Author's Note: A thousand apologies for the uber-lateness of this chapter! I was inspired for an installment in my 'New Puppy' fic and then I was on vacation, so absolutely no writing got done. As a result, this chapter contains more content than I was originally going to include and you get a nice surprise! Enjoy and thank you once again for the wonderful responses!
Chapter 8
Donna cracked an eye open and quietly groaned as the bright morning light assaulted her eyes. She had a headache but she was almost certain she didn't drink the night before, but she still couldn't remember what happened. Nothing a few aspirin can't handle anyway, she thought to herself as she felt the pounding in her head increase and a wave of exhaustion fell on her. She tried to roll over and snuggle deeper into her bed covers, but her eyes flew open when her knee knocked something solid and heavy that was pinning her lower half down. She pushed herself up and looked down in disbelief and then it all came back to her.
After a long, sleepless night, she and Harvey had decided to wile it away with a silly adventure of shopping for ingredients and making a very rich pie, and then she had proceeded to pass out on the couch from complete and utter exhaustion. Instead of crashing on his own side of the couch, he'd decided to snuggle up with her, but he had stopped at her stomach and apparently decided to use it as a pillow. She desperately wished she could wriggle out from under him, but even in sleep he looked absolutely exhausted. She sighed in defeat and closed her eyes, hoping sleep would take away her misery as well.
Only a moment later, the loud ringtone of his cell phone cut through the silence and she winced as it amplified her headache. Ever the diligent secretary, she glanced around for the phone until she finally located it in a pocket of Harvey's jeans. She did her best to not disturb him, but as she shifted, he appeared so far gone that she suspected the building could collapse and he'd sleep right through it.
Donna saw Jessica's name flash on the screen and she answered it, "So, is Mike awake yet?"
"No, there's been no change," Jessica replied in a brisk tone, obviously annoyed, even if only slightly, that Donna couldn't bother with a proper greeting. "Where are you and Harvey?"
The secretary quirked an eyebrow and glared through Harvey's apartment windows. "We're sleeping." She glanced over at Harvey's TV and noticed that his stereo read 8:05. I have to get more than three hours of sleep, she thought as she attempted to dial down her temper. "Is there something you need?' She asked in a far more cordial tone.
"Yes. Harvey needs to find his way to the office for the press conference by nine!"
"Are you kidding me?"
"Donna– "
"Why are you only telling us this now?"
"It was only just scheduled this morning. Considering he is an early riser, I thought he would easily be ready."
"Well, Harvey is in no shape to be speaking at a press conference."
"Please tell me he's not that hung over," Jessica said with a sigh.
Donna lost her temper. "You think Harvey just drowned himself in booze like an alcoholic? No, he had this horrible thing – it's called trauma! – he's dealing with it quite admirably, but that does not mean he's in any shape to make any important statements or face the events of yesterday. I didn't see you helping him with when you pulled rank on him and forced him to be some mediator when Harvey's about as good with people as a shark is with seals. What were you thinking?"
Her rage was burning fiercely now and she knew she would not be able to get control of it even if she tried and so she settled for just waiting for the tirade Jessica was about to unleash. There was a silence as she imagined Jessica attempting to channel her own anger and find the exact words to express her own view.
"Donna, I respect you as Harvey's secretary, but never forget that you are simply a secretary and no amount of loyalty to Harvey or information on me is going to change the fact that you work under me as much as you work under him! Is that understood? Now, wake Harvey because he is going to be here – "
The secretary jumped as the phone was yanked out of her hand and she saw shift up closer to her so he was a little closer to her face, but he was glaring at her and when he put the phone up he said in a biting tone, "Or what, Jessica?"
"Harvey," Donna could hear Jessica audibly draw in a breath and even out her tone. "There's a press conference to describe the situation at 9. I need you there."
"Why? What do you need me for?"
"Must I repeat myself from yesterday?" Jessica asked with a tone of disbelief. "You know why!"
"And I don't think a single one of those reasons necessitates that I be at a press conference, but I'll be there as soon as I can. And next time you call me just an hour before a press event, I'm hanging up on you," Harvey said, taking care to stare directly into Donna's eyes so that she would know the follow the same rule if she ever had to answer his phone again. She nodded to show she understood and he put the phone on the coffee table.
I'm sorry, Harvey. I shouldn't have let my temper get away from me."
She shivered under his sharp glare and terse frown which were mere inches from her own face, until he finally slid over and sat up on his side of the couch and then staggered to his feet. "Well, now I know why you looked so displeased when Jessica pulled me into helping her. You thought it wasn't good for my health."
