Fatigued
Prompt: S9 Donna fatigued by Faye and her bullshit, faints or something and Harvey doesn't hear until she is in the hospital. All worried and she has to sleep it off and he stays there and all Emosh when she wakes up, and they have that 904 discussion that she has to tell him things.
...
The vein in Harvey's temple twitches, the dull ache that's been building since he sat down throbbing with annoyance when he spots Louis in his peripheral. After failing to secure Robert's clients, he needs to close the lucrative CEO he's currently lunching with, not pander to the firm's former managing partner. With Faye goddamn Richardson breathing down his neck, the last thing needs is Louis making a scene, and he clenches his napkin, forcing a smile at the man opposite him. "Would you excuse me for just one moment, Gregory?"
"Skipping out on me already, Harvey?" The CEO tilts his wine with a snarky scoff. "I hope this isn't standard practice. I would hope my time is of some importance to you."
"Of course, my apologies. This will only take a second." Harvey clenches his jaw, his insides raging as the chair slides back with an audible scrape. He's going to kill Louis. And then he's going to fire his secretary for advertising his whereabouts when he specifically stated he wasn't to be interrupted.
"What the hell are you doing here, Louis?"
"It's Donna." Louis chokes out the news, still feeling breathless despite having ample time to compose himself. "She collapsed at the firm. Samantha went with her…" he gasps out the information. "The ambulance is taking them to Presbyterian Hospital. I can cover—"
"Take the meeting." Harvey doesn't hesitate, nor care that the man is sweating and looks like he might keel over himself. He's already heading toward the door, cursing at the messages and missed calls on his phone. The fresh air outside doesn't do anything to stem his panic. It feels there's a freight train slamming through his chest as he dials Samantha's number, getting sent straight to her voice-mail.
God fucking dammit.
He knew something was wrong when he spoke to Donna in the copy-room earlier. Even before then, he had an inkling something wasn't right. She's been working herself around the clock, and though she perked up after speaking to her father on the phone, she seemed off after their breakfast together.
He should have pushed her to talk to him, and guilt wraps around his fear as he piles into a waiting cab, the journey to the hospital the most agonizing and slow trip he's ever he finds Samantha in the waiting room, his heart is beating so fiercely he's sure it's about to shatter his ribcage.
"Where is she!?"
"They're running some tests." Samantha places her hand against Harvey's shoulder, trying to calm his panic. "She was awake, coherent. The doctor thinks it was probably just fatigue, but they want to make sure."
"She's okay?" He needs to hear the confirmation, and Samantha's nod helps, but not nearly enough to settle the nausea rolling around his stomach. "I want to see her." He tries to push his way toward the double doors, angry when Samantha blocks his path. "Dammit, Samantha! I need—"
"You need to stop and take a breath," she instructs firmly, tugging him off to the side and out of the way. "Donna's going to be fine, but she'll be pissed if you wind up having a heart-attack."
"At least I'm in the right place for it," he grumbles, reluctantly letting himself fall back a step. "What about her father?" His gaze shifts around for the man, even though his earlier conversation with Jim hadn't exactly gone over smoothly. He'd left, subsequently getting to his client meeting early. But he doesn't give a second thought to how Louis is handling the engagement, shifting his focus back to Samantha, instead. "He's in town, he should be here."
"Donna didn't want to worry him."
Of course she didn't. He rolls his eyes, but steals comfort from the fact Donna had at least been lucid enough to make the call. "Let me guess, she didn't want to interrupt my meeting, either?"
Samantha shakes her head. "I spoke to Louis, but he was adamant. Said your wrath would be worse than Donna's if he couldn't find you." She smirks, her lips twitching with a hint of amusement. "You might want to buy him a plane ticket out of the country as a thank you."
Harvey appreciates the humor, but also figures he owes Louis one. The man went above and beyond, and he hopes Jim will feel the same sense of gratitude as he pulls out his phone. "I'll call him, he should be here."
"Your funeral," Samantha quips, motioning toward the vending machine. "I'll go grab us some shitty coffee."
He nods, taking his first proper breath since arriving, and thankful to his colleagues for having his back as well as Donna's. Faye can throw her weight around all she likes, but at the end of the day, the firm is a family, and it's about time she started showing some goddamn respect.
But right now, his only care is his girlfriend's wellbeing, and he hopes making things right with Jim will pave a way for her to start opening up. Because she's the most important person in the world to him, and he's not going to waste another moment hiding how he feels.
…
Donna glances at the door as it swings open, heat flooding her cheeks as Harvey enters her room, and she drops her gaze, clasping her hands together, and guessing why he cut his meeting short. "Samantha?"
"Louis." He lowers himself into the chair beside her bed with a timid smile. He can understand her wanting to get the firm back on its feet, but now he's here, he just wants to make sure she's okay. "How are you feeling?"
"Embarrassed," she admits, feeling a wave of inadequacy wash over her. Any hope she had of proving to Faye she deserved her vote is all but gone, and what's worse is she landed herself in this position. Couldn't even handle a little extra paper-work—the thought leading her to swipe the tears of frustration biting her gaze.
"Hey." He shuffles his chair closer, drawing his brows together over a confused frown. His girlfriend is one of the strongest people he's ever met, but there's obviously something wrong, and he hates the fact she's trying to hide it from him. "You don't have to feel embarrassed. Not around me, ever, okay?"
She nods, but still won't look at him, and reaches out to grasp her hand, giving it a squeeze. "What happened?"
She pulls her fingers back with a shaky breath, sniffling as she finally meets his worried gaze. The truth is, she didn't want Samantha to call him because after he railroaded her father, she isn't sure where they stand. She ended the conversation with her father, feeling light-headed and dizzy, scared that if Harvey couldn't show respect for her family, he would also side with Faye over her vote. The next thing she remembers is paramedics hovering over her. She doesn't want to lose Harvey, but she needs to be honest with herself. Hear the truth from him either way. "I know about the coffee you had with my father."
