Chapter 21
Chapter 21: Code Milky Green
"Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur."
Howard's departure into space was an emotional one for the whole group, especially Bernadette. Penny and Carly tried hard to get her out and take her mind off of it. So far it was working but both girls knew their efforts would get exhausted soon enough. Especially with the holidays approaching.
Sheldon, although he denied any anxiety over Howard leaving for space, was a little out of sorts the next few days after. He was more thoughtful, more animated in how he spoke to them, and got busy on his computer more often than not so he didn't have to explain himself.
Carly had been busy. She'd had to pick up extra shifts at the Library as some of her coworkers were out sick with some type of bug. She purposefully kept it from Sheldon, afraid he'd not want to see her if she brought it up- while also doing her part to sanitize and wash her hands multiple times a day, just in case.
It was a couple of days till the Halloween party at the comic book store when Carly woke up with a tickle in her throat. Known to have seasonal allergies, she told herself that perhaps it was just the change of seasons.
She was in denial.
By the time lunch came around, her throat was hurting and her nose had begun to run. She grabbed a tissue box, cursing herself for thinking she could have gotten out of getting sick with something that had plagued the whole library.
Trying to get through the day, her body feeling more and more tired, she held her head up. It would do her no good to give up. She needed to finish the workday.
She was in a coughing fit behind a counter when she saw him.
"Tom?" She blinked, mouth still in her elbow as she tried to reason with herself why her Grandma's nurse would be there. She hadn't seen him since she'd left almost a month ago.
"Hey, I- are you sick?" He asked her, worry knitting his dark eyebrows. His Japanese accent thick with concern.
"God, I hope not," she admitted, then pumped sanitizer in her hands. She rubbed furiously, trying to hold back the urge to pump some into her mouth to avoid getting sicker. "What brings you here?"
He leaned on the counter, giving her a once-over. She glanced down at his attire. It was odd to see him wearing street clothes, as she was used to seeing him wearing scrubs.
"I was in Pasadena for an errand. I thought I'd stop by and see the famous library that you couldn't stop talking about," he smiled kindly at her and she returned it.
She forgot how easy it was to speak with him. "That's nice of you. How's Grandma doing?"
Tom laughed lightly. "She's the same. Grumpy, but better. She doesn't need the walker anymore and she's happy she can use the bathroom by herself."
Carly chuckled at the image. "Oh, I'm sure she is."
"How are you?" He asked her, and the way he said it made her realize that she hadn't told him or her grandmother that Sheldon was back.
She hadn't wanted to bother them with unnecessary gossip. Or hear her Grandma tell her "I told you so".
"I'm doing great. Much better than before, if that's what you're referring to."
He raised his eyebrows at this. "So is he back then?"
Carly ducked her head bashfully, before nodding. "Yeah, he got back a week after I did. He got robbed actually so his roommate had to go get him."
Tom shifted on his feet, giving her a sympathetic smile. "Well, I'm glad he's back, for your sake. Everything okay then? You were a little out of sorts when I met you."
Carly was touched by his concern for her. She hadn't divulged too much to the man, he was simply her grandmother's nurse, but he had heard enough throughout that month to know what was going on with her. "We had to get through some things, but yeah, we're so much better now. We're actually going to a Halloween party this weekend. I'm going as Princess Leia."
Tom laughed lightly in amused disbelief. "Princess Leia? That's from Star Wars isn't it?"
Carly giggled nasally with a nod. "Yes. It's one of Sheldon's favorite movies. He's going to be Han Solo."
"Well, I'm sad I get to miss you with space buns," he told her with a friendly wink.
She rolled her eyes but was cut off from saying anything else as another sneeze overtook her, making her dizzy and lightheaded. She wobbled on her feet and Tom's hand shot over the counter quickly, stopping her from falling over with a grab of her arm.
"What's going on here?!"
