And baby, baby, baby when all your love is gone who will save me from all I'm up against out in this world.

- Matchbox 20, bright lights

"Donna!"

He's too far away to catch her and adrenaline pumps through him as she lands on the cement with a sickly crack, his body dropping beside her on the cold wet ground. He thanks Christ she fell backwards and not over the ledge but the relief is short lived when he comes into contact with a warm stickiness oozing from a cut beneath her hairline.

"Shit." He withdraws his hand wiping the blood along his trousers and trying to shake the admission that cost him precious seconds. She said he didn't love her but she's wrong, so god damn fucking wrong. He's always been in love with her. he just couldn't see it, and his fingers tremble with fear as he slips out his cell to call for help.

Samantha doesn't ask questions just tells him paramedics are on their way up and he's grateful for the reprieve, tossing down the phone and not giving a damn when the screen shatters on impact. All he cares about is Donna and he blinks back a rush of dizziness gently elevating her head to rest more comfortably in his lap. She stirs at the contact letting out a groan and he slides his thumb down wiping the sweat dripping from her flushed skin. She's burning up and when she starts struggling in a weak attempt to sit up he places a light pressure against her shoulder urging her to keep her still, "hey, it's okay I've got you... don't try to move."

"Head hurts..." she mummers trying to make sense of the situation but she's too out if it to stay focused.

He can see her starting to drift again and swallows roughly, giving her a gentle nudge. "Donna, listen to me... you're going to be fine but you need to stay awake, think you can do that?" Her barely perceptible nod causes a sheet of moisture to glaze over his eyes but he shakes off the emotion skirting his hand down to feel the contrast between her clammy face and freezing skin. He needs to do more than just keep her alert and quickly shrugs out of his jacket using it to cover her exposed arms. It isn't much but it's something and he drags his hand back swiping the hair soaking her face. She leans into the touch, settling at the contact, and he gives her shoulder a squeeze. "That's it, you're doing great Donna. Just stay with me."

He hears a commotion coming from the stairwell and glances up relieved to see the paramedics come through followed closely by Samantha and Louis. At first he doesn't react, hanging onto the small thread of composure he still has left, but once they deem it safe to move her he's ushered out of the way and latches onto Louis trying to force back the loud roar in his ears.

Louis supports him with two strong hands, his voice thick with concern as his gaze swims between the lawyer and the redhead being loaded onto a stretcher "Harvey, what the hell happened?"

Harvey's attention suddenly snaps to Samantha his eyes growing dark at her tense expression. "Where's Joice?"

"Gone." She doesn't allow her internal wince to take form but the tone is regretful, "he must have slipped out before the the police arrived. They're downstairs waiting to talk to you."

His eyes fall to the paramedics strapping Donna in and a pressure begins to build behind his temples. He doesn't have time to deal with incompetent authorities or rampant sociopaths and he throws an explanation at Louis putting his implicit trust in the man. "Barnaby Joice was responsible for Drake Carter's car crash and he wanted, ah-" he hisses at a sharp pain, pressing a hand to the side of his head, "...he wanted me out of the picture so he could claim back the company but accidentally drugged Donna instead."

Worry compounds in Louis' chest as he takes in Harvey's twisted features. He clearly needs medical attention himself and following Donna to the hospital is probably the best thing for him right now. "I'll take care of it."

The relief that washes over Harvey is visible and Samantha exhales slowly, grateful she trusted her instincts. It's still going to be a publicity nightmare but she can handle that so long as somebody else can manage Harvey because god forbid, if anything happens to Donna he's going to need someone -preferably his own size and strength- to keep him from doing something stupid. "I'll get everyone out of here and tell Robert to meet you at to the hospital." She turns to the female paramedic with a subtle nod, "he needs checking over as well, he's in shock and took a hit to the back of his head."

"I'm fine." He growls out directing his fear into any outlet he can but as soon as he takes a step forward pins and needles charge through his body and he stumbles, caught simultaneously by Louis and Samantha.

"Okay hero, take it easy." The blonde lifts his arm up over her shoulder motioning for Louis to let go. She's stronger than she looks and combined with his stubbornness has no problem supporting his weight as they follow the paramedics down to the waiting ambulance. Louis does as instructed heading off the police and she manages to unload Harvey into the vehicle, glancing at Donna's prone form across from him.

It's the last thing she sees as the white doors pull shut and she swallows a swell of emotion pulling out her phone and dialling Robert Zane. If necessary she'd call it in as a personal favours but he doesn't hesitate. Donna and Harvey are family and he tells her he'll keep her updated, asking her to do the same. It's a given and she hangs up swiping a hand over her brow.

Whatever happens tonight it's going to change things, she saw that much in Harvey's expression.

She just prays that the firm and everyone who works there can survive the consequences.

...

...

Donna's eyes snap open with a gasp, panic and confusion directing her gaze to where Harvey is stood speaking on his cell. She tries to move but finds herself in restraints, her wrists aching from the cuffs securing her to the bed, and the haze clouding her memory causes a knot of dread in her stomach. She can't remember what happened, how she got here or why in the hell she's restrained. "Harvey?" She hates the fear her voice, the vulnerability that's bleeding through but his gaze snaps to hers and she's able to fight the sudden rush of panic.

