As always I own nothing, make no money from this and bow before the genius that is Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady, Steven Molaro, and all of the writers, actors and crew that bring the TBBT to life. Thank you.
All the King horses
I didn't quite melt down, but it was close. My dreams were troubled with flashbacks from the lab explosion, mixed with the fight in the hall, and interspersed with images of Angelo as he lay on the ground bleeding.
Lack of sleep made me irritable and I found myself pulling away from my friends. I knew I was in trouble when Sheldon had found me stretched out on the coach and instead of telling me to get out of his spot he just walked into the kitchen and made us both tea. I felt kind of proud that he was becoming less self-involved. Amy had worked wonders on him, and he on her. He never would initiate acts of affection but he no longer pulled away when she did. I always considered him damaged and now he was taking care of me. When he returned with the tea he sat down in my chair (which I believe is the first time I ever saw him sit there) and explained to me in great detail how Amy was concerned that my recent breakup with Joyce Kim had affected me more than I knew. My refusal to talk about her, my much more pronounced limp, and the most telling act, I was not attending the weekly dinners and gatherings with the group. Amy believed I might be having a delayed reaction to the accident that was exacterbated by my rejection by Joyce Kim. Sheldon was fidgeting, and blinking a lot, usually a sign he was under great stress. I knew his blossoming empathy was playing havoc with his mind. I am pretty sure Amy saw that to, and her solution was to fix me so Sheldon would worry less. I agreed. I let Sheldon know that I was going to take a sabbatical from the University to travel to Italy and see my Uncle Floyd and my cousin Angelo. Sheldon was delighted and made me promise to check in frequently and that to ask if it was ok for Amy to move in while I was out of town. I offered to clear out space in my room for her. He said that would not be necessary. I really had not been paying attention lately because I did not think Sheldon was going to be ready with that level of intimacy for years yet. Good for you Amy.
The University was very accommodating and allowed me to turn over the two projects I was working on over to my team. I would still be available for consults so the contracts we had signed with our private sector partners would not be violated.
I was walking out to my car when a black SUV with heavily tinted windows pulled up be side me. The passenger window opened and there sat Captain, correction Major Wilkes and he was not smiling. He asked me to climb in so we could talk.
He hemmed and hawed but the final message was that the DOD was concerned that I might be suffering from PTSD and wanted me to voluntarily sign myself into a clinic that specialized in wound care and prosthetics under the guise of working on my leg. There I would have my wound studied to determine why the limp was getting worse and I would also be have some sessions with an expert in dealing with PTSD. I tried to beg off siting my trip to Italy and was informed that would be waste of time since my Uncle Floyd and Aunt Marie where on their second honeymoon and were currently following the path Marco Polo did when he made his historic trek along the silk road to China. They would be gone for 3 months intending to tour the orient and visit the sites they had only read about. I told them I was mostly going to see Angelo and was told that while they did not know where he was they knew he had not been in Italy for more than a year. Since there was no point to my original plans I graciously accepted the DOD's offer. I asked about travel arrangements and was told we were on the way to the airport where I would catch a flight to Oahu. I would be flown to the Honolulu airport and then driven to the clinic. Then he handed me a copy of my orders in case any military personnel questioned my actions. I said I needed to go home to pack and he said my bags were already in the SUV. That is when I really got suspicious. After several minutes the Major blinked and then told me the reason for this visit to the clinic was because they had received intelligence that a high level North Korean operative was in the LA area and all the agency's were scrambling to find out why. Since recent events may have made the North Koreans interested in me it was decided I would appear to be headed for Italy.
The original plan had been to store me in a safe house while my double goes to Italy but the PTSD scare had changed the safe house to a secluded clinic used for wound care for veterans. The Major continued talking to me, but I have to be honest I do not remember much. Suddenly we were pulling up to one of the remote terminals, and after the driver showed his id to the guard, the gate was opened and we drove around to a door marked "Active Duty Personnel Only". The driver hopped out of the vehicle, grabbed my bags from the back and then punched some numbers into the pad next to the security door. He disappeared inside and a moment later returned with an Air Force 2nd lieutenant. The lieutenant came to attention and snapped off a smart salute to me. The Major informed him that I was a VIP but not military. I was also asked to not give out my name to anyone till I arrived at the clinic. He then handed the lieutenant yet another packet with his orders and wished me safe travels.