Sheldon's sudden appearance and startling voice made her jump, and Tom's hand retreated quickly. They both looked up at him as he approached the counter, giving Tom a suspicious glare.
"Sheldon! What're you doing here?" She asked, a little panicked for him to see her sick. She swiped at the tissue box, making it fall behind the counter unceremoniously to the floor.
Sheldon turned his eyes on her and looked her over, noticing the flush on her cheeks and the slightly dazed eyes. The red on her nostrils and the way her hair was a mess gave her away.
"Carly, are you sick?" He asked in fear, his eyes widening and his hackles going up. An arm threatened to cover his face to protect himself.
She closed her eyes for a moment, cursing the fact that he'd caught on so quickly.
Tom surprised them both by answering for her. "I believe she is. You should take her home, I think. She's in no condition to drive, or work." He sounded so clinical. She had forgotten for a moment that he was a nurse.
Sheldon threw another glare in Tom's direction, not trusting this overly attractive Asian man that seemed to have a fondness for Carly. "And who exactly are you?" He accused hotly.
Tom was didn't waver under Sheldon's animosity. "My name is Tom. I'm Carly's grandmother's nurse. I've been helping her since she had her stroke."
Sheldon froze at the words. Since her stroke? She'd been with this man since he'd left? He trailed his eyes back to Carly in anxiety. "Is this true?"
Carly nodded weakly, feeling even worse now that Sheldon had found out she was sick. "Yes, it's true. He was in the area and stopped by to say hello."
Sheldon narrowed his eyes, not liking the fact that another man had gone out of his way to say hi to his girlfriend- or the fact that Tom had been there the whole time he'd been gone on the train. His stomach twisted in knots.
"You must be Sheldon, her boyfriend," Tom suddenly greeted, putting his hand out for him to shake. Carly watched uneasily with bated breath as Sheldon looked down at the hand in mistrust and then stuck his hands in his jacket pockets to make a point.
Tom blinked awkwardly and dropped his hand, before looking back over to Carly in concern. "I think you have a fever. You should go home and lay down."
Carly nodded, suddenly feeling like that was a very good idea. She could barely keep balanced. She felt like she was in a dream, her mind was so hazy. "Yeah, I think you're right. I'm... I'll call Penny and have her pick us up."
Tom frowned with a glance at her boyfriend. "Won't Sheldon drive you?"
Sheldon and Carly both met each other's eyes briefly. Sheldon swallowed anxiously and Carly bit her lip. She turned back to Tom to explain.
"Sheldon can't-" Carly began but Sheldon cut her off hastily, putting a hand up to force their attention on him.
"Of course I will!"
Carly stared at him in alarm, unwilling to even believe for a second he'd drive. He didn't even have his license.
Sheldon purposefully avoided her eyes. Before she could say anymore though, Tom smiled at them.
"Perfect. I'll leave you guys to it, then. Feel better Carly, and call your grandmother. I'm sure she'll want to know how you're doing," he told with her a meaningful look and she glanced down in embarrassment before nodding. "Nice meeting you, Sheldon," he said respectfully and then left them alone.
Carly licked her lips nervously and looked to Sheldon, unsure of what would happen next. "Um, it's okay Sheldon. I can drive myself-"
"Nonsense. I can do it," he told her, although his eyes twitching uncomfortably didn't convince her.
She frowned and bit her lip despite herself. "But you don't drive," she informed lamely.
He rolled his eyes, still not quite meeting her eyes. "I can. I choose not to. Just... don't be surprised if we arrive back at the apartment by sundown."
Carly wanted to laugh, but she felt miserable. "All right then..." she turned and picked the tissue box back up from the floor. She sat it back down on the counter, but felt dizzy. The mucous in her head was really doing its toll on her. "Are you sure this is okay? I don't want to get you sick or..."
Sheldon did look apprehensive as he stared down at the tissue box with an unspoken fear. He then looked back up at her, obviously trying to conceal his panic. "It's fine," he said in a higher than normal voice. "Let's just go."
