The Birthday Party
Disclaimer: Sadly I own neither Saving Hope nor Daniel Gillies.
Pairing: Joel & Alex (or vice versa if you prefer)
Rating: T
Summary: Joel & Alex's son Luke's sixth birthday party doesn't go as planned.
Alex Reid stood at the counter surveying her handiwork as she frosted the cake she'd baked for her son Luke's sixth birthday party later that afternoon. Joel's mother Louise had decided to fly in from Auckland to celebrate the occasion. Joel had gone to pick her up from the airport and both Luke and Charlotte insisted on tagging along. Their six-week old son Theo was asleep upstairs in the nursery and Alex kept one eye on the cake and one eye on the baby monitor.
Alex tried to ignore the persistent pain in her stomach as she set the table with Avengers themed paper plates, cups and napkins.
It's my little man's birthday and I'm not going to let anything spoil it.
She pushed away the pain as she pulled the vegetables and dip from the refrigerator and put them on a platter on the table.
"Okay, chips, juice, the pizza will be here at four…" Alex said aloud ticking off the items on her mental to do list.
Seconds later she heard Joel's car pull into the driveway.
Good. He's here.
She always relished in the moments when her husband came home to her.
Alex watched from the window as Joel got out of the car and took Charlotte out of her car seat as their three year old squirmed to get free. Meanwhile Luke hopped out of the car and held the door open for his grandmother.
She chuckled when she saw her son lift Louise's duffel bag into his arms.
Ever the gentlemen.
Just like his father.
Louise got out of the car and her son held open the front door with one hand as Charlotte ran inside the house shouting, "Mommy we're home and we brought Grandma Weeze!"
Her daughter had called Louise by that nickname ever since she was a baby and couldn't pronounce her name correctly.
Alex opened her arms to her daughter as she entered the kitchen, "Hey, there sweet pickle. Try not to wake up your brother okay?"
Charlotte nodded and pressed her tiny fingers to her lips and whispered, "Shh."
Moments later, Charlotte spotted the cake, "Ooh cake!"
Joel grabbed Charlotte and picked her up just before she could make a beeline for the birthday cake.
Alex met his eyes and mouthed, "Thanks," and Joel rewarded her with one of his trademark grins.
Joel couldn't help but notice that Alex's cheeks looked flushed.
"Hi, Louise, welcome." Alex said smiling as her mother-in law entered the house with the birthday boy at her heels.
"Happy Birthday, little man."
"Mommy I'm not little anymore. I'm six." Luke said, smiling as he ran into Alex's arms.
"I know. I can't believe you're so grown-up now." She tried to ignore another stab of pain as it tore through her body unbidden.
"Hello, Alex. Thank you for having me. Is there anything I can help with?"
Alex shook her head, "No thanks. The guest room is all set up for you. And there are fresh towels in the upstairs bathroom.
Louise smiled, "Thank you, dear. Are you feeling all right? You look a little flushed."
Alex nodded, "I'm fine. I've just been running around all morning trying to get everything ready. Actually, I'm surprised Theo's not awake and hungry by now."
As if her words had conjured them her son's cries rang out from upstairs.
"Right on cue. Excuse me, Louise. I'll bring him down as soon as I feed and change him." Alex said before heading upstairs.
"Hey there, Teddy bear." Alex said lifting the baby into her arms as soon as she entered the nursery.
Even though they'd settled on the name Theo, Alex still called him Teddy.
Alex settled into the rocking chair and took one arm out of her blouse and unfastened her bra.
In seconds the baby was no longer crying and suckling hungrily at her breast.
"That's right. Eat up. Then we'll get you changed and go downstairs so you can meet your Grandma Louise and celebrate Luke's birthday."
"I never get tired of watching that." Alex looked up, startled to see Joel standing in the doorway.
Alex smiled, "You just like looking at my boobs." She said wincing slightly at another wave of pain.
It was Joel's turn to smile, "Hey, it's not my fault you've got a nice rack, Reid."
"Joel, don't talk like that. You're mother's downstairs." Alex said gesturing for him to shut the door.
"I know. I just put her bag in the guest room. Reid, I love you. You're so cute when you're nervous."
In seconds Joel was beside her, pressing his lips to her forehead.
Seconds later he pulled away and met her eyes, "Alex, you're burning up. What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. Just a stomach bug, I think. But I didn't want to ruin Luke's party."
"Have you been throwing up?" Joel asked, his expression filled with concern.
"Not lately." Alex answered taking his hand. All the while her son was still sucking steadily at her breast.
Joel nodded, "But you nauseous and your stomach hurts?"
This time, it was Alex who nodded. And when she spoke her voice was barely audible. "It reminds me of when I miscarried. Of when we lost Daniel…"
She wasn't pregnant.
They hadn't made love since Theo was born.
