Doctor Y/n - Residency - 18 - Grey's Anatomy x Fem!Reader
"Clutch, clutch, put down the clutch-"
"I'm trying to remember which pedal it is!" You exclaimed, eventually putting your foot down on the crutch as the engine stopped spluttering and making the car shake.
"Braces, you need to hit the brakes harder-" Jo was cut off as the car jerked to a rough stop, "not that hard!"
"Can you stop doing that, you're making me nervous." You stated, spotting how Jo was gripping the seat tightly.
"I'm making you nervous?" Jo exclaimed, her foot moving instantly like she was hitting the brake pedal.
"Stop trying to hit the brakes, you don't have a pedal." You deadpanned as you managed to successful turn into the hospital car park.
"Um..." You murmured, leaving Jo to freeze.
"What's wrong? Did you hit something-"
"I don't know how to park, or put it in reverse." You explained, leaving Jo to pause.
"Uh, okay, turn the engine off, I'll park it, let's swap seats." Jo stated, clicking her seatbelt off as you managed to put the handbrake on and turn the engine off.
You were out of the car first, ignoring how other members of the hospital staff were around as you and Jo swapped seats and Jo confidently managed to park.
"That's the neatest parking job you've ever done-"
"Anything's neat compared to your clunky beginners driving, Braces." Jo deadpanned as the two of you got out of the car and headed towards the hospital entrance.
"Well I didn't crash it-"
"We were going in circles in an empty car park." Jo replied, smiling as you pouted at her.
"Fine, you weren't too bad for a beginner." Jo replied, hip-bumping you as the two of you went back to work, having just spend a chunk of your pre-rounds driving around the empty car park.
///
"Hey, S/n, I'm looking for a roommate and I was wondering if you would be interested-" Arizona began, catching you as you were chewing on a mouthful of apple.
"I'm rather attached to where I am now." You admitted, leaving Arizona to quirk a brow.
"Even the showerhead held together by duct tape?"
"A) It was Jo's idea to use duct tape, she tapped it back together, and B) I got a new showerhead installed..." You brushed off, taking another bite of your apple as Arizona nodded.
"Hey, with Wilson moving out with Karev and carpooling with Meredith, I was thinking I'd carpool with you and hopefully whoever becomes my roommate, maybe April too." Arizona suggested, waiting as you thought it over.
"That would be more reliable, since Jo's in another neighbourhood entirely and she said that she might carpool with Doctor Karev, Doctor Grey, Doctor Shepherd and Doctor Pierce." You replied, pausing as Arizona chuckled.
"You sounded so formal then, it was almost adorable-" Arizona began to tease you, leaving you to huff and eat another mouthful of apple with a frown on your face and a pout on your lips.
///
"S/n, there's a patient I think you should meet, her name's Jessica." Callie approached you as you were walking past the treatment rooms.
"Sure, is she in pre-op or-?"
"I need you to stay with her while I make some calls to get her out of the conversion camp her parents are sending her to." Callie stated, watching as your face fell into shock and disgust.
"Are you okay with doing that?" Callie double-checked, raising an eyebrow as you cleared your throat.
"As long as those parents aren't near me, I'll sit with her." You affirmed, smiling softly as Callie led you into Jessica's room and introduced you to her.
///
You were sat with Jessica when you heard shouting from down the corridor.
"That sounds like my mom." Jessica admitted, leaving you to freeze.
"I'm going to go check everything is okay, you're going to be okay, there's nothing wrong with you or who you love, okay?" You stated, watching as Jessica nodded and you slipped out of the room in time to see Maggie being harrassed and then, her punching Jessica's mother in the face.
///
"My fist had a mind of it's own, because I didn't even know I was going to punch her until she was punched- what- S/n, as much as this is a nice hug, why are you hugging me?"
"You punched a homophobe."
"Oh my god! I lost control, I am a monster! I don't deserve to be hugged right now!" Maggie declared, leaving you to roll your eyes and let go of Maggie as she'd stopped hugging you back.
"I would have paid money. Cash money. Like a thousand bucks." Doctor Shepherd added, leaving Callie to contribute.
"Worth every penny, it was beautiful."
"What happened?" Doctor Grey asked as she walked in with her lunch.
"Yeah, we want details. Can someone page me, please, next time Pierce hulks out?" Doctor Shepherd requested, leaving you to chuckle into your hand until Doctor Grey deadpanned that it won't be funny when Maggie loses her job.
"You know what, Grey has a point. Next time, leave the thumb outside the fist when you clench. That way you avoid bone damage, see?" Callie explained, gesturing for you to pay attention as she was sorting out Maggie's hand.
"Is it true? Callie punched a homophobe?" Arizona asked as she ran in with a grin on her face.
