It's tough to write this given all the happy Darvey-ness going on at the moment. Keep with me though, buys. Happy Ending guarantee remember!

X X X

TEN MINUTES TOO LATE

CHAPTER FIVE

Battle Stations

"PRESENT DAY"

He'd never fainted before in his life. Was that what he just did? He twists on the floor, his body crumpled into a heap, his shoulders slammed up against a row of plastic chairs. How long had he been out? He opens his eyes and focuses …

'Harvey, are you ok?' asks Mike, who is leaning over him. His blue eyes are filled with concern and his skin is blotchy. 'You were out for at least a minute. I was just getting back from giving blood.'

Louis is seated in the chair opposite, his face is a mess. He is no longer crying. Instead he's staring at the floor, no doubt willing it to open up and swallow him. He's never seen Louis look so devastated. Not since he found out about Tara. Not since that day three weeks ago when he'd beat the shit out of him. Not since …

And then he remembers …

His head feels like it's being gripped in a vice the pain is so intense. His neck muscles have been replaced by knives that are cutting into his flesh … all he can hear is his own pulse ringing loud in his ears. His blood surges through his veins as he tries to sit, pushing himself up on his palms. His eyes dart around the waiting area and he knows … he can see it in their faces … Mike looks like he hasn't slept in a month. Louis looks like he's dead … dead too …

He feels tears fill his eyes and he can't stop them. He doesn't even want to stop them. He lets them fall freely and he doesn't care. He's been burying his emotions his entire life, but no more. Not now. He wants to cry for her. He wants to.

'Hey, Harvey …,' says Mike as he places his arm on his shoulder. He looks bewildered. Like he wants to comfort him, but doesn't know how. 'Come on, you gotta be strong.' His voice breaks mid-sentence, but he manages to compose himself.

Harvey manages to pull his leg up and he rests his arm on his knee. Pain shoots through his back as his limbs jar against the legs of the plastic seats – an uncomfortable remind of passing out. He feels Mike grip his arm and he turns to face him, seeing the extent of his own grief mirrored in the eyes of his best friend. 'Has she … is she … gone?'

'She's in surgery,' he replies. 'Her heart stopped again … they think it was a blood clot …'

'Oh god …'

'Harvey, think positively. She's in the best hospital, she has the best doctors …'

'How is this real, Mike? How has it happened …?'

'I don't know buddy, I don't know—'

'She did it.' All eyes fall to Louis who is still staring blankly at the floor. His hands locked together around his stomach.

'What do you mean, Louis?' asks Mike.

'Tara. It was Tara. She did it.'

X X X

"THREE WEEKS AGO"

Donna knew.

Even though Harvey begged her to be careful. She knew.

Her friendship with Louis was too important to her. She couldn't keep this from him. She loved him and cared for him way too much to let him fall deeper into the arms of this woman.

Harvey and Donna had been arriving at the office together for over a week. Ever since they had taken the next step in their relationship. Nobody had noticed yet – a fact which Donna found hilarious. For the past twelve years there had been persistent rumours that she and Harvey were an item, or more accurately, they were "friends with benefits". Associates, secretaries … everybody … had considered it at some point. Yet now that they were an actual item, nobody had batted an eyelid at their co-ordinated arrivals and departures. Or the looks … or the touches … or the after-hours fumble in the archive room.

'I know what you're thinking,' says Harvey, squinting at her out of the corner of his eye as he drinks from his take-out coffee cup.

Donna stops playing with the plastic rim of her cup and flashes her eyes at him. 'You know nothing.'

'I know you're going to tell him.'

She heaves a sigh. 'I have to, Harvey.'

'Do you want me to come with you?'

She stifles a giggle. 'You'd do that? You? Harvey Specter? You'd willingly get yourself into a potential broken-hearted Louis Litt situation?'

He looks wounded. 'I'm trying with Louis … and I'm trying … well, I want to support you.'

She can barely believe what she's hearing. Who'd have thought Harvey Specter could come so far. 'I'll be fine Harvey. I think it would be better coming from me.' She leans over and gives him a peck on the cheek. 'And thank you.'

He smiles back at her. 'What for?'

'For being so sweet.'

'Thank yourself. You made me this way.'

She smiles as the elevator doors open, then they walk out into the lobby together and walk headfirst into a teary Rachel Zane.

'Rach, what is it?' asks Donna, passing her coffee cup to Harvey and throwing her arms around her best friend's shoulders.

