"Do you remember Raj?" Penny asked her.
"The one who couldn't speak to me unless he was hopped up on pills?"
"Yes, him..."
"His whole apartment is on fire," Sheldon cut in, giving Penny a sudden push toward the stairs.
"Oh, my," Missy breathed. "Give him my best."
"You're not coming?" Sheldon asked.
"I'm in the middle of a diaper change. But if you bring him here, I'll make the hot beverage myself," Missy promised, drawing a quick X over her heart.
"Thanks. And remember to spray Febreze and wash!" Sheldon called, as he hurried after Leonard and Penny.
-0-0-0-0-
If Leonard hadn't known his way to Raj's place, the curling smoke would have been the only beacon he would have required to find his way. The opposite side of the street was crowded with the residents of the burning apartment. Howard stood close to Raj, who clutched Cinnamon; and Amy was there, one hand on Raj's shoulder. Standing in silence together, the residents stared up at the inferno. All Leonard could hear as he passed through the crowd was the audacious crackle of the flames, and a woman's sobbing.
Howard gestured subtly to their friends, and Raj turned to quickly hug Penny and Leonard, and accept the offer of a handshake from Sheldon. "Are you okay?" Penny asked.
"A-a little shaken up," Raj confessed.
"You can come stay with me," Amy offered.
"Thanks," Raj didn't look particularly mollified.
"Scared?" Sheldon guessed, as faint sirens began in the distance.
"Worried," Raj answered. "I know I've got a place with any of you, but...what about all these other people?"
The friends were silent.
Finally, Sheldon turned to Raj. "The church," was all he said.
Raj's eyes went wide. "Yes, yes, of course. Brilliant."
"I can call my mom," Sheldon continued. "She'll help them, she can work something out with the priest."
His friends patted his back and arm as he made his way to the car to make the call in peace. "Great, we've established what Sheldon's mom in Texas will do," Raj said brokenly, "What about me? I can't stay with you forever," he told Amy.
"You can stay as long as you need, Rajesh."
"Howard?" Penny said, silencing the friends. "I think your wife might want you home."
"Oh, yeah," Howard said grimly, one hand instinctively going to his phone pocket. "Will you be okay?" he asked Raj.
"I-I-I guess."
" 'Kay. Thanks, Amy. See you all later." Howard left.
Amy watched him get on his motorbike and leave, but then her eyes were drawn to Sheldon, who sat in the car, speaking on the phone. The sirens were getting closer, and the cluster of people moved off the road and onto the sidewalk across the street from the fire.
"How did it start? Do you know?" Leonard was asking.
He knew the answer to his question when Raj wouldn't answer him. To avoid putting Raj in the spotlight, in front of about two dozen people; Leonard said nothing more. He turned his gaze to the car, expecting to see Sheldon. Instead, he saw the car was empty, and he saw the lone figure of a tall man walking away, becoming harder and harder to see past the fire's glow.