Carly didn't have the energy to argue further and nodded. "I'll go grab my purse and tell the others I'm headed home for the day."
When she returned with her purse on her shoulder, she saw him fidgeting by the door. She tried to smile at him but he returned it with a tight-lipped curve of his lips.
He was really pushing himself for her. She didn't like it but knew he was being stubborn and when he was like this, there was no room for argument.
They left the library and headed for her car. She nervously pulled her keys out and handed them to him, which he took with shaky fingers that she pretended to not notice.
Once inside the car, she strapped herself in and watched him with bated breath, climb inside, then fiddle with her seat and mirrors and click his safety belt.
He paused after turning the car on, realizing she was watching him. He glanced over at her. "You best hold on, I'm not very confident about how this is going to go."
Carly nodded meekly, her heart racing through her chest, hoping to god that they made it through this. As he slowly, and oh so carefully backed up out of the parking spot, she wondered if talking to him would help him relax.
"Not that I'm complaining, but why did you come?"
Sheldon gulped and then jumped as he hit the breaks a little too hard, sending them forward then backward with force. "Sorry," he muttered quickly before pulling away from the parking lot. "I asked Leonard to drop me off to come to see you. I... wanted to tell you that I bought your costume."
Carly blinked at the news. "You bought me a costume? You didn't have to-"
He shook his head distractedly, licking his lips nervously as he tried to focus on keeping them on the road, going ten miles per hour.
Carly didn't care, she was just glad that he was keeping in the lanes.
"I wanted to. Besides, you've only seen the movie once. I had to make sure you didn't get an inaccurate costume," he explained through tight lips. "Besides, if we ever go to a Star Wars convention, you'll have an outfit at the ready."
Carly nodded and glanced down at her hands in her lap. "Well... thank you anyway. For, well everything."
Sheldon shrugged and cast her a dubious glance. "I wouldn't thank me just yet. We haven't made it home."
Carly smiled at him, truly appreciating him at that moment. Out of everything he'd done for her, this had to be the most touching one yet. Not only was he in the car with her while she was sick, but he was driving her home.
"What's the story about that character Tom?" He asked suddenly, his voice low and uneasy.
Carly frowned at the question. "The story? Tom's just my grandmother's nurse." She shrugged. "I'm grateful for him too. He's there when I can't be."
Sheldon grew silent as she spoke and she eyed him, noticing how tense he was. He'd already been tense but he seemed to be even more so with the topic of Tom. Was he...?
"You don't have to worry if that's what you're thinking. He's just a friend, kind of. Not even really a friend. He's just taking care of my grandmother," she tried to reassure him, not wanting him to feel insecure at all.
He had to know that there was absolutely no one else for her except for him.
"He was there, wasn't he? When I wasn't?" He asked breathily, sounding almost hurt. He refused to look at her as they drove at a snail's pace back to the apartment building.
Carly's heart ached, remembering how alone she had felt when he left. How confused, upset... she hadn't gone to Tom for comfort or anything, but he had been there through it. He'd known what was happening.
"Not in the way that you're thinking. He was there, in the house, but I didn't go to him or anything."
Sheldon still didn't seem reassured. After a couple of silent, painful beats he whispered a soul-wrenching question, "Did he hug you?"
Carly snapped her head in his direction, stunned by his question and how heartbroken he sounded. "Of course not!" She exclaimed passionately. "I told you, it's not like that."
Sheldon released a long breath of air from his lungs and nodded, his eyes on the road ahead of him with less anxiety. A silence fell over them as Sheldon drove them home, carefully and slowly.
It wasn't until he had parked near the curb outside of Los Robles, that he looked over at Carly to see her fast asleep in the passenger seat.
He turned the car off and took the moment to look her over. The breath from her nose was whistling, her mouth parted. She must be pretty congested.
Every instinct inside of him told him to leave, run, and never come back - at least until she was healthy again. Yet, he found himself unable to do so.
