Chapter seven- Never grow up

Chapter seven plot- Alex and Jo welcome their first child into the world.

Flashback- May 2006

Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up

Just stay this little,

Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up

It could stay this simple,

I won't let nobody hurt you,

Won't let no one break your heart,

And even though you want to,

Please try to never grow up,

Don't you ever grow up,

Just never grow up,

It was late when Jo and Alex lay in the queen size bed in her room. Jo's parents were out of town on a business trip, so despite her dad's warnings, Jo had decided to invite her husband over for the night.

Of course the marriage was something that both Jo's mother and father had made them do once they had convinced her father to let them keep the baby. A baby born out of wedlock was what her father considered a sin. It was going to be a difficult situation, especially with Alex living elsewhere, but they were going to have to make it work.

Out of her parents her mother had been the more supportive and understanding one, much as Jo expected. She was disappointed in Jo for getting herself in this situation, however she knew that Jo would make a great mother and the fact that Alex stood by her side stood out for Alice.

Martin on the other hand wanted to kill Alex for getting his little girl pregnant and it had taken him far longer to accept his daughters fate; that she was going to have a baby at 15. The marriage was something that he had made a condition for keeping the baby and Alice agreed that marriage was appropriate for now, even if it may not work out in the long term.

Jo was tossing and turning, attempting to find a comfortable position to spend the night. It was a feet that seemed almost impossible with her baby bump in the way. Alex on the other hand was fast asleep after a long day of med school and work.

Upon feeling a trickle running down her legs and a sharp pain in her abdomen, Jo flings up in the bed. She turns on the light and lifts up the sheets. She notices a wet patch on the bed's fitted sheets.

"Oh god," she mutters to herself. She begins to panic. She wasn't ready to have a baby and She wasn't even at her due date yet. That was still ten weeks away. "Alex," Jo says as she sentry shakes him. She waits a few more moments before shaking him again, "Alex... Alex..." She says again. "Alexander Michael freaking Karev, wake up!" She orders.

Alex jolts awake and turns on his lamp. He sits up and looks at her, "are you okay?" He asks.

Jo shakes her head, "My... My... I think my Water broke," she says as she looks down at the wet patch on the bed.

Alex's eyes grow wide as he looks at the patch on the bed. "We need to get you to the hospital," he says.

"It's not possible right? I'm only 30 weeks. It's too soon, the baby isn't ready and we're not ready," Jo says shaking her head.

"Premature delivery is possible. And if your water has broken then it's called a premature rupture of membranes. Have you had any pain?" He asks as he gets out of the bed.

Jo nods her head, "Yes, when I felt a trickle coming down my legs."

"We need to get you to the hospital right now," he says. He takes Jo's hand and guides her out of the bed and to the front Door. He grabs their wallets and car keys and helps Jo to the car.

Jo crouches over, "Ow," she winces in pain as she grips her stomach. Alex rubs her back and the contraction passes. Once it passes he helps her into the car and they head of to the hospital luckily it was only a 15 minute drive, but it was a fifteen minute drive that was sure to feel like hours.

15 minutes and 7 more contractions later they reach the hospital. By some kind of miracle Alex had scored a park right near the front entrance. Alex rushes over to the passenger door and opens it for Jo.

"Get me a wheelchair!" Jo orders while clenching her jaw. She practices breathing deeply.

Alex nods his head, "Okay." He wasn't one to argue with a pregnant woman in labour.

Scene break

Ten minutes later Jo was hooked up to monitors and was up in the OB ward. Sitting by her side was Alex while a nurse was taking her blood pressure. The on call OB walks into the room holding a clipboard with Jo's admittance papers. "Josephine, Alexander, I'm Dr Joseph Taylor, I'm the on call obstetrician. Now you believe that your waters have broken, correct?" He asks.

"Yes. And I've been having regular contractions. They're 2 minutes..." Jo says before going silent. She hunches over in the bed, "ow! Ow! Oh god this hurts! I'm going to kill you Karev!" She screams in pain. Alex runs her back in support.

"You're doing great. Remember to breathe," he says supportively.

"Do you think I'm going to forget to breathe!" She snaps back.

"You're doing great. Deep and shallow breaths," Dr Taylor coaches.

"Your voice sounds like a quacking mouse! And mouses don't quack!" She snaps at him. Jo breaths deeply as the contraction passes. She looks up at Alex and Dr Taylor. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. That was really mean," she says helplessly.

"It's okay. I've heard it all before. Now I'm going to check your cervix," he says. He places a pair of blue gloves on his hands and proceeds to check Jo's cervix. "Oh my," he gasps.

"What! What! Is everything okay? I'm only 30 weeks," Jo replies panicking.

"We are well aware that this is a premature delivery. And luckily due to medical advances the outlook of babies when born at 30 is fantastic. Now you are ten centimetres dilated, 100% effaced and the baby is crowing. You can push on the next contraction," he says.

"I'm not ready. We're not ready and this baby isn't fully cooked yet," Jo protests shaking her head.

Alex holds her hand, "Jo, babies born at 30 weeks have a 98% chance of surviving and the outlook is great. We can do this," he encourages.

"I don't know if I can do this. I'm only 15... I'm still in high school. It was going to be a struggle to have a healthy baby, let alone a sick one," Jo protests.

Alex looks into her eyes, he could see the fear in her eyes "We can do this. I know we can, I have faith that we can," he says as the nurses get the bed ready for the birth. They place Jo's feet onto the metal foot wings that were now attached to on the bed.

"Ow! Oh god!" Jo screams. She grips tightly onto Alex's hand.

"Push Jo, push!" Dr Taylor encourages.

Jo grunts and gives a massive push "ahh!" She screams. A moment later loud screams fill the room and Jo breaths with relief. Alex looks over and Jo happily and gives her sweaty forehead a kiss.

"She's here!" Dr Taylor announces, he cuts a clamps the cord and hands her to the nurses, who place her in a humidi crib.

"We have a daughter," Jo cries with happiness.

"We have a little girl," Alex cries. "Well done Jo, well done," he says. Once again he gives Jo a kiss on the forehead.

Allison Charlotte Hollingsworth- Wilson Karev

1:20am, April 25th 2006

2 pounds 15 ounces