Chapter 31
Flu
"Leonard I'm fine!, please will you stop telling me to relax. I have been through this twice before you know", Penny said feeling a little annoyed with her husband for his fussing.
She had found an excellent method to relax. She would close her eyes and think of their wedding day and the time they slept in the barn together,and other occasions like their redo Prom night, the night they got engaged, and even all the way back when Leonard and herself got back together.
And it always worked a treat, especially the Day when her Daughter Angela landed awkwardly from the vaulting horse at school and broke her leg.
And when the school had rung and told her the details, Penny could immediately feel the panic rise and her overwhelming need to run away from the stress, hit her, but she used her calming method and the feeling of panic gradually left her, so that by the time she saw Angela, Penny felt ready and able to cope with the situation.
Two hours later, little Wyatt Leonard Hofstadter was born and Leonard, after they cleaned Wyatt up and made Penny comfortable and presentable, went to fetch her parents.
"Mom, Dad it is my great pleasure to present your youngest Grandchild, Wyatt Leonard Hofstadter", Penny proudly announced.
They had decided to keep their decision to name their Son , a secret from everyone, as Penny was eager to give her father a nice surprise.
And as Wyatt senior, with tears streaming down his face and hands shaking, took little Wyatt from his Daughter and welcomed him to the family.
Leonard was stunned at how this big man could be so gentle. He was always a little nervous in front of his Father in law, He had seen him wrestle cattle with ease and throw around sacks of corn as though they weighed nothing, And yet here he saw the gentle side of his Father in law and Leonard's nervousness around Wyatt disappeared that day.
Then Wyatt Senior carefully handed little Wyatt Hofstadter to his wife Marcia. Then with an enthusiastic hug for his Daughter he expressed his thanks, and kissed her noisily.
Seven months later
Two days ago the twins had been playing in the garden with their school friend Rebecca, and then when it had begun to rain they had played in the lounge until Rebekah had to go home, if Penny had not been so preoccupied with a fretful Wyatt Leonard, she might have noticed Rebekah's frequent sneezing.
And so it was two days later, that when Leonard awoke to the sound of his alarm, he discovered his Penny was feeling hot to the touch and with a high fever and coughing and spluttering, Leonard rose and collected Wyatt to feed and change him and also to wake the girls for school, only to find the twins in the same state as their Mother.
After seeing to Wyatt, Leonard Phoned Sarah his secretary letting her know he would be unable to come in today and also the twins school informing them of their illness, and regretfully Penny also had to cancel a proposed visit from Kay with little Chloe as well, that Penny had been looking forward to all week.
Honey Marie had decided to go back to bed feeling that as the twins were ill and not going to school then it was only fair that Honey Marie shouldn't have to go either.
After over half an hour of reasoning then pleading by Leonard proved fruitless, Penny feeling dizzy and certainly not in the best of humour and with quite a struggle entered Honey Marie's room and gave her that look, Honey Marie immediately rose and began getting ready for school.
Leonard brought Penny a Honey and Lemon drink and then prepared Honey Marie's breakfast and then deciding he'd have some toast, Leonard reached for the bread and cut off a couple of slices and put them in the toaster. While Honey Marie left for school, and Leonard had gone upstairs to take some medicine to give to Penny and the twins, the toaster instead of popping up jammed as Leonard had cut the slices too thick, and smoke began to fill the kitchen. So that by the time Leonard returned the toast had just started to catch fire.
Leonard hurriedly unplugged the toaster and extricated the blackened toast from the toaster, and burning his fingers in the process, and just as he had put out the flames and opened a window, Penny called him up and on entering their bedroom, she then proceeded to give him instructions for doing the laundry and to give him a list for the supermarket. Leonard took the list and went back downstairs and made himself a coffee, while Penny, with great satisfaction turned over and went back to sleep. Leonard went to Penny's car and got Wyatt's baby seat and installed it in his car then went to get Wyatt only to find that Wyatt needed changing again finally Leonard left for the supermarket and after searching for a trolley with a baby seat on it entered the supermarket and began to shop, only to discover that it took him much longer than he thought, as Penny's list was not laid out in the same order as the goods in the aisles. Leonard thought that it might be helpful if he told Penny to put the list in the same order of the merchandise as it was on the shelves, thus ensuring each aisle was only traveled down once and not backwards and forwards several times.