"Pierce punched a homophobe." Doctor Shepherd corrected her, smirking as Maggie grimaced.
"Ooh, unexpected, high five!" You laughed as you reached over, high-fiving Arizona after everyone else.
"I have to go apologise to that horrible woman, don't I?" Maggie realised as everyone solemnly nodded.
///
"I don't care about if she's gay! I care if she's loved. I care if she's happy! And that is what you should care about! What is wrong with you that you don't?"
Smiles crossed yours and Callie's faces as Jess smiled, having heard what her father was saying and seen him smiling in relief that his daughter was okay.
"Are you okay?" Callie mouthed as she heard you sniffling.
"I'm fine, I'm just going to- yeah." You murmured, gesturing away as you began to walk away.
"Doctor S/n?"
Turning your head, you spotted Hannah looking at you in concern.
"Lilac. Can I help you with something?" Your voice crackled as tears soaked your eyelashes, trying to stop them from dripping down your cheeks to no success.
Hannah didn't speak as she gestured for you to follow her into the bathrooms, passing you some tissue for your eyes.
"Homophobic mother, caring father, daughter who just wants to love who she wants to love. Wow, apparently I'm crying over patients now." You chuckled, a sob leaving your lips as Hannah tried to console you.
///
"Do you want something to eat? There's leftover pasta, vegetable soup... yeah, it's pasta or soup..." You declared as you glanced through the fridge, ignoring Hannah's gaze on the back of your head.
"Do you want to talk about today?" Hannah enquired as you discovered that there was salad behind the soup in the fridge.
"I don't have parents. Or any actual family, really. Apparently I had relatives in Chicago, but when I was an orphan at 10 years old, they managed to lawyer their way out of taking me in. So, to see that father fight for his daughter? It's powerful." You explained, sighing as another tear ran down your face, whilst Hannah's hand squeezed your shoulder gently.
///
You were walking down the corridor when you spotted him staring at Jo.
"Parsley, don't you have other things to do than stare at the residents?" You asked, folding your arms as Cross jumped.
"I was just-"
"Staring at the residents. Yeah. I have eyes, Cross. How about you stare at some monitors instead? Patient room 2232, go."
"Uh, Doctor S/n, I was wondering if you'd like to uh, get coffee-" You raised an eyebrow at Cross' question, glancing from how Jo was walking over to Cross' expression.
"Yeah, no. Sorry, Parsley, I'm kind of, extremely gay. And, she's taken, so how about you move along and head to that patient room, please?" You gestured to Jo who leaned on your shoulder, raising an eyebrow at Cross as he apologised several times before heading off to the patient room you'd sent him to.
"Did he just try to ask you out?" Jo whispered, leaving you to turn to meet her gaze as she continued to lean on your shoulder.
"Yeah, after I caught him ogling you." You deadpanned, your nose crinkling up as Jo's face broke into a frown before the two of you began to laugh.
///
"I need to talk to you both." Jo stated, pulling you and Steph into the toilets to talk.
"You need to talk to him." Steph concluded whilst you blinked several times, a blank look on your face.
"Braces?"
"I'm so confused." You admitted, running your hands down your face as Jo sighed.
"Me too," she admitted in response, "me too."
///
Eyes locked on the tv, Teen Titans playing as you held a bowl of pasta in your hand, free hand holding the fork as you ate.
The buzzing of your phone caught your attention, specifically the buzzing of Jo's special ringtone.
Joey: red
Braces: omw
///
You were lucky that you were able to get to Jo and Alex's place without getting lost more than once.
Jo let you in, you could feel her eyes on you as you glanced around the loft space that she and Alex had put together. Uncertainty bubbled your stomach as you turned to Jo.
"I spoke to Alex. He said it was a long time ago but he could have babies with his face on running around somewhere..." Jo sighed, noticing how you weren't saying anything. A frown crossed her features before you walked forwards, hovering for a minute before she realised you were offering her a hug.
///
You were lying on the end of the bed as Jo worked on her notes. It was only when Alex walked in that you began to move.
"Right, well, I am going to meet... someone. Sort your shit out, please." You begged, leaving Jo to roll her eyes whilst you left, stealing an apple from their fruit bowl on the way out.
"Hey, Hannah. I'm on my way, do you want to me to bring anything? coffee?" You answered your phone as you left Jo and Alex's building and headed down the street.
///
"I worked with Lilac today. She seemed like a capable intern-" Jo began, leaving you to grimace.
"I thought she was working with Steph, but yeah, she is." You explained before noticing how Jo was in thought.
"Did Steph ever mention anything to you about a clinical trial for sickle cell anemia when she was five?" Jo asked, frowning more as you hurried away, sprinting down the corridors.
