Leonard found Sheldon crying on the bench outside the hospital.
"Sheldon…" Leonard said.
"I don't understand!" Sheldon said again. "Why did she do it? Why did she starve?"
"She was worried about you!" Leonard said.
"But I'm here!" Sheldon cried. "Why isn't she eating up?"
"Sheldon, she said it: it's not that simple." Leonard sighed.
"That's what she keeps telling me." Sheldon said grumpily. "Just take me home. I don't want to go back to her like this."
Leonard took Sheldon home, where Sheldon spent the rest of the day sulking in his room. Leonard met Penny on the way in.
"Hey, have you seen Mimi?" she asked.
"No, she's at the hospital." Leonard said.
"Still with Gabriel?" Penny rolled her eyes. "Ugh, so going out."
"No, she got worried and driven with guilt after Sheldon ran away and got anorexia." Leonard said.
"What?" Penny laughed. "Over Sheldon?"
"Shut up." Leonard said.
"Ok, so why did Sheldon run away?" Penny said.
"Because he was jealous of Gabriel." Leonard said.
"Oh, thank goodness." Penny said.
"How is that good?" Leonard exploded. "Sheldon is in the dumps, Mimi is dying, and who know what's happened to Gabriel?"
"Since when have you cared so much about Sheldon?" Penny asked. "And especially Mimi?"
"They're my friends!" Leonard said.
"And I'm not?" Penny shouted. "You hadn't called me once after the night of that show! Nor came by to say hi!"
"What about that?" Leonard said.
"Oh get lost, Leonard Hofstadter." Penny spat, and went to her room. Leonard groaned. What was wrong with his life?
Mimi sat on her bed and sulked. Maybe she really wasn't enough for Sheldon. Maybe that's why he ran away. Maybe…
She paid a visit to her doctor and decided to decrease her portions. She wasn't ready for this yet.
The next morning, when Mimi woke up, she found Sheldon sitting beside her bed with Leonard. She gasped. "Oh, Sheldon!" she silently said.
"I'm back." Sheldon said.
"Sheldon, I am so sorry." Mimi said. "You're right, why can't I eat that damn thing?"
"Yes. You'd better eat." Sheldon said sarcastically. "You look half dead."
"I am really sorry about yesterday." Mimi said, sadly.
Leonard looked at Sheldon. "Don't you remember what we practiced?" he asked.
Sheldon sighed. "Look, Mimi I am sorry I ran away." He said. "I didn't know it will do such horrible things to you."
"Sheldon, it's ok." Mimi said. She reached out and put her bony arms around Sheldon's neck, and Sheldon bent down to hold her.
"I was… worried. That you were going to die." Sheldon sobbed.
"Sheldon, I won't die." Mimi said. "You're here, I think I'll be ok."
Sheldon stayed with Mimi for the next few weeks, working at the hospital, and made sure she ate her now 1400-kcal meal. Mimi did cry sometimes, protesting she couldn't eat, but Sheldon could make her most of the times. Mimi was released from the hospital for a short trip home.
"I want to spend the two days wisely, with you." Sheldon said. He was holding Mimi's hand as they walked down the stairs to go to the park. He could still feel all the bones in her hand, but he guessed she was returning to the Mimi he knew.
"Me too." Mimi said. Summer was only beginning to end, with the slightest cool breezes which always made Sheldon feel nice, but Mimi was wearing cardigan and scarves.