AN: And now we get to Jo's pregnancy with Karev baby #3! Rest assured I've already written and edited this entire story so updates will be weekly and punctual.
Alex was trying to concentrate. He had one shot at this and prepared himself as he watched the timer countdown. He only had a few seconds to do this so he knew he had to be perfect. He watched as the timer counted down, 3, 2, 1, go. He let the first pendulum swing then the second, but then he fumbled the third one. Two of the pendulums crashed together and he lost the game. Alex tried again, but with the same results, and groaned at his failures.
This stupid game was getting the better of him. He was a surgeon, he was supposed to have quick fingers and know how to keep time. The fifteen-year-old nonbinary teen, Luca, in the bed next to him, giggled as Alex grumbled and tried again. This time he got all the swinging in time, and the fourth one went before the two collided and he lost again. Luca snorted but had the decency to cover their mouth.
Alex grunted as he handed the phone back to Luca. "Since when does Tic Tok have games anyway? I thought it was just like a dancing-storytelling version of Vine?" Alex asked as he crossed his arms.
"Oh please like you don't have a TikTok Dr. Alex," Lucas said as they shook their head. "And it's a multi-purpose social media app. I even get news on here."
"Whatever," Alex said as he waved it off. "Can I take a look at your scar now?"
"Yeah," Luca said, rolling up their gown as Alex saw the scar on their side.
The incision was healing nicely after the repair for blunt force trauma to their abdomen nearly ripped apart their liver. Although they had to take the right lobe out, the left lobe of the liver was recovering nicely and would regenerate the right lobe soon enough. Luca was healing up nicely, inside and out and they had gotten their strength and humor back. Link had worked with him in surgery as they reset the teen's leg and grabbed the Doppler to check the blood flow, seeing that all was good.
"Well, I think we're on track to discharge you tomorrow and you can go home," Alex said with a smile.
"Really?" Luca asked, perking up as they smiled.
"Yup, you should get out of here, it's been long enough," Alex said as he knew how much Luca wanted to go home and hated being away from friends and their mom.
They had been airlifted here from Gold Bar after they were in a car crash with their father who was recovering in the general ward. Their mom worked and couldn't make it in every day and their friends could only visit once. Alex had heard Owen's plan to discharge their father tomorrow and figured he'd see if Luca could go home as well.
Alex put the Doppler away as Luca pulled up tik tok on their phone again. "Wanna play again before you go and see if you can beat it?"
Before Alex could say yes, the door swung open and one of the interns, Yasuda ran in. Alex turned, annoyed at how she had rushed in, but when he saw the look on her face he paused. It was a look of worry that meant someone he loved was hurt and his heart stopped.
"Dr Karev, it's your wife."
Alex raced down the hallway like an intern running after an incoming trauma. As soon as Yasuda said that Jo had fainted, he ran off to find her. He was desperate to get to his wife. He had to see if she and their baby were alright. He knew realistically that they would be, but he had to see it for himself.
He ran up to the maternity ward first, before running down to the ORs, knowing that was where they were coming from. He eventually found them as Carina was pushing Jo in a wheelchair with one of the newer OB interns beside her. Alex quickly raced up to them and they paused for a second as he finally reached her. Despite seeing her, there was still a tightness in his chest as he knelt in front of her. Jo gave him a tired smile, looking up from where she was holding her 26 week pregnant bump and an ice pack against her forehead.
"I'm okay," Jo promised, although she looked up at him with weary eyes.
"Like hell you are," Alex said, cupping her cheek with his hand and holding her bump with his other hand. "What happened? How did you hit your head? Are you dizzy? Did you throw up?"
"Hey," Jo said, getting him to focus on her again as she looked into his eyes. "I'm fine. The baby's fine, I promise."
Sill, Alex looked up at Carina who gave him a reassuring smile. "Rest assured Dr. Karev, Jo and your baby are alright. She was faint from standing for a long uterine abrasion surgery and she only hit her head on a tray as she was trying to get up on her own. Apart from a small bump on her head, she is fine."
