{A week after the previous chapter. Sheldon is in his apartment. Leonard is staying at Alice's for the night.}
The warm glow of the lamp cast a pale shadow over Sheldon who perched at his desk, working hard on his latest project: A paper on the decay of highly excited massive string states. His fingers danced swiftly across the keyboard like the silhouettes of pretty spiders, cleverly weaving together an intricate creation of the mind. A product of his very intelligence. His face beamed with pride as he reviewed what he had written so far. He reached for his tea, straightening his back and rolling his shoulders in small circles as he glanced up to the clock that hung above the television. It was exactly 7:00pm and the sky had already begun to grow dark, hanging low above the busy street outside. Only when he was alone would he notice the distant sirens and faint buzzing of the traffic that hummed in the background. There was something satisfying about how they all melted into one, like a song - each component complimenting the other.
"Help! Leonard! Sheldon! Help!" The soothing ambience shattered under the alarming cries from across the hall. Without hesitation, Sheldon grabbed his keys from the bowl and shot out of the door.
knock knock knock "Penny"
knock knock knock "Penny"
knock knock knock "Penny"
His hands trembled, his knuckles turning pink as they pelted against the wood.
"Come in. Hurry!"
He swung open the door, his heart pounding in his chest as his body flew into fight or flight, adrenaline flooding his bloodstream. He wasn't sure what to expect but whatever it might be, he was ready.
Scanning the living room and kitchen with wide eyes he called out "Penny?", his voice raspy and strained from the panic.
"I'm back here" she cried, her voice muffled by the sound of running water. "Im in the bathroom!"
Sheldon came to an abrupt halt as he reached the bathroom door. Everything up until this point had been instinctive - No thought process. He took a moment to assess the situation, realising that he was currently in Penny's bedroom for the first time since that night. Before this, his inhibitions had been melted away by his primal desire to protect, but now his mind had caught up to him and began to spin, clouded by his tendency to overanalyse. "Should I come back at a better time?" he called through the door, putting his ear up to it in anticipation of her response.
"Get in here!"
knock knock -
"Don't you dare knock!" She snarled.
With clammy hands, Sheldon pulled down on the handle and peered into the bathroom where he found Penny, lying in her empty bathtub wrapped in a blue towel. The water from the shower continued cascading down, falling into her hair and running down her face that shimmered in the white light. She was holding her arm close to her chest, clutching it with her right hand.
"Hello" he said, surprised at what he had found. He stood in the doorway, staring down at her with curious eyes.
"I slipped in the shower and I think I dislocated my shoulder" She squeaked, her breathing laboured as a result of the pain.
"Thats not surprising. You have no safety matt or adhesive stickers to allow for purchase on a surface with a low coefficient of static friction." He extended a finger, pointing into the tub.
"What!?" She snapped. She didn't have time for Sheldon to be so..Sheldon right now. She needed kind, understanding Sheldon - The Sheldon that had taught her to play Age of Conan and how to start her business selling 'Penny Blossoms'. The same Sheldon that she was so sure had spent the night here in this very apartment with her a few months back.
"Tubs are slippery." He stated with a hint of condescension.
"I know. I slipped. Will you just turn the water off and help me up."
He leant down, supporting her with both his arms and carefully assisted her to her feet. He had missed the feel of her skin against his.
"Sheldon you've gotta drive me to the hospital" She pleaded desperately. She was aware that he had always felt deeply uncomfortable driving, but right now she needed him and hoped that for once he would put whatever feelings he had aside and help her.
"But I don't drive." He stated, jolting upright, winded by her request. The muscles in his upper body tensed, rigid with anxiety that left him momentarily paralysed.
"Well I can't drive." She yelled back at him, gesturing to her arm with her head.
The room fell silent as he thought, taking a deep breath through his nose. The tap dripped like a metronome, marking each passing second until finally, he responded.
"Okay Penny. I will drive you."
Her eyes softened in relief as she gazed up at him. "Thank-you" she said, the corners of her mouth curling into a pretty smile.