Leonard and Penny
Chapter 21, the Fairness Proposition
As the people attending Leonard and Penny's reception at the university stood and applauded while the image of the White House on the wide-screen TV faded, Sheldon raised his hand. "President Siebert. President Siebert. President Siebert," he said. "It's not fair."
Amy grabbed him. "Sheldon, not now," she said. "Drink your tea."
"I don't see what drinking tea is going to do. You're supposed to offer someone a warm beverage when they're upset, not iced tea." He drank. "I must say, though, this is great iced tea. Whoa! I can't stand up. I need to go potty."
"Sheldon," Howard said. "Are you all right? You're acting drunk."
"I've only had iced tea," Sheldon said. "Four glasses of Long Island Iced Tea."
Bernadette started to say something, but Howard said, "Let's watch and see what happens."
"I have the situation under control," Amy said, smiling.
"I love you, Bernadette. I love you, Howard. I love you, Amy." Sheldon said.
"Hoo!" Amy said.
"Here," Howard said. "You said you need to go to the potty. Let me walk you. I don't want you to fall in."
As Sheldon walked past where Leonard and Penny were talking to the reporters, he put his arms around Leonard and Penny and said, "I love you, Leonard. I love you, Penny. There was something I wanted to tell you, but I don't remember what it was."
"What's up with you?" Penny asked.
"Did I tell you I love you, Penny?" Sheldon asked, kissing her on the cheek. "Even when you threaten to hit me in the throat."
Howard guided Sheldon to the rest room.
"Well, that was interesting," Howard told the group as he brought Sheldon back to his seat. Amy had another glass of iced tea waiting for Sheldon.
"It's either let him have his 'iced tea' or put up with the whining," she said when Bernadette gave her an inquisitive look.
Over an hour later, Leonard and Penny finally made it to their table. "I wondered when we walked in why the media were here," Leonard said.
Penny said, "They asked us how we felt about Barbara Walters naming me one of her most fascinating people of the year and Leonard and me one of her most fascinating couples. I haven't heard anything about that. What's with Soupie?" she asked, noting that Sheldon had his head down on the table and was snoring.
"A little too much iced tea," Amy said, smugly smiling.
Penny smelled Sheldon's glass. "Holy cra. . . I mean golly gee whiz, that's Long Island Iced Tea. Why did you let him drink that?"
"Wasn't it a much more pleasant evening with Sheldon with a snoot full?" Howard asked.
Penny took a drink of her water that had been sitting there for a couple of hours. "You know, for someone who's at her reception, this is the first thing I've had to eat or drink since we arrived."
"Let me go serve you a plate," Leonard said, returning to the table with a plate of guacamole dip and some nacho chips. He handed Penny a Diet Dr. Pepper.
"Let me just help you with what you have there, and we'll see," Penny said. It looks as if things are winding down. "What's the etiquette here? Are we supposed to be the first to leave? The last?"
"I think we play it by ear," Leonard said. "Let's walk over here for just a moment. There are some people I want you to meet."
Leonard and Penny made the rounds speaking to the people they had not spoken with already.
. . .
Penny held the little one-year-old girl in her lap. The girl was fascinated with Penny's hair and kept grabbing handfuls. She reached up and touched Penny's face and giggled as she clapped.
"You have made Keisha smile for the first time since she came in for her heart surgery," Keisha's mother said. "You have a way with children. Do you have any?"
"No, my husband has two nieces and a nephew that we got to spend a wonderful week visiting in that big blizzard on the East Coast a few weeks ago. I have one four-year-old nephew and a teenage honorary nephew back in Omaha." Penny bent over and kissed Keisha on the top of the head. "Oh, no," she said, wiping her hair. "I've left lipgloss in her hair after you went to the trouble of weaving in the beads."
"Penny," Jeffrey said as he walked up clutching his new stuffed toy. "Thank you for my Elmo."
"You're welcome, sweetie," Penny said, reaching out to hug Jeffrey. "I see your mom. Is your daddy able to come be with you?"
"My daddy's in Afghanistan, but he'll be home soon," Jeffrey said.