He had to be honest with himself, he had been almost ready to walk right back out of the library after finding her sick, but the concern and worry that Tom had over his girlfriend bothered him.
If he had left, would Tom have brought her home? Taken care of her?
No! He wouldn't ever allow anyone else to take care of her. That was his job. No one else's.
He unbelted himself and reached over, softly taking her shoulder and shaking her a little. "Carly... we made it home," he said softly.
Her eyes fluttered attractively and then opened to look up at him, confused and dazed. "Sheldon?" She asked, her voice raspy. "We made it?" She looked around them as if surprised.
"I know, I'm just as shocked as you are," he teased, however, he was quite honest. "Come on, let's get you to bed."
Carly nodded distractedly, and unbuckled herself. He took the key from the ignition and they got out of the car, with him pressing the lock button on her key fob once the doors were closed.
He made sure she made it up to her apartment, unlocked the door, and led her inside. As soon as he had her sitting on her couch, shoes off, and a blanket wrapped around her, he went to her kitchen to make tea.
As the water warmed, he went to her bathroom to see what sort of medical supplies she had. Surprised at the organization of her medicine cabinet, he chose vapor rub and Tylenol, then returned to her.
Carly had leaned sideways and fallen back into a fitful sleep, using the arm of the chair as a pillow. He paused, wondering if he should wake her.
He was rather worried about her fever, though. Poor kid.
The whistle of the tea kettle did the job for him and her eyes popped open, taking in her surroundings woozily while sitting up. He quickly dropped what was in his hands down in front of her on the coffee table, before running over to the kettle and pulling it off the stove.
He made her a mug of tea with honey, bringing it and a bottle of water from her fridge to her. He shook some pills out and handed them to her. "Here, take Tylenol to lower your temperature and the tea's for your throat."
She gratefully took the Tylenol with the water, giving him the bottle back afterward, then taking the mug gratefully. "Thank you."
Sheldon bit the inside of his cheek, watching her uneasily as he stood by her couch, watching her sip the hot tea. He'd have to touch her chest for the vapor rub, and he hadn't done that since that fateful day she'd brought him to rapture with her hand...
No, he needed to stop thinking about that. It wouldn't help him in this situation. It was highly inappropriate as she was delirious with fever.
"Um, is it okay if I apply vapor rub to your chest? It'll help..." he asked, fidgeting with the container in his hand.
Carly froze and glanced down at the vapor rub, then back up at him, putting the mug down in her lap. "Y-Yes, it's fine," she whispered with a small, shy nod.
His heart jumped wildly in his chest and he sat down next to her on the couch, removing his jacket as she placed the mug of tea on her coffee table. He twisted the cap of the vapor rub, and then gingerly put two fingers into the ointment.
Carly bit her lip and realized she'd have to remove her green turtleneck sweater, so he could get to her chest. Thankfully, this time she was wearing a bra so she wouldn't be so exposed to him.
She avoided his eyes as she let the blanket fall to her hips then pulled the sweater off of her, hearing his harsh intake of breath as she did so. She leaned back and took a shaky inhale, finally looking up at him and noticing he was just as anxious as she was.
"You're..." he rasped out, eyes glued to her olive green, lacy bra. "You're wearing one." Despite his surprise, he almost seemed disappointed.
She pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth as she watched his eyes rake over her before gathering his wits about him and scooting closer to her.
She held her breath as he leaned in, before putting his ointment-covered fingers against her chest and began rubbing in circles. He had to feel how fast her heart was beating.
She contemplated his face: the way the muscles in his cheek twitched, the way his eyes narrowed as he focused, the way his thin lips parted to breathe slowly. He was so handsome. She'd love to watch him work.
His fingers felt both comforting and invigorating, making her body come alive under the contact. Any time he touched her, she reacted uncontrollably.
