It happened again when they were in surgery together. Alex was on stand by monitoring the baby, while Jo was assisting Addison in a fetal surgery. They were taking the tumor out of an unborn baby. Alex enjoyed this, as he barely got to do surgery with his wife, much less observe her in her own surgery. But Jo adored Addison and wanted to learn as much as she could from the renowned surgeon.
"Right there Karev, just delicately cut the last strand holding the tumor," Addison instructed as Jo made the cut.
"That's it," Jo asked looking up at Addison as she pulled out the tumor from the tiny baby's abdomen.
"That's perfect, you have very steady hands and excellent technique," Addison said with a nod of approval.
"Thank you," Jo beamed as placed the tumor on the tray.
"I can see a great future in fetal surgery if that's what you want?" Addison added, looking over at Jo with a raised eyebrow. "Gray was telling me that before you went into OB, you were her protégé of sorts."
"Well, I don't know about that," Jo said modestly as she looked back at the baby to hide her blush.
"She's lying. She was Meredith's second in everything and she was one of the best general surgeons in the hospital, probably even the country. Did I tell you she was the first surgeon to successfully do an ALPPS procedure on the West Coast?" Alex said with a smile, he was always proud of his wife.
"You didn't," Addison said as she looked over at Jo with a raised eyebrow.
Although, Jo's pink blush turned a bright red that peeked out under her mask as it spread to her neck. "I loved general surgery and I was a good surgeon, but during the pandemic, everything changed. I got pulled into a delivery a few days after I found out I was pregnant. It was such a joyous occasion and it gave me a bit of happiness back at work. From then on I made the choice to chase joy and so here I am."
"Well, I'm glad you found your joy. We need more good OBs like you," Addison said earnestly.
"Thank you," Jo said, her blush evident in her voice as she even giggled a little bit. Alex had to remind himself to tease her later for her obvious crush on Addison.
"And now you're surrounded by babies day and night," Addison said with a knowing smile as they started to stitch up the baby. "Alex tells me you two have two toddler girls and another baby girl on the way."
"We don't know for sure if it's a girl, but yeah, babies are my life these days," Jo added, lightly glaring at Alex. It was their current petty argument as they both agreed to wait until the baby was born to find out the gender.
"Our track record and my karma says otherwise," Alex reminded her as she rolled her eyes.
"I'm sure you make a good girl Dad Karev," Addison said, in a teasing tone as she looked up at him.
"He does," Jo said as she and Addison shared a giggle.
"Well that's it for baby, let's close," Addison said as she delicately tucked the baby back into their mother's belly as Jo removed all of their monitors and the IV that had kept them still during the surgery. "Would you like to do the honors Karev?"
"I'd love to," Jo said as she and Addison switched positions.
"Alright, then I'll leave you to it, but meet me for lunch. I'd love to discuss your future in fetal surgery," Addison said as she watched Jo suture.
"Why don't you, Jake, and Henry come over for dinner tomorrow?" Alex proposed as Addison paused. "I'll smoke that brisket I've got in the fridge and we can enjoy the start of summer before you go back to California?"
"You barbecue?" Addison asked as she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Well smoking a piece of meat is different," Alex began to explain before Jo cut him off.
"Don't even get him started, he'll talk for hours about different woods and smoke flavors," Jo said, with a gentle shake of her head.
"It makes a difference, but yes I do barbecue too, why?" Alex asked, tilting his head.
"Nothing, I just have to call Callie and tell her she was right, you're a suburban dad," Addison said with a smile as she and Jo laughed and even Alex had to chuckle because it was true. "But I'd love to have smoked meat or whatever at your house tomorrow night."
"Sounds good," Alex agreed as his mind wandered and he started preparing the meal in his head.
"I'll see you both then," Addison said, as she stripped off her gown and gloves.
"Well, I guess my job here is done," Alex said standing up, although he was reluctant to go.
"You can stay if you want Dr. Karev," Jo said, looking over at him with flirting eyes.
"Well, if you insist, Dr. Karev," Alex said as he sat back down.