'I've just heard … the ethics committee. They refused me. They're not letting me take the bar.'

Donna's eyes shift to Harvey whose body instantly braces at the prospect of suiting up and heading into battle. 'Come with me,' he says to Rachel. 'I'll fix this.'

Donna gives her friend a squeeze. 'Leave it to Harvey,' she says and Rachel nods her head and takes a deep breath. It only takes her a few moments for her to compose herself. All three start walking to battle stations, but as Harvey and Rachel take a left turn, Donna takes a right. 'I'll be up in a minute,' she says. 'I have to see Louis about something.'

Harvey mouths "good luck".

X X X

Louis is sitting with Katrina when she approaches his office. She looks through the glass wall and her stomach sinks. He looks happy. She thinks back to all the years she's known him and she realises she's never seen Louis look so happy. In truth, his romance with Tara always seemed slightly farcical, but not for one second did she ever doubt it was real.

'What's on your mind, Red?'

'Hmm?' Donna's attention snaps to Gretchen as she's brought out of her thoughts. 'Oh, I'm just thinking how well Louis is doing. He's getting on with Harvey, he's brought in some new clients, he's working with Katrina again … and the new associates …'

'Yeah, he's still a gigantic pain in my ass,' deadpans Gretchen, making Donna giggle.

'Worse than Harvey?' she says raising her eyebrows.

'You tell me.' They both laugh, but then Donna's stomach flips over, reminding her what she has to do. She sighs and Gretchen doesn't miss it. 'Problem?'

'Yup.'

Gretchen mirrors Donna's earlier sigh, both women reading each other perfectly. Their gaze shifts to Louis's office as Katrina leaves. Donna walks forward tentatively and closes the door behind her. She gives Gretchen an uneasy smile before taking a seat at Louis's desk.

Donna notices that Louis is buzzing when he enters the room, but as their eyes lock his face falls and he takes a sits down. 'What is it Donna?' he asks.

'Louis I have something to tell you and this is really hard for me,' she begins. She looks into her friend's eyes as they narrow with concern.

Louis pauses for a moment. 'What's he done?'

'What? Who?'

'Harvey. Is this about Harvey because if it is, just tell me. I knew it would take long for him to do something underhand. All that bullshit about making up with his mother and turning over a new leaf … I bought it. At least I hoped it was true … but what's he done?'

Donna feels her back stiffen as Louis jumps to the wrong conclusion. Why does he always do that? When will he learn? 'No, Louis. This has nothing to do with Harvey.'

'Then what?'

'It's about Tara. I bumped into her last night.'

'Impossible.'

'Why do you say that?' asks Donna, her tone soft and full of compassion.

'She was at her dad's last night. Telling him about the baby.'

Donna feels her heart break a little bit more. 'She wasn't at her dad's Louis,' she answers carefully. 'We saw her at Angelino's in Greenwich Village. She was with a man and I think it was her ex.'

'Who's we?'

'What?' asks Donna, confused by Louis's reaction.

'Who's "we"? Who were you with?'

'Louis that isn't relevant to—.'

'Yeah, it is. You're trying to tell me Tara was out cheating on me last night, when I know she was at her dad's. So tell me who you were out with?'

'Well I was out with Harvey as it happens, but—'

'I knew it!' snaps Louis. 'I see where this is going. Harvey thinks I'm not good enough for Tara, doesn't he?'

'Louis that has nothing to do with—'

'Yes it does. And you? You made it look like you wanted to help me find someone, but you didn't … not really.'

Louis's sharp words cut through Donna's composure and the red mist rises. 'Louis, how can you even say that to me? I did everything I could … spent hours, days helping you. Have you even heard what I just said just now, about Tara?'

Louis reclines back in his chair and stretches his legs out in front of him. 'Yeah, I heard. Wanna know what I think?'

For one of very few times in her life, Donna is lost for words. So she simply nods her head.

'I think you've been laughing at me from day one. I think both of you have.'

'What? No … of course we haven't.'

'Did you see her out with a mysterious man or did he?'

'Me,' says Donna with a level of irritation. She forces herself to remain calm. 'Harvey knows nothing about her. He wouldn't have recognised her.'

Louis swallows and Donna hopes it's a sign of him coming to his senses. 'Right, okay, you saw her out. Maybe it was her dad she was with.'

