Distractions
Disclaimer: Sadly I own neither Saving Hope nor Daniel Gillies.
Pairing: Alex and Joel
Rating: T
Summary: Set immediately after my last story "Charlotte" ended.
Joel Goran threw on the same jeans and t-shirt that he'd changed out of just a few minutes before. Thankfully, his cell phone was still in his back pocket. He looked over at his wife, as she got up slowly from their bed.
"Talk to me, Reid. Are you having contractions?"
Alex looked at Joel and shook her head, "Not yet."
"Good, hopefully that'll give us enough time to get to the hospital." He replied, as he grabbed Alex's packed bag from the closet and slung it over his shoulder. "Get my keys and your coat. I'll get Luke and meet you downstairs all right?"
Alex nodded, grabbing her husband's hand before starting down the stairs. "Joel, it's too soon…What if…"
He squeezed her hand tightly, "Don't say it. Don't even think it. Everything's going to be okay."
He gave her a quick kiss on the mouth, before he disappeared into his son's room and emerged seconds later with a sleeping pajamas clad toddler in his arms.
"Try not to wake him. You know how much he hates the car seat." Alex called over her shoulder, as she walked slowly down the stairs, stopping every few seconds to catch her breath.
She made it down the stairs, and into her coat, and took down the boys' coats as well. When Joel appeared beside her she slipped Luke's coat on him as he slept, and held her husband's coat open for him.
"Ready?" Joel whispered, so as not to wake their son.
"Ready or not, it's happening." Alex answered, through clenched teeth.
"Yes ma'am it is." Joel replied, smiling as he locked the front door.
Alex pushed the unlock button on Joel's keychain and cringed at the loud beeping noise it made, certain it would wake Luke.
"Damn it," Alex cursed, pulling open the back passenger door so Joel could put her son in the car seat. "It's going to wake him up."
Joel shook his head, and touched Alex's forearm, trying to calm her nerves. "No, he's okay, Alex. Look at him; he's out like a light."
Alex was prepared for the tantrum that always followed the car seat. But to her surprise, Luke didn't even stir until Joel fastened the straps of the car seat with an audible click.
At that moment, the boy opened his eyes a little, and looked up at his father. "Where are we going, Daddy? Is it time for school already?" He asked, sleepily.
"No, we're going to the hospital, buddy. Mommy's having the baby."
"Right now?" The boy asked, his eyes widening, in amazement.
Joel nodded, "Right now. You're going to be a big brother soon."
"Mommy, are you okay?" Luke asked, craning his tiny neck to see past Joel to Alex, who was now seated in the front passenger seat of a red Lexus identical to the one that had been stolen and totaled the day of the convenience store shooting.
Alex was amazing that day.
She's amazing every single day.
Joel thought, as he looked from his wife to his son and back again, in awe.
"I'm okay, little man." Alex replied, trying to make her voice and her breathing sound as normal as possible, despite the pain of labor. "You can go back to sleep now."
"That's good because I'm really tired." Luke said, the words distorted by a yawn.
Seconds after Joel closed the back passenger door, the boy was asleep.
Joel climbed into the driver's seat, and looked at Alex, taking her hand. "Are you all right?"
Alex was about to reply, when she felt the first contraction. She bit her lip to keep from crying out and squeezed her husband's hand.
"We need to get to the hospital right now, Joel." She said, clenching her teeth, and leaning back against the upholstery of the seat.
"You got it." Joel replied, grabbing his phone, and dialing Maggie's number before starting the car.
"Maggie, it's Joel. Alex is in labor. We're on our way to the hospital."
He hit the speaker button and started the car. Alex heard Maggie's familiar voice on the other end of the line. "What? But she's not due for another twelve weeks."
Before Joel could reply, Alex spoke, "I guess our daughter didn't get the memo because my water broke ten minutes ago."
"Okay. I'll have Dr. Katz here too just in case." Maggie was about to go on when Alex interrupted, "We're not going to get there in time…"
"Here it comes," Joel said, "the inevitable breakdown that always comes when you think you're going to be late."
"Joel, if we don't get there soon, you're going to have to deliver this baby by yourself in the front seat of your car."
At this, Joel smiled, "Reid, I bet you one dirty weekend that we'll get to the hospital in less than fifteen minutes."
"Joel, we might not even have fifteen minutes." Alex shouted, gripping his shoulder as another painful contraction ripped through her body.
"Wow. You guys really are married aren't you?" Maggie said, laughing.
