CHAPTER 24
"So, that's it! Amy, you can change your clothes now, and go home; just remember, you need some rest. Please, take things slow for the next couple of weeks." Dr. Martina Lundqvist told Amy as she handed the sonogram pictures to Sheldon. He couldn't take his eyes off those black and white pictures. His face lit up in a unique way. Amy couldn't remember seeing him this happy before. Martina left the office, so Amy could change her clothes in privacy.
Amy got up from the bed and started to remove her white hospital gown; underneath it, she only had her underwear. Sheldon was absorbed in the contemplation of their baby's first photos.
"Sheldon, could you please bring me my clothes?, they're behind that screen", Amy was glad to go home.
When Sheldon looked up and saw Amy taking off that robe, he felt extremely shy, his cheeks turned deep red. Trying to look away, he handed the clothes to Amy; she was only wearing her undies.
Amy smiled tenderly. Despite everything that had happened between them, Sheldon was as innocent as the day they met.
Martina entered the waiting room, where Mattias was still sitting; he was drinking a cup of coffee, completely alone. Martina sat next to him.
"Hey, can I have a sip of your coffee? Uff! What a day!" Martina exclaimed as she drank Mattias's hot espresso. "This is definitely not decaf" She laughed.
"You must think I'm an idiot. Don't you?" Mattias asked.
"An idiot? No, not at all. Martina replied sincerely. "I think you're a great person with a huge heart. You know that thanks to you, Amy and her baby are doing well, right?. She told me she's so grateful for your help.
"I ... I knew she had a boyfriend, and still I made up this absurd story in my head, in which Amy and I ended up together somehow. How pathetic am I?", Mattias confessed to Martina.
Martina gently stroked Mattias arm and said: "You're not pathetic. This has happened to everyone at some point; just ask me!." Martina giggled. "For instance, when you and I went together to medical school, I had the biggest unrequited crush you can imagine. This guy was amazing, he was one of my best friends; he was funny, smart, cute… but he had a girlfriend. What was her name? Ah, Frida!, yeah that was his girlfriend's name." Martina smiled at Mattias.
"Frida? What a coincidence! That's my ex-girlfriend's name!", Mattias laughed.
"Yes, what a coincidence!", Martina nervously took another sip of Mattias's coffee. She blushed.
Sheldon held Amy by the arm, as they entered the waiting room.
"Amy, are you okay?, Let me help you", Mattias said as he walked hurriedly to her.
"Thank you, but Amy doesn't need your help! She has me! I can help her". Sheldon grunted at Mattias, clenching his right fist in anger. "Ahhh!" He cried out when he felt that terrible pain in his hand again.
Although Mattias disliked Sheldon, he was always willing to help someone in need. "Let me check your hand" Mattias asked Sheldon.
"No! It's nothing. Let's go Amy!, Sheldon answered. "I hate hospitals".
"Sheldon, I think you should let Mattias check your hand. I feel better now, but your hand looks increasingly swollen."
Sheldon looked at Amy, as if he was asking her approval. She nodded. Sheldon rise up his hand while Mattias examined him. "Ouch!, be careful", Sheldon yelled.
"Well, as I thought, this looks like a fifth metacarpal fracture. This bone, right here on your little finger, is broken". Mattias said when he pressed the fracture site.
"Ow! It hurts! You're doing this on purpose?", Sheldon yelled again.
"This injury is known as boxer's fracture, said Martina. "Come with me, you need X-rays".
After the X-rays, which confirmed that he had a fracture, they put a cast on Sheldon's arm and hand to immobilize the joint. The Traumatologist gave him a very powerful painkiller, which left Sheldon felling relieved, but drowsy.
"Thanks Mattias, you've done so much for us", Amy stated as she hugged Sheldon.
"Yes. Thank you, Thor!", Sheldon was smiling, he was still sleepy and dizzy because of the medication. He kissed Amy softly on the lips.