Penny said, "I'll bet you are so proud of your daddy. Have you gotten to talk to him on the computer?"
"Uh, huh," Jeffrey said. "I was just four when he went away, but I'm five now. When I had my first day of chemotherapy, they took me into a room where there was a big TV , and there was my daddy on the screen. He told me how proud he was of me and how we're Marines and are strong enough to handle anything."
"I'm so proud of you too, sweetie," Penny said, caressing Jeffrey's face. "Will you make me a promise that you'll let me come see you when you're all better and you don't have to wear a mask, so I can see that handsome face of yours?"
"Uh, huh," Jeffrey said. Penny hugged him even tighter, balancing Keisha, who was playing with her hair, on her lap. "This is my husband Leonard. He's going to talk to your mom and find out how I can contact you. I would kiss you, sweetie, but the nurse said I shouldn't because you're still having chemo."
Penny held it together until she got into the car. She began sobbing uncontrollably as Leonard pulled the car out of the parking lot.
"Are you all right, sweetheart?" Leonard asked.
"I'll be all right," Penny said. "Please just drive. I don't want any of the children to look out the window and see me crying. That was so hard. Next time, we need to park on the other side of the building."
"I think you brightened their day," Leonard said. "You brought over a thousand stuffed animals, plus treating them to a pizza party. I think you did a lot of good today. You brought a lot of happiness to some children who are going through a rough time."
"I really wish Kathy hadn't sent the photographer," Penny said. "I didn't come here for publicity. I wanted to give them the toys and the pizza party anonymously. I didn't want thanks or praise for it."
"Oh, I think your being there was a really great thing," Leonard said. "You were a bigger hit than the lasers and holographic equipment I brought. I guess children today see so many special effects in movies and video games that, when they see lasers and holograms in person, it's just not that big of a deal."
"Oh, jeeze," Penny said, wiping her eyes with Leonard's handkerchief and looking at what was on the cloth. "How ghoulish do I look?"
"You need to do a little touch-up," Leonard said, "But you look absolutely beautiful."
"I'm so glad we were able to arrange to have all the stuffed toys and flowers go to the children's hospital and the safe homes shelter. I understand why the people who run safe homes don't want us coming there, but I would really like to do something nice for those families.
"Oh, I think sending a pizza party to them and writing a check for clothing and other necessities was a big step," Leonard said.
. . .
Leonard and Penny held hands as they walked down a dirt road on the property adjacent to the one Wyatt was considering buying.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Penny?" Leonard asked.
"I think so, Brain, but, this time, could I wear the dress?" Penny giggled.
Leonard stopped and gave her a blank stare.
"Pinky and the Brain? Animaniacs?" Penny said. "Aw, come on: 'They're Pinky and the Brain, Pinky and Brain. One is a genius, the other's insane,'" Penny sang.
Leonard still stood there staring open-mouthed. Patti was about to go down on one knee laughing.
"Sweetie, we'll go to YouTube when we get a chance so I can fill in gaps in your education," she said. "But I interrupted. What were you thinking?"
"Okay," Leonard said. "Didn't the real estate agent tell us that they shot TV westerns and a few movies out here in the 50s and 60s?"
"Yes, that's what she said," Penny replied.
Leonard said, "The stables could hold up to 10-15 horses as they are, with no remodeling, plus they have all this undeveloped property. I know the current owner doesn't have any horses, and her husband at most had two. What would you think about our talking with Kathy and seeing if she could put us in touch with some people from the studios and see if there's a chance we could have this property developed for location work?"
"That might work," Penny said. "If we buy it, we're going to want to remodel and expand the house."
"May I ask, how liquid are you, Dr. and Mrs. Hofstadter? Do you think you will have enough for a down payment?" Cindy, the mortgage broker asked.
"Actually, we're OK," Leonard said. "We might not even need a mortgage."
"The day we were married," Penny said, "Leonard's father gave him an envelope from Leonard's grandmother, who died a few years ago. She left Leonard an obscene amount of money as well as made him chairman of the board for her corporation, which had been held in trust since her death. I'm not hurting either. I hate to sound pretentious, but we could pay cash for this place."