But of course that would be her first thought.
"Oh Alex, come here." Joel said pulling her as close as he could with the baby between them.
"Now, tell me where it hurts." Joel said in the same voice that he used in the O.R.
"Right lower quadrant." Alex replied, softly. And as Alex spoke the words Joel pressed the palm of his hand gently against her abdomen leaving her breathless with pain.
"Alex you know what this means." Joel said, and she nodded.
"Appendicitis."
They both said the word in unison.
And then Joel took charge.
"Reid, we need to get you to the hospital right now."
"But if we do, Luke won't get to have his birthday party." Alex protested, pulling Theo from her breast and slipping her arm back into her top.
"Yeah but he won't have his mother if we don't go and your appendix ruptures."
Neither will Theo.
Neither will Charlotte.
Joel shuddered at the thought of his children being without their mother.
He shuddered at the thought of being without his wife.
Joel took her hand and held it tightly for a moment before whispering, "Go downstairs and talk to Mom and the kids. I'll meet you down there and then we'll go."
"I have to change the baby…" Joel interrupted her words with a kiss and shook his head. "I'll change him. Alex just meet me downstairs, please." He said softly, taking their son from her arms.
I love you too much to lose you.
Alex gripped his hand for a moment longer before she turned and headed down the stairs.
"Okay, mate let's get you cleaned up…" Joel said, laying his son gently on the changing table.
As Alex walked into the kitchen she smiled at the sight of her mother-in-law and both of the kids running around the living room in party hats.
"Hey Louise, can I talk to you for a second?" Alex asked, touching her shoulder.
"Of course." Louise said looking at her with the same concerned expression she'd seen in her son's eyes just moments before. "Are you sure you're all right? You really don't look well."
Alex shook her head, "Actually no. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I think I've got appendicitis."
"Oh sweetheart, what are doing standing here talking to me then? You should be in the hospital!"
Alex nodded, "Joel and I are going now. Can you stay here with the kids? I don't want to cancel the party. The pizza money is on the counter. The guest should be arriving soon."
Louise just nodded, "Just go, dear. I'll handle things here."
"Thank you, Louise." Alex managed through gritted teeth as another pain in her stomach took her breath away.
She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to smile as she called out to her son, "Where's my birthday boy?"
Seconds later, Luke was standing next to her, smiling, his cheeks flushed with exertion from chasing his sister around the living room.
"I'm right here, Mommy. Is it time to open presents yet?" Her son asked, his eyes shining with excitement.
Alex shook her head, "Not until after everyone gets here and you have pizza and cake. But I need to talk to you about something."
The smile disappeared from Luke's face, "You and Daddy have to go to the hospital don't you?"
"Yeah, we do. I'm so sorry little man." Alex said kneeling in front of him and pulling him into a hug.
"But it's my birthday. Why do you and Daddy have to work? Luke asked hugging his mother tightly.
"We don't buddy. We're going because Mommy has a bad tummy ache, and we have to see what's going on."
"Can't you just take some pink stuff like I always do when I get a tummy ache?" Luke asked.
Alex just shook her head, "Not this time, little man."
"Are you going to be okay?" Luke asked, biting his lower lip to keep from crying.
"Of course I am. That's why Daddy and I are going to the hospital."
"Can I still have my party?" Luke asked staring at the hardwood of the kitchen floor.
"Lucas Barrett Goran Reid look at me." Alex waited until her son's eyes met hers before she continued, "Of course you can. Grandma's going to stay here with you, your sister and your brother."
"Okay, I'll wait until you get home to open my presents."
Alex smiled, "You don't have to do that, little man. But can you save me a piece of cake?"
Luke nodded, and whispered, "I love you, Mommy."
"I love you too, little man." Alex replied, kissing his forehead, just as Joel appeared on the stairs cradling sleeping Theo carefully in his arms.
Joel passed the baby to his mother and within seconds he looked like he belonged there. "Mom this is your grandson, Theodore Daniel Goran Reid. We call him Theo."
"Hello Theo," Louise whispered to the sleeping baby. I'm your Grandma."
Joel smiled at the sight of his mother with his son, and then turned to Alex.
"Let's go, Reid. I already called the hospital and there's an O.R. waiting with your name on it."
"Take care of Mommy, Daddy." Charlotte said, running into her father's arms.
"I will, angel." Joel said, embracing his daughter, "You guys be good for Grandma all right?" Then he turned to Luke, "Happy Birthday, Luke."
Luke nodded, "Thanks Daddy."
Joel nodded, grabbed the keys and put one hand on the small of his wife's back to guide her out the door.
"How're you doing Reid?" Joel asked locking the front door behind them and pressing the button on his key ring to unlock the car.
"I hate leaving them, especially on Luke's birthday."
"I know," He whispered, kissing her temple, "But we need to take care of this."
