"Come on buddy, let's get you in bed." Leonard huffed and puffed as he nudged Sheldon inside the apartment. The taller man was weaving on his feet and giggling under his breath as he reached up to pat Leonard on the shoulder.
"You're a good friend, Leonard…I love ya, buddy…buddy…buddy…buddy…kinda makes ya sound like a puppy doesn't it?" Sheldon giggled again and Leonard gave a sigh, wondering why it took copious amounts of painkiller before Sheldon could say something nice. Sheldon pouted as Leonard half carried, and half dragged his roommate across the living room; Penny having to dash off in order to make her evening shift at The Cheesecake Factory. "Don't you love me too? Aw….Amy, Leonard doesn't love me…" Sheldon started to sniff, his blue eyes shining with tears as he looked over his shoulder at his wife; Amy just grinned and took Sheldon's hand.
"I'm sure he does, sweetheart…he's just a little shy, aren't you Leonard?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah…I'm shy alright." Leonard groaned as Sheldon suddenly leant his whole body weight against his roommate and squeezed him with his good arm; his left hanging loosely at his side.
"I knew you loved me really…why wouldn't you? I'm so lovable…"
"Alright, Sheldon…let's get you ready for bed." Amy walked over to the dresser and pulled out Sheldon's assigned pyjamas, leaving the undershirt behind. "This might hurt a little, sweetheart as we need you to take your shirts off."
"You just wanna see me naked…" Sheldon blew Amy a noisy kiss as his hands slipped to the fastening of his pants and Amy quickly stilled his movements, blushing as she looked over at Leonard.
"No, sweetheart…Leonard doesn't need to see that…let's just concentrate on getting your t-shirts off for now." Sheldon grumbled under his breath at how she never let him have any fun but remained still as Amy carefully raised the hem of his shirts up to his armpits. "Okay, just lift your left arm a little so that I can slip it out of your sleeve…that's it…nearly done." Amy quickly lifted the shirts over Sheldon's head and tugged his right arm free, placing the two shirts in the laundry hamper. Leonard sucked in a sharp breath as he saw the heavy scarring running across Sheldon's shoulder and halfway down his shoulder blade.
"I never knew it was like that…He always said it was because he didn't like his skinny arms and that was why he kept them covered; it explains why he liked to keep the thermostat down low, he must have sweltered in those long sleeves during the summer."
"He looks great in short sleeves, they really show off his wiry arms…" Amy mused, stroking her hand down Sheldon's forearm and he murmured at her soft touch. Leonard glanced down and was quite surprised at how taut Sheldon's upper body was for a man that hated physical exercise, he looked down at his own stomach and gave it a little prod; feeling the slight pudding feeling as his finger sank in. Amy looked over at Leonard's grimace and chuckled softly.
"Never mind, Leonard… a few weeks of eating properly will soon sort that out."
"You think?" He said doubtfully and Amy nodded.
"I know…You wait and see, if you haven't lost five pounds in the next fortnight I'll treat you to a movie."
"You're on." Leonard grinned over at Amy and Sheldon leant across to tap his arm. "Yeah, buddy?"
"No canoodling with my wife, Leonard…It's enough that Wolowitz and Koothrappali wanna get in her pants without having to worry about you too." Sheldon slurred out his warning and nearly toppled over on the mattress, Leonard propped him back upright as Amy chuckled softly.
"Sheldon, I told you already they don't want to get in my pants!"
"But your pants are so cute…" Sheldon nuzzled at Amy's shoulder and she had to push his hands away as they started roaming into dangerous territory.
"Okay, Romeo…let's leave that until you're not under the influence." Amy slipped Sheldon's pyjama top over his arms and swiftly buttoned it up. "Leonard, could you help me shift him up the bed?"
"I can do it, don't want my baby mama getting herself hurt." Sheldon pushed Amy's hands away from his torso and rolled over to shuffle up the bed.
"Sweetheart, for the last time…I am not pregnant!" Amy shouted and then pressed a hand against her forehead as she shook her head. "Never mind, he won't even remember this conversation in the morning anyway." She wrestled Sheldon's pants down and tugged them over his ankles, passing them over to Leonard who placed them in the laundry hamper. By the time he turned back, Amy had pulled Sheldon's pyjama pants up and he was snoring loudly into the pillow having succumbed to the effects of the cortisone and anti-nausea medication that they gave in the hospital. Amy and Leonard left him slumbering and made their way back into the living room, where they slumped wearily onto the couch, kicking off their shoes as they got comfortable.
"What a day!" Amy groaned, tilting her head against the arm of the couch, Leonard glanced over and tossed over a small cushion that Amy gratefully placed under her head.
"Do you want me to have a word with Raj and Howard? I can ask them to back away a little if they're getting too much?" Leonard sounded worried, and Amy patted his arm as it rested between them on the couch.
"It's fine, Leonard, honestly…It's quite flattering really, I've never been so popular in my life. It will soon wear off once they realise that I'm really not that exciting…I like nothing more than to sit quietly reading or piecing together a quilt; hardly the stuff of a fantasies."
