"Leonard?"A gentle, feminine voice cracked brokenly against the glistening plastic of the receiver. Her as audible as her presumed physical trembling.
Bafflement. Befuddlement. Mccoy paused, jaw slightly parted from the rest of his cranium.
"...Roslyn?-"

It can't be.

A gentle shiver of apparent yet horribly attempted-inconspicuous sob echoed into his ear-canal, bounced against his ear drum and tensed his physical entirety. "-Yeah."
"Why are you calling-" he paused, nearly startled by her gentle, sharp respiring. "Honey, why are you crying? Is everything okay?"
Her responding yeah was much to prompt. Too brief to have possibly been thought of. Pausing, the Doctor glanced sideways into the depths of sickbay, bright cerulean hues gazing over each of the trio of patients curled up in their biobeds. "It's .. kind of hard to talk right now, I.."
"I'm sorry to have bothered you, Leo, I just -"
"Y' aren't bothering me, darling. Just take it easy, huh?" he mentioned, voice lowering until it was soft and soothing against her shaking snivels as he moved slowly into the other room, one fist drifting to his hip. "What's the matter?"
"I just.." there was a pause, allowing silence to drift between them. Her voice began again, quick and barely coherent over it's brokenness. "I don't know why I called, Leonard, I really don't."
"Slow down, Rose-"
"I'm sorry."
"Well what in blazes have you got to be sorry for?"
"I've just.. been thinking of you these last few days. I dreamt of you just last night, and I just.. I had to hear your voice."
"I-.." he paused, his free hand now raising to where he would rub firmly against a moistening brow. "I uh- I think about you too. Quite a lot, actually, these past couple a' days.." he listened to himself trail off, crossing an arm across his chest.

God, after this conversation he would be in a rather avid need for a drink.

Her response was brisk. Hopeful. "Really?"
His however was not as hasty. Discomfort crawled like an insect up his spine. "Yeah.." he began. "Rose.. does he know you're- y' know.."
"No."
"It won't -"
"No."
He shifted his weight. "..Well, alright."

Her shaky breath sighed into the receiver, as if suddenly comforted. Befuddlement washed over him once more as she giggled, very softly. "You're still the very same man, aren't you."
"How's that?"
"The country gentleman."
A beat. He smirked slightly. "Well.. S' all a matter of personal opinion-"
"No it' not."
Another beat. He shifted then, finding that he had languidly been subconsciously seeking a chair.
"Nevertheless," he began once he had seated himself. "It's.. well, it's good to hear your voice." and sayin' my name.. it sounds so sweet.
"Yeah." she smiled slightly against the phone, curling a bit farther inside herself. "You too."
"So, how are ya, anyway?"
"I'm okay."
His tensed again, one eyebrow quirking upward slightly on his brow. "Just okay?"
"Just okay."
"Is there.. anything I can do?"
She sighed, wiping her eyes and sniffling wetly. "I don't know, Leonard." my darling, my love. "Your.. medical opinion? On my sanity, of course."
He chuckled tenderly into the phone, shaking his head. "Darlin', I'm a doctor. Not a psychiatrist."
The giggle he had so desperately hoped for was received. Had she been physically present, he would have winked.
"Yeah, well.." she continued, her voice hushing back into despondency. "I just wish you were here."

Irrationally, he suddenly lacked thoughtful pause.
"I could see y- I mean.."
"Leonard-"
"-I know, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
"-Wait."
he paused abruptly.
"..I was going to say please."
Further silence. The doctor fidgeted in his seat, crossing an arm once more over his chest before rubbing his brow. What am I thinking?

No.
I'm sorry, Rose.. It's been seven years, and you're engaged to be married. It would not be morally correct.
Say it.

"..Alright."
A sigh of relief. A smile he couldn't see. "Thank you.." .. "The cafe in three days?"
A public place. Yes. "Yes."
"Okay." she said quickly into the phone.
Her tearful joy violent to his heart. Painful to his soul. It brought a pain into his chest and curdled his stomach.
"I'll see y' then, Rose.."
He listened to her kiss against the receiver, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips past the internal loathing of himself.
"Thank you, Leonard."
"You're welcome."