Addison looked between the two of them and shook her head with a chuckle. "Who knew that Alex Karev would be so whipped for his wife."
Jo laughed as she agreed. "I know, he's so cute, especially when he stares at me."
"I don't stare at you," Alex said, crossing his arms.
"Yes, you do," both Addison and Jo said as they looked at each other and giggled.
"Well I can't help it," Alex said as he changed tune and played along with them. "I've got a beautiful wife and it's nice to admire her."
"Are they always like this?" Addison whispered to Bookeh.
"Yes," Bokhee responded as the rest of the OR laughed.
"At least they're not as bad as Meredith and Derek," Addison said and Bokhee agreed with a nod.
Addison left to scrub out and Alex looked over the external monitors on the baby. Everything looked good and he went back to making the meal plan in his head. He figured he'd serve fresh sweet corn with coleslaw and cornbread. Except he didn't know how to make the latter two, so he'd have to find a good store bought kind. Alternatively, he could find a good recipe, but he wasn't sure if trying to bake was a good idea. Especially given his track record and Jo wasn't a good baker either.
"Dr Karev?" one of the nurses asked, catching his attention.
He wasn't sure if they were talking to him or Jo, but as he looked up he saw all of them looking over at Jo. She had paused and was staring at her stitches. She held the needle as if she was about to continue, but her fingers were still. The feeling of ice being poured down his back hit him. Something was wrong. Alex put the monitor down and got up just as Jo's eyes fluttered and she swayed as she dropped her instruments.
"She's going to pass out," Alex yelled as he raced to catch his wife just as she fainted and fell into his arms.
"Someone call for help!" Bokhee demanded as she took charge of the OR while the other nurses gathered around Jo.
"Addison!" Alex screamed as she rushed back in from the scrub room having seen what happened.
She quickly began to check Jo with her stethoscope, while the nurses took her BP and oxygen levels. Jo became the patient in the room, but all Alex could focus on was holding her as he rubbed his thumb on her cheek.
"Jo, Jo please," Alex said, begging her to wake up while his mind raced with the worst case scenario of what could be wrong with his wife and child.
"Come on Alex, let's get her onto the gurney," Addison said as Alex nodded and picked up Jo bridal style before he gently laid her on the second gurney that the nurse had brought in for her.
As the nurses and Addison rushed around her, they wheeled her out into the hall and over to a recovery room. Everyone else stared at her, but Addison pulled the curtains around them. Alex held Jo's hand and rubbed his thumb across her cheek. Every second they walked felt like an eternity. However, they were moving as fast as they could and the nurses buzzed around her. After what seemed like hours, but was most likely a few seconds later, Jo's eyes started to flutter as she came around.
"Oh thank God," Alex said as he kissed her hand.
"What happened?" Jo asked her eyebrows knitted together as she looked around.
"You fainted, Dr. Karev," Addison said as Jo looked over at her while she shined a light in Jo's eyes.
"Oh no," Jo said with a sigh as she looked at Alex, her eyes were still hazy.
"It's okay, you're okay," Alex whispered, reassuring her as much as he was reassuring himself.
"How are you feeling now?" Addison asked as she looked down at Jo with concerned eyes.
"I'm feeling okay," Jo said with a nod as she tried to sit up on her own, but quickly gave up and laid back against the bed.
"Please Jo, just take it easy," Alex said, he knew she was trying to remain strong, but he could see how drained she was as she looked up at him with tired eyes.
"Alright, let's see what's going on with you and baby. Since this is your second time fainting in two weeks, I'd like to run a few tests," Addison said as she and the nurses quickly ordered a few tests as they set up an IV and blood draw.
"I probably just overexerted myself again with the long surgery," Jo said as she squeezed Alex's hand forcing him to truly look at her again as he stopped bouncing his leg. "I'm fine, you need to relax."
"You are far too calm for someone who just fainted," Alex said as he rubbed his sweaty palms on his scrub pants.
