It was raining so badly in Seattle, Harvey was driving back home with Donna. They were tired because of the intense day at work. Harvey caressed his hand in one of Donna's thighs and smiled at her when something happened.
It was so fast.
A car came from nowhere and crashed into Harvey's car at Donna' side.
"Har…" Donna's voice failed, she blinked and saw someone taking Harvey from the car and when she blinked again she didn't see him. "He is…" she tried to say.
"Do not try to talk! You are alive!" a feminine voice talked with Donna.
These were the last words Donna heard, after that, total silence in her head.
"She is stable. She hasn't woken up since the car accident….." Doctor Hunt was explaining to Rachel another day the situation of her friend, Donna. "It's been two weeks."
"Will she survive, right?" Rachel asked, Mike was holding her hand.
"Probably….I really don't know If she won't give us some signs of getting better!" Hunt was honest. Rachel hugged Mike and started to cry.
"It 's ok!" Mike said to her.
"She is strong, she has been fighting since the accident" Owen was talking about how brave Donna has been since the tragedy. "Her husband didn't have this luck!"
"We know! He was our best friend either" Ross tried not to cry talking about Harvey. "I'm afraid that she didn't survive when known about him". He took a deep breath.
"One day after another! Right now our focus is her health…and what damages she will get" Owen was honest again, his paged interrupted the conversation "Sorry, I have to go!" the doctor said before leaving.
Rachel sat in the chair on Donna' side, she was caressing one hand of her friend. Since the accident Rachel and Mike spent hours in the hospital waiting for some sign of Donna. Harvey didn't get the chance, he died that night without saying goodbye to his wife, without saying goodbye to anybody.
Jessica Pearson and Louis Litt came to Seattle to participate in Harvey's funeral. It was a beautiful ceremony where all of his friends were there saying goodbye for one of the most talented lawyers the USA saw. Marcus couldn't stop crying, he repeated so many times how much he was proud of being Harvey's brother and made everyone cry when he asked why Harvey had to leave him alone.
Jessica was taking care of the legal stuff and taking care of Donna' rights. Louis was in shock he didn't talk one word since the accident, not even to Lucy.
Everybody was affected somehow with this car accident, with Harvey's death and with Donna's coma. The situation wasn't easy at all.
2 days later, Rachel and Mike were at home after work when they received a call from Doctor Hunt, Donna was giving signs, she was moving her fingers, trying to wake up.
"So…she is gonna be ok?" Rachel asked Owen.
"I really think so….try talk to her!" The doctor said a little excited.
"Donna….It's me…Rachel….can you hear me….We've missed you so much!" Rachel was holding one of Donna's hands when she moved some fingers. "She is listening!" Rachel couldn't hide her tears of joy.
Donna was trying to open her eyes, but the Doctor asked her to be patient because she could feel a lot of pain. She insists. The first time she got it, she blinked deep to avoid the lights, then started crying holding tight Rachel's hand.
"It 's ok….we are here!" Rachel said, caressing her arm full of bandages.
Doctor Hunt approached Donna, analyzing her responses, her eyes, her moves, talking to her to be calm. Tears were falling for Donna's eyes, she was really relieved to be alive, her head was hurting so much and she was trying to talk but the tube was still her throat. "Where is he?" her mind was asking.
"Do not try to talk…..we're gonna extubate you right now!" Owen said.
After extubation and analyzing Donna completely, Owen asked his interns to prepare her to do some exams.
"Har…arr" Donna's voice was just a whisper.
"First…we have to do some exams…then we'll talk to you, ok?!" Hunt asked and Donna shook her head affirmatively looking at the friends at her side while the interns were taking your stretcher to the X-ray room.
"Mike…I don't wanna imagine how she'll react when she knows!" Rachel said, hugging Mike.
"Yeah….I know" Mike replied, caressing Rachel's back.
