Author's Note: Sadly I do not own TBBT. If I did, this story would not be merely fanfiction but a script of a broadcasted episode. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed my story. The comments are much appreciated!

At times the pain was almost unbearable. Penny didn't know how much time had passed. Days, weeks, hell it could have possibly been months.

It took all her strength to crawl out of bed in the mornings; on her days off she would literally sleep all day. Work was routine and she pretended she was a robot programmed to do her duties then shut down afterwards.

Sometimes it would be three days or longer before she would shower. Sheldon would let himself in almost everyday to check on her. He tried to get her to play Halo with him and the guys when Leonard was not there. He brought Penny her portion of take out. She would eat a bite or two then set it on her kitchen counter until he came the next day and threw it in the trash.

One evening (or was it morning?) Penny wasn't sure, Sheldon stood over her with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Penny you need to eat something." He said sternly.

"I don't feel like it." She mumbled into her pillow.

Sheldon sighed and slowly sat down on her bed. "Penny you've always had a low body mass for your height, age and skeletal frame but I believe your body mass is much too low now. I know that some females want to look emaciated because of our modern Western concept of beauty but I have never found that look to be remotely attractive." Sheldon paused to sigh again. "Penny you look terrible. You need to eat."

Penny rolled over to look at him. Was he angry? He sounded a little angry. "Sheldon I just don't feel like eating. It takes all I can do to take a couple of bites and swallow without barfing all over the place."

Another sigh from Sheldon, except this was deeper and she could almost hear his teeth grinding together. "Get out of bed."

"I don't want to Sheldon. Leave me alone." Penny tried to roll back over but Sheldon grabbed her upper arm with his right hand, throwing the blanket off of her with the other.

"What the hell, Sheldon?" Penny was alarmed at his forcefulness.

"I said, get out of bed."

When Penny resisted, his grip became tighter and he literally yanked her out of bed dragging her to her feet. He pushed her to the bathroom and spun her around. Penny was face to face with her reflection. "Look at yourself Penny." Sheldon ordered.

Penny's green eyes widened as she stared at her reflection. It was as if it had been a lifetime ago since she had done so. Her hair was tangled and stringy. She had dark circles under her eyes and her cheeks were almost hollow. "Oh Jesus, I do look terrible."

Her gaze drifted to Sheldon's reflection as he stood behind her watching her with a 'no duh' expression on his face.

"Step on your bathroom scale Penny so I can determine your weight." Sheldon ordered again.

Penny nervously stepped on the scale and tears sprang to her eyes as the scale read 95 lbs.

"Oh God! I've lost 15 lbs in--!" She shrieked.

"Three weeks, Penny, it has been three weeks since you and Leonard broke up." said Sheldon shaking his head. "Penny, Penny, Penny, that is not a healthy amount of weight to lose for someone of your size and in such a short amount of time."

"I'm sorry Sheldon, I haven't had an appetite and I didn't realize how much time had passed."

"Penny I need you to take a hot shower and I'll make you some lunch, okay?" He spoke to her like she was a child. She thought it funny because it was usually the other way around.

She didn't mind being treated like a child, she felt like a child: vulnerable, sad and scared. She needed someone to take care of her and right now, Sheldon Cooper was the only one that was up for the task.

The smell of vegetable soup and biscuits wafted in to Penny's bedroom as she exited her bathroom. Her hair was wet and uncombed and she managed to wrap her bathrobe around her, following the scent of comfort food.

"Where did you find soup and bread?" Penny asked.

"Where do you think? I certainly did not find it in your pitiful empty cupboards. I remembered this in my kitchen. These food items seemed like a homey sort of meal that I thought you would appreciate at a time like this. It occurred to me that our usual take out fare may not have been best for you since you may have an emotional attachment and…memories to such cuisine. "

Penny managed a weak smile. "Sheldon?"

"Yes Penny?"

"Why are you doing this?"

Sheldon stopped in mid stir. "Well, Penny, you are my friend, you've been through a traumatic event, and no one else is looking after you. I felt that this is a non optional social convention and apart of our friendship agreement." He began to stir again, not missing a beat.