"Ha ha!". I think you, couple of lovebirds, should go home and get some sleep", Martina was amused with the situation. "What a crazy day!"
Mattias drove Amy and Sheldon to the apartment building where she was staying. When he was sure that Amy was all right, he said goodbye and went home. Although he didn't have the best relationship with Sheldon; Mattias could tell that she loved him deeply, and everything indicated that Sheldon loved her in the same way.
Sheldon slept for about an hour on Amy's couch. The minute he woke up, he looked around, trying to find her. She was at the kitchen. "Hey, you woke up! What are you hungry for?".
"Amy, what are you doing?", Sheldon questioned her, felling quite somnolent.
"I'm preparing dinner. Although I don't have much of an appetite, you must be starving", she replied.
"No, no, no!. I'm the one who should be taking care of you and our baby. The doctor said you need rest. Go put on your pajamas and let dad take care of everything", Sheldon insisted.
"Okay, okay! I'll let daddy take care of everything", Amy said blissfully. It was the second time that Sheldon called himself Dad. She loved to hear him say that. Amy walked to her room and quickly changed her clothes. Even though she still felt a slight pain in her belly, more like an occasional cramp; she was feeling better now, with Sheldon by her side.
Amy leaned back on the couch and covered herself with a blanket, while Sheldon was cooking something that smelled really good. "Are you sure you don't need help with that?, It must be difficult to cook with a cast in your right hand".
"No, dinner's almost ready. Leave it all to me", Sheldon was a very good cook, indeed. Amy had tried his sourdough bread, and it was delicious.
"Sheldon, you never told me you were coming to Stockholm. I know you don't like surprises", Amy questioned him. "Leonard told me you were in Galveston with your mom and Meemaw".
Sheldon never lied, but he had been forced by the circumstances. Now that he was exposed , he needed to tell Amy the truth. He'd come to Stockholm to fight for his woman. He bit his bottom lip nervously.
"Well, it's a decision I made a week ago. The day you had that presentation of your project at the Neurosciences Institute; I noticed you were going out with Mattias. The simple thought of that Viking with his arms around you, was utterly repulsive. What can I say?. I never liked sharing. I had to fight for what's ... mine."
"Is that why you tried to punch Mattias?. Sheldon Cooper, this is unbelievable!, How could you think there was something between Mattias and I", Amy was feigning anger, actually she was glad to know how important she was for Sheldon.
"Amy calm down!. I'm not particularly proud of my actions, but you can't deny that my jealous rage brought me here, with you and our little homo novus". Sheldon admitted.
"Yes, you're right", Amy put her hands on her belly as she stared at the ultrasound photos on the coffee table.
"You know I don't believe in superstitions or hunches, but I had a gut feeling that you needed me. I didn't know why, but I knew you needed me. Now I can see that I was right" the theoretical physicist told her with words full of love. "How come you didn't tell me?".
Amy took a deep breath. This was the question that she was afraid to answer. "I was extremely scared and confused; I thought you wouldn't want a child. This is such a commitment".
The food was ready and Sheldon sat next to Amy on the couch. Dinner smelled great.
"I was very scared, I thought of you; what would you do when the baby cries?. Would you help me when the baby is sick? Would you help me to change diapers?. What if the baby won't let you sleep at night? What if my child isn't a genius and doesn't meet your expectations?" Amy was about to cry. "Excuse me; my hormone levels have reached their peak."
"I'm so stupid!", Amy cried, she couldn't hold those tears streaming down her face.
Sheldon kissed her again, holding her against his chest. "I think I just learned how to calm you down every time you have these mood swings", he said. "Now, please eat something, you look very thin and pale. We need to ask Dr. Martina Lundqvist a prescription for folic acid and prenatal vitamins".
Sheldon had cooked chicken with mashed potatoes, and it was really good. Amy tried the food, feeling a bitter and salty taste in her mouth, she couldn't help it; she was nauseated again. Lately almost everything she ate was quickly expelled from her stomach.
