There were some problems with uploading, not everyone could see the chapter, so here we go again!
Before you dive into this chapter (eleven already, that's insane! And it's not quite finished yet ;p), let met just say thank you for all the reviews! The positive ones as much as the critical ones, I always like to know what you think and what you do / do not like!
Sunday morning in Seattle still unsettles Harvey a little. It's noticeably quiet, and that's something he isn't used to after living in New York for so long. Donna managed to get him to enjoy it a little, forcing him on walks across the city. Although he must admit it still wasn't the quiet that he liked, it was the smile on her face, the twinkle in her eyes and the way the wind made her hair a little messy – just the way he likes it. This Sunday morning, she's not with him and it makes him like the quiet even less. It gives him time to think and he doesn't particularly like that; his mind keeps presenting him with worst-case scenarios, no matter how much he tries to stay rational.
When Harvey walks into the hospital, he realizes there is one good thing about Sunday morning in Seattle; the lack of traffic allowed him to get here faster than he managed before. His legs carry him through the long hallways without having to think about where he's going. Just before he opens the door to Donna's room, his phone starts ringing. He pulls it out of his pocket to decline the call, but when he sees it's Mike calling, he picks up, leaning against the wall beside the door. "Mike, can this wait? I'm at the hospital now, I'll come to the firm after."
Secretly, Harvey hopes Mike is calling to say he doesn't need Harvey at the firm today, that he can stay with Donna. But all his hopes are gone when he hears Mike's voice. "Good," the young lawyer sounds on edge, "I was just going through some files again and we still have a shitload to do before tomorrow. Rach is coming in as well and I requested as many of the associates to do so too." Harvey swallows his disappointment, "I'll be there," he reassures Mike, "don't worry. We'll figure it out. We're on the right track. Just need to work it out properly today."
When Harvey lets out a long breath and reaches for the door, it swings open already and suddenly he is face to face with Rachel. "You're here early," he remarks. She nods, looking back into the room over her shoulder, "Mike told me he wanted to get in early at the firm and he said he would try to get you in too," she starts explaining, "and I thought somebody should check on Donna this morning, because she wasn't doing too well yesterday. And… I thought she shouldn't be alone all morning. This place is kind of depressing."
Rachel glances over her shoulder again before looking at Harvey, "but I thought I'd leave her alone now, she fell asleep again." She tells him. He nods, looking at her expectantly, "how is she doing?" He then asks. The ball in her stomach tightens a little when she looks at him. His face is a little pale, he's got dark circles under his eyes and his expression is lined with worry. "She's not… It's bad," she stutters, "I'm really worried, Harvey." His shoulders tense at her words. "Bad how?" He asks her.
"She could barely keep her eyes open… fading in and out of consciousness… couldn't form coherent sentences. Just… Really sick." Rachels words make Harvey's chest feel tight. He looks at the brunette, "thank you, Rachel. For checking in and being here. Can I see her now?" She's still standing in his way and he just wants to be with his wife. Rachel bites her lip, not stepping aside, "Harvey, you need to do something. This is not going in the right direction. Something needs to happen"
Harvey clenches his jaw, "and what exactly do you want me to do?" His words come out harsher and a little louder than intended, but Rachel's words fed right into his feeling of powerlessness. She shrugs, seeming just as exasperated as he is, "I don't know, Harvey," she's raised her voice a little as well, "talk to a doctor. Or-or… I don't know, but you need to do something." His dark eyes look right into hers, "she's already being monitored 24/7," he reminds her frustratedly, "and I think these people know what they're doing, considering it's their job!" Rachel shakes her head, "well, apparently not," she snaps at him, "because Donna is just getting sicker and sicker, and-"
"Guys," a weak voice startles Rachel and Harvey. Rachel turns and Harvey steps forward, both looking at Donna, who is looking at them with tired eyes, "don't fight." Her voice is barely more than a whisper. Harvey glances sideways at Rachel, who lifts her eyebrows at him before looking back at Donna, "I'll leave you two alone. Take it easy, Donna. I'll see you soon." She turns and leaves the room, but not before shooting Harvey a pointed look.
Donna doesn't even notice the silent exchange, her eyes fell closed and it takes a lot of effort to open them again. They were fighting over something, that much she did realize. She doesn't want them to fight, that's why she interrupted them, although she had intended it to be a lot more forceful than it came out. Now she looks at Harvey, who perches himself on the edge of the bed and takes her hand in between his, "you don't look good." He murmurs after a soft silence.
