Eight days.
It had been 8 days, 2 hours and 42 minutes since he had received a call that would turn his world upside down.
"Harvey, you need to go home. Sleep. Shower." Mike begs.
"I'm not going anywhere until she wakes up"
Mike just shakes his head, it feels like they've had this conversation one hundred times this week. Harvey had left the hospital for all of 2 hours in the last week, and that was only to shower quickly before rushing right back.
"Harvey…"
"Mike, drop it" He orders sternly.
The young attorney knows better than to argue with him.
"Has he been back?" Harvey asks.
"The nurse said he called this morning"
Harvey's jaw clenches at the thought as his eye's glance back to Donna's heavily bruised, comatose frame.
"They know not to let him in, Harvey, Louis made sure of it" Rachel confirms.
**FLASHBACK**
"Please, can you tell me anything?" Mark asks, begging the nurse at the desk.
"I'm sorry sir, we can only release information to family member's"
"Please, I just…" He begins before his head turns sharply towards the ward doors as they swing open abruptly.
"Donna Paulsen" Harvey manages to get out, his heart racing a million miles an hour.
"…She's just been brought in …I got a call that …and she said that…is she ok?!" He blurts out,
"Sir, calm down" The nurse encourages
"I just got a call to say Donna has been in an accident, I got here as fast as I could" He manages to say, in a calmer tone "…Donna Paulsen"
"You're her emergency contact?" The nurse clarifies.
"Yes, Harvey Specter"
"I'll get a Doctor for you" She says, picking up the phone.
"But you said that" Mark attempts to argue before being cut off by Harvey's icy stare.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Harvey spits.
"I was with…" He begins.
"Mr Meadows?" A police officer calls out approaching him, "…I'd like to ask you a few more questions"
"I've already told you everything I can!" Marks says, exasperated.
"Well just for fun you're going to tell me one more time" The officer, says sarcastically.
"You accompanied Miss Paulsen in the ambulance, is that correct?"
"Yes"
"What?" Harvey interrupts "…what the hell were you doing with Donna?"
"And you are?" The officer asks.
"Her boyfriend"
"Mr Meadows here was at the scene of the accident"
"Can we do this somewhere else?" Mark asks the officer.
"The hell you can! I asked you a question!"
"We were just talking" Mark offers reluctantly.
"I told you to stay the hell away from her!" Harvey says, his voice getting louder.
"That's not what you told my colleague…" The officer continues, "…You said she was distracted"
"She was …she was upset"
Mark sighs, anticipating what he knows is about to come. Ignoring Harvey's glare out the corner of his eye, he continues
"We were arguing"
"What?" Harvey says through clenched teeth.
Ignoring him, Mark continues explaining to the officer.
"It was silly, we just…"
"What were you arguing about, sir?" The officer asks cautiously, aware of Harvey seething behind Mark.
"It wasn't even arguing, it just happened so quickly and…"
"Sir…"
"I kissed her" He finally admits, "She was shocked, and she wasn't looking where she was going and just stepped out in front of the cab. It all happened so damn fast I couldn't…"
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Harvey roars.
Quick as a flash Mark found himself pinned up against the nearest wall by an absolutely livid, Harvey Specter.
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!"
"HARVEY!" Mike yells from the door, he and Rachel running towards the ruckus as they enter the room, having stayed back to pay the cab driver as Harvey sprinted from the car.
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!" Harvey repeats, punching Mark as hard as he can, his boxing training coupled with unbridled fury winning as he pummelled the man who was trying his hardest to shield himself from each punch.
Two police officers and Mike barely manage to pull Harvey away.
"I SWEAR TO GOD, IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO HER I WILL KILL YOU" Harvey yells. "I WILL END YOUR LIFE! YOU HEAR ME?!"
A chill runs up Rachel's spine as she witnesses Harvey's violent outburst, in all the years she had known him, never had she witnessed Harvey Specter lose it like that.
Never.
**END OF FLASHBACK**
"I've never seen him so angry"
"I know" Mike agrees.
Rachel and Mike sit in the cold hallway, nursing their to go cups of possibly the worst tasting coffee either of them had ever had. It had become somewhat of a ritual over the last eight days, excusing themselves to give Harvey some time alone with Donna.
"God, she has to wake up soon"
"She will, she has to" Rachel answers, willing herself to believe it.
"He's not coping now, imagine if…"
"No!" Rachel interjects, "We're not even going to think anything like …that" she continues, trying to calm her shaky voice. "…It's Donna, she's going to be fine!"
"I just don't know what else we can do to help him" Mike shrugs sadly.
"There's only one thing that's going to help him. …She's 5.8", 125 pounds and has a smile that can light up any room" Rachel says, choking up as she finishes the sentence.
"Hey, shhhh" Mike says softly, pulling his fiancée in for a hug, rubbing her back gently "It's ok, she'll be ok, babe"
"…She's Donna"
Harvey feels the burn in his eyes, blinking back tears as he watches her closely. The steady beeping of the machines she's connected to the only noise in the room.
Harvey had tried to be upbeat earlier that evening when the Doctor explained that while it may not seem like it, Donna had actually made great progress the last few days. The fact that she was off the ventilator and breathing on her own was a great sign. He reassured him that everyone heals in their own time and to keep having faith.
