Author's Notes: You guys are really outdoing yourselves! All these favorites and follows and recommendations are so incredibly flattering! I loved reading each of your reviews (multiple times actually). I am loving your insights, it really makes me think and drives me to write more.

For those of you that loved Cristina in the last chapter, that was all Chanel5's idea. I had only considered bringing Meredith in so big thanks to her for the inspiration!

I know a lot of you want to know about Jo's little bombshell and what she knew and when. I promise she will explain herself, but it won't be in this chapter, she's a little too preoccupied with other things :)

For this chapter, anything in italics has been written out by the character. That will make sense when you get there.

I'm doing a massive rewrite of some things in later chapters so I probably won't be posting again this week. I do have a lighthearted one-shot that I'll try to post tomorrow.

Again much love to you all!

Alex Karev tried his best to move, but his entire body felt heavy. His throat felt as if he had swallowed razor blades and he quickly realized he could not breathe. He began to panic as he heard unfamiliar voices telling him to calm down. If only he could open his eyes.

He then heard Meredith's voice telling him he could do it, "Just open your eyes Alex." Alex tried, but his lids did not fully cooperate and only opened slightly. All he could see was a blurry light that gave him a worse headache. The unfamiliar voice was back, telling him to take a minute and then try again. Alex tried desperately to remember what happened to get him here. He would recognize that hospital smell anywhere.

Then flashes began to come back to him of dark highways and rain and Jo. He began to panic, unable to tell if she was present. He tried to open his eyes again, but failed. The unfamiliar voice was explaining that his heart rate was accelerating and suggested he be sedated again. Alex tried to calm down so that wouldn't happen, but he was too worried about Jo.

He could then feel a soft feathery touch on his right cheek and he knew she was there, "Alex, just take your time. Don't rush it. You can impress us tomorrow okay?" He then felt her lips on his forehead. He had a burst of energy and poured every ounce of strength he had into opening his eyes to see her. The lights hurt, but he fought through the pain and tried to find her. He began to panic again as he realized he still couldn't breathe.

"He's fighting the vent, can we bring him off?" he heard Meredith ask. He could tell which figure was her, but she was just a fuzzy blob to his left.

"Dr. Karev, we're going to take the tube out and see how that goes okay? On the count of three cough as hard as you can alright?" Alex would have rolled his eyes if it hadn't required so much work and after coughing he was very glad he saved that energy. He was suddenly aware of the constant ache every area of his body was experiencing. He felt like crap. He was slowly raised to a half sitting position and Meredith wet his lips with a small sponge. The water was the best thing he had ever tasted. "Dr. Karev, you are at St. Elizabeth's Regional in Atlanta. We are taking good care of you. You had..."

Alex couldn't listen anymore, there was only one concern he had. He waited a few beats to work up some strength before asking "Jo?"

Out of the corner of his right eye, he saw Jo almost knock the doctor out of her way to get into his line of sight, "I'm right here Alex." His lips turned up slightly as he tried to focus on her. She squeezed his hand and he realized he had already been holding it.

He tried to smile at her, but all he accomplished was closing his eyes briefly. His throat now felt as if someone had sandpapered it and then poured alcohol over the wound, "Our baby?"

Jo wiped her eyes, "He's just fine. They are checking us weekly. Everything has been fine. Don't worry."

"She," he croaked out. He saw Jo laugh through her tears as Cristina gave her a small side hug. He considered how bad of shape he must be in for both Mer and Cristina to come all the way across the country, especially for Cristina to travel that far AND hug Jo.

The doctor then interrupted them to do a neuro exam and again explained his injuries. Afterwards he reported being quite pleased and asked if Alex was up to answering questions on a dry erase board. Alex eagerly agreed feeling slightly stronger and ready to start his recovery so they could all go home.

His vision had improved somewhat and he focused on Jo. She looked so beautiful despite the worry still etched on her face. She turned fully towards him and he noticed the huge gash that had been sown up on her forehead. He tried to reach out for it, but his hand didn't come far off the bed. Jo again grasped his hand and, reading his thoughts, quietly offered, "I'm fine. The stitches come out today, it was just a concussion." She gave a quick reassuring smile before bending to kiss his forehead again.

Dr. Clifford stepped back up to the bed, "Can you tell me your full name?"

Meredith leaned over his left shoulder to read his responses aloud.

Alexander Michael Karev

"And who is the woman to your right?

Alex smirked as he wrote out his response.

My wife, Josephine.

