Chapter 12: Post-Event Syndrome
Leaving Max's apartment, Ethan Rayne's emotions were somewhat tangled.
The moment the door closed behind him, he almost couldn't tell if everything he'd just experienced was real or merely a dream.
Ethan stood outside the apartment door, pausing for several seconds.
The sweet aroma of cupcakes still lingered in the air, mixed with a hint of Max's distinctive perfume.
He'd almost wanted to stay.
That impulse left him feeling slightly disoriented.
He wasn't the type to dwell on the past, nor was he the kind of man whose rationality could be derailed by a one-night stand.
He chuckled softly to himself. "That's weird... Could it be I haven't been with a woman in so long that my hormones have completely overthrown my better judgment?"
The smile quickly faded.
A moment later, that warmth receded like a tide.
Rationality reclaimed the high ground—calm, composed, yet also somewhat hollow.
Max was clearly more clear-headed than he was.
"Maybe this really is the best arrangement," he thought.
The city awakened under morning sunlight, and the streets already bustled with food trucks, joggers, and dog walkers.
He looked up at the sky. Today was Saturday.
He wasn't on call and didn't plan to go into the clinic—
He only ran a modest private practice, typically open just on weekdays: opening around eight or nine in the morning and closing by five or six in the afternoon.
Weekends were generally closed, occasionally open for a half-day Saturday morning.
Holidays were definitely closed.
Every quiet weekend felt like a mini vacation.
However, Mary Mason sometimes went to the clinic on her own, and weekends when she didn't have classes became her longest shifts there.
Ethan didn't mind, since weekends could get surprisingly busy, and he'd even considered paying Mary double for weekend work, but she'd refused.
Sure enough, just as he was heading toward the street corner to hail a cab, his phone rang.
The name "Mary Mason" appeared on the screen.
He answered. "Morning, Mary."
Her crisp voice came through. "Doctor, I'm already at the clinic. Just wanted to confirm—will you be coming in today?"
"Today? Nah, Mary. You've got the place to yourself today. I'm planning to stay home."
"What do you mean 'to myself'?" Mary's tone was peculiar.
"Exactly what it sounds like—just don't burn the place down."
"I won't."
"I know. I'm just messing with you."
The line went quiet for two seconds, then Mary said quietly, "Are you okay? You sound a bit... off."
"Me?" Ethan chuckled. "I'm fine. Just—slept really 'hard' last night."
Mary sounded puzzled. "You sound like you didn't sleep at all."
He changed the subject. "Oh, by the way, I just transferred the past few weeks' pay to your account. Should be there now."
"Finally!" Though her tone remained calm, her undisguised happiness was obvious.
"Don't overwork yourself," Ethan's voice softened. "You don't have classes on weekends, so just hang at the clinic if you want. If you need anything, call me anytime."
"Got it."
After hanging up, Ethan stared at the screen for a moment. As the light dimmed, his own reflection stared back at him.
First floor of the apartment building.
Leonard and Sheldon were signing for a delivery from a UPS worker.
Leonard scribbled his signature while explaining, "Her apartment's on the fourth floor, but the elevator's been broken for like three years, so you'll have to—"
He looked up. The delivery guy had already walked away with his hand truck.
"You're just leaving? Alright then, thanks a lot."
Leonard eyed the massive package, which stood slightly taller than Sheldon, and said, "Guess we're hauling this up ourselves."
"I strongly object." Sheldon frowned. "First, we don't have a dolly, lifting straps, or upper body strength."
"We don't need brute strength," Leonard said confidently, preparing to lift the box. "We're physicists. We're the intellectual descendants of Archimedes!"
"Give me a lever and a fulcrum, and I can move the Earth." The second he finished speaking, the box tilted and collapsed directly onto his shoulder.
Leonard crumpled to the ground. "I can't move it! I can't move it!!!"
Sheldon quickly stepped in to help him up, and together they wrestled the furniture back upright. "Archimedes would be so proud right now."
The furniture was back in its original position. The two looked at each other.
Leonard asked quietly, "Do you have any ideas?"
"Several, but they all require either a Green Lantern ring or the One Ring of Power."
Working together, the two managed to lay the furniture flat lengthwise on the stairs.
Leonard announced, "Okay, now we've created an inclined plane. The pulling force is reduced by the sine of the staircase angle. The angle's approximately thirty degrees, so that cuts it nearly in half!"
Sheldon corrected, "At thirty degrees, it's exactly half."
Leonard conceded, "Fine, exactly half. Push."
They maneuvered the furniture to the first landing. Leonard called from the front, "Come up here and help me pull it up and pivot."