"Braces!" Jo called after you but you were looking for someone else.
"S/n, can we help you?" Doctor Shepherd asked as she and Steph turned towards you.
"She's, she's telling the truth-" You panted, walking towards Steph as she reached out to you.
"S/n-"
"Braces!"
"Joey, let's be real, we aren't the only two in this hospital with some sort of unspoken backstory. This place used to be nicknamed Seattle Grace West Mercy Death for goodness sake!" You exclaimed, watching as Jo's face fell.
"Steph-"
"I only tell people I can trust." Steph stated, making eye contact with you before she walked out, leaving you to take an exhausted breath.
///
"How can we have a dinner party with no dinner? Can anyone here actually cook?" Meredith asked as she worked on making Jo's margarita.
"Oh, Braces can, but I think she's at the hospital helping an ortho case at the hospital-"
"Call S/n, or we order pizza, because I have no idea what to do with any of this!" Amelia admitted, gesturing to all the ingredients on the countertop.
"I can do it!" April volunteered, leaving Jo to pause as she realised you'd actually picked up the phone.
"Do you think you could bring cheese or should I call Cross? I'll just call Cross-" Jo rambled, about to hang up when your voice came down the line.
"Joey, do not call the intern who keeps ogling you, I'll bring the damn cheese, just tell me which type?"
///
"Why are you taking the trash out? I brought cheeses, enough for a damn cheeseboard, never really had a cheeseboard, who has cheeseboards these days?" You rambled as Jo opened the door, dragging the trash out behind her.
"Don't ask, I think Kepner will want the cheeses in the kitchen." Jo explained, leaving you to walk through the house to find the kitchen.
"S/n? Oh you brought the cheese." April smiled as you passed her them, feeling awkward as you stood in your scrubs with Jo's Harvard hoodie over them in the middle of a fancy dinner party.
"Y/n! Yay, you're here!" A drunk Arizona cheered, leaving you to stare in shock as she hugged you.
///
"Perfect Penny killed my husband."
Meredith's words had you wanting to reach for the glass in front of you, but instead, you looked at Jo, focussing on her and Steph as the drama began to occur.
The rest of the dinner party was a blur as you were sat with Steph and Jo, all three of you quietly agreeing that Alex was being a jerk.
"Y/n, do you want a ride?" Steph asked, having just had another fight with Jo whilst you sat zoning out.
"It's okay, I have someone picking me up, thanks though Steph. It was nice to see you outside a hospital setting." You smiled, leaving Steph to let out a slight laugh.
"You too, Y/n. Although, you're still dressed for a hospital setting." Steph pointed out, leaving you to groan as Jo took your glass and downed it.
///
"Hey..." You smiled as Hannah pulled up down the street, hopping into her car as she smiled at you.
"How was the dinner party?"
"It was dramatic and everyone was fighting and I just wanted to leave, honestly." You admitted, leaving Hannah to just nod.
"Well, there's a late night viewing of that movie we were looking at seeing?" Hannah suggested, leaving you to smile.
"You're amazing." You stated, kissing her cheek before the two of you began to head to the cinema.
///
You were sat in the residents lounge, pulling your lab coat on when Penny Blake walked in. Jo was going through her locker whilst Steph continued to pull her lab coat on.
"Hi. Can you guys tell me how to find out what service I'm on? I mean, which attending?"
Jo was about to open her mouth but you sighed.
"Your emails should say." You explained as Jo and Steph walked out, your response having stopped them from bickering.
"Thank you." Penny said to an empty room as you walked out with a grumble on your lips.
"Cardio better be away from everyone or I am going to scream."
One Step Forward and Three Steps Back: Chapter Four
One Step Forward and Three Steps Back: Chapter Four
Chapter Four of Six
Words: 3486
Chapter Summary: Meredith arrives at the hospital and Stephanie tells Alex about Jo’s marriage to Paul. Later, when Paul wakes up, he tells a different story of what happened in the loft.
Summary: Jo wants to marry Alex more than anything, there’s just a few hoops she has to jump through before she can make that a reality. When she finally takes the plunge to free herself from her past, it all comes back to haunt her.
Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy.
Relationship: Alex Karev/Jo Wilson, Jo Wilson/Paul Stadler (Past).
Characters: Alex Karev, Jo Wilson, Stephanie Edwards, Paul Stadler, Meredith Grey, Nathan Riggs, Jackson Avery, Miranda Bailey, Ben Warren, and Isaac Cross.
