Every limb feels so heavy, propped up in a chair. It was one of those nights. Bright blinding computer screen, blurry vision, struggling to read and retain information. The man could diagnose it himself.

Sleep deprivation.

But he has a good reason! He had to fill out this paperwork and be certain the information was properly sorted and stored. If not, he could risk losing so much right now! And with recent events of his best friend winding up in the hospital, well...It's the least he can do right now. Henrik pauses for just a moment to rub every bit of his exhausted face, before resting his head in his hands.

What was he going to do....this is it. The finalization for the...to the... he can't even bring himself to think about it.

In the blink of an eye he's clicked and shifted gear to medical work. Various charts and data. If you ignore something long enough, it'll eventually go away. If only that were true.

He jumps in his seat as a light rap at the door shocks him awake. Who could possibly be up at this time of night?

"Come in!" He manages to croak out.

"Hey bud,"

"Oh, it's just you, Jackie. How's your head doing from sat last brawl?"

"Better than it used to be." He grins, sheepishly knocking on his head. He leans on the door frame "So, they guys and I were gonna have movie night. Wanna come?"

"Nien, I have vork to do."

"Yeah, but you do it all the time! You should stop before you get burnt out."

"Zis von has a dead line, Jackie." He clenches his jaw, trying not to grit his teeth.

"Right, but-"

"I said no." Henrik forces out.

"....okay..." Jackie turns dejectedly and closes the door behind him.

Great, now Henrik looks like a complete and utter cretin. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? He doesn't have time to worry about fake stories that have all too happy endings. He sighs and eventually forces himself back into the work.

His eyes burn with each blink, glasses slowly sliding down his nose. Everything's so blurry... He can barely read the documents he's switched back to. He reads and rereads the same line...

Henrik yawns loud and long before taking the coffee pot beside his monitor by the handle and taking a quick few gulps.

It doesn't help.

His head slowly nods down before bouncing back up. Down...No! He Can't sleep. This is more important. If he can get this line done.

Then the next

Then the next

Then the-

Another rap of knocking sounds at his door. Henrik checks the clock before holding his head in his hands. It's been three hours since Jackie bothered him.

"Vhat do you vant?" He calls from his spot.

"Well that's a fine how are you." He knows that voice. There's no way it could be Jackie, it's much to different. Much less...annoying.

"Come in.."

The door opens and in steps his good friend. The only person besides Chase who was best helping him through these...this...ya know...

They look tired, not as much as himself, but still. On top of that, that incessant look of concern and worry hangs heavy in their eyes.

"Vhat are you doing here?" Henrik's voice is thick and groggy.

"It was movie night." You smile and shrug. "We missed you, you know."

"Say didn't tell me sat you vere invited."

"Would it really have made a difference?" You tease, nudging his shoulder.

Yes. It would have.

"So what's got you being such a big hermit this time? An interesting patient? Difficult procedure?" You peak at his screen.

"Divorce papers." Henrik mumbles. The words feel like sharp needles and stabbing knives in his mouth.

"Oh..." any playfulness his friend had is suddenly sucked away and gone in an instant. "Right, of course... I didn't mean-"

"It's fine."

"Have you been doing okay?"

No.

"I have been...managing." If you could call drowning your sorrows in liquor laced coffee and avoiding sleep for fear of dreaming about your soon to be exwife and your kids, then yes. He's been managing.

"That doesn't sound convincing, Henrik." You gently put a hand on his arm, forcing Henrik to stop working further. It's here, in the glow of the monitor, that you can see the sheer amount of bags under his heavy, exhausted eyes. His regrowing stubble in places, and thicker whiskers in others. He can't even keep his glasses on straight...

Henrik laughs bitterly at your observation "No, I guess sat it's not very convincing." His words drip with a self directed venom.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" You gently offer.

"Nien." His answer is sharp, and immediate, without a second thought.

"Okay. Well, let's at least get you something to eat, sound good?"

He looks to his monitor, then back to you. His monitor. You. Henrik purses his lips in thought "Ja." He concludes with a sigh.

"Great. Come on big guy, up you go." You take a firm grip of his hands and pull Henrik to his feet. He's wobbly, but almost stable. He's goes to take a step and feels his entire leg buckle under him "Scheiße!"

Henrik's full weight crashes into you, giving you barely enough time to brace your weight. "It's okay! I gotcha bud." You manage to say, propping Henrik back up and forcing him to lean on you. "When was the last time you left your office??" You ask, leading the way out and through the hall.

Henrik gives you a look that says 'Do I really have to answer?' before sighing. "Four days."

"Four days???" You exclaim in disbelief "Henrik, you know better!"

"Yeah, but-" he cuts his sentence off when he sees your face. A mixture of fear and worry, laced with mild frustration. He really doesn't have an excuse, does he.