Harvey's remark would've incented a quippy remark in any other situation, but this morning Donna doesn't even respond. He squeezes her hand, feeling his chest tighten a little, "Donna?" He asks, meeting her eyes, "you look like you're only getting sicker." His words are not phrased as a question, but it is a question and he hopes she understands that too.
"I feel like… I'm getting sicker… I think," Donna softly agrees. She hears the pauses and hesitation in her own voice, but she can't help it. She doesn't have the strength to form a full sentence. She looks at Harvey, seeing the worry in his eyes, but there's nothing she can do about it. "I'm scared." The words escape her lips before she can stop it. His eyes darken a little and she feels guilty. She doesn't want to worry him, but she meant what she said; she's scared. Terrified even, because she feels like her body is slowly failing her and she doesn't know where it's going to end.
"Hey," Harvey is a little taken aback by Donna's confession but recovers quickly. He leans towards her and places his left hand against her face, "don't worry. It's going to be okay. There's a billion doctors here and I'm gonna make sure they'll do their jobs." With his thumb her rubs small circles over her soft cheek as she leans into his palm. Her skin is hot and damp, a little sticky with feverish sweat. He brushes his fingers over to her forehead, smoothing strands of hair out of her face.
Donna's eyes close again. She can't keep them open anymore and Harvey's touch relaxes her. He's still talking softly. She is not listening, she can't bring herself to focus, but his deep voice is soothing. Suddenly his left hand is not on her face anymore and her right hand lets her hand go. Now she struggles to open her eyes, she needs to see where he has gone. "It's okay," he reassures her as he opens a cabinet and gets out a washcloth. He holds it under the water and then returns to her. Very gently, he brushes the cloth over her face. She shivers a little; he used cold water. However, she relaxes quickly at his careful touch and the fresh feeling of a clean face.
"Better?" Harvey asks softly after he's done and placed the cloth on her nightstand. She nods, but he sees she's still shivering. He pulls the blanket up a little and tucks her in, leaning forward to place a kiss on her forehead in the process. Her eyes are closed again, Rachel was right – she seems to be barely conscious. He looks at her for a few long seconds. "Get some rest, Donna," he then softly says, squeezing her hand. She gives a tiny squeeze as well and he leans in again, this time kissing her lips. "I love you. I'll stay with you today," he whispers against her lips before kissing her again, "you can relax. Get some rest."
When Donna has fallen asleep again, Harvey pulls out his phone, texting Mike that he's not coming in. Donna comes first. He quietly sits by her side for a while, until a nurse comes in. "I need to talk to doctor Nix." He tells her, not wasting any time by introducing himself of telling her what it's about. She seems a little confused, but doesn't ask him any questions, "I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid that's not possible." He clenches his fists, channeling his worry into anger, "I'm gonna goddamn sue you and everybody else on this floor if you-" She silences him by holding her hand up, the gesture reminding him so much of Donna that he stops talking and just looks at her. "Doctor Nix is not in right now, but I'll set up an appointment for you this afternoon."
The nurse checks Donna's vitals before looking back at Harvey. "Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave," she softly says, an apologetic look on her face, "Mrs. Paulsen-Specter needs her rest." He huffs angrily, "she's relaxed now, isn't she?" But the moment the words leave his lips, Donna stirs and her eyes flutter open. The nurse gives him a pointed look, "I know you want to stay here, but we're monitoring her closely. There's nothing you can do." "I don't care," Harvey responds, "I'm staying." He looks at Donna, who looks back at him, "she's right. It's okay," the words leave her mouth without her knowing if she really means them. But she presses on anyway, the concern on her husband's face enough to make her want to protect him. "No, Donna," he protests, but she quietly shakes her head. "I'll be sleeping anyway," she murmurs.
The fear that Donna felt earlier is still there. But it's pressed to the back of her mind by concern for Harvey and a foggy exhaustion. She sees Harvey clench his jaw and wanting to protest. And then she sees the moment he decides to give in to her and the nurse. He almost literally deflates, his shoulders slumping and his head dropping. He slowly pushes up from his chair, standing straight for a second before leaning towards her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. He hovers close for a few seconds before kissing her again, "call me if you change your mind," it's almost a plea, "I really don't mind staying here, Donna... I want to." She just looks at him, "I know," she breathes, "but Mike needs you more than I do."
Harvey sighs. He wants to argue with Donna, he wants to stay. But he doesn't want to fight her when she's this weak. He doesn't want to tire her out even more. He vows to himself to be back early that afternoon and whispers that to her as he softly kisses her again. Then he leaves Donna's room, a heavy feeling in his bones.