Harvey hurried down the hall in pursuit of Mike. He couldn't think of anything besides the strange way Mike had stepped out of the room, like he was some sort of zombie.
He swallowed down the wash of guilt, anger, fear, and panic that were flooding his brain, and focused only on how to help his associate.
The fact that Curtiss Ford was most likely Mike's rapist—that filthy son of a bitch!—was second to Mike's current predicament. Harvey decided to double check later with Vanessa's help. He didn't think Jessica would forgive him for attempting to eviscerate a client without just cause and proper evidence, despite her blatant favoritism of him.
Harvey hoped Donna was covering for him. He knew she was worried about Mike, but he knew it was best if he helped the kid alone. More people might upset the kid even more.
He wasn't sure what he was going to find when he caught up with Mike, but he assumed it would be more of the usual panic. He could deal with that well enough by now.
What he found instead was much more worrying.
Mike wasn't in the building.
Harvey's cell rang suddenly, the sound echoing loudly in the stillness of the Mike-less room.
"Harvey Specter," he answered distractedly.
"Mistuh Spectuh? Uh, yous the one Mikey wuhks fouh, right?"
Harvey waded through the thick accent, his mind focusing sharply on the mention of his associate. "Yeah, Mike works for me, why?" he said, apprehension pooling in his stomach.
"Well, he, uh, just tried his hand at jumpin' front uh cahs. And, uh, he looks kinduh funny, ya know?"
Harvey dragged a hand down his face and managed a quick, "Be right down," to the man on the line, whom he guessed was from security. Mike was always forgetting his badge (Harvey still couldn't fathom how it's "not the same thing", as Mike put it), so he'd probably had many opportunities to get more personally acquainted with the security guards. Harvey wasn't sure if he was more ashamed that Mike kept forgetting his badge and was hanging out with security of all people, or that their suits were better quality than Mike's.
He hung up with a grimace and hastily stepped into the elevator.
When he got to the bottom he was met by the sight of a dazed looking Mike being held upright by a guard.
"You Spectuh?" the man asked him as Harvey approached.
"Yeah," Harvey said, not really paying attention. He was too busy checking over Mike to make sure he was okay. He noticed there was a tear in the left sleeve of his suit.
"I had to tug him hahd to get him out of the way of the cah. Sahrry."
Harvey knew he needed to take Mike home, away from any memory of Curtiss Ford, and he needed to go now. He'd have to take a cab; he didn't have time to wait for Ray. The bike they could leave here.
The guard helped Harvey haul Mike over to a cab and then they were off to Harvey's condo.
Mike didn't so much as blink; he just sat dumbly in the seat, leaning slightly into the door. Harvey hoped he would snap out of it soon. He didn't know how to help someone out of a catatonic state.
They made it up to Harvey's place without much trouble. Mike was hard to get moving, but if you tugged hard enough, he followed without resistance. It greatly discomforted Harvey how pliable Mike was at the moment. It reminded him of that night when he'd gotten Mike out of the car in the garage, and the kid had gone limp as soon as Harvey had laid a hand on him.
Harvey sat Mike down on his couch and began putting things away, making phone calls to Jessica and Donna, and of course, Vanessa, who promised she'd look into Ford's background and such.
Harvey didn't need any more proof; he knew Ford was guilty. Anyone who saw Mike's face as he looked at the man would know.
It was while he was on the phone with the judge from Mike's pro bono case that he noticed Mike missing from his place on the couch.
Harvey very nearly hung up on the judge, but managed to get away with a rushed promise that he'd have to call back later due to an emergency. He swept his fearful gaze around the room only to find it empty.
Frantically, Harvey began systematically searching the many rooms in his condo. When he got to the bedroom, he would have missed Mike if not for the noise.
The balcony door was open, letting in a breeze and the sounds of the city in midday traffic. Mike was standing dangerously close to the edge, leaning over and looking at the distant skyline, still with a vacant expression upon his face. Harvey hoped it was just dazed stupidity and not suicidal urges that had brought Mike to the literal edge.
Very carefully, as silently as he could, Harvey stepped towards his associate. The man didn't seem to notice, and Harvey quickened his pace.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew; Harvey stepped further forward than he'd intended, and Mike leaned over the edge enough that a little more weight would carry him over the railing.
Harvey leaped forward awkwardly, sure he was twisting some sort of limb, and yanked as hard as he could on the fabric of Mike's jacket, pulling the associate down on top of him in a mess of limbs and fabric.
Harvey panted for a moment, trying to catch his breath and force it down his throat. Still gripping the now doubly ripped fabric of Mike's suit, he dug himself out from beneath Mike, scrabbling to find the man's face.
"Mike? Mike!" he called desperately.
Mike didn't move for a minute and Harvey breathed harder, wondering if he should give up and call an ambulance or something.
Then Mike's face broke into a small, sad smile. Harvey stared in surprise at his associate, wondering if the kid had finally gone completely insane, when Mike giggled slightly and said, "Harvey Specter, you're my hero," in a nasally voice.
Harvey scowled. "I don't think an attempted suicide warrants a quote from Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
Mike's smile evaporated and Harvey instantly felt regret.
"Jesus, Mike! What were you thinking?!" Harvey said, leaning back with a sigh as he remained kneeling next to Mike.
Mike frowned a little and then looked around slowly at their surroundings. "We're…on your balcony?"
Harvey didn't know if he should be scared that Mike didn't remember, or happy that he hadn't—at least consciously—actually been attempting to kill himself. "Yeah," he answered simply. "You were almost splattered all over the road down there."
Mike shook his head a little, wincing. "Sorry. I'm all jumbled up, I think. What happened?"
Harvey stood carefully, testing out the ankle he was certain he'd injured saving Mike's ass, and then pulled Mike up next to him. "You don't remember?"
Mike shook his head again. "I remember being in the office. I had just changed my shirt, 'cause Rachel spilled coffee on it. I was on my way to bring you a file, and then…"
"Then?" Harvey asked, not entirely sure he wanted Mike to remember.
Mike frowned in concentration. "Nothing. Then I was here. Harvey, did something…happen?"
Harvey desperately wanted to tell Mike that no, nothing at all had happened—they just decided to go home early that day. But he didn't want to lose even a scrap of the trust Mike had placed in him. He didn't ever want to see the look on Mike's face as he found out he was alone in the world.
So Harvey nodded, but said nothing. If Mike wanted to know, if he was ready to know—because he clearly hadn't been at the time—then he'd ask, and then Harvey would tell him everything. But until then, Harvey decided to just leave it alone.
They'd work it out later, just as soon as Harvey decided how best to destroy the very essence of the evil soulless suit, Curtiss Ford.
Okay, so I apologize if the accent was wrong for the security guy. I'm by no means a New Yorker and am more familiarly acquainted with Boston accents, but I tried to base it off one of my coworker's thick Brooklyn speech. Hope it wasn't too horrible. Also, I'm sorry for not warning for suicide, since it would both give away what happens in the chapter and because it wasn't really suicide. Hope no one's upset with me over that one. (crosses fingers). Thanks for waiting! And don't worry. I was only joking about the waiting for two months thing. I couldn't do that to you poor readers! Let me know if you're feeling grateful or whatnot. (And CazB, don't think I've forgotten about those cookies you promised me!)