Chapter 61: Airport Pickup
Despite a rocky process, Raj managed—through sheer personal effort—to successfully escape the blind date arranged by his parents.
The price he paid was getting verbally obliterated by his father over video call for drinking, to the point where he almost cried.
The upside, though, was clear: for a long time to come, his parents were very unlikely to arrange another blind date.
After Raj left, only Sheldon, Leonard, and Ethan remained in the living room.
Ethan was the first to speak.
"So, Sheldon," he asked, carefully choosing his words,
"how did things go with your—uh—Indian princess afterward?"
"You talked for almost two hours," Leonard added eagerly.
"What happened after that?"
"To be precise, one hour and forty-seven minutes," Sheldon corrected calmly, before continuing.
"We had dinner at a Thai restaurant. The interaction followed standard social protocols.
She informed me that periodontal disease is linked to heart disease—a fact I was already aware of. After that, I returned home."
Leonard blinked.
"…And?"
Leonard leaned forward, curiosity fully ignited.
"Are you going to see her again?"
Sheldon lifted his head and looked at Leonard with an expression that clearly said "Isn't that obvious?"
"Of course there won't be a follow-up," he said, puzzled.
"Leonard, your observational skills are deeply concerning."
"Why?" Leonard protested. "Didn't you say she was like an Indian princess—smart and beautiful?"
"Her field of knowledge overlaps significantly with mine," Sheldon replied after a brief pause, his tone utterly matter-of-fact,
"but lacks sufficient depth to provide me with any new information."
Then, as if delivering the most decisive argument of all, he added:
"More importantly, I already have a dentist."
With that, Sheldon stood up and walked away, leaving Leonard and Ethan staring at each other.
Leonard sighed. "Should we tell his mom in advance that she's never getting grandchildren?"
Ethan laughed quietly to himself, thinking: You have no idea—he'll not only have a son one day, but also a daughter who studies acting.
---
After Raj's matchmaking farce finally blew over, life returned to a brief stretch of calm.
During that time, Walter White returned to the Rayne Clinic with his son.
This visit, however, Mr. White looked noticeably more worn and exhausted.
According to his latest test results—consistent with the information S.H.I.E.L.D. had provided—he was fully cured.
And yet, when Ethan listened to his lungs, something felt… off. There seemed to be a new abnormality.
Ethan questioned him carefully, but only received a flat response:
"Don't worry about it. Probably just work stress."
Walter Jr., on the other hand, appeared much more relaxed this time—he even greeted Ethan on his own initiative.
Ethan examined him, treated him, and explained everything with the patience he reserved for children.
Walter listened attentively from the side, a look of genuine relief settling on his face.
When they left, Walter White once again placed a check for $100,000 on the counter.
---
JFK Airport, New York
Announcements echoed through the terminal, blending with footsteps and the rolling hum of suitcase wheels.
Ethan leaned against the arrival barrier, scanning the crowd for Missy while memories of life in Texas surfaced unbidden.
The moment a familiar figure came into view, he straightened instinctively.
Missy Cooper pushed her suitcase forward. Her long, dark-brown hair—slightly wavy—fell loosely over her shoulders. She wore a purple-and-black patterned dress that was bold without being showy, elegant yet unapologetically direct.
Her smile was bright, lively, and just a little provocative.
The instant she spotted Ethan, her face lit up like a flower in sudden bloom.
Without a hint of restraint, Missy broke into a light jog toward him, arms open. Her skirt swayed with carefree arcs, hair flying in the air.
"Ethan!"
She crashed into him with fresh, joyful momentum.
"Long time no see."
He felt her slightly hurried breathing, caught the pleasant scent in her hair, and the warmth of her arms around his neck. Infected by her easy openness, Ethan hugged her back—firm and unreserved.
"Welcome to New York, Missy."
As they separated, she casually patted his shoulder.
"Let me take a look at you… hmm. You look more like a city guy than you did in Texas.
Seems New York didn't crush you—if anything, you look pretty well-fed."
"You're still as blunt as ever," Ethan smiled, taking her suitcase as they walked toward the exit.
"Did you get hit on during the flight?"
"Of course," Missy lifted her chin. As the suitcase changed hands, her fingers didn't withdraw—instead, they slid naturally, hooking around his arm.
"Too old, too ugly. Not a single one met my 'handsome-doctor' standards."
"So I'm young and handsome?"
"That's about right."
"Thank you for the compliment."
She didn't lean fully into him, maintaining a perfectly balanced distance. Head slightly tilted forward, a faint smile played at the corner of her lips.
After a fleeting pause, Ethan resumed walking as if nothing unusual had happened.
"So," she asked casually, "how's Sheldon? How far is he now from that Nobel Prize you've been predicting for years?"
"Uh… maybe another ten years or so?"
Missy clicked her tongue.
"You've been saying that since he was nine. Everyone knows he's smart—but you're the only one who's that confident in him.
Mom still likes him best, though. Especially now that they don't live together. Lately all she talks about is how brilliant Sheldon was back then."
No jealousy in her voice—just seasoned commentary on family drama.
"He really is impressive," Ethan nodded. "Assuming you can tolerate his obsessions."
Missy burst out laughing.
"If you weren't here this time, I'd rather sleep at the airport.
Seriously—how did you survive being his neighbor for all those years and still choose to live with him?"
They stepped out of the terminal.
New York's wind rushed toward them, carrying gasoline fumes and coffee aromas—noisy, chaotic, alive.
They joined the taxi line.
"I heard you opened your own clinic?" Missy glanced at him.
"Your place. Your rules?"
"Yeah. Just a small clinic, though."
"What about you—still waitressing?"
"Yep. Living off tips." She straightened proudly.
"Taking orders, serving food, bartending, cleaning up messes—and occasionally working as an unpaid therapist."
"Multi-talented," Ethan laughed. "You probably make more in tips than I do saving lives."
"I'll take that as you calling me pretty."
Inside the taxi, Missy let out a long breath, as if shedding the exhaustion of the flight.
"So, Doctor," she said lazily, leaning back,
"what do you do every day now—besides saving lives?"
Ethan shrugged.
"Work, life, putting up with Sheldon… and occasionally exploiting his intelligence."
"Way more interesting than me." She tilted her head against the window.
"In the Cooper family, the normal ones handle survival. The abnormal one gets to do science."
The taxi merged onto the highway, wind brushing past the windows.
Missy settled into her seat.
"Alright, Ethan. First things first—take me somewhere with real food. Airplane meals are an insult to cuisine."
"Deal," Ethan smiled.
"We'll start with actual food."