Chapter seven
The next morning- March 18th
20 weeks and 6 days pregnant
It's 5am and Jo had the next few days off work, so why the hell was she awake right now? As she sat in the living room of Alex's house all she could think about why how much she wanted to sleep, but just couldn't. Her mind kept flashing back to that moment.
"Jo, why are you awake?" Alex asks as he walks down the stairs. He had been coming down to grab a glass of water and had noticed the living room light was on.
"I...I... I can't sleep. He is out there and I just can't sleep," Jo says while rocking back and forth on the lounge.
Alex sighs and walks over to her. He really didn't know what to say. Was there even anything that anybody could say to somebody in her situation? He was doubtful. As he walks near he notices that her eyes were red and welted, that meant that she had been crying. "I'm not going tell tell you that everything is going to be okay, because I don't know that. I have no idea what will happen."
Jo looks at him and raises her eyebrows. "But I do know that you have a lot of people on your side who are doing everything in their power to help you. You've just got to have faith," he says.
"You know, for somebody who has the tendency to say the wrong things, you sure just said everything right," she replies.
He gives a chuckle, "Well, I try."
"When they charge him they'll be a trial. He won't just roll over and plead guilty. I don't know if I can do that. If I can stand up in court and testify about what he did to me. I'll be reliving all of the trauma, I won't be able to keep it together," she says. She looks at him and her eyes were beginning to well up.
"Not keeping it together while being on the stand wouldn't be the worst thing in the world you know. It shows how affected you were," Alex explains.
Jo nods her head, "I'm sorry," she cries.
"For what?" Alex asks.
"For dumping all of my crap on you. You didn't sign up for that when you were assigned to be my OB. You're not even a real OB," she cries.
"Hey, hey," Alex says as he places his fingers under her chin and gently lifts her head up so his eye could make eye contact with hers, "You are not dumping your crap on me. You are my co-worker and I'd like to say my friend. And at Grey Sloan we fight for our own. You have this whole hospital behind you," he replies honestly.
"Thank you. I just won't sleep properly knowing that he is out there. It'll be better once I know he's behind bars. Now you go and sleep, you have work," she orders.
"No, no I don't. I've taken the day off. I can't let you be here alone," he replies.
"Thank you," Jo replies crying. She rests her head in Alex's shoulder and the tears flow freely from her eyes.
Eight hours later
Jo sits at the breakfast bar in the kitchen next to Alex when she hears her phone ring, she picks it up from the counter and notices the caller I.D was from the police station. She looks at Alex with hope filled in her eyes and promptly answers the phone call.
"Hello, Dr Josephine Stadler speaking," she says.
"Josephine, it's detective Liam Woods from South Seattle police department calling," Liam replies.
"Ah Yes, Detective Woods, did you catch him? Did you catch my husband?" Jo asks hopeful.
"Yes Dr Stadler, we did. We've questioned him and are processing him now," Liam says.
"Oh thank God. Thank you, thank you, thank you," Jo says happily.
"Dr Stadler?" Liam questions.
"Yes," Jo replies.
"I thought you should know that Paul waived his right to representation and with the evidence against him things doesn't look good for him. While in questioning he confessed to spousal Abuse. The State DA will offer Paul a deal and with his confession it will be in his best interest for him to take it. We should be lucky enough to avoid a trial," Liam explains.
"Thank you so much, that's wonderful. When will we know more?" Jo asks eagerly.
"The DA will visit him tomorrow in state lockup," Liam replies.
"Okay, thank you very much. Okay, bye," Jo replies happily. She hangs up her phone and places it onto the kitchen counter. She looks over at Alex, who was eagerly waiting for her to talk.
"The police found him. I don't know what kind of interrogation techniques they used, but He... he confessed to spousal abuse. The DA is going to visit him in state lock up tomorrow. If we're lucky we will avoid trial," Jo says happily.
"Oh my gosh, that's amazing! Congratulations!" Alex says happily.
"I'm free. I'm finally going to be free. I can file for divorce and I'll have my life back. It'll be mine," Jo says with a huge smile on her face.
The next day
Jo holds her mobile phone up to her left ear lifelessly as she sat in the intern locker room. She started into the distant future and as she did she tried to be hopeful, but it was hard given the news that she had just heard. She wondered if she'd heard Detective Liam Woods right. She couldn't of, right?
"I'm so... sorry, can you please repeat that?" Jo asks. Her voice was visibly shaking.
"Paul has recanted his confession and has said that he made the confession under duress. He's acquired legal representation," Liam says slowly.
Jo sighs and looks down at the floor frustratedly and she begins to rapidly tap her legs, "What does this mean?"
"There will be a trial. Unfortunately the judicial system is backed up so it's going to be a number of months, possibly years before it goes before the court," Liam replies.
"And what happens until then?" She asks.
"There will be a bail hearing this afternoon. Our ADA is excellent and she's going to apply that he be remanded into custody without bail," Liam explains.
"Great, this is just great. You know, I really need this at the moment. It's not like I'm pregnant and filled with raging hormones right now? Oh, no, I can totally handle this!" Jo says sarcastically.
"Josephine, I know that this is hard news to hear. But we are doing everything we can," Liam says calmly.
"Wh... what happens if he gets Bail, and then he makes bail? He'll be out there, and what happened then? He'll be free to hurt me," Jo says.
"If he makes Bail then you will have protection. Josephine, we are doing everything we can, Okay?" Liam asks sternly.
Jo slowly nods her head, "Okay," she replies. She hangs up her phone and places it down on the wooden bench. She looks into the distance, the world seemed like a dark, dark place, it wasn't fair, she thought she'd been through the worst of it. And yet here she was, about to face the darkest days of her life.