I refuse to lose you.
Alex nodded, and let her husband guide her into the passenger seat of the car.
By the time they reached the hospital, Alex was moaning and writhing in pain and could barely stand to get out of the car.
"I've got you, Alex. You're gonna be okay. Just breathe." Joel whispered, easing her into a wheelchair just inside the doors of Hope Zion.
Alex tried to focus on the sound of Joel's voice instead of the intense pain she felt or the fact that she was so overheated with fever that she felt like she was on fire.
Zack met them in the lobby, "Hey. Weren't Mal and I supposed to be at your house in like an hour?"
"Change of plans, mate. I called ahead to book an O.R. for an emergency appendectomy."
Zack nodded, "Let's get a move on then."
Joel nodded, "You read my mind." He replied, lifting Alex onto a gurney as if she weighed nothing.
"I've got you, love. I've got you. Just hold on for me, okay?"
Alex nodded, her vision blurring as the pain brought tears to her eyes.
"Joel baby, please stay with me." She whispered, clinging desperately to his hand.
"Yes, ma'am. I'll be right here the whole time. I promise." He replied, pressing his lips to her overheated forehead.
"God, you're hot, Reid." He whispered, making her smile.
Joel looked at Zack, "Who's doing the surgery?"
"Reycraft, I think." Zack replied. "He should let you scrub in, if you want to be with her."
Of course he wanted to be with her.
Reycraft met them at the elevator.
"Doctor Goran, will you be joining this party?" He asked, as he glanced at Alex on the gurney.
"You bet your ass I am, Doctor Reycraft."
Reycraft nodded, "Okay go scrub in."
Joel nodded and looked at Alex, "I'll be right back, Reid."
Alex nodded and reluctantly let go of his hand.
By the time, Joel scrubbed in, Alex was already on the table, still conscious, and wearing a scrub cap over her dark hair, with a heated blanket covering her body, despite her fever.
Alex met her husband's eyes behind his surgical mask and whispered, "I love you, Doctor Goran."
"I love you too, Doctor Reid." Joel replied.
His voice was the last thing she heard before she fell asleep.
Hours later, Alex awoke feeling groggy with her husband's name on her lips.
"Joel…" She whispered opening her eyes completely so her vision would clear.
He was sitting in the chair beside the bed, "Hey, Reid. How're you feeling?"
"I'm tired." She replied, her words running together, "Let's go home. The kids are waiting for us. And Luke hasn't opened his presents yet…"
He heard her sharp intake of breath as she tried to sit up too quickly. He laid a hand on her shoulder easing her back onto the pillow. "Hey, Alex, easy. You'll pull your stitches."
"I just talked to Mom. The party was a hit and the kids are fine."
Alex exhaled with relief, "Good. But I still want to go home."
Joel nodded, "I know. How's your pain? On a scale of one to ten?"
Alex considered the question for a moment before she replied, "Seven."
"I'll see I can get you something. But seriously Alex, you should rest."
She shook her head, "No. I can't. I'm still breastfeeding."
"I can rest at home in my own bed with my husband and my kids."
He flashed her a Joel Goran grin, "That you can Reid. Why don't you get dressed and I'll go see what I can do about getting you out of here."
Alex smiled and sat up slowly, "Thank you, Doctor Goran."
He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before he turned and left the room. "You're welcome Doctor Reid."
Thirty minutes later, Joel was driving home with his wife sleeping beside him in the passenger seat.
Alex was stubborn.
But she was also right.
They were both doctors and Alex could just as easily recover at home versus in the hospital.
Joel pulled into the driveway, and turned off the car.
He took the keys out of the ignition and opened the driver's door.
"Alex, we're home." He whispered in her ear, tucking her dark hair behind it.
"Mmmmmhmmmm…." She murmured sleepily."
Joel smiled, resigned to the fact that he was going to have to carry her inside.
He walked up to the front door and unlocked it and then came back to the car and pulled open the passenger door, taking Alex into his arms.
"C'mon Reid, I've got you." He said softly, walking into the darkened and quiet house with the remnants of Luke's birthday party littered the living room.
Deflated balloons.
Torn streamers.
Bits of wrapping paper.
Party hats with broken strings.
Joel took his slumbering wife directly upstairs to the master bedroom, checking in on the kids and his mother along the way.
Of course they were all sleeping.
Joel turned down the bed and gently laid Alex down on her side. He removed her shoes, covered her up, and kissed her forehead before heading for the shower.
In less than fifteen minutes, he was beside her in bed, and she clumsily reached for him in the darkness.
"Joel…" She mumbled, sleepily.
"Shh, I'm right here, Alex. We're home. The kids are fine. Rest now."
Her lips brushed his bare shoulder in the darkness, "Love you," She whispered.
"Love you too, Reid." He replied, before surrendering to sleep.