The smell of vapor rub surrounding her, he leaned back, taking his hand with him. He glanced up at her once before standing. He didn't say anything, seeming to struggle inside and she looked down as he walked over to her sink and washed his hands thoroughly.
When he returned she pulled the blanket back up around her shoulders to regain modesty. "You can go home, Sheldon. I really appreciate everything but you don't have to continue to push yourself."
Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows and gave her an odd look. "Isn't this what I'm supposed to do as your boyfriend? I haven't even sung you Soft Kitty yet, and besides, I was planning on watching Star Wars A New Hope with you tonight regardless. I need you prepared for this weekend."
Carly blinked, watching him pick up the remote to her tv and sit down next to her to turn it on. She glanced to the tv before shifting on the couch, pulling her legs up under the blanket. "Are you sure? Sheldon, I know how you are about germs and... sickness."
Sheldon feigned casualness and shrugged. "You're just trying to get out of watching Star Wars aren't you?" He quirked an eyebrow up at her and that broke her, a smile growing on her face.
"Of course not. I wouldn't dream of it. It's one of your favorites," she told him honestly. "Besides, I've seen it before remember? I like it too."
Sheldon smirked and flipped through her channels. "Well good, it'll be on Fx in about ten minutes, so get comfy."
Carly smiled at him, through her woozy state, and moved on the couch toward him. She grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself as she lay her head down on his leg, curling her legs up to her chest.
Sheldon froze and looked down at her in alarm. "What are you doing?"
She just smiled up at him. "Getting comfy, as you said," she teased and then nuzzled his leg for effect while looking at the television.
It took a moment for Sheldon to relax with her resting on his lap, but he finally did and settled on the channel. They watched the ending of whatever show or movie was playing before Star Wars came on.
Halfway through the movie, Carly had been unable to keep her eyes open. The Tylenol had kicked in, lowering her fever enough to relax her body, the vapor rub had helped her breathe easier, and the comfort of her boyfriend there made her drowsy and safe.
Sheldon hadn't realized she had fallen asleep until the movie ended and he shifted uncomfortably under her. His leg was going to sleep. Fidgeting, he took her shoulder, intent on telling her to move but he caught sight of her peaceful, sleeping face.
Sighing, he turned the tv off then leaned his head back, staring up at the ceiling. What was he doing? This was so unlike him. He reasoned with himself that he was her boyfriend, and she was ill. It was his duty to take care of her.
He just hoped he wouldn't also get sick. He had been looking forward to the Halloween Party since she had agreed to go with him.
When Carly woke up, she felt horribly disoriented. Blinking rapidly, she realized she was feeling far better than she had before. Her head didn't pound from the pressure of mucous and her nose seemed to not be as stuffed. Even her throat felt a little less scratchy.
She realized she had fallen asleep on her couch and she sat up slowly. The room was dimmed to only the lamp in the corner beside her tv, alerting her that she had slept until the night.
"Oh, you're awake."
She jumped slightly at the soft voice and immediately remembered Sheldon had been there. He sat at the small wooden dining table next to the window, his laptop in front of him, the light illuminating his face in a blue hue.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep," she told him regretfully and he glanced down her body absently.
"No need to be sorry. You're not well. How are you feeling?" He asked, voice a little off.
She frowned and looked down at herself, realizing she was still in only her bra. She grabbed the blanket from her lap and wrapped it around her, before facing him, making him visibly relax. "A little better actually. I think I just needed to rest..."
She trailed off as he stood. "Good. Here let's take your temperature," he said softly, grabbing a thermometer that had been sitting on the table next to him and coming over to her.
She felt like a child, opening her mouth for him to put the thermometer in her mouth.
When it beeped, he took it and looked down at it, then gave her a smug smile. "98.7, looks like you are getting better."
She smiled at his enthusiasm. "Thanks to you."
He got a little shy at her words and shrugged, moving over to the sink to wash his hands. "As I said before, it's my job."
