Disclaimer: I don't own any of these guys, unfortunately.

Leonard gazed at Penny over the two small candles on the table. The restaurant was busy, but he was oblivious to the other patrons; his head was still whirling from the fact the she had asked him to dinner. Things had been a little weird between them lately…could this be why? Was she finally starting to see him the way he saw her?

He was brought out of his reverie when she gently took his hand across the table. "Leonard, there's something we need to talk about…something I need to tell you."

He looked at her, trying to guess at what was to come. He felt like someone had grabbed a big handful of his insides and was twisting. He willed her to continue, if only to put him out of his misery.

Suddenly though, Penny's eyes widened and she let out a small noise of surprise. "Oh!" Then; "Oh my God! Leonard!" She had gone ghostly pale, and clutched at her stomach. She started to rise from the chair, looking confused and scared, clearly in pain. No sooner was she upright though than she was falling to the floor, unconscious. Leonard stood, then froze, looking at the pool of blood spreading beneath her. He was dimly aware of a waiter calling an ambulance in the background, but it was as though he was a million miles away. The woman he loved was bleeding, and all he could do was stand helplessly and watch.

…

He was stood outside the hospital when Sheldon and Raj appeared. He had called them from the car as he followed the ambulance, and Raj had collected Sheldon on the way. Howard was out of town, but he had left a message for him to ring when he got it.

"What's happening?" Raj looked concerned. Sheldon looked…distant. But then, Sheldon always looked distant when there was the prospect of an emotional female on the horizon. Leonard wasn't in any mood to babysit him tonight though.

"I don't know. We were having dinner and then she just collapsed. There was…blood…" He blanched at the memory of it. "The doctors are in with her now."

Sheldon raised an eyebrow. "Blood? Was she injured?"

Leonard scrubbed his face with his hands and shook his head. "No, I think it was coming from…y'know…down there".

The other two suddenly froze. Sheldon's face twitched slightly. "Um, should we really be here?" Raj asked.

"Of course we should! We're her friends!" Leonard exclaimed. "Come on, I'm going back up." Raj went to follow him, but Sheldon hung back.

"I will wait in the car. Please give me your keys, Leonard."

Leonard stared at him. "What? You're not coming up? Why not?"

"Because I do not wish to. Keys, please."

"Ok, fine. Here." he barked. He threw the keys at the other man. "I don't have time for your crap tonight, Sheldon. Someone I – we - care about a great deal is hurt and might be seriously ill, and you can't even get over your…your Sheldonness for one night to see if she's ok. Geez. This is a new low for you, seriously." With that, he stormed off up the stairs. Raj looked at Sheldon and shrugged, "He's right you know, Dude."

Then he was alone.

Upstairs, Leonard found a harried looking nurse and asked what was happening. "Are you her partner?" she asked. "Um, yeah" Leonard found himself lying. The nurse took him to the relative's room and they sat down. She looked like she was trying to find the right words to say something, and for a horrific moment Leonard expected to hear the worst; that Penny had died. He felt himself fighting back panic. Instead though, the nurse took his hand and squeezed it.

"I'm very sorry, sir. We did everything we could, but I'm afraid your partner has lost the baby."