"Let go of me!" Sheldon demanded for the third time. The woman beckoned to the man and they finally released him.
"Behave or next time we will take you out of the hospital and will not allow you to enter again," the nurse warned him. She turned and walked away from him.
Sheldon put a hand to his head. He felt that at any moment he could pass out from the pain he was feeling. He didn't know if it was due to the blow he had given himself ... or because Amy didn't want to see him again.
"Stand aside," yelled a voice behind him. Sheldon moved to let several people past him that were pushing a stretcher.
He turned to both sides and saw that there was a lot of activity. Doctors and nurses rushing around to help patients. People asking about the health of their loved ones. It was too noisy and he just wanted a bit of silence so he could think clearly, but the voices wouldn't stop. He had to do something to silence those voices that seemed to be drilling into his brain.
He didn't realize that he had screamed until everyone around him stopped what they were doing to look at him.
"I'm sorry," he apologized when he noticed the frown of one of the doctors. "I ..." He didn't know what to say so he ran away from that place. He was about to leave the hospital when he saw Howard and Bernadette in the waiting room, as if they were looking for him. He hid behind a wall and when he lost sight of them, he came out of there. What he least wanted at that moment was to talk to one of his friends because he knew exactly what they were going to tell him and he didn't want to be reminded of how he had ruined everything with Amy. The pain in his chest since she yelled at him to leave was a stark reminder of all the suffering he had caused himself and to his wife.
"Sir, where do you want to go? " the taxi driver asked. Increasingly exasperated. It was clearly that was not the first time he had asked him, but he hadn't heard him because he was thinking of Amy. He didn't even remember stopping the taxi, much less getting in.
"I want…" Sheldon took a deep breath. He didn't want to go back to his apartment where everything in there reminded him of Amy. So where could he go? He thought of the places where he used to enjoy spending time before, but each option sounded worse than the last. Maybe he could go to Texas. A time away from everything could help him to think about how he could solve everything between his wife and him. But he was sure that his mother would find out the real reason for his visit and she would be furious with him. No, it was better to avoid his mother for the moment. He suddenly had an idea "I know where I want to go..."
Amy didn't know how long it had been since she yelled for Sheldon to leave the room. She felt like an eternity had passed, but it couldn't be more than a few minutes.
She pulled away from Stuart who was stroking her hair to make her feel a little better. She tried to wipe away her tears, but she moved her injured arm, which caused pain that ran through her entire body.
"Are you okay?" Stuart jumped to his feet. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder as he looked around for help. "Do you need the doctor?"
"No, I just... "she held her injured arm with her good hand and placed it in the position that the doctor had told her in which she should keep the arm "I want my husband here" she admitted trying not to cry again. After everything Sheldon had told her, he didn't deserve a single tear from her.
Stuart sat in one side of the bed again, grabbed Amy from her face and wiped her tears with his fingertips. "Do you want me to go get him? He must be in the waiting room making a fuss to be allowed back to your side. "
She was about to respond, when they heard a knock on the door. A second later Dr. Mont entered the room accompanied by two nurses.
"Dr. Fowler is time for the procedure" he announced as the nurses moved around the room to have all the necessary medical equipment at hand "Are you ready?" Hearing that Stuart stood up again. Amy realized that Dr. Mont's gaze fell on her friend.
"Yes, I'm ready," she answered. She felt her voice had trembled when she spoke, but Dr. Mont nodded.
"Okay, then we'll start the procedure" If the doctor thought it strange that Stuart and not her husband were with her, he had the grace not to mention it.
"I… I'll be outside," her friend told.
"Don't go," Amy whispered. Stuart immediately stopped and walked back to Amy's side. Surprised since he had never heard the woman in front of him sound so scared as at that moment "Thank you" she said after Stuart held her by her good hand.
"I'll be with you as long as you need," he answered without letting go of her hand.
Sheldon stood in front of the cafeteria door. He still didn't know why he had returned to this place. This was where his marriage had been destroyed by his stupid idea of Amy cheating on him. Why did he give the taxi driver the address of the cafeteria?
