Meredith walked into the Grey-Sloan's ER with Richard by her side. She watched Bailey speaking with the police and security before she went over to the trauma rooms. She didn't know exactly where Alex and Jo were, but the trauma rooms were her best bet. Jackson came out of trauma room two, pulling out a stretcher with Cross and Warren. The face of the man on the stretcher was black and blue as his eyes were swollen shut, and his nose was set. Jackson caught her eye and walked over to her.
"Is that him?" Meredith guessed as Cross took the man over to the elevators.
"Alex called you?" Jackson asked, crossing his arms, knowing her answer.
"Yeah, where are Jo and Alex?" Meredith said, looking over at the empty trauma room one.
"We've transferred Jo up to Pre-OP Alex and Stepahine are there with her. I'll walk up with you. Riggs, can you scrub in with me on Jo's surgery?" Jackson said as they all walked over to the elevator.
"Yeah, of course," Nathan said with a quick nod as they all followed Jackson.
"What happened," Meredith demanded, putting her hand on Jackson's arm to stop him. "Alex said that Jo was attached, but he was too distraught to say anything else."
"Meredith, you know I can't break HIPPA and tell you, as much as I want to," Jackson said as he pressed the button for the elevator.
"Do you need a general surgeon?" Webber asked as they got on the elevator. "You said you needed Cadro, so surely you must need a general surgeon as well."
Jackson hesitated, but Meredith glared at him and he knew Richard was right.
"Okay fine," Jackson said, pulling up Jo's chart on the tablet and handing it over to her. Meredith quickly read over the chart and was shocked to see her injuries. Although they weren't extensive, they could have been. Meredith had seen injuries like this in car accidents or hangings, but never at the hands of another person.
"Heart and lung functions look good, and it seems that there's good blood flow in both carotid arteries, and although she was responsive at the scene and in the ambulance. I want to do a Neuro check post-OP," Nathan said, reading over the cardiologist report and looking at the MRI and CT results. "I also want to make sure that the swelling I saw on the scans doesn't extend further into her lungs."
"Which is why I asked you to scrub in with me. I'm about to do a rigid bronchoscopy to check her airway. Stephanie said that she could hardly pass the tube down when she first intubated Jo at the scene, and I suspect that I'll have to do an airway stenting," Jackson said as they stepped off the elevator and walked over to the pre-OP rooms.
"I'm going to go get changed into scrubs and I'll meet you both in the OR," Nathan said before he left, giving Meredith a nod.
Meredith knew she should do the same, but she had to talk to Alex first. Three of them walked into pre-OP and Jackson led them past the other beds to a space that was closed off with curtains. He pulled it back to reveal Alex and Stephanie sitting at Jo's bedside. Jo was still unconscious and the bruises on Jo's neck made her pause. Meredith had watched Jo grow from a shy and unsteady intern to a confident and assertive resident. Seeing her unconscious on the bed was unsettling, especially given the circumstances.
"I'm going to go up to the OR and scrub in, but I'll tell the nurses to wait a few minutes before they bring her up. Do you have any more questions?" Jackson said, his voice soft as he spoke to them, putting his hand on Alex's shoulder.
Alex only shook his hand in a no as he continued to stare at Jo. Jackson left with Webber, leaving the three of them alone. Meredith came over and put her hand on Alex's shoulder, rubbing his back.
"Thanks for coming, Mere," Alex said, glancing up at her, and Meredith frowned as they both looked down at Jo.
"Jackson told us what happened and I'll be scrubbing in on the bronchoscopy to keep an eye on her," Meredith reassured him.
"Thank you," Alex said as he grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.
"How did it happen?" Meredith asked, looking between Alex and Stephanie.
Stephanie cleared her throat and sat up straighter. She was holding Jo's other hand and rubbing circles on the back of her hand with her thumb.
"I met Jo at the bar earlier today. She was drunk, really drunk, so I took her back to the loft. Alex came back and the three of us fell asleep. I woke up to the plant breaking on the floor and I sat up and looked over to see that he was on top of her. He was choking her and digging his knee into her chest. Then Alex punched him and got him off of her. Jo was, she was awake, conscious, and moving around, but she couldn't breathe. I had to intubate her and we called for an ambulance to bring her here."