"Goodbye, Maggie." Joel said, disconnecting the call, and glancing at Alex as he drove. "By the way, you're on." She whispered in his ear, caressing the side of his neck with her free hand.
He smiled, "You never could resist a little competition, could you?" He asked.
He was finding it difficult to focus on driving, when all he could think about was the light sensual touch of her fingers against his skin.
"You know me." Alex said, smiling back at him.
"Yes ma'am I do. And I also know that if you don't stop touching me like that we're going to have to pull over and make another baby right now."
Alex giggled, "Don't talk like that. Luke's in the backseat. He's asleep. Not deaf. And I'm sorry for distracting you. I just needed a little distraction from…"
Her words trailed off as she felt another contraction. "Oh God, Joel…it hurts…"
"Just breathe, Alex. We're almost there." He said, bringing his hand to her lips and kissing it. You're gonna kick ass at this. Just like you do at everything else."
He always knows just what to say.
Alex thought focusing on the lilt of her husband's New Zealand accent as he spoke.
His accent is one of the many things about him that turn me on.
Joel Goran is definitely the right kind of distraction.
While she was lost in thought, Joel pulled into the parking lot in front of Hope Zion. Malanda stood just outside the door with a wheelchair waiting for Alex. When the car stopped, Joel wasted no time getting out, and unbuckling Luke's car seat so they could take the sleeping toddler inside without waking him.
When Malanda opened the passenger door, Alex's words came out in a rush, "MalwillyouwatchLukeforme? He's sleeping now but..." Her voice trailed off and was replaced by a cry of pain.
Malanda took Alex's hand to help her into chair. "Sure sweetie, but who's gonna keep an eye on you?"
"That would be me." Joel said, passing the car seat to Malanda by the handle.
"Sure, let's get all three of you, inside." Malanda said, smiling.
She was so glad that Alex had finally found love and happiness. She'd always thought their feelings for each other were so strong that they were apparent even to strangers.
They take care of each other.
Malanda thought as she watched Joel talk Alex through another painful contraction.
"You're golden, Alex. You're doing great." Joel said, kissing her forehead.
The minute they walked through the door, Joel called out to Malanda.
"Let's get a warm blanket on her. She's been cold since just before she went into labor."
Malanda nodded passing the heated to Joel who draped it over Alex making her sigh.
"Thank you," Alex whispered leaning back in the wheelchair, and pulling him towards her so she could kiss him.
"I am a gentleman, Miss Reid." He whispered in her ear, making her laugh.
He said that to me the night we sang karaoke in my apartment.
Her blissful thoughts were interrupted by yet another contraction. This time her entire body jerked with the force of it. And suddenly Joel was kneeling in front of her, both hands on her shoulders keeping her seated in the chair. She felt hot tears running down her face.
"It wasn't like this with Luke. He came right away…But it's too soon for Charlotte…It's taking too long…The contractions are stronger…"
"Alex, hey, Alex, look at me. Breathe and try to relax. I know you're scared but getting upset won't help." Joel said, trying to comfort her and wiping the tears from her face with the palm of his hand and kissing her temple.
"Where the hell is Maggie?" Joel shouted as he watched his wife writhing in agony.
"Right here." Maggie replied. She seemed to have come from nowhere as if he'd telepathically summoned her.
Maggie strolled into the room like she owned it with her mentor, her boss, and occasional lover Dr. Sydney Katz by her side.
"How far apart are the contractions?" Dr. Katz asked, while Maggie the more empathic of the two took Alex's hand and asked, "How are you feeling Alex? Do you need some ice chips or a cool washcloth for your face?"
Alex shook her head, "I could use an epidural though."
Maggie smiled, "Let's examine you up in the birthing suite and then we'll see okay?"
"How far apart are the contractions?" Dr. Katz repeated. Her voice was so insistent that it sounded more like a command than a question.
And it was Joel who answered, "About five minutes now." Just before he and Maggie lifted Alex out of the wheelchair and onto the cart to be taken upstairs to the birthing suite.
Alex lay on her back, propped up on her elbows and reached for her husband's hand. "Joel, please don't leave me."
"Not gonna happen, Reid. I'm staying right here with you." He answered, leaning over the cart's railing to kiss his wife's lips.
I missed seeing my son being born. No way in hell I'm missing it this time around.
Maggie cleared her throat dramatically, "You guys are so adorable it makes me sick."
"Dr. Lin you sound a little jealous." Joel said, stepping aside so Maggie could steer the cart.
