There were only two weeks left before they could be together once more, but to Henrik it felt like they were still going to be a year or longer before they were under the same roof for eternity. And this would be an even longer week, as their days off didn't line up, so that there was no point in him travelling to Sunderland, and since she was starting at St James in three weeks, there wasn't really a point in her coming to visit the following week, since she would need to pack up the last of their apartment there and bring it with her in the car.

So, here he was, sprawled out on their sofa, aimlessly flipping through the Lancet, and trying to not feel like he had landed in the middle of a horrible period of ennui. Even when he knew that was what was happening to him, and if he wasn't careful, this would slip into a full-blown episode of depression. It was ridiculous, how well he could read his emotions, and yet still didn't have a firm grip on how to pull himself out of the depressive depths he often found himself in.

He was just about to get up and make a meal from whatever he had left in the refrigerator when the phone rang, and he reached for the receiver, bringing it to his ear as he set the journal aside so that he could focus on the caller. "Hello?"

"Darling! I was hoping that I remembered your schedule correctly. How are you?"

"Missing you, and counting down the hours until you're here. Thank god you've been bringing things with you piecemeal, so that you don't have too much to do next week."

"Think smarter, my love, so that you don't have to work harder." He could picture her stretched out on the sofa, a mischievous grin spread across her lips as she talked to him. "This time has passed quicker than I thought it would. Though I suppose that that's because you indulged my near obsession to talk with you on the telephone all the time. Though that was poor substitute for your hands and body, let me tell you. That is the one thing that I am looking forward to the most, curling up next to you in bed and listening to the rain."

"That is thoroughly romantic, darling, and now you make me want that as well. And yet we have fourteen days before that is a possibility."

"Please, don't remind me about that. How was your day? Are you growing accustomed to the staff at Holby General?"

He drew in a deep breath as he tried to put into words how things were going. It wasn't that the staff had been unwelcoming, he was just a new face there, still, after five months of working with them. He had heard good things about the cardio-thoracic unit, but seeing as how that wasn't his discipline, he hadn't had the opportunity to really gel with them, since he didn't want to lose any time with Roxanna. "Things are going well. Though once you're here, I feel like I can start getting to know the staff a little better, since we can go out for drinks after our shift. I haven't really wanted to do that just yet."

"You have to put yourself out there, Henrik. I know that it's hard, with me not there, but if we're to put down roots there, we have to have a good circle of friends."

He nodded. "I know that you're right, but I've found that the only friends I really want to associate with are Serena and John. And we both know why John is not a viable answer for us right now. He has to show that he's truly changed before I feel comfortable with him around us once more."

"So you're going to be the man in the ivory tower, darling?"

He let out a deep sigh as he sat up and rested his chin on his hand. "I suppose that I am. It's easier that way, Roxy."

She let out her own deep sigh at those words, and he knew that she was concerned about that response. "All right, real talk then, since it seems you've been keeping some feelings close to the vest while we're apart. Have you found yourself a good therapist in Wyrven?"

"No," he replied honestly, knowing that that answer would trouble her. "It took me so long to find the right person to talk to in Sunderland, and it's been difficult to make a connection with anyone here in Wyrven. I might feel more settled when you arrive, and then I can spread my wings a little and see about finding a therapist that I feel able to communicate with effectively."

"Do you promise me that?"

He drew in a deep breath, knowing that Roxanna would keep pressing him until he agreed, and he knew that she did have a point. "I promise, yes," he finally replied, and he thought he heard a hint of a happy breath escape her lips at his agreement. "How much packing do you have left to do?" he asked, changing the subject so that the focus was no longer on him.

"Not all that much, truthfully. I've been stacking boxes in the corridor, but I think I'm going to leave my makeup as the last thing. My wardrobe has been getting pretty limited, let me tell you. Between packing away the excess, to things not fitting the way I like them, I'm rotating between two skirts, black trousers, and three blouses. Graham floats up to check on me, and he teases that I don't seem to go home, since all he sees me in is scrubs or the same clothes."

"Well, as long as you're happy with what you wear, I suppose that it doesn't really matter what others think."

"Exactly! I can't believe that my last day here at Sunderland is in four shifts. The closer it gets, the less I want to leave, even though I know that you can't come back here. I never thought that I would put down roots like this."

"I understand." Henrik dragged his hand through his hair, noting that he needed to get it cut soon, before it got too long. "Try not to leave a piece of your heart there, though. Because I need you here."

That was the closest he could come to admitting just how much he missed her. "Oh, my love," she breathed out, and he knew that she had read him like a book. "Maybe I'll leave for Wyrven right after my last shift, rather than waiting until the morning. I mean, it's supposed to only be a five-hour drive, and if I go a few hours, stop for supper, and then finish up, I could be in your arms to sleep well."

"I'd rather you get a good night's sleep and be home around noon, if truth be told, Roxanna. But if you truly feel the need to start home after your shift, promise me that you'll pull over and find somewhere to sleep for the night. All right?"

"Yes, Henrik." He could hear her yawn over the phone, and he chuckled lowly. "I know, I'm making your case for you. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"I'm looking forward to it already. I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye!"

"Good bye," he said lowly before hanging up the phone and getting to his feet. He felt just as tired as Roxanna had sounded at the end of their conversation, and he still needed to take a shower. Though perhaps he could just leave that until the morning, he thought as he trudged over to the bedroom, exhaustion winning out over self-care in that moment.