"If we decide to buy it," Leonard said, "I'll need to call our people in New York and have them advise me about how to handle the finances, like whether to pay cash or whether it might be more financially sound to take out a mortgage."
When they made their way back to the property Wyatt was thinking about buying, they stopped off at the stables. Wyatt pointed to a black stallion that was dancing around kicking at the stall.
Wyatt said, "That's the one Sela had me look at for her. They're not going to be able to sell him, he has such a vile temper."
"Oh, you're just a big baby aren't you?" Penny said, approaching the horse.
"Careful, slugger," Wyatt said. "He's a mean one."
The horse bobbed his head and kicked at the stall a couple of times but then hung his head and poked it through the space in the bars. Penny rubbed the bridge of his nose and said soothing things to him. He flicked his ears at her and snorted. He reached over and nibbled her hair.
"Oh, you're just a big sweet boy, aren't you?" Penny said. She stood there patting the horse. "Is it all right if I go in?"
"Ma'am," the stable hand said, "I don't think I would."
"Oh, I'll be all right," Penny said. She opened the door to the stall and went in. The horse put his head on her shoulder, and she patted him. "Aren't you a beauty," she said.
The horse snorted at her again and nuzzled up against her.
"Look, Leonard," she said, "I'm getting horse kisses. Take a picture of us to send to the Munchkins."
As they left the stable, the owner could not stop talking about how she had never seen anyone be able to handle Lucifer. In fact, she had been thinking about having him put down.
"Well, the first thing we would do if he was mine," Penny said, "would be to call him something other than Lucifer. Let's see: Sheldon's taken. How about Midnight?"
Penny could hear Lucifer/Midnight whinnying at her from the stall.
. . .
Bernadette went through her stack of newspapers and magazines, putting sticky notes on the pages where there were articles or pictures with Leonard, Penny, or both. "You know," she said, "It's nice having all of us in our casual clothes at the apartment eating take-out again. I miss the old days. I think inviting us over for a scrapbooking party was a wonderful idea."
"I miss the old days too," Penny said as she went through her stack. "I can't believe my attack was just over a month ago. It seems as if it has been years."
"So are you and Leonard going to buy the property?" Howard asked.
"We have a contractor who is going to go scope out the buildings and the property," Penny said. "If it looks good, I think we're in business."
"Wyatt," Bernadette said, "Does your buying your ranch depend on Leonard and Penny buying the property next to it?"
"No," Wyatt said. "I'm serious about the property either way. It will just be nice having Penny and Leonard that close. The contractor is going to look over the one I'm interested in too. I don't think we'll need to do much in the way of remodeling on the house: Unless we have kids."
"Are you and Patti talking about children?" Bernadette asked.
"We're talking," Wyatt said. "I was afraid she might be spooked having someone who's so much older than she is, but she seems cool with it."
"You know, Daddy, I'm fine with having a stepmom who is only five years older than I am," Penny said. "I adore Patti. You might want to tread carefully with Leonard about his stepmom—who is pregnant, by the way—being my age, five years younger than he is, though."
"I had never thought about the fact that Leonard is five years older than you are," Bernadette said.
Patti came in from work just then.
"Here, Patti," Penny said, "We waited for you."
She handed Patti her takeout. "We have about a gazillion Diet Dr. Peppers, but we also have iced tea, tons of pods, and a number of other soft drinks."
"This isn't a criticism by any means," Patti said, "But do you guys realize how important food is to your social group? Just an observation."
"Yeah," Penny said. "That's one of the reasons I fell in love with Leonard. I knew he would always feed me. Even when things were tight and I didn't have money for groceries, I always ate well because Leonard always bought my meals."
"Actually," Amy said, "Evolution has made women look for men who feed them. There is a sound reproductive reason for being attracted to someone who makes sure you have something to eat."
"Oh, that's just more social science hokum," Sheldon said.
"No, Sheldon," Leonard said. "Remember, my dad's an anthropologist. I've heard him say the same thing. There were studies going back to the 1920s with Margaret Meade."
"Oh, boy," Sheldon said, rubbing his temples. "I've had the worst headache today. Leonard, my hair hurts."
