Chapter 8
Leonard spent the next three days in the hospital to monitor his condition before the doctor gave him his discharge papers. William stayed in the hospital during the day to look after his father while Penny stayed with Leonard during the night. Leonard's colleagues and students from CalTech visited the next day as well as university president Dr. Wilson to see how Leonard was doing. Some of their neighbors also visited including Jason and his parents.
Penny was touched at how many people sent their well-wishes to Leonard, a testament of her husband's friendly nature. For the next couple of days, Penny picked up her daughter from school and brought her straight to the hospital to be with her father. The couple saw a different side of their daughter after Leonard's close call with his mortality. She wouldn't shy away from kissing and hugging her father, telling him how much she loves him and making sure he was comfortable on the hospital bed. Penny knew that the thought of losing their father was something her children wasn't really ready for, something she isn't prepared for herself. She pushed the thought of losing Leonard away from her mind and tried to focus her energy on her husband and children.
After three days, the doctor gave the go ahead to release Leonard from the hospital and start his month-long recovery at home.
"Remember Leonard, no stressful activities and take it easy at work alright?" Dr. Conroy said. "Just drink lots of water and eat lots of fruits and you'll be fine." Dr. Conroy added shaking his hand.
"Thank you Dr. Conroy. I owe you my life." said Leonard.
"You're welcome and I'll still see you here for your check-up next month." said Dr. Conroy.
"We'll be here doctor." said Penny shaking his hand.
"Uh actually, I have a question for Dr. Conroy. Why don't you kids go ahead, your mom can push me on the wheelchair." said Leonard as William and Sarah nodded, walking out of the room.
"What do you want to ask Leonard?" asked Penny.
"I just want to ask Dr. Conroy if it's safe to have, you know…to do mommy and daddy things?" he said smiling at Penny.
Penny rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air. "Unbelievable!" she said shaking her head as Dr. Conroy laughed hard.
Leonard looked at Penny. "What? I'll be at the house for a month. The kids will be at school and I think it's only natural since you're my wife." he said.
"You really are a jackass!" Penny said.
Dr. Conroy decided to interject. "Leonard, it's totally safe for you and your wife to have some 'alone time'. Just make sure you're not over-exerting yourself." said the doctor.
"You hear that honey? You get to have this for the entire month!" he said waving his hand from head to toe.
Penny slapped his arm. "You're an idiot!" she said smiling.
The couple made their way out of the hospital as William and Sarah was waiting by the car. They got in the car, loading the bag in the trunk with William driving the car back home.
Marty bolted as soon as he saw Leonard stepped into the house, jumping and barking, excited in seeing him while licking his face.
"It's alright Marty, I'm okay now!" said Leonard as he patted the dog. Sarah lifted the dog and cuddled him in her arms.
"You are so sweet!" she said kissing her pet.
"Alright honey, why don't you relax while I make us something to eat." said Penny as Leonard sat in the living room to watch some television.
The next day, William returned to his dorm in college, promising to go home during the weekends to be with his family. Penny on the other hand had to take the car and bring Sarah to school in the morning while Leonard stayed in the house. He called Howard and asked him to pass by the house so he could give his medical leave papers for the university administration to process his month-long absence. Penny arrived and saw Howard getting in his car.
"What's Howard doing here?" she asked as she joined Leonard on the front porch waving goodbye to Howard.
"I asked him to give my medical papers to the university administration so I could get paid while spending time with my beautiful wife!" he said teasing Penny.
"Hold on just a minute mister! You just came from the hospital and you're already thinking of having sex with your wife?" she asked as they went back inside the house.
"Well, the kids are away and besides, the doctor said that I should get some exercise!" he said smiling at Penny.
Penny sighed. "Honey I want to but I'm afraid you might get another heart attack. I don't want to kill you!" she said trying hard to resist her husband.
Leonard tightened his grip of her hand and pulled her back to the bedroom. "I'll be careful. Don't worry." He said pulling his wife in for a kiss. Penny smiled and giggled, giving herself to her husband's advances while they slowly undress each other.
They got dressed after an hour of getting intimate in the bedroom.
"I told you I could do it." said Leonard while putting on his shirt.
Penny gave him a kiss. "Good job honey. I'm so proud of you!" she said buttoning up her blouse. "Hey wanna watch Ellen?" she asked.
"I thought Ellen ended years ago?" he asked.
"It did. These are just re-runs." she said.
"Oh? Okay." he said, pulling her hand into the living room.
They sat in the living room, watching Ellen when Marty came into the living room, looking at them.
"Hey buddy? Guess who just did it 'human style'?" Leonard said proudly. Penny slapped his thigh.
"Jackass!" she said rolling her eyes. She then turned to the dog who sat there, looking at them. "Do you wanna sit here with us?" she asked the dog. Marty barked and wagged his tail at them. "Come here boy!" said Penny. The dog immediately jumped and cuddled between the couple while watching TV as Penny scratched the dog on his back.
Leonard spent the remainder of the month on house rest. He would always join Sarah and Penny for breakfast in the morning before Penny drives their daughter to school. After Penny and Sarah left for school, Leonard would then take Marty for a morning walk around their neighborhood. After his morning walk, he would then help Penny with some of the chores around the house, sometimes cooking lunch or dinner or even doing some of the laundry. Penny made sure that Leonard ate healthy by avoiding fatty foods and by always having fruits in the kitchen all the time. Meanwhile, Sarah asked her mother to pass by a pharmacy so she could buy her father a pill caddy so that he will not forget which medicines to take during the day.
The couple would always watch Ellen every day, making it their bonding moment besides being intimate in the bedroom. Although she enjoyed being intimate with her husband, Penny couldn't help but worry that the physical strain might trigger another heart attack from her husband. She was thankful that their 'alone time' only resulted with them having the house to themselves, having fun and reigniting their intimacy. Penny compared Leonard's month-long house rest to the time before William was born when they can literally have sex anywhere in the house without worrying if someone will see them. In the afternoon, Penny would fetch her daughter from school and Sarah would run up to her father, hugging and kissing him, always telling him how much she misses him.
"Who are you and what have you done to my daughter!?" Leonard jokingly said to his daughter as Sarah snuggled to her father on the couch.
"I think she got hit in the head with a coconut, otherwise she would be spending time with her precious Jason instead of staying home with us." Penny chimed in.
"Say what you will mom. When dad gets old, I won't send him to some retirement home. He will live with me so I can take care of him." Sarah said.
"What about me?" Penny asked.
"William will bring you to the retirement home." Sarah said.
Penny's eyes widened, getting furious at her daughter. "Is this what I get for taking care of you Sarah Hofstadter!?" she yelled while Leonard laughs out loud. Sarah quickly shifted herself, hugging and kissing her mother to calm her down.
"I love you mom! Of course I won't put you in a retirement home! Who will yell at dad if you're not with him!?" Sarah said laughing.
"Now you're gonna give me a heart attack!" said Penny as Leonard looks on, laughing hard at his daughter's sense of humor.
"How come Jason never comes over to hang out with you?" asked Leonard.
"I told him we can hang out during the weekends but not on school days. I told him I needed to take care of my daddy and he had no choice but to agree." said Sarah. Penny and Leonard looked at each other, surprised and happy, proud of their daughter's affection for them.
Leonard hugged and kissed his daughter. "Ugh, I'm the luckiest father alive!" he said as they stayed on the couch, watching TV with Penny feeling a deep sense of fulfillment and love for her family.