Los Angeles.
St. Bonaventure Hospital of San Jose.
Outside the emergency room.
Leonard and the others all shouted the name that made their hearts sink at the middle-aged man being rushed in.
"Is that Professor Heideman?"
Adam froze for a moment, then quickly snapped back to his senses and stepped forward. "What happened?"
"Male, fifty-two, severe chest pain."
The paramedic hurriedly reported.
"Alright, I'll take over from here."
Adam grabbed the gurney and pushed it inside.
"Professor Heideman..."
Seeing how much pain he was in, Leonard's face turned green.
"Dr. Hofstadter."
Professor Heideman looked at Leonard through the pain.
"Professor Heideman."
Sheldon hid behind Leonard and greeted him as well.
"Dr. Cooper."
Professor Heideman greeted him again.
"Professor Heideman."
"Dr. Koothrappali."
"Professor Heideman."
"Mr. Wolowitz."
"..."
Seeing Professor Heideman in such agony while still using that same style of address, Howard's lips twitched.
Yet for the first time, Leonard and the other two did not share a knowing smile.
They simply couldn't laugh.
First, Professor Heideman was suffering terribly, so it would have been inappropriate to laugh.
Second, Professor Heideman had accurately recognized all four of them.
Instead of merely knowing asthma-ridden Leonard, with whom he had "history," and the famous madman Sheldon, he recognized all four. What did that mean?
It certainly wasn't because the four of them were Caltech's trendy boy band of science.
It could only mean that Professor Heideman had been paying special attention to them!
After Adam's reminder, the reason behind that special attention felt especially heartwarming at this moment...
"When did the chest pain start?"
Adam asked as he pushed the gurney into the emergency room.
"A few days ago."
Professor Heideman endured the pain and said, "I'm a biologist. I was conducting an experiment... Basin!"
The medical staff who had already gathered around