Meredith walked into the Grey-Sloan’s ER with Richard by her side. She watched Bailey speaking with the police and security before she went over to the trauma rooms. She didn’t know exactly where Alex and Jo were, but the trauma rooms were her best bet. Jackson came out of trauma room two, pulling out a stretcher with Cross and Warren. The face of the man on the stretcher was black and blue as his eyes were swollen shut, and his nose was set. Jackson caught her eye and walked over to her.
“Is that him?” Meredith guessed as Cross took the man over to the elevators.
“Alex called you?” Jackson asked, crossing his arms, knowing her answer.
“Yeah, where are Jo and Alex?” Meredith said, looking over at the empty trauma room one.
“We’ve transferred Jo up to Pre-OP Alex and Stepahine are there with her. I’ll walk up with you. Riggs, can you scrub in with me on Jo’s surgery?” Jackson said as they all walked over to the elevator.
“Yeah, of course,” Nathan said with a quick nod as they all followed Jackson.
“What happened,” Meredith demanded, putting her hand on Jackson’s arm to stop him. “Alex said that Jo was attached, but he was too distraught to say anything else.”
“Meredith, you know I can’t break HIPPA and tell you, as much as I want to,” Jackson said as he pressed the button for the elevator.
“Do you need a general surgeon?” Webber asked as they got on the elevator. “You said you needed Cadro, so surely you must need a general surgeon as well.”
Jackson hesitated, but Meredith glared at him and he knew Richard was right.
“Okay fine,” Jackson said, pulling up Jo’s chart on the tablet and handing it over to her. Meredith quickly read over the chart and was shocked to see her injuries. Although they weren't extensive, they could have been. Meredith had seen injuries like this in car accidents or hangings, but never at the hands of another person.
“Heart and lung functions look good, and it seems that there's good blood flow in both carotid arteries, and although she was responsive at the scene and in the ambulance. I want to do a Neuro check post-OP,” Nathan said, reading over the cardiologist report and looking at the MRI and CT results. “I also want to make sure that the swelling I saw on the scans doesn't extend further into her lungs.”
“Which is why I asked you to scrub in with me. I'm about to do a rigid bronchoscopy to check her airway. Stephanie said that she could hardly pass the tube down when she first intubated Jo at the scene, and I suspect that I’ll have to do an airway stenting,” Jackson said as they stepped off the elevator and walked over to the pre-OP rooms.
“I'm going to go get changed into scrubs and I'll meet you both in the OR,” Nathan said before he left, giving Meredith a nod.
Meredith knew she should do the same, but she had to talk to Alex first. Three of them walked into pre-OP and Jackson led them past the other beds to a space that was closed off with curtains. He pulled it back to reveal Alex and Stephanie sitting at Jo's bedside. Jo was still unconscious and the bruises on Jo's neck made her pause. Meredith had watched Jo grow from a shy and unsteady intern to a confident and assertive resident. Seeing her unconscious on the bed was unsettling, especially given the circumstances.
“I'm going to go up to the OR and scrub in, but I'll tell the nurses to wait a few minutes before they bring her up. Do you have any more questions?” Jackson said, his voice soft as he spoke to them, putting his hand on Alex's shoulder.
Alex only shook his hand in a no as he continued to stare at Jo. Jackson left with Webber, leaving the three of them alone. Meredith came over and put her hand on Alex's shoulder, rubbing his back.
“Thanks for coming, Mere,” Alex said, glancing up at her, and Meredith frowned as they both looked down at Jo.
“Jackson told us what happened and I'll be scrubbing in on the bronchoscopy to keep an eye on her,” Meredith reassured him.
“Thank you,” Alex said as he grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.
“How did it happen?” Meredith asked, looking between Alex and Stephanie.
Stephanie cleared her throat and sat up straighter. She was holding Jo’s other hand and rubbing circles on the back of her hand with her thumb.
“I met Jo at the bar earlier today. She was drunk, really drunk, so I took her back to the loft. Alex came back and the three of us fell asleep. I woke up to the plant breaking on the floor and I sat up and looked over to see that he was on top of her. He was choking her and digging his knee into her chest. Then Alex punched him and got him off of her. Jo was, she was awake, conscious, and moving around, but she couldn't breathe. I had to intubate her and we called for an ambulance to bring her here.”
“Who was that guy that attacked her?” Alex said, looking up at Stephanie, Meredith could see the desperation in his eyes, and she watched Stephanie take a deep breath.
“Jo only told me about his existence a few hours ago and she didn’t tell me his name. She was drunk and I think that's the only reason she told me. Jo was crying, and she just said that he was physically abusive to her and that she ran away from him, but…” Stephanie paused as she was barely able to keep her voice from breaking as she spoke.
Stephanie trailed off as she looked between the two of them. She bit her lip as if she was still hesitant to spill all of Jo’s secrets, but given the current situation, Meredith knew they would all come out eventually.