Doctor Hunt and his team did all the necessary exams to make sure Donna was recovering well. He put Donna in a neck brace to stabilize her neck and spine, avoiding more pain.
"Ok….you are having a tough but good recovery" Hunt was talking to Donna, Rachel and Mike were at her left side, the doctor was standing in front of her. "You've been in a coma for two weeks, Donna…you're so lucky to be alive, to be here…..I know you want to get up, you want to talk, walk, know everything what happened…but right now you have to be patient with you and your body, ok?" He asked and she confirmed shaking her head very carefully. "Soon, you will be able to do everything, I promise!"
"Har… Har…" Donna was trying to talk, it was being difficult to her but she insisted. "Har…vey!" She finally got to say his name.
Mike, Rachel and Owen looked at each other. The moment they were so scared had come. Donna watched their faces, she saw pain in Mike's eyes, her head was hurting. She closed her eyes trying to remember the last thing she could about Harvey and the accident. He was at her side in the car, his eyes were closed, a lot of blood in his head and neck and then he was gone. Gone. This word hurted more than she expected.
Donna opened her eyes, looking at Rachel who couldn't avoid the tears. Donna understood immediately. Harvey was gone. Gone forever. He died.
"Stay calm…please!" Owen asked.
Donna closed her eyes and stopped fighting with the tears, she cried a silent crying. A painful cry. She never thought about living without him. Never. And now, after their marriage, the change to Seattle, their new life, he's gone.
"Donna…I know you already understood what happened…we are really sorry….but please, try to recover yourself…don't stop fighting!" Mike was holding her hand, almost begging. "He wouldn't want you to give up for him!"
Donna didn't open her eyes. The tears are still coming out from them. She was trying to understand how Harvey died. He was using the seat belt and the car hit her side. "How?" she asked herself. Her head was killing her. Donna lifted up her right arm slowly, everything was hurting, but she didn't care. She pressed her temples trying to stop the headache.
"Are you having a headache?" Owen asked and she shook her head affirmatively. "Ok…I'll put medicine in your saline bag."
They were in silence letting Donna process the information about Harvey. Nobody knows how much time it passed until Donna opened her eyes again.
"Say…it" Donna asked Mike, her voice was hoarse and low.
Mike's eyes were into Donna's eyes, he didn't break eye contact even with the tears falling down.
"Donna…"
"Say it….ple…ase!" She asked again. Mike took a deep breath, Rachel held his hand.
"Harvey is….dead!" He said aloud. "He was…. already dead when the rescue came!"
An uncontrolled cry invaded Donna, hearing this from Mike turned everything into reality. All the body pain she was feeling weren't no match for the pain in her heart and soul.
She lost Harvey. Forever.
"You need rest! You've been through a lot…and right now….I need you to focus on yourself!" Doctor Hunt said to Donna. "You can come back later….she needs time!"
Mike and Rachel said goodbye to Donna letting her alone, she didn't want to but she had to.
Donna was all by herself in the bedroom at the hospital looking to a fixed point in the wall. Feeling everything and nothing at the same time. A hole in her soul was opened in she had no idea how to close it, or she wanted to close it. Thinking about Harvey being dead made no sense to her, because everytime she thought about this, a low voice in her head was saying this wasn't true. Donna wanted to believe in this voice. She closed her eyes again, trying to remember the exact time the accident happened. She watched the scene in her head so many times until she paid attention when someone was taking Harvey from the car. He was breathing at the moment. She saw. Donna opened her eyes, the feeling he wasn't dead was growing in her heart and soul.
Next day, Doctor Hunt did a lot of exams on Donna, she was recovering well. She could move her legs, her arms, but still could not walk until her injuries in her left leg were completely healed. She was complaining about headaches but Owen said it was normal because of the knock she got when the car crashed.
"I wanna ask something!" Donna said.
"What?"
"Harvey…..they said he was dead at the moment the rescue came…but how? He was with the seat belt and the accident was at my side."
