Chapter - 20 Consequences?

The four of them had been dead tired when they went to sleep, Penny, Howard and Bernadette, having gone through an emotional rollercoaster, the day before, then the physical exertion of saving their friend. Leonard was both physically hurt, then had been drown and revived, his body just needed rest, to get back to normal. It was no surprise that Leonard feel asleep and stayed asleep all night his body trying to recover from the abuse that should have killed him. Penny, Howard and Bernadette should have been out all night too, but each of them spent the night in varying states of fitful sleep.

Bernadette slept for a few hours, then suddenly woke up, a dream scaring her awake, of her being alone and not being able to find Howard. She almost woke up screaming, but no sooner that she regained a little consciousness, she felt Howard's arms around her and immediately knew it was a bad dream. However, as Bernadette now lay awake in his arms, she remembered all he had told her before she fell asleep, and the recurring thought of being without him, made her heart feel cold. The next two hours, she didn't know if she napped or not, as she tried to reason a way for Howard not to be taken from her and realizing she had absolutely no control over what was going to happen to her.

Howard had woke up almost an hour after Bernadette, and with her laying on his chest he only saw the top of her head, not that her eyes were open most of the time while she thought. He tried not to move, so he would not disturb his sleeping wife, he felt she needed her sleep, never knowing she lay awake. As he laid there he thought about her and how he would plead to whatever authorities were punishing them, that his wife was not involved, the thought of her being locked up the most horrible thing he could think of right now. He was still trying to figure what he could do, when he felt Bernadette squeeze him harder, like she had done while she was awake earlier.

"Bernadette you should be asleep."

"Howie, I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, I was awake for a little while."

"You too. I have been here thinking about everything."

"Honey, I'll protect you I promise, I'll make sure they know you weren't involved, only me."

The fear of him being locked up took over her mind again, and she looked up at him, pulling herself up to him to kiss him. "Howie, I love you." it was all she could say, she didn't know what was going to happen when the sun came up and she just wanted her husband. Bernadette moved herself until she was on her husband then pulled her shirt off, then his, so when they kissed again their bare chests were pressed against each other. It wasn't long before their bare bodies were locked in an embrace as their passion drove anything else from their minds.

-TIN MAN-

Penny slept deeply for a couple hours, then came wide awake, to the noise, when the nurse did her check of Leonard's vitals. Leonard had a heart, oxygen intake and blood pressure monitor system on him to make sure he had no problems that night and a nurse checked on him every one to two hours on top of that. Leonard was asleep on his back and all his monitor leads exited from the right side of his body, while Penny laid curled up against him on his left side.

Penny now laid there thinking, she was worried about Leonard again, when she first came to the hospital, with him, she was totally concerned with him only, but now she had time to think about the other things that had happened since they got there. There were guards outside, this room they were in, and their clothes were taken away, the military had been controlling them since they got there and Penny was convinced they were prisoners. She also could tell, by the way they were acting around him, that the military was very interested in Leonard and with all that interest, plus being prisoners, Penny was concerned about what they had in mind for him.

So Penny just laid there, the rest of the night, napping for short periods and then waking to think, or to watch the nurse when she came it to check on Leonard. She wanted to talk to him so badly, but she wanted him to rest and sleep more, he was so banged up, it was all she could do, not to cry. She settled for just being close to him, gently touching him and looking at him as he slept, she knew she would never look at him the same again. No man, no matter how big or how muscular would ever measure up to Leonard, in her mind again, he was her hero, her Prince Charming, and her white knight. However, as she laid there, she also remembered, in great detail, how it felt, last night, to think she had lost him and how close she came to that being true, it made her shiver, especially when she realized his future and hers was still uncertain.

-TIN MAN-

The next morning was busy for Turner, the Pentagon made him senior leader for the situation and hearing his initial briefing the night before, they classified everything about the suit and Leonard, Top Secret Special Access Required. This security clearance meant that you not had to only had to have a Top Secret clearance, but you had to be vetted to verify you had a specific reason to know about the situation. There had been two military video cameras at the original operation with the terrorists and bomb, feeding video to headquarters, so there was plenty of footage of Dr Hofstadter and the suit. Needless to say, when that video had been sent to the Pentagon, the suit had caused quite a stir, especially after seeing it hit with numerous 50 caliber anti-aircraft machine gun rounds and the wearer surviving. Turner spent three hours, briefing, answering questions and receiving orders, that morning, so when the video conference was done, he knew exactly what he had to do.