"It wasn't," Donna replied, getting to her feet as well and crossing her arms.
He snorted and walked into his bedroom. "I'm fine, Donna. Now, I'm sure you'll want to get dressed and sit with Mike or otherwise he'll be all alone," he said, trying to hide the patronizing smile.
She scowled but held her tongue. He was avoiding the issue, but he was right in that she would not want Mike – whether conscious or unconscious – being stuck all alone in his hospital room during visiting hours. But no matter how much he said he was fine, all she could think of was the way he had screamed her name when he was looking for her.
"Think there's any chance I won't look like I was awake for a week straight?"
Donna was a little surprised he had changed into his well-maintained suits in less than five minutes, but even with his hair combed and his shirt crisp, as always, he was still a shadow of his former self. His laugh lines were a little more pronounced, but even worse than that his eyes were dull and bruised from exhaustion.
She grimaced. "I don't think any amount of coffee is going to help you."
"Thanks, Donna," he replied with sarcasm, but he was smiling. "We better get going. Call me if you have any updates on Mike."
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…
"Donna? Wow, you look tired. Did you and Harvey have…an eventful night?"
"Don't even go there," she grumbled as she shifted in the hospital chair attempting to get comfortable. "Nothing of the sort happened."
"Kept up from…yesterday?" Rachel asked as she took a seat next to her.
"Yes," Donna replied, staring dully over at Mike. "Usually I can still function after one sleepless night, but both Harvey and I are just beat."
"Where is he?"
"Press conference," she said and she pursed her lips and glared.
Rachel stared at her with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "Whoa, are you okay?"
"As well as I can be. Harvey should not be there! He got less than two hours of sleep, but he looks like he hasn't slept in days." Donna huffed and again said, "He shouldn't be there."
"You think he's doing okay?"
"He's acting like he's fine, but he's not." Rachel didn't say anything, but the unspoken question hung in the air. "You didn't see him after it was all done, but I hope I never see him like that again."
"I heard him, I think. Someone called your name, but it didn't sound like him."
"It was him," Donna replied solemnly, effectively bringing the topical to a close. She glanced over at Mike who continued to sleep, oblivious to the world, and she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Come on, pup, please come back. Worry lines are unbecoming of me."
"Has he woken at all?"
Donna shook her head and had to force herself from biting her lip nervously.
"He'll be all right. The doctor did say it might be a day or two."
"I know," Donna replied, deciding to swallow the thought that he might never wake up. She had no idea what she and Harvey do if that were the case.
…
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…
"So what did you need for me?" Harvey griped at Jessica as she gave him the stink eye. He was personally impressed that he was only five minutes late; Ray definitely needed a bonus for that effort.
"You're an important figure in the firm. Your face is crucial to almost all media coverage."
"Which would make me your parrot then?" He asked, staring up at her with a jaunty cock of his head as he squinted at her behind a pair of sunglasses.
"I would hardly call you a parrot," Jessica replied diplomatically, but he knew that it was exactly what she was hoping for. It was also exactly what she was not likely to get.
"I'm not the one who's been talking with the police investigators, the medical personnel, or the construction workers who are going in to replace everything in our office – which, by the way, you're going to tell me when they want to work on my office; no one touches my records or my record player – and I'm not in human resources for a reason," he spoke to her quietly through gritted teeth, trying not to attract anymore media attention than he had already.
"You're powerful, you're strong, and, unfortunately, you're the symbol of Pearson Hardman's prosperity. The other law firms need to know this or they'll try to pick us off. Best not give them that chance."
"I'm sure those other law firms would see my empty words for what they are. We're vulnerable, Jessica, as long as Pearson Hardman's offices are shut down for repair. Our clients may sympathize with the situation, but it won't prevent them from bailing on us while we're stuck in limbo."
"That's my job, Harvey. I'm going to do my best and keep everyone happy, but do me a favor and look after your own clients."
"I don't need to; I'm the best," Harvey replied, but for once it was without his usual smug smirk. Then he motioned to where all the cameras and the podium are. "I'll do this for you, but nothing else." Then he spoke even more quietly so that his words were barely audible. "Even I have limits." There was a moment as Jessica really seemed to look at him for the first time since the shooting happened and then he broke the silence again, "All right, let's get the show started."
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"How's he doing?"
Both Rachel and Donna yelped or gasped in surprise at the sudden intrusion and they both turned to glare over at Harvey who appeared just as startled as they were.
"Jesus, Harvey, don't sneak up on us like that!"
"I thought you knew I was here," he replied in the way of an apology. "I'll be sure to stomp like an elephant next time."