"Maybe you had too much iced tea last night," Leonard said.
Amy gave Leonard a dark look.
"Maybe I have a sinus infection," Sheldon said. "Or maybe being ignored for my contribution to science is causing me some stress."
"Yeah, I hate it when that happens," Penny said.
"Here we go," Raj said, putting the DVD into the player. "Pinky and the Brain, the Complete Collection."
A few minutes later, Leonard said, "I think I've found my new favorite. So I gather that, every night, they try and take over the world."
For the rest of the evening, Leonard walked around singing the theme song.
. . .
"All rise," the bailiff said as the Hon. James Rucker returned to the bench.
"I do want to admonish the observers in the Court," the judge said, "that I will not tolerate any further outbursts. If there are any further displays when I render my decision, whoever makes the disruption will go to jail and will stay there until I release them." He glared in the direction of the defense table, where family members of the accused were sitting just behind the defendants. "In the matter of Shawn Williams, Terrance Howell, Frank Johnson, and Terry Johnson, I find that there is a preponderance of evidence that the individuals in question present a real and significant danger to their victim, one Penny Hofstadter. Given their records, their alleged actions toward Ms. Hofstadter, and their documented threats against her while in detention, I am once again denying bail."
A number of eyes turned toward Derrick Johnson, the brother of Frank and Terry, who sat with his arms folded. He did not make a movement or say anything for a few seconds. He then turned and glared at Penny, who glared back.
"All rise," the bailiff said. Everyone rose, and Judge Rucker left the courtroom. The guards escorted the four defendants, in shackles, leg irons, and orange jumpsuits, out of the room. Terry Johnson turned toward Penny on his way out the door and mouthed, "You're dead."
A team of guards ushered Penny and Leonard, accompanied by Patti, out a side door to avoid the family members of the accused and the press.
"Patti," Penny said, "I'm glad you convinced Daddy to stay away from the hearing. The way the Johnson family was acting, it would have been tough for him to sit there and observe it."
Leonard and Penny were holding hands as they started across the street, but Leonard stopped at the curb to tie his shoe. Penny turned around and asked, "Everything all right?" as a car came barreling toward her through the red light. She didn't see it.
"Penny!" Leonard screamed and charged her, knocking her out of the way as the car struck him and knocked him over the hood of the car and partially onto the sidewalk.
Penny picked herself up off the sidewalk. "Crap on a cracker!" she said. She turned around to see Leonard lying unconscious in a heap at the edge of the sidewalk with his feet in the street. The car was speeding away.
Patti was there immediately telling people to stay away. She knelt next to Leonard and felt his neck for a pulse as she spoke into her walkie talkie.
Leonard was making gurgling sounds. Patti turned him onto his side, took off her windbreaker, and put it under his head. Leonard's glasses were in about four pieces scattered in the gutter and on the sidewalk.
Penny was by now kneeling by Leonard and crying. "Is he going to be all right?" she pleaded.
"The paramedics should be here in just a couple of minutes," Patti said. Already, there were sirens in the distance. "Quick: Give me your sweater." She wrapped the sweater around Leonard. One of the officers got a blanket out of a nearby squad car and handed it to her, and she wrapped Leonard in it.
A patrol car in pursuit of the car that struck Leonard sped past them with lights flashing and the siren screaming. Another officer began putting traffic cones out to keep traffic from endangering Leonard and began directing traffic around where he laid half-on the sidewalk with his legs in the street.
. . .
"Mrs. Hofstadter?" the doctor announced in the waiting room doorway.
"Here," Penny said, getting up and going to the door, with Patti close behind.
They followed the doctor into a small room.
"Dr. Hofstadter is stable," the doctor said. "We are going to give him a transfusion, and, as soon as we get back the results of the CT, we'll operate. I think he has a ruptured spleen, but we'll know for sure shortly. I think there's some bleeding in the belly as well. Mrs. Hofstadter, I hate to bring up something like this at such a time, but does Dr. Hofstadter have an Advanced Medical Directive?"
