Dallas, Texas
May 1979
Interrupted for a second time by a family member, this time his wife walking into his office unannounced, Jock gave up on the paperwork in front of him.
"Jock, what did you do to Sue Ellen?"
To Sue Ellen was an interesting way to put it. He didn't think of it as doing things to her; they'd done a lot together. Sure, she wasn't as active as she could've been, but Sue Ellen was meek as it was, so he hadn't expected more from her. She'd certainly been a participant, though, so it wasn't all on him. If anything, he hoped he'd helped her fulfil her desire to give little John a sibling. They'd be in luck if he had, because it seemed their spouses were determined to put a stop to their trysts.
"Sue Ellen's a needy girl, an emotional girl, you know that. I helped her when she was lonely, when she was uncomfortable, and when she needed some joy and relaxation in her life."
"Helped her how? And when?"
That was a complicated question. His involvement in Sue Ellen's life had started long before she realised it, and he'd never been able to take full credit for what was his doing. He wasn't about to start now, not when he was already a target for their misplaced anger.
"Now, Miss Ellie, I don't know if she'd want everyone to know. She had a hard time before, remember?"
Sue Ellen's admission to Brooktree Psychiatric was no secret, but the details of why she'd been there and how she'd been treated for discharge were less clear. He knew a lot from his own research, but what he'd been told as a family member was much vaguer. He'd be foolish to reveal too much now.
"Jock, did you go to bed with her?"
"I did what was best for her, for our family."
He and Sue Ellen shared something special, something he and Ellie shared too, so she ought to understand. But it seemed she didn't.
"Tell me you didn't force her. JR said you hurt her."
"Ellie, we don't talk like that. How you could think such things is beyond me."
He'd told Sue Ellen he wouldn't force her, and he'd given her chances to say no or stop their involvement. He'd made the first move, but what man didn't? As far as he was concerned, Sue Ellen's biggest worry was what adultery would do to her relationships, which only confirmed to him she was a good person.
"I'm asking a simple question, Jock."
"Well, don't. I already gave you an answer."
"No, you didn't. I know what you meant because I know you, but you never gave me a straight answer."
"I gave you more than I owe you. In a marriage, a man is free to do what he does without his wife questioning him."
Irritated now, frustrated that Ellie was taking JR's biased interpretation as truth instead of believing him, he lashed out, putting her in her place.
"Excuse me? You've just admitted to infidelity, I'm entitled to ask a few questions."
"I said what I said."
Sue Ellen wasn't the first woman he'd had during their marriage; Ellie knew that and had previously accepted it, so to get angry now was ridiculous.
"Don't come home."
"I'll do what I want. Southfork is my home. If you don't want to see me, then you go."
His wife was being not only ridiculous but presumptuous. She wasn't the one who made decisions like that, and he wouldn't entertain the delusion that she did.
"I haven't done anything wrong. Don't come home; you're not welcome."
He'd be home. No one would keep him away from what was his, and the ranch, and the family inside, were his.
When the doctor had suggested she enter a facility to help her, Sue Ellen had briefly recalled her time at Brooktree Psychiatric. She had agreed that it might be a good idea to return. However, here now, she was beginning to reconsider. The room they'd given her was sparsely decorated, sterile in a way that made her skin crawl. The staff were nowhere near as friendly as she remembered them being. And JR, she hadn't seen him in hours. Fear twisted in her stomach as the minutes dragged on. They'd told her he was just signing some paperwork, but how long could that possibly take?
"When can I see my husband?" Sue Ellen asked, her voice wavering slightly.
She glanced back and forth between the two nurses, waiting for an answer that didn't come right away. Finally, one of them spoke, her expression neutral, almost cold.
"Not tonight," the nurse said curtly.
Sue Ellen frowned, her brow creasing with confusion. "Tomorrow?" she pressed, hoping for some reassurance.
"Maybe," the nurse replied, her tone clipped.
Maybe. That was a strange answer. Nobody had mentioned anything about restrictions on visitors, and during her previous stay, it hadn't been this difficult to get information. Unease coiled tighter inside her.
"I don't understand," she said, her voice sharp with a mixture of fear and frustration. This conversation was making her feel small, powerless.
"Have you taken any medications in the last twelve hours?" the second nurse asked, abruptly changing the subject. Her eyes didn't lift from the clipboard she was scribbling on.
Sue Ellen hesitated, then answered, "just my prescriptions, at breakfast."
The nurse nodded, making another note. "When did you eat breakfast?"
"About seven-thirty this morning," Sue Ellen replied. "Why?"
The question hung in the air, unanswered. Sue Ellen was thoroughly confused now. She'd been taking her contraceptives and antidepressants for months without any issues. Neither medication was the reason she'd agreed to come back to Brooktree, but that seemed of little concern to the staff here.
"You should rest," the first nurse said with an air of finality. "The doctor will see you in the morning."
Her questions remained unanswered, and Sue Ellen could tell by their closed-off expressions that neither nurse was going to give her any more information. A surge of panic rose within her.
"I want to see my husband," she demanded, her voice firmer now, almost a plea.
"The doctor will make that decision," the nurse replied, dismissive. "Now, why don't you lie down? Roll up your sleeve for me."
Sue Ellen recoiled slightly, her eyes narrowing. "Excuse me? Why?"
"This'll help you sleep," the nurse explained, stepping forward. In her hand was a syringe, glinting under the harsh fluorescent lights.
Sue Ellen's pulse quickened. The image of the nurse, needle poised, was the last thing she saw before her eyelids grew heavy and her vision blurred. Darkness enveloped her, and she was no longer in any state to continue talking.
Apparently, inducing a miscarriage, nearly losing her own life in the process, was one thing, but admitting to having thought about deliberately ending things, that was something else entirely. When Sue Ellen revealed she had considered such an act, her voluntary decision to enter Brooktree Psychiatric turned into an involuntary commitment.
JR felt sick. Everything was spiralling out of control, and this was just the beginning. He still had to deal with his daddy, Pamela couldn't keep little John forever, and Sue Ellen was likely distraught without him. Then there were Bobby, Lucy, and the rest of the family. He'd have to navigate those conversations carefully if he didn't want them prying into why everything was so tense.
On top of it all, Ewing Oil still needed a president and vice president. He usually thrived under pressure, but this was a different beast entirely, a kind of pressure he couldn't stand, no matter how good he was at playing the game.