Chapter Five: The Collective Noun for Nightmares

"I was dreaming about an old home." Mike started to explain. He focussed his attention on a small stain on the countertop. In his mind, he thought about how he would attempt to remove it.

"Was it about that guy? Mr Goodwin?" Harvey asked remembering the last time Mike told him about a nightmare.

"No. This was placement 10. It was a group home. I was doing the dishes, but I wasn't doing it fast enough. Mr Cho, one of the staff members didn't like that. He grabbed my arm, wrenched it behind my back and chucked me down the basement steps. I broke my arm two places and still had to do the dishes after." Mike replied. He couldn't bear to look at Harvey's face. He didn't want to see the pity or the anger.

If Mike had looked up he would have seen that Harvey was trying hard to keep his face passive. Years of playing poker had allowed him to perfect his poker face. Sensing that his associate was finished talking so he changed the subject. He glanced at Mike's hands which were still bleeding.

"I think we had better take you to the ER and get someone to take a look at those hands." Harvey suggested.

Mike looked at his hands before nodding. He got up but instead of heading to the door as Harvey expected him to, he went to where his messenger bag was hanging up. He took a small bag and headed back to the counter. Harvey raised his eyebrow.

"What's that?" Harvey asked

"Homemade first aid kit. They're cheaper than the ones in the store." He explained before he began to take out a few things from the bag. Harvey watched as Mike began cleaning his cuts with an alcohol wipe.

"I think it could use a few stitches, Mike. Perhaps we should leave it to the professionals."

"You're right that it could use a few stitches." Mike agreed before he began suturing the deeper of the cuts up. Harvey tried not the flinch as he watched Mike poke the needle through his hands without any sign that the pain bothered him.

"What are you a fake doctor as well as a fake lawyer?" Harvey asked as Mike switched hands and began expertly suturing his other hand. When he was done he covered them with a dressing before testing out his reflexes.

"Surprisingly enough foster parents aren't so eager to deliver their foster kids to the ER and risk tipping of child services." Mike responded.

"How did manage to do both hands?" Harvey questioned.

"I'm ambidextrous."

"Aren't you going to bandage them up?" Harvey asked noticing that Mike was putting away his first aid kit. Mike sat back down and looked his friend in the eye for the first time since they had sat down.

"Bandages are more expensive. I'd rather save them for when I actually need them. My hands are fine without them." Mike explained.

"You know Mike you don't have to worry about making do. If you need medical care you should go to the hospital. Your job comes with medical insurance- good medical insurance. You should use it."

Mike sighed. He knew that technically he didn't have to worry about getting healthcare anymore. He had access to good healthcare, and he should probably start making good use of it. He also knew that it just wasn't as simple as that.

"Old habits-"

"Die hard." Harvey finished.

Mike shrugged his shoulders and yawned. He got up and placed his mug in the sink. We reached for the taps before he stopped himself.

"I'd wash these up, but I really shouldn't wet my hands." Mike explained. Even after all those years he still felt like he needed to be useful. As long as he was useful people were more likely to keep him around. Harvey had already done so much for him. He just hoped that he wasn't going to pay for his weakness in the morning.

Harvey tried not to groan. The way Mike had said it suggested that he would risk wetting his dressings if Harvey wanted him to. The washing up wasn't important and while he had a cushy childhood he did know how to wash a mug up. He knew that he could appear uncaring but Mike he like a little brother to him. A brother that, in some ways, still seemed like a child.

"Don't worry about that. I went to Harvard I think I can wash two mugs up. Try and get some more sleep Mike." Harvey replied.

Mike debated internally for a few minutes before he decided to do what Harvey suggested. He really didn't know if he would be able to sleep without being interrupted by another plague of nightmares. What was the collective noun for nightmares anyway? Mike decided that in the absence of that knowledge he would declare that 'plague' was the right fit.

The morning came too early for Mike but then again it always did. He remembered Harvey's words from the previous night and got dressed quickly to ensure that he was ready for when Harvey decided to set out for work. He was glad to see that Harvey had made a pot of coffee. It was a welcome sight.

"There's some toast if you want. There's also coffee too unless you want a glass of OJ shaken not stirred." Harvey offered indicating the toast on the rack.

Mike reached over and took a few slices. Drinking his coffee in silence he was suddenly aware of Harvey's eyes on him. His boss was staring as though analyse him. It was really annoying but he even as Mike made direct eye contact with him, Harvey did not drop his gaze.

"Harvey if you going to keep staring at me like I'm going to walk to work." Mike told him as he tried not to squirm in his seat.

"Are you sure you are well enough to work? Harvey asked.

"I'm fine." Mike responded a little sharper than he intended.

Harvey glanced at him further before nodding and leaving the kitchen to continue getting ready. Mike left to do the same. Five minutes later they were getting into the back of Harvey's car. He had to admit driving to the firm was a lot more pleasant than riding there especially with the weather being the way it was. A thin blanket of snow had fallen overnight, and sleet was still gracefully falling as they made their way down to the road.

Once they got to the firm Donna greeted them with the news that a client was waiting for them in his office. While Harvey did not like it when clients dropped round announced, it was something he had to deal with.

"What's the matter, Walter?" Harvey asked.

Walter Dent was sitting on one of Harvey's sofas. He leapt up once Harvey and Mike entered.

"I want to know what is happening with the merger. White has pulled out!" Walter bellowed

"Calm down and tell me what hell you are talking about. Last time I checked they were good with the deal."

"Well, apparently you must have screwed up because now they are pulling out and my board are thinking of firing me!" Walter shouted back before he chucked a file at Harvey how barely managed to catch it.