"Who was that guy that attacked her?" Alex said, looking up at Stephanie, Meredith could see the desperation in his eyes, and she watched Stephanie take a deep breath.
"Jo only told me about his existence a few hours ago and she didn't tell me his name. She was drunk and I think that's the only reason she told me. Jo was crying, and she just said that he was physically abusive to her and that she ran away from him, but…" Stephanie paused as she was barely able to keep her voice from breaking as she spoke.
Stephanie trailed off as she looked between the two of them. She bit her lip as if she was still hesitant to spill all of Jo's secrets, but given the current situation, Meredith knew they would all come out eventually.
"Alex, she said that she was still married to him."
"What?" Alex whispered in disbelief.
"Jo said she was trying to divorce him. I don't know how. She must have a lawyer or something. She wanted to be with you, but she was afraid he wouldn't sign the papers or that he would, well, that he would do something like this," Stephanie said as she looked down at Jo's wrist and picked at the hospital ID bracelet. "She said that Josephine Wilson wasn't her real name. I think she changed it when she ran away from him so he couldn't find her."
"That's why she said she couldn't marry me. That's why she said no," Alex said with wide eyes as he rubbed his hand over his jaw, looking away in shock. "This morning, I went back to the loft to get a few more pairs of clothes. Jo was there, and she told me that she was all in, that she loved me, and that we could be a family, but I didn't think that was enough. I told her I was done with drama, that I wanted her to be my wife, and the look on her face, I thought. When she said she couldn't marry me, I just thought she didn't want to. I didn't think it meant that she couldn't actually marry me. If I had known, I would have, I don't know, I just, I never would have forced her to divorce him if she didn't want to. This is my fault. I pushed her to do this."
"Alex," Stephanie said, reaching out and putting her hand over his as they both held Jo's hand. "You and I both know that Jo doesn't do anything she doesn't want to. If she started the divorce proceedings, it wasn't just because of you. It was because she wanted to divorce him."
"But I gave her the ultimatum. I said be my wife, or I'd end things, but if I had known, I never would have said that. I should never have said that," Alex said, shaking his head as he looked down at Jo. "Why didn't she tell me? I would have helped her. I would have protected her."
"She knew that," Stephanie stressed as he looked up at her. "But I think she was scared of him hurting you or something, and she said she had to do it on her own."
Alex shook his head as he pulled Jo's hand to his lips, kissing her hand before holding it against his cheeks as more tears streamed down his face. "I should have known. I never should have left her. I should have woken up earlier before he got there. I should have protected her."
"You came back. If you weren't there, lord knows, I wouldn't have been able to stop him. You did protect her," Stephanie whispered as they both stared down at Jo.
"Stephanie's right," Meredith said, rubbing his shoulder. "You went back to her, you were there. You fought him off, you helped Stephanie save her. You brought her here, and you did everything right, Alex, and Jo knows that."
"She's right, Alex. You saved her," Stephanie said with a slight smile before she shook her head. "I thought I knew all Jo's secrets after she told me about how she lived in her car as a teenager, but that was only part of the story."
This was news to Meredith, although it didn't surprise her, given what Alex had said about Jo's past. Alex hadn't shared much with her, other than she had it rough like he did as a foster kid. Meredith didn't push the details because, like Alex, Jo's past was her own. She, of all people, knew how everyone deserved to have their secrets.
"Yeah, I thought, I knew all of them too, but I get why she kept this from me," Alex said as he reached down and put his hand on Jo's head as he rubbed his thumb over her forehead. "For the longest time, I never told anyone about my Dad. Jo only found out about it because she showed up when I was taking a paternity test to be sure it was him. She took care of him when I couldn't. She was there for me, even when I didn't let her, but I wasn't there for her, but I promise you, Jo, I'm here for you now,"
Alex said the last line only for her as he leaned down and kissed her forehead before closing his eyes as he pressed their foreheads together.
