The Duality Synthesis, Chapter 9 by patricia51

(And you'll be my someone, Forever and a day)

(Geneva)

"Oh golly," Leonard leaned back in his chair and screwed his fists into his eyes and rubbed, "there just aren't enough hours in the day."

"Indeed," yawned Shelia, looking at the papers scattered over the desk.

The third member of the group, who was sitting with his head tipped back, offered no opinion until a sudden snort caused him to blink his eyes, straighten his neck and look around the room.

"We're still here?"

"We're still here Jeffries my dear and your snoring is getting loud enough there seems to be some concerns that the vibrations may interfere with the last experiments being run using the Collidor before shut-down," Shelia said dryly

"Umm, my apologies to all concerned," replied Jeffries as he yawned so deeply the result dwarfed Sheila's previous one.

Irresistibly Leonard followed suit, which triggered a repeat on Sheila's part. He stood up and stretched.

"My friends," the American said, "I suspect we have reached the point of diminishing returns. No matter how much we want to at least begin a preliminary hypothesis all we're doing right now is spinning our wheels."

"I agree but we only have two more days left before we go on our merry ways," Sheila pointed out.

"Since it's after midnight we really only now have the rest of today and tomorrow," Leonard countered. "I suspect that the more we try to do the more we have to redo latter on when we start correcting mistakes." He chuckled. "I once published a paper with a mathematic error in it and don't want to do that again. Although," he went on thoughtfully, "There are worse places to make such an error than in a scientific journal."

"Good heavens really?" Sheila asked in surprise. "I can't imagine a more embarrassing scenario."

"Do you two know Doctor Sheldon Cooper?" A pair of groans confirmed that they both had not only the pleasure of his acquaintance but also retained memories of the meetings.

"Rather a stuffy bugger," offered Jeffries who as an English gentleman had been exposed to many of that species.

"Brilliant but full of himself," added Shelia.

Leonard nodded agreement. "Well it seems a mutual friend of ours Howard Wolowitz..."

"The astronaut?" Shelia asked.

Leonard confirmed Howard's identity. "It seems that when Stephen Hawkings was visiting CalTech Howard maintained his wheelchair and generally took care of him and they became friends. When Sheldon found out he begged Howard to give Hawkings his latest paper on the Higgs-boson. Because Sheldon had once again recently insulted Howard he made Sheldon jump through numerous hoops." Leonard went on to describe the various chores that Sheldon had to accomplish. Soon the pair was chuckling. The laughter became general when the story reached the point where Howard had revealed that he had already given Hawkings the paper three days previously and the renowned scientist had asked Sheldon to come see him.

"Hawkings complimented Sheldon on his work. Just as Sheldon's ego had expanded to a point his head was about to explode Hawkings said it was a shame the whole paper was wrong. It seems that Sheldon had made an arithmetic error on the second page. When Sheldon realized that he had indeed made an error in a paper given to his idol he fainted."

When the trio calmed down from the hilarity that followed the ending of the story they all realized that their laughter had been tinged with a bit of hysterics. It had been funny but not THAT funny. A decision was reached to adjourn for at least eight hours of sleep. Leonard reached his room and barely managed to take off his shoes before collapsing on the bed.

That was why when the screen of his phone lit up and the music announcing an incoming call sounded softly (Leonard having lowered the volume earlier in the night when the three scientists had plunged into their discussion) he didn't stir. Not when it was repeated over and over and an increasingly frustrated Penny left message after message telling him she had taken Alex to the hospital.

"Leonard, where ARE you?"

(Pasadena)

Penny had summoned an ambulance, thrown on her clothes and helped Alex get dressed. She had snatched up her pocketbook and Alex's as well and confirmed that the girl physicist had her medical insurance card. By the time the ambulance arrived she had carefully hustled the other young woman into the thankfully fully functioning elevator and had the pair of them waiting by the front door. As the EMT's loaded Alex into their vehicle Penny jumped into her car and when the emergency lights and siren came on she was right behind them all the way to the hospital.

Once there Alex was taken into an examining room while Penny filled out forms. While she scribbled she jammed her cell phone to her ear and called Mandy, telling her to summon the clans. "Except Sheldon. He's terrified of hospitals. The last time he kept trying to find someone to take him home. Best to leave him there." She had just about finished writing when a young man in scrubs came through the door into the waiting room and called out.

"Is there someone here for Alex Hofstadter?"

"Here," Penny waved and headed for the man. "I'm her cousin."

"I'm Doctor Price," the young man introduced himself. "Are you her emergency contact?"

"No her husband is but he's out of the country."

"Oh dear. Afghanistan?"

"Actually Switzerland. He's a research scientist participating in some big experiment at some super-colliding thingy there. He's due home in about three days. I've been calling him but I haven't reached him yet."

Just then friends began to flood into the reception are. Mandy was in the lead, followed closely by Bernadette and Howard and Raj, who explained that Lucy wasn't able to handle such a crowd yet but was in touch via smart phone. Sally arrived as did Amy, confirming that Sheldon was indeed remaining in the safety of the apartment where he wouldn't be in the way. She added that he was using his connections and position to contact the people at the Collidor to see if he couldn't reach Leonard.

Seeing the gathering crowd Doctor Price motioned them all over to a relatively private area.

"What is wrong with Alex?" Penny simply asked.

"The term is 'Placental Abruption'," the doctor replied. "The placental lining has separated from Alex's uterus causing the bleeding."

"Is it serious?"

"It can be extremely serious for both the mother and baby depending on how wide-spread the separation is. Right now we are monitoring the fetal heartbeat to see if the baby is in distress. Fortunately the pregnancy seems well advanced so if the decision is made to either induce labor or perform a C-Section the baby appears to be close enough to term to be fine on its own. Speaking of that do you have the name and number of her obstetrician?"