Maybe because what you want most at this moment is for Amy to allow you to hug her and tell you that everything will be fine, but since you know that she will not, you want to use Kat as a form of comfort since she is identical to Amy. She said a voice in her head that sounded like her nosy neighbor.
That's absurd, he thought. As much as Kat looked like his wife, he knew perfectly well that it wasn't her. Also, he had just met the woman and had only exchanged a few words with her so he would not allow her to touch him. Who knows where her hands would have been previously.
He thought about leaving, but he didn't know where else he could go. He was the brightest mind of all and at that moment he could not think of anything to solve the situation in which he had gotten himself. He desperately needed someone to give him advice on what to do but he was sure that all of his were upset with him and would not support him, and for the first time he knew that he deserved to be ignored by everyone.
Sheldon remembered that the woman behind the counter had been chatting with Leonard and seemed like the kind of person who could offer him good advice, plus he couldn't think of any other person he could turn to for help right now.
He tried to open the door, but again found it closed. Sheldon looked around and found the entrance to a corridor that probably led to the other entrance of the establishment.
He smiled slightly when he saw that he was correct. He was sure that the advice Randy would give him would help him get Amy back. He walked to the door, almost running only to find a sign that said they had left and would be back in an hour.
Sheldon was enraged. He had no time to waste. He needed Randy's advice so he could get back to his wife's side. Amid his anger, he began to drum on the door in the hope that the young woman was inside the place.
"Hey, hey, stop what you are going right now man," said someone behind him. Sheldon turned around and saw a black man holding his cell phone to his ear "I'm going to call the police."
"No, no" Sheldon walked away from the door, realizing that the man in front of him was misinterpreting the situation. "I just wanted to ...
"Yes, I know what you wanted," he said without letting go of the cell phone. "You wanted to take advantage of the fact that no one is there and steal my friend's place. But I will not allow it. "
"It's not like that, let me explain," Sheldon pleaded with his hands in the air.
"Good" said the man in front of him after hesitation for a few seconds, he hung up the call "You have a minute and don't try to attack me or run because the cameras" he pointed behind him "will record everything.
"I won't" Sheldon began to tell the man everything that had happened "And I was looking for Randy because I think she can help me."
"That story is kind of crazy."
"You don't believe me?" Sheldon asked nervously that the man would speak to the police and he would end up in prison.
"No, I believe you" the stranger assured him "But I repeat, it sounds like a very crazy story and if it is true it means that you screwed up big "he approached Sheldon and put an arm around his shoulders, but because of his height the arm remained on his back "I can see that you are having a hard time so come to my place and I will invite you a drink."
"There's no need. I don't drink," Sheldon commented, trying to free himself from his grip. The only thing he had achieved in that place was to feel even more bad than he already felt. The man in front of him had found him in a situation that he easily misunderstood, but despite of not knowing him he gave him the opportunity to explain himself and quickly believed what he said.
Which he did not do with his wife, the love of his life and the person he was supposed to trust more than anyone else in the world. But instead he showed her the opposite. He didn't allow her to explain herself and when he did, he didn't believe her. He again he felt like the worst husband in the world and he just wanted to run from that place and disappear.
He was about to leave, but instead he widened his eyes when the man appeared behind the counter who had thought he wanted to steal his wife.
"Hi, how can I help you?" Said Max smiling with kindness.
"My new friend here needs a strong drink." Said the black man looking at Sheldon.
"I don't drink and I think he should go."
"Hey, I know you. You're the man who walked into the cafeteria on Saturday when I was dancing with Kat. "
"You won't believe what Sheldon told me. His wife is identical to Kat and he thought she was the one he saw dancing with you that night" commented the other man walking behind the bar. Sheldon grimaced, apparently his friends weren't the only ones who loved to spread gossip within their social group.
"Really?" Max asked surprised. Sheldon reluctantly pulled his cell phone out of his pants pocket and showed him a picture of Amy. He wanted to cry when he remembered that that photo had been taken the morning before she left to San Diego "You're right, they are identical" he exclaimed. Then he chuckled "And I always thought Kat was a… unique woman.
"Well, Amy is. She and Kat may look alike physically, but in everything else my wife is superior. She is the best in her field, brilliant, patient, loving, funny and amazing in everything she does. "
"I don't know if I should be offended on Kat's behalf or say that I think that the way you express yourself about your wife is very nice," Max said. "I can see that you love her."