Carly felt her heart swell at his words and everything he'd done. She fidgeted with the blanket around her. "You stayed the whole time?" She wondered in awe.
Sheldon dried his hands and came back over to her. "Yes. Well, I went up to my apartment and grabbed my laptop. I also ate a little something too..." he looked guilty, and then sat next to her. "Are you hungry? I had Leonard buy soup from Panera for you."
Carly swallowed, eyes wide as she just couldn't wrap her mind around how thoughtful he was. "You think of everything," she mused, mystified by him.
Sheldon smirked haughtily, straightening at her praise. "I'd deny it, but it's true."
Carly laughed lightly and then took a breath. "I'd love some soup. I'm pretty hungry. I didn't each much today... um, but do you mind if I get cleaned up a little and put some comfortable clothes on?"
Sheldon glanced down at the blanket hiding her practically naked form and gulped. "Of course. I'll warm up your soup."
Carly grinned and would have kissed his cheek if it hadn't been for the fact that she was sick and it'd absolutely disgust him.
She left him to warm the soup up to go to the bathroom, take a quick shower, and get dressed in her Batman shirt and a pair of sweats. She brushed her hair out and then returned to the living room to find him setting the soup down on the table, his laptop now closed, and set aside.
Carly bit her lip at the sight and made her way over. "Thank you," she told him gratefully.
"Of course, dig in," he told her, sitting across from her at the table as she began to eat the chicken noodle soup.
It tasted heavenly.
"I suppose I'll have to let it slide that you missed the rest of the movie since you're ill- but just know, we will rewatch it when you're better," he told her smartly and she grinned.
"I wouldn't expect anything less," she said, delighted at his whimsy. "I'm sorry I got sick. I tried really hard not to."
Sheldon shrugged. "Sometimes it happens because you're too careful. At least, that's what happens to me- by the way... you're an organization in your medicine cabinet is immaculate," he told her, very impressed.
She swelled with pride at the praise. The words meant a lot, coming from him. "Library science major, remember? My mind's wired to organize. You should see my spice cupboard," she laughed and his eyes lit up, taking it as an actual offer.
"Ooh, don't mind if I do!" He said happily and got up, hurrying over to it to look in it. "Woooow. Even I hadn't thought of categorizing them by taste palate."
Carly grinned as she took another bite of soup. "I can't help it, I love organizing."
Sheldon came back over, a happy smile on his face as he sat down, catching her eyes. "So do I! We should organize together. Oooh, what if we can convince Penny to let us redo her apartment? That'd be a hoot!"
Carly loved the excitement in his eyes. He looked so adorable. "I'm sure she wouldn't approve, but I can definitely try to convince her."
Sheldon brightened. "Could you? It'd make living across the hall from her so much easier."
Carly grinned. They chatted lightly as she finished her soup until she yawned again. That was Sheldon's cue.
"You should get to bed. even though you're feeling better, your body's still trying to fight off whatever you have," he told her, taking her bowl over to her sink and rinsing it out.
Carly nodded, sad that she'd have to say goodbye to him once again. She stood and was surprised when he led her into her bedroom, pausing by her bed.
It then dawned on both of them that this was the first time Sheldon had been in her bedroom. Carly pulled her bottom lip into her mouth as Sheldon stared at the bed with an unreadable expression.
"Your room is so you," he mused softly. "I don't think I've ever told you that your apartment makes me think of green tea on a rainy day."
Carly smiled up at him happily, glad he approved of her decor choices. He caught her eyes briefly and then moved forward, pulling down her white duvet and helping her to bed. She didn't need the help but allowed him anyways. She was enjoying how attentive he was.
When she was snuggled up into her bed, he sat down next to her and looked down at her, his hand resting on her belly.
"Shall I sing you, Soft Kitty, now?" He asked, sounding tired himself.
"You don't have to, Sheldon. I'm sure you're exhausted," she tried to give back what he was giving her but he shook his head.
