Chapter 7
The next day around five in the afternoon, the gang went to the hospital to visit Leonard. They entered Leonard's room and saw Beverly sitting on the chair reading a magazine while Dr. Abigail was cleaning Leonard's wound to replace the bandage. Leonard smiled when he saw them walk through the door.
"Hey guys!" he greeted them. "It's nice to see you two getting along?" he said looking at Sheldon and Penny.
"Sheldon apologized to Penny yesterday." said Bernadette.
"Sheldon?" Leonard asked.
Sheldon turned to Penny. "Penny, again I'm sorry for blaming Leonard's condition to you. It was not your fault. I hope you could forgive me." he said.
"It's alright Sheldon. Don't worry about it." Penny said.
"That's good to know." said Leonard smiling at them.
Howard decided to chime in. "Here Leonard." he said giving him a manila envelope. Leonard looked inside and closed it back.
"Oh right! Thanks Howard." he said giving the envelope to Dr. Abigail.
"What's this?" she asked looking inside the envelope.
"The comic books you wanted to read." said Leonard smiling at her.
"Oh great! Thanks." she said looking inside the envelope. "I'll read them after I get off work so I could return them to you tomorrow." Dr. Abigail said.
"Hey it's not a problem. Take your time. I have tons of them in my room." said Leonard as the doctor finished taping up the last bandage.
"Done." Dr. Abigail said, admiring her work. "Anyway, I think you're doing quite well Leonard. We'll keep you here for another day or two just to make sure alright?" said Dr. Abigail.
Leonard nodded. "Whatever you say doctor." he said.
"Thank you doctor." added Beverly.
Dr. Abigail nodded and stood up. "You're welcome, I'll get started on this right away." she said pointing at the envelope. "I'll see you again tomorrow alright?" she said to Leonard.
"Thank you doctor." he said as Dr. Abigail left the room. He noticed the gang looking at him. "What?" he asked them.
Amy decided to break the silence. "Uh we brought you these Leonard." Amy said showing him a small fruit basket.
"Thanks guys, you shouldn't have." he said as Amy put the basket on the table beside his hospital bed.
"So how are you feeling Leonard?" Penny asked.
"I'm doing okay now. I mean my wound still hurts when I make a sudden movement but other than that, it's getting better now." he said.
"Thank you for forgiving me Leonard." Penny said.
"Hey I told you, you have nothing to apologize for." said Leonard. "You've done nothing wrong." he added.
Penny gave him a weak smile. "Thanks Leonard. You're so great!" she said.
"So, how are things at the university?" Leonard asked the guys.
"Everyone was worried about you. I think they're gonna visit you tomorrow." Howard said. "And President Seibert sends his regards." he added.
"That's nice to know." he said.
"So did the police already talked to you?" asked Amy.
"Yeah. They came here yesterday after you all left. They took my side of the story and are still looking for those guys." said Leonard.
"Did they find any prints on your phone?" asked Raj.
"They said they only found partial prints. Nothing to work on really." he said.
"That's kinda disappointing. We really thought we would nail those guys, like what they do is CSI or something." Howard said, with Raj and Sheldon nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, that would be so cool wouldn't it?" said Leonard.
"So, you're getting out in a couple of days?" asked Penny.
"I guess." he said smiling at her.
"I'm glad you're doing fine now Leonard." said Penny, smiling back at him.
"Thanks. I can't wait to go back home and sleep in my bed." he said. "This hospital bed is not made for sleeping really." he added.
"Well, I guess that's a small price to pay since you're kinda enjoying yourself here, especially if your doctor is that hot huh!?" said Howard, making Amy and Bernadette give him a 'death stare'.
"What are you talking about Howard?" he said.
"Oh come on Leonard. You basically gave her you most valuable comic books. Tell you're not using your injuries to hit on her!?" Howard said.
"Howie!" Bernadette yelled at him.
"Oh right. I guess I'll stop now." Howard said, realizing that Penny was with them.
"You're an idiot." said Bernadette making the guys laugh at Howard's expense.
"I'm not hitting on her. I guess that's just her way of distracting me while she dresses my bandages so I could focus on things other than the pain of my wounds." he said.
"Whatever you say dude." Raj said, smiling with Howard as a nurse entered the room with another staff pushing a food trolley carrying Leonard's food for the night.
"Guys, it's so nice that you're here for your friend but I have to tell you that visiting hours will be for another hour. Leonard needs to get some rest alright?" said the nurse.
"No problem miss. We'll just keep Leonard company until it's time." said Sheldon.
"No problem." the nurse added as they put the food tray on the side table then left the room.
The gang stayed with Leonard in his room until it was time to call it a day. Leonard thanked them for the visit as they went out of his room while Beverly helped him clean up so he could rest for the night.
Later, Bernadette was quiet as Howard drove his car, going home to their apartment.
"Hey, you're awfully quiet? Is there something wrong?" asked Howard.
"You're an idiot Howie!" she snapped at him.
"What did I do now?" he asked, surprised by Bernadette's anger.
"Oh now you don't know!?" she yelled. "Why did you have to tease Leonard with that doctor chick in front of Penny huh?" she said.
"Why not? It's not like Penny is Leonard's girlfriend or anything right?" he answered.
"Ugh you're so clueless!" said Bernadette, grunting with frustration.
"Wait, are you saying that Penny is thinking of getting back together with Leonard!?" asked Howard.
"It's not like that!" she said.
"Then what is it!?" said Howard.
"It's complicated Howie!" she said.
Howard pulled the car over to the side of the road and looked her in the eye. "What are you trying to say Bernie?" Howard asked.
Bernadette looked at him and sighed. "She obviously still has feelings for Leonard." she said.
"Why? Because he nearly died when he got jealous of her new boyfriend?" he snapped at her.
"It's not that Howie." she said. "Penny really regreted breaking up with him and then he nearly died because of this." she added.
Howard threw his hands in the air. "You women are really something huh! What do you want me to do now?" he asked.
"You will do nothing Howie! I don't want us to get in between them!" she said.
"Leonard's my friend. Don't you think he deserves to know?" he asked.
"No! Because, if she asks him to get back together again, everyone will think she just did it because of her guilt about his accident and not because she still has feeling for him!" she said.
"Do you think Leonard cares about that!?" he said.
"I don't know Howie! Just promise me you won't say anything to Leonard!" she said.
Howard sighed. "Fine. Just do me one favor will you?" said Howard.
"What favor?" she asked.
"Don't tell me stuff like this anymore okay!?" he angrily said as he steered the car back on the road. Bernadette didn't answered as they drove home quietly.