Turner didn't get to start this work till 11 AM that morning, when he went to the room being occupied by Howard and Bernadette. He went there first, because the doctors told him Dr Hofstadter needed at least 12 hours of rest before they would release him, so Turner would not be able to talk to him till the afternoon. Turner found Mr. and Mrs. Wolowitz sitting in the room, quietly talking to each other, wrapped tightly in each others arms, and they looked at him with scared eyes when he told them what they were going to do that afternoon. Turner took Howard away with him, after he and his wife held each other and kissed, then quietly stared at each other as they started to separate. Bernadette was taken by a female officer, with her own set of questions, Turner now knowing they were man and wife, so he promised them they would be reunited quickly as long as they both answered their questions truthfully, he also told them that, because he felt it was the only way he could separate them without an incident.

-TIN MAN-

Leonard woke up, about 2 PM, with Penny's blonde hair on his shoulder, while she napped cuddled up to him, her head next to his on the pillow. He was feeling better physically, than last night, but psychologically he was worried, Penny was now involved and thinking about the impact to her future, from all this, scared him. There was nothing he could do, he knew the Army had him and would probably give him to the police, he had accepted, in his mind, that he would go to jail, for a very long time, but now he was worried about Penny, he couldn't live with himself if they locked her up. He also realized that he had so little time left with her, and he couldn't help but touch her hair and kiss the side of her head, he just wanted to cherish his remaining time with her.

Leonard's touch woke Penny up, she had slept lightly all morning, waiting for him to awake, she wanted so much to talk to him. So as soon as she woke she turned her head so she could look at him and when she looked into his beautiful eyes, she though her heart would burst from her chest. "Morning Sweetie, are you feeling okay, do you need anything?"

"No, I'm feeling somewhat better, but Penny…." Penny put her finger to his lips to stop him from talking, since he was okay she wanted to tell him something.

"Honey, since you are okay, I need to say something first to you." Leonard just nodded and waited for her to speak.

"Leonard, I love you. I have loved you for a while, I don't know why I couldn't say it, maybe because, with you, I knew it was real, and it scared me. I don't know, but Honey know that I love you and it is real." Leonard looked into her eyes and saw she was being serious with him, he gave her a small smile.

"Leonard there is something else. A while ago you asked me to marry you during sex and I told you the next day, 'No'. I want to change that answer, if your offer is still out there, to 'Yes'." Leonard just looked at her in shock.

"Sweetie, I realized something the last couple of weeks, that I need you in my life and I am not happy without you. The last 24-hours taught me that loosing you is the most horrible thing that could ever happen to me, and I'm not going to let that happen. I want to be your wife and I want to be with you forever and I'm not scared about forever with you anymore, I look forward to it."

'Why is this happening now.' Leonard thought. He looked at her, she needed to know the truth, they couldn't be together, not anymore. "Penny, I really don't think that can happen, they are going to lock me up, I killed a man, you were there, they are not going to let me go for that."

Penny's eyes were tearing up, thinking of Leonard in prison, broke her heart. "No, no, no, no." She shook her head and trembled as she said that, "They can't do that, you saved me and all those people…..Sweetie they can't do that."

Leonard was trying to think of something to say, when Colonel Turner walked into his room. "Dr Hofstadter….Miss…are you feeling better Dr Hofstadter?"

'This is it.' Leonard thought, they would be taking him away. He looked at Penny's eyes then turned his head away to look at Turner. "Yes, I think I am back to normal, except for being stiff and sore from the bruises."

It took Penny a couple of seconds to process what was happening, the look Leonard gave her was like telling her good bye and his response to the Army officer, sounded like he was surrendering, she gasped when it hit her and she wrapped her arms around him. She was actually squeezing him, holding on for dear life, she knew if she let him go she would loose him, "No, Leonard." was all she could say, she didn't want him to leave her.

Turner, again, for the second time that day, felt uncomfortable, from Penny's reaction, the two of them were very involved, much more that many husbands and wives he had seen, but they had to get this done. "Dr Hofstadter, we need to talk to you in a secure area. I'm sorry but it must be alone. Penny there is a female officer outside who needs to debrief you too. I can wait a few minutes outside for you two to get ready, but please don't take long." Turner then turned and left the room.