Louis starts fidgeting around his desk, punching at the keys on his keyboard. Donna bites her lip and wonders if she should get up and leave. Harvey had warned her, but as always she thought she knew best. She watches Louis intently, scanning his mannerisms, his body language, the way his head bobs as he taps furiously on his keyboard. There's something about his expression that she can't fathom. It's as if he was expecting to hear news like this. Had he been having doubts himself? She notices how hard he is concentrating on ignoring her and she realises this probably wasn't an unexpected shock.

She leans forward and tries to broach the subject again. 'I didn't just see Tara, Louis. I spoke to her.'

He stops typing and his body deflates. He still doesn't meet her gaze. 'She didn't say.'

'She doesn't know.'

Louis's eyes pop and he shakes his head. 'Donna, what the hell are you talking about? You're making no sense. And I'm starting to wonder if this is some sick joke you've cooked up with Harvey. '

Donna senses that Louis is spiralling downwards into paranoia. She knew this wasn't going to be easy, but she didn't imagine the scene would unfold like this. 'I recognised her when we were out … from the photograph on your desk. So, I went to talk to her. I didn't tell her who I was.'

'Okay … so …'

'So she was out with Joshua.'

Louis freezes then looks to the ceiling. Donna waits patiently for him to look at her, but he doesn't say anything.

'And … I'm sorry Louis,' she says, her voice breaking in sync with her heart. 'I'm truly sorry but I don't think she's pregnant. I think she's lying.'

'Get out.'

'Louis—'

'I said get out.'

Donna starts to sob with both sadness and frustration. Louis isn't shouting or yelling. He isn't biting back, making up excuses. He isn't crying on her shoulder. He's doing nothing. He's saying nothing. And the silence is unnerving – like the calm before the storm.

His skin is reddening and his body is visibly trembling as he stares blankly at his console. His eyes protrude under his black eyebrows and her stomach knots. She's reminded of that time a year and a half ago in Harvey's office when Louis found out about Mike. He's wearing the same menacing expression and she knows she should just go, but she can't. She doesn't want to leave him.

So she stands, then she pushes down her cobalt blue skirt and walks around his desk. She crouches down next to him and places her arm on his …

… and he snaps …

He pulls back his arm with such force that his hand collides with Donna's jaw and she falls backwards, crashing against the wall.

Louis jumps out of his seat in shock. 'Donna I'm sorry,' he says quickly just as Gretchen barges into the office, rushing past him and reaching out to help Donna to her feet. 'I didn't mean it … it was an accident.'

Donna winces and rubs the back of her neck which bore the brunt of her tumble. Then she tries to talk, but her voice cracks and instead she shrieks out in pain as the pain in her jaw burns into her cheek.

'Louis, what the hell do you think you're doin'?' yells Gretchen as she guides Donna to sit down in the armchair.

Louis walks backwards in silence, his face crumpled with anguish. 'I'm sorry … I didn't mean it …'

'I think you need a day!' she barks at her boss.

Louis doesn't respond, but he does leave the office.

As soon as they're alone, Gretchen pulls Donna into a motherly hug. 'I'm sorry Red,' she says. 'I heard every word. He's hurting. Hurting real bad, but he shouldn't have taken it out on you.'

Still a little dazed, Donna thanks Gretchen by giving her arm a light squeeze, then she stands up and starts walking to the door. She isn't thinking of herself … she's only thinking of him …

'Red, what're you gonna do?' calls Gretchen.

'I don't know,' replies Donna, turning around and wiping away more tears. 'Find him I guess. Check he's okay.'

Gretchen sucks in a breath and tuts. 'You should leave him to calm himself down. He needs to talk to that woman of his.'

'I know,' sobs Donna. 'I'll just … uhm … he might still be around … I'll go check …'

She sways on her heels as she walks to her cubicle, her head still reeling from where she fell and her jaw burning with an agonising heat that is stopping her from fully closing her mouth. She knows Louis didn't mean to do it, but the fact he did strike her is hurting deep.

Rachel and Mike are with Harvey when she arrives at her desk – her cold coffee waiting for her. She thinks about rushing in to tell them what just happened, but she doesn't. Instead she switches on her console and starts preparing for the day ahead. She checks Harvey's schedule, she logs onto the firm's systems and she makes a to-do list … or rather she starts to make a list … her brain isn't working … and shit … her jaw feels like it's separating from her face.

