AN: So I’ve been rewatching season 17 and I have noticed so many Jo moments that would have been so much better with her true love, Alex Karev. This is one of them rewritten to include Alex being the supportive husband he is always meant to be instead of the butchered ending that left me screaming in rage. Like and reblog below and let me know what you think.
Summary: Alex and Jo talk about their day where Jo tells him she delivered a baby and is considering switching from general surgery to OBGYN. Alex is shocked at first and tries to talk her out of it causing her to tell him she feels like she’s on the verge of another breakdown unless something changes. Although he was skeptical at first, he later tells her that he will support her if she is serious about this change.
Words: 1723
April 19th, 2020
Alex Karev opens the door to his two-story house that he bought with Jo back in February. After deciding to finally start having a family, the Karev’s bought a picturesque house fit for a whole minivan family so they can impress CPS and be approved for adoption.
But the pandemic started after they scheduled the inspection and since then they have been just filling the void with each other and working. Alex is saddened at having this worldwide stall in his plans to have a full life with Jo but for now coming home and having dinner with her is a solace in this difficult time. His despair evaporates at the smell of pizza hitting him as he enters the house.
Alex exhales happily before power walking to the kitchen where he finds Jo sitting by the kitchen island drinking beer and eating pizza from the box laid on the granite counter.
“Oh, my God. That smells so good.” Alex takes his jacket off and opens a pantry to get a plate out, “You got meat lovers right?”
Jo stops drinking and furrows her eyebrows, “Wait you thought this one pizza was for both of us?” Alex looks taken back by that causing his wife to grin, “I’m joking, grab a plate and come join me, I have exciting news.”
“Herd immunity was discovered?” Alex asks, putting his pizza on his plate.
“I wish. I delivered a baby today.”
Alex eats a big piece before looking at Jo confused and asking with his mouth full, “You delivered a baby? We’ve been together almost all day when did a baby come in?”
“It happened very quick.” Jo explains to Alex who keeps eating, “I went to check on Luna, and this nurse said that there was an imminent delivery, and the next second, I was catching a baby. I was literally the first person in the universe to hold him. And then I handed him to his parents, and their faces were just…”
Alex can see the sparkle in Jo’s eyes that hasn’t been present since March. Even though this was unexpected he is glad Jo could have some semblance of happiness even if it wasn’t from surgery.
“No wonder Val's so depressed. It's the happiest thing I've ever seen. It was just so pure and simple and perfect. I was buzzing.” Jo frowns as the reality comes back once again, “But it was a total random fluke, and tomorrow, I'll be back to the same depressing crap.”
Alex holds Jo’s hand caressing her knuckles with his thumb sharing the feeling, “I know. All of my patients don’t come to the hospital because their parents are scared of exposing them. I agree with them it’s not safe but then I think what underlying condition is gonna get worse because they’re waiting so long for it to be safe to get a checkup? I swear it’s this year I wish I got into plastics like I wanted intern year. A tummy tuck or boob job can wait, and my patients would be soccer moms and tycoons instead of vulnerable and scared children growing up in a pandemic. So, I get what you’re saying about delivering babies, it’s a nice break from reality.”
Jo nods, “You think that's why Carina DeLuca is always in such a good mood? She's just, you know, handing out babies, and it shoots her serotonin level through the roof.”
Alex chuckles sipping his beer, “Maybe or it could also be because she has orgasm projects.”
Jo sips her beer before looking at her husband imploringly, “What if I changed?”
Alex takes a bite of his pizza before asking, “Changed what?”
“Careers.” Jo explains with a grin as Alex stops eating and looks frozen in shock at this sudden proposal that could change their lives, “Programs.”
Alex chuckles thinking she’s joking before looking up and seeing the serious grin on her face that makes him stop and look at Jo stumped. For so long he has known her to be this driven girl who wants to shape the future of medicine so hearing her wanting to change specialties has him concerned somebody body swapped with the surgeon he fell in love with and married.
“Your serious?” Jo nods smiling at her shocked husband, “You want to switch from surgery to OB?”