Penny lifted her head and looked at Leonard. "No Leonard, No." she kept saying while she shook her head at him. She was going loose him and it was killing her, it was almost as bad as last night, why was she being punished.

Leonard gently moved her and now held her at arms length, "There is nothing we can do, Penny. I'm sorry, I've tried to think of something, but I can't. I killed a man and I have to pay."

"But you saved me! That has to count for something, doesn't it!" Penny was desperate to cling to anything that would keep him from leaving her.

"If I was a police officer or a soldier, doing his job, you would be right, but I was a…I was nobody, just some clown in a suit." he then looked into her eyes, "But it was worth it, Penny, believe me I have no regrets. You are safe, and I would do it a hundred times again to keep you safe." While Leonard was talking he had stiffly moved, off the bed, to the table and started changing from the hospital gown to the clean hospital scrubs, on the table, they had left for him. Penny had slept in hers, and now they just looked like prison outfits to her, watching him change into his was just making her feel worse.

Penny was about to say something else, when the doctor came in. "Dr Hofstadter, how are you feeling?"

"A little better, except for where the bullets hit me, those places are black and blue, and sore."

"Okay, just let me check a couple things." Leonard sat back down on the bed, while the doctor did a quick 5-minute check on him. Penny just stood there staring at him, while he just looked back at her.

"You have some tissue bruises, but otherwise you are not seriously hurt. You are going to be sore for probably a week and the marks will probably take 2-3 weeks to go away. Your oxygen intake has been good all night and your heart is strong, so I have to release you…..you are going to be fine…..you are very lucky." The doctor gave him a small smile and nod. "Now all I need is for you to sign this release form and then I'll turn you over to Colonel Turner." Leonard nodded and signed the paper on the clipboard the doctor had, while Penny looked on in horror.

She was having problems with what was happening around her, Leonard was probably going to prison for saving her and he was acting like it was a done deal, he was accepting it at all. He also told her he would have done it again, to save her, because her safety was worth more than the consequences to himself. As she looked at him, she saw the most selfless man in the world, her knight in shiny armor, and a real man, the first one she truly ever met, he was everything she ever wanted and she was loosing him. No sooner then the doctor left, Penny grabbed him and gave him the most passionate kiss she had ever had given anyone, she held him tight, never wanting to let him go.

Colonel Turner and a female officer, Major Gray then came in, to see Penny and Leonard locked in an embrace their mouths crushed together. Turner cleared his throat to get their attention. "Are you ready Dr Hofstadter?" Leonard slowly pulled himself away from Penny and looked at Turner, slowly nodding. Leonard then turned and smiled at Penny and was about to say something, when she pulled herself to him again, wrapping her arms around his neck, in a death grip, her head on his shoulder. Penny began to whimper, while she held him, everything was falling apart for her and she didn't know what to do.

Turner looked at Gray, who had a helpless look on her face, they really didn't know what to do at that moment. Leonard solved it for them, he turned slightly, with Penny wrapped around him, so he looked at Turner, "Colonel Turner, could Penny and I see each other later today?" Turner could see the pleading look in Leonard's eyes, Leonard just wanted him to say, 'Yes', even if it wasn't true.

It was just like Wolowitz and his wife, "Yes Dr Hofstadter, you two can see each other later today."

Leonard felt Penny relax a little, so he reluctantly pushed her off him and she reluctantly let him. He looked directly into her eyes and softly said just to her, "Honey, it will be okay, I will see you later." Penny just nodded, her eyes were wet from tears.

But before they separated, Penny looked back, deep into his eyes. "Leonard Hofstadter, I love you and you are my hero. I will wait for you forever, no matter what."

Leonard sadly nodded, then turned to leave the room with Turner and Penny left with Gray, walking in opposite directions, while looking back at each other. Penny only mindlessly moving because she was going to see him again, in a little while, and Leonard trying to remember her as she looked, thinking it would probably be a very long time before he saw her again, if ever. Leonard and Turner turned a corner in the hall and Leonard's view of Penny was gone, so he looked up at Turner. "Thank you, Colonel." Turner looked at Leonard and nodded, not really understanding what Leonard meant by that statement and why he was thanking him.