Alex nodded as Jo let him move the ice pack so he could see the small red mark on her hairline. "You're okay?"
"I'm okay," Jo assured him with a smile, as much as she said she hated everyone fussing over her, she secretly loved to be taken care of by him, especially while pregnant.
"I thought we said no fainting in ORs this time around," Alex said with a slight smile despite his lingering worry.
"I know," Jo looked up at him with a matching small smile, and he could see fatigue in her eyes.
"Why don't you take the rest of the day off and go home to rest," Alex insisted as he took over punishing her wheelchair as they continued down the hallways again.
"It's already approved," Carina agreed with a nod.
"No," Jo insisted as she looked up at them.
Alex and Carina exchanged a look as both of them paused for a second before they both opened their mouths to protest. However, Jo quickly cut them off.
"I'm fine, I promise and I'll take it easy for the rest of the day," Jo said as she looked at them insistently. "I'll take a break and go get something to eat and drink. I'll go visit the girls and then I'll do paperwork, nothing too strenuous."
"Josephine, I don't think this is very wise," Carina said, her eyebrows knitted together as she placed a hand on Jo's shoulder. "And as your doctor and your superior, I am urging you to go home."
"I don't want to go home and be bored for the next four hours until Alex and the girls get there," Jo lamented with a frown.
"Jo please just take it easy, for your sake and the baby's sake!" Alex pleaded with her, getting mad that she would rather stress herself out than relax at home.
"The baby and I are fine!" Jo said as she went to get up, despite both of their protests as they tried to keep her seated and she managed to stand up strong. "I am fine."
Jo walked away from them and Alex let out a deep sigh. He pinched his nose as Carina just shook her head and put her hand on her hips. They never understood why she did this. He knew she hated being lonely, and her anxiety rose especially while pregnant, but this was beyond that.
"I'll at least keep an eye on her and make sure she does desk work, checking in patients, calls, and chart work, but no work on any active labors or C-sections," Carina said as she shrugged, they both knew by now that Jo would still try and deliver babies. It was what she lived for.
"I'll stay with her for now and if she gets faint again, I'll take her home," Alex nodded as Carina agreed with their plan.
Carina went back down the hall to the OR to finish the surgery while Alex looked back to Jo. She was walking away and he had to jog to catch up with her. When he did, he put a hand on her back as he fell in step with her. Jo smiled at him, as she knew she had won.
They both took a lunch and went down to the cafeteria. They got something to eat and drink as she rested with her feet up on an extra chair. He watched her closely, but she seemed alright and was even eager to chase the girls around. They pulled them out of daycare for a bit as they got some cuddles and hung out in Alex's office before they took them back.
After they said goodbye to the girls, they walked back up to the maternity ward. Carina was waiting for her and Jo sat down in a chair at the nurse's station. Carina presented her with a stack of charts to work on and Jo scowled at the tower of paperwork she had.
"You could always just go home?" Alex said, looking down at her as he leaned on the counter.
"No, I'm good," Jo said as she plastered on a smile, opened the first file, and logged into the computer
"Alright," Alex as he stood there a little longer, wishing for an excuse to stay.
Jo glanced over at him with a light glare, telling him to go. His phone dinged and Alex pulled it out as he sighed. He was being paged to the ER for a consult but looked back at his pregnant wife.
"Go, I'll be fine," Jo said again with a light smile.
He almost believed her, but there was something inside of him that told him he needed to worry about her. Still, he looked down at the page and knew that he had to go. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. Jo smiled before she reached up to grasp his chin as she turned to kiss his lips.
"Promise me, you'll page me if you even feel the slightest bit sick," Alex insisted as he watched her.
"I promise," Jo said and he knew she was resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "But don't worry I'm in good hands."
Jo looked back at the nurses who all smiled back at her and nodded, reassuring him. If he couldn't look after her, the nurses were the second best thing.
"Alright, I'll see you later," Alex said as he reluctantly turned around and walked away.