"Not all of us are ghosts, Harvey," Donna retorted, throwing a small backpack at his face that he only just managed to catch.
"A lame dig at my name and now the backpack thrown in my face to make up for it. Am I off the hook now?"
"Just go change."
Rachel watched him go with something akin to awe as he actually walked out with a nod at them and then she turned to Jessica. "I'm getting a sense that he's not the leader in this relationship."
"He's my puppet," Donna said. "He looks big and strong and fierce – and he is! – but he couldn't manage his life well enough on his own to make junior partner."
"Ooh, Donna, I think I hear rebellion in your heart. What does he do to keep this quiet?"
"What can he do? His life would lose all meaning and sense of purpose if he fired me. He's completely at my mercy," Donna replied with the first real smile and twinkle in her eye since Rachel had found her in Mike's room earlier that morning.
"I wouldn't gloat so much about your power now that you've chewed out Jessica. She was still angry when I left," Harvey said outside the door, reappearing wearing his every annoying smirk, a pair of jeans, and his black button down shirt.
Donna's pleased smile fell off as he slid past her and Rachel to take the empty chair on her other side. "I told Jessica I won't be doing any more work for her, so we can lay low a couple of weeks. She'll be diffused by the time we get back to work and she won't fire you."
"Is there really any danger of that?" She was staring at him with one eyebrow raised, but the joking tone from earlier had evaporated.
He stared back for a moment with his mask latched firmly into place and, for once, she had difficulty reading him. Then she could see the quirk of his lips into a ghost of a smile and he shook his head. "No, there's no danger of that."
If Rachel hadn't been in the room, she would have grabbed his hand and squeezed it affectionately. Just as surely as he'd tied Mike's career to his, he had just as easily tied it to her. Then the serious atmosphere disappeared and Harvey slumped in his chair and stared in annoyance at the pale, skinny man on the bed. "Will you hurry and wake up, Mike? I'd rather sleep in my bed and not a hospital chair."
"Go on, Harvey, keep lecturing him. That's bound to wake him up."
"He should have been awake by now. He might find it familiar and comforting to hear me lecturing him anyway."
"Well, at least try to get rid of that moodiness for when he's actually woken up. He might think you don't care."
"I don't care!"
"As evidenced by you sitting vigil next to his bed despite the fact that you got less than two hours of sleep and were bitching about wanting a bed."
"Except I know for a fact you'd threaten either horrible disfigurement or eternal embarrassment if I did otherwise. It's a lose-lose!"
"You do catch on quick and we have come full circle again to the fact that I clearly hold the power in this relationship."
"I bring in the money. It's fifty-fifty."
There was a moment of silence. "I could have been a lawyer."
"Yes, just as good."
"Damn right."
Harvey snorted. "No one's better than me."
"Keep telling yourself that."
"I will. Now I'm going to sleep. Wake me up when you're ready to go to the grocery store. And make a list!"
"I am getting paid for this right?"
"I'm buying your food for the next week. That should be payment enough."
"Toss in Tiffany's jewelry and I would agree."
"I guess Mike's just going to have to starve when he gets out of the hospital then." He cracked an eye open to see her scowling at her Crossword.
"I'll make a list."
"Good. Try to put more than vegetables and fruits, all right?"
"Slave driver," she grumbled as he slumped down even further into his chair so that he could use the back as a pillow. He fell asleep in a matter of seconds and then his head lolled to the side, brushing her shoulder.
Donna suddenly jumped at a quiet giggle.
"You two are one of a kind. I was wondering what in the hell you saw in him to be so loyal, but now I think I can see," Rachel said as she grinned conspiratorially at Donna. "He's just like you. Strikes fear in the hearts and minds of everyone around him but, deep down, he's not much different from you after all."
"He better not catch you saying that or he'll do his best to change your mind," the secretary replied after she dug into her purse and took out a list pad. "In fact, it would be safest to keep that to yourself."
"You won't catch me saying anything, Donna, but, you have to admit, it's practically screamed to the firm everyday he keeps Mike around."
"You don't have to tell me, but he's still in denial," she said, glancing over at Harvey with a fond smile. "Now, can you help me think of things to eat?"
"Umm…Mike accused me of being a foodie, so Harvey probably wouldn't like my ideas either. Does he like spinach on pizza?"
"I don't think he'll eat spinach, period. In fact, I'm pretty damn sure he lives off fast food, sandwiches, and soup."
"I don't understand how you can go so long in life with just the same food."
"Harvey's interest is more in his work than his food."
"But variety is the spice of life!"
