Chapter 7: Ethan and Penny's Conversation
Hawking's synthesized voice continued from the TV: "If the universe is truly infinite, then we will eventually encounter our past selves."
The TV area in the living room had become a sacred temple of science.
Meanwhile, on the couch, Penny and Ethan existed in a completely different parallel universe.
Penny cradled a coffee mug, curled up on one end of the sofa.
She noticed Ethan sitting quietly, sunk deep into the cushions, looking somewhat distracted.
"You don't look so hot. Kind of exhausted. Rough day at the clinic?"
Ethan paused, silent for a couple seconds before responding. "It was alright. I just had a... unusual patient."
"Was he a jerk?" Penny's eyes lit up with gossip. "I've got tons of experience with that. When a customer pisses me off, I don't get mad. I just sneeze a few times into their food. Or spit in it."
Ethan couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, next time I'll definitely call you to come sneeze on the patient's surgical site."
"Ha! I don't know how things work at a clinic." Penny grinned and winked. "Maybe... you could leave a sponge or scissors in their abdomen?"
"Good idea. I'll keep that in mind." Ethan responded with complete seriousness.
Ethan's deadpan delivery made Penny smile even wider.
Ethan's mood, which had been weighed down by the elderly Jigsaw victim, finally began to lift. He glanced at the four guys glued to the TV and suddenly felt inspired.
"Hey, Penny," Ethan's tone shifted, becoming playful. "Want to see something funny?"
"Sure." Penny propped her chin on her hand. "But I'm really hoping your idea of 'funny' isn't another physics lecture."
"Don't worry. This is way more entertaining."
Ethan leaned in close and whispered a few words, his breath almost touching her ear.
Penny's eyes widened slightly, then she raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"
Ethan nodded.
Penny looked at the four science nerds completely absorbed in the TV, then back at Ethan. "Alright, let's do it."
She cleared her throat. "Hey, Doctor, my chest hurts a little. Could you examine me?"
Ethan played along smoothly. "Of course, but I'll need you to remove your shirt."
"Okay." Penny paused, her voice becoming sultry. "Do I need to take everything off?"
"Um, yes."
"Alright then."
The air hung in subtle silence for two seconds.
"Penny," Ethan said casually, "you actually have a beauty mark on your chest. You know, in some cultures, that's considered a sign of good fortune."
"Good fortune?" She blinked. "What does that mean?"
"It means—you're destined for great things."
Penny smiled. "Are you complimenting my ambition, or... my assets?"
"Hmm." Ethan's lips curved. "Both."
They both glanced at the cluster of academic elites in front of the TV. Still completely focused, not a single one had moved an inch.
Ethan spread his hands at Penny in a "see what I mean?" gesture.
Penny couldn't help but exclaim, "Unbelievable!"
Both of them laughed.
After a moment, Penny suddenly tilted her head. "Wait, Ethan... how did you know I have a beauty mark on my chest?"
"—What?"
"Didn't you just say you didn't see anything?"
The air instantly froze.
Ethan went rigid, completely caught.
Penny crossed her arms, staring at him with a mischievous smile spreading across her face.
"You did look, didn't you?"
"I swear, I was just—"
"Assessing the patient's condition?"
"Exactly! Exactly. From a clinical perspective."
"Ha!" Penny finally burst out laughing. "Relax, Doc. I'm not gonna sue you."
She winked, her tone teasing. "Actually, I'm kind of flattered you looked. At least it proves my body didn't disappoint you."
Ethan coughed. "From a medical standpoint, you're... very well-proportioned. Very healthy."
Penny grinned. "So next time I need a breast exam, is it free?"
"If it's you," Ethan said with complete sincerity, "I'd pay you."
"Ha!" Penny collapsed onto the sofa laughing. "If you were my boyfriend, we could play doctor-patient games all the time."
They both laughed again.
Midway through her laughter, Penny's gaze drifted to his profile.
Ethan quickly caught her staring. He touched his face, somewhat confused. "What? Do I have something on my face?"
Penny blinked. "Leonard said you're all PhDs, but the gap between doctorate holders is massive."
She gestured with her chin toward the four 'science geeks' in front of the TV, still entranced by Hawking's lecture.
"You seem pretty normal. As for them—well, you know."
Ethan smiled. "Maybe it's because I also studied psychology. Psychology examines human emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Physics and engineering study natural laws."
