"Where is the damn kid, Donna?" Harvey walked out of his office and looked at his watch for the sixth time that morning. It read 10:15. "Who does the hot-shot think he is?"

Donna looked up from her desk and gave a grin. "Well, if you'd like to know my theory…he faked some illness and knew you'd let him off early to avoid getting the whole firm sick, ditched the façade the second he left the building and went out for drinks. He then promptly charmed some desperate bimbo with his memory thing and fancy suit, and went back to his place for some hot, rough-"

"Thank you for your input, Donna, but somehow I don't think he'd do that. He was

genuinely excited about some case he was working on and actually wanted to stay

here last night, the keener. Anyway, I've tried his home phone and cell three times each

and no answer. If he's in some sort of trouble, I'll kick his sorry ass."

Donna furrowed her brow. "Well if he's not here in fifteen minutes, I volunteer to go over to his apartment, yell at him a bit and then drag him out by his hair."

"Nah, you'd go too easy on him." Harvey smirked. "This one I'll handle." Donna huffed and went back to work and Harvey concernedly checked his watch one more time.

"Hey, kid. Kid! Wake up, please wake up. Oh God, don't be dead, I'll never live with myself if I touched a dead body…"

Mike opened his swollen eye and blinked several times at the sudden invading brightness. A chubby, balding man came into view. "You're awake! You hang in there, the ambulance is on the way. Good thing I came in here to spit my gum out in the dumpster or I never would have found you! And Jesus, were you a sight. Still bleedin', I think…"

It didn't take Mike more than a second to remember the previous night's events and he groaned in frustration. He looked down and saw his ripped and dirty suit with big, ugly bruises forming underneath. His brain finally registered his injuries and he seethed in pain. Everything hurt: his ribs, cheek, eye, throat, head…the back of his head was the worst. He touched it gingerly and felt dried blood.

He hated blood.

Trying his hardest not to think about it, Mike took in his surroundings and realized he was awkwardly crammed between two dumpsters, and his cheeks grew hot. This stranger must think he was crazy…

"What happened to ya?" The man inquired. "Your face is all busted."

"I don't remember anything." Mike lied. He didn't want to talk about it.

Getting jumped in an alley was the adult version of getting beat up behind the school playground. Mike was used to it…from elementary right through high school. A young, skinny genius – perfect prey.

The man signed. "Geez, I bet. Hope the guys that did this to ya get put away…"
Mike nodded but didn't mean it – he didn't want Harvey to know anything about this. He'd probably laugh and ask why Mike didn't pull a Karate Kid move.

Harvey…work…Mike gasped and looked at his wrist. His watch was gone. He swore quietly and asked the stranger for the time.

"Sure, 10:17."

Groaning again, Mike tried to stand up as he heard sirens in the distance. Harvey was gonna kill him.

"Woah there, son. You look like you went a round with Mike Tyson…I'd just sit back down if I was you."

"Look," Mike said. "thanks for your help, but you're not me. You don't have an anal boss waiting to kick your ass for showing up at his law firm over an hour late."

"Well, if this guy doesn't cut you some slack after this, then I've lost all faith in humanity."

The associate offered a small smile. "You haven't met Harvey Specter." After taking a few steps, Mike's vision clouded and he stumbled. It was hard to breathe; he feared that he was going to pass out again. The man rushed to his side and held him under the arms, just as the ambulance pulled up to the alley.

"I don't think I want to, kid…" The older man motioned the medics over to where he was sitting with the nearly unconscious lawyer. "Hey, what's your name?"

Mike looked up at him, breathing heavily. "Mike Ross. Yours?"

"Andy Harrison. I really, really hope they find who did this to you."

"Thanks, Andy." Mike gave one last smile and slipped back into unconsciousness.

"Okay, that's it." Harvey pulled on his suit jacket and stalked out of his office. The clock had hit 10:30 one second earlier and he needed to find Mike. Not like he really cared about the associate's well-being, but the two were supposed to be going to meet a shy, female client and get her to sign a deal. Mike was always better at winning over the shy ones.

Donna said a quick "Call me." to the passing lawyer and he nodded once without looking back.

Ray was already waiting out front. "We do not abide by any traffic laws today, Ray, understand? This is rather urgent." Ray nodded in the rear-view mirror and sped away toward Mike's apartment. Five minutes later, and one block away from Mike's apartment, an ambulance went speeding by and Harvey couldn't suppress the worry growing in his mind.

He hated that worry, to be honest. Things were fine when he didn't need to worry about anyone but himself. But then Mike came along and was seemingly cursed with bad luck. The kid also had next to no one to worry about him…

"Step on it, Ray." They pulled up beside the apartment a moment later and Harvey jumped out. Right away, he knew something was wrong. Mike's bike lay flat beside the building. That bike was his pride and joy; no way would he just leave it out for someone to steal. Out of the corner of his eye, Harvey saw something black and peered into the alley. Mike's briefcase was laying wide open, it's contents laying around it. He didn't need any more proof, he ran back to the car and said, "Follow that ambulance."

Trying extremely hard to not think of all the horrible possibilities, Harvey rushed into Emergency and went straight to the front desk. "I need to see Mike Ross."

The nurse replied. "One moment, please." The moment seemed to last an eternity. "He's not allowed any visitors right now, what is your relation?"

"I'm his brother."

"Alright, Mr. Ross, I'll see what I can do. Please have a seat."

Harvey didn't sit but paced back and forth until the nurse came back a few minutes later. "Follow me."

And that was the first time Harvey Specter truly followed someone else's orders.