Chapter 11 - The Exam
The clinic was actually on the studio lot, near the administration building, and although it was a small one it had a couple beds and was manned by a nurse full time with a doctor on call. It was there to handle injuries and over indulgence by some actors with drugs and pills, so the nurse who worked there was highly trained and experienced in emergency medicine. Penny was now laying on one of the beds they had while the nurse took down information on her illness that would be relayed to the doctor by phone. Penny actually felt more relaxed laying down, closing her eyes after the nurse left, thinking happy thoughts about Leonard being with her soon, as her stomach began to settle from her incident on the set.
The nurse was still in the main office area and had just finished relaying all the information to the doctor, she was now writing down his directions. It didn't surprise her at all when the doctor directed her to draw blood for a quick pregnancy test first, the nurse thinking the same thing as soon as she heard Penny's symptoms. The studio had an arrangement with a lab located in Los Angeles to run these type of tests quickly, because medical problems, or pregnancy, with celebrities was a very serious concern and the studio wanted that information to be controlled. So it was just before noon when the nurse went back to draw Penny's blood and then had it transported by courier to the lab for analysis.
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Leonard had been sitting at his desk late that same Friday afternoon when Dr Thomas joined him, taking a seat across from Leonard's desk. Thomas was Dr Hawking's assistant/deputy and acted as the go between in many situations for Dr Hawking. "Leonard, I looked over the report you submitted this morning, it is quite impressive. You put a lot of work into it, especially the last couple of weeks, we were actually surprised you got everything done before the holidays."
Leonard nodded, he had worked extra hard so he could finish before he went home to Penny, because he actually was not planning on coming back. "I just don't like to leave things undone, I guess I'm a little anal in that way." he chuckled.
Thomas chuckled and nodded, "Well believe me, Dr Hawking is extremely happy with your work." Thomas shifted in his seat, "Leonard let me be honest with you, we were hoping you were going to take longer with your work, thereby staying longer with us, but now that you have finished, it sort of forces us to deal with your departure sooner."
Leonard looked at Thomas, confusion written all over his face. "I don't understand?"
"Leonard, Dr Hawking would like you to join his team permanently. Your research has accomplished a lot to validate Dr Hawking's theories and he wants someone like you to carry it on to its eventual end." Thomas explained.
"You're offering me a position at Cambridge?" Leonard asked in surprise.
Thomas nodded, "We would like you to join us after the holidays on a permanent basis Leonard. Dr Hawking has gotten Cambridge to offer you tenure as a perk to get you to join us." Thomas now smiled at him.
It was overwhelming, Leonard had never been in a situation like this before, where he was being seriously recruited for a position. Them offering him a bonus of tenure, was incredible to Leonard and he was actually honored they thought so much of him. However there was Penny, "I don't know…."
"Leonard, I know this is a lot to take in suddenly like this, so don't answer right now. There will be a formal offer made to you next week, so just enjoy your holiday back home, and we will wait for your answer after you thought about it for a little while." Thomas told Leonard to relieve some of the pressure off him.
Leonard nodded, "Okay." But Penny came back to his mind immediately after Thomas got up from his seat, shook his hand and left, because no job to him was worth giving up Penny. Her life was in Pasadena, she was finally getting her dream, so Leonard couldn't see a future for him and her that didn't involve living in California.
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Penny fell asleep on the clinic bed, so it was almost 3 PM when she was woken up by a man she never saw before. "Penelope, did you have a good nap?" he asked while smiling down at her.
"Yes, who are you?" Penny asked, confused as she became more alert.
The man snickered, "I'm sorry, I'm Doctor Kenton, the on call doctor."
"Oh, sorry, I just was a little surprised." Penny apologized.
"No problem, so how are you feeling?" Kenton pleasantly asked.
"Okay now, do you know what is wrong with me?" Penny asked.
"Penelope there is nothing wrong with you." The doctor again said pleasantly.
"Then why have been I been so sick this week?" Penny was now really confused.
The doctor signed, he had surprised two other starlets that they were pregnant, since he took this job, and neither of them had been happy about the news. So, he now turned very serious, "Penelope, you are pregnant, that sickness you were experiencing was morning sickness."
Penny stared at him in shock, and after a few moments started to shake her head 'no' as she looked at him before she spoke, "No there is some kind of mistake, I didn't even take a pregnancy test, I can't be pregnant."
"Penelope, that blood we took was sent off to the lab and it confirmed you were pregnant, it is actually more accurate than those pregnancy tests you take at home." the doctor said sympathetically to her, she was obviously upset.
Penny's world now came crashing down before her eyes. "GOD NO! Please God, please No." were the only words she said before breaking down completely, sobbing her eyes out. The doctor was standing there in shock on how fast she broke down and immediately called the nurse to help.
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Bernadette was sitting at her desk when the phone rang, so like she did so many times each day, she picked up the receiver to answer. "Hello this is Doctor Wolowitz-Rostenkowski, can I help you."
"Doctor Wolowitz-Rostenkowski, you are listed as the local next of kin for Penelope….." Bernadette's eyes went wide as the nurse continued to explain that Penny was in the studio clinic and was not in a life-threatening situation, however Bernadette was needed to come there because Penny needed her. The nurse also told Bernadette she would be brought up to speed on Penny's situation when she got there and then the nurse gave Bernadette the address of the clinic.
"I will be there shortly." Bernadette then hung up and sat for a second, "Crap", she said as she picked up the phone to tell her boss she needed to leave for the rest of the day.
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Bernadette walked into the clinic to be greeted by the nurse, who recognized her voice and lead her to the doctor, who greeted her and began to explain why she was called. "Dr Wolowitz-Rostenkowski, your friend didn't take finding out of her pregnancy very well, she actually started to get hysterical and had to be sedated."
