Chapter 40 - Recovery
The scene the nurses and Meryl saw when they reached Leonard's room made them all gasp. Penny had her face next to Leonard's crying her eyes out, which scared them all at first, until they saw the Leonard's good arm was slightly up and his hand patting her arm. The head nurse was the first to respond, looking at one of the other nurses, "Get the doctor, quick." The rest of them moved towards Leonard and Penny, moving quietly afraid to disturb the miracle before their eyes.
The head nurse moved to the other side of Leonard, opposite Penny, "Dr Hofstadter?" They all called him Dr Hofstadter or Leonard, per Penny's wishes.
Leonard opened his eyes, to look at her, "Yes" he said softly. Leonard was still not understanding all that had or was happening to him, all he knew was Penny was there and that made everything alright.
"Dr Hofstadter, are you in pain?" She could see Leonard trying to concentrate on her question, but then he looked at Penny again, "Penny, it is alright, everything will be alright." He turned his head slightly back to her and she sensed it immediately, bringing her lips to his giving him a very short kiss. They then stared at each other, both frozen in each others gaze.
The nurse was touched by what she was seeing but she had to get information on Leonard's condition. "Dr Hofstadter, are you in pain. Do you understand me?"
Leonard tried to lean forward to kiss her again, but couldn't, however Penny again knew what he wanted and gave him another kiss, a slightly longer one this time. Leonard then gave her a little smile and looked at the nurse again. "No, no pain." He looked back at Penny again and she knew what he wanted, so she kissed him again. Another small smile on his face, "No, no pain at all." He was rewarded with another kiss, which only made his smile get a little bigger. Penny's tear stained face now also had a big smile beaming down at him.
"Please Mrs. Hofstadter, can I just have his attention for a minute." the nurse pleaded, Leonard didn't seem to hear the nurse as he was only focused on Penny. Penny however, suddenly looked at the nurse, indecision written all over her face, she obviously didn't want to give him up. The nurse pleaded, "Please let me ask him a couple questions?" Penny slowly nodded and backed off a little, not taking her eyes off her husband.
"Dr Hofstadter, do you know where you are, what happened and who we are?"
"I'm in heaven and this beautiful woman is an angel, just for me." he looked at Penny and tried to chuckle but had no luck in getting it out.
This was really a good sign, he was trying to be funny, but the nurse needed him to concentrate. "Dr Hofstadter please this is important."
"My mind is a little fuzzy, I know you are a nurse, and this is Penny who kissed me." He smiled at her again and Penny was smiling back trying to keep the happy tears from starting again.
"I guess everything else is a little fuzzy and my left side feels different from my right side. My right arm seems to be working somewhat but I don't know about anything else. I am a little tired, but I don't really want to sleep right now, especially if Penny is going to keep kissing me."
Penny could tell Leonard's voice was getting stronger, it was no longer a whisper. "You can have all the kisses you want Sweetie. All you want." Leonard's hand sought hers, so she immediately locked fingers with him.
"That is good really good for now. The doctor should be here any minute, to ask you more questions and check you out, Dr Hofstadter. You sure you are not in pain?"
"I don't think so, just tired, like I slept too long."
"Well the doctor will talk to you about that." the nurse was relieved when the doctor walked in the door just then.
The next couple of hours Leonard was a busy man, going through a complete check up, some tests, and answering a lot of questions. The doctors tried to make Penny wait outside, but Leonard demanded she stay, so she remained with him, holding his hand the whole time. It was hard for her to keep her composure during all the tests they gave him, she wanted so much just to hug and kiss him, also, she wanted to scream in happiness. It wasn't helping her either that Leonard was softly rubbing his thumb over her hand as she held his, it was driving her crazy inside, making her want to get in the bed with him and just hold him forever.
The testing took over an hour and Leonard was tired after he was brought back to his room, making Penny mad, she felt she had been cheated from having this time with him. However that madness changed to fear as Leonard, tired from all the questions, decided to take a nap, closing his eyes, making Penny start to shake with fear that he wouldn't wake up again. It wasn't till the doctor touched her arm, that she was able to tear her eyes away from him. "Mrs. Hofstadter, him being tired after coming out of a coma is normal. In the beginning he will probably be awake for short periods and then take naps, that is usually what happens, it is normal for a person recovering from a coma."
Penny just stared at the doctor, in a way she appreciated his comforting words, but in another way she hated him, he wasn't the one that needed him and was in love with him, she was, he had no idea how she was feeling. "Thank You." she managed to get out, then she walked over and kissed her now sleeping husband. She stood there just looking at him, he looked so much the same from when he was in the coma, but now he would wake up again, so Penny went back to her seat to wait for him to do that. She was so keyed up, she knew she couldn't sleep or rest till she got to see him awake again, so she just began her vigil. She barely felt her mother put her arm around her shoulder giving her a little squeeze.
"Cheer up Sweetie, your husband is getting better and is awake now. Things are getting better." Meryl told her as she held her.
Penny turned to look at her mother, tears in her eyes, "Mom he doesn't remember too much and…sniff…..during the testing he didn't remember we're married."
"He remembers you though, I heard him say your name." Meryl tried to reassure her.
Penny nodded, "Yes he remembers me."
Both of them jumped a little when the doctor had quietly walked up to them, "Mrs. Hofstadter."
Penny looked up, the doctor always scared her, she was afraid he tell her something was wrong. "Yes."
"I'd like to explain a few things to you, in private."
"This is mother, can we do it here." Penny looked at Leonard, she really didn't want to leave him now.