“Alex, she said that she was still married to him.”
“What?” Alex whispered in disbelief.
“Jo said she was trying to divorce him. I don't know how. She must have a lawyer or something. She wanted to be with you, but she was afraid he wouldn't sign the papers or that he would, well, that he would do something like this,” Stephanie said as she looked down at Jo’s wrist and picked at the hospital ID bracelet. “She said that Josephine Wilson wasn't her real name. I think she changed it when she ran away from him so he couldn't find her.”
“That's why she said she couldn't marry me. That’s why she said no,” Alex said with wide eyes as he rubbed his hand over his jaw, looking away in shock. “This morning, I went back to the loft to get a few more pairs of clothes. Jo was there, and she told me that she was all in, that she loved me, and that we could be a family, but I didn't think that was enough. I told her I was done with drama, that I wanted her to be my wife, and the look on her face, I thought. When she said she couldn't marry me, I just thought she didn't want to. I didn't think it meant that she couldn't actually marry me. If I had known, I would have, I don't know, I just, I never would have forced her to divorce him if she didn’t want to. This is my fault. I pushed her to do this.”
“Alex,” Stephanie said, reaching out and putting her hand over his as they both held Jo’s hand. “You and I both know that Jo doesn't do anything she doesn't want to. If she started the divorce proceedings, it wasn't just because of you. It was because she wanted to divorce him.”
“But I gave her the ultimatum. I said be my wife, or I’d end things, but if I had known, I never would have said that. I should never have said that,” Alex said, shaking his head as he looked down at Jo. “Why didn't she tell me? I would have helped her. I would have protected her.”
“She knew that,” Stephanie stressed as he looked up at her. “But I think she was scared of him hurting you or something, and she said she had to do it on her own.”
Alex shook his head as he pulled Jo’s hand to his lips, kissing her hand before holding it against his cheeks as more tears streamed down his face. “I should have known. I never should have left her. I should have woken up earlier before he got there. I should have protected her.”
“You came back. If you weren't there, lord knows, I wouldn't have been able to stop him. You did protect her,” Stephanie whispered as they both stared down at Jo.
“Stephanie's right,” Meredith said, rubbing his shoulder. “You went back to her, you were there. You fought him off, you helped Stephanie save her. You brought her here, and you did everything right, Alex, and Jo knows that.”
“She's right, Alex. You saved her,” Stephanie said with a slight smile before she shook her head. “I thought I knew all Jo’s secrets after she told me about how she lived in her car as a teenager, but that was only part of the story.”
This was news to Meredith, although it didn't surprise her, given what Alex had said about Jo's past. Alex hadn't shared much with her, other than she had it rough like he did as a foster kid. Meredith didn't push the details because, like Alex, Jo’s past was her own. She, of all people, knew how everyone deserved to have their secrets.
“Yeah, I thought, I knew all of them too, but I get why she kept this from me,” Alex said as he reached down and put his hand on Jo’s head as he rubbed his thumb over her forehead. “For the longest time, I never told anyone about my Dad. Jo only found out about it because she showed up when I was taking a paternity test to be sure it was him. She took care of him when I couldn't. She was there for me, even when I didn't let her, but I wasn't there for her, but I promise you, Jo, I'm here for you now,”
Alex said the last line only for her as he leaned down and kissed her forehead before closing his eyes as he pressed their foreheads together.
Several of the nurses, including Bokhee, came over and pulled back the curtains. “They're ready for her in the OR.”
“I'll walk up with her and change when I get there,” Meredith said, putting her purse and coat on a chair, knowing that they would watch over her stuff.
Alex nodded and brushed the hair away from Jo’s face. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips. His lips lingered on her skin and Stephanie looked away for a moment before he pulled back. Alex stepped back, finally letting go of Jo's hand and gently placing it on her stomach. Meredith remembered how Jo always wrapped her arm around Alex's neck. It was possessive and sweet, and every time Meredith watched them together, she knew they were meant to be.
Meredith helped the nurses put up the railings and switch Jo to manual intubation as they took off the brakes. She stood at the side of the bed next to Bokhee and pushed the bed forward. As they pushed open the doors out of pre-OP, she took one last look at Alex. He stood there waiting for them as another nurse directed him and Stephanie towards the waiting room. Alex just stood there with his hands in his pockets, staring at Jo. Meredith knew that it would break him if anything happened to Jo, and she was determined to watch over her and make sure that never happened.
……………………………………………………………………
The nurse took them to the waiting room, but Alex barely registered what was going on around him. He had barely had any time to process the fact that Jo was married and that she was getting a divorce. He could hardly believe it. All he could think about was the image of Jo lying on the ground with him on top of her. He could still remember the way she gasped for air before Stephanie intubated her and how fragile she looked on the hospital bed as they wheeled her into surgery.
