I hope you don't hate me for throwing this monkey wrench in, but believe me things will get better! Please enjoy this chapter..R&R!
Donna Meets Lily –
Chapter 16
Hindsight
Donna arrived in Los Angeles on a clear day. The temperature was in the 70's and much different than the cold February weather she left behind in New York. The whole plane ride Donna's mind kept thinking she acted prematurely and had not given Harvey the benefit of the doubt. For once Donna was way too submerged in her own needs to pay too much attention to the complicated relationship which was she and Harvey. She planned to call Rachel to let her know she arrived safely but in no uncertain terms is Harvey supposed to come find her. That is if he should want to.
As Donna was dialing the phone to talk to Rachel back in New York, Brenda, Donna's friend, a tall red headed woman like Donna only a little more plump in all the right places met Donna at the airport.
They hugged as they came together.
"Brenda, it is so good to see you!" Donna said loudly over the crowd's din.
"It's good to see you, too, Donna. We have no time to waste. Are you ready for an audition?" Brenda asked.
Donna whipped her head in amazement.
"That was fast! What's the part?"
"Actually it's a Shakespeare in the Park production, so theater, your favorite."
"What play?"
"MacBeth!"
Donna thought for a second and asked, "The part?"
"Lady MacBeth, of course," Brenda responded. "Are you ready?"
"Of course, I'm Donna. I was born ready. Just point me in the right direction."
With that last comment, they retrieved Donna's one suitcase, got into Brenda's car wherein she handed Donna a script, and sped off to the theater where the auditions were being held.
Donna had forgotten about contacting Rachel let alone anyone else in New York.
Meanwhile, Harvey was trying hard to concentrate on his job. He had met with Katrina and she had filled him in with all the aspects of the case. The only thing she did not have was a settlement or a way to please the opposition without having to go to court. The case was making the news which was even worse since PSL could afford no additional bad press.
However, they could not just settle because the costs would amount to millions which would surely bankrupt Pearson Specter Litt this time.
He sat at his desk holding his sore head in his one hand. The other hand was poised with pen in hand over a pad of a lined legal pad. He had to come up with a way to settle this satisfactorily. What was it that Donna had said I do? Make people do what I want by giving them something else? Other people call it being a bully. Harvey thought to himself.
Harvey's forehead hit the desk with a dull thud. Gretchen came running in and asked if he was all right.
"Yes, I'm ok, Gretchen. Thanks," Harvey said. "Doesn't Louis need you, too?"
"No, he's found some help in the temp pool," Gretchen told him with a smile. "So, I'm all yours if you're ok with that."
"Sure. Since when do we have a temp pool again?"
"You created it before you went to Boston," Gretchen said creasing her brows with worry.
"It was really Donna who created it. I just signed off on it. I thought it an excellent idea,"
"It was. What about the central calendar for all the new associates and partners? I think that was a Godsend until each partner and senior associate can have their own secretary and/or paralegal."
"She did that?" Harvey asked bewildered. Why don't I remember any of that?
"If there's nothing else, Mr. Specter…Harvey, I'm going to lunch."
"Sure, Gretchen. No problem," Harvey said with a little smile.
Mike walked into Harvey's office and sat down.
"So, when you are going to look for Donna?" Mike asked.
"I'm not. Obviously the woman doesn't want me to find her or she would have told your fiancée where she is," Harvey said barely containing his fury, at himself, mainly.
"Nonsense. Donna wants you to find her. She just doesn't know it yet," Mike said.
"Well, maybe not. Donna isn't like Rachel. Donna obviously can do very well without me!" Harvey rose and threw his pen across the room where it landed quietly on his leather couch.
"Rachel can do pretty well sometimes without me. She just likes having me around. I know Donna feels the same way about you. What about you? Don't you miss her?" Mike said trying to illicit a heartfelt response from Harvey who was trying his best to revert back behind that stolid wall which now contained holes from constant piercing in the last three years.
"Mike, don't…"
"Why not? Donna walked out of here with your heart and you are too hell bent on not finding it."
"Look, Mike, I know you're trying to help, but Donna and I are not you and Rachel."
"Bullshit! You're worse than Rachel and me. You love each other as deeply as Rachel and I do but you make it so damn complicated instead of being direct and just love each other."
Suddenly Dana Scott appeared in the doorway.
"Mike, Harvey…I have a meeting with Katrina to go over a settlement offer I wrote up."