After ten minutes of ringing around various stations in the firm Donna concludes that Louis hasn't left the building, he has left the floor, he may or may not have returned to the floor and he's possibly in the bathroom. She's thinking about going to find him when Mike and Rachel shuffle out of Harvey's office throwing her a random 'hi Donna', before heading off with their arms full of paperwork and –probably – a to-do list to solve Rachel's ethics committee dilemma.

Then she finds herself in Harvey's doorway.

He looks up at her and smiles. And then his face drops. And he shoots to his feet. 'Donna … what? … What the hell happened?'

Donna wipes at her face. 'He didn't … take … it well,' she says – her voice strained due to the pain in her jaw.

'Goddamn it,' he says as he walks towards her. 'I knew this would happen … you should have just left him to find out for …' Harvey's voice trails off. He twists his face to the light and his eyes fix upon the blue blemish which is slowly colouring Donna's right jawline and cheek. 'Donna …?' he asks with a gulp. 'Donna … what did he do?'

Donna's hand moves instinctively to her face. 'It was an accident,' she says with difficulty.

He's on her immediately, his eyes glassy and his face flushed red. 'He did this?' he asks, his body already tense with rage.

Donna steels herself to deflect. She knows where this is heading. 'Harvey I said it was an accident. He was upset. Devastated. I think he already suspected … maybe … I was trying to comfort him and he moved away … and he … struck out, but he didn't mean to.'

'I'll kill him! Where the hell is he!'

'Harvey, no … and I'm serious. I told you it was an accident and I mean it … he … god … I've never seen him like that. It was worse than when he found out about Mike …' her voice chokes at the memory and Harvey rushes towards her, examining her face briefly, before holding her tight to his chest.

'He isn't getting away with this, Donna. I don't care how upset he is.'

'I need you to promise me you won't make things worse, Harvey. Please. I'm scared for him … you should have seen him.'

'I don't give a shit. Look at your face, you can barely move your mouth.'

'It'll be fine. It's just bruised.'

He tucks her head into the crook of his neck and starts stroking her hair. 'I don't want you to go after him. I'll find him …'

'Harvey …?'

'I'm serious, Donna. You're not being around him. Not while he's like this.' He affectionately kisses her forehead, then the bridge of her nose.

'Oh my god I don't believe it!' They both pull away and startle at the sight of Louis Litt in the doorway. His shirt is untucked, he's lost his tie and his sleeves are rolled to his elbows. He swaggers into the office shaking his head from side to side. 'So let me get this straight … you two? Seriously, Donna? You'd go there again … with him? You'd leap back on the Harvey Specter roller coaster after everything … Scottie, Zoe, my sister … half of fucking New York City!'

'Watch yourself Louis. After what you've just done, you're lucky I'm not beating the shit out of you right the hell now!'

Louis doesn't flinch. He's well beyond caring. 'So, I've spent the last half hour wondering what's going on here and I thought I'd got it. Why would Donna want to ruin my relationship? You know what I decided? Hmm? I decided you were jealous. That's right. Jealous! Because look at you … you're nearly forty. You're alone. You've never been able to hold down a relationship and you've spent the past twelve years of your miserable life pining for a man who'll never seen you as a possibility. But looks like I was wrong. Looks like Harvey was looking to ride that old roller coaster again.'

Donna bristles with rage and Harvey lurches forward, but he feels her arm on his arm, holding him back. 'I was trying to help you Louis.'

'No. No, you weren't. You were sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. As usual.'

'Louis, you need to walk yourself out of my goddamn office right now, before I do something I might regret,' warns Harvey.

'Oh here we go … what are you going to do? Hit me?'

'You're damned right I will – and it's the least you goddamn deserve. Look at what you've done to her. You're a poisonous piece of shit who can't even do the right thing after he goddamn knows he's behaved like a fucking thug. And you know just as everyone knows that Donna was trying to help you just like she said.'

'You're calling me a thug … you?'

'I've never hit a woman Louis …'

'So you say. Who knows what you've done in your fucked up life. I always bought that shit about your mommy messing up your life, but you haven't been a kid for a long time Harvey. You can't keep blaming your mom for you screwing up the life of every woman you touch.'

'What did you just say to me?'

'I said you're a snivelling, screw-up and Donna is a pathetic fool—'

Louis doesn't finish his sentence as Harvey knocks him out with one hard blow to his temple. He crashes to the floor, grimacing and holding his face as Harvey hovers over him ready for more. 'Get up you piece of shit!' he screams.

'Harvey, no!' shrieks Donna.

… and then Mike appears ... 'Harvey! Back away now!'

