Hey look at that! An on time update! I'm so proud of myself :) Enjoy the fireworks!
The next few days passed with no change. The family of Pearson Specter Litt had come and gone on shifts. Made Sure that Donna was eating while keeping her updated on what was going on outside Harvey's hospital room. Paula had come a few time, did her best to avoid times that Donna was awake or the few times that they had actually convinced her to take a break.
Four days after the incident Donna woke up with the worst headache that she had ever experienced in her life. She only came to because the nurse on Harvey's case gently shook her awake. Mike had left an hour earlier to get a shower and see what the status was on who did this. Comically enough the nurse came armed with two Tylenol, clearly this is not a sight she was unfamiliar with. She thanked the woman and went to the bathroom to freshen up. The person in the mirror gave her a little bit of a jolt. Her eyes were still quite red. Her worry lines were very pronounced this morning. She looked like she hadn't slept in four days which was not inaccurate. Donna did what she could to make herself look normal again. When she went back into the hospital room she was shocked to see Paula sitting where she had been only a few moments ago.
The therapist should not have been shocked that Donna was there. Avoiding her was only going to last so long. With their recent history it was very challenging for Paula to be in the same room. She wanted to lash out but choose the alternate route. "How is he?"
Not sure how to respond, the red head took the seat on the cot in the room. "No change. They still have no idea why he won't wake. Said there must be something going on in his head that he doesn't want to leave." The Doctor did a general check over sometime in the middle of the night to check on his patient and Donna had a million questions that couldn't be answered.
Paula took the information in and placed her hand in his. "Thank you for staying with him." She tried to sound as grateful as she could. However, there was a part of her that was bitter about the whole thing. "I can take over from here. You should really go home." The statement was not meant to start a fight. It was just a way of her claiming her ground.
Ground that she had no right to. Donna didn't want to do this here, but she was being given no choice. "If you think I am going any where you don't know me." The glare coming from the other woman was boring into her soul. She would not abandon him.
It was just like her to meddle where she didn't belong. This was enough. Paula was tired of being the other woman in Harvey's life. There was a line that they were very close to crossing. "Donna there is nothing that you can do here. Go home. Take a shower. Harvey will still be here when you get back." The events of the past few days had both women on edge. An edge that it would not take much for either of them to jump off.
The stared at each other for a few moments. Suddenly there was a slight change in the sounds of the machines attached to the man in the bed. The women's heads snapped to Harvey. He was getting a bit restless. It almost seemed like he was trying to fight through something in his dream. Donna hit the buzzer for the nurse's station. Both women were right by his side when something slipped out that would change the course of their lives. "Baby…girl…." There was confusion that passed over the faces of the women present. Another minute passed with them waiting for him to open those gorgeous brown eyes. "…Don…. Donna." As quickly as the machines started showing activity they resumed the relaxing lull of beeping.
When the nurses got there, Donna explained what happened, and they had the women leave the room, so they could asses the situation. The two were silent in the small waiting room down the hall.
Paula was beyond pissed. Of course, it was her name on his lips. She was so tired of being the other woman in Harvey's life. She tried to accept that it was just how things were, but at the end of the day she was still a woman with eyes. She was going to lose him to the other woman across the room. It was what caused her to lash out. "Donna why are you still here? It's not your place to be sitting over him and worrying." At this point she was just being mean. She knew that Donna had every right to be there.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Donna expected a lot from Paula, but not this. She knew the therapist was smarter than these petty digs. "Do you have a problem with me?" She stood up and went closer to the therapist. "Where do you get off telling me that I don't have a right to support the man that I have been with for more years than you have been a therapist?" This was a fight that Donna knew was coming ever since they had the small tense moment in Harvey's office.
She couldn't take it anymore. This was a battle that was truly already lost but she didn't want to let go. Didn't want to admit that there was never a chance between her and the corporate lawyer. "He called me Donna. Right after you put yourself where you don't belong. He told me everything. How you kissed him." She was furious. The truth was that Harvey was on his way to talk to her to end their relationship when he got shot. "He was coming to me, so he could try and defend what you did. I could hear it in his voice that your action had destroyed the progress that he and I had made."
Donna was speechless. She didn't think that her actions would have reactions so quickly. She thought that Harvey would stew for at least twenty-four hours before he talked to her. She never thought he would go straight to Paula with what she did. In a way it made sense because he hated the idea of being a cheater and technically he didn't. She was the one who initiated the kiss. She put their relationship in rocky waters. For a moment she was sorry. "Paula, what I did was not meant to hurt you. I just needed to know where we stood."
Paula rolled her eyes. "That is the argument that you are going with? You really want me to believe that you didn't know what would happen after you pushed him over that edge? That's why I haven't been here. I couldn't stand to be in the same room with the whore who couldn't admit her feelings until it was too late." There was no point for her to still be here. "You know. I really hope that you two are happy together. Whatever is going on in his head clearly involves you and not me. If I can't keep a hold of his dreams what is the point?" Paula stood up to leave. She turned back one more time to get one final dig at the red-head. "You know there was a time that I could have liked you, but you just couldn't keep yourself out of his personal life. You are just as bad as he is you know. Toying with the people who are close to you. You two truly deserve each other." It was the last time that the two women would be in the same room for a very long time.
Ten minutes after Paula left, Rachel came through the elevator. "Hey sweetie." Her voice was soft as she approached the COO. "What are you doing out here? It Harvey okay?"
Donna offered a small smile when she saw the brunette. "Yeah." Her voice was breathy. "He actually showed signs of waking up. He said my name." If she had any more tears to spare, one would have fallen down her cheek. "Right in front of Paula. I think I just ended their relationship." There was a slight amusement to her voice. Years of trying to convince Harvey's partners that she was only a friend and never had she been called a whore. Paula was not wrong though. They did deserve each other.
Mike had told Rachel everything and she knew that Donna would know that. "Well I guess that just confirms what everyone else knows." She lightly bumped her best friends shoulder. "You two should be together. Now you have the opportunity." It might not be the best circumstances, but beggars can't be choosers. Rachel was going to support this all the way through and she knew that everyone back at the firm would do the same. "I have an update as well. Mike went to the police station today. He said that there was something about the way he…" She stopped for a moment when recalling the story of her fiancé finding their boss. It took a pretty deep breath to continue. "The way he found Harvey. I don't know how, and I didn't ask, but the cops told Mike that it wasn't a mugging. Apparently, it looks like someone wanted to kill him."
It was not the news that Donna wanted or needed right now. Especially because there was not anything she could do about it. "Who would want him dead?" They had several enemies. Being a lawyer was never a victimless job. The list of people who held a grudge was pretty long. Donna didn't think that there was anyone who would go so far as to kill him though.
The two women were chatting about the topic when the doctor came out. "Miss Paulsen?" He knew that she was the family member on the case. "Mr. Specter is stable. What ever you were doing did spark some movement in his brain scans. If you were talking to him then I suggest you keep doing it because it seems to be helping get him out of the coma." The doctor gave her a smile and led them back into the room.
"He just needs to hear the voice of the woman he loves." Rachel encouraged her.
So hopefully I stuck to the characters. Paula was really hard to write in this chapter.
Any feedback is highly appreciated!