But wisely for Leonard, he thought on reflection, knowing Penny's temper and her current state, it might be best to not to mention it at all.
Finally Leonard returned and loaded his groceries into the car after putting Wyatt into his baby seat then discovered that he had a flat and then had to change the wheel. (Fortunately for Leonard, a very helpful fellow shopper parked next to him quickly showed Leonard what to do, and looked after Little Wyatt while Leonard changed the wheel, and then she left for her own home).
Penny woke and feeling thirsty, called for Leonard and after getting no answer, Penny feeling miffed at Leonard's long absence, and with her head still spinning round, she struggled downstairs to the kitchen and got a bottle of mineral water from the fridge. After a few sips she began to feel better then after checking the time she began to fret "Leonard should have been back by now?", and once again the alarm bells began ringing in her mind.
She was just in the middle of doing her calming method when the doorbell rang and thinking it was Leonard she went to open the door only to find Sarah, Leonard's secretary standing there.
Penny groaned inwardly she was feeling like death warmed up, sweaty and wearing only one of Leonard's T-shirts and an old pair of hello kitty pajama shorts and was certainly not ready for visitors.
"I've brought some papers for Leonard to go over", Sarah explained, "He has to sign them today you see" Sarah explained, "how are you feeling Penny?, any better?".
"Lousy and no. Sorry Sarah didn't mean to sound so short but I just feel absolutely awful", Penny woefully admitted.
"Can I help you with anything?", Sarah asked.
"Not unless you've got Leonard in your purse sweetie, no", Penny replied, giving her a little smile, "besides you might catch the flu as well, I would be very popular if I laid Cal-Tech low with it, especially Sheldon", Penny explained, and shuddered, as she imagined the Sheldon Cooper lecture she would receive.
They said their goodbyes and Sarah left, And Penny, wincing at the bright winter sunshine, quickly closed the door.
She shuffled back to the kitchen, put the papers on the table, and started to worry about Leonard and little Wyatt again,"They should have been back an hour ago?", she thought beginning to panic despite her calming method.
At that very moment she heard Leonard's key in the door and through worry she angrily rounded on him as to why he was late?.
"I'm sorry honey I came out the supermarket to find I had a flat tyre and had to change it then I had to go and get the twins comics I had promised to get them, Oh and Jeannie told me Stuart's got this flu too ", he explained, seeing how anxious Penny had got as he was late.
"You?, changed a tyre?", said an incredulous Penny.
"Well a woman who was parked by me, undid the nuts for me and showed me what to do and she looked after Little Wyatt while I got the spare out and then she tightened the wheel nuts for me again", Leonard sheepishly explained.
"Yeah that sounds about right", Penny said shaking her head at him.
Then while Leonard put the shopping away, Penny left to go and change and feed Wyatt.
Leonard then made some coffee and took the twins their comics up to them, and then came back downstairs with April who fancied having some cereal.
"Are you sure you are up to eating that honey. How about I heat you up some tomato soup?". He asked his daughter.
"I'm OK dad, stop being a wuss", April responded.
But after eating just half a bowl of cereal, April suddenly vomited all over the kitchen table and thus all over the papers Sarah had brought for Leonard to sign.
While April left to go back to bed, clutching her stomach and looking quite green in the gills, Leonard cleaned up the mess and made his way to Cal-Tech to get some more copies of the documents from Sarah, while later dropping the flat tyre off at the tyre place, and then he dropped off a couple of Penny's dresses at a dry cleaner's on his way back.
Upon his return he warmed some soup up for Penny and Angela. (as April couldn't face eating anything at all for some reason).
Then Leonard went back downstairs and sat down and read the documents and signed them for him to drop into Cal-Tech in the morning. He then went upstairs fetched the dirty laundry from the bathroom and after hearing Penny's call for more soup came back downstairs warming more soup on the stove, then and sorting the laundry, then placed it into the washing machine before he then took Penny's soup up to her only to find that Penny had gone back to sleep.
Sighing Leonard took the soup back downstairs and then went back upstairs to fetch Wyatt and after checking him laid him down in his crib. Then Leonard washed the two soup bowls and spoons up by hand, then as he was feeling tired and a little stressed he strolled round the garden for a little while before sitting down in a garden chair and Leonard promptly dozed off.