"Pick the argument with him, not me. I'll think of a few things. Lasagna. Last time I cooked dinner for Harvey he loved it."
Conspiring on possible foods to buy went on for another hour, then when the list was done the conversation drifted into books that they had read. They were discussing the finer points of The Hunger Games when a noise at the door caught their attention and they turned and were surprised to find Louis leaning into the room.
"How is he?" The junior partner asked, just nodding towards the bed.
"He should make a full recovery, but he hasn't woken up yet," Donna replied, her eyes drifting back over to the puppy, who hadn't even so much as shifted and she sighed heavily. When she turned back to the door to talk to Louis, he was already gone and she sat back in her chair. "Well, that was odd."
"He's been avoiding most people. I think he was talking with some parents of a few of the associates, but other than that he has been purposely disappearing when anyone has come near him. I guess…he wants to cope alone."
"Everyone has their various methods. Harvey would cope alone if I let him."
Rachel waited as though she expected Donna to expand on that, but nothing forthcoming came and just as she was about to start up another topic of conversation, she saw Harvey stir and stretch.
"What time is it?"
"It's noon." Harvey groaned. "You were asleep for about an hour and a half."
"These chairs are awful. Got the grocery list? Want to go shopping," he asked in his usual smooth voice, despite having been asleep.
"I suppose we might as well. Mike hasn't made any move since we got here and I'm sure we would prefer to sit with him when he's awake than be shopping."
"Right. I'll call Ray."
"You have my cell number, right?" Donna said, turning to Rachel.
"Yeah, I'll call if Mike wakes up."
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"Do you think you put enough food on the list? We could disappear into a bunker for at least a month," Harvey said as he examined the list. He held his hand out for an unspoken request of a pen and then wrote a few things down that he knew he wanted.
"I know how much you and Mike can eat. This food will last us about a week, now will you give me the list, I'm trying to find what I want."
"It's my food in my condo! I should be picking the food!"
"You cooking it then?"
"I did say I could cook, I just rarely have the time."
"Well, I cook regularly, so I am not out of practice. That lasagna is mine, so I'm getting the ingredients that Iwant."
He rolled his eyes at her but gave her back the list. "Need me to get anything?"
"Maybe later," she said absentmindedly as she looked at the sauces available.
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The first thing Mike noticed was the beeping of his heart monitor. He was clued in almost immediately to his location, which was then confirmed by all the various tubes and straps that he felt on his arms. He was surprised to feel his brain appeared alert and ready for action, but his limbs felt sluggish and heavy and it took a great effort to open his eyes. He turned to his side and was surprised to find just Rachel sitting by his bed, currently immersed in a book.
"Rachel?" He called her name in a voice as sluggish and heavy as the rest of him.
"Mike!" Her face lit up into a big smile and she immediately set her book aside and pulled up closer to his bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay. Where are Harvey and Donna?"
"Oh, Mike, they left just half an hour ago," Rachel replied with a simultaneously pained and amused expression. "They had to go grocery shopping so you wouldn't starve when they finally discharged you. Don't worry, they'll be back soon! The doctor said he'd like to examine you when you woke up, so I'll go and call them when the doctor gets here." She pressed the call button.
"How are you? Were you…were you hurt?" Mike asked, not even bothering to hide that he was scanning her body for signs of injury.
"I'm fine, Mike. I had a good hiding spot, so no one found me and I didn't get hurt."
"How's Harvey? Donna?"
"They're fine too. They were just worried about you." She hesitated a moment, glancing over to the door as though she expected to find an eavesdropper, but she lowered her voice and said, "You didn't hear this from me, but I think Harvey's…a little off balance. I don't think he's been quite right after what happened, but he's got Donna and she's keeping a close eye on him."
"Yeah, Donna's good at that. So Mr. I-don't-care was in here and worried about me?"
"He definitely cares, Mike. Don't doubt that."
"I'm not, I just know though that he was probably going on about how I'm a bigger liability than I'm worth and he's only in the room because it would reflect poorly on him to not attend my hospital bed."
"Something like that," Rachel said with a grin. "Donna pretty well shut him down though. Oh, don't take anything too hard if he comes back and he's grumpy. He apparently didn't sleep much at all last night."
"Thanks, Rachel," he said and just then the doctor came walking in.
"Mr. Ross, how are you doing?"
"All right. I don't feel much pain."
"Well, that's good. You seem to be doing well. I just want to do a few tests with you to make sure that's the case."
"I'll call Donna and Harvey now," Rachel said, waving her phone at Mike and exiting the room.
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…
"What do you think Mike would like?" Harvey asked, looking at the soup cans in his hands.