He paused. "But people are unpredictable, especially..."
Penny immediately jumped in. "Especially women, right?"
Ethan choked slightly, coughing awkwardly. "Uh... what I meant to say was—psychiatric patients."
"Heh, basically the same thing." Penny smirked. "So you're saying because you studied people, you know how to actually talk to them? And they only study inanimate objects, so they can only relate to nature or other nerds like themselves. Like, as a doctor, you have to take specific classes before you can deal with something—even if that 'something' is a person."
"Uh, I guess that's one way to put it."
Ethan gave up trying to correct her interpretation.
After a while, Penny spoke up again. "Seriously though, you're completely different from them. Why do you still live together? And you all seem pretty close?"
"Sheldon and I have known each other since we were kids." Ethan smiled. "He was brilliant even as a child. When he was eleven, he tried to build a nuclear reactor to power our entire town—and ended up getting a visit from Homeland Security."
Penny's eyes went wide. "Are you kidding me?!"
"Completely serious! To a lot of people, he comes across as this total weirdo, and sometimes Leonard and the others can seem that way too. But I get it. They just love niche stuff, and there aren't many people in the world who understand them."
Ethan continued, "Actually, they're all pretty easy to get along with. As long as you don't mock the things they care about, they'll treat you like a friend—even family."
Penny looked into his eyes, and something fluttered unexpectedly in her chest.
"God—you're just so nice." She blurted it out.
"Hm?" Ethan looked surprised. "Weren't we talking about Sheldon? Why are you suddenly complimenting me?"
"Because you are that nice person." Penny said earnestly.
Ethan smiled and shook his head. "Thanks."
After a brief silence, it was Ethan's turn to ask. "What about you? How'd you end up moving here?"
Penny hesitated, but finally decided to be honest. "My live-in ex-boyfriend and I broke up, and I had to find a new place. Luckily, this was the smoothest apartment hunt I've ever had, otherwise I'd be couch-surfing."
"Everything happens for a reason." Ethan smiled. "So what's next for you?"
Penny perked up. "Obviously, keep chasing my dream—to be an actress!"
"I've always wanted to act!" When talking about her dream, Penny became animated. "I've only played one 'Girl at Bar' and two background extras so far, but I'm still grinding away, looking for opportunities. The competition in LA is insane, so I wanted to try my luck here in Pasadena—there are more theater productions and indie films."
Ethan's expression grew serious. "The indie film scene... not many people, and even fewer good ones. If anyone gives you trouble, call me."
Penny raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Did you ever actually give me your number?"
"Uh—I guess... I didn't."
"My bad. I forgot." Ethan quickly pulled out his phone.
A check came out of his pocket along with the phone, gently sliding and floating to the floor.
"What's this?" Penny bent down to pick up the paper.
She saw the string of numbers—and froze.
"One hundred thousand dollars?!"
Ethan grimaced. "Uh... that's the payment I got at the clinic today."
"Payment?!" Penny nearly choked. "So I've been sitting here making you feel better for half an hour, and you didn't mention you made a hundred grand in one day?!"
Ethan held up his hands. "It was a fluke. And I don't think that's the point."
Penny held the check up to the light, staring at all those zeros. "Jesus Christ, I make twelve bucks an hour plus tips where customers might grab my ass. And you... earned what I make in years in a single day!"
She looked up at him, her smile a bit strained. "That's incredibly depressing."
Ethan looked embarrassed. "I know it sounds crazy, but I swear this was a one-time thing!"
"How are you gonna spend this money?" Penny leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Pay down the clinic's debt, I guess."
"What about the rest?"
"The rest... I'll pay back slowly."
Penny processed this for two seconds. "A hundred grand isn't enough to pay it off? How much debt do you have?!"
"Um, roughly... seven hundred thousand."
Penny almost couldn't breathe. "Seven hundred thousand?!"
"Yeah."
"Oh my God, what did you do? Buy an entire hospital?"
Ethan scratched his head. "Pretty much. I bought the building where the clinic is."
Penny's eyes went wide and she sat bolt upright on the couch. "You bought it? Not rented?"
"Uh, yeah."
"You're actually a... doctor who owns his own clinic?!"
"Uh~"
"Okay, from now on, you're not allowed to complain about your problems. Your problems only make everyone else's seem worse by comparison."
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