December 14th, 2011. 8:30 AM
Penny was wide awake, she was standing under the hot water of her morning shower with a plain cup full of coffee just in reach on the floor beside her. She wasn't at all hungry for the stuff they claimed to be food, but Penny could never resist a good, hot, free cup of coffee. This had only been Penny's second day here and she was already feeling like her life was going to be wasted in here, and she so far wasn't wrong about that.
Penny could tell it was getting harder for her to keep going, to actually sit up in bed was a struggle, but she was going to play off strong and stable as best as she could. Despite the tug she felt on her heart every so often, she didn't tell Dr. Anal this yesterday, but when she was walking back to her room after he chewed her out, she felt quick, sharp pain in her chest.
But nothing happened. That worried her.
That pain was usually a trigger letting her know that she was going to have an attack, but this time it wasn't it, Penny wasn't going to spend much time thinking about it, it was done and over with. She was getting really comfortable under the water, she almost thought she was home again, so she started to sing. Yes, Penny sings in the shower; she also dances too. However Penny couldn't sing, this was her downfall, but oh, how she loved it. Unknowingly to her Dr. Cooper was just outside her bathroom, standing on the other side of the door for an early visit. He couldn't make out the sound so he knocked on the door.
"Penny? Are you alright in there?"
Penny panicked at his voice and tried to get her towel around her so she could answer the door, she was above letting a stranger see her naked.
"Yeah, hold on! Penny jumped out of the shower and for the towel that was on the sink; she forgot all about the coffee cup. She stepped on it, causing it to roll under her foot and sending her colliding to the floor. The loud crash way all Sheldon needed to throw open the door, Penny's eyes went wide and she tried her best to cover herself while she lied on the floor.
"Close your eyes!" She screamed at him while crawling awkwardly over to the towel.
Sheldon didn't listen, he just cocked his brow and shook his head in disbelief, walked over to get Penny's towel and drape it over her.
"Penny, please, I see over ten naked women a day, you are no different. Can you stand? Did you hurt yourself at all?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine."
Penny went to push herself up, when she did this there was a loud pop in her shoulder; now she wasn't alright. Sheldon laid her down and asked her not to move, he carefully rubbed her shoulder all over to see where the damage is.
"Oh, yes, seems you have dislocated your shoulder." Sheldon smiled wickedly down at her.
"Fan-fucking-tastic. Just what I need."
Sheldon helped Penny up and out of the bathroom, "It's nothing serious, we'll just put you in a sling once we put it back into place, and keep you in it for a week, give or take on how fast it heals. Oh and I am now putting you on bed rest, no activity of any sorts."
"You're kidding me? You actually want me to just stay in here?"
"I don't kid."
Penny signed deeply, sneaking out and gossiping with the nurses was the only enjoyment she had in this dull place. And now that was being taken away.
"Well what do you suppose I do now? I'm going to be bored."
"You have a T.V. and visitors, I think you can survive a few days without causing me problems."
Same day, 9:15 AM
Sheldon helped Penny on to bed and left to call in a nurse to take care of Penny while he went to go check up on his other patients, but more importantly; he just had to say goodbye to Mr. Naylor.
He tapped the nurse on the shoulder and whispered in her ear some instructions about Penny.
"Don't let her leave her room, try and not let her move around so much, and be sure to let the other nurses know that she might be in a very foul mood, so make sure anyone who checks on her don't stay long." The nurse nodded her head in understanding and took care of Penny, who had to shout over the nurse to Sheldon.
"Hey! Dr. Anal, where are you going!"
Sheldon still hates her for calling him that, but he had to shake it off.
"I'll tell you, only if you call me by my actual name. Other then that I will be right back." Sheldon made it all the way down to Mr. Naylor's room just as he was picking up his bags.
"Mr. Naylor, good to see you, it's great to see you off as well."
"Ah, Dr. Cooper. I see you are a man of your word."
"That I am, that I am. I hope the best for you, and I would like it if I didn't see you back here anytime soon, unless it's to visit."
"I'll make sure to do that. Thank you so much." Mr. Naylor held out his hand and Sheldon grasped it in his and they both shared a bonding moment that only two men can ever understand.
They both walked down to front office, the whole time just talking as if they were lifelong friends just saying goodbye after a pleasant reunion.
"So Dr. Cooper, how is that Jane doe you were telling me about? Find a heart for her yet?"
Sheldon shook his head no and pushed his hair back in frustration, "Not as of yet. This morning however I walked in on her to see she had dislocated her shoulder, so I've put her on bed rest for a while, in a sling, and in a very bad temper."
Mr. Naylor let out a hearty laugh and pat Sheldon on the back, "Well all I can say is; have fun with that. How many people do you get to meet like that?"
"I rather not meet anyone like that at all."
"Now, don't say that. It's a good thing."