Jo cut her eyes at him, "Yeah, pull that crap now while you can get away with it." Alex grinned back at her happily.

"Can you tell me what year it is?"

Alex thought about this for a bit and then scribbled.

2016, I think.

"What makes you unsure?" Dr. Clifford asked.

You didn't say how long I've been unconscious.

There were giggles throughout the room. Jo rubbed his upper arm, "I've missed you smartass."

I've missed you too

Dr. Clifford spoke up again, "Dr. Karev, what's the last thing you remember before the accident?"

Alex searched his mind for information from that night before writing again.

Hot wedding sex

He looked at Jo, who was blushing furiously, before glancing towards Dr. Clifford to wait for the next question. However, the neurosurgeon looked perplexed and turned to Jo to quietly ask, "How long have you two been married?"

Jo was still blushing as she answered "Just under a year." She then seemingly sensed the doctor's worry about his memory and added, "We had been at a wedding right before the accident and the mood um... well it hit us pretty hard. We were joking about wedding sex in the car."

Alex was scribbling furiously as Meredith looked on and laughed, "I don't think Jo would want me to read that to the whole room."

Alex then watched as Jo leaned over the board her eyes widening at his words. She leaned down to his ear to whisper, "You just get better and we'll top that."

Alex gave a surprised look which quickly faded as he smirked under his oxygen mask. He began to write a response, but he was stopped by Jo's hand on his, "Save your energy for important things, I don't think Dr. Clifford is done with you yet."

Party pooper.

Jo smiled at him, "Behave, jerk."

Alex genuinely smiled at her before turning back to Dr. Clifford, "Alex, can you tell me where you are?"

ICU at St. Elizabeth's in Atlanta

"That's excellent. You're long-term and short-term memory seem intact as well as your reflexes. Strength in your extremities is equal on each side and where I would expect it to be at this point in your recovery. We'll let you rest a few days before trying to stand, but we'll start in-bed physical therapy as well as speech therapy.

Alex opened his mouth to speak, but Jo cut him off, "Don't argue with the man."

Alex rolled his eyes and squeaked out, "Fine."

Dr. Clifford said his goodbyes and quickly left the room. Jo reached for a cup and placed it on his bedside table before grabbing a spoon to scoop out some ice for him. Alex then noticed for the first time that her right arm was in a sling. He began to write feverishly.

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOUR ARM?

Meredith read the words aloud and then glanced at Cristina who chastised, "Don't yell in your writing evil spawn, it doesn't suit you."

Alex shot her a frustrated look as Meredith chimed in, "Why don't we go get you some fresh ice water. We'll be right back." She then linked her arm with Cristina's and drug her out of the room.

Alex looked at Jo pointedly and rasped out, "Well?"

Jo rolled her eyes and moved closer so Alex could see her arm. Alex gasped at the swelling and surgical scars. He could tell from the incisions the surgery had been difficult. "I'm fine," Jo tried to reassure him. "It doesn't hurt and the x-rays look really good. They are going to put another cast on as soon as the swelling goes down further. The shoulder was just dislocated, we didn't figure that out to the second day because I wasn't in pain. That and the head is all that was wrong."

Alex looked at her skeptically and before scribbling again.

And...

Jo sighed, "Don't make a deal but there was some vaginal spotting." Alex could hear his monitors beep more frequently as his heart rate increased. "Alex it's fine. No contractions and no more bleeding. I'm on bedrest and it's going well. All the ultrasounds have been good." She pulled his hand to her belly and added softly, "I wouldn't lie about this."

Alex felt their baby move before kicking sharply. He began to get emotional thinking of her alone going through everything. She must have been so scared. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Jo sat on his bed and leaned onto his shoulder, her face in his neck, "Hey, none of that, you saved us both out there. It was the most selfless thing I've ever seen. You have nothing to be sorry for." He slowly brought his right hand up to rub her back and run his fingers in her hair. He felt her body start to shake as she whispered brokenly in his ear, "I've never been so scared."

He fought tears as he choked out, "Me neither."

She raised up and carefully moved his oxygen mask down to kiss him softly on the lips. She raised up too soon for his liking and put the mask back in place, "You need your rest."

He would protest, but he was too tired. "Don't go," he begged.

She smiled sweetly at him and motioned to his right, "You're stuck with me. I have my own bed right here."

He grinned and gave a lazy "Good." As he drifted off to sleep he again focused on a tall figure lurking in the doorway and wondered how he could possibly tell Jo that he was hallucinating his ex-wife.