Chapter 6

Penny clung to Jake's hand nervously as the sonographer spread the gel across her abdomen in preparation for her ultrasound and bit down on her lip as she began to run the transducer over her bump.

"Ok Penny I know you're anxious but please just try to relax" she said calmly

A few seconds later the room was filled with the sound of her baby's heartbeat and a grainy black and white picture appeared on the screen

"Is my baby ok?" Penny asked looking from the screen to the sonographer to begin with her facial expression wasn't giving anything away

"Everything looks fine" the sonographer replied now with a comforting smile "baby has a strong heartbeat I can't see anything irregular…"

"Oh God thank you so much!" Penny cried

"That's great news" Jake sighed relieved also

"Can I go home now?" Penny detested hospitals and didn't want to stay for a moment longer than was necessary.

"You'll have to wait for the doctor" the sonographer replied "she may want to keep you in overnight"

Penny couldn't imagine why that would be necessary. She had already had an ECG while she was in the ER to rule out any cardiac problems and her blood pressure had normalised. The doctor returned and Penny asked to be discharged

"Is there anyone at home that can take care of you?"

Penny bit her lip; Leonard wasn't due home until Sunday evening. She didn't want to impose on Howard and Bernadette again; Amy had mentioned something about visiting her mother, which left only Sheldon. She turned to Jake with pleading eyes

"Its ok doctor I can stay with Penny tonight" Jake said

Penny sighed with relief and mouthed the words 'thank you' to Jake while the doctor disappeared to go fetch her discharge papers. Half an hour later Jake and Penny were entering the apartment block on Los Robles Avenue.

"Are you positive you don't want to call Leonard?" Jake asked for the second time since leaving the hospital

Penny shook her head

"No he'll only worry and everything's fine now"

She could just imagine that he would insist on jumping straight in his car and driving back home immediately

"Looks like the elevator is out of order" Jake said observing the black and yellow stripped tape that was crisscrossed over the elevator door

Penny grinned remembering how Leonard's antics with the rocket fuel all those years ago had resulted in the elevator being permanently out of order

"The elevator has been out of order since before I moved in.." Penny informed Jake

"You live on the fourth floor right?"

Penny nodded in reply, Jake stepped forward and picked her up off her feet and began to carry her upstairs

"The doctor said you need to take things easy remember?" Jake reminded her

Penny didn't argue and remained silent until they reached her apartment where Jake set her down so she could unlock the door.

"Sorry about the mess" Penny apologised "I didn't have time to clean up before I went to work this morning"

It was a little white lie; in truth the apartment had been untidy for days. In the centre of the room stood the birthing tub minus the water which Penny had inflated the night before. She had been curious to try it out and Jake remarked that it was good Leonard had finally come round to the idea of the homebirth. Penny flopped down onto the couch and kicked off her pumps while Jake arranged the cushions behind her and then headed to the kitchen to put the kettle on.

"You have a great apartment" Jake said as he passed Penny a steaming mug of herbal tea and went on to tell her that his landlord was selling up and had given him a months' notice to move out

"You know my old apartment is still empty why don't I give the building managers number maybe you could set up a viewing?" Penny suggested

"I guess it's worth a try thanks Penny"

It was also the case that Sheldon was still looking for a new roommate, but as much as she was fond of Sheldon Penny wouldn't want to wish living with Sheldon on anyone, particularly as Amy still had her heart set on moving in. They both sipped their tea for a while lost in their own thoughts

"Can I ask you something Jake?" Penny eventually said

"Sure"

"What made you want to be a doula?"

For a brief moment Penny thought she could sense that Jake was a little uneasy with the question but then Jake put down his mug and started to tell her

"Well I trained as an EMT first and then one day I was called to a woman who'd gone into labour in a shopping mal. When we got to her she was already in advanced labour, we managed to get her into the ambulance but she wound up giving birth before we could get to the hospital. It was amazing, helping to bring a new life into the world… I'd never experienced anything like it…So I did some research on the Internet and found out about training to be a doula and the rest I guess you know…."

"Well Bernadette certainly thinks you're wonderful" Penny told him "And if I could afford you I'd totally want you as my doula as well.." and then felt herself blushing slightly

Across town Leonard was in his car on route home. There had been a flood at the hotel where the conference was taking place, consequently the remainder of the conference had been cancelled. He had wanted to surprise Penny so hadn't called to let her know that he would be driving home early. His route took him passed the Cheesecake Factory and as he went by he couldn't help but notice that Penny's red Volkswagen in the parking lot.

"That's strange" Leonard said to himself he was certain she had said they she wasn't working over the weekend having already worked four shifts during the week. Pulling his car into the parking lot he parked beside Penny's car and fetched the bouquet of red roses from the trunk that he had brought whilst driving back. Entering the restaurant he craned his neck as he tried to spot Penny, he couldn't see her and decided that she was probably in the kitchen. Sitting down at one the stools he set the bouquet down on the bar

"Hey Leonard"

Leonard looked round to see Kim one of the waitresses

"Oh hi Kim is Penny around?"

Kim frowned

"Leonard Penny's not here" she replied "Didn't she call you about what happened earlier?"

Kim could tell from the expression on Leonard's face that what she was saying was coming as a shock to him; why else would he have turned up at the restaurant with a bouquet of flowers unless he didn't know?

"Penny collapsed here at lunchtime her friend Jake the EMT was here and he took her to the hospital…"

Instantly Leonard grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket and brought up Penny's number, but the call went straight to voicemail, Penny had turned off her phone at the hospital and had forgotten to turn it back on.

"I have to go…" Leonard breathed before darting out of the restaurant to his car leaving the roses behind on the bar

Leonard's instinct was to drive straight over to the hospital but he arrived only to be told that Penny had been discharged a couple of hours ago. Penny's phone was still off so he raced back home and took the stairs two at a time…

"So what about you Penny? How did you come to be in California when you grew up in Nebraska?" Jake asked

"I wanted to be an actress I had this dream of being a movie or soap star, it's all I've ever really wanted to do. But instead I wound up waitressing at the Cheesecake Factory, meeting Leonard and now…" Penny rubbed her belly with a forlorn look in her eyes "I was a lot younger than maybe I was silly and deluded to think my dream would actually work out…"

"I don't think you should give up on your dream Penny. Sure things will be different once you become a mom, but it doesn't mean you have to give up perusing your dream"

There was a short silence. Jake sensed that it might be a good time to change the subject

"Penny would you like me to show you some birthing positions that you can use in your tub?" he suggested

Glad of the change of topic Penny smiled and nodded and with Jake's help got into the tub. Penny had hired a big tub large enough to accommodate both her and Leonard, when the time came she hoped he would be agreeable to getting into the water with her.

"So if Leonard gets into the tub with you" Jake explained "you could try sitting with your back against him or you could get into a squatting position with your arms around Leonard's neck for support"

"Like this?" Penny turned over onto her hands and knees and put her arms around Jakes neck

One moment she was gazing into his dark brown eyes and in the next she had leant forward and brushed her lips against his. The second they touched she felt a surge of electricity running up her spine. Realising what was happening she pulled away.

"Oh God Jake dammit I'm sorry I don't know what came over me…" she blurted feeling ashamed for letting herself get carried away in the moment.

The sound of the door being unlocked caused them both to look around. It opened and there wide eyed and out of breath from running up the stairs with his asthma inhaler in his hand stood Leonard.