"Yes, he has it on the usb drive he had around his neck when he came in. I have a copy of it in the cloud if I can get to a computer, or I can send it to you with my phone."
"Nurse Roberts," the doctor said to the nurse, "Could you find a computer where Mrs. Hofstadter can download and print out a copy of Dr. Hofstadter's AMD?"
"Sure," Nurse Roberts said.
"Is my husband going to die?" Penny asked, sobbing.
"We're going to do our best," the doctor said. "He is hurt very badly, but we have the best trauma crash team on the West Coast here at the UCLA Medical Center."
Just then, Wyatt arrived carrying a workout bag.
"Oh, Daddy," Penny said, throwing herself into Wyatt's arms. "I'm sorry. I'm getting blood on your shirt. Leonard sacrificed himself to push me out of the way. He didn't even think about it. He just did it."
"Sweetheart," Wyatt said, "Leonard loves you so much. He'll be all right. I'm sure of it. I brought you another outfit and Leonard's spare glasses."
Just then, Howard, Bernadette, Raj, and Lisa arrived. "Amy is on her way with Sheldon," Howard said.
Penny followed Nurse Roberts to the nurses' lounge, where she was able to download and print out Leonard's Advanced Medical Directive.
A few minutes later, a social worker took the group into a smaller waiting room where they were the only ones waiting.
The surgeon came in and said that Leonard had a ruptured spleen and trauma to other internal organs. "We're going to have to remove the spleen," he said. "We'll have to see once we get in what else we have to do. We know he has some bleeders we're going to have to repair. Mrs. Hofstadter, your husband is in good hands. We're going to give him the best chance he has."
The social worker asked if she could get anyone anything. Penny said she was fine, but Patti said, "Penny, you haven't had anything to eat since we ate at Waffle House this morning on the way to court, and you left most of your meal on your plate. Let someone go get you something."
"No," Penny said, "I don't think I could eat."
"Why don't I call down to the cafeteria and see what they have?" Ms. Adams the social worker said. "It's between lunch and supper, but I'm sure we can get you a tray."
"Really, thank you but no," Penny said. "Maybe the others want something."
"Penny," Ms. Adams said, "You need to take care of you. It's likely to be a long night. At the very least, let me get a nurse and get you cleaned up. You have blood all over you from where you scraped yourself on the pavement."
A couple of hours later, Wyatt was still holding Penny, who had changed into the workout pants and T-shirt he had brought, as she looked out the window. She had bandages on both elbows and knees and had a gauze bandage over her left palm. The other members of the group were waiting with them. Even Sheldon, who was holding Amy's hand, was being uncharacteristically quiet.
"You guys need to go eat," Penny said.
"I'm not going anywhere until we hear," Bernadette said.
"Penny, the volunteer told me she can bring in coffee," Howard said. "How about I fix you some coffee? Maybe go see if I can find you a Diet Dr. Pepper?"
"Thanks, sweetie, but no," Penny said.
"Mrs. Hofstadter?" the surgeon said from the doorway. "Your husband is out of surgery. He is stable. We removed his spleen and repaired several bleeders. He has several broken ribs, a broken collar bone, and deep bruising of the liver. There was blood on the lungs, but we think we've stabilized that. He suffered a severe concussion, and the neurologist is evaluating him, but he will be able to do more after your husband is awake. He is in recovery right now and will be in ICU for at least the next day or two. You won't be able to see him until tomorrow morning at the earliest. We're keeping him unconscious to minimize the chance of shock. There's nothing you can do for him until we move him into a room. Could I persuade you to go home and try to get a good night's rest and be back here tomorrow morning?"
"No," Penny said. "I'm going to stay here."
"I thought you might feel that way," Dr. Kerns said. "I'll let Ms. Adams know that you're spending the night. She will work with you guys on bringing in pillows and blankets, and she can show you where to shower. If I know her, she'll be able to scare up some food for you guys—unless you want to send out to the restaurants across the street. She can hook you up with menus. It looks as if you'll need a backup change of clothing."
"Penny, Howard and I can go pack you a suitcase," Bernadette said.
"Doctor?" Penny said, crying, "Is my husband going to die?"
