Greetings from turbulent Wisconsin. Covering an issue and freelancing is suddenly a paying issue.

This will be he last posting for a bit. Sorry but bills to pay.


The Incident 3

Sheldon smelled something – ammonia – his 'sciency brain' provided. Ugh. Smelling salts. He didn't even know he had them.

"Take it easy, Shelly. I've called Steph and she's on her way over. Did you hit your head when you fell? Here, shut up and watch my finger. Well, did you hit your head?"

"You told me to shut up and then asked a question. What's wrong with this picture, Missy?"

"Smart ass! You scared the crap outta me, Shelly! Listen, Newt's in the yard with Raz and I'm just going to get cold, damp cloth for your neck. Have you eaten anything at all today?"

His sister never shut up. She asked questions, one right after the other, and then told him to shut up. Just like when they were kids.

He heard an adult voice in the kitchen and then Stephanie was all over him with questions and pokes and prods and that damned bright light of hers.

"Stop it, Stephanie, that light's killing my eyes. Yes, I have a headache. No, I didn't smell anything strange or feel all 'fuzzy' before I passed out. No, I do not have traumatic epilepsy despite how similar the symptoms appear to be. I'm just tired, haven't eaten anything yet and that means low blood sugar."

"Smart ass. Where did you go to medical school?" He was disgustingly accurate in his assessment and in her assumptions. She hated that about him. She loved him like a brother but he could really be Sheldon and get under her skin.

"Heidelburg, actually. I was between degrees and I audited the classes thinking I might add 'M.D.' to my credentials until I saw what 'Introduction to Anatomy' involved and then I scratched 'Become a medical doctor' off my bucket list."

"You have a 'bucket list'?" Was there something really wrong with him? This was pushing the envelope for hypochondria, even for Sheldon Cooper.

"Bazinga! But I did eliminate it from my 'Things To Do Before Reaching Age 25' list."

She punched him lightly on the shoulder in response. "You know, Sheldon, a lot of this could be psychosomatic. A lot has happened both professionally and personally and it might just be a way of coping…"

"I'm not crazy, Stephanie. My mother had me tested," it was his time-honored response to any suggestion that he was less than 'all there' in times past.

"I mean, Sheldon, that maybe it's your head's way of saying 'slow down and smell the roses'. When was the last time you just did something crazy just for yourself?"

"I don't remember." He was honest.

"See! You – " But he cut her off with an expansion of his comment.

"I don't remember. I can't remember. I don't remember dating Penny, getting married. I don't even remember Newt! Nothing before this morning when I woke up. Nothing after – nothing after Penny and I arguing about Love Story a while back. We lost a bet, the guys and I, and we had to sit through that syrupy garbage and then…nothing."

"You started dating Penny right after that. She told me it was step one in her plan to seduce you and establish a relationship. She set her sights on you and you were toast and didn't even know it."

"I don't remember." He looked so lost for a moment that Stephanie hugged him. "You'll get it back, bean pole. It's still there, you just haven't found the right memory trigger."

"What if I don't?" he whispered more to himself than to Stephanie.

Stephanie wanted to admit him to the hospital 'for tests' and he was adamant about refusing. For some reason going to a hospital terrified him. Pain, uncertainty, fear, but mostly the feeling that he'd never come back and that all the things that made up his wonderful life would be lost forever. He finally just told her the truth.

"I'm afraid of going to the hospital, okay? Everyone who has ever gone to a hospital in my life hasn't come home. Pappaw, Meemaw, my dad…hospitals are where people go to die, Stephanie."

"Penny went to the hospital to have Newt," she countered.

"I had a plan to home-deliver but for some reason she objected. I can't imagine why." The look on his face made her laugh.

"I can't imagine why either," she responded, wryly.


Stephanie and Missy were discussing Sheldon's issues thinking he couldn't hear but they'd forgotten his eerie near-inhuman ability to hear the human voice at great distances or if whispered, as they were doing.

[I think we need to call Penny and have her force him into the hospital. She's got leverage and if anyone can make my brother 'submit' to good sense, it's her.]

[Let's give it a day or two, Missy. He's upset enough as it is with his memory issues and I don't want to overload him with worries about a hospital stay. It's my medical opinion that a few days wont' matter…]

[Well, it's my opinion, as his sister, that he needs to be in a hospital and have those tests you discussed with him run. Penny said Newt knocked him out and it was several minutes before she heard Erasmus barking and scratching at the door. Poor Newt was hugging his daddy and crying. Penny said it broke her heart to see him so upset until she saw why…]

[Fine. Call her but it's on your head, Missy. He'll hate you for it. He's scared to death of hospitals.]


Sheldon walked out into the back yard and sat down at the outdoor dinner table and watched his son and Erasmus play. His face hurt from grinning as he watched two of the beings he treasured most in the world cavort in carefree play.

How can I have forgotten my son and his dog? Why can't I remember anything that's happened in the past years? Maybe I do need to go have those tests run. Maybe I can get my memories back.


The surgeons and the neurologist sat down with Penny since she seemed to be their patient's 'significant other' in the absence of his parents or guardian. They patiently explained that portions of Dr. Cooper's brain, specifically those areas governing short and long term memories, were affected by the minor aneurysm, but that he should recover his memories normally within 'acceptable parameters of expectation'.

Penny hated tech-speak and demanded an 'English translation'. The surgeon nodded to the neurologist who sighed. He hated dealing with the loved ones of patients. They were so demanding.