Later that afternoon Alex walked back to the Maternity ward and saw Jo standing at the nurse's station. He couldn't shake the feeling of worry he had for her and decided to take an extra break to go check on her. Although he had heard from the nurses that she was fine and grumbling about the paperwork.
When he spotted her, Jo was speaking to a few of the new interns and the nurses. Alex smiled as he approached her. At 26 weeks pregnant, Jo had a sizable bump under her black scrub shirt, and he loved admiring it. She had both of her hands on her back, rubbing in small circles and he reached out to rub her back for her. As Alex put his hand on her back, Jo looked up at him with hazy eyes and leaned into him as she began to waver.
"Jo, Jo," Alex said as her eyes fluttered shut and he quickly wrapped his arms around her and held her.
"I'm fine, I didn't pass out," Jo said, putting a hand on her head as she took a few deep breaths. "I'm just a little light headed."
"Get me a chair!" Alex yelled at them as they all jumped into action.
The intern quickly turned and scrambled around as they tried to grab one of the chairs that were connected to a line of other chairs from the waiting room. The nurses were smarter and quickly gave him the rolling chair from behind the desk and helped him ease Jo into it.
Alex pulled out his stethoscope and gave her a once-over. Her heart sounded fine, her lungs sounded good too. But as he put his hand on her forehead, she felt hot.
"Is there anything I can get you, Dr. Karev?" One of the interns asked.
"No, now scram," Alex said, knowing Jo didn't like a crowd fussing over her and they all quickly left them alone.
"I hate this," Jo said, rubbing her forehead.
"I know," Alex gave her a sad smile as he knelt down in front of her and reached up to cup her cheek. "What's going on Jo?"
"I'm not feeling so good," Jo admitted with a sigh. "I think I'm coming down with a cold or something."
"Why didn't you tell me or Carina?"
"I didn't want you to worry, I'm sorry," Jo said as she frowned and tears sprung in her eyes.
"I'm always going to worry about you, but if I know what's going on then I can help you," Alex said as he rubbed her cheek with his thumb.
"I know," Jo cried as she covered her face with her hand. "It just makes me feel like I can't do my job or anything and I didn't want to be admitted like last time where everyone was there and they all found out I was pregnant. It was fun to celebrate it, but I hated being fussed over."
"I know you hate it, but you need to be fussed over because you're not feeling well. You're clearly running a fever and I know you're tired. And don't pretend that you don't have a runny nose, because I know you have tissues stuffed in your pockets."
"My throat hurts too," Jo admitted as her voice started to sound a little horse.
"I'm sorry, Jo," Alex said with a sigh as he frowned.
Now that she was in the second trimester her pregnancy symptoms had eased up. However it came with new symptoms, she still had insomnia and she struggled to sleep. This often left her tired and in need of a daily nap alongside their toddlers. She was also dealing with heartburn and round ligament pain. Now that she was sick he couldn't imagine how much worse she felt.
"Come on, let's go home," Alex said, putting his arm around her as he helped her up.
"Okay," Jo said as for once she didn't protest and leaned into him.
"Thank you," Alex said as he reached around to hold her bump and they walked together towards the resident's lounge.
"Will you make me mac and cheese for dinner?" Jo asked, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
"Of course," Alex agreed, despite how they'd had twice in the past week he knew the girls loved it just like their Mama.
"Thank you," Jo said as she leaned in and kissed his cheek and he tried not to blush at her affection.
Jo did as she was told, for once, and went home. They let Carina and Hayes know they were leaving and Alex took a bit of work home with him. Then they went and got the girls from daycare and headed home. When they got there, her nose started running even more and she opened up the cough drops. He took her temperature and she was 100.9° F. Alex just raised an eyebrow at her as Jo ignored his eyes. She did stay home the next day and the day after that. After a few days in bed, Jo recovered from her cold. Then she was back to her usual self, even her pregnancy symptoms eased up, and Alex's worry disappeared…
Until a week later.