Several of the nurses, including Bokhee, came over and pulled back the curtains. "They're ready for her in the OR."
"I'll walk up with her and change when I get there," Meredith said, putting her purse and coat on a chair, knowing that they would watch over her stuff.
Alex nodded and brushed the hair away from Jo's face. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips. His lips lingered on her skin and Stephanie looked away for a moment before he pulled back. Alex stepped back, finally letting go of Jo's hand and gently placing it on her stomach. Meredith remembered how Jo always wrapped her arm around Alex's neck. It was possessive and sweet, and every time Meredith watched them together, she knew they were meant to be.
Meredith helped the nurses put up the railings and switch Jo to manual intubation as they took off the brakes. She stood at the side of the bed next to Bokhee and pushed the bed forward. As they pushed open the doors out of pre-OP, she took one last look at Alex. He stood there waiting for them as another nurse directed him and Stephanie towards the waiting room. Alex just stood there with his hands in his pockets, staring at Jo. Meredith knew that it would break him if anything happened to Jo, and she was determined to watch over her and make sure that never happened.
The nurse took them to the waiting room, but Alex barely registered what was going on around him. He had barely had any time to process the fact that Jo was married and that she was getting a divorce. He could hardly believe it. All he could think about was the image of Jo lying on the ground with him on top of her. He could still remember the way she gasped for air before Stephanie intubated her and how fragile she looked on the hospital bed as they wheeled her into surgery.
"Dr. Karev, Dr. Karev?"
Alex looked up from where he was staring at the floor to the black female officer standing before him before he looked over at Stephanie, who was seated next to him, holding Meredith's things that he had forgotten.
"Yeah, sorry."
"It's alright," the officer said, giving a slight smile as she sat down in front of him on the coffee table. "My name is Officer Tatum, and I've been dispatched by the detectives to take your statements. Could you please tell me what happened tonight?"
Alex nodded, and he and Stephanie did their best to give a detailed statement to the officer as visions of what happened flashed in his head. To be honest, from the moment he saw Jo on the floor to ending up in the hospital, it was all just a blur. Luckily for him, Stephanie seemed to remember most of it and was able to give the officer everything she needed
"Thank you," Officer Tatum said as she finished writing. "I have a few questions for you both, if you don't mind?"
"Yeah, sure," Alex said, not entirely sure that he had a choice anyway.
"Do you know why Dr. Wilson was attacked in your apartment tonight? We have reason to believe that Dr. Wilson let her attacker into your apartment as the door was open, and there was no sign of forced entry," Officer Tatum said, looking between the two of them before her eyes settled on Alex.
"Yes," Stephanie said before Alex could even think of an answer. "Jo said that he was her abusive husband. She mentioned that she ran away from him a few years ago and told me about some of the abuse she endured when they were together. She also mentioned that she was in the process of divorcing him."
"Did Dr. Wilson tell this to you?"
"Yes, she told me about her husband and the abuse, and after he attacked her, I asked her if it was him, and she nodded yes."
"Okay," Officer Tatum said, writing everything down before she looked back at them again. "And what kind of abuse did Dr. Wilson alleged happened?"
"She said it was physical. That he would hit her and that's why she ran away from him."
"And what did Dr. Wilson tell you about her divorce proceedings?"
"Nothing other than the fact that she was divorcing him. I asked if she had a restraining order against him, but she didn't answer."
Officer Tatum just nodded as she continued to write everything down. "Do you happen to know Dr. Wilson's husband's name?"
"No, actually, we don't even know Jo's married name. She said she changed it when she ran away," Stephanie said with a shrug and she shook her head.
Alex just kind of watched the exchange happen. He was still trying to process everything. The fact that Jo was married, that her abusive ex-husband had shown up, and that he tried to kill her.
"Okay, is there any other relevant information that I should know, such as Dr. Wilson's lawyer's information or other documents she kept from her marriage or proof of the abuse?"
Stephanie stayed silent and it took Alex a moment to realize that they were both staring at him. "Um, no, I didn't know, maybe, I didn't even know she was married until tonight."
