Sheldon is confronted with more than just Penny's physical injuries. There's her emotional ones, as well.

Sheldon drew himself up to his full height. "I do not believe I posed a query. I made a statement. You will get cleaned up and you will go out for a little bit."

Penny reached up and turned off the overhead light.

Sheldon calmly walked over to the head of the bed and turned it back on.

Penny glared at him for a second before reaching back up. Sheldon grabbed her wrist with one hand and flung back the blanket with another. Her gown was bunched up around her waist, giving him a full view of not just her pink boy shorts, but of the thick bandages running from her side to the base of her back. Pain lanced through him at the evidence of her injury. More pain struck as Penny slapped his hands away and tugged the blanket back.

"Go away," she begged softly. "Just …go back to wherever you came from and leave me alone again!" A tear spilled over her cheek and she shut her eyes tight.

Sheldon reached out and softly wiped away a second tear. Penny cringed back from him and he froze. She hates me that much? he thought sorrowfully. He took a deep breath and walked over to the bathroom. He quickly filled the wash pan and grabbed a cotton towel. He was silent as he returned to the bedside and opened the duffel bag. He pulled out her grape seed body wash and lathered up a washcloth after donning rubber gloves.

When he turned to her, her eyes were closed tight, but she made no objection as he gently washed her face. He moved on to her arms without a word passing between them. When he eased the blanket back again, she stiffened but gave no other indication she knew what he was doing.

Half an hour later he was inching loose sweats up her legs and placing thick socks on her feet. A soft knock on the door made him cover her back up with the blanket. The door opened and Missy and Bernadette peered around it. The two women smiled and walked over to the bed.

"Hello, Penny," Missy said cheerfully. "It's good to see you."

Penny finally opened her eyes and looked over at his sister. "Hello, Missy. Hello, Bernadette." Her voice was flat and rivaled Stuart's.

Missy bit her lip and tried for an even more upbeat tone. "I spoke to Mom earlier. She'll be back from youth camp on Saturday, then she'll be flying up to visit with ya."

Penny just stared at Missy for a few seconds before turning back to the watermark. "Fine."

Sheldon refused to allow Penny to ignore them. He picked up the blue shirt he had brought. It was the one she had worn the day they met. He reached over and gently tugged the gown over Penny's head, receiving no objection from her. She sighed and helped him thread her arms through the blouse. With his peripheral vision he saw Bernadette move the thickly padded wheelchair from the corner of the room to the bed. Missy stepped forward to help him sit Penny up and he smoothed the shirt into place.

"Here," Bernadette said softly. "I know how to do it." She moved around Sheldon and Penny automatically wound her arms around her friend's neck. Bernadette, despite her small stature, easily swung Penny over into the chair. Pain burst over Penny's face but she kept quiet. A drop of blood appeared on her bottom lip where she had bitten through the skin. Missy placed Penny's feet on the footrests and tucked a blanket around her legs.

Sheldon gently wiped away the blood on her lip. Then he released the brakes and turned the chair toward the door. "Now," he said with satisfaction, "let's take a walk around the grounds. Then we can eat some lunch." Bernadette opened the door and the four of them headed out into the corridor.

XXXXX

Penny barely spoke as they made their way through the gardens. She paid scant attention to their surroundings, seemingly resigned to the outing, but uninterested in it. Sheldon maneuvered her chair to a small table under an umbrella. He sent Missy and Bernadette to the sub shop across the street for their lunches. Once they were gone, he turned to Penny. She was looking at her hands which were twisted together. He tried to figure out the most pleasant way to say what he had on his mind.

"Why are you here?" she asked softly.

Sheldon leaned his arms on the table and waited until she looked up at him. "Because I need to be," he said. "You are hurt and I want to help. As soon as I heard, I came back."

Penny nodded. "So you're here to fix me?"

Sheldon frowned, sure there was a linguistically trap in that statement. "I am here to help you get well."

Penny's eyes seemed to focus on something just over his shoulder. "What if I don't want your help?" she asked softly.