Sheldon watched Mr. Naylor leave his hospital, and he has always had mixed feeling about having people leave. He was happy to see that he made a difference in their life, and allowed them to leave happier, healthier, and above all; they felt in high hopes. But he also felt gloomy when the ones he gets close to leave, he felt this was with Mr. Naylor, he was going to miss their talks, his visits, and just seeing his name on his pager. Sheldon knew though, that even if they left today, they are just as happy be out of the hospital, as Sheldon is to get them out of it. Sheldon only took a moment or two left to reflect on his thoughts, and decided to see if his heart was in yet.
Instead of walking all the way down to the morgue where they keep; one the dead people, and two; organs. He just sent a quick page, and continued with his rounds.
His pager went off half way through his rounds, no heart.
Sheldon was starting to feel the one disheartened here, but this was no time for him to start losing hope, even if she didn't know it just yet, Penny was counting on him.
Same day, 2:38 PM
Penny was laying down in bed, a smile was plastered on her face, her friends had came to visit her. It was all good fun, they were laughing at how they sent her in the hospital with a bad heart and now they might get her back with a busted shoulder. "
So, Penny have they told you when you're getting out? I can't watch over your store forever." One of Penny's friends teased, but Penny couldn't bring herself to tell them that she won't be leaving, that she can't leave.
So she just had to lie until she broke down and told them everything.
"Oh, they haven't actually told me yet, they are doing a few more test, and you know see if I am able to go back into the scary real world." They all laughed loudly and giggled like little school girls, Penny did miss this, she missed having all of her friends with her, and just feeling like she hasn't lost touch with the outside world. That she still somehow belonged there, even if she was just a small part, a part that was normally overlooked by so many, but still mattered
There was a soft knock at the door, the three heads of the girls looked over to see Sheldon standing in the doorway.
"I hope I am not interrupting anything, I just came to take a look over Penny."
"Nah, you're fine Doctor. We were just talking." Penny pipped up.
"I can plainly see that, ladies if you would please step aside." Sheldon motioned his hand for them to move, Penny's friends gave sideways looks before agreeing.
"Hey, actually I think we will go get some coffee, we will be right back." Voiced one of the girls and they both left, but not before glaring at the back of Sheldon's head.
"Come on, Dr. Anal! I don't get to see them for so long and you scare them away."
"That was their own fault, they are just poor at understanding how busy a man can get. And for the last time, it's Cooper, I am Dr. Cooper, and I would like to be addressed as such, or I will go back to calling you Miss Hunter."
So, Dr. Anal likes to play that way? Fine, if Penny was going to have to suffer through spending time with him, might as well get some enjoyment out of her part.
"Sorry... Sheldon."
Sheldon hung his head in defeat, and Penny couldn't help but smile to herself.
"You are just too much of a problem for anyone aren't you?" Sheldon pulled up a seat next to Penny's bed and browsed her chart for the third time today.
"Oh like you're one to talk, I don't understand how people can work with you."
"They don't. They work for me, there is a difference."
"Of course they do. So you must be here for a reason, spill."
Sheldon was silent for a moment, and Penny could tell he was feeling uneasy about something, she had that sort of empathy.
"What? What is it? Do I have less time to live now?"
"No, no, it's not that... it's just, I put you on the waiting list for a heart."
Penny shot up into an upright sitting position, anger mixed with disbelief, and even gratitude on her face.
"You did what? I thought I told you I didn't want any stupid new heart."
"You said that yes, but you never signed anything saying that if you were to die or if any opportunity to save you came up, we were not allowed to do our job and save you. Look I plugged in the numbers and I did all the background checks, you are perfect for a new heart. It would increase your lifespan to twenty even thirty years. You could live a full life."
Penny sat there, looking down at her hands, in complete shock, she could cry out and hug Sheldon, or she could have tried jumping out the window, but sitting there thinking over everything was a good third choice. She never thought she could actually live a full life like everyone else she knows.
"How can I pay for it? I didn't think my insurance covered it?"
"Not all of it no, but it will cover the cost of the surgery, the rest you will just have to pay."
Again, Penny was silent, "Why tell me this now? Not when you put my name on the list?"
Penny saw Sheldon's blue eyes look into her as he spoke with such kindness, "I was going to put it off as long as I could, till the heart got here, but when you hurt yourself this morning, I could see that waiting would no longer be the right choice, so I had to tell you, I just hope something comes for you soon."
Penny's friends come back to the room, they both had a cup in their hands, and they got really quite from what they were talking about.
"I guess this is time for me to leave, I will be coming by later on to check up on you, Penny."
"Goodbye, Dr. Cooper." Penny could see a small smile on his face as he disappeared out of sight.
"What was he talking to you about?" Asked the overly talkative of the two.
"Oh, just that I'm going to be okay."
"He's a bit of an asshole." Said the other one.
"Yeah, but you have to admit, he's pretty damn fine!"
The three shared one more outburst of laughter, and Penny gave one last input about her Doctor.
"Yeah, and he's also one of the nicest men I think I ever met."
AN: You have no idea how sorry I am for putting this story off for so long, I up and got sick last week and couldn't bring myself to add to it, but here it is, your long awaited chapter. Please read, enjoy and if you are that type of person, review.
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