The pair eventually make it to the kitchen. You try to put him down gently in a chair, but it really doesn't work. Henrik fwumps onto the seat, too tired to care.

"We'll start you on something easy..." you mumble to yourself, digging through the cupboards. "Where on earth do you boys keep your soup???"

"In suh pantry." Henrik dead pans from his spot. "Seh shelf is a little high so, let me get it." He starts bracing himself on the table to stand.

"No! You sit." You command. Henrik is so caught of guard from the loud sound and your sheer tone that he finds himself compelled to listen to you. "Thank you."

You reach up, using your very tip toes. It's just a few centimeters away! Come on! Reeeeach! You stretch as far as you can before the soup can is plucked away from you. You wheel around confused and thump into Henrik's chest. You hadn't even heard him come up. He looks down to you, grasping the can, a smirk tugging at his lips "I told you the shelf vas high." Whats with that look?

You sigh, taking the can "thanks....now please sit down you dork, before you fall again..."

"Mmm, no." He follows, leaning against the counter beside you. "I've been sitting far too long. My risk of blood clots is incredibly high."

His smirk stays on as you let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine! But I won't be able to catch you again." You pop open the can and set to work.

In a few minuets the warm savory smell of tomato soup drifts in the air. "Do you want grilled cheese with this?"

He gives you the widest eyes "yes, please."

You grin at his puppy-ish look. How could anyone not like him. It takes a little bit, but you've got 'em done and cut in triangle halves, set at the table with bowls of soup.

He's stubborn at first, having woken up a bit, but Henrik eventually lets you help him back to his seat.

"Sank you for..." making him food? Helping him walk? Making sure he's not dead? Caring? "Everysing."

You stare at him, sandwich half way to your mouth "no problem. Just make sure it doesn't go to waste." You nudge his leg with your foot.

He laughs lightly before working on what you've made.

As you two clean the pot and bowls you hear Henrik pipe up again. "So...what did you guys watch for movie night?"

"Oh! Well...there was ponyo, then bee movie"

"Mien goodness, you watched that meme of a film?"

"Yeah." You laugh at how weird it is. You would bring up the fact you also saw Princess Bride, but that's not really gonna help him, is it.

"Vould you mind if ve vatched Ponyo? I know you've alveady seen it, but it's cute!"

You think a moment "yeah, that's fine. Then you have to promise to go to bed."

"I vill, I vill."

You put away the dishes and offer your arm to him again. "I'm okay, but sank you." He smiles before taking some tentative steps. He seems okay so far, you trust him and let him walk the rest of the way to the family room, and thus, the couch. You smile and join, sitting along side him. You cue up the shared streaming service and movie.

As the colors swirl about the screen, Henrik feels his frustratingly old bones loosen and relax. It's like watching koi. He smiles softly, content with such a simple movie. He leans back, releasing his posture and curling into his spot on the couch. The various jellyfish float by. If only life could be that simple. Well, what if he...

What if he...

What if......

.........

Henrik's head thumps against your shoulder. "Henrik.." you speak low and lightly shake his shoulder. He should be in bed! "Henriiik" it's no use, he's out like a light. You sigh in defeat, eventually lieing down. At least to take the strain off his neck. Can't be good for him.

Henrik lies on the line between on top of you, and between you and the couch, effectively holding you in place. His head rises and falls with each breath you take. For the first time in days he looks to be at peace. His troubled mind forcibly silenced. You smile at his skewed glasses, his slightly parted lips, his calm expression. Gently, you lift the frames off his face, setting them on the coffee table.

You want to hold on, to keep comforting him, to make him feel safe. But Henrik would hate himself if he woke up the way you two are. He may be getting a divorce, but he's still very married. And he's still very faithful, even if she didn't feel the same, he'd never want to cheat on her. You run your fingers through his hair before attempting to slowly sit up. You freeze as his grip tightens around your middle.

"Verlass mich nicht.." he mumbles, face scrunched in fear and hope before relaxing back into sleep.

Why does he make this so hard? It's going to hurt him to stay like this. Regardless of what's happening now, he still loves his wife, and if he knew what was happening...

If, and this is a big if, if anything were to grow between you, this isn't how it should start. Not as a rebound...

You sigh, placing a chaste kiss to his fore head. And tell him the only phrase you've been able to learn "Ich liebe dich..."

Thankfully Chase was still up... you send him a quick text, asking for help. He of course suppresses a laugh before helping work Henrik's grip off you, letting you crawl to a shaky stand. You grab him a blanket while Chase slips him a pillow. You make camp in a little chair beside him.

"If anyone asks, I went to get water and he took my spot, okay?" You explain to Chase.

He lightly smiles in understanding "okay."

"Thank you.."

Chase nods as if to say 'you're welcome' before retiring to his room.

Despite your best efforts, somewhere deep in the back of his hazy mind, Henrik still knew.