"I can assure you Harvey did not screw up. If your board is planning on trying to fire you after White backed out then that's not a coincidence. So why don't you sit down so we can all figure out why?" Mike suggested not liking the way he was speaking to Harvey.

It turned out that it was a bad idea. Walter turned red with rage and looked as though he was a few seconds from pummelling Mike.

"And who exactly are you to be telling me this?" He demanded crossing his arms in a threatening posture.

"This is my associate Mike Ross." Harvey explained taking a step towards his client and blocking the path.

"You're letting an associate speak for you now? You really are going downhill."

"Harvey is the best damn lawyer in New York, and you know it." Mike snapped stepping towards the client again ruining the barrier that Harvey had placed a few seconds earlier.

"Ok, you listen to me you little-"

"All right time out. Mike go and wait for me in Conference Room A." Harvey ordered him. He needs to calm down the client, but he couldn't do that when Mike was here. While he trusted Mike completely, Walter Dent was arrogant and shallow. He wouldn't trust Mike to help him because he was an associate. It didn't help that he looked so young.

"But Harvey…" Mike began to protest.

Harvey really regretted what he was about to do. He spun around and turned a steely glare at his associate. He watched as Mike paled slightly and drop his eyes down to focus on his boss' hands.

"I said go." He ordered again his voice threatening though he had no intention of harming him. If Mike's flinch wasn't enough to make Harvey feel guilty then his response definitely did.

"Yes sir. Sorry, sir." Mike replied before he turned and left the office. He didn't stop to greet Rachel on the way or even cast a second glance at Donna who gave him a look of concern. He was really stupid. Harvey was angry at him now. He said he would never hit him, but this time was different. He'd undermined Harvey in front of a client. He was definitely going to hit him this time and Mike couldn't say he didn't deserve it.

He wondered how hard he'd hit him. Would he need to cover it up? Come up with a cover story? He was good at doing both. He had a lot of practice. He would need to do something. If people found that Harvey had hit him they'd jump to the wrong conclusion and Harvey would be in trouble. Since he deserved it, he would have to deal with it.

Once Mike left Harvey turned back to his client. He aimed to fix things with Mike later, but he needed to ensure that everything was fine here too. If he lost this client he wouldn't lose any sleep at night, but Jessica would be on him like a spider monkey. And when she inevitably found out Mike defence of him she would blame him for the loss of a client and that would not end well for the young associate. So, for Mike's sake, he turned his attention to defusing the situation with Walter.

"My associate is the best there is. I would not have him here if we were not. Now calm down so that we can work out whatever stunt your board is trying to pull and why White has pulled out from the merger." Harvey told him.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Walter please. Have I ever let you down before you?" Harvey responded. "I sorted out your patent problem last year did I not?"

"You did."

"Then you can trust me to get this done."

"I'm sorry Harvey. I know you're the best and I know you'll come through for me. I was just worried." Walter apologised.

Harvey clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Walt. I will phone you later with the results." Harvey replied.

"Thanks." Walter thanked gratefully.

Harvey turned to walk out before he turned around and called out.

"Oh, and Walter?"

"Yes?"

"Speak to or about my associate like that again and I don't care about our history or what the billings you give this firm, I'll drop you faster than the Yankees at the play-offs understood?"

"Understood."

"Good. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Harvey went straight to the conference room. After the way he left, he didn't want to leave Mike longer than he had to. Walter would be all right for a while. Harvey meant every word he said to him. If he didn't treat Mike with respect in future he would drop him. He liked Walter though he could be arrogant, he didn't mean nearly as much to him as Mike did.

"Mike." Harvey greeted. He watched as Mike flinched violently.

"I really sorry sir. I know I was bad and I-"

"Mike. Stop. It's all right. I'm not angry and I'm not going to hit you." Harvey stopped him.

"You're not?" Mike asked the hopefulness of his voice making Harvey's heart swell.

"No, I'm not. I just got you out of there before Walter did. You know you didn't have to defend me in there." Harvey explained.

"I know. It's just I could bear to see him speak to you like that." Mike explained. Harvey deserved his loyalty. He wouldn't let anyone hurt him. Even if it meant that he was going to be hurt because of it.

"You wanted to protect me?"

"Sometimes, back in care, there were other kids that needed protection. So, I did. I stopped them from being hurt even if it meant leaping into the line of fire myself." Mike explained.

Of course, Mike would do that. It was such a Mike thing to do. Even as a kid he would put himself. It still worried Harvey that Mike didn't count himself as one of the children that need protection. After all, he was just a child too. Whom did Mike have to protect him? Who held him and told him that everything was going to be ok? Mike had no one. Well, he had someone now. He had Harvey.

"You don't need to protect me, Mike but it is apricated. Now, why don't we have a look and see what's happened with Walter?"

Mike nodded and took the file from Harvey. After a few minutes of familiarizing himself with the information in the file, he had the answer.

"It looks like White is conspiring with our client's board to get him fired." Mike confirmed.

"What do you mean?" Harvey asked though he already knew that Mike was right.

"Look at the figures. They don't match up. The finances purposed by the board do not match the ones that our client agreed to. With this, White would stand to gain more than Walter and yet he decided to pull out?"

"And days after the board try to fire him. That's not a consequence."

"No." Mike agreed "It's a conspiracy."

Harvey smiled and squeezed Mike's shoulder softly.

"Well done Mike." He congratulated. "You know Mike, you're not alone anymore."

Harvey left Mike in the conference room. He had a long way to go to help Mike deal with the trauma of his childhood and to gain the confidence he really needed to. Harvey would do whatever he could to make him feel safe and loved again. It was a job that was as continuous as it was important. But first, he had a phone call to his client.