The doctor nodded, then grabbed a chair to sit in front of them. "First I don't want you to worry, we usually don't have the family in when we first test coma patients because it seems worse than it is. Not remembering things at first is normal, most if not all of it usually comes back in time. His strongest memories usually are the first to come back, so even though he doesn't remember being married, he definitely knows he cares about you, so I really think that memory will come back soon. So the big thing is to give him time and remember he is getting better every day, so don't worry, things are actually going great for him now. Okay?"
Penny nodded, "Okay."
"Also, he might not remember being awake the first time when he wakes up again. Don't worry that is normal, his mind is adjusting from being in a coma." The doctor reassured her.
It was four hours later when Leonard woke up again, slowly looking around until he saw Penny standing by his bed looking at him, tears in her eyes. She had been sitting every minute of that time in the chair just watching him, immediately coming to him when she saw he was awake, her mind only able to think about him the whole time she waited. "Honey how are you feeling?"
Leonard looked at her a little confused then gave her a little smile, "I was awake before, wasn't I, it wasn't a dream."
Penny nodded, trying to keep the tears from coming down her cheeks. "Yes my darling."
"You were reading to me, I think, Star Wars, right?" Penny nodded to him.
Leonard smile got a little bigger, "Then I turned and I saw the most beautiful angel sitting next to me. I thought maybe I died and went to heaven."
That was it, Penny couldn't stop the tears anymore, she bent down and kissed his cheek, then put her head along side his, face buried into the pillow so he couldn't see her cry. Leonard's right hand naturally came up to touch her and rub her arm, no matter how bad off he was, he couldn't help himself from trying to comfort her. "Its okay Penny, Its okay."
He didn't know if he heard her or just felt the vibrations from her face next to his, "I was so scared Leonard."
- TIN MAN - TIN MAN - TIN MAN - TIN MAN - TIN MAN - TIN MAN -
Howard was getting a drink from the refrigerator when he heard Bernadette squeal from their bedroom then coming running to him holding her phone. "Howie he's awake, Leonard's awake." She then trust her phone in Howard's face so he could read Meryl's text.
Howard tried to read the text, but kept being distracted by his wife bouncing on the balls of her feet, she was so excited he couldn't help but be excited himself. "This is great, he not only woke up, but the doctors said he is doing well and they now expect him to recover."
"Howie, we have to go back, we have to go see him." Bernadette was so keyed up that she would be on an airplane that night if she could.
"Honey, let's text Meryl and let her know we want to come and see what she says. She'll tell us what to do, she knows we will want to see him." Howard tried to reason with his over excited wife.
"Okay, give me the phone." Bernadette grabbed the phone from Howard's hand and started typing like mad.
- TIN MAN - TIN MAN - TIN MAN - TIN MAN - TIN MAN - TIN MAN -
The doctor came around the second time Leonard woke up too, to ask him some more questions and to tell him that they would do some more testing the next day, when he was awake, it made Leonard groan and squeeze Penny's hand. The doctor also gave Penny a list of questions to ask Leonard and a pen to write down his answers, then excused himself to let them be alone. Meryl also left the room to let her daughter be alone with her husband.
"How you feeling Honey." Penny asked as soon as they were alone.
"My head is fuzzy, and I am tired but I don't want to sleep."
"Are you in pain Sweetie?"
"No, I don't think so, but my left side feels like it doesn't work." Leonard suddenly had a shocked look on his face as he barely turned his head to Penny. "Am I….."
Penny grabbed his face and kissed him, "Sweetie, you are whole, just broken. Your leg, pelvis, ribs and shoulder broke, so you are in one big cast on your left side, but you are whole."
Leonard relaxed, "What happened to me?"
Penny sniffed, "You were blown up."
Leonard now looked confused "Blown up?"
Penny nodded, "Howard said it was pretty bad, you were really lucky he said."
"Howard?"
"You don't remember Howard and Bernadette?"
"Bernadette….Howard…..I think I have heard their names before, but their faces seem out of my reach." Leonard scrunched up his face in concentration.
"The doctor said it may take a little time for you to remember, so it is okay Sweetie not to remember now."
Leonard nodded and then smiled, "At least I remember you. We have been friends forever, haven't we."
Penny smiled and nodded, "Yes, forever."
Leonard then got a little shy smile, "You know I've always had a crush on you. Do you think being hurt like this, would get me a date with you after I get out of here."
Penny smiled, trying to hold back the tears so she didn't upset him, "Honey, you can have all the dates with me you want. I'll go out with you anytime you want for as long as you want, I promise."
Leonard's smile got bigger, "Alright" he quietly said.
- TIN MAN - TIN MAN - TIN MAN - TIN MAN - TIN MAN - TIN MAN -
Bernadette's phone chimed with a new text message, and as Howard watched her read it, he saw her frown. "What's wrong Bernie."
"Nothing. It is just Meryl said to give Penny about a week with Leonard alone. She said Penny is very possessive with him right now, so give her a little time." Bernadette then sighed in frustration.
Howard put his arm around his wife. "Honey you know Penny she is probably guarding him like a pit bull right now, so waiting a little bit is a good idea. Plus it gives us time to schedule a trip that will not be too strenuous on us." Leonard then put his hand on Bernadette's belly as he looked at her.
Bernadette nodded and put her hand over Howard's, "You're right, Penny was in so much grief, she is probably super protective of him right now and her mother is there anyway to help her." She then rubbed Howard's hand over her belly. "We need to think about little Howard or Howardette too, like you said and I need to relax, right?" Howard smiled and nodded at her. Bernadette leaned up and kissed her husband.