Just as Sheldon was about to climb up, he released his grip. The furniture immediately slid backward all the way to the bottom.
Sheldon observed dryly, "Gravity is so unforgiving."
They finally managed to wrestle the furniture up one complete flight of stairs.
"You know what," Sheldon complained while pushing, "all this physical labor won't increase your chances of sleeping with this woman."
Leonard shot back, "Men don't do things for women exclusively for sex."
"To quote Ethan Rayne—'Only a man who's just gotten laid will help a woman move furniture without expecting sex in return.' And you clearly haven't."
"I'm doing this to be a good neighbor!" Leonard argued. "Besides, it certainly won't decrease my chances."
"Hmm." Sheldon glanced up toward the fourth floor. "Apparently a defining characteristic of good neighbors is developing herniated discs."
Finally, they managed to push the furniture into Penny's apartment and gently set it down.
Leonard warned, "Watch your fingers."
"Ow! My fingers!"
"Are you okay?" Leonard asked quickly.
"No, my hand..." Sheldon had just started to respond when he looked around Penny's living room. "Good Lord! Look at this place!"
"Penny's just... a little messy." Leonard tried to smile diplomatically.
"A little?" Sheldon surveyed the chaos. "The Mandelbrot set is 'a little' complex. This is entropy approaching maximum disorder."
"Sheldon, everyone has different organizational styles."
"Organizational style?" Sheldon picked up a lone sock from the floor. "This is more like a biohazard containment failure."
Leonard urged, "Come on, we need to go!"
Sheldon crouched down. "Hold on!"
Leonard asked, "What are you doing?"
Sheldon began arranging items. "I'm organizing."
"Sheldon, this isn't your apartment!"
"This isn't anyone's apartment—this is a Neolithic cave dwelling!"
Just as he was about to launch into a lecture about "the complete collapse of civilized society," Penny returned.
"Hey guys!" She smiled brightly as she walked through the door.
"Your furniture arrived," Leonard wiped sweat from his forehead. "We just brought it up for you."
"Awesome! Was it super heavy?"
"Not heavy at all!" Leonard answered before Sheldon could contradict him.
"That's right, not heavy whatsoever." Sheldon added sarcastically. "I merely require a complete spinal replacement now."
Leonard dragged Sheldon toward the door. "Anyway, we won't keep you!"
"Okay," Penny said warmly. "Thanks again, you guys!"
"Penny," Sheldon paused at the doorway, his expression deadly serious. "You don't have to live like this. I'm willing to help you establish a functional organizational system."
Penny blinked in confusion. "...What is he talking about?"
"He's joking," Leonard said hastily.
Penny shook her head. "I genuinely don't understand him."
"Nobody does. It's fine."
Just then, the sound of a key in a lock came from outside.
Ethan Rayne, carrying a Starbucks cup, inserted his key into the apartment door. Hearing voices from Penny's place, he walked over instead.
"Morning," he said, observing the three people inside.
"Hey, Ethan!" Leonard immediately perked up, excited like he'd discovered a new conversation topic. "You'll never guess—Penny gave me a key yesterday!"
"For emergencies only," Penny quickly clarified. "You weren't around yesterday evening, so... I figured just in case."
"Right," Leonard scratched his head, smiling awkwardly. "Hey Ethan, you didn't come home last night."
Sheldon immediately chimed in. "Correct—based on the wrinkles in his collar, the slight dishevelment of his hair, the characteristic muscle relaxation around his eyes, and his overall physical fatigue, I deduce he experienced what biologists refer to as 'successful mammalian mating behavior.'"
"Sheldon!" Ethan shot him a warning glare.
Penny's hand slipped slightly, nearly dropping her keys.
She laughed lightly, her tone breezy. "Well, sounds like a productive Friday night. The doctor clearly practices what he preaches about 'physical wellness.'"
"So," she asked casually, "did you meet someone new last night?"
"Uh, actually an ex-girlfriend." Ethan rubbed the back of his neck.
"Oh, reconnecting, naturally." Penny nodded knowingly. "I occasionally reconnect with ex-boyfriends too..."
She turned toward the kitchen, reaching for the coffee pot. "Want some coffee? Hydration helps with... recovery."
Sheldon's expression suddenly shifted to alarm. "Wait—it wasn't Paige, was it? Please tell me Paige didn't come to New York!"
Ethan replied irritably, "It wasn't Paige!"
"Oh, thank God." Sheldon visibly relaxed. "Then literally anyone else is fine."
"No thanks, Penny." Ethan held up his Starbucks cup. "I'm heading back to crash. See you guys later."
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