"It means that Dr. Cooper's memories may return entirely or perhaps piecemeal within normal timeframes."

"Which means? Just tell me like I'm 5 years old."

"He might not remember things or he might remember everything. I understand that he has eidetic memory so I'm fairly sure he'll be fine in a while."

Penny was losing her temper. The man she was fairly certain she loved was lying in the recovery room after these idiots had drilled holes in his head to fix what they missed the first time and using ass-covering words such as 'may' instead of will, 'perhaps' instead of certainly, brought out the Junior Rodeo in her.

"So the bottom line is – you don't know a damned thing for certain." She was just barely containing her temper.

"That's right. But we have high hopes for a normal recovery. High hopes."

"When can I see him?"

"He's in recovery and then we'll move him to a special ICU area for monitoring. Tomorrow morning for certain. He should be conscious and able to speak. We'll schedule tests for tomorrow morning so anytime after noon should be fine."

"So he won't be in and out of consciousness after this? This 'bleed' is what caused that?"

The surgeon looked at the neurologist and grimaced. This is why he went into surgery. Minimal interface with the patient but the loved ones and family couldn't be avoided.

"We're not sure just what caused the loss of consciousness but yes, this should remedy that. We won't know for sure until later on."

The two doctors shared a glance and then excused themselves. Nothing was certain in dealing with the human brain. They just didn't know enough about how it worked to explain it.

Penny was upset and couldn't stop the tears. When she walked out of the 'consultation area' Sheldon's three friends saw her and assumed the worse.

"Penny, is he…is he going to be okay?" Howard seemed the most sincere.

Raj? She couldn't tell since he couldn't speak to her and Howard was too upset to listen to his whisperings but he did look very concerned.

Leonard…was being Leonard. There was concern on some level but indifference in deeper and more meaningful layers of his personality.

'He's more like his mother than he cares to acknowledge. And I haven't seen it until now. Glad I dodged the 'relationship' bullet with Leonard. Ewww.'

"He's going to ICU for recovery and tests. We won't be able to see him until after noon tomorrow so I'm heading home and get out of these 3-day old clothes, get cleaned up and catch some sleep. I'll be back at noon tomorrow. Leonard, any luck getting Mary or Missy?"

"Um, no, not really. I left Missy a voicemail and there was no answer at Mary's house. I suppose I could try again tomorrow morning. I just called that one time."

Penny smashed down on the urge to punch the little weasel in the throat. He'd tried ONE time…?

"Don't bother. I'll get a hold of them. I guess that's it, guys. See you all tomorrow?"

Howard and Raj nodded and then left while Leonard lagged behind.

"Want to catch some dinner tonight, Penny? I know this has all been very stressful and you probably need some relief from all this tension."

"Leonard…could you be any less obvious? Sheldon's fighting for his life and all you can think about is that tiny little thing and pleasure. No. Not again. If I had a time machine, I'd…"

She spaced out for a second. The guilt of what she'd accidentally done to Sheldon hit her hard and she had tears in her eyes.

"Well, then, Penny, I'll see ya around." He looked like someone had kicked his puppy but she was so immune to his pathetic gambits. Sheldon was brutally truthful at all times and she always knew where she stood with him. Leonard just wanted…what he always wanted.

"Yeah, Leonard. See ya." She hurried down the stairs not even wanting to be in the same enclosed elevator with him. What was I thinking when I slept with Leonard?


Sheldon answered his cell and smiled. Penny.

"Sheldon, Missy says you need to go to the hospital for tests. She says you've passed out a couple of times and that it's serious! Why didn't you call me? Did you see Stephanie at all?"

No 'hello, honey'. He sighed. His sister was sometimes the bane of his existence. Her constant harping on the past irritated him to the point where he'd seriously considered…he didn't know what he'd do.

"Penny, it's nothing. Really. I did see Stephanie and we both agree that Missy is overreacting but to keep harmony in their relationship, Stephanie agreed that Missy could contact you. You know how I feel about hospitals. People go there to die. I do not want to die and leave you and Newt so, ergo sum, I will not go."

"Sheldon Cooper, don't pull that Latin crap on me. You only do that when you're desperate because you're losing the argument. I'm coming home. I never should have left you to bear this alone. I'm such a shitty wife and mother. I'll be home…I have to clean up some loose ends here and get a flight. I'll see you tomorrow – and then you will go to the hospital, Sheldon, if Stephanie thinks it's necessary."

"Penny, do you love me?" It came out of the blue. She'd never said it. Not once. Not even when they were having sexual congress. Not when she was climaxing, as he'd been informed was a social norm.

"What? Well, of course. We're married. We have Newt. Why would you even ask such a stupid thing?"

"Because I find it hard to believe that…"

"Shelly, I love you more than anything or any one in the whole world except maybe Newt and that's a mother's love. You let Missy handle my baby boy and you, my darling man, get your scrawny self into bed and stay there. I'm coming home, Moon Pie."

His response was automatic. "Don't call me Moon Pie. Only Meemaw calls me that."

"Tomorrow, my love, I'll see you tomorrow." She was trying to make him feel better but all it did was fan the flames of his own doubts.

"Yes, tomorrow. Goodbye, Penny." He ended the call abruptly without thinking. He was done talking. It was how he did things.

His throat felt sore and he suddenly was gagging and gasping for breath. It seemed like he couldn't get enough air to inflate his lungs and his vision began to gray out and his last thought before kissing the tiled patio floor was of Penny and the love he felt for her and his son.