Chapter 75 — Penny's Bad Luck
By the time Ethan left John Wick's house, it was already deep into the night.
His eyelids felt like they were fighting each other.
The day had been overwhelming—one event after another, without a moment to breathe.
A high-intensity treatment session in the morning.
A steady stream of patients throughout the afternoon.
Helen's resurrection that evening.
And finally, helping John smash up the basement floor half the night.
The Holy Light wasn't a nuclear power plant.
It couldn't produce energy forever.
By the time he returned to the apartment, the clock had already crept past midnight.
Ethan carefully turned the key in the door, trying not to make any noise.
The living room was completely dark.
Only a thin strip of streetlight slipped through the curtains, stretching across the floor like a narrow ribbon of silver.
He placed the keys in the small dish by the entrance.
The metal tapped lightly against the ceramic with a crisp ding.
After taking off his coat, he felt his way toward the couch. Fatigue made his steps slightly unsteady.
He sat down, ready to finally relax the nerves that had been stretched tight all day—
"AHHH—!"
A sharp scream exploded beneath him.
Ethan jumped up instantly.
Only then did he realize—
He had just sat on something soft.
And it definitely wasn't a couch cushion.
He quickly switched on the nearby table lamp.
There was Penny, curled up on the sofa, clutching her chest with both hands, her face twisted in pain.
"You just sat—RIGHT—ON—MY—CHEST!"
Ethan froze.
"Penny! Oh my God—I'm so sorry! I had no idea you were here!"
He immediately dropped to his knees beside the couch. His doctor instincts kicked in instantly.
"Are you okay? Where does it hurt?"
"My chest… oh God, that hurts…" Penny groaned weakly, pressing her hand against it.
"I think something cracked."
"Let me take a look," Ethan said, his voice shifting back into calm professionalism.
Penny nodded and slowly removed her hand from her chest.
Ethan gently placed his hand just below her collarbone.
"Take a breath."
He carefully pressed along her sternum and ribcage.
His fingers moved lightly along the contour of the bones, searching for any irregularity or deformity.
"Does this hurt?" he asked, pressing the third rib on the left side.
Penny sucked in a breath.
"A little."
"And here?" His fingers shifted to the next rib.
"No… that one's fine."
"Take a deep breath," Ethan instructed. "Slowly."
Penny did as he said, though she still frowned slightly when inhaling.
"Doesn't look like any fractures or dislocations," Ethan concluded after a moment, visibly relieved.
"Just a soft-tissue bruise. It should be fine."
"If the pain gets worse tomorrow or if you have trouble breathing, tell me right away. I'll prescribe something."
Of course, that was mostly for form's sake.
During the examination he had quietly slipped in a restoration spell.
He looked up again.
The two of them suddenly realized how close they were—both the posture and the distance felt… a little dangerous.
And a little awkward.
Ethan quickly withdrew his hand and stepped back.
"Sorry… diagnosis sometimes requires getting a little close."
Penny chuckled.
"It's fine. I know all you were thinking about was bones."
"Thanks, Ethan." Penny slowly sat up, rubbing her chest, still a bit shaken.
"It doesn't hurt as much now. I honestly thought you were going to crush me to death."
"Not likely," Ethan replied.
"The fat layer in your chest provides pretty good cushioning."
Penny blinked.
"Wait—are you saying… my boobs just saved my life?"
"Sounds unbelievable," Ethan said seriously, "but in critical moments, they can indeed be life-saving."
The two of them settled back onto the couch.
Ethan asked, "So why are you sleeping out here?"
Penny sighed, her expression turning helpless.
"I've got a friend. Her name's Kristen. I met her back in Nebraska."
"She called me a few days ago asking how New York was."
Penny rubbed her forehead.
"I told her it was amazing—because, you know… it's not Nebraska."
"And then she actually showed up. Like, literally showed up. She wants to stay with me."
"She arrived today and has been sitting in my room all night talking about every guy she's slept with in Omaha."