“Is that insane?” Jo asks with a slightly hurt face at his reaction, “Khan did it, and what he did is so much harder than switching specialties. He started over with nothing. And I know, I know I've put years into surgery, but if it's not bringing me any joy, then wouldn't it be insane to not change?”
Alex sighs and thinks for a moment before answering, “Jo I understand how you’re feeling, believe me. You’re not the only doctor in this country who feels lost and useless in this pandemic. But you’re not useless, you are helping as much as you can and saving as many lives as you can. I mean you saved Val’s life today that is something you could only do as a surgeon.”
“And I still want to practice surgery I just…I just want to be happy and use the time I have left in my prime to recertify as an OB and actually bring life into this world not just stop death for a little while.”
“Do you understand what would happen if you actually went through with this?” Alex asks Jo who groans at his question, “Even with your experience you’d still have to do residency all over again. You’d be rounding with the newbies, covering call every other night, you know what happens, you lived it not that long ago.”
“And I can do that all again.” Jo proclaims with conviction, “Look Alex you wanted to declare plastics because you saw it as an easy way to surgery and big bucks. But for me, OB is something I need to do, or I am gonna be in the same place I was a year ago after I met my birth mom.”
Alex looks at his wife in concern, feeling triggered by past events. Jo sees this worry in his face and quickly tries to mend this, so he doesn’t get scared of her breaking down again. She holds his hands and looks at him truthfully in the eyes.
“I am not in the same place I was then; I promise you I’m not. I am working as hard as I can so that I don’t let this scary world break me down. I go to therapy three times a week on the screen, and I write in my journals and try to find the bright moments in my life even with my job.” Jo sighs and holds her husband’s attentive gaze, “But even before the pandemic I’ve tried to adjust my life best to my life changes. Because I have changed, I’m more attuned to my feelings, I’m learning to leave my ugly past behind and look toward a future where I am happy and content with the job I love and the people I love. I tried doing that with you when I decided to start a family with you. But those plans are on hold and now even my job is turning into a cesspool of darkness I need to get out of.”
Alex squeezes his wife’s hands in comfort and support, “I need to be the doctor to fit this change, and I finally found that when I delivered that baby and shared those parents joy in that room. For the first time since this virus, I found something that makes me happy in my job.”
Alex can see the conviction in Jo’s eyes that makes him see this is not a decision she is coming to lightly, “I want to be happy. Everyone's dying. Meredith's…”
Alex sighs at this reminder of his best friend in the covid ICU. Jo puts her hands on his shoulders squeezing them to center him and let him know he is not alone in this dark time.
“She made me the surgeon I am today…but I don’t want to be a surgeon anymore. I want to be happy and recertifying as an OBGYN will make me happy. And it would really make me happy if I had my husband’s support in this because he believed in me before I even believed in myself. Can you do that? Because I will do this with or without you, that is how much I need this.”
Alex puts his hand on his wife thigh looking at her with a slight twitch on his lips, “Your really serious about this, aren’t you?” Jo nods causing Alex to grin fully, “Wow, I gotta tell you I didn’t think you could outdo yourself. But willing to put up with residency hell again so you can recertify, it’s something even I wouldn’t do. It’s…It’s inspiring to start all over so you can be happy in this dark world.”
Jo grins at her husband and puts her hands around the back of his neck, “We’ll make it work I promise. I just need to know you’ll be right here with me while I make this change.”
“I promised you I would be there with you in good times and in bad. Twice Jo, twice.” Jo chuckles at the reminder of both of their impromptu weddings that happened because they forgot to mail in the marriage license, “And I promised to love and support you like you love and support me. Trust me when I say that will not change no matter how many times you change specialties, I promise.”
Jo smiles at Alex before sitting on his lap and kissing him gratefully and pulling back with a grin he shares, “I love you.”
“I love you.” Alex rubs her jean clad thigh, “Now the hard part is convincing Bailey to let you switch specialties in the middle of a pandemic.”
Jo groans at this reminder, “Is there any chance you can do it for me?”
Alex grins mischievously before standing up and carrying Jo over his shoulder that she reacts with a startled shriek. He begins to walk up the stairs to the bedroom with Jo laughing over his shoulder shouting ‘yes!’ at this moment that makes her happy.