Faith.
He almost laughs at the word.
How can he possibly have faith when the love of his life is laying in a hospital bed, fragile, broken.
The thought of losing her literally makes him sick, he had discovered that again on the day she was brought in; after the Doctor had explained the extent of her injuries and how it was touch and go, Harvey found himself dry heaving in the bathroom as soon as he had left the room, as soon as the real possibility of losing her had entered his mind.
He closes his eyes at the memory, willing himself not to have another panic attack.
Get your shit together, Specter, he thinks to himself, she needs you.
"Donna I…" He breathes shakily.
"…you have to wake up" He continues, "I – I can't do this, I need your help here …please." He begs.
"I need you to let me help you …You have to wake up. There is so much that I haven't said to you that I need to say. I never told you that I think you're perfect; I never told you that you are the single greatest thing to ever happen to me; I never told you how much my Dad adored you and I never thanked you for pushing me to make amends with my Mom. You haven't met her yet and I need you to" He whimpers, emotions getting the better of him.
"…I need you to tell me that this had all just been a nightmare; I need you to call me a pussy for getting upset like this; I need you to open those beautiful eyes of yours, so I can tell you how completely in love with you I am and that I will never let you go again. I need you to tell me it's all going to be ok, Donna"
"…I need you" he finishes sadly, a lone tear breaking free to roll softly down his cheek as he pulls her hand up to kiss mouth, kissing it gently.
As he rests his head on her bed he doesn't try to be brave anymore, he just lets the sobs overcome him.
"Harvey" Rachel says, shaking his shoulder gently.
Harvey sits up abruptly, "Donna?"
"She's still the same" Rachel says, sadly, answering his silent question.
"What time is it?" He asks, rubbing his eyes.
"9am"
"We brought you some coffee" Mike offers.
"Thanks" Harvey says, accepting the cup.
"I thought maybe you might go home and get some sleep?"
"I'm ok"
"Harvey…"
"Mike. I'm ok" Harvey insists.
"No Harvey, you're not" Mike argues, "I get it, I know I'd be the same if it were Rachel, hell I'm struggling with it being Donna. But I also know that you and Donna sure as hell wouldn't just let me live here for ten days!"
"Mike…"
"He's right, Harvey" Louis says from the doorway.
"Of for fu …what is this? Wail on Harvey day?" He whines, clearly annoyed at the gang up.
"No Harvey, you're family and we look after family…"
"She's my family…"
"She's my family too" Louis says softly, placing a comforting hand on his friends' shoulder, "Harvey, you know how much I love Donna. The thought of her even… We-we just need to make sure you're looking after yourself. I know the staff here have been great and are turning a blind eye to let you stay each night but come on, Harvey, you know Donna would want this - you need to sleep!"
Harvey just shakes his head, staring at her sleeping form.
"We will call you if there is even the slightest change, I promise!" Rachel says softly.
Harvey looks up at his three friends, unable to fight them any longer, partially due to exhaustion but mostly due to the fact that Louis was right, he knows Donna would want him to get some sleep.
"I'll be back tonight, call me if…" He begins.
"…The slightest change. I swear!" She assures him.
"I finally managed to talk my Mom down to only 200 guests" Rachels scoffs, "It was like pulling teeth, but I got there!" She laughs.
"…So now I need you to wake up, so you can attempt the seating chart with me" she continues.
"It's your responsibility as my best friend and If I attempt it myself or have to resort to asking Mike and Harvey for help, I may just end up in here next to you" She laughs weakly, a lame attempt at a joke.
"…Please wake up, Donna. We need you and Harvey is …a mess. You have to just …please" She begs, tears falling down her cheeks.
"Michelle needs her Harriet"
"Harriet huh?" Harvey walking in slowly from the doorway.
"Harvey, I…" She begins, wiping away tears.
"Care to elaborate?" He asks, bending down to kiss Donna on the forehead, whispering a "Hi baby" against her skin.
"Donna took me out one night to distract me from feeling sorry for myself, so we became Harriet Specter and Michelle Ross for the evening"
Harvey couldn't help but chuckle, "That doesn't surprise me"
"She totally pulled off being New York's best closer"
"I'll bet she did" He smirks.
"Are you feeling any better?"
"Actually, yeah, I pretty much crashed as soon as I got home. It's amazing what six solid hours of sleep in a bed can do after ten days of sleep deprivation"
"I'm glad"
"Thanks Rach"
"Any time" She smiles.
"Your bruises are starting to fade" He says, gently tracing the outline of the bruise on her right wrist
"…The Doctor said your vitals look good too, you're doing great" He smiles weakly at her, sighing slightly at the lack of response he gets.
"I'll be here when you wake up" He assures her, "I love you" He says, grasping her hand in his own.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The incessant beeping noise grows louder, faster causing Harvey's head to shoot up, looking at her and glancing frantically at the beeping monitor beside her.
"Donna" Baby?"
"I NEED HELP IN HERE!" He shouts, fear taking over as a nurse rushes in to the room.
"Donna!"
Reviews make me update faster ;)