"It's nonnegotiable when you're sick," he told her simply and then began to sing, his voice melodious and soft. She snuggled down into the blanket and smiled despite herself, finding him to be the absolute best boyfriend in the world.
When he was finished, he patted her gently. "All right, I must go. Take care of yourself and text me in the morning. Let me know how you're feeling."
Carly nodded. "I promise. Take my key on your way out. I have a spare."
Sheldon stood and gave her a delicate smile. "Sweet dreams."
Carly's heart fluttered at the words. "You too, Sheldon. Thank you again."
He waved her off and left her bedroom. Moments later she heard the apartment door close and she was then alone.
She found herself grinning like an idiot, even though she still felt puny.
The next day, Carly felt better but was still congested. She took the day off from work to rest up. She had texted Sheldon and he'd made her list her symptoms. It was as if he was a doctor... or rather, a medical doctor. She supposed he was a doctor, technically. Times two.
He had gone to work, but ordered her to rest and drink more tea with honey. Her fever never returned thankfully and she lazed around in her pajamas, sipping tea and watching tv.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd done such a thing. She was always busy, productive. She didn't know why, but it was always in her nature to be doing... something.
However, she had to admit, laying on her couch with nothing to do was peaceful. Yet, she was glad it wasn't something she'd have to do often.
By one o'clock, she was horrendously bored. She'd tried to read a book but found herself distracted. She surged the web but even that got tedious after a while.
She hadn't received a reply from Sheldon or Penny, both working, and so when her phone rang- she ran for it happily to answer.
"Hey, sweetie pie! How are you doing?"
It was her grandmother. Carly grinned, happy to hear from her. She really should have picked up the phone and called her sooner. "Oh hey, I'm all right. I'm off from work today with a cold."
"Aw, I'm sorry to hear that. Now that you say it though, I do hear how congested you are. Drinking warm drinks, are you?"
"Of course. You didn't raise some hooligan," she said with a laugh, making her grandmother chuckle fondly.
"That is good to hear... say, Tom told me he saw you yesterday... and Sheldon."
Carly swallowed at the tone of her voice. "Oh, right. Yeah, Sheldon's back. Surprise," she lamely joked.
"It's all right darling, I understand the city life keeps you busy. I'm glad to hear he's back... so, everything's okay now?"
Carly was grateful for her grandmother's understanding. "Of course. Well I mean, it was a little rocky at first but we worked through it. Grandma, he would put Tom to shame. Yesterday he spent hours taking care of me. Ordered me soup, made me tea, took my temp... he even stayed while I napped just to make sure I was okay."
She purposefully left out the part where Sheldon rubbed vapor rub on her bare chest... she didn't need to give her grandmother a heart attack on top of everything else.
"Oh, what a blessing. I'm so glad you found someone so sweet to you dear. I absolutely can't wait to meet him on Thanksgiving!"
Carly's heart jumped. She had completely forgotten about Thanksgiving. "Oh, speaking of which. What should we bring?"
"Yourselves. I'll do the cooking," she told her firmly and Carly rolled her eyes.
"Okay, no. I will help. You just had a stroke, Grandma."
"Correct, a stroke. I'm not dead. I think I can pull off a Thanksgiving meal, thank you very much."
Carly sighed. There was no arguing with her.
"At least let me make the pumpkin pie."
"All right, fine, but only because you do such a good job at it."
Carly grinned at the praise. "Perfect!"
They chatted for quite some time, her grandmother catching her up to speed on what was going on with her health, and life- glad that Tom seemed to be doing such a great job at taking care of her. She really had nothing to worry about.
She spoke of Sheldon, explaining a little bit about what had happened. Nothing to embarrass him if he found out, but just enough to explain the situation so her grandmother understood it better. She told her about the wedding and Howard going into space.
"That's incredible! I can't believe you have a friend who's an astronaut!"
Carly laughed lightly. "I know right? I have such smart and great friends."