“Dr. Karev, Dr. Karev?”
Alex looked up from where he was staring at the floor to the black female officer standing before him before he looked over at Stephanie, who was seated next to him, holding Meredith’s things that he had forgotten.
“Yeah, sorry.”
“It's alright,” the officer said, giving a slight smile as she sat down in front of him on the coffee table. “My name is Officer Tatum, and I've been dispatched by the detectives to take your statements. Could you please tell me what happened tonight?”
Alex nodded, and he and Stephanie did their best to give a detailed statement to the officer as visions of what happened flashed in his head. To be honest, from the moment he saw Jo on the floor to ending up in the hospital, it was all just a blur. Luckily for him, Stephanie seemed to remember most of it and was able to give the officer everything she needed
“Thank you,” Officer Tatum said as she finished writing. “I have a few questions for you both, if you don't mind?”
“Yeah, sure,” Alex said, not entirely sure that he had a choice anyway.
“Do you know why Dr. Wilson was attacked in your apartment tonight? We have reason to believe that Dr. Wilson let her attacker into your apartment as the door was open, and there was no sign of forced entry,” Officer Tatum said, looking between the two of them before her eyes settled on Alex.
“Yes,” Stephanie said before Alex could even think of an answer. “Jo said that he was her abusive husband. She mentioned that she ran away from him a few years ago and told me about some of the abuse she endured when they were together. She also mentioned that she was in the process of divorcing him.”
“Did Dr. Wilson tell this to you?”
“Yes, she told me about her husband and the abuse, and after he attacked her, I asked her if it was him, and she nodded yes.”
“Okay,” Officer Tatum said, writing everything down before she looked back at them again. “And what kind of abuse did Dr. Wilson alleged happened?”
“She said it was physical. That he would hit her and that's why she ran away from him.”
“And what did Dr. Wilson tell you about her divorce proceedings?”
“Nothing other than the fact that she was divorcing him. I asked if she had a restraining order against him, but she didn't answer.”
Officer Tatum just nodded as she continued to write everything down. “Do you happen to know Dr. Wilson's husband’s name?”
“No, actually, we don't even know Jo's married name. She said she changed it when she ran away,” Stephanie said with a shrug and she shook her head.
Alex just kind of watched the exchange happen. He was still trying to process everything. The fact that Jo was married, that her abusive ex-husband had shown up, and that he tried to kill her.
“Okay, is there any other relevant information that I should know, such as Dr. Wilson’s lawyer's information or other documents she kept from her marriage or proof of the abuse?”
Stephanie stayed silent and it took Alex a moment to realize that they were both staring at him. “Um, no, I didn't know, maybe, I didn’t even know she was married until tonight.”
“So for five years, you had no idea that the woman you've been dating, your friend, was married?” Officer Tatum asked, raising an eyebrow at them.
“No,” Alex said as he looked over at Stephanie, who just looked as floored as he was. He could hardly believe it himself.
Officer Tatum softened as she took in their expression before she closed her notebook. “One last thing Dr. Karev, do the detectives have permission to search your apartment?”
“Um, yeah, but what for?”
“We’ll be searching for any information that can link Dr. Wilson to her husband, the man who attacked her. I'm sure that Dr. Wilson will make a statement and clear everything up when she's out of surgery, but in the meantime, We'd like to contact our own investigation in hopes that we can shed more light on the situation.”
“Okay,” Alex said as he nodded. He could tell that the detectives didn't quite believe their story, but he knew that the truth would out. It always did.
Officer Tatum returned his nod and handed him her business card before she left him and Stephanie alone in the waiting room. Alex looked up at the clock as he calculated how much time passed and how much longer Jo would be in surgery. Then he sat and waited as he processed the events of the night.
……………………………………………………………………
“What kind of person does this to Jo? She's so sweet and her hair is so nice. Who would want to hurt her?” Cross asked as he sat staring at the unconscious man on the gurney after they settled him in Pre-OP, waiting for Jackson to call them up after he was done with Jo’s surgery.
“I don't know,” Ben said as he finished up the paperwork, shaking his head. He still didn’t know what happened but, Cross was right. Jo didn’t deserve this. “According to his wallet. It says that his name is Paul Stadler. His business card says he’s a doctor at Orlando Medical.”
“Orlando, that's weird. Jo never mentioned anything about Florida,” Cross said before jumping away from Paul. “He just moved.”
“Yeah, it looks like he's waking up,” Ben said as he walked over to the bed.
