Having no experience with romance, Sheldon succumbs to jealousy.
Sheldon woke up and saw that Penny's bed was unused. She rarely made her bed, even though she never failed to make the others. Sheldon stood and gathered his clothes and toiletries. As he passed the kitchen, he noticed Penny wasn't in the kitchen either. Who's bed had she slept in, then? Who had she spent the night with? Leonard? Howard? Raj?
He stormed to the bathroom and showered quickly. When he was dressed and ready for the day he walked back to the kitchen. Penny was behind the counter making waffles. She glanced at him, but he turned away and headed for the vestibule. She looked tired. She must have had a very active night he thought angrily.
For the next two days he spent little time in the common areas. His results were still very poor. When he wasn't outside checking on his experiments, or in the office, he was in his bedroom. His bedroom, because no one else slept there now. He didn't know who she slept with. He refused to ask anyone. He wouldn't lower himself to inquire, and none of the others were saying. They only had 4 more weeks before they returned home. He was actually anxious to escape this frozen hell.
He spent so much time and energy nursing his anger and hurt that he never saw what happened next coming. He was just walking out of his bedroom to head for the shower when Howard suddenly ran past him with the first aid kit. He frowned and turned to follow him. He saw Leonard and Raj crouched near the end of the kitchen counter so he stepped closer to see what foolishness they were up to.
Sheldon gasped and his blood ran cold. Penny was on the floor, blood seeping from her hairline. Raj took the kit from Howard and grabbed some alcohol and bandages. Sheldon started to move forward, but Howard blocked him.
"We've got this," he said in a low voice.
Sheldon tried to push past him. "What happened? Why is Penny bleeding?"
Leonard stood and placed the satellite phone on the counter. "Helicopter will be here in 20 minutes," he said quickly. "They said to keep her calm and to keep an eye on her pulse."
Sheldon started to move around Howard but Leonard stepped to the side and blocked him. "Give us some room, Sheldon."
Sheldon's anger rose up. "What is going on? What has happened to Penny?"
"She's sick. She's exhausted, and she is ill," Raj said calmly. "She passed out and hit her head on the floor."
Howard moved to gather a blanket and then wrapped it around her carefully. "She hasn't been getting adequate rest on that little sofa. I think she caught a cold when the furnace was out, and it's turned into pneumonia, now. Her breathing is wheezy and labored. Her pulse is sluggish and she's burning up."
Sheldon was stunned into silence for a moment. "She's been sleeping on the sofa?"
Leonard glared up at him. "Of course she has! Where else could she sleep after you kicked her out? There aren't any other beds here. She wasn't welcome in her own room. We each tried to give her ours, but she wouldn't let us."
Sheldon couldn't make sense of what they were saying. Penny wasn't sleeping with one of them? Why would she chose the couch over her bed? He had not said she couldn't share the bedroom with him. Ten minutes later they heard the thumping blades of the chopper. Minutes later three men came in and began checking her over. She still had not regained consciousness. They bundled her up warmly and slid a large board under her. The medics strapped her in tight and transported her to the helicopter, assuring the group that she was stable.