"Oh. Well thank you." Penny managed a half hearted smile.

Sheldon served Penny her meal, giving her large portions, obviously hinting that Penny needed to eat as much as possible. "Good lord Penny!" He cried out, "You are going to catch pneumonia!"

"What?" Penny said in between mouthfuls. Yes this was the kind of food she had needed.

"Your hair is soaking wet, you're barefoot, your skin is still damp and since your chest is not properly covered I can see most of your breasts!"

"What?!" She looked down realizing her bathrobe was not quite tied. Most of her chest and the start of her abdomen were exposed. "Oh geez Sheldon, I'm sorry, I guess I didn't tie my robe tight enough."

"Seriously Penny, do I have to do everything?" He left the kitchen with a tsk, tsk. He emerged moments later with a towel and a comb. "First let's dry that hair a little more and get that mess of tangles combed out."

Penny sat and ate her lunch while Sheldon did just that.

"Penny you have reverted back to being a little child. You are sparking some sort of paternal instinct in me, I don't like it!"

Penny laughed. She actually laughed for the first time in three weeks. "Is that what it's like to have a paternal figure take care of you? I can't imagine my dad taking care of me like this."

"Yes I agree. My father may have been similar to your father. He would have never enacted something of this nature either. I believe our fathers were shaped by some Western, rugged rural idea of men. While it is true that women give birth and nurse babies, in more primitive societies both genders usually had a hand in child rearing. It was not until our progress in to an industrialized society that men, having more physical strength moved away from the home to work in factories, thus leaving the mother at home to become it's center and equivalent."

"Too bad that many families can't go back to that way of life. Of the dad and the mom being able to show emotion and take care of the children together." Penny paused for a second before asking, "Sheldon, you've never really said much about your dad, why is that?"

Sheldon inhaled deeply. "I suppose it is because I don't want to talk about it." He said in his curt Sheldon-y way.

"Fair enough." Penny replied taking another big bite of soup and bread.

"Well look at you Penny. You've almost eaten the whole bowl! Good for you."

Penny had to laugh again. "Sheldon you really don't have to treat me like a baby. I'm fine."

"I guess I can't help myself. For whatever reason, you bring that out in me." Sheldon said as he finished combing out all her tangles. "Seriously Penny when was the last time you brushed your hair?"

"Geez, I don't even remember. That's a bad sign isn't it?" Sheldon agreed with a nod.

"Is your half nudity safely censored?"

"Oh yea, you can look at my face now without being distracted." Penny teased.

"I wasn't distracted per say, I have never been that exposed to your body. How was I not supposed to look?"

"Um, hello, remember when I dislocated my shoulder? You totally peeked at me!" Penny offered.

"True but it was only at your backside and I peeked, it was only for a second."

They both laughed but then Sheldon's face took on a serious expression. "Penny, I have to tell you something and I don't know if this is the right time to do so."

Penny sighed, "What is it Sheldon? Did Leonard and Katherine run off and get hitched?" Her voice dripped with disgust and anger.

"No not quite that extreme. But Leonard and Katherine has been pursuing a relationship and I'm afraid that she is coming over tonight for Halo night."

Penny bit down hard on her bottom lip, trying to keep her soup from coming back up. "Wow, I'm already being replaced that fast, eh?"

"Penny! Don't say that, of course you are not being replaced. Maybe by Leonard, yes but not by the rest of us and certainly not by me."

"I don't know Sheldon. She is a physicist. She's smart; I think she would fit in better with your group anyway. At least you would have more in common. I'm just a ditzy blond, I can't offer anyone anything." A part of Penny wanted to cry and feel sorry for herself but the other part was too damned tired to do so.

"Penny please do not make me angry. You know that at least to me you are a dear friend. I would never let some, some tramp take your place."

"Sheldon, I've never heard you speak like that!"

"Well I threw that in there, I thought maybe you would like it." Sheldon said through one of his breathy laughs.

"I do like it! Thank you Sheldon."

"It is no problem at all."

"No, I mean it Sheldon. Thank you."