"Just like you," her grandmother praised and Carly blushed.
"Not as smart as them. Especially Sheldon. He has two doctorates and an IQ of 187."
"Goodness me, how on earth did you find someone so intelligent, Carly? He has to be a genius."
Carly thought of Sheldon, how he would perk up at the impression he'd made on her grandmother even then. She smiled. "He is. He graduated at fourteen."
"High school?"
"College, actually."
That really through her grandmother through a loop. Carly felt proud to be Sheldon's girlfriend. That someone so intelligent and renowned, someone so special, had chosen her to be with.
The conversation wrapped up soon after and once again Carly was left with nothing to do.
As she was returning from using the bathroom, later on, she heard her doorknob click and she stopped to see Sheldon entering her apartment with a paper bag in his hands.
"Sheldon! You're back!" She said happily, her heart racing at the sight of him.
He perked up and looked over at her, closing the door behind him. "Oh, you're awake. I was worried you'd be sleeping."
She shook her head, approaching him in the living room. "No, I'm feeling a lot better today. Just congested. I've gone through a box of tissues already."
Sheldon smiled at how spirited she was, even with being sick. "Well, good. I'm glad to hear it. I wanted to stop by and give you this."
He handed the bag over to her and she looked down into it. "What is it?"
Sheldon gave her a smirk. "Your costume silly."
Carly brightened and reached into the bag, retrieving the plastic package with white contents. A lady dressed as Princess Leia was on the front.
Carly looked up at him, wishing she could hug him but didn't want to risk it. She was still worried that he possibly would come down with her sickness because of how close they were the day before.
"Thanks, Sheldon. I can't wait to wear it." She put the package back into the bag and set it down on her couch. "Have you gotten yours?"
"Yes, of course. It's tomorrow," he said and then looked a little worried. "You do think you'll be able to come, right?"
Carly nodded despite the sniffle she made. "Yes. If I feel this well already, I'm sure I'll be right as rain by tomorrow."
Sheldon smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I hope so. Everyone's going to be there, except Bernadette apparently. Her loss, really."
Carly frowned then. "She isn't coming? Why not?"
Sheldon shrugged. "How should I know? It's just what I heard in passing. I honestly don't care."
Carly did though. She went over and grabbed her phone, shooting her friend a quick text.
Sheldon eyed her before going back over to her door. "Well, anyway, I should get going. I have some work to do. Dark Matter isn't going to solve itself."
Carly looked over at him and dropped her phone back to her table and met him at the door. "Oh, okay. Thanks for the costume, Sheldon. I hope I can do it justice."
His eyes roamed her face, searching for something she didn't recognize, and then smiled. "I'm sure you will. You kind of look like her."
Carly flourished and looked at him from under her eyelashes. "I wish I could kiss you," she finally admitted shyly.
He comically wrinkled his nose, but looked down at her fondly with a pat on her head. She ducked it, a blush growing on her face. "Not on your life, sparky. Who knows what kind of scary germs are floating around in that pool of saliva you got going on in there."
Carly gave him a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I know. Either way, the thoughts there. Just use your eidetic memory to remember how I kiss you," she joked but was startled by how his smile left his face and he darted his eyes away.
She bit her lip. Maybe she'd gone too far with the flirting.
"I... do. Often," he confessed and his eyes met hers, the word hanging in the air creating tension.
"Oh," she breathed, her heart rate picking up.
Sheldon cleared his throat. "Anyway, I better go. Don't let Penny mess your hair up tomorrow. Leonard and I will meet you guys here around six to go."
Carly nodded, the friction between them slowly dissipated. "Sounds good."
They said their farewells and Carly closed the door, leaning back against it with a sigh. As soon as she was well, she'd kiss him like there was no tomorrow.
He deserved it after everything he'd done.
Sorry this is a few hours late. I've been busy this morning.Thanks for the feedback on the last update. I appreciate it! This is one of my favorite chapters so I hope you liked it.