"I think Mike will eat whatever you put in front of him. Well, unless Rachel's cooking," Donna said as she reexamined the list and Harvey put in a couple of the microwaveable soup cans. He raised an eyebrow at her and she expanded, "Rachel's a foodie."
"Has weird tastes then?"
"Spinach on pizza."
"Eww."
"I figured you would object to her food ideas."
Suddenly Donna's phone rang and she felt anxiety gnaw at her stomach when she saw it was the very subject of their conversation. "Rachel, how's Mike?"
"He's awake!"
"Mike's awake," Donna said to Harvey. He abandoned looking at the cracker brands and, although he did not snatch from the phone in her hand, he got up as close as he could as though he thought he could eavesdrop on the conversation. She elbowed him for some space and put the phone on speaker. "When did he wake up?"
"Just a few minutes ago. He asked for you two."
"Of course he wakes up once we decide to do something productive," Harvey grumped. "That weasel."
"Harvey, knock it off! Do you really want Mike to hear you?"
"He won't care!"
"He's being checked by the doctor right now, so I'm waiting outside. He knows you're food shopping."
"How did he seem?"
"Really alert. I was surprised, but his coordination is a little off."
"It's probably just the pain killers."
"Yeah, that's what I think. You don't have to rush to see him. He might fall back asleep while you're gone."
"The hell we won't. Donna, can you do speed shopping?"
"Do you really need to ask?"
"Let's try to be out here in twenty minutes."
"Challenge accepted. Go get your items!"
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Harvey was storming down the hall of the hospital nearly two hours later with Donna jogging behind him to keep up and when they entered Mike's hospital room, they found him lying as he had been when they left with his eyes closed.
"Damn it," Harvey hissed between clenched teeth. "He's asleep again!"
"He'll be awake soon, I'm sure," Rachel said. "It did take you a while to get here. What happened?"
"Checkout happened," Donna replied sourly as they both filed into the room and took their seats from earlier. "Some stupid woman couldn't get her crap together and she was still being checked out fifteen minutes later."
"Dumb bitch," Harvey said.
"Harvey, come on, don't resort to name calling. Anyway, Harvey got her moving a little faster after reaming her out and adding in the tragic story of how his little brother who had been in a coma for two years had finally woken up and he needed to be at the hospital."
"Oh yes, two years. That is tragic," Rachel replied, trying hard not to break into a grin.
"It was quite tragic, but it got her going. Then Ray had to drop us off at Harvey's condo so that we could put away the food, and then finally we got into the car to come back here. That's why it took us so long to get back."
"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about not being here. I have a feeling Mike won't be out for much longer since he just woke up from a long sleep," Rachel said.
It was only fifteen minutes later or so, when they saw Mike's eyelids fluttering again and he sat up almost immediately upon seeing Harvey and Donna and he grinned. "Harvey, Donna!"
"Puppy," Donna cried and stood up to give him a loose hug. "You had us so worried, Mike! Try not to do that ever again."
"Sorry, Donna, but I can't control how long I sleep."
"That's because you have a crappy internal alarm," Harvey spoke up. "Can't wake up on time for work and you also apparently can't wake up in the expected time at the hospital."
"I think it's a little different, Harvey," Mike said, but he was grinning cheekily at him. "Rachel wasn't kidding though, you do look really tired. Both of you."
"Hmmph! We were worried about you in the hospital!"
"Speak for yourself. She was worried about you in the hospital and so, of course, I couldn't sleep."
"I'm sure, Harvey. You're so clearly not the caring type, what with risking your life to save mine and all," Mike replied with a shake of his head and a knowing expression on his face that suggested Harvey might as well drop the act, because he definitely did not believe it anymore.
"I had to protect my investment!"
Mike snorted.
A comfortable silence fell in the room and it was broken later by Harvey who was staring at him with a curious expression. "How're you feeling?"
"They've got me on some quality drugs. I'm not fired am I?"
"It's medically issued, so I think you're safe," Harvey replied with a roll of his eyes.
He watched with some concern as Mike suddenly deflated and just as he was about to ask what was wrong, his associate said, "They want to keep me here for observation overnight, because it took me so long to wake up. I don't want to be here any longer."
"You need to listen to the doctor, Mike. We'd prefer you be perfectly healthy before you leave the hospital," Donna said, patting his hand in comfort.
"Mike, are you hungry? I've got the ad of the place you get your favorite stuffed crust pizza from."
He would deny it to his last breath, but the kid actually caused his earlier temper to disappear as his eyes lit up in excitement.
Mike's awake! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and let me know what you think!