"Mrs. Hofstadter," Dr. Kerns said, "I'm not going to lie to you. Dr. Hofstadter is at a very critical stage right now. We will need to see how he gets through the night. We should know a lot more in the morning."
"Thank you, doctor," Penny said.
"I hate to ask this," Dr. Kerns said, "but the press is bugging us for a statement. Is it all right with you for me to make a brief statement saying that Dr. Hofstadter is in stable but critical condition and we are monitoring him carefully?"
"Sure," Penny said.
"Is there someone from the family or friends who might be able to speak with the press?"
"I'll do it," Patti said.
"Okay, Mrs. Hofstadter, I'll check in with you as I can," Dr. Kerns said. "I'll be rotating off in a couple of hours, and Dr. Singh will rotate on."
As Dr. Kerns left, Penny sobbed into Wyatt's chest, "Oh, Daddy."
"Guys," Wyatt said, "Why don't you go on home and get some rest? I'll look after Penny."
"I'm staying," Patti said. "At the very least, I need to be here to take Leonard's statement as soon as he wakes up." She didn't use the phrase Dying Declaration, but Amy and Bernadette knew what she meant.
A few minutes later, Bernadette was on the phone with Leonard's brother Michael, who was packing in preparation for leaving for the airport. "Penny," she said as she hung up, "It is going to be about two more hours before Michael's flight, so that means he'll be here in about seven to eight hours."
"Thank you, Bernadette," Penny said. "Daddy, I'm going to have to buy you a new shirt. It has my makeup, blood, and drool all over it."
"Sweetheart, that's fine," Wyatt said. "I love Leonard too, and now he's the hero who saved my little girl's life."
. . .
Penny sat holding Leonard's hand being careful not to put pressure on the IV.
"Leonard, sweetie?" she said as Leonard began to stir.
Leonard licked his lips a few times and mumbled something Penny couldn't understand.
"It's OK," the nurse said, "Go ahead and talk to him."
"Leonard, sweetie," Penny started again, "You are fine. You're in the UCLA Medical Center. You've had surgery. You were hurt on Thursday, and now it's Friday. You've been out for over a day."
The nurse nodded yes and mouthed "Good. Keep doing what you're doing."
"Your father, Rachel, Michael, and our friends are in the waiting room," Penny said. "They want to see you as soon as the doctor says it's all right. Janice is on the way as well. No, sweetie, don't try to move. You've had surgery, and you don't want to tear your stitches."
Leonard's eyelids fluttered as he tried to open them.
The nurse made the "keep going" sign at Penny.
"Leonard, the brother of one of the people who attacked me tried to run over me with his car. You pushed me out of the way, and he hit you. Sweetie, can you hear me? It's Penny. Thanks to Patti's quick action, they caught the bad guy several blocks from the courthouse."
"I love Penny," Leonard murmured. "I've loved her since the day I met her. I want to marry her and have her children." He went back to sleep.
"We've had him pretty far under," the nurse said. "You're doing fine. Just keep talking to him whenever he stirs. It may take him a while to wake up. He's going to be very confused until he's fully awake, so what he says may not always make sense, or he might think he's somewhere else."
Penny leaned over and kissed Leonard on the cheek. She stroked his hair. She cried as she sang "Soft Kitty" to him.
"What is that?" the nurse asked.
"It's what you sing when someone's sick," Penny said. "I didn't know what else to do."
"You're doing fine," the nurse said. "You'll have to teach me that."
"How's our patient?" the doctor asked, checking the monitor.
"He's trying to wake up," the nurse said.
"His vitals are a little iffy," the doctor said, shining a light in each of Leonard's eyes. "There's no sign of infection. We may have turned the corner, but I'm concerned about his heart rhythm. I assume there are other family members?"
"His father and brother are in the waiting room," Penny said. "His sister is on the plane now and should be here in several hours."
"Nurse, why don't you go get his father and brother and let them visit for 10 minutes. Mrs. Hofstadter, you're good to stay as long as you want. I've left orders to that effect. If you need to leave and come back, the nurse here will show you how to get back here."
. . .