Paul Stadler turned his head back and forth as he opened his eyes. He squinted in the harsh light before he looked over at Ben. He tried to move his hands but couldn't because of the restraints. “Where am I? What, what's going on?”
“Mr. Stadler, don't try and move. You’re at Grey-Sloan Memorial,” Ben said, putting a hand on his shoulder, trying to get him to stop jerking at his restraints. “Cross, go get Bailey and the police.”
Cross nodded before quickly running out of the room.
“The police?” Paul asked, looking confused before his eyes went wide and he looked over at Ben. “Yes, please get the police, and please tell me, is Brooke okay? I think she said she goes by another name now, maybe Josephine?”
“You're talking about Jo? The woman you beat up? I can't disclose her personal medical information, but I can tell you that she's pressing charges.” Ben said, glaring at him. Even if it wasn’t fully true, Ben wanted him to know that he wasn’t getting away with this.
“What, what are you talking about?” Paul asked, looking confused. “Why would Brooke press charges against me when I was trying to help her?”
“Look whenever you say went on…” Ben started to say, but Paul cut him off.
“No, you have to believe me. Look, I know we’ve been separated, but I got a call from Brooke last night out of the blue. She was crying and she said she was scared. She said that her boyfriend was hurting her and so I rushed over to her place. When I got there, I found him on top of her. I pulled him off and then he punched me. I guess her other friend woke up or something. I don't remember but, I remember this guy with a scruffy beard and a gray shirt. He was on top of her.”
Ben shook his head, of course, he didn't believe Paul's story about Alex. He was occasionally volatile, yes, but he would never hurt Jo.
“You have to believe me. I would never lay a hand on my wife?”
“Your wife?” Ben asked, his eyes going wide as he stepped back.
“Yes, I have a picture of her in my wallet. It's from our wedding day, please just look at it. You have to believe me,” Paul begged him, looking into Ben's eyes.
Ben narrowed his eyes at him, but stepped back and turned around. He opened Paul's wallet and looked through it until he found the photo tucked in one of the cardholders. Sure enough, there was Paul and Jo, pressed up against each other with happy smiles. Jo in a white dress with a bouquet and Paul and a pristine suit. Behind it was an ID with Jo’s picture with the name Brooke Stadler, meaning he wasn’t lying. They were married.
“Please, I would never hurt your wife. You have to believe me,” Paul said as Ben looked back at him. He had to tell Miranda.
Amelia entered the conference room, seeing, Maggie, Jo, Stephanie, Owen, Alex and Nathan. Isaac was still immobile, awaiting lifesaving surgery from Derek and, hopefully, Amelia. She sat down next to Owen, briefly greeting him before the man at the head of the table began speaking.
“Alright, let’s get things going,” the man said, clasping his hands together, “My name is John, I’m a lawyer for the travel company you guys flew with a couple weeks ago.” He pointed to the guy next to him. “This is Dr. Kingsley. He’s a therapist. We’re probably going to need him today as you all recall memories from this tragedy that occurred.”
“Is Owen really needed here, then?” Amelia asked, gesturing to her ex-husband.
“Well, he was a part of the accident,” John shrugged, “And maybe the conversation might help jog his memory.” Owen looked over at Amelia, smiling softly. She sighed stressfully in response; talking about the accident was the last thing she wanted to do.
“Who wants to start?” Dr. Kingsley asked.
“I’ll start,” Maggie offered, her breathing shaky. Closing her eyes, she thought about her words for a moment. “I didn’t have any serious injuries, thank god. But I keep dreaming about it.” A lot of doctors nodded in agreement; Amelia remained unfazed by her words. “I just remember the plane ripping in half as we landed in the trees, and Owen…” Tears came to her eyes.
“I what?” Owen prodded her, wanting to know what had caused his brain injury.
“You weren’t strapped in when the plane crashed,” Maggie explained, wiping tears out of her eyes, “You didn’t get time. So when the thing came crashing down, you flew out of the seat and…”
“The noise…” Jo muttered, “The loudest I’ve ever heard someone hit their head.” Owen frowned and looked to Amelia for some sort of confirmation.
“Why are you looking at me?” Amelia snapped, “I was at the front half of the plane.”
Sensing her agitation, Dr. Kingsley directed his next question at the neurosurgeon. “Do you want to talk about your experience, Dr. Shepherd?”
“Which part?” Amelia sweetly asked, “The part where Alex and Nathan painfully ripped my hand out the airplane window, the part where I can’t sleep at night anymore without waking up in a frenzy, or the part where I almost killed my ex-husband?” Some of the doctors whispered in hushed tones, unaware that Amelia and Owen had divorced.
“Amelia, you saved Owen’s life,” Maggie defended, getting over the news of their unsurprising separation.