The lounge the lieutenant led me to had your basic airport seating with the addition of some cots for those with a long layover. There were a dozen men and women total, a mix of army, marines, navy, and one Airmen. I was lead toward a Colonel that was obviously our pilot. He was quietly explaining to a red faced Army captain that while his orders did say the Captain was to be transported to Hawaii with all speed, his orders were to take a high priority passenger to Honolulu. He could not take anyone else without permission from the DOD. The lieutenant saluted the pair and then handed my orders to the Colonel. He read them and was disconcerted that the only identification he got was a picture of me. I explained that I too was under orders to fly incognito and could not identify myself. The Captain looked me over and then restarted his conversation with the Colonel. The Captain and the others had their flight delayed due to engine troubles. To get transport thru a normal airline would require a day to get the vouchers created so they could fly commercial. I looked around and some of these people were sleeping but all looked tired and travel weary.
I asked the Colonel how many passengers the plane could carry and he informed me that the C-37B's could carry 18 passengers and 3 crew. I asked him if my orders would allow me to bring the Captain and the others with us. The Colonel smiled, took a second look at my orders and let me know the Air Force had been tasked to render all aid and assistance and mentioned nothing about limits to that aid, so yes I could invite guests if I wished to, "Sir". The sir surprised me. I turned back to the occupants of the room and told them I was going to Honolulu, did anyone need a ride. The whoop of approval startled me. The Captain barked out "off your backs and grab your sacks, we are moving out". The line by the door was already forming and the attendant was noting those loading onto the plane so their orders could be updated. The Colonel led me to a bench seat in the front of the plane and thanked me for looking out for the troops. I told him it was my honor to be able to help in anyway. That was how I ended up flying across the Pacific with some of America's finest sons and daughters. I watched them carrying on like kids on a lark, so young and with so much horror in their lives. I began to look at my cabin mates. Two of them were wearing prosthetic legs, a third had a harness under his shirt that spoke of a prosthetic arm. Captain Kelly walked towards me carrying two bottles of water, one of which he offered to me. I asked him to sit and he thanked me for interceding for the troops. He did not ask me for a name but instead said that he had met many spooks in his life but I was the first who wasn't nondescript. He pointed at the white lock of hair and the cane and pondered why I would make myself so memorable. I laughed and explained that I was no spook, just an ordinary guy following DOD instructions. The Marine Lance Corporal sitting across from me opened her eyes and told the Captain that I was no spook and was about to continue when the Captain held up his hand to halt her explanation. I was kind enough to offer them a ride so he thought they should keep with the DOD plan to fly incognito. That way no one raises a fuss and the Colonel would not have to explain why all of them were allowed on board. The Corporal nodded completely understanding the need for PYA on a flight like this. At that point the lieutenant came out of the cockpit to let us know that there was food and drinks in a cooler in the back. The Captain asked the Lieutenant if he could move some of the troops back to the sleeping area and the Lieutenant told him where the blankets and pillows were stowed. Once he had verified the passengers had settled in the Lieutenant returned to the cockpit. Taking my cue from the corporal I closed my eyes. For the first time in weeks sleep came easy.
I was awoken by the embrace of Corporal Everett who kept telling me again and again that I was safe. It was just a nightmare. The lights were blinding me and my glasses were gone. Realizing what I was searching for she pulled a pair of desert grade sunglasses our of her kit and slid them over my eyes. A braver man would have pulled away from her, but I was not brave. I clung to her like a child till sleep returned. When I woke up later no one mentioned the incident. Corporal Everett was once again in her seat, eyes closed. I took my turn in the head and returned in time for the Colonel to announce we were on final approach. I was looking forward to the clinic, I needed help.