He nodded a hello to the people he passed in the hallway. He knew most of their faces, just as they knew his. He turned a corner and moved to the third door on the left. It was standing open, but he closed it behind him. He walked over and set the messenger bag on the desk. He turned to the closet and opened it up. He pulled out clean jeans and a light blue shirt. He moved to the dresser and grabbed underwear. He shut the blinds and moved to the bed. Blank eyes stared at the wall, not even glancing his way.
"Good morning, Penny."
He brushed her hair and braided it before securing the end with a blue and green Penny-Blossom. He transferred her to the wheelchair and walked over to open the door. He picked up his bag and a small blanket. He maneuvered her out of the room and down the hall. One of the aides saw them coming and held open the door.
"Good morning, Dr. Cooper. Hello, Penny. You look very nice," she said gently.
Sheldon nodded his thanks and took Penny out into the garden. He settled them under the willow tree and he sat down on the bench. He placed the blanket over her lap and began telling her about the new theory he was working on. Once he finished that, he pulled a worn copy of Chocolat out and began reading aloud.
At noon he returned Penny to her room and got her settled in the recliner by the window. He bent and kissed her forehead gently. "I have to go to work now, Penny. I'll be back this evening. I love you." He chastised himself for searching her eyes for some spark, some hint that she heard him. He slowly walked from the room and left the long term care facility. Raj was waiting in the parking lot. He slid into the car and buckled up. Neither man said a word.
Sheldon set his alarm for the morning, and slid into bed. He looked at the picture on the bedside table. He was wearing Mickey Mouse ears and Penny was hugging him tight. It had been two years since a drunk driver had slammed into her car on her way home from work. She had almost died twice. Leonard and the others thought it would have been better if she had. Her family said she would hate to be in this state. Unable to speak, to recognize anyone. The doctors called it a persistent vegetative state. They said it was highly unlikely she would ever recover. It took him 14 months of court battles and most of his savings to have himself declared her guardian. Only Raj had taken his side. Even going so far as to call on his sister and cousin to assist in the legal proceedings.
Sheldon wasn't naïve. He knew the odds. He knew exactly how low her chances of recovery were. But as long as there was a chance, he wasn't going to give up. He would never abandon her. He could never forgot about her.