“I got lucky,” the Shepherd muttered, averting her attention to her lap, clearly conveying that she didn’t want to talk anymore. She squeezed her left hand, phantom pain plaguing it the more she thought about the plane crash.
“Well, Dr. Hunt,” John said, flipping through some papers to kill the awkward silence that followed, “We’re all glad you made it through the accident and I also hear this is your first day back to work, so congrats to that too.”
“Thank you,” Owen said, briefly glancing at Amelia in worry. He wondered how affected she truly was by the situation; this was the first he was hearing about her having nightmares, although he wasn’t surprised.
“Well, of course there are more conversations that need to happen before we come to a final conclusion,” John announced to the surgeons as he went through his files, “But I am sad to say that the accident could’ve easily been avoided had the pilot been more experienced in choosing to avoid the storm, instead of flying through it, so we are accepting full responsibility for the situation.” He finally found the paper he was looking for. “Because of that, we’re looking at giving you all $2 million dollars, with Owen and Isaac receiving $5-$6 million.” Everyone’s eyes opened wide; even Amelia looked up briefly to show her shock.
---
Amelia moved through the apartment with Owen, collecting things and putting them in a travel bag. The place was a mess, clothes everywhere, and dishes unwashed.
“This is not how I remember myself,” Owen joked as he picked up clothes along the way, “You must’ve really ruined me.”
“Yeah,” she muttered distractedly, picking up a pair of his boxers that was on the couch, and handing it to him.
“Is everything alright?” he eyed her, taking the boxers from her hand. When she didn’t answer, he added, “You didn’t tell me you were having nightmares about the accident.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything, actually,” she reminded him harshly, hinting at their lack of emotional status, “And it’s not a big deal anyway.”
“PTSD is a big deal, Amelia,” Owen berated her, “I would know.”
“I don’t have PTSD,” she grumbled, handing him another piece of his clothing.
“You were avoiding talking about the accident earlier today,” he pointed out, “That’s a clear sign of PTSD.”
“Who wants to talk about all the bad stuff in their life?” she countered.
“Fair enough, but why do you keep wringing the hand that got stuck in the window?” he accused her. She rolled her eyes and ignored him. He eyed her suspiciously before thinking of something. Out of nowhere, he yelped in pain, grasping his head as he knelt to the floor. Instantly, Amelia jumped back, tears coming to her eyes as she looked at Owen in absolute horror. She couldn’t even open her mouth to ask him what was wrong; she was so scared.
“See?” he said, standing up as if nothing had ever happened.
“Are you crazy?” she screamed at him, holding a hand to her chest as she tried to control her breathing, “You can’t just do that.”
“I was just trying to prove a point,” he said. Noticing how traumatised she looked, and how she couldn’t catch her breath, he added, “Hey, are you okay? Sit down.” He guided her to the small kitchen table and sat her down on a chair, kneeling in front of her. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to scare you like that.” He took her hands and held them. “Just breathe, okay? Follow my breathing.” He inhaled slowly and watched as she followed him. After a minute or two of following his breathing, she seemed to be close to normal again, aside from the fact that she couldn’t stop the tears from falling.
“I’m sorry,” Owen apologised again, wiping the tears from her eyes, “I didn’t think you’d get that scared.” He pulled her into a hug and she held onto him for dear life, the tears continuing to fall. “Everything’s okay,” he whispered in her ear, caressing the back of her head, “I’m okay, alright?” She nodded, hugging him tighter. Accustomed to the cold, detached version of Amelia, Owen was surprised at how scared and how much she seemed to care about his wellbeing. It made him wonder how she really felt.
He pulled away from the hug and looked her in her eyes, wanting to know where they stood. “Amelia, if you don’t love me, why are you acting like this?”
“We were married; of course I love you,” she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, “I said I didn’t have feelings for you.” He looked at her, a little confused. To him, love and feelings was the same thing. Clearly for her, it meant something entirely different.
“Well, is it still true?” he asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, “Do you still not have feelings for me?” He hoped it wasn’t true anymore, that he’d awoken something in her, because in the short time he’d spent with her, he’d grown to like her so much. He wished he could remember what it was like to kiss her.
“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully, “I think it’s a lot more complicated than yes or no for me.”
“Maybe you’re making it more complicated than it needs to be,” he offered as advice, giving her a friendly smile.
“Maybe,” she agreed, smiling back.
“Well,” he said, standing up and holding his hand out for her, “How about we find the rest of my stuff and give this crappy place back to the landlord?” She took his hand and stood up, and then paused, staring at him. Somehow, by just being himself with no memories, he’d managed to bring back some of their intimacy and, for the first time in months, Amelia had the urge to kiss him.