Maggie shrugged, "Probably. But we still need to get Alex upstairs so I can examine her. Dr. Katz is already up there."
Joel held Alex's hand as Maggie wheeled the cart toward the elevator.
"Maggie, can you page Malanda and check on Luke for me?"
Joel spoke up before Maggie could answer, "I'll do it as soon as we get upstairs."
They all fell silent on the elevator. When they reached the birthing suite, Maggie and Joel lifted Alex onto the exam table.
"Okay, Alex just lie back and try to relax. I'm going to examine you now."
Alex nodded, her attention completely focused on Joel who was across the room on the phone with Malanda.
She read Joel's lips as he mouthed the words "still sleeping" and then thanked Malanda and hung up the phone.
He walked back across the room and watched as Alex let out a sigh of relief. "He's fine, Reid." Joel said, just as Maggie's head popped out from underneath the drape between Alex's legs.
"You're just about three centimeters dilated. Just in time for that epidural. I'll go get it and come right back."
"Sounds good, Maggie." Alex replied, absently, she was looking at her husband.
"I know that look." Joel said, smiling and walking back over to her.
"What look?" She asked, a slow smile spreading across her face.
He knows me so well.
I love this man.
"That's the look you get when you're about to ask me to do something for you. So what is it? Another wager? What are the stakes? You already owe me two dirty weekends."
Alex laughed, "You're always keeping score. When Maggie comes back with the epidural. I want you to do it."
Alex thought about the patient they'd treated with the rare tumor and the way he'd put the young girl at ease before giving her a lumbar puncture.
"Because my hand is steady as a rock?" He asked, clearly fishing for compliments.
"No, because it means injecting a very large needle into my spine. And nobody knows spines better than you, Dr. Goran."
And because his hand is steady as a rock.
"Why thank you for the compliment, Dr. Reid. You may have just earned a dirty weekend of your own."
"You promise?" She asked, propping herself up on her elbows to kiss him. After a long moment, he reached one hand out to tuck a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear and whispered, "Oh yeah. Definitely."
Alex laughed but it died in her throat as another contraction made its way through her body.
"Where the hell is Maggie?" Alex shouted, trying to catch her breath.
At that moment Maggie came back into the room, "Okay, Alex, are we all set?" Alex shook her head as the pain subsided. "I want Joel to do it."
Maggie shrugged, "I don't see why not. You'll need a gown and gloves for the delivery room anyway so just go scrub up and we'll get the party started."
Joel locked eyes with Alex. "I'll be right back."
"I'll be here." Alex answered her gaze never leaving his.
Joel put on a surgical gown over his jeans and t shirt and went two doors down to find the nearest scrub sink.
Alex let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding, when Joel came back into the room.
"Okay, let's do this." He said, pulling a stool next to Alex's bed.
He eased her onto her side even more gently than he would've any other patient.
Because she wasn't any other patient.
She was Alex Reid.
The love of his life.
"Alex, it's important that you remain very still. On three, you're gonna feel some pressure and then a stick. One…two…three."
It was something akin to an out of body experience for Joel as he injected the epidural into Alex's back. He'd only agreed to it because she'd asked him to.
He'd do anything that she asked him to.
He'd learned that the hard way.
He threw the used needle in the biohazard sharps container on the wall and gently placed his hand on her side turning her onto her back so he could look into her eyes once more.
"Better?" He asked softly, kissing the side of her neck. But she didn't even have to reply. He could see the relief in the expression in her face. Maggie's voice broke the spell of the moment.
"Alex, you should feel great for about two hours or until the epidural wears off. Whichever comes first. By then, you should be at five centimeters which means you'll be halfway to meeting your baby girl. What's her name again?"
"Charlotte Louise Goran Reid." Alex and Joel answered in unison.
Maggie rolled her eyes. "Wow, you guys are so married. I'll be back in a little bit." She said, rolling her eyes before closing the door and leaving the room.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Joel climbed into bed beside her.
"How're you feeling? He asked, pressing a kiss against her forehead.
"Compared to a few hours ago I feel fantastic."
Joel chuckled and pulled Alex closer to him. "Good. I hated seeing you in so much pain."
"I have to tell you though Luke's labor was nothing compared to this. I never could've sat for my boards like this."
"Yes, you could've," He said, wrapping one arm gently around her shoulder. "Because you're amazing."
"Oh shut up." She said punching him playfully in the arm. Alex drew in a quick breath. "Oh my God! Luke! I should check on him!" She moved to sit up, but he held her in place.