"Katrina should have come to you," Harvey said. "Why did you come to see me first?"
"I thought the managing partner would like to sit in the meeting with his senior partner to see what the settlement may contain," Scottie said a little bitterly. She understood that Harvey, in his new position, was under stress but he had never allowed his personal life to intertwine with his professional life.
"Look, Harvey, if you don't want to attend the meeting, it's really ok. I think this settlement is fair for both parties," Scottie said.
Harvey remembered how sneaky Scottie could be. He remembered how cunning she was when trying to negotiate that hotel deal about seven years ago. She almost pulled it off until it blew up in her face. So Harvey was not taking any chances with the firm now that it lay in his hands to maintain and grow.
Harvey turned around and said, "No, no, Scottie. I'm going to this meeting."
Katrina was already in the conference room when Scottie and Harvey entered. Katrina would rather have had Louis by her side, but he seemed too preoccupied by another case or Donna's departure. Katrina felt hurt because she and Louis had been a team. Katrina's giving Louis her full attention was one reason why Jessica had fired her in the first place.
"Hello, Ms. Scott, it's finally good to put a face with a voice," Katrina greeted Scottie and shook her hand. It was true that she had never had an occasion to be across the negotiation table with Harvey's infamous ex-girlfriend and ex-partner of PSL.
"Ms. Bennett. Thank you for taking this meeting. I think it's best if we negotiate in person. I hope you don't mind I asked Harvey to attend this meeting as managing partner of your firm."
"No, I totally agree," Katrina acquiesced.
"Katrina has kept me up on most of the circumstances of this case. We have agreed that our client was neglectful when inspecting all the containers for the correct expiration dates on the chemicals. However, these chemicals are harmless and in the last ten years that this product has been on the market no one else has reported a chemical breakdown nor harm," Harvey said sitting back from the table and crossing his legs. He had trouble focusing on the matter at hand and his vision would blur every now and then. He just sat there and absorbed as much as his present state of mind would allow him.
Scottie passed across the table two copies of the proposed settlement. Harvey and Katrina perused it carefully watching for any item which would catch their attention.
Harvey then looked at Katrina to see what her objections may be. At the present time Harvey was reluctant to just sign off on the settlement because he knew Scottie better than Katrina did. He was sure if he really dissected this settlement there was a catch that Scottie would think no one would have caught. Harvey taught this part of negotiation to Scottie, so he always was leery of any dealings with Scottie or one of her lawyers from her firm.
"Well, it looks, good," Harvey said to Scottie and then decided that her face did not look quite right. Distorted as if all the features of her face were skewed.
"You don't mind if we look this over before signing, do you, Scottie?" Harvey said and then he took a step forward and crashed to the floor.
"Harvey!" Both Scottie and Katrina yelled simultaneously.
Scottie bent down and gathered Harvey in her arms and made sure he had a pulse but he was unconscious for sure. She called his name again and again and slapped his face to no avail.
Katrina had called 911 and when the ambulance arrived she explained what had happened today and a few days ago. Scottie asked if she could ride in the ambulance with them, but they declined her as she was not a relative.
Scottie called Ray who picked her up and rushed her to the hospital immediately behind the ambulance.
When Ray arrived, the attending physician came out to them.
"Are you two here for Mr. Specter?"
"Yes. I'm his ex-girlfriend and this is his driver," Scottie explained.
"No one from his immediate family?" The tall and blonde bookish looking doctor asked.
"His family is in Boston and his "wife" is missing," Scottie explained. She knew that Donna and Harvey needed one another and they loved each other on many levels. Scottie had seen it firsthand and if anyone could bring Harvey back to them it would be Donna.
Ray decided that Ms. Scott was on the right track.
"Well, is there any way of finding her?" Dr. Anderson (his name) had asked. "I think she needs to be aware of her husband's condition in case we have to take him to surgery."
"Well, I'm his lawyer, so I am privy to his health needs in the absence of his wife. However, I will try to contact her or his mother," Scottie said in an official voice She handed the doctor her card.
"Ok, good. Please let me know as soon as you have contacted them. I really need to speak with them."
Dr. Anderson began to turn away and Scottie reached out with her hand to stop him.
"Can we see him?"
"Sure. Not too long, though. He's a little drowsy as we need to keep him as sedated as possible without putting him out unnaturally."
"Thank you, doctor." Scottie said.
After Dr. Anderson walked down the hall Scottie looked at Ray and they both walked the few steps to Harvey's door.