"Mike I've gotta go... yeah, she's awake. I will." He hangs up sliding the phone into his pocket as he nears the bed. "It's okay, you're safe. You're in the hospital."

She breathes in slowly through her nose trying to stay calm. He wouldn't let anything happen to her, she knows that, but the reassurance doesn't explain anything and she tugs on the binds around her wrists. "What's going on? I don't... why am I restrained?"

Her lucidity washes over him and he draws in a relieved breath but still can't shake the memories from the past forty-eight hours. He'd only witnessed one of the drug induced episodes but it had been terrifying to watch her manically lashing out and as soon as she'd been sedated he'd barely made it to the nearest bathroom before throwing up. The doctor had assured him once the drugs wore off she was expected to make a full recovery but he's still nervous as he runs his hand over the cuff encouraging her to keep still. "I'll go get the nurse, she can-"

"Harvey." Her eyes plead with him to stay, the idea of being alone causing another swell of panic to rise in her chest. She needs to know what happened and blinks back a sudden rush of moisture. She's hates crying in front of him but right now she feels completely helpless and almost begs him to tell her the truth. "Please. I'm not... I don't need to be in these things, I just need you to talk to me."

The way she's fighting to stay in control breaks him and he can't stand watching her struggle. She clearly isn't a danger to herself anymore and he risks a glance behind him at the dimly lit hall. Fuck it. He knows her better than any nurse or doctor and he rips open the velcro band watching the relief flood her features. The first thing she does once free and is wipe her eyes and he lowers himself to the chair beside her bed, swallowing the nerves lodged in his throat. The doctor warned him memory loss was common in these types of situations and he collects his hands over his knees, pressing her gently for details. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I..." she frowns, shaking her head at a flurry of images that don't make sense. The last thing she can place is being in his office the afternoon before their client drinks but even those memories are hazy. There's certainly nothing to explain why should woke up restrained in a hospital bed and her eyes draw to his face noticing the fresh bruises around his jawline. The idea she might have caused them drives the air painfully from her chest and she opens her mouth but can't from the words.

He reads the assumption in her gaze and immediately reaches out to cover her hand. "Donna hey, no... you didn't do this. You didn't hurt anybody." He's quick to sweep aside her guilt but has no idea how to admit his own. It was his fault she got caught in the crossfire of a lunatic but he isn't ready to go there yet and lands on a basic version of the truth instead. "You had your drink spiked. They're still waiting to get the full toxicology report back but it was a heavy dose..." he breathes out a sigh motioning to the restraints but the tone is anything but light, "we lost you for a little while there."

She was drugged. The explanation circles around her head making her feel nauseous. The how and why seem less import. What scares her the most is not being able to remember what happened, what she may have said or done and his impassive features do nothing except fuel the uncertainty spreading through her. He looks bad, beyond exhausted, and while she can assume she's the reason it doesn't help jog anything in her memory. It's all completely lost to her and even though she's afraid to ask she has to know. "Harvey, what happened?"

Despite preparing for the question over and over again it still makes him go rigid.

What happened?

She nearly died because she wasn't able to trust him, that's what happened, but the version he tells is vastly different. "You weren't feeling well so you went out to get some air. I found you, realised something wasn't right and called an ambulance. You slipped in the rain, that's how you bumped your head."

She knows instantly he's lying or at least omitting something. She can read it in the tense line of his jaw and the black and blue injuries marring his face but the ghost of a smirk on his lips stops her from pushing.

"You didn't do anything embarrassing if that's what your worried about." Only broke him in a way he isn't sure can be fixed but what right does he have to blame her Apparently he did the same thing first and he swallows sharply desperately skirting away from the guilt. "I wasn't sure if you'd want your parents here."

She flinches at the thought of her overbearing mother and overprotective father showing up at he hospital. "Tell me you didn't call them."

"Not yet." He shakes his head twisting his thumbs together, relieved he made the right decision. She'd presented as critical but stable and the doctor had been cautiously optimistic. If he'd thought for one second her condition had warranted them being here he wouldn't have hesitated. "I really should go get the nurse, visiting hours are almost over anyway."

She doesn't want him to go but resists asking him to stay. He obviously needs sleep and her expression softens as he pushes up from the chair.

"Thank you Harvey."

He hesitates for the briefest of seconds, holding her gaze, and the sudden feeling she's thanking him for more than she realises washes over her. There's something in his eyes that's unreadable, more than just normal concern, but it's gone in a flash replaced by a tentative smile.

"Get some rest, I'll stop by tomorrow to check in on you."

She nods but can't help the unease balling in her stomach and he's just shy of the door when she calls out to stop him. He turns back and she isn't sure what to say but her mouth forms around the one thing that's important to her. "Are we... okay?"

He honestly doesn't know how to answer the question. In his mind it's a complete mess but he takes the easy way out and lies to avoid complication. "Yeah, we're fine." He forces another smile but is slips from his expression the moment he escapes and he barely makes a few feet before sagging against the wall.

He almost lost her and if that isn't hard enough to deal with the fact he may have already lost her, and jut not realised, is a hell of a lot more difficult to accept.