"Donna, I was trying to—"
"Help?" she accuses, shaking her head. "All you did was show him you have no respect for his business decisions, and as far as I'm concerned, that means you have zero respect for me."
"Okay, wait a minute." He stops her, even more confused by the way she's lashing out. "You know I respect you, Donna. And as for Jim, he's in the waiting room right now because I called him and apologized."
She flinches at the confession. "He's here?" Harvey nods, confirming the fact, and guilt twists in her chest as she takes a steadier breath. "You made things right with him?"
"I did." He leans forward, not ashamed to admit he went the extra length just to make her happy. He's not looking to replace his own father, and wouldn't have expected her to go to the same trouble with Lily, but Donna was right when she said he didn't have the same relationship with his family that she does. All he knows is that he wants to be involved in the important moments of her life, and he'll do whatever it takes to prove that. "You mean everything to me. So if there's something else going on, you need to talk to me about it. Whatever it is, we can work through it."
Tears blur her vision, this time because she's overwhelmed with relief. She can't believe he went out of his way to patch things up with her father, when she's been sitting here scared to death he might not support her, and she finds the strength to tell him why she's been so defensive."Faye went after my vote. She said the two of us being in a relationship compromised the firm's ethics, and that my vote doesn't hold as much weight."
"That's bullshit," he snaps, careful not to direct his anger at Donna. But he is annoyed she kept the information from him, and can't help voicing the frustration. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"I guess… I was worried you'd agree with her." She feels stupid for making the assumption, especially after everything he just did for her, and the hurt in his gaze cuts straight through her.
"Donna, I would never—"
"I know." She reaches for his hand with a sheepish smile. "I mean, I know that now… And I'm sorry. You're right, I should have told you."
"Okay." He breathes out, accepting the apology. They're not always going to get things right on the first try, but so long as they can adapt, be open and make compromises along the way, he doesn't see a few small hurdles becoming a problem.
"There's something else." She glides her thumb over his knuckles, a nervous energy buzzing through her body as he sits, waiting for her to continue. Faye was one thing, but she needed to be sure of them, of herself, before filling him in on the rest. Even though deep down she knew her doubts were just the result of fear. Since getting together so much has changed between them, and they're about to change again, her lips quivering with a smile. "I'm pregnant."
His eyes widen, his grip instinctively tightening around her hand as processes the news. He doesn't know what to say, his entire body tingling with pins and needles, probably going into shock, but then reality slams into him. She collapsed, and he knows she's okay, but his concern skyrockets without warning. "Is the baby—"
"She's fine, Harvey." Donna grins, reading the reaction she was hoping for. If he wasn't happy, his first thought wouldn't have been about the baby's safely, and she moves his hand up to rest across her stomach. "We both are."
Relief washes over him, his mouth gaping until her words hit him, and his lips curve in a wide smile. "She?"
Donna nods, patience having never really been one of her strengths. Well, except if she counts waiting around for Harvey to see what was right in front of him. But moving forward, she doesn't want anymore uncertainty, and she gleams at her reveal. "I can't wait for you to see her. She's perfect."
He can't wait either, a little upset he wasn't there, but the only thing he cares about is that his daughter is healthy, despite his eyebrows lifting with a curious smirk. "You didn't know?"
She shakes her head, indicating she didn't have the slightest inclination, and he can't not tease her. "Let me get this straight... You can tell me anything, about anyone, at any given time of the day… And yet you had no idea there was a person inside there mooching off you?"
"This person is tiny, and she isn't mooching." She smacks his arm, ribbing him right back. "Besides, I just assumed I felt off because of your cooking."
"My cooking? Jesus, Paulsen." He laughs at the unwarranted accusation. Then it suddenly dawns on him; he's going to be vastly outnumbered when his daughter learns to argue. He's going to be at the mercy of two Paulsen women, and a burst of happiness expands in his chest.
His daughter.
With Donna.
And, shit.
Donna watches his face drop and feels a flutter of panic as she questions the sudden shift. "What is it?"
"Your father only just decided he can tolerate me." He motioned toward the door, wondering if he should start running now, and get a head start. "He's about to find out I knocked you up… The man is going to kill me, Donna."
She doesn't give any validation to his fear, pulling him closer and reassuring him with a kiss, until her excitement bubbles over she can't stand keeping the secret any longer. "I want to tell him."
Her enthusiasm is contagious, and he smiles broadly. Only a few hours ago her comments had prompted him to reach out to Lily, and he can't wait to share the news with his mother, but he turns more serious as he props himself on the edge of the bed. "I want you to know I'm going to take care of things with Faye," he says earnestly, meaning every word, but also gently relaying his point. "You have to trust me, too. Tell me when something is wrong, especially now."
"I know that, Harvey, and I do trust you." She nudges him softly, resting her head against his shoulder as he wraps his arm around her. "Think we can blame the pregnancy hormones?"
He chuckles, a broad smile stretching across his face. "Only if you tell Louis. I don't want to be in the same room when he realizes you and Sheila can go to Lamaze classes together."
"Oh God." She groans as he places a kiss to her temple. "Think we could move? I hear Seattle is nice this time of year."
He grins, and even though he knows she's kidding, he mentally stores the idea away as something to consider.
They're going to need a bigger place now anyway, and Mike and Rachel will be thrilled when they hear the news. Seattle isn't so far out of the realms of possibly, now he knows that change isn't anything to be afraid of.
It's just the beginning of something new.
And he's ready to start their next chapter.