"THE WRITING BUG."

Brief synopsis:

Sheldon becomes obsessed with writing for a living.

scene 1.

Sheldon, Leonard and Penny are on the same flight back to the USA from their trip to Australia.

Raj and Howard are in the seat behind.

Sheldon:  When I write this little experiment up in "Experimental Physics", provided they publish it, the world will be my oyster.

Leonard:  How so?

Sheldon:   Originality Leonard, (slight pause) I'll say no more.

Leonard:   On the face of it you certainly are original (sarcasm)

Sheldon:   Sarcasm?

Leonard:   No. (sarcasm)

Penny:      It'll be a hit Sheldon.

Sheldon:   Sarcasm?

Penny:       No! Other readers are experimental physicians, right?, so they'll love it. Especially when you tell them the part about the dingo attack on Raj

                    and your inadvertent trip to a (pause) where was that place again?

Sheldon:    Nice try Penny, but it's be a scientific  magazine not a "who done it"  Readers Digest mystery series.

Penny:        And your lips are sealed anyway, right?

Sheldon:    Well that depends. I might do another article for the above as well.

Leonard:      (alarmed) Do you think that would be a good idea, Sheldon? I think the US government might want you to keep to that secrecy  agreement you signed.

Penny:        Oh yeah the secrecy thingy. (fishing) What was that about again? (gives Leonard a conspiratorial look)

Sheldon:    Shot of Sheldon's face then visual image of  the base from the outside as he remembers, then back to Sheldon's face again.

                     Nah, not important. Except for someone like Amy. 

                     Shot of Sheldon's face again and another quick flash image of monkeys in cages at the base.

Raj:              (from seat behind) Hey, you can't talk like that! You'll get us in trouble.

Sheldon:     Well its not every day you get to see the inside of a place like that. We may have an obligation to "spill the beans" as it were.

Howard:     Yeah sure. Hello Pentridge Prison.

Sheldon:    Mmm. I see where you are going with this. Perhaps I'd best just stick to the facts of the experiment.

Penny:        Wait a second, what about the dingo?

Raj:             Thats my experiment. Leave it alone will you.

Penny:         And you poor boy!  How did that go again?

Raj:              (Puffing out his chest as he speaks )Well in India it could have been a tiger but lucky for me I wasn't in the Indian jungle.

Penny:         (Playful) Well there's always next time Raj.

       scene 2     

          Plane lands. Shot through the porthole with the three in the foreground looking out the same window.

         Next scene is back at the apartment.

Sheldon:   (At his computer typing)

                   My, this writing thing is fun, Leonard.

Leonard:   But you've done other papers before.

Sheldon:   Not like this. One of the mysteries of the entire planet and I'm the only one who has even started to scratch the surface.. BAZ - INGA!

                     Penny enters without knocking.

Penny:      What have we here…2 brilliant scientists I presume. (mock adulation)

Sheldon:   Yeah right Leonard is a brilliant scientist…thats a bit rich (gives the sheldon laugh)

Penny:       Hey, thats my boyfriend you're talking about.

Sheldon:  (mock surprise) My, my.  What a week or two in the Aussie desert can do!

Penny:       Yeah, yeah, thanks to you. I believe this whole thing was your idea.

Sheldon:    Certainly was. I was tired of your on again off again shenanigans.

Penny:        Wai…wait, just a minute. you mean me and Leonard going on this trip was your idea too.

Sheldon:     (realizes he may have said too much) ………….well Leonard had something to say about it  as well.

                      Looks at Leonard. Leonard looks back at him with an expression that says "Sh….ut uuuu-p!"

Penny:      What ever! (carefree)

                   Leonard and Sheldon both look surprised at her reaction. But neither  spoil the moment.

                    Moment of silence. Scene ends.

scene 3.

  Raj  enters  a bar all by himself, orders a drink sits down and waits for it at the bar.

                  He spots a girl and decides to play up his injury again, which is still in a sling. He takes a few sips and then moves over to her

                  where she is sitting all by herself and quietly slips in beside her in her caral, smiling.

                  He figures he can take that chance because she is not very attractive looking and is looking a little desperate.        

Raj.          Fun night?

girl:           Sure, 'bout yourself?

Raj:           (casually) Can't complain.

                  The music is a little loud, reggae, so its a bit difficult to hear above the din.

Raj:           I'd ask you to dance but I lost my mojo to an Australian wild animal. (Holds up his right arm in a sling) 

girl:             smiles.

Raj:            In the Australian outback.

girl:             Impressed!

Raj:            It was nothing really. I come from India. We have tigers.

girl:             She laughs.

Raj:            (Relaxes, as he figures he is doing well.) can I get you a drink.?

girl:             Thanks!  A gin and tonic.

                    Raj goes to the bar comes and back with two gin and tonics. They sit cosied up together talking engagedly but inaudibly. 

                    Howard and Bernadette enter but do not spot Raj.

                    Howard goes to the bar whilst Bernadette takes the vacant caral next to Raj facing away from him.

                     When howard joins her with their drinks he is facing Raj but does not recognise him from the back of his head

                     because the lights dimmed as he was at the bar as the music slowed.

                     All four get up almost simultaneously to dance and not until they are on the dance floor and bump into each other that they recognise each other.

Howard :     Dr Doolittle I presume?

Raj:             And you must be the engineer without a doctorate.

                     They continue dancing and Raj does some crazy Indian arm motions which emphasise the arm in a sling in a funny but entertaining way.

next scene:    They are outside. The four of them.

Raj:                To the girl. Well it was nice meeting you.

girl:                 Thanks, you too.

                         He kisses her on the cheek.

Raj:                Can I have your phone number?

                       She retrieves a pen and paper from her handbag and writes it down and gives it to him before taking her leave.

scene ends.

next scene.       Howard and Bernadette in bed together.

Howard:        So this is where it all ends. We meet in a bar and soon before you know it we are having sex.

Bernadette:   (drawn out, whimsical) Y-e-a-h! 

Howard:         So this is the new Raj, huh!

Bernadette:   Continuing same tone but upbeat version.…"Yeah."

                        They lie back facing the ceiling. shot pans out a little. 

                         Scene ends.

THE END.