A Clear Pill Chapter 1
Leonard woke to a poster of Luke Skywalker on the wall. Gently moving an arm off his chest, he fumbled for his thick, black-framed glasses. Squinting in the dark, he finally found them and perched them on his nose. The body beside him stirred—Priya Koothrappali, a talented lawyer and Raj's younger sister.
Seeing her there still surprised him. He'd felt something similar when he dated Penny, but with Priya, the feeling was different—sharper, more validating. Last night's memory brought a goofy smile to his face. Priya had verbally demolished Sheldon with legal precision, and Leonard had never been more aroused. The night that followed had quieted that desire.
Checking the bedside clock, Leonard's eyes widened.
"Wake up, Priya," he urged, already pulling on his robe. "It's 6:30. Didn't you say you have a meeting?"
Priya stirred, groaned, and rubbed her eyes. She rose slowly, stretching as she reached for her robe. Leonard, already brushing his teeth, passed her a cup and toothbrush. They brushed in sync, half-asleep lovers, before drifting into the kitchen.
Sheldon, of course, was already awake—probably after his ritual morning bowel movement. Leonard had long since stopped being surprised.
"Morning, Sheldon," Leonard greeted.
Sheldon was waiting, papers in hand. With his usual sanctimonious air, he handed Leonard a thick stack.
"Ah, good. You're up. I've drafted an improved roommate agreement—vastly improved, if I may say so—that benefits me greatly. I'd like you to sign it."
Leonard eyed the document as he poured himself coffee. "Why would I want to do that?"
"Excellent question," Sheldon replied. "Do you recall what happened to the alien—portrayed brilliantly by Frank Gorshin—in the Star Trek episode 'Let That Be Your Last Battlefield'?"
Leonard hesitated. "Uh, Captain Kirk activated the self-destruct sequence and threatened to blow up the Enterprise and kill them both unless he gave in?"
"Exactly." Sheldon turned to his laptop. "Computer, this is Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Activate self-destruct sequence. Code 1-1-A-2-B."
A female voice from the computer: "Self-destruct sequence activated."
Leonard raised an eyebrow. "You're going to blow up the apartment?"
"That was my first thought," Sheldon admitted, "but all my cool stuff is here."
Priya chuckled. "So what happens when the countdown ends?"
Sheldon turned to her, eyes gleaming. "Unless Leonard signs the agreement in the next forty-one seconds, the computer will send an email to your parents in India saying you're in a secret relationship with Leonard Hofstadter."
Priya's face was drained of color. "Oh my God."
"What's the big deal?" Leonard asked, puzzled.
"Trust me. It's a big deal," Priya snapped.
"They're going to find out eventually, right?"
"Yes—just not today."
Sheldon's voice chimed in again: "Twenty seconds."
Leonard looked at Priya. "Are you ashamed of me?"
"Of course not."
"Then why can't we tell them?"
"Please don't push this."
Sheldon smirked. "He does that all the time, doesn't he? Fifteen."
"Fine!" Priya snapped. "Sheldon, you win. Turn it off."
Leonard fell silent. He normally would've argued, shouted, or lunged for the laptop. But something happened.
Leonard's POV
I was hurt—but not surprised. From childhood to adulthood, I've always lived in the shadow of someone. A mother who treated me like a study subject. Colleagues who saw me as the sidekick. And now this. Another reminder that I'm never quite enough.
Then it hit. A rush. A shift. My vision sharpened. I could hear Priya's heartbeat. See Sheldon's pupil dilation. Everything made sense—instantly. My mind, which was always fast, was now light-speed. Sounds isolated, sharpened, clearer than ever before. Light danced across the walls with color separation my eyes had never noticed. I felt every nerve in my body come alive.
What changed? What the hell changed?
Let's trace back. Same morning routine. Same bed. Same coffee—
Wait.
That lens. The synthetic bio-lens I was working on yesterday. I remember holding it, a transparent capsule which must have dissolved by now and is now flowing in my body.. It must have fallen into my mug.
So now I've accidentally dosed myself with something that turns me into Einstein with Wi-Fi. And if that's true... this isn't just a breakthrough. This is a miracle. But miracles come with cost. I need to isolate it. Study it. And to do that, I need to be away from all this noise.
Leonard's eyes locked onto Sheldon and Priya.
Sheldon, the narcissist savant who depends on me to function, yet treats me like a lab rat. He was an egomaniac, who not only depended on others, but also treated them with disdain, as if his slightly superior intellect made everyone his slave. While I am not a psychologist myself, I have spent a large part of my life with a Sheldon-like psychologist, my mother.
Priya came onto him out of nowhere. We maintained a cordial relationship and the sex was great, but at the very core of her being, Priya used me. Her life as a lawyer was stressful, she lacked any friendly interaction, she even spent all of her free time either with Leonard or with Raj. Maybe not as damaged as Raj, Priya had her own demons. Priya climbed into my bed not because she loves me—but because she needed an outlet.
Leonard's POV Ends
"Give him what he wants, or we're done," Priya warned.
"Three," Sheldon chimed.
Leonard took a breath. "Very well."
Sheldon smiled, finger hovering over the laptop.
"We're done," Leonard added.
The smile vanished. Priya gasped.
Leonard turned away. "Pack your things by the time I'm back. Just the essentials. I need to be alone right now."
Back in his room, Leonard shut the door and leaned against it.
Everything looks the same. But everything's different now. I see the clutter—the figurines, the posters. Childhood comfort. But I don't need comfort anymore. I need clarity.
A pair of black trousers, a white shirt, a navy blue summer jacket were carefully selected from a plethora of dorky t-shirts, hoodies and jeans. Removing his glasses, he took a towel and headed towards the bathroom. Quickly stripping off his robe and underclothes, he removed his glasses.
The blur was still there—but my brain filled in the gaps. Who needs lenses when you've got a CPU in your skull?
Even the rhythm of the shower water was poetic. It formed staccato beats against my skin—like Morse code from the universe. Urging me forward.
Smiling, he took a shower. Ten minutes later, he stepped out sharp, clean, reborn.
Leonard comes back to the hall, noticing the figure of Priya sitting at the kitchen counter, nursing the glass of orange juice. Sheldon typed furiously, ignoring everything. The new roommate agreement remained unsigned at his table..
"Leonard," Priya began, "what was that? You can't just break up like that. Was it something I did?"
"You ended it, remember? I'm just confirming it. Best of luck finding someone worthy of your parents."
He reached for his keys.
"Where are you going?" Sheldon asked." You still have to drive me to the university. As you can see, I am not ready yet."
Leonard turned, calm and smiling.
"We signed a roommate agreement, Sheldon—not an indentured servitude contract. This agreement should be applicable for the personal space allocation of this apartment. Which means, it is enforceable in this apartment. While it does say that I have to drive you to work, that line could have been added after the agreement was signed. So unless you can prove it in court, I don't have to chauffeur you anywhere. The clause about driving you to work? That's not enforceable unless you take me to court."
He paused. "Better idea—ask Amy. Or put on your bus pants."
And with that, Leonard walked out. The last thing Sheldon heard was Leonard whistling the Imperial March from Star Wars.
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AN: The book will be updated every week. I will add other fanfic as well.
AN2: This is not a translation. Kindly have patience with it.
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