Suffering and Excess
It's after Midnight and Sheldon's asleep in his bed. Thursday night, Thursday pajamas. Penny is out with her friends. Everything is in its place and all is right with the world.
His phone lights up, vibrating. He wakes without a start, rolling over to grab it on the third ring but it cuts off.
Vexed he looks at the number. Penny. He sits up immediately, feet hitting the floor.
With a ping a text arrives - their flag, upside down.
He looks serious - it's an emergency
he thumbs the 'Find my location' app and sends her phone a request.
Then he calls her.
She answers sobbing.
"Penny, whats wrong? "
"Oh Sheldon, I'm a mess. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you. Just everything has gone wrong . Its all screwed up. "
He looks alarmed. Paces his room in a panic. Then he pulls himself up tall and makes a decision.
"I'll come and get you."
"Thank you Sheldon."
He dresses rapidly, in clothes already laid out for Friday.
Opening his closet he looks at his emergency kits;
Earthquake.
Home invasion.
Alien invasion.
Robot rebellion.
He doesn't have a Penny kit yet, an marked omission on his part.
He grabs a light jacket and his medical emergency bag, just in case.
He goes out of his room and goes to hammer on Leonards door, but stops. Penny is his girlfriend. They have each others backs. Keep each others secrets. This is his responsibility. He's the hero here.
He hails an uber on priority with his phone and grabs his keys. One last glance at his Captain Kirk poster for confidence then hes out the door and heading down the stairs.
The car pulls up on a main street, dark and mostly deserted this late apart from a few drunken revelers. Distant music pounds.
Sheldon clambers out in a tangle of limbs, taking off his white surgical mask and gloves and stowing them in a plastic bag labeled 'medical waste - incinerate'.
"Could you wait a moment? I'll be heading back soon"
The driver shrugs "sure buddy"
Hes off at a nervous speed walk, clutching his satchel strap. The crime figures for this area at night are screaming in his head.
He finds Penny dejectedly sitting on a bench, clutching her phone and a shoe, sobbing.
He looks round in case of brigands lurking in ambush then sits down next to her.
"Penny."
She looks up at him through her tangled hair, eyes a mascara smudged mess.
"Oh sheldon. You came! I'm sorry. I'm a mess. I didnt want to get you up but everything is just too much at the moment."
She holds up her shoe, the heel hanging pitifully at an angle like a broken wing and wails "I even managed to break a heel on those lovely shoes you got me!"
She breaks down sobbing on his shoulder and Everything comes out in a flood "I found out today i didnt get this role i really wanted even though the audition went really well and i really gave it my best. I'm just a massive failure! I went out tonight to try and shake it off but everyone was having fun except me and it just made it worse. I feel so stupid! I'm never going to get a role, going to be stuck in a dead end job forever!."
"Penny, You're not stupid. Under-educated compared to my social group, perhaps, but thats not fair on yourself. We have multiple degrees, even the least of us is an astronaut. "
He takes off his jacket and puts it round her shoulders.
"Come on, I'll take you home"
In the car. She leans against him
"It sounds crazy but i really missed you "
He hands her a tissue to dry her eyes.
"Its ok, I'm here."
In his head he is rapidly compiling a new list.
Penny emergency kit.
- Lightweight sandals.
- Tissues.
- Water, alka seltzer and advil.
- Cash.
- Surgical mask and gloves.
- Vicks vaporub.
- Sick bags.
- Hand sanitiser.
He leads her up the stairs to her apartment, shes drunkenly stumbling and weaving and cursing the broken elevator.
He takes her keys and opens the door, shes leaning on him so he guides her to the bedroom.
She suddenly looks up in horror , covers her mouth and bolts for the bathroom.
Sheldon winces at the wet splattering sound of retching and vomiting. Pennys pitiful wail spurs him to action. He lays a large comfortable nightshirt on the bed with her robe, then rubs vicks menthol under his nose, pulls on blue surgical gloves and heads to the bathroom.
Penny is crouching clutching the toilet, looking miserable. Sheldon crouches next to her, smoothing her tangled hair from her face.
"Oh Sheldon..." she gags.
He grips her hair and holds it back as she throws up.
Mentally he notes; Kit Addendum - hair bands
"Why does this always happen to me.?"
