Penny' mind careened back and forth between thoughts of how Leonard would recover or if he would recover at all. Suddenly, she contemplated a horrible thought. What if Leonard dies?

She staggered at the prospect of this possibility coming through. She felt the tears well up in her eyes and then spill on to her cheeks. She fought to wipe them off with her hand in fingers. By now her head throbbed and her stomach ached. The world around her seemed surreal as if though this was a bad dream that should be waking up from. Because in her mind, if she didn't, the prospect of Leonard not being around anymore, struck dark fear into her heart.

"Leonard!" she cried.

"I love you!" she declared.

Why did this happen. I love you!

Within 15 minutes she was at the hospital. After parking the car, she headed towards the lobby and asked the receptionist at the desk if Leonard Hofsteader had been admitted into Emergency.

The elderly lady checked her computer screen and typed in the information as Penny relayed it to her.

"Yes, he's in Emergency right now" she replied. She went on to direct Penny how to get there.

Penny thanked her and raced down the corridor.

A few minutes later she arrived in the Emergency Area. She asked the on duty nurse where Leonard was. After the nurse checked, she informed Penny that he was being taken into surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain.

"Broken arm and two broken left ribs. He has a concussion as well." The nurse stated.

"Are you his wife?" she asked.

His wife? What a wonderful change that would be from this hell!

"No" Penny replied. "I'm his next door neighbor."

"You said he had a blood clot?" Penny asked incredulously.

"I'm afraid so" the nurse replied.

"Listen, miss, do you know his next of kin or how to get a hold of them?"

"They're all back East." Penny stated. "I don't know what to do!" she cupped her hand to her mouth and her tears welled up again.

The nurse could see that Penny was extremely upset at the situation her next door neighbor was in. She seemed to be more than just a neighbor for her to be in this condition.

"Do you know who could get a hold of them?" she asked.

"Sheldon!"

"Is he his brother?"

"No, I'm sorry," Penny said, sniffling, "Sheldon is his room mate"

"Oh!"

"If anyone knows how to get a hold of them, it would be Sheldon. I'll call him."

Half a continent away, Sheldon's phone rang. It was nearly dinner time and his mother had prepared another great meal that scintillated his nostrils and wetted his mouth like a Pavlovian dog with drool at the prospect of digging into one of his mom's patented home cooked dinners.

He checked his phone to see that Penny was calling.

How odd! Why would Penny be calling me?

"Penny!?" he remarked.

"Sheldon! Thank God!" she blurted out.

"This is an odd surprise but I must warn you I am about to head downstairs for one of my mom's great home cooked meals so I can't talk right this minute."

"Sheldon, I need your help"

"Can't it wait until after dinner?" he replied in a semi-dismissive tone that belied his disdain for having his meal interrupted by a phone call.

"No Sheldon it can't!" she said tersely.

"Why can't it? Many meals are interrupted by phone calls but the answerer informs the caller that they have called during dinner and that they will call them after the meal has been consumed!"

"Sheldon! Listen to me! I need you to call Leonard's parents immediately!" she demanded.

"Why!" Sheldon demanded back.

"Because…" she stammered and it was now hard to state what had happened.

"Sheldon, Leonard's been in an accident" she stated as she started to cry.

"What?!" Sheldon replied as he sank into the nearby chair. "How did this happen?"

"Leonard's been in a car accident. He's in surgery right now. The doctors are trying to remove the blood clot. He's got a broken arm and two broken ribs. He also has a concussion. Sheldon, please call his parents and let them know what has happened!" Her breath and voice gave out.

"Penny, I'll call them right away!"

"Please hurry Sheldon, and call Raj and Howard. You're his best friends; I don't think I can talk any longer. I'm just a bundle of nerves!"

"Ok, I will do it right away." Sheldon declared.

"Sheldon, is there anyway you could all come back, because I don't think I can face this alone. Especially if he… if he… dies!"

"Penny, do not think that way! You need to generate positive Alpha Waves and eliminate that kind of thought from your head. I'll call the guys and get them to head back to where you're at.
What hospital is he in?" he asked.

"Huntington Memorial." Penny replied.

"Alright then. I will take care of these matters immediately and then try to get the first flight back to Burbank. I'll be back as soon as I am able to."

"Thanks Sheldon!" Penny gushed.

"Goodbye Penny." Sheldon uttered.

"Bye Sheldon."

The conversation had calmed Penny somewhat. Yet she had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that it would all be for naught if something happened to Leonard before the guys could return.

Penny returned to the Emergency Room desk and told the hospital that Leonard's Parents would be notified immediately.

"I don't know what else to do." Penny said.

"Well, you can give us as much information as possible as you have, so at least we have something to go by. Right now you're the closest person he has in this hospital."

"I must look a mess right now," Penny said. All of a sudden it popped into her head that the crying and runny nose must have done wonders to her appearance.

"Life threatening situations usually do that to people who have a loved one in peril" the nurse replied.

"Loved one?" Penny asked.

"Next door neighbors usually don't react the way you do to this type of situation. I can tell."

"Tell what?" Penny asked as if she wanted to deflect the obvious away from her.

"That you're in love with him sweetie!" the nurse exclaimed.

Penny thought to herself. I am!