"Hey, big brother," Michael said, holding Leonard's hand a few minutes later. "It's Michael. Father's here too."
"Hi, son," Al said, leaning over and stroking Leonard's forehead. "Michael and I flew in to see you. Your sister is on the plane now and should be here in a couple of hours."
"I love Penny so much," Leonard mumbled. "I want to marry her."
"Sweetie, I'm here," Penny said. "We've been married almost four weeks now. The day after tomorrow is our one-month anniversary. You're at the UCLA Medical Center. Leonard, you're all over the local and national news. You're a hero. You pushed me out of the way, and the car hit you. Even the White House and the governor's office called to find out how you are doing."
"Leonard, Father and I want to talk to you, if you'll wake up," Michael said.
"Michael," Leonard said, trying to reach up toward Michael's face. "I met this girl Penny. I love her."
"I know, big brother," Michael said, looking helplessly at Penny, who was quietly crying but trying to smile.
Leonard drifted back to sleep. He snored softly but then started gasping for air.
"That's not good," the nurse said. "He shouldn't be gasping for air like that." She adjusted something on the monitor. "That should up the oxygen level," she said. She put in a call to the doctor.
Just then an alarm began to sound.
"You guys are going to have to wait in the waiting room," the nurse said as she put a mask over Leonard's face. People in the ICU began to scramble. As Penny walked off, she saw that they had brought up a cart with monitors and various items that were covered. People were putting smocks over their scrubs and were putting on masks and nitrile gloves.
Penny, Michael, and Al went back into the waiting room. "What's happening?" Penny sobbed.
A nurse appeared in the doorway after a few minutes. "Mrs. Hofstadter, Dr. Hofstadter went into cardiac arrest," she said. "The team is working with him. We'll give you updates as we can."
Penny sat crying into Wyatt's chest while he held her.
After about 20 minutes, the doctor appeared in the doorway. "Mrs. Hofstadter, your husband crashed. His heart didn't completely stop, but it became very erratic, and we had to shock him with the paddles and hit him with epinephrine. He's stable. If you'll come with me, you can sit with him."
When Penny arrived back at Leonard's bedside, Leonard had a mask over his face and an additional monitor by his bed. He was sleeping. Penny held his hand and told him how much she loved him and wanted him to be all right.
Michael happened to encounter the doctor in the hallway. "Doctor, I'm Michael, Leonard's brother. Could you tell it to me straight? What's happening?"
"I'm letting Ms. Hofstadter spend as much time with her husband as she can," he said. "I understand in two days they will have been married one month? You can't help but to have seen their story on the news, and, from what the nurse said, Sunday will be their one-month anniversary? If Dr. Hofstadter crashes again, we might not be able to bring him back. I thought it the kind thing to do to let him and her have as much time together as possible."
"Thanks for your honesty," Michael said.
"Mr. Hofstadter," the doctor said, "I hate to be blunt, but you impress me as someone who appreciates honesty. If you have other close family members who are not here, now is the time to call them to see your brother."
The doctor rushed on through the adjacent door. Michael walked to the end of the hall where there was no one else, buried his face in his hands, and cried for the first time in years.
. . .
"Mrs. Hofstadter?" the nurse said, gently shaking Penny. "You've been asleep for about 20 minutes. I hate to wake you, but you don't look comfortable with your head lying on your husband's chest like that. Can I get you anything?"
"No, thank you, I'm fine," Penny said.
"You have dark circles under your eyes," the nurse said. "You're obviously ready to drop. I shouldn't have wakened you. Can I talk you into lying down and napping?"
"Thank you, but I'll sleep later," Penny said.
The doctor came back in and looked at the monitor. He pressed some buttons and flipped through several graphs.
"Your husband put us through a scare," the doctor said to Penny. "He went into cardiac arrest, but he responded to the paddles and the epinephrine. I'm not seeing any permanent heart damage, but we'll have to evaluate over the next several days."
"Thank you, doctor," Penny said. "How soon will you know if he is going to be all right?"
"I don't want to sound like a smart aleck," the doctor said, "but every moment that passes without him crashing again is a good sign. The longer he can go, the better the outlook."