The bumps along the way

Hospial Ridden

Chapter six- Hospital ridden

Two days later- October 20th

It's been two days since Jo was admitted to the hospital for hyperemesis gravidarum and by now the whole hospital knew about it. So much for wanting to keep the pregnancy a secret. Jo had been receiving IV fluids, Hartmann's and Anti Nausea medication to help with her condition. However she was still vomiting constantly and had not managed to keep a single bite of food down.

"How are you feeling?" Meredith asks as she walks into Jo's room.

"I feel lousy. I can't do anything because when I try to I end up vomiting everywhere. I haven't showered in what feels like forever. I'm not keeping any foods down and I'm bed ridden. The only thing I've managed to accomplish is watching two series of The Seven Year Switch on Netflix, and that's just guilty pleasure TV," she says.

"Yeah, I guess you would feel lousy. But, I came here to cheer you up. Do you know Jake Carson, the Paeds case I was working on with you and Alex?" Jo asks.

"Yeah, he's been here for two weeks now and he had a lung transplant last week,"  Jo says.

"Well, his New lung is going very very well. He's not showing any signs of rejection and his incision is healing well. Today he asked Alex if he could see you and when he said you were sick and that he could't come and see you he totally threw up all over Alex. It was like a revenge thing. But then Alex said that he'd rig up a remote control car with a camera and let him use it so he could see you," Meredith says.

Jo giggles a little, "he's always trying to make kids happy," Jo smiles.

"Yeah, he is. And he's going to make an even better father. It's all he's been talking about non stop to me about. How he's going to spend the rest of his life making his family happy. Since he's meet you he's really changed. He's changed into a better person. You've done good," Meredith says.

Jo learns forward and throws up into her sick bag, "oh god, I didn't mean to make you throw up," Meredith says.

"No, your story was lovely. It made me feel a lot brighter. It's just the severe morning sickness," Jo says.

"It's all worth it in the end, when you can see your baby, hold your baby. All the pain you went through is all worth it to meet the little life at the end of it," Meredith says. Just then her pager goes off.

"I have to go," Meredith says. "But have some ginger powder for the sickness and Nausea, it helped me," she says.

"Sure," Jo smiles.

********

That night

"Jo, I heard you kept down your toast that you had for dinner," the OBGYN says as she comes in to check on her vitals and fluids.

"I Sure did," Jo smiles.

"And you haven't been as sick this afternoon, am I correct?" She asks.

"Yes. I mean, I was still sick a few times but keeping the food down did help," she says,

"That's fabulous. This is all progress in the right direction," the OB smiles. "Is Alex here?" She asks.

"He's pulling an all nighter. But he comes in and checks on me when he can. Usually every 2 hours if he's not in the OR. And I've been having a lot of visitors," Jo smiles.

"Well if you need me I'm one button push away," she smiles. She walks out of the room as Steph walks in.

"How are you?" Steph asks.

"Tired, but not vomiting as much," she smiles.

"Well that's fabulous," Steph says.

"I just wish I could get out of bed and go places. Even just in a wheel chair down to the the residents lounge to see everybody," Jo says. "Will you help me?" Jo asks.

"I can't help you with that and you know that. You need to be resting in bed, that's why it's called bed rest," Steph says.

"Oh come on, it's not like you'll be aiding and abiding a criminal. Even for just like ten minutes," Jo pleads.

"No," Steph replies firming, "How about we talk about the baby. Are you going to find out the gender?" She asks.

"No, it's going to be a complete secret. We want it to be a surprise," Jo says.

"I don't think I could wait nine months to find out the gender," Steph says.

"Then good thing it's not your baby then," Jo mocks.

"Yeah, I don't think I could ever give up my body. But you never know," Steph says.

"My baby is going to be so amazing. I reckon it's a girl, but I don't want to call the baby a she incase it can hear me and it's really a boy," Jo confesses.

"At this stage in you're pregnancy you are aware that the baby can not hear you," Steph States.

"I know that, but it's the thought of it. I mean what if it sees me as a bad mother if I'm calling it the wrong gender?" Jo asks.

"It can't hear you," Steph says again.

"What if it's confused about its gender when it's Born if I've been calling it the wrong gender all this time?" Jo asks seriously.

"Again, the baby can't hear you yet," Steph says.

"I know, I'm sorry," Jo says.

"Imagine if you were having twins. How would you tell them apart?" She asks.

"Oh, well, you'd just know. But I don't have to worry about that because there is only one baby inside of this belly," Jo says pointing to her stomach.

"But what if?" Steph asks.

"One baby," Jo says sternly. "I wouldn't be opposed to twins but this baby is inside of me so I think I'd know," Jo says.

"Okay. How about we practice for our boards. Only 18 days until we could be attendings," she smiles.

"That's if I ever make it out of here," Jo says.

"You will. You've kept down your dinner and you're not vomiting as much," Steph says to reassure Jo.

"I know. I'm more worried about throwing up over everyone," Jo laughs.