(I have not yet seen every episode of the show, so I apologize if there have been any scenes or statements that contradict anything here.)
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Penny would have been able to handle it if it had been some kid jabbing at the back of her seat every couple of seconds. That was part of the whole flying experience, after all. Of course, the true culprit could definitely be described childish…
Poke. “Penny.” Another poke, right in the center of her back. “Penny.” And a third. “Penny.”
Exhaling softly, she put on her most saccharine placating smile before she turned around.
“What is it, Sheldon?”
“Yes, I was wondering if you could settle a minor dispute between Howard and myself. You see, he is under the impression that there’s a very good chance we may die horribly when our plane collides with the ground and the fuel ignites—I’ve tried to explain that the odds of this flight being involved in an accident hardly correlates with his amount of anxiety, but he insists on being unreasonable about it.” Sheldon’s lips flattened into a thin line as he shot an annoyed glance at the man in question.
Smile still in place, Penny ran the words back through her mind until they resembled a normal statement.
“I’ve always heard that there are a lot more fatal car crashes,” she said. “But it’s also perfectly okay to be nervous about flying, sweetie.”
Sheldon had been nodding vigorously at her first statement, but his expression darkened once she had finished.
“It is most certainly not ‘okay,’” he snapped back. “His phobia flies in the face of clear evidence to the contrary. If I could just pull up the data on my laptop, the numbers would show that—”
“Oh, sure,” said Raj, leaning in from the other side of Howard. “Didn’t you hear the lady? Until we reach cruising altitude, no electronic devices.”
“Are you trying to make us crash?” Howard gaped at Sheldon accusingly.
“Don’t be absurd. Besides, there have been reports that imply that the interference from such devices aren’t nearly as dire as once suggested. Do you really believe that every person turns off their cell phones when the flight attendants tell them to?”
“Oh, God,” said Howard, burying his face in his hands.
Raj crossed his arms, glaring at Sheldon. “Now look what you’ve done.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Penny will back me up on this. Penny?”
Penny leaned back heavily against her seat, closing her eyes. Her friends were great, both despite and because of their quirks, but at least back at the apartment building she could leave when things got way too ridiculous. One thing she did know for sure—it was going to be a long flight.
no subject
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Penny would have been able to handle it if it had been some kid jabbing at the back of her seat every couple of seconds. That was part of the whole flying experience, after all. Of course, the true culprit could definitely be described childish…
Poke. “Penny.” Another poke, right in the center of her back. “Penny.” And a third. “Penny.”
Exhaling softly, she put on her most saccharine placating smile before she turned around.
“What is it, Sheldon?”
“Yes, I was wondering if you could settle a minor dispute between Howard and myself. You see, he is under the impression that there’s a very good chance we may die horribly when our plane collides with the ground and the fuel ignites—I’ve tried to explain that the odds of this flight being involved in an accident hardly correlates with his amount of anxiety, but he insists on being unreasonable about it.” Sheldon’s lips flattened into a thin line as he shot an annoyed glance at the man in question.
Smile still in place, Penny ran the words back through her mind until they resembled a normal statement.
“I’ve always heard that there are a lot more fatal car crashes,” she said. “But it’s also perfectly okay to be nervous about flying, sweetie.”
Sheldon had been nodding vigorously at her first statement, but his expression darkened once she had finished.
“It is most certainly not ‘okay,’” he snapped back. “His phobia flies in the face of clear evidence to the contrary. If I could just pull up the data on my laptop, the numbers would show that—”
“Oh, sure,” said Raj, leaning in from the other side of Howard. “Didn’t you hear the lady? Until we reach cruising altitude, no electronic devices.”
“Are you trying to make us crash?” Howard gaped at Sheldon accusingly.
“Don’t be absurd. Besides, there have been reports that imply that the interference from such devices aren’t nearly as dire as once suggested. Do you really believe that every person turns off their cell phones when the flight attendants tell them to?”
“Oh, God,” said Howard, burying his face in his hands.
Raj crossed his arms, glaring at Sheldon. “Now look what you’ve done.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Penny will back me up on this. Penny?”
Penny leaned back heavily against her seat, closing her eyes. Her friends were great, both despite and because of their quirks, but at least back at the apartment building she could leave when things got way too ridiculous. One thing she did know for sure—it was going to be a long flight.