"You'd be surprised, Raj dreams of a woman that he can shower with affection and raise a family with; Howard…well, it's best not to think about what kind of woman Howard fantasises about!" They laughed softly for a moment and then Leonard leant over to switch on the TV. "Ooh, Star Trek movie marathon is just starting…do you mind?"
"Not at all, I prefer Star Trek to Star Wars…I'll get the popcorn!" Amy headed into the kitchen to pop a bag of popcorn into the microwave and glanced down at her sensible clothes. "I'm just going to slip into more comfortable, keep an eye on the microwave?"
"Sure." Leonard hopped up from the couch, and filled up the kettle as Amy headed into the bedroom to change. If Penny had made such a comment, he would have been leaping about in excitement thinking that she would reappear in a slinky negligee; but Leonard had already seen Amy's version of 'more comfortable' and it was usually baggy sweatpants with one of Sheldon's old t-shirts over the top; her hair scraped into a loose ponytail and a pair of large oversized glasses perched on her nose. She looked like a little girl playing dress up and Sheldon may find it very appealing but to Leonard she just looked cute but not remotely sexy.
Amy reappeared a few moments later and Leonard grinned at the sight of her, she had chosen a pair of fleecy pyjama pants with a long sleeve thermal shirt over the top. It depicted a faded caricature of Bones from the original series and had a large speech bubble coming from his mouth stating 'I'm a doctor not a…"
"Not a what?" Leonard pointed to the front of Amy's shirt and she grinned back at him, showing him the back of her shirt where the speech bubble was completely blank.
"Anything at all…It was a gag gift from my aunt Flora; she knew that Sheldon and I used to watch the show together and she bought it for my birthday when I first moved back here."
"It's nice, make sure you keep it away from Sheldon." Leonard smiled at her as he tipped the popcorn into a large bowl and carried it over to the couch. They settled in to watch the first of the franchise, and Leonard flipped a blanket down to cover their legs as they dimmed the lights to enjoy the movie.
"You're watching Wrath of Khan without me?" Sheldon's sleepy accusing tone from the hallway had Leonard looking over a few hours later to see his friend rubbing the heel of his hand against his eyes as he stood near the armchair.
"Hey buddy, how're you feeling?"
"Not too bad, my shoulder's still very stiff but I don't feel sick anymore; just really spaced out." Sheldon yawned and ran his hand through his hair as he shuffled over to the couch. He frowned at the way Amy and Leonard were sharing the blanket and Leonard grinned a little as he moved to the other end of the couch and Sheldon sat down in the middle, rather than insisting that he sit in his normal spot.
"Come and sit here, Sheldon; you might bump up against Leonard if you stay in the middle." Amy flipped back the blanket and got to her feet, pointing at the far left edge of the couch. Sheldon scooted across and Amy curled up against his side, spreading the blanket over all of them as they turned back to the screen.
"Is that one of my shirts you're wearing?" Sheldon whispered as he ran his finger over the sleeve of Amy's top. She shook her head as she leant closer to murmur in his ear.
"You don't have any character shirts like this; it's definitely mine."
"It's great Sheldon, you'll be so jealous." Leonard leant around Amy to grin at his friend. "I've never seen one quite like it before."
"Show me, I couldn't see it properly when you got up before." Sheldon tugged on Amy's arm and she grumbled as she rose up from the couch again.
"You're making me miss the good stuff…"
"We've got the Blu-Ray box set anyway." Sheldon waved her objection aside and flicked on the side lamp so that he could get a good look at her shirt. He let out a breathy chuckle as he read the caption and then circled his finger to make Amy turn around. "Oh, it's blank…that's a little disappointing."
"Not really, it means that I can say anything I like…such as when you ask me whether I know how the flow rate in a pipe depends on its diameter… I can answer with 'I'm a doctor not…'"
"An engineer!" Sheldon chuckled and shook his head, "Ah, good one…Maybe I should get one for myself and have that added to the back."
"You won't be able to, my Aunt Flora had this one made up for me at a convention one year."
"Ooh, so it's a one of a kind?" Sheldon's eyes grew wider as he stroked the sleeve again, and Amy tugged it out of his grip.
"Hands off, buster…This one's mine."
"Amy…what happened to 'with all my worldly goods, I thee endow'?" Sheldon quoted their marriage vows and blinked up innocently at his wife, she sat back down on the couch and covered herself completely with the blanket.
"I'll think about it." Amy groused as she snuggled back down to try and catch up with the action on screen. Sheldon sat back happily and wrapped his arm around her waist as he beamed a happy smile over at Leonard.
"You hear that Leonard? She's gonna think about it, ain't she great?"
"Shut up and watch the movie." Amy ordered and Sheldon rubbed his cheek against the soft fabric covering her shoulder.
"Yes, dear." Leonard grinned at Sheldon's obedient tones and all three of them turned their attention back to the screen. A few moments later, Sheldon reached over to flick off the lamp and the only light was from the glow of the TV as they immersed themselves in the epic battle being played out before them.
"Danger! Danger!" Sheldon's eyes flicked open suddenly as the sound of the front door opening brought him out of a deep sleep. He let out a groan as his shoulder protested at the sudden movement and Amy sleepily asked if everything was alright.