He launches another blow to Louis's stomach as he lies on the ground. Mike wrestles Harvey away, dragging him with a grip lock around his shoulder.

Harvey pulls free of Mike's hold and starts pacing the floor of his office. Mike then goes to Louis and helps him to his feet. He doesn't have to think twice about where to lay the blame. 'Louis, I don't know what the hell you've done this time, but I think you better get out of here.'

Louis is hunched over his own body, his arms wrapped around his stomach and his face sporting a cut lip. 'Yeah … you're damned right I'm getting out of here … and Donna …' he twists his face up to stop himself from crying. 'I'll never forget this. Never.'

Harvey whips around ready to pounce again, but Mike positions himself between them, waiting until Louis leaves.

Then he looks between Donna and Harvey. 'What the hell was that all about?'

'It's a long story,' says Donna as she takes a seat on the leather sofa. Mike and Harvey join her and they talk over the events of the day … and yesterday … and the entire week. Mike listens with horror as he hears what Louis did. Then his rage turns to sympathy as he finds out about Tara. Then his sympathy turns to delight as he finds out that his best friend finally – finally – took the plunge.

X X X

Mike insisted that he went home.

Donna was out of surgery and back in ICU, and he was told he wouldn't be able to see her for several hours.

That didn't mean he wouldn't make trip to his apartment as fleeting as possible. Mike went back with him, insisting that he wanted to make sure he was ok. Harvey hated that. He hated feeling like Mike was fretting over him, but he was pleased with the company. Mike hadn't been home either. Not that he had a real home anymore. With Rachel in Chicago he had moved out of their apartment and back into a replica of the squalid studio he'd been living in when they first met.

'You can lend anything of mine, Mike,' shouts Harvey from his living room as he rustles up a quick snack for the pair of them.

Mike appears in the doorway in a pair of joggers and an old Harvard t-shirt and Harvey freezes, his stomach sinking to his knees. 'Not that.'

'Hmm?' asks Mike as he towel dries his hair.

'Not that. Take it off.'

Harvey's voice is laced with panic and Mike does a double take – not sure what he's referring to. He looks down at the clothes he picked out of Harvey's drawer. 'Not what? The tee?'

Harvey gulps as tears form in his eyes. He feels stupid, but his heart is calling all the shots. 'She wears that.'

Mike smiles apologetically as the reasons for Harvey's reaction becomes clear. He pulls the t-shirt over his head and folds it neatly before returning to the bedroom and choosing another item of clothing. When he returns Harvey passes him a sandwich.

'I'm sorry,' he says, but Mike dismisses him with a wave of his hand.

Harvey takes a bite of food and struggles to chew. He doesn't want to eat, but his body needs it. He finishes as quickly as he can and then makes some coffee.

'Thanks for today, Mike,' says Harvey with his back turned as he preps the coffee machine.

'I didn't do all that much,' replies the younger lawyer.

'You were there, that's enough.'

Mike takes a bite of sandwich. 'I wish I could do more. We all gave blood, which is a small thing, but it feels like we helped.'

'How's things going with Claire?' asks Harvey and he immediately starts to wish he hadn't begun the conversation.

'Fine. Good,' says Mike half-heartedly.

'You miss Rachel?' he asks, stating the obvious.

Mike sighs. 'I guess, but what she did was for the best. After she failed the bar, because of me, I knew our relationship wouldn't survive that. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself, so I'm sure our break was for the best. Who knows what the future holds. When … or if … she comes back from working with Jessica, then she'll have her career – her dream – and I'll know I haven't ruined her life.'

Harvey pours their drinks and passes a cup to his friend. 'Life's too short, Mike,' he says suddenly.

Mike looks at him and swallows before taking a drink. 'I know.'

'Do you? You and Rachel … you had each other, so you had everything.'

Mike smiles sadly. 'I know what you're saying, but—'

'There's no buts, Mike. I fell in love with Donna the very first day we met, but I was too goddamn screwed up and too chicken shit scared to do anything about it. Twelve years. I could have had her for twelve years—'

'You did have her.'

He takes another drink and his cheek dimples as he stares down at the kitchen worktop. 'I thought I did, but compared to these last few weeks … I had nothing. Look, all I'm saying is, if you want Rachel fight for her. And don't stop fighting for her.' He drains his coffee cup and pulls on a jacket. 'Do right by Claire first though.'

X X X

They make their way back to the Intensive Care Unit of Mount Sinai hospital in silence.