"Well, it's not like I haven't fainted before and it's always nothing. There's no reason to think otherwise this time around," Jo said with a slight smile and no hint of worry in her eyes.
She relaxed back into the bed and let the nurses dote on her as they placed a warm blanket over her. They brought her a pack of crackers and juice, but she just sipped on the juice. They got her changed into a gown and set up with monitors and an IV. He hated that there was nothing he could do and his mind filled with worry. Yet, Jo was right, it was probably nothing.
Then Addison watched the monitor, grabbed her stethoscope again, and listened to Jo's heart. She truly listened for a second too long and looked down at her watch again. Then she moved to listen to the baby's heartbeat again, listening for longer than necessary. Alex perked up as he watched her face, looking for any sign of trouble.
Addison's face betrayed nothing as usual. Then she looked up, catching his eyes, and flashed him a smile. It was one Alex had seen many times before, but it was fake and meant to reassure him while hiding the truth of her worry underneath. He could see her mind work on the next step, the next test, the next surgery his wife would need.
"Well everything sounds good, but I'd still like to do further labs to confirm, so hang tight," Addison said as she stood up and gave Jo's leg a pat.
Jo nodded, taking another sip of her juice, but Alex stood up, causing her to pause. "Addison, wait, you're not telling us everything, are you?"
This caused Jo to pause and look over at him and Addison. He knew she was reading their faces and suddenly worry appeared in her eyes as she put a hand protectively over her baby.
"What is it?" Jo asked Addison, demanding answers.
"It's probably nothing," Addison said, trying to reassure them but Alex hated that. He hated when doctors did that which was why he respected those who didn't.
"That's bullshit, Addison. We're not normal patients, we're doctors just like you. We know all the tricks that you use to reassure a patient before you know what's going on. Something's wrong and you know it, so just tell us, please," Alex asked, his palms growing sweaty, but he didn't dare let go of Jo's hand and she squeezed his hand harder.
Addison nodded and took a deep breath before she sat down on the stool. The nurses that had gathered around them left and Addison looked them in the eyes. "Jo, you have an arrhythmia. I'm not sure what causes it or what it could mean. However, I've also noticed your other symptoms, like your swollen feet and ankles, and your labored breathing, even while you're lying here. I don't know what it means, but I'd like Maggie to consult."
"So there's something wrong with my heart?" Jo asked as she started to tear up and Alex squeezed her hand as Jo looked at him.
"I believed so," Addison said with a frown as she came over and sat on the bed, putting a hand over Jo's on her belly.
"I'm sorry," Jo said with a shaky breath as a few tears appeared in her eyes. "I thought that it was just normal pregnancy symptoms. I mean I'm carrying a Karev sized baby and I can't really see my feet, but I knew they were huge. Still, I didn't think too much of it. And they've been pressing on my ribs so I figured that's why I couldn't breathe and I didn't notice my heart rate..."
Jo broke out into a sob and she turned into him as Alex wrapped his arms around her and just held her. "Hey, it's not your fault. I didn't notice it either. Besides, you're not supposed to think of all the bad things that could cause your systems."
"Alex is right, and as you said, you think about them kicking your ribs and how much your feet ached, not that it meant something was wrong. Worrying about your symptoms is my job," Addison said as she reached out and rubbed Jo's back. "Carina and I are your doctors and we're going to take good care of you and your baby, Jo, I promise."
Jo nodded as she looked over at him as he gave her a reassuring smile despite how scared he was. Jo nodded as she calmed down and he gave her a few tissues before Addison got up. "I'm going to have you moved to a room on the maternity ward. In the meantime, try and distract yourselves and think about what you're going to serve for the barbecue tomorrow, okay?"
Addison gave them a slight smile as she picked up a food magazine and handed it to him. They both nodded as Addison left, and Alex looked over at Jo. She had tears in her eyes, ones he was holding back as well. As soon as the curtain closed, Jo broke down into tears and Alex followed her as they cried. Jo tugged on his hand, pulling him into bed with her. She shuffled to the side and he reached out to put his arms around her and hold her as she tucked herself against him.