Chapter thirteen
The same day- August 8th 2012
At the hospital
Steph is deep in thought as she walks through the lunch room. "Dr Edwards, are you okay?" Meredith asks as she notices Steph walking around. Next to Meredith was Izzie,
"I...I..I'm worried about Jo," Steph states.
"You're Dr Stadler's friend, right?" Izzie asks.
"Yes," Steph confirms before she looks back at Meredith. A second later she turns back to Izzie, after realising that she hadn't met her yet. "And who are you?"
"Oh, I'm Dr Isobel Stevens. I'm the new head of OB. I did some of my residency here," Izzie states.
"Some?" Steph quires nervously. "Why only some? What did you do?"
"What ever you do, don't tell her about the cutting the LVAD incident," Meredith says with a grin.
"Mer, she's right here," Izzie points out.
"I know that," Meredith replies.
"LVAD… What was the thing with the LVAD?" Steph asks concerned.
"I was an Intern. My Fiancé, Denny needed a heart transplant so I cut his LVAD wire to move him up the list," Izzie explains.
"And what happened to him?" StePh asks curiously.
"He died of a heart attack post surgery. Left me 8 million dollars… he's the reason why we have the Denny Duquette memorial clinic," Izzie sys.
"Oh, right. But that had nothing to do with you leaving?" Steph asks confused.
"There was a hospital merger. I had Cancer and I'd just come back to work after been given the Okay. There were budget cuts and I was cut," Izzie replies.
"You were worried about Jo?" Meredith prompts.
"I think she's got Post natal depression. She's not enjoying her daughter. And I know that she didn't want to be pregnant in the first place, and then there's the whole situation with her husband, but there's just something else that's off," Steph explains.
"She'll have a newborn checkup next week. They'll ask her questions regarding her adjustment to motherhood then," Meredith reassures Steph.
Steph nods her head before walking away.
"What is the deal with Alex and Dr Stadler. Does he like her?" Izzie asks curiously.
"He does," Meredith confirms.
"I hope that she will make him happy…. That he's finally found the one," Izzie says with a genuine smile.
"Me too," Meredith smiles.
One week later- August 15th 2012
3 weeks old
"Well Jo, your daughter has passed all her tests with flying colours," Arizona smiles as she lays the infant onto the exam table after checking her weight. Arizona held her hands on the baby's tiny stomach to ensure that she wouldn't roll of the table and would remain safe.
"Really, are you sure?" Jo as surprised. She was sitting in a blue chair next Arizona, and next to the exam table.
"I'm sure, is there something you were concerned about?" Arizona so Jo curiously.
"It's just that she hardly stops crying. She spends maybe two hours of the night and day not crying and just cries for the other 22," Jo states blankly.
Arizona looks down at the baby, who was currently happy, before looking back up at Jo, "is there a particular time of the day, or an activity that makes her cry more?"
"Ah, Yes. When ever Touch her or go near her... especially when I touch her," Jo replies.
"Okay. And how are you feeling Jo?" Arizona questions.
"How do you mean, how am I feeling?" Jo asks confused.
"How are you adjusting to motherhood. Is it what you expected? Are you finding things challenging?" Arizona asks.
"I didn't expect anything going into this. I know better then to expect something and get my hopes up for something that might not happen. I have no energy to do anything and when I do fell just a little bit of energy I don't want to do anything. I know that I should be enjoying my baby, but I'm not. I have no idea what I'm doing, I feel like anything I do will hurt her and scar her for life. I'm a single mother. Her father is a monster and I don't know what I'm doing. How the hell am I good enough for her?" Jo vents.
Arizona places her hand on Jo' left shoulder, "I know that this is hard. Your hormone's are changing all of the time. What you are feeling isn't your fault. You gave birth to another human life, and while it is miraculous, it can also be hard, painful and tough, especially in the weeks following the birth. With the hormone changes occurring there can also come challenges, one of which is Post Natal depression," Arizona says supportively and cautiously. Arizona knew that this was a tough and sensitive subject for new mothers, and she didn't want to rub Jo the wrong way.
"Are you saying that I have that?" Jo asks curiously.