"Luke is fine. Alex, you should rest while you can. You need to save your energy, especially since this pregnancy has been so much harder on you than carrying Luke was."
Alex sighed, "You're probably right."
Joel smiled, "You know, I am Reid."
They were quiet for a while longer and Joel thought Alex had fallen asleep when she spoke, "Let's talk about our trip to Auckland. Are there any more twenty-something Australian stepmothers to worry about?"
"God, I hope not. My father has already had a quintet of failed marriages." He laughed, "He's insufferable."
It was Alex's turn to chuckle, "You know you should try not to give him such a hard time. Sure, he has his faults but he loves you and you're lucky he's still in your life."
She was quiet for a long time and Joel knew that she must have been thinking about her father's suicide.
"Alex, your father's death wasn't your fault. You were just a kid."
"That's what Luke always used to tell me too." She said softly.
"You should listen to him. He was right."
"You always did like him, didn't you?" Alex asked, smiling at her husband.
"I did like him. He was a good guy. You did a good job raising him. And you're doing a great job raising our son."
"I'm not doing it alone this time. I have you."
Joel nodded and kissed the top of her head, "Yes, you do."
"I saw him you know. Luke I mean? In a dream or something. When I was in my coma when I was stabbed.
When she was stabbed.
He shuddered at the memory of the time he'd come so close to losing her.
"Joel, it wasn't your fault." She turned her head to look at him, and kissed the side of his face and repeated. "It wasn't your fault."
"But if I could've stopped it…You would've never gotten hurt, and Ian might still be alive."
Alex shook her head, "Don't do that. You'll drive yourself crazy. If I hadn't been stabbed we might not be where we are today. And I like where we are today."
"So do I. I can't believe I almost lost you. I was a wreck." Joel squeezed her tightly, as if to drive home the point."
"I know. And I'm sorry…" She whispered.
"Wait…you know? How do you know?"
"Let's just say, 'Red, rover, red, rover, I smell a hangover' and leave it at that." Alex replied, laughing.
"I'm going to kill Zack."
Alex shook her head, "Don't do that. They'll be a ton of paperwork. You'd lose your job and your license. And it'll be messy. Plus, he's your friend."
They both started laughing at the same moment. But then Alex's expression changed, "Joel, I think the epidural just wore off.
He gave her a questioning look, "Already? Do you want me to page Maggie?"
She nodded, "Don't go. Stay with me."
"You got it. Joel said, kissing her, and then standing up and walking toward the phone on the wall.
Alex tried to focus on the rhythm of his voice, forcing herself to relax through another contraction.
"Yes, this is Dr. Goran. Can you page Dr. Lin to the fifth floor birthing suite please? Thank you."
Joel hung up the phone and sat on the bed behind Alex, gently rubbing her back. Her skin was flushed and hot to the touch. Her body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat from the exertion of labor.
"Is there anything you need?" He asked softly, lifting her sweat soaked dark hair away from the back of her neck.
"I'm hot." Alex mumbled, breathing heavily against the pain.
"That you are Reid. You're incredibly hot."
He is a master in the art of distraction. Alex thought. A smile slowly crossed her face.
"That's not what I meant." She said, leaning back into his embrace.
"I know. But at least I made you smile."
Maggie and Sydney stood outside the door of the birthing suite, peeking through the tiny square of glass in the door.
"Do you think she'll need a Cesarean?" Maggie asked, looking inside the room, and then back at Sydney.
"She's twelve weeks premature but I don't think it's necessary unless her blood pressure is elevated or there are signs of fetal distress. Examine her again and then we'll know whether or not to even bring up the idea with them."
"Joel really shouldn't be sitting in the bed with her like that." Sydney, said pushing her horn-rimmed glasses up on her nose.
Maggie rolled her eyes, "He's doing it to make her feel better, Sydney. You're so uptight sometimes."
"No, I'm not," Sydney replied, glaring at Maggie before she pushed opened the door and entered the room, with Maggie right behind her.
"How are we feeling?" Sydney asked, with her trademark matter of fact tone.
"I'm hot, thirsty, and tired. And the epidural just wore off. I think we should be going to the delivery room soon." Alex answered, exhaling loudly.
A second later she felt Joel's hand on her shoulder. His touch felt cool against her overheated skin. "Reid, stop backseat doctoring." He whispered in her ear.
"Oh c'mon Joel, you know I'm right." She said, clearly expecting him to back her up.