"Sheldon, no offense, you're a good cook, but ... Ugh!", Amy got up from the couch and ran to the bathroom. Her stomach emptied rapidly. Amy brushed her teeth. Sadly, tooth brushing increased her urges to vomit.
Knock, knock, knock, "Amy". Knock, knock, knock, "Amy". Knock, knock, knock, "Amy. Are you okay? You don't like the food? Do you want something else?", Sheldon was concerned for Amy.
"No, I'm fine", Amy replied as she got out of the bathroom". "I'm sure the food is delicious. It's just that I forgot to mention that your little homo novus, has its preferences for food. I think I'll have some vanilla ice cream", Amy walked towards the kitchen. "Umm, I could have some olives, too".
Sheldon watched Amy enjoying the strange combination of vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips and black olives, and then he turned on his iPad.
"With everything that had happened today, I didn't have time to call Leonard and tell him that I'm already in Stockholm, with you. He will be so happy when he knows that in seven months or so, he's going to be Uncle Leonard, Ha ha!" Sheldon said with his typical laugh.
"Sheldon, don't you want to wait a little before you tell Leonard?. Maybe in a couple of weeks, when our baby is no longer at risk, we can tell the news to everyone", Amy was still afraid of losing her child. "Can we keep this secret? Just for a while!".
"Yes, you're right. Let's keep the secret!", Sheldon replied. He felt a little disappointed, not being able to tell his best friend, but he didn't want Amy to worry unnecessarily.
Leonard was working on his computer, writing down the protocol for a new experiment, when the ringtone of a video call, surprised him.
"Hi Sheldon, hi Amy!", Leonard greeted his friends, smiling to them, on the computer screen.
"Hi Leonard", they both replied in unison.
Leonard could see that Sheldon was content to be with Amy. Sheldon showed him his right hand in a cast, saying that he hurt his fist by accident. They talked for several minutes about Sheldon's journey and the recent progress of Amy's research.
The ultrasound pictures remained on the coffee table and every so often, Sheldon looked at them out of the corner of his eye. He really wanted to show the pictures to Leonard. Amy couldn't withstand the temptation to share their happiness with their friends.
Sheldon looked at Amy directly into her eyes and she nodded. Leonard kept talking and talking about something that happened at work. Amy and Sheldon didn't pay attention anymore.
"Leonard, I wish you'd stop talking for a moment because, I want you to meet someone", Sheldon said in his most casual tone.
Leonard was a little surprised by the turn the conversation took, but finally said: "Alright!".
Sheldon grabbed the ultrasound photo that showed the wave produced by their baby's heartbeat and placed it in front of the webcam.
"What's that?", Leonard didn't know what the picture before him was.
"Leonard, the correct question would be: Who's that?". This is my offspring! Our first child", Sheldon added proudly.
"What did you say? I… I heard you wrong." Leonard couldn't understand what was happening.
"Sheldon just said this is the first picture of our baby, our Cooper-Fowler baby", Amy was unable to hide her excitement.
"No, no, please! Don't joke around with that, that's not funny!", Leonard said incredulously. "You fooled me once. I don't believe you."
"Leonard, this is not a joke! I'm going to be a daddy. Amy is pregnant", Sheldon replied sincerely. "Isn't it fascinating?".
"You… you… wait there!", Leonard rushed out of the apartment.
"Penny, Penny. Come and check this out! You won't believe it!, Leonard shouted. He took Penny by her arm and practically dragged her to the living room of his apartment.
Penny watched the image on the laptop's screen and greeted Sheldon and Amy: "Hi guys, I'm glad you're together now", she told them.
"Hi Penny, we have something to show you. Look at this! This is the first picture of our baby, Auntie Penny", Amy tenderly smiled.
"Oh my God!. Oh my God!. This is ... oh Dear God!. Penny was speechless.