Penny made an exaggerated gesture.
"Which basically means… all the men in Omaha."
Ethan couldn't help laughing.
"Sounds like she's… very energetic."
"Oh, it gets better," Penny continued. "She's also washing the most scandalous lingerie you can imagine in my bathroom sink. Lace, sheer stuff, cut-outs, straps—basically every kind you can think of."
"Thanks," Ethan sighed. "Now I have a mental image."
"So I came over here to hide from her for a while," Penny said, rolling her eyes. "But somehow Howard started talking to her."
"And when I went back to my apartment to sleep, I found Howard and Kristen… getting pretty cozy in my bedroom."
Ethan blinked.
"You're sure?"
Penny waved a hand dismissively.
"Please. I grew up on a farm. From experience, either they were having sex, or Howard somehow got stuck in a milking machine."
Ethan took a deep breath.
"Alright… I understand."
They looked at each other for a moment, then both burst out laughing.
They quickly covered their mouths to keep from waking anyone else. The awkward tension from earlier had completely disappeared.
"So you just gave them the room?" Ethan asked, glancing around at the narrow couch. "Does Sheldon know you're sleeping here?"
"Are you kidding?" Penny said, shocked. "He made me promise I wouldn't touch any of his emergency earthquake supplies."
"He even drew me a diagram showing exactly which items were his 'survival resources' and strictly off-limits. Yours and Leonard's… well, that depends on his mood."
Ethan rubbed his forehead.
"That sounds extremely Sheldon."
After a moment of silence, Ethan spoke seriously.
"You should get some sleep. The couch is going to be uncomfortable. Take my room."
Penny looked up, a little surprised.
"Are you sure?"
Ethan nodded.
"Consider it an apology for the accident earlier. If you don't rest properly, it might affect your recovery. I can sleep on the couch."
Penny bit her lip and hesitated for a few seconds. Then her tone turned slightly subtle.
"…Is your bed big enough?"
Ethan didn't catch the hint at all. He answered honestly.
"Definitely big enough. Three people could sleep on it without a problem."
Penny blinked.
"…Three??"
Ethan yawned so hard his face twisted from exhaustion as he started arranging the small blanket on the couch.
"Yeah… go ahead… good night… see you tomorrow."
"..."
Penny stood up.
By the time she reached the doorway, Ethan had already hugged the pillow and collapsed onto the couch.
Before leaving, she turned back to remind him:
"Sheldon says your head shouldn't face the door."
"Why?"
"Ancient tradition," Penny explained seriously. "It prevents you from being ambushed. When you sleep, your head should face away from the door. It's safer."
"…Got it."
Penny watched as Ethan obediently shifted his sleeping position. Within seconds, he had already found a comfortable posture again.
She shook her head and walked away. The living room fell silent.
About two minutes later—
The door opened again.
Penny quietly walked back to the couch.
"Ethan?"
Ethan leaned against the sofa with his eyes closed, his voice groggy.
"…Hmm…?"
Penny looked a little nervous.
"…Do you want… to sleep with me?"
She said it quietly, trying to sound casual, but the hopeful look in her eyes gave her away.
Ethan was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open.
"…Me? Together? …Yeah… sure…"
Penny lit up instantly.
"Okay! Then I'll… I'll go take a shower! Give me a few minutes!"
Soon the sound of running water came from the bathroom.
---
Twenty-seven minutes later—
Penny stepped out, drying her hair, her face a mix of excitement and nervousness.
"Ethan, I—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Ethan had completely collapsed across the couch.
One arm hung down, fingers nearly touching the floor. His chest rose and fell slowly and steadily.
He was completely asleep.
Penny stared for two seconds.
Then she laughed helplessly, gently pulling the blanket over him.
She muttered softly,
"…Guess my luck is terrible tonight."
She turned off the table lamp and quietly walked back to Ethan's room.
The living room fell silent again.
Only the small nightlight in the corner remained, casting a soft orange glow over Ethan's sleeping face.