"Unfortunately….what I know about it….he hit his head very badly and did not resist….I didn't see him….he didn't come to this hospital." Hunt replied.
"I saw him breathing….I saw…I remember….He isn't dead!" Donna said with conviction, making her blood pressure get high and the monitor beep very loud.
"Hey…calm down….I know it's a lot to process….and I know you are in the denial stage…please…calm down….focus on yourself, Donna!" The doctor asked. Donna took a deep breath, turned her neck to the other side and closed her eyes. She needed more information.
At lunch time, Donna ate a little soup and drank some orange juice. She was anxious to have Mike and Rachel visit, she needed to know everything about that night and the next ones. She needed it, her inside and low voice was growing.
"Rach….please…I need to know everything about that day!" Donna asked. "Mike….I really need it!"
"Fine!" Mike agreed, taking a deep breath. "What do you want to know?"
"Everything! Don't hide me in any detail!" Donna was firm.
Mike told everything to Donna. She tried to hide the tears but they fell down her eyes without permission. Mike tried to avoid the tears as well but remembered those days were more painful than he thought.
"Harvey went to another hospital….right? Donna asked to confirm, Mike shook his head affirmatively. "Which one? Did you see his medical charts? Did you see him?"
"No, Donna….nobody saw him….when the hospital called us, he had passed away….and the things were very fast….. the hospital said the coffin must be closed because he had so many injuries in his head and face…..I'm sorry…..I couldn't see him….and to be honest…I prefer remember the last time I saw him….as he was….not crashed by a car…Sorry!"
Donna was in silence, processing this information. She saw Harvey after the car hit, he was injured, yes, but not the way the doctor said to Mike.
"The other person….the guy…the guy from the other car….which hit us….What happened?" Donna needed to know everything she could.
"I…I don't know much…. It seems he is in a coma in another hospital….we don't know where…because he was without his documents… so he is a John Doe….and the car was rented…so…No one of us had courage enough to look for where this person is….no one of us want to see this killer!" Mike's lips were trembling with rage.
"Hum!"
"Donna….please….you barely woke from a coma…..those pieces of information…."
"Rach…..I needed it!" Donna interrupted her friend and continued "Thank you, Mike…..I know how this has been difficult to you…..I'm sorry!"
"That's ok…..We knew you'd want to know the details as much as it hurts! I'm sorry too, Donna…..I can imagine how this is so painful for you to listen to!"
"I really appreciate it, Mike! Our personal objects….Harvey's….where's them?"
"Everything is in your apartment!" Rachel said.
"Ok….I need my phone…please!" Donna asked.
"Tomorrow we can bring it to you…..For today….try rest, ok?!" Mike was at her side, holding her left hand.
"I'll try!"
Later that day, Donna was watching a random tv program, she had dinner already after a quick nap. She had a dream about Harvey, he was alive smiling at her as he used to do every time they went to bedtime; the dream was so real that she could feel Harvey' smell. She spent the whole night connecting the information, trying to find a key piece to prove that her inner voice is right and he is alive.
"When can I get out of here?" Donna asked one of the nurses that was changing her bandages.
"I don't know precisely….but soon you can walk, I guess….your left leg is recovering well!" the nurse answered.
Donna needed to get out of the hospital soon, she was feeling very terrible for needing help with everything, she always was an independent woman, staying in bed was killing her, so, she decided to force herself to stand up, at least for some minutes.
But it hurts.
Next day, in the morning, she got an early surprise visit from Rachel who brought some personal stuff to Donna.
"I know you…..and I know you are thinking something….that's why I brought your phone charged….spill red…what are you planning?" Rachel knew her friend very well.
"Thanks, Rach…..I'm thinking a lot….I know Mike is suffering as well….but I need someone to stay out there looking for some information, I cannot get out of here yet….Can you do this for me?"
"Of course!"