"Yes I do," Penny gave him the information. "I hadn't called her yet because I wasn't sure what was going on. And her pregnancy is over eight months by the way."

Doctor Price looked at the name on Penny's phone. "Oh excellent. Not only is Doctor Grafton one of the very best ob-gyn's I know but she's on staff here so we can cut through the red tape getting her here." He looked at the papers Penny had filled out. "Quickly, does Alex smoke? Have any history of high blood pressure? Hypertension?" When Penny replied in the negative to those and a few other quick questions he looked relieved. "Good. I think that this situation, although serious and well-done getting her here by the way, is not going to be life-threatening. But we will take every precaution of course."

Meanwhile across town a certain theoretical physicist whose toleration of other people's stupidity, either real or perceived, was never at a very high level had completely lost his temper with what he was rapidly coming to call "the idiots in Switzerland". After all, even though Leonard had simply up and abandoned him under the absurd premise that his marriage to Alex was more important than his friendship and duties to is roommate still Leonard remained his best friend. Therefore Sheldon WOULD get a message to him. HIs voice rose to an ear-splitting level.

(Geneva)

No matter how sound asleep one might be the noise of someone furiously banging on the door will tend to wake anyone this side of member of the Brad Pitt's opposition in "World War Z". Leonard was neither an exception nor a zombie so he staggered out of bed. Picking up his phone from force of habit he managed to focus on the screen. Just as he reached the door, still shaking with the continual pounding, he came fully awake when he saw the number of unanswered calls and voice mail messages.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," he announced. He tried opening the door and his voice mail at the same time and succeeded only in dropping his phone. Deciding ending the pounding on the door took priority he left it for a moment while he unlocked and opened the door.

"Doctor Hofstadter?" A gasping young man he had never seen before leaned against the doorframe as he tried to catch his breath.

"Yes."

"Sir a Doctor Sheldon Cooper is on the phone at the main building. He was most... insistent that he speak to you. He says it s an extreme emergency. And your room phone isn t working."

"I unplugged it," an embarrassed Leonard replied. "Okay, thank you I'll call him."

He retrieved his phone and successfully opened his voice mail. Penny's voice leaped out at him.

"Leonard for God's sake where ARE you? Alex is in the hospital. Call the second you get this message."

Fortunately the young man had hesitated before leaving. Therefore when Leonard turned white and his knees buckled there was someone there to catch him. He rallied and called Penny.

"About time," his ex said before the first ringtone had finished. Leonard didn't waste time offering excuses and Penny wasn't looking for them. Quickly she filled her friend in on Alex's condition.

"Doctor Price and Doctor Grafton came out a few minutes ago with an update. The baby's heartbeat is good but the abruption is increasing. Alex has started labor, which is good. They are going to keep a close eye on her and try to allow her to deliver naturally but they re prepared to do a C-Section if anything goes wrong."

"Thank you Penny. I'll get on the first available plane."

"No need. Hold on for Mandy."

The girl Army officer took over. "Leonard, get you passport. It's all you need."

"What?"

"A helicopter is on its way to pick you up at the Center's main building. There's a heli-pad there. You'll be taken to Vicenza, Italy, specifically the US Army Camp Ederle, home of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. There you'll catch a C-17 Globemaster III that's returning some Special Operations troops to the US. I suggest you leave them alone and they'll leave you alone. You'll land at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa where a Gulfstream G150 business type jet belonging to another branch of the government will bring you here. I cannot tell you, of course, who that jet will belong to but the next time you see Penny's boyfriend Mike you might give him an extra handshake."

Leonard stammered for a moment in surprise.

"Get the lead out!" hollered Mandy. He did.

Jeffries and Shelia caught up to him as he sprinted back to his room. Apparently Sheldon was still spreading the word. They assured him they would get his papers, notes, clothes and everything else back to him in Pasadena and wished him and Alex well. He reached the helipad with just enough spare time to call Sheldon and thank him deeply and sincerely for his efforts, although NOT with enough time to listen to Sheldon's recital of all the events and all the trouble he had been put through to reach him.

Hours and hours later after the most unusual plane rides he had ever experienced he landed at Bob Hope Airport. Penny's US Marshal boyfriend Mike was waiting with a car to take him to the hospital. Upon arrival he was half-led, half-carried to the waiting room, a room that was jammed with his and Alex's friends. Even Sheldon was there, although he was careful not to touch anything.

The greetings were barely started when Doctor Grafton appeared.

"Doctor Hofstadter. Please come with me."

Leonard rushed after the already disappearing ob-gyn. She opened a door and waved him in. He entered and stopped as his heart leaped in his chest.

Sitting up in the bed was his wife. And Alex was holding a blanket wrapped bundle with a round red face that peered out at him.

"Hey," Alex whispered. "Come say hello to your son."

Leonard tip-toed across the floor to sit on the edge of the bed. Alex passed him their baby. Unconsciously he rocked it slightly in his arms as he looked at the tiny boy.

"Hey there. I'm your father. I'm sorry to be so late. I was counting on being here when you arrived."

"As long as you are here for him from now on is all that's important," Alex reminded him.

He leaned over carefully and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Quietly the room filled up. Howard and Bernadette, Amy and Sheldon, Penny and Mike, even Lucy was there with Raj. Mandy's two daughters were cooing over the baby already and asking "Aunt Alex" when they could babysit him. He and Alex were a family now and he felt so surrounded and warmed by friendship and love that had he not been so happy he could have cried. And he could tell that Alex felt the same way.

"What a great life," he thought.

(The End)

(This seems like a good place to leave Leonard and Alex for a while. I need a break and other stories are clamoring to be written. But I'm sure I'll be back to them again.)