"So for five years, you had no idea that the woman you've been dating, your friend, was married?" Officer Tatum asked, raising an eyebrow at them.
"No," Alex said as he looked over at Stephanie, who just looked as floored as he was. He could hardly believe it himself.
Officer Tatum softened as she took in their expression before she closed her notebook. "One last thing Dr. Karev, do the detectives have permission to search your apartment?"
"Um, yeah, but what for?"
"We'll be searching for any information that can link Dr. Wilson to her husband, the man who attacked her. I'm sure that Dr. Wilson will make a statement and clear everything up when she's out of surgery, but in the meantime, We'd like to contact our own investigation in hopes that we can shed more light on the situation."
"Okay," Alex said as he nodded. He could tell that the detectives didn't quite believe their story, but he knew that the truth would out. It always did.
Officer Tatum returned his nod and handed him her business card before she left him and Stephanie alone in the waiting room. Alex looked up at the clock as he calculated how much time passed and how much longer Jo would be in surgery. Then he sat and waited as he processed the events of the night.
"What kind of person does this to Jo? She's so sweet and her hair is so nice. Who would want to hurt her?" Cross asked as he sat staring at the unconscious man on the gurney after they settled him in Pre-OP, waiting for Jackson to call them up after he was done with Jo's surgery.
"I don't know," Ben said as he finished up the paperwork, shaking his head. He still didn't know what happened but, Cross was right. Jo didn't deserve this. "According to his wallet. It says that his name is Paul Stadler. His business card says he's a doctor at Orlando Medical."
"Orlando, that's weird. Jo never mentioned anything about Florida," Cross said before jumping away from Paul. "He just moved."
"Yeah, it looks like he's waking up," Ben said as he walked over to the bed.
Paul Stadler turned his head back and forth as he opened his eyes. He squinted in the harsh light before he looked over at Ben. He tried to move his hands but couldn't because of the restraints. "Where am I? What, what's going on?"
"Mr. Stadler, don't try and move. You're at Grey-Sloan Memorial," Ben said, putting a hand on his shoulder, trying to get him to stop jerking at his restraints. "Cross, go get Bailey and the police."
Cross nodded before quickly running out of the room.
"The police?" Paul asked, looking confused before his eyes went wide and he looked over at Ben. "Yes, please get the police, and please tell me, is Brooke okay? I think she said she goes by another name now, maybe Josephine?"
"You're talking about Jo? The woman you beat up? I can't disclose her personal medical information, but I can tell you that she's pressing charges." Ben said, glaring at him. Even if it wasn't fully true, Ben wanted him to know that he wasn't getting away with this.
"What, what are you talking about?" Paul asked, looking confused. "Why would Brooke press charges against me when I was trying to help her?"
"Look whenever you say went on…" Ben started to say, but Paul cut him off.
"No, you have to believe me. Look, I know we've been separated, but I got a call from Brooke last night out of the blue. She was crying and she said she was scared. She said that her boyfriend was hurting her and so I rushed over to her place. When I got there, I found him on top of her. I pulled him off and then he punched me. I guess her other friend woke up or something. I don't remember but, I remember this guy with a scruffy beard and a gray shirt. He was on top of her."
Ben shook his head, of course, he didn't believe Paul's story about Alex. He was occasionally volatile, yes, but he would never hurt Jo.
"You have to believe me. I would never lay a hand on my wife?"
"Your wife?" Ben asked, his eyes going wide as he stepped back.
"Yes, I have a picture of her in my wallet. It's from our wedding day, please just look at it. You have to believe me," Paul begged him, looking into Ben's eyes.
Ben narrowed his eyes at him, but stepped back and turned around. He opened Paul's wallet and looked through it until he found the photo tucked in one of the cardholders. Sure enough, there was Paul and Jo, pressed up against each other with happy smiles. Jo in a white dress with a bouquet and Paul and a pristine suit. Behind it was an ID with Jo's picture with the name Brooke Stadler, meaning he wasn't lying. They were married.
"Please, I would never hurt your wife. You have to believe me," Paul said as Ben looked back at him. He had to tell Miranda.