"Leonard! Where's my soup?", Penny demanded shaking him by the shoulder, before running inside the house before anyone saw that she was still wearing her night things.
Leonard sighed again, he did love Penny very much, but boy, when she was ill she could be very hard to cope with at times.
He took her soup up to her and noticing the wounded look on his face Penny apologized, "I'm sorry Honey, but I hate having this flu, and I know I shouldn't take it out on you but I can't help it, it's horrible", she said reaching for the box of tissues , then after noisily blowing her nose and taking the soup bowl from Leonard, she looked up at him and with fluttering lashes she told him in a little girl's voice, "I love you honey, forgive me?".
Leonard smiled at her as the warm feelings towards Penny bubbled up in his heart, he could never resist her for long and kissed her on the cheek.
Wyatt woke for another change and feed and then he was placed on his play mat with his toys while Penny tired of laying in bed sat on the sofa and snuggled up close against Leonard and watched Wyatt playing.
Later Leonard reached for his phone and ordered pizza for Honey Marie and himself, then dozed till the Pizza delivery man came with his order then five minutes later Honey Marie came back from school.
Tuesday evening was always set aside as special time for Leonard and Penny, and they would do something together and Leonard, while he ate his pizza apart from three slices Penny pinched from him, they settled down to watch a movie and tonight it was Penny's turn to choose and she put on the 'Music & Lyrics' DVD as she just loved Hugh Grant movies and Drew Barrymore was a sweetie, and she happily settled down to watch the movie with her head on Leonard's lap only to feel rather disgruntled at hearing him snoring after just 10 minutes into the movie.
"Leonard, Honey, Please, don't fall asleep, I've hardly seen you today", she pleaded.
Leonard roused himself and apologized kissing her on the cheek and then stroking her hair, he tried to watch the movie, before once again falling asleep five minutes later.
Penny looked up at him and now seeing his exhaustion said,"I love you, thanks for taking care of us all honey", while Leonard just snored in reply.
The next day with Leonard once again at home and playing nursemaid, he had changed and washed and dressed Wyatt saw to the twins He vacuumed round the lounge and then went to collect the mail, then took a letter for Penny up to her then went back downstairs to make her a drink.
Penny read her letter again in disbelief.
The letter told her that it was felt that it was considered that perhaps a younger face would be better at fronting their makeover program and so, in that view they thanked her for her services, but they had made the decision that they would not be renewing her contract for the new series.
Penny felt utterly crushed and sobbed brokenheartedly into her comforter. Her dream since she was 12, to be a famous actress had come to nothing, only her brief appearance in the comedy series.
And then the makeover program gave her back her belief in achieving success on TV only for her dream now to be dashed again because of her age. Even though she knew it was coming, as offers of TV work had got less and less over the last few years and had now dried up totally, but that had not been as so painful as seeing it in black and white like that letter. She remembered Leonard's conversation to her on Will Wheaton's podcast years ago, how it had cut him to the quick each time to see her disappointment every time she received a rejection, and she knew too well by seeing it in his eyes how hurt he would become at seeing her distress. "How on earth, was I so lucky to find such a caring guy?", she thought.
She decided that It would do no good to hide the letter, as Leonard knew her only too well by now, to not see something was up, as if her tear stained face wasn't a giveaway in the first place.
Penny sighed, she just couldn't face staying in bed, she knew what she needed right now.
So She collected some clothes from her dresser and Leonard's floor, and made her way to her shower, and afterwards dressed in sweatpants and Leonard's T-shirt,which always comforted her as it had Leonard's scent on it, she went downstairs and not caring about the "Yuk", from the twins she hugged and kissed her husband and held him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder, then feeling devastated she handed him the letter.
Leonard read it and began stroking her back to comfort her, while he thought.
They really could not always take off for Nebraska each time when Penny was down especially now it was in the middle of Winter.