"Yes, I love her. But I ruined everything between us" he sat down on the bench next to the bar and took a small swig of the drink in front of him. He made a disgusted face. "That's why I'm here."
"Do you want to get drunk to forget whatever happened between your wife and you? "
"No, I wanted to talk to Randy. She may be able to advise me how I can make my wife forgive me, but I did not find her and your friend invited me to enter this place. "
"Well, maybe if you tell me what happened I can help you," Max offered after filling his glass with whiskey.
"I don't want to drink that"
"Vodka then?"
"Nothing with alcohol on it"
"So…water?"
Sheldon nodded as he recounted everything that had happened after he saw Max and Kat in the cafeteria. How he believed that she was her wife and how he accused her of having cheated on him because the way Kat looked at Max with desire and had noticed that he obviously returned the feelings. Hearing that Max blushed but did not deny or confirm anything. How they had argued and that she had left him. He also told him about her accident that morning and the news about the twins.
"Wow, that's… pretty much."
"Yes, and as much as I've tried to think of a way to solve everything, I can't think of anything," Sheldon said desperately.
"Well, I don't know Amy, but I know that women like to be given their space to think when they are upset so I guess you could wait a few days and... "
"I can't do that. Years ago we broke up because she wanted time to think about our relationship and all I did was make things worse. "
"How did you get back together?"
"One night I went to her apartment and interrupted her in the middle of her date. I told her that I loved her and that I really wanted to be her boyfriend again. She said she loved me too and we kissed.
"I don't think Amy's date was very happy," Max commented.
"Oh, he was. He was the one who suggested that I should kiss Amy.
"That's… good" Max said without knowing what to answer to that "Well, you can do the same. Go back to the hospital and tell her you love her. "
"I already told you" Sheldon frowned annoyed that the man in front of him was not paying attention to him "I told her that I had made a mistake, I told her that I loved her and asked to forgive me and she replied that she did not want to see me again.
"Oh, right. It's true" Max put a hand behind his head "Well, as long as she doesn't ask for a divorce, I think there is still...
"She already did. "
"I'm sorry," he answered sadly.
"Why do you say it that way?"
"Well… if she already asked for a divorce it is because it seems that she is serious about not wanting to see you again."
"Don't say that! " Sheldon said raising the tone of his voice "Amy and I can't… we can't get divorced."
"I think you should start to think that it is a possibility."
"No! We are not getting divorced!"
"From what you told me she is pregnant with your children and that is something that will tied you two forever" he added "And maybe Amy will change her mind about the divorce, but if she does not do it, you must respect her decision or you can also lose your children.
"I do not want to lose Amy or my children" Sheldon looked annoyed at Max "You said you would try to help me, but instead you are talking about things that will not happen. "
"Look, it seems that you do not want to lose your wife, but if you divorce on good terms you can raise the babies in a civilized way, you can be a good father to your children and in time maybe you can even be friends with Amy again or else" he shrugged.
"What you mean is that I will show that I can change and that I trust Amy by respecting her decision about divorce and that I must prove that I can be an excellent father to our children, so she will realize that we belong together and forget about the divorce."
"That's not what I said."
"It's a good advice. What I need now is to think about doing something big enough for Amy to realize that I will be an excellent father to our children" he stood up excited.
"That's not what... "
"I know what I'm going to do!" He exclaimed. He took out some bills from his wallet and leave them on the bar "Thanks for your help."
"Sheldon, wait. You have to…"Max shouted but he was silent when he saw that Sheldon had already left the place.
At lunch Howard and Bernadette apologized to Amy that they had to go to pick up the children from daycare. Amy assured them that she understood and that there was no problem because Stuart had told her that he would stay with her.
A couple of hours after Leonard had returned, Penny had insisted on visiting her friend. The woman ran to her the moment she entered the room.
"You shouldn't have come," Amy told her. Even though she was deeply grateful that she was there.
"I didn't mean to leave you alone. And this" she caressed her belly "wasn't going to stop me. "
"Still, you should have…" Amy rolled onto her side. Stuart reacted quickly and placed a bucket for Amy to vomit in there.