Harvey checks his cell for the twentieth time to make sure he hasn't missed a call. Mike sits next to him contemplating the conversation they had. Rachel had contacted him earlier in the day to say she and Jessica were making plans to fly out. He had put them off. Told them that there was little they could do at the moment, but he'd felt guilty when he later realised he's put her off because he didn't want to face her. He didn't want to have that conversation.

As they make their way to the ICU, Harvey's gaze fixes upon the corridor where Donna's doctor is talking to a familiar face. He studies the man's features and his pulse starts to race. All he sees is devastation embedded in his eyes.

Harvey approaches carefully. 'Jim, Dr. March, how is she?' he asks as Mike stands beside him, his arm resting on his back for support.

Jim Paulsen turns his gaze slowly to meet Harvey's and he tucks a finger underneath his glasses to wipe away a tear. 'She's stable,' he says.

'I'll leave you both to talk,' says the doctor as he walks away, his arms enveloped around a series of clip boards.

Harvey breathes a sigh of relief. 'Is there a prognosis? How long do they think before she comes round?'

'They're not sure she will,' says Jim, his face twisting as more tears fall.

Harvey's eyes glaze over, but he stands firm. 'She will. I know she will.'

'I hope you're right, Harvey. God knows I do. But, if her heart stops again … they … uhm …'

Harvey freezes as Jim falters, choking on his own words. He senses the man's agony. Donna is his only child and even though they haven't always seen eye to eye he respects him and he knows how much he loves her. 'What is it, what have they said?' he asks. The elderly man's body is racked with sobs.

'They want me to sign a "do not resuscitate" order. They think it's for the best. They don't think her poor body can take any more.'

'What? No! You'll have to get past me first!' he yells.

'That's my baby girl in there. I want her to get well, but I don't want her to suffer.'

'It hasn't even been twenty-four hours yet! Jim, you can't!'

'I don't want to Harvey. But what choice do I have?'

'Jim, look, you're going to say no to this.'

The older man sniffs away his tears and his back stiffens. 'I'm her next of kin, not you. She's my daughter. I love her more than anything else in this world. Do you think I want to do this? Of course I don't, but I'll not see her lie in that room with machines keeping her alive. That's not what Donna would want.'

Harvey feels himself start to unravel. He can't believe what he's hearing. He can't even comprehend that Jim is considering doing this. 'Donna is fighting in there … do you hear me? She's fighting with everything she has … she's fighting to get back to me!'

Jim's face falls and Harvey realises that Donna mustn't have told him. 'What do you mean, "get back to you"? You're just her boss … aren't you?'

Harvey sucks in a breath, his cheeks dimpling as he concentrates on finding the right words. 'No, we're together,' he admits.

Jim looks more shocked than Harvey imagined. Surely he'd thought it possible … over the years … 'Oh,' is all he says.

Harvey glances around the room and notices that Mike has left his side to sit in the waiting area again, giving him privacy. 'Don't do this, Jim. Please. I love her too'.

'I'm sorry Harvey. I'm not going to sign yet, but if she shows no sign of getting better and she goes through something like that again … needing intervention to restart her heart … then I have to. I can't let her suffer … Donna would hate this.'

Harvey's blood starts to boil. 'You do this and I'll come at you with everything I have. I'm not giving up on her. You wanna know how many judges I can approach to slap an order on you proclaiming you're unfit to make a decision like this? You're a failure. You're a failed businessman … a goddamn failure at life … and while there's a breath in my body you are not taking away Donna's chance to get through this …'

Jim starts to walk away, but then he snaps back. 'You know Harvey, I've always kept quiet about my feelings about you with my daughter. I never told her how much I resented the control you had over her. I never interfered – I only hoped she'd realise her own worth – realise she deserved better than the half-life you gave her. But I guess she never did. And in the end, that's what has killed her.'

'Don't you goddamn dare say those words to me! Donna isn't dead and she's not going to die.'

'She died a long time ago and she's in that room now because of you.' He turns away from Harvey again, walking towards Donna's hospital room, his shoulders hunched and his body crumpled.

All Harvey can do is stare after him.

He bites the inside of his cheek and his head swims as Jim's words hit home. His words hit to the core of who he is because he knows his words have some truth.

If it wasn't for him, Donna wouldn't be lying in that room, fixed to machines, fighting for her life.

He watches Jim enter Donna's room and he realises he has to leave.