"It's nearly nine Sheldon; I was worried when I didn't hear any of you leaving for work." Penny walked into the living room and leant down to switch off the TV, giving Leonard a nudge awake with her foot.
"Huh?" Leonard blinked sleepily, and rubbed the bridge of his nose where his glasses had been lying crookedly all night. He saw the sunlight streaming through the window and checked his wristwatch. "Gablehauser's gonna freak…I'm supposed to be meeting with him in less than an hour!" Leonard threw back the blanket and jumped to his feet, running his hand over his chin as he tried to decide whether he had time to shave or not. "Sheldon, you coming or not?"
"Not." Amy called out. "He's got a therapy appointment at eleven followed by a soft tissue massage. I'll call in for him and let them know that he won't be in for the rest of the week."
"Okay, I'm gonna grab a quick shower…I will love you forever if you could put me in a couple of slices of toast or a bagel while I get ready." Leonard asked hopefully and ran off when Amy agreed. She folded the blanket neatly and placed it over the back of the couch, before rising up to head into the kitchen.
"Toast, Sheldon?"
"Please." Sheldon nodded, and headed over to slide onto a stool at the counter. "And a couple of those painkillers as well if you don't mind." Amy nodded as she popped the bread in the toaster and tossed the bottle of medicine over for Penny to open.
"I'll just call the university for you…what's the name of the man I need to speak with?"
"Doctor Eric Gablehauser; head of the Physics department." Sheldon confirmed, "His numbers on speed dial 4 on the house phone." He swallowed the pills shook out of the tub by Penny and chased them down with a tumbler of juice.
"This should be good…I wonder what Gablehauser will have to say about a woman calling in sick for you." Penny edged her way around the counter to listen in on Amy's side of the conversation with Sheldon's manager.
"Doctor Gablehauser? I'm calling on behalf of Sheldon Cooper…"
"Ah, you must be Sheldon's mother; what's he done now? Run back home to Mommy because he couldn't book time on the super computer?"
"Excuse me?" Amy's affronted tone must have warned Gablehauser that she was not impressed with his cavalier attitude and he immediately coughed a little to clear his throat.
"Forgive me, Mrs Cooper…What appears to be the trouble?"
"It's Doctor Cooper if you don't mind, and I am not Sheldon's Mother, Grandmother or sister for that matter! My husband will not be attending work for the rest of the week…""
"Husband? My dear Mrs. Cooper…!"
"Really doctor, I have already corrected you once on my title…I struggle to see how you could have been awarded such a prestigious appointment if you can't even get one simple fact straight…Let me try and make it as simple as possible for you; Yes, Doctor Cooper is my husband; no, it's not a recent development and yes, he will be requiring you to note him as taking two days sick leave on your records. Is that clear enough for you?"
"Um, yes?"
"Is that a question or a comment?"
"I mean, yes Doctor Cooper; that's perfectly clear."
"Good day then." Amy rang off and shook her head as she replaced the handset. "Imbecile." She muttered under her breath and looked up at the sound of a slow handclap coming from the kitchen.
"Amy, you were brilliant!" Sheldon smiled broadly and Amy flushed a little with embarrassment.
"Yeah, you really gave him what for!" Penny hooted with laughter, "The way you told him off for thinking you were Sheldon's Mom…Classic!"
"Well, he was being a bit of an ass; hardly a professional attitude to take." Amy made her way over to the kitchen and popped Leonard's toast onto a plate, setting it out ready for him to eat. She sent a message to her own department head and let her know that she needed to take a few days leave herself, and once done slid the phone back into her pocket.
"What's all the giggling about in here?" Leonard asked as he came back from his shower, grabbing his toast and wrapping it in a piece of kitchen paper.
"Amy called in for Sheldon and your boss thought she was his Mom!" Penny explained and Leonard winced a little as he looked over to see what Sheldon's reaction was; Sheldon gave Leonard a faint smile and shook his head.
"You may find Gablehauser in a bit of a strange mood; Amy did not appreciate being referred to as Mrs Cooper twice in a row, despite the fact that she had already corrected him once before…He may have some questions for you, just refer him back to me."
"Yeah, he can be a bit of an old gossip; be prepared for everyone to know your business by the time you get back on Monday. Thanks for the breakfast Amy, I gotta go." Leonard grabbed his bag from the desk chair and hooked it over his shoulder as he ran out of the door. Penny glanced at the clock and twisted her face up.
"Yeah, I've pulled another shift that starts in an hour so I'd better get moving as well."
"Thank you for yesterday, Penny. It was much appreciated." Amy smiled at her new neighbour and Penny reached over the counter to pat her hand.
"No problem, Amy; it will be nice having someone to hang out with when the guys get together for their games nights; perhaps we could do something over at my place instead?"
"That sounds lovely, I've never had a proper girl friend to talk to…I look forward to it." Amy's smile broadened and Penny grinned back as she walked over to let herself out.
"See you later, whackadoodle!"
"Goodbye, Penny." Sheldon raised his hand in farewell and Penny chuckled at his formal tone, leaving the couple alone to get ready for their morning appointment.