"I'll assume you don't want a literal answer to that as you must be aware of the amount you drank tonight."
She cough and gags then vomits again.
he hands her some tissue to wipe her chin with
"Where did you get those gloves from?"
Hurl
Sheldon sighs . The Vicks menthol under his nose helps, he can't abide the smell of vomit
When shes done he helps her back to the bedroom.
He's part horrified, part fascinated as drunken dejected Penny is a revelation. She stands there passively as he helps her out of her bright dress and shiny satin panties, holding her naked in front of him. She seems so much smaller, shoulders hunched, arms folded to hug herself . There's nothing sexy about her nakedness, it makes her look fragile and vulnerable. its clear now just how much her mood controls stance and a lot of non vocal communication goes on. She looks at her sexiest when she feels sexy, or acts to project it. He resolves to himself that he never wants to see her so low again.
He helps her pull the night shirt and robe on and she curls up on the bed. He lies behind her and wraps an arm around her in what he hopes is the correct comforting gesture.
She huddles close to him.
"Sheldon? Am I being an idiot to keep trying for these roles ?"
" Why do you ask?"
" Because with Leonard he always tried to be supportive but it was clear he thought it was a waste of time "
"No, I don't think its waste "
"Really?"
"Really. The best way to achieve a goal is to devote all of your time and energy to it. When I decided I was going to be a physicist, I didn't take some other job just in case it didn't work out. I focused everything I had on it."
"Thank you. I needed to hear that. Why couldn't Leonard understand it?"
"Because he's not like us, Penny. We're dreamers. I firmly believe that in the future I will win a Nobel prize and you will have a star on the walk of fame "
"I'm glad you believe in me."
She pulls his arms close around her.
"You know, being with you really makes me think about things. Like stuff most people just do because they always have, i have to like take apart and explain from the ground up for you. It makes some stuff sound we do as normal really odd when you put it in Sheldon terms. "
" A very scientific approach, i approve. "
He ponders then says "i learnt early on that most people are stupid. they do the same thing over and over again, making the same mistakes but expecting different results. it took me years to understand that they really don't remember what they've done. They don't learn. But you, you're learning and you're growing with it. "
She smiles sleepily "thank you" and snuggles close.
"Stay with me?"
Sheldon glances at the door, the clock. Theres no way he'll reclaim any of his routine tonight. Looking at Penny he ponders how he feels. protective and possessive. She's his girlfriend and she needs him. He'll stay.
"All night"
She smiles and mumbles "i love you" as she drifts to sleep
."Penny"
He shakes her shoulder
"Penny"
He Shakes her again
"Penny"
"Uuuuuuurgh." She lifts her pounding head. Sheldon is sitting on her bed, fully dressed.
"I have to go to work. I've cleaned your kitchen and had to throw out most of the contents of your refrigerator. "
On her nightstand is a glass of water, some pills and a piece of warm toast.
"Your hangover is mostly dehydration, so I've left you water and painkillers. Take some now and try and eat a little later."
Her memory is slowly returning. She panics." Sheldon, last night, did i say. . "
He raises his hand and cuts her off.
"First sit up and drink"
"But.. but i"
He frowns. "I'm not leaving til you do. Do not make me late."
She struggles to sit up "ok ok" . She takes a sip of water, then the pills with another sip. "Gah, I feel like death"
He sighs. "Ive observed a pattern with you Penny. You have a naturally cheerful disposition and when things go against you, you keep smiling and don't acknowledge the problem, which causes the problems to pile up until you cant deal with them and you get overwhelmed and break down. Then you get blind drunk or go partying like crazy or break up with Leonard or hook up with kurt. Then you stabilize and get back to normal"
She looks glum but nods.
"I don't want you to get so sad, Penny. Remember, ive got your back. So each time you have a problem or setback, talk to me and we'll sort it out, understood? Don't let them build up"
"But they're my problems... i need to try and fix them"
"Its easier with help. Just say Yes Sheldon."
She sighs. "Yes Sheldon"
He nods and heads for the door. "I have to hurry now"
"Sheldon, wait. What i said last last night..."
She trails off, not sure what to say.
He pauses in the doorway and looks back "don't worry. " he gives her his best roguish grin "I know"
And hes gone
She slams herself down on the bed, head throbbing. This is getting way out of control.