Sheldon suppressed the ache her words caused. "Don't you?"

Penny looked back at him for several seconds. "No," she finally said. "I don't think I do." She looked over to where Bernadette and Missy were approaching. "Because I can't trust you anymore," she whispered, almost to herself.

XXXXX

He returned her to her room a little after 2pm. Her parents were already there, watching hopefully as he and Bernadette got her settled back into bed. Mrs. Queen immediately grasped Penny's limp hand. He followed Missy and Bernadette out of the room after a soft goodbye. He sighed as he stepped into the elevator.

"Please don't give up," Bernadette begged softly. "Give it time."

Sheldon looked at the petite blonde with determination. "I do not intend to give up. I will remain here, by her side, for as long as it takes."

XXXXX

Sheldon signed the last of the paperwork and handed it back to the nurse. He waited for her to gather the release papers and prescriptions patiently.

"I never would have believed you could be such a bastard."

Sheldon turned and looked at his former friend. "And I would never have believed you would turn out to be one either. I guess we were both wrong."

Leonard stepped closer, his hands clenched into fists. "You were insane! Every day you got more and more neurotic! Would you rather I had let Howard or Raj kill you? You brought it on yourself! I was trying to keep you from completely losing your life!"

Sheldon's eyes were like shards of ice. "You didn't do it for me. I've had two years to think things over, Leonard. Two years to piece it all together." He leaned closer and his voice dropped to a more menacing tone. "You and I were getting along just fine until you found the email Penny sent me. The next day I suddenly started getting my "results". Coincidence? Penny sent one and only one email during our entire trip and it was to me. How that must have killed you."

Hate spread over Leonard's face. "Why you?!" he practically screamed. "I'm the one who loved her! I'm the one who did everything to make her notice me! You treated her like a burden! You never appreciated her!"

By now they were attracting a lot of attention from staff, patients and visitors. Sheldon turned to the nurse approaching cautiously. He held out his hand and took the folder she was carrying. He glanced over everything quickly and nodded his thanks. He turned back to Leonard calmly, unimpressed with the pain and anger on Leonard's face. "Why me? Maybe because she knew I was the one who didn't see her as nothing more than the "hot chick". Maybe because she respected me." Sheldon shrugged and said the one thing he could never have said two years ago. "Maybe because she knew I needed her."

Before Leonard could say anything else, Missy appeared around the corner, pushing Penny's wheelchair carefully. Both women looked at Leonard in surprise. He quickly schooled his expression and hurried forward.

"Penny, I was just on my way to see you," Leonard said. "I've come up with a solution. As you know, I have two bedrooms, and I was thinking you could stay at my apartment until you are back on your feet." He gave her a winning smile. "I have already spoken to a home health nurse, and she can start the day you get out of the hospital."

Penny looked over at Sheldon who was watching her impassively. She knew instinctively that he would not argue with her. She also knew that if she said yes to Leonard, Sheldon would leave and go back to wherever he had disappeared to. Penny looked back at Leonard. She studied him closely for several long heartbeats. Neither option appealed to her, to be honest. She didn't want either of them here. But at least with Sheldon, she would be alone in her own home.

"Leonard, two years ago I told you I wanted nothing more to do with you, Howard or Raj. I don't know why my parents called you to tell you I was in the hospital, but I haven't changed my mind. We are not friends. You betrayed your best friend. I have no respect for you or the others. Why on earth would you think I would trust you now?"

Sheldon felt relief at her words, and moved around his former roommate to hand Missy the papers. He took the handles of the wheelchair and began moving Penny toward the elevators. None of them spoke during the ride down to the lobby. Missy rushed ahead to pull her car around and two nurses helped transfer Penny into the backseat. She turned her head to look out the window as soon as she was settled. He briefly considered sitting in the back with her, because he could see the faint lines of pain around her eyes and mouth. Even a blind man could see she was in no mood to talk or be comforted. She may not trust or want Leonard around, but she wasn't exactly eager for his company, either.