She hadn't meant to, really. Of course, there were plenty of times she'd wanted to - the thing sent off in a bin and never to be seen again. Now that it had finally happened, Penelope felt a mix of terror, guilt, and regret.
Slender fingers wrapped around the base of the gaudy lamp, pulling it away from the severed top, watching as the bulbed end swung from the internal cords. A couple of the shells had come off and still lay on the floor, shed from the top-heavy lampshade.
Her mission had been to grab Gordon some clothes for his trip out of the infirmary, but now there was a new problem that she felt the immediate need to remedy. She had time. He would be ready to move for another hour. Yes, plenty of time.
Depositing the two halves onto the poorly made bed, Penelope went about collecting a floral shirt she'd given him for his birthday, along with a pair of khaki shorts that would offer access to the bandaged calf and the stitched laceration underneath.
She left him in high spirits once the items were delivered, promising him a surprise as long as he cooperated. Not a lie since she already had a gift hidden away in his bedside table - the reason the lamp had fallen.
Brains had been more than helpful upon her request for an adhesive and Penelope was back in the aquanaut's room in minutes. The tacky pieces still lay on the bed like a victim of carelessness and she glared at them before picking them up and placing the base on the table it had fallen from. She applied the glue, carefully positioning the top like a puzzle piece and grumbling as the sticky substance found one of her perfectly manicured nails.
That didn't matter, she'd told herself, hesitantly releasing the lamp once the glue took hold. Next, she retrieved the shells, walking around the table to find the empty spaces and sticking each one back in place.
There. It wasn't a difficult task, though her manicurist might complain. Gordon would be none the wiser and he could rest and recuperate without worrying over one of his prized possessions.
Penelope met him and Virgil in the lounge, the disgruntled blonde trying to hide his frustration with the wheelchair. It became easier as she sidled up next to him, giving his cheek a new layer of pink.
Once in his room, she curled up next to him, fingers tracing over his thumb, "How are your ribs?"
"Achy," Gordon winced and tried to sink into the pile of pillows behind him. "Hey, didn't you say you had a surprise for me? I was good, promise."
He always had a way of making her laugh and the puppy eyes he was flashing her did the trick. She kissed the hand in hers before setting it back on the duvet, "It's in the drawer." She gestured to the side table, "Let me get it for you."
"Nah, I've got it," he was already reaching over and snagging the handle. She would've argued that he needed to take it easy, she could get it, but the lamp - that damn lamp. It wobbled and with no one close enough to catch it, it fell.
Two pieces.
Little shells strewn out over the carpet.
Silence filled with her own internal screaming, and then -
"Aw man, not again."
Wait, again? This had happened before and he was acting like it was no big deal.
For a long, frustrating moment, Penelope felt foolish, but then, bubbling up from emotions of earlier - he'd been injured, transported immediately to the infirmary with little for her to go on - and she laughed. It was uncontrollable and sent a confused look over his tired face.
"I'm sorry," she giggled behind her hand, "it's not funny."
A shrug and he grinned, "It's a little funny. I think I've broken that thing ten times by now."
A sigh and she had her ridiculous amusement under control, opting not to reveal her earlier mistake. It did beg the question, however, "Then why keep it?"
A tilted grin, "Dad got it for me when I was a kid. Said it reminded him of me."
Oh. That changed so much in the briefest of seconds. The humor was gone and Penelope stood, walking around the bed to once again pick up the broken pieces.
"There's some glue in the drawer," that would've been nice to know an hour ago.
Pulling open the drawer, she took out the gift and placed it on his lap before grabbing the glue and getting to work. From the corner of her eye, Penelope watched him pull off the ribbon, laying it aside before carefully tearing one end of the paper. Glue clung to the same nail, but she paid it no mind, piecing the base and top together again. More paper tore, revealing a box. She pressed a couple shells to the lamp cover. The box opened.
Gordon lifted the hula doll, her pink skirt swaying with the movement. Blonde hair brushed over the little dancer's shoulders as she smiled the same smile she always would.
"She's perfect," his grin lit up his face.
Penelope placed the last shell and leaned over, planting another shade of pink to his other cheek, "Good, she reminded me of you."