And although Penny had now recovered from the flu, she still felt down over the letter from the producer, and Penny certainly didn't need any more anxiety, but when collecting her mail, and spying Kate, her next door neighbour walking past with her dog, Penny greeted her, and they began talking together, when during their conversation, Kate asked Penny if she liked the huge bunch of flowers that Leonard had got for her, as Kate had driven past at the same moment, that Leonard was just coming out from the florists. Penny, now puzzled, informed Kate that she had not received any flowers lately, from anyone let alone Leonard, at which Kate apologized, "I'm sorry Penny, perhaps I should not have mentioned it, Maybe he got them for his mother?", then Kate,feeling somewhat embarrassed that perhaps she had somehow put her foot in it, so she said goodbye and continued on her way with her dog.
Penny thought for a while about Kate's revelation and then finally brushed it off as a case of mistaken identity on Kate's part, after all she was driving past at the time, and surely if Leonard had bought flowers Penny would have surely received them by now, and he would have certainly told her if he had bought some flowers for Beverley?.
But two days later as Leonard returned home, Penny observed him shutting the trunk of his car as he retrieved his rucksack, that Leonard preferred over a briefcase, and she caught an unmistakable glimpse of a large present covered in bright wrapping paper, and when she asked Leonard what was the parcel, he told her it was just some lab equipment.
Now Penny's mind was unsettled by the two events and she began stressing over things like her figure, as she had been unable to shift the extra pounds she gained while pregnant with little Wyatt, the program makers had rejected her, and could it be just possible that Leonard had rejected her for someone else?.
Penny badly needed to confide in someone and she almost tearfully began wringing Bernadette.
But Penny was left feeling stunned as Bernadette seemed to dismiss her suspicions out of hand, and Penny ended the call feeling more depressed than ever, especially as the next day she overheard the end of a telephone conversation that Leonard had made, "So I'll see you soon, it's so great that you can come, wear something nice, I want this to be special, OK see you, bye", and Leonard ended the call.
"Who was that?", Penny asked him.
"Oh! It was just a friend", Leonard replied evasively.
By the Saturday afternoon, Penny had had enough and taking little Wyatt with her, she drove to the Mall for a cup coffee and some time to think. She decided she really must talk this out with Leonard. For until she did that, she could not decide what to do until then
On her return she was greeted by Leonard who to her astonishment announced that he was taking her out for a movie and a meal.
Now utterly surprised by this latest development Penny did as asked and had a shower, then she really pulled out all the stops to make herself look attractive to Leonard. 'Leonard will be sure to want me again if he sees me so pretty like this', she told herself, and as she walked downstairs, she caught the glimpse of someone just entering the dining room, before closing the door.
By now, utterly at a loss at to what on earth was going on, Penny began to walk towards the dining room determined to find out, when her way was suddenly barred by Honey Marie, who told Penny to wait there, the dining room door opened slightly and Leonard sidled his way out, "Hi Penny, Wow, Honey you look absolutely stunning", he said kissing her, then with a "shall we go my lady", they made their way to the car.
Leonard drove to the Madeline Garden bistro, which made Penny feel a little more secure in herself and then her suspicions turned to one of happy anticipation as Leonard told her to close her eyes and once she was led a little way Leonard told her to open them and their to Penny's joy were all her friends including Kay and J.G with little Chloe, Bernadette and Howard and their son Samuel, Amy and Sheldon, with their son Isaac, and also Beverley and Mike with the three girls and little Wyatt, and to Penny's complete surprise her father and Mother, Wyatt, and Marcia.
And on the table was the large parcel that Penny had spotted in the trunk of Leonard's car.
"Do you remember greatly admiring the two glass vases in the foyer of the hall at Cambridge university in England?", Leonard asked her.
Penny nodded. "Well I have only recently found out where they were made, in a little place at Alum Bay on the Isle of White, so my darling if you would like to open your present?", Leonard asked her.
Penny slapped him on his arm, "Lab equipment! really, You Hofstadter are something else", She told him before turning her attention towards her present. She opened the box and after removing the protective polystyrene shapes she withdrew two large Blossom bouquet vases, "Oh!, Leonard, I don't know what to say?, They're lovely, thank you", and with a mixture of relief and love for her Husband she embraced him and wept with happiness.
After she had recovered a little Leonard, from behind the table produced a large bunch of silk flowers, "I thought that these would look great in the vases", he told her.
"Also I know you have been down lately", he said a little quietly to her, so as not to embarrass her, but I wanted you to see just how much you are loved by all these, our friends and family. But most especially me", Leonard told her, with all the love in his heart.