"Ok….I think Harvey is alive….I feel it….I feel from my heart, my soul, my body….and I trust in my instincts, you know….they are always right….why now it would be different?" Donna was being honest.
Rachel decided to be at her side no matter what, supporting her friend to deal with grief the way Donna can. Even if this support is believed that Harvey is alive when isn't. Rachel knew Donnas was still in shock.
"Right….why do you think that?"
"Because the last thing I saw when the car crashed was someone taking Harvey out of the car….but I saw very clearly that he was breathing…and his face…yes…his face was bloody but not that kind of injuries the doctor said to Mike!" Donna was feeling hopeful.
"Donna….I'm here for everything you need….I really am….I'll help you…but I'm afraid….If this whole thing doesn't work….You'll suffer even more!"
"Rach…..I don't wanna live with "what ifs"...I wanna live knowing that I listened to my inner voice… I fight for her and for me….I need something to believe right now….Don't take it from me…" Donna let the tears come down.
"Sorry!" Rachel held her left hand tight. "Go on….What should I do?".
"Take any information you can from the hospital that Harvey went, the medical charts…you are lawyer…you can… then try to find this guy…the guy from the other car"
"Why?" Rachel needed to understand.
"Because I need it!" That's only what Donna said. "Please….send to my phone everything…if necessary….look at the photos the hospital took of Harvey's body!"
"Donna…."
"Please!" Donna didn't have much words to say.
Rachel took a deep breath before saying goodbye to her friend. She would do anything for Donna, including believe in her inner voice.
During the day, Donna searched everything about the accident on the internet, she saw pictures of the funeral, pictures of the crash, but nothing very concret. "At least, they chose a good picture of me," she thought, reading one of the news about them. Rachel spent the day sending to her friend updates of their investigation; she got access to Harvey's medical charts and sent everything to Donna, even the pictures of the body.
"THAT'S NOT HIM!" Donna said aloud when she saw a picture of the face which was very bruised, very swollen, full of cuts but there isn't Harvey's face. She knew him, every detail, every inch, every mark, everything. And definitively there isn't Harvey's mouth. She used to spend a couple minutes admiring Harvey's face while he was sleeping, especially his mouth. Donna loved it, the funny shape his mouth has, and how soft his lips are. She smiled, reminding herself of him. "Are you looking at my mouth again, aren't you? Do you miss my lips Mrs. Specter?" his voice saying this was very vivid in her head.
Donna was very excited, it was a little detail for sure, but it will prove, Harvey is alive out there.
"Oh…my….God!" She said to herself when she realized everything. "Rachel? I need you to find this John Doe…..asap" Donna said when Rachel picked up the phone.
"Now? I mean….I'm at the hospital as you asked" Rachel replied.
"I know….I received the pictures but….It's important to find the guy….please!"
"Fine….but where do I start?" Rachel asked.
"Hum….Let's call each trauma hospital searching for a John Doe!" Donna suggested before her friend turned off the call.
Donna barely had lunch, she was focused on finding where this John Doe was. She called a lot of numbers she found on google, not a signal of a John Doe with the descriptions she gave. She was tired till Rachel called again.
"There's a John Doe in a hospital not far away from yours….and he went here the same day of the car accident, he has been in a coma ever since….but I cannot see him….because technically I'm not a relative or something!" Rachel explained.
"Rachel….that's him….the guy we are looking for!"
"Now what, Donna?"
"Take me there!" She asked.
Donna called for Doctor Hunt, trying to convince him to let her get out a few minutes to go to this hospital to see this John Doe.
"I don't know, Donna….I know you are fine, recovering herself….but you are still fragile….you woke up from a coma just days ago." Owen said.
"Hum…You can go with me….in an ambulance….I can go in a wheelchair…but please…let me!" Donna was almost begging.
"You have to promise me that you will be honest with me if you feel anything…any pain!"
"I promise!"
"Let's just wait for your friends to come here to go with us….I'll prepare an ambulance and the nurses will prepare you!"