He raised his hands in mock surrender, "Hey, don't get defensive. I'm just saying…"
Alex's scream cut off his next words, and Maggie bent down to look between her legs. "You're almost at eight centimeters. Nice legs by the way."
Alex barely cracked a smile at the compliment, as she leaned back into Joel and tried to regulate her breathing.
"Dr. Lin," Sydney interrupted, "If you're not too busy flirting with your patient perhaps you could find her some ice chips and a cold wet cloth, and then meet us in the delivery room while Joel and I get her back on the cart?"
Maggie rolled her eyes at Sydney, "I'll be right back, Alex."
After Maggie left the room, Alex looked at Dr. Katz, grateful for yet another momentary distraction from the long difficult labor. "It was just an inside joke Sydney. Maggie loves you."
Joel looked at his wife," Do I even want to know why there's an inside joke between you and Maggie about your legs?" He asked caressing her hand in an effort to relax her.
"She saw them when I was on the table. When I…"
Joel stopped the flow of her words with a kiss knowing what she was about to say.
When she was stabbed.
"You're right here where you belong. Do you hear me, Alex Reid?"
His words echoed the ones that he'd spoken when she was in the coma after the stabbing. But this time his words sent a shiver of desire up her spine, when he whispered them in her ear.
She pulled him closer to her so she could kiss him and replied, "I love you, Joel Goran. Do you hear me?"
"Yes, ma'am. Loud and clear. Now, let's go meet our daughter." He said, placing one hand at the small of back to support her as she moved back onto the cart for the journey to the delivery room.
Once Alex was on the cart, Sydney wrapped the blood pressure cuff around her arm and attached a heart monitor to her.
"We'll monitor your pressure, if your pressure or the baby's spikes too high during labor we'll have to do a C-section. We can't risk any fetal distress."
Joel watched as Alex's eyes danced back and forth in an expression of sheer terror. He never took his eyes off of his wife, as he gripped her hand and told Sydney. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that." He said, as they walked toward the delivery room.
Maggie met them at the door with a cup of ice chips in one hand and a cold wet washcloth in the other. "This should help cool you down, Alex." She said as she handed them both to Joel. "Dr. Goran, would you like to do the honors?"
She sighed with relief the moment he pressed the cold cloth against the back of her neck. "Dirty weekend." She mumbled, leaning back against his shoulder, and looking into his eyes.
Joel laughed, "Glad to be of service, Reid." He said, pressing the cloth against her forehead.
"I have a feeling I'm going to be seeing a lot of you two in here." Maggie said, as she helped Joel move Alex from the cart onto the bed in the delivery room.
"Watch it Lin, my wife went to bat for you, with your girlfriend over there." He said, lifting her feet into the stirrups.
"Nice legs, Reid." He said, letting his hand linger on her thigh longer than necessary.
My husband.
A master in the art of distraction.
She was so caught up in her thoughts that the contraction took her by surprise and left her spent. She slumped back against the bed, and reached for Joel's hand.
She heard Maggie's voice, "Okay, Alex you're at ten centimeters. When you feel the next contraction, I need you to push."
She looked at Joel and took his hand. "I'm right here, Alex. You've got this."
"It's time to push, Alex."
Seconds later, she felt the contraction and pushed until it felt as if she'd split in half if she didn't stop.
She had five seconds to catch her breath before Maggie shouted, "Alex, push."
"Maggie, please shut up. I just need a minute."
She looked at Joel, "Let's talk about New Zealand."
Joel smiled. "We'll go for Christmas. Luke will be out of pre-school. It'll be summer in Auckland by then. We'll drink wine and walk on the beach. The kids can build sandcastles and you can wear a bikini."
Alex took a deep breath. She was so exhausted that when she spoke her words ran together. "Let's have one of our dirty weekends at the b&b with the jam."
"You got it." Joel whispered, "Now let's have this baby, Reid."
This time when Maggie shouted at her to push, Alex did. And she didn't stop until she heard the first cries of her newborn daughter.
There was a flurry of movement around her, but for Alex it seemed to happen in slow motion.
Joel standing next to her cutting the baby's umbilical cord.
The nurses cleaning her up.
When she finally spoke her voice wasn't much more than a whisper.
"Joel…Is she okay?"
In seconds, Joel was at her side, holding the baby in his arms.
"She's perfect. Just like her mother." He whispered, kissing her forehead, and gently placing the baby against her chest.
"Hello, Charlotte." Alex said, before she fell asleep.