"When we started this checkup we took some blood. It is routine that we screen for certain things following birth. Your blood results along with how you've explained to me you're feeling, indicate that you have Post natal depression. I'm going to prescribe Lofepramine, which is an anti depressant," Arizona explains, "it can take 2-4 weeks before you start to notice a difference and I want you to take one tablet each day in the morning, usually between 8 and 11. I also want you to see a therapist. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that you've been through a lot... with your husband and the pregnancy."
Jo gives a faint smile, "Okay." She was willing to give anything a go if it meant she might start to feel better.
The tiny infant begins to fuss and Arizona picks her up from the table and cradles her in her arms. "Now, Have thought of a name for this gorgeous girl?"
Jo shakes her head slowly, "I..I... I don't even like her yet. How can I give her a name that she'll be stuck with for the rest of her life when I don't even like her yet?"
Arizona gives Jo a small smile, "how about I come and stay with you a while. I can help you out, help you get to know her a bit better. It's a lot easier to take care of a baby and get to know her when you're not stressed. I can teach you to look after her."
Jo thinks for a moment. Having somebody to help her would actually be a help. And she needed help. "I would like that very much."
"Okay good, let's start now. I want you to grab your daughter from me," Arizona requests.
"What?" Jo asks shocked. "She'll only start to cry," she shakes her head.
"And I'll teach you how to calm her down Stadler. It'll be okay. Take your daughter," Arizona prompts with a smile.
Jo anxiously nods her head and slides her arms under her daughter and the instant Jo does she begins to cry.
"It's okay Jo," Arizona says as she assists Jo to maintain the proper grip of her daughter. Once she does she cradled the infant in her arms.
"Now Jo, I can see that you're anxious. Babies can pick up on that, so I want you to take some deep breaths," Arizona instructs.
As Jo begins to focus on her breathing the infant begins to calm down and settles within Jo's arms. "She's not crying. She's not crying," Jo says happily. She looks down at her daughter and smiles. "Hey baby girl."
"You're doing well," Arizona smiles.
"This is the first time I've looked at her and smiled," Jo says unbelievably.
"Then we're making progress," she replies happily.
"How are you always so bubbly?" Jo questions, "it's kind of makes you seem like a psychopath."
Arizona laughs at the new mothers response. It was very clear to Arizona that she and Jo did not see the world through the same rose coloured glasses, but Arizona hoped that Jo's new treatment plan would help her become a happier person. "You're at Karev's aren't you?" She asks.
"Yes," Jo confirms, "but he's not there. He's been staying at the hospital. The baby isn't sleeping and in our profession we need to sleep. He was able to settle her, but he didn't want to do that because in his words he'd be a 'bad mother enabler', and he wasn't gonna do that. I'm pretty sure he's only letting me stay there out of pity until i have the savings to afford bond on the rental that I want. I have a pity house."
"Okay, I'm going to talk to you, woman to woman," Arizona says as she sits down on the fair in front of Jo.
"O...okay," Jo replies anxiously.
Arizona places her hand on Jo's shoulder, "honey, Karev likes you."
"He... he likes me?" Jo questions confused.
Arizona nods her head, "he really, really, really likes you."
Jo takes a moment to decipher what Arizona had said, "Wait?!" She says shocked. "He likes me... as in romantically?"
"Ah, Yeah," Arizona says while nodding her head slowly.
"What? Why? Why would he like me? I'm... I'm... I'm complicated to say the very least, and I've been through a lot so I'm not exactly a happy person... I'm going to be seeing a shrink. Who wants to get involved with a person that has a shrink? I'm complicated and depressed, that's what I am. I mean, have you met his ex-wife? She's bright and bubbly and cheerful. You know, I bet she was the cheerleading captain in high school. I don't know why they ever got a divorce," Jo rambles.
"Alex and Izzie got a divorce because they weren't meant to be. There was always somebody else out there for them. And I'm...I'm not saying that they've found that person, I'm just saying that they weren't meant to be," Arizona explains in an upbeat tone.
Arizona smiles and gets up. She walks over to the door and opens it. She briefly looks back over at Jo before leaving the room. What was she supposed do with the information Arizona had just given her? She couldn't act upon it that's for sure.