"Did the doctor tell you something about your nausea? "Asked Penny while she stroked her back "The other day you also vomited. If I didn't know better, I'd think you're pregnant."
"I am," Amy confirmed. It had no point continuing to hide it because sooner or later they would find out.
"That's incredible! " Penny smiled excited "By the way, where the hell is Sheldon? He should be here taking care of you." Her husband motioned for her to be quiet, but it was too late." Oh, honey. I'm sorry" she apologized when she saw Amy on the verge of tears.
"No, it's okay" she inhaled deeply "I asked him to get out of here and apparently he complied. No one has seen him since then. "
"Amy, if you want ... "
"I want us to talk about anything except ... him. "
At dusk Raj arrived at the hospital and told Amy that he would stay with her all night, so Stuart went to his house. Amy imagined that her friends had told what happened to Rajesh because he did not mention her husband at all, which Amy thanked it. Instead he was telling her about how he had started watching the My Little House on the Prairie series. In the past Amy would have been euphoric that she could finally share her love for the show with someone, but now she just tried to feign interest in what Raj was saying since her mind was elsewhere.
She kept wondering where Sheldon might be. While she had told him to leave her, she knew how stubborn he could be and she thought he would try to come back. But she was wrong, just as she was wrong in thinking that he trusted her ... After all, she didn't even know if Sheldon really loved her.
When she finally managed to fall asleep, she dreamed of divorcing Sheldon. He told her that he was happy about it and he did not want to know anything more about her or her babies. Heartbroken, she tried to do the best she could to raise the twins and when they were both teenagers they told her that they had found his father and that they would go to Sweden to live with him and his new wife.
She woke up screaming. Raj quickly ran to her side and hugged her "Everything's fine, it's just a nightmare," he repeated over and over. She cried until she fell asleep in his arms.
She opened her eyes and saw that it was already dawn. Next to her Raj was sleeping in the chair in an awkward position. She tried to move silently to grab the glass of water that she had next to her bed but instead of grabbing it, she ended up throwing the glass on the floor. Which caused Raj to jump up.
"Are you okay?" He asked immediately.
"Yeah, I just ... wanted to drink something and ..." she pointed to the ground where the water had spilled.
"I'll go find you something else for you to drink," she nodded gratefully. She was thirsty.
A couple of minutes later Dr. Mont entered her room to do a quick check-up and reported that everything was fine with her and her babies, so he would discharge her in a couple of hours.
Amy was soon happy that she was finally getting out of the hospital, until she remembered that she couldn't go back to her house. She thanked the doctor and when Rajesh returned with a bottle of water, she informed him that she would be discharged soon.
"That's great. I'll call Leonard to get you some clothes" he saw Amy's worried look "I'm sure he'll find a way that Sheldon doesn't notice him picking up clothes for you."
"Thank you," she whispered.
Hours later she had already been discharged. Raj had left for work while Leonard was helping her put her things inside the bag when the door opened.
"Amy, I need… " Sheldon stopped short when he saw his wife standing dressed in a skirt and a button-down blouse instead of the hospital gown "Did they discharge you? Why didn't you tell me? " he asked. Amy knew the tone of his voice very well and she knew he was upset.
"I told you to go. "
"And that's what I did, even thought of to giving you some time, but I can't be away from you and... "
"Don't lie to me!" Amy yelled. He first got upset with her for not informing him that she had been discharged and now he was lying to her again. She couldn't take it anymore. "Get out of here." She grabbed the empty water bottle and threw it at Sheldon.
He covered his head with his hands "Amy, you can throw me everything you want, but ... " he saw her wife double over in pain and ran to where she was to hold her tight and prevent her from falling "What is happening? "
"It hurts!" Amy said, putting her hand on her belly.
"I'm going to find the doctor." Leonard ran out of the room while Sheldon took Amy in his arms and placed her gently on the bed.
"Everything will be fine," he said. "Everything..." The color disappeared from Sheldon's face.
"What? What's wrong? " Asked Amy, but when she saw that her husband did not respond she lowered her gaze and realized with horror that blood was dripping between her legs.