather rest at home," Dixie said. "No running around. I'll take it easy. I swear."
"I'll make sure she stays off her feet," JR said.
Jake nodded. "You listen to your son, Dixie," Jake said.
"Will do, doc." Dixie managed a smile.
"I'll go see what I can do about your paperwork." He headed for the door. "Don't stay too long, JR, OK?" I want your mom to get some rest."
"No problem," JR said. Jake left the room and Dixie looked back over at her son. "You really scared me," JR admitted to her.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Dixie said.
"I just... ever since the party you haven't seemed... you know." Dixie lifted her hand and cupped JR's cheek. "What happened mom?"
"Nothing," Dixie said. "Please... Junior. Just drop this." JR looked at her, his eyebrows drawn close together in thought. His mouth gaped slightly as he stood. "Junior," Dixie said as he started for the door. "Junior, where are you... Junior." JR walked out of the room and closed the door.
He just sat there. He sat in the driver's seat, his hands on the steering wheel, the motor idling. Sooner or later, he knew the driver would pull away. They would be alone. That's exactly what he wanted.
He waited patiently for the car to pull away before shutting his own off and stepping out. He went unseen as he made his way further into the park.
The park was the perfect place. He knew that other people would be around to jump in if things got out of control, but that wouldn't prevent him from doing what he had to do.
Adam was siting on a bench, a small stack of manila envelopes sitting beside him as JR approached.
"Working out of the office today?" JR said as Adam looked up at him. "You mean sunshine and fresh air aren't below the great Adam Chandler?"
"Is there somewhere this animosity is coming from?" Adam asked. "Because frankly, JR..."
"What the hell did you do to her?" JR screamed.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Adam said. "I haven't done..."
"She's in the hospital again. Did you know that? Mom's in the hospital again and it's because of you!"
"Dixie?" Adam stood.
"You know, Dad. I don't know why you think you need to destroy her life... when she's done nothing but show you.... kindness and understanding, even after you treated her like dirt!" JR stood directly in his view. "I don't know what your angle is."
"I don't have an... angle," Adam said. "I want what's best for my family."
"She's not your family!" JR's voice raised again. "Not anymore." he paused. "And if I had my way, I wouldn't be either." Adam was hit below the belt. He was speechless. "You think I asked to be born Adam Chandler Junior? I didn't ask for this. I don't want it! I don't ever want to be you! Ever!"
"Don't you dare talk to me like that," Adam said. "I'm still your father."
"I may have your name," JR said coldly, "but you're not my father." Adam sank back. His children were his life and now he was standing there losing one. JR slowly backed away from him. "Stay out of our lives. Stay away from her... and stay away from me!" Adam was speechless as JR turned and stormed back to his car. He fell back onto the bench, partly shocked and partly surprised as JR's car sped away.