"My God!" Bernadette responded, "Will she be alright."
The doctor shook his head, "She needs to be watched over this weekend, I am very worried by her response to the news. If she cannot be kept under constant care, I want her admitted to a hospital, so she can be watched."
Bernadette nodded, "I will stay with her and make sure she doesn't hurt herself."
The doctor looked at Bernadette seriously, "I am really concerned, I was actually wanting you to sign a commitment paper for a 48 hour commitment, because I do not think she is competent right now."
Bernadette was not going to let them lock Penny up in a mental health ward, not while she was there. "I will take care of her, there is no reason to do that. She is my friend and I will watch her."
The doctor seemed to back off some after seeing Bernadette's determination. "Okay, I will give you some mild sedatives for the weekend and two sleeping pills for the two nights, they will not harm the baby."
Bernadette nodded, "Can I see her now?" The doctor nodded and lead her to the treatment area, to see Penny laying in a bed there. It broke Bernadette's heart to see her friend, curled up in the fetal position, her body moving to silent sobs that seemed to be coming from her, even though her back was turned to them.
Bernadette walked to her friend and placed a hand on her arm, "Penny, its Bernadette, I'm here for you honey." What happened next surprised Bernadette as Penny rotated quickly, wrapped her arms around Bernadette's waist and buried her face in Bernadette's stomach to cry. Bernadette didn't know what to do, so she just rubbed her friends back and told her it was going to be okay, even though she wasn't sure if it would.
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The drive back to Penny's apartment was quiet, Penny just sitting in the passenger seat looking out the window, not saying a thing the whole trip. Bernadette didn't know exactly what to do, her sudden quietness was worrying Bernadette more than her outburst earlier. "Penny, honey are you doing okay there?"
Penny never moved her head from staring out the window but she did respond, "Bernadette why am I so horrible a person?"
"Penny you're not a horrible person." Bernadette was happy she was talking but she didn't really like the subject.
"Look what I did to Leonard and everyone around us. I cheated on the man I love with his best friend. I drove Sheldon's best friend away. I almost broke up Sheldon and Amy…..OH MY GOD AMY!" Tears began to fall from Penny's face again.
Bernadette heard the sobs begin and quickly pulled over and parked the car. She pulled Penny over so she could hug her and let her cry on her shoulder. "Penny, Amy and Sheldon are fine now."
Between Penny's sobs, Bernadette could just make out Penny's words. "I am horrible, Amy loves Sheldon and wants to have a life with him, and now I'm having his child." Penny then began to sob harder.
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It was over an hour later, when Bernadette finally got Penny home and in bed, her friend now reduced to a sniffling wreck, too much of a mess to do anything but lay in her bed. Bernadette sat next to her rubbing her back for another hour, before her friend, overcome by fatigue from the day, fell asleep. Bernadette then called Howard, to get some overnight supplies for her and to talk Raj into helping him get the car, Leonard bought for Penny so she could pursue her career, from at the Studio.
It was now three hours later, when Howard dropped off Bernadette's overnight bag, that she got to see her husband, the need to kiss him after seeing what Penny was going through, something she had been thinking about for the last several hours. "I love you Howie." she said after their lips parted.
"I love you too, Honey. What happened, did Leonard break up with her?" Howard asked.
Bernadette shook her head, "Worse, Penny is pregnant."
"Pregnant? But wouldn't that bring Leonard back…..Oh My God, don't tell me the baby is….." Howard looked at his wife in shock.
Bernadette nodded, "Sheldon's baby." she completed the sentence for him.
Howard shook his head, too stunned to say anything for a few moments. "What is she going to do?"
"I don't know, she hasn't been able to think clearly yet, she is too upset still. She was almost hysterical, the doctor told me when I got her, so Honey, I really need to stay with her this weekend and make sure she doesn't do something crazy." Bernadette explained.
Howard nodded, "I understand, do you want me to get you some food?"
Bernadette smiled, "That would be great, maybe some pizza and then I can put the rest into the fridge so I can get Penny to eat some later." Howard nodded, kissed his wife again, then headed out the door.
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Penny woke up for a little while a couple hours later, again starting to cry again, Bernadette trying to soothe her while Penny again held on to her. Bernadette couldn't get her to eat anything, but ended up getting her to take the sleeping pill along with some water so she wouldn't get dehydrated. Bernadette finally able to relax after her friend fell back to sleep, spending the next hour sitting and trying to figure out any way she could help Penny, coming up with really nothing.
Howard was sitting too in his apartment looking at his laptop screen and the email he wrote, wondering if he should hit send. Leonard was his friend, and Penny had hurt him several times over the years, Howard really believed Leonard needed to know what she had done now. Besides Bernadette didn't say it was a secret, so Howard didn't really see that he was doing anything wrong and with that thought he hit send.
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Bernadette slept with her, to keep an eye on her that night and Penny thankfully stayed asleep the rest of the night, consequently Bernadette was able to sleep too. So it was with a little shock that when Bernadette woke up next morning and remembered where and why she was in Penny's bed, that Penny wasn't in bed with her. It made Bernadette immediately panic, jumping out of bed and checking the bathroom as she began looking for her. Not finding her in the bathroom and bedroom only made Bernadette's fears increase and she hurried into the living room, immediately stopping as she saw Penny on the couch with her laptop open looking at it intently.
Bernadette sighed silently in relief and slowly walked up behind her, not wanting to scare her but wanting to see what Penny was doing on her laptop. So when she got close enough, Bernadette looked over Penny's shoulder to see what her friend was using her laptop for, actually wondering if she was maybe writing an email to Leonard. Bernadette went wide eyed in complete surprise when she actually saw Penny had her search engine open and was completely engrossed in reading about abortions.