"Ok!" Donna said smiling. Her heart was beating so hard, she was so excited and nervous that almost forgot the pain when the nurses helped her stand up to sit in the wheelchair.
"I don't get it….why Donna wants to see this guy, Rach…" Mike whispered to his wife while they were following the ambulance by car.
"Because she needs, Mike! She really needs it! And we won't take this from her! We are her family….Let's support her." Rachel answered.
They arrived at the hospital where the John Doe was, Doctor Hunt was pushing Donna's wheelchair. He introduced himself and explained to the other doctors the situation and what happened. The doctors gave him the medical charts of the patient.
"This John Doe has been in a coma since the car accident…but when he came here he was calling a name very often…we looked for a connection but we didn't find anything!" One of the doctors said to them when they stopped in front of the door of John Doe's bedroom.
"Which name?" Donna was curious, she could feel her heart beating in her ears sometimes.
"Roberta!"
Donna forgot how to breathe.
"I need to see him, right now!", She asked.
"But only relatives can see John Does",Another doctor said.
"I know…..I'm here to see him because he is my husband!" Donna finally said out loud.
"Donna…." Mike and Rachel called for her trying to avoid her to be disappointed when she saw the guy and the guy isn't Harvey.
"He's gone" Mike said.
"Can I see him? Please?" Donna asked again.
"Fine!" The doctor said.
Owen opened the door of the bedroom, the John Doe was extubated, some bandages in his face, the right leg and arm immobilized.
"Are you ready?" Doctor Hunt asked Donna who shook her head affirmatively, she was too nervous to talk.
Donna was feeling for every part of her body that man was Harvey. She could feel it on her skin, her heart and especially in her soul. She could feel that man was the man who she fell in love with decades ago. She could feel the love of her life was right there, alive.
Owen pushed her wheelchair into the room.
She closed her eyes and prayed.
When Doctor Hunt stopped, Donna opened her eyes.
"It 's him….it's Harvey!" she whispered, tears of joy and relief took her, she held his hand so tight. She didn't avoid a loud cry because she was so happy to see him again, alive as she always said he was.
"She said it's her husband!" Owen told Rachel and Mike.
"Harvey!" Mike said entering the room, almost pushing Owen away.
"I knew you were alive….I knew it!" Donna repeated, caressing her fingers on his cheek, looking to his mouth. "Will you not believe me when I say to you that looking at your mouth for a couple minutes every day was the reason I found you!" She let herself laugh. "I love you so much, Harvey!"
"So…are you Roberta? But I thought you were Donna!" One doctor asked.
"Yes…I'm Donna Roberta….after married to him….I'm Donna Paulsen-Specter….that's why you couldn't find any link between what came out in the news!" Donna explained, she cannot take her eyes from Harvey. "Doctor….I think he is moving!"
Donna showed to the Doctors, Harvey's fingers moving the same way she did when was waking up.
"Is he waking?" Mike asked.
"I guess so!" Owen answered.
"You are alive, Harvey! Just take it easy…..I'm here….I'm always here at your side!" Donna encouraged him.
"It's kinda a miracle" One of the doctors who were taking care of Harvey said, analyzing him.
"May I say…..a Love miracle?" Rachel said smiling, making everyone smile too.
Took some time for Harvey to recover his senses, he blinked a lot and some tears were coming down his eyes, but the first thing he saw perfectly was Donna at his side, alive. He tried to smile at her.
"Don't talk….we are extubating you…everything is gonna be ok!"
The doctors, Mike and Rachel let Donna and Harvey alone for some minutes.
"I know…everything is hurting, right?" Donna asked and Harvey shook his head affirmatively. "But it will pass….I promise! We are getting back….together."
"I…I…" Harvey was trying to talk.
"I know…..love you too, Harvey….now we have a new life ahead!" Donna said and smiled, Harvey smiled back.