This story takes place right after the end of Season 5, Episode 12 "Live to Fight...". I figured that with everything going on, how much Mike had endured after being arrested, that he'd have to reach a breaking point after so much bad news. Also a shameless excuse to have Harvey coach him through a panic attack since Mike was there for one of his. Hope you enjoy!
Mike was content for the first time in a while. He wasn't happy or excited for what was to come, he knew they still had a long battle to go, but the thought that they might actually win, that he might not have to go to jail, left him more content than he had felt in a while. Because for once, he actually had hope.
His contentment was furthered by the woman in front of him. Rachel, as beautiful as ever, was smiling softly at the news. Sure, they didn't get his case dismissed, but they had at least helped Donna and were one step closer to winning.
Mike was about to suggest that they go home for the night when he heard footsteps down the hall and Harvey walked into Rachel's office.
"Yeah, what's up?" Mike asked casually as he tried to judge Harvey's emotions.
His boss seemed tense, his movements reluctant, which could only mean one thing. He had just gotten news and he didn't want to share it.
"Sheila Sazs came forward which means they're going to try and pit us all against each other even more."
Mike took a second to process the words before the crushing weight of them fell onto his shoulders. The email, the one thing the other side had against them, was the only thing keeping his case from blowing up. With no person to back the statement, all they had was an email stating that Mike may be a fraud. Sheila was a highly respected employee at Harvard. Her validity meant everything. This made his chances of going to jail all the higher. He could actually go to jail.
The thought rattled around his brain and Mike felt his chest sink. He began to feel hot, his suit scratchy and tight against his skin, his tie tightening around his throat. Jail. That was all he could think, the world going blurry around him.
Mike blinked hard but the world stayed fuzzy, a haze coating the edge of his vision. He knew Harvey and Rachel were talking beside him, but all Mike could make out were murmurs as his heartbeat echoed in his ears, pumping so hard inside his chest that it hurt.
He coughed; his throat tight as he fumbled for the tie around his neck. His breathing was rapid and shallow, he wasn't getting air. He couldn't breathe.
Unable to stop the panic bubbling up inside him, Mike could only spiral further. He knew he needed to calm down, to take some actual breaths but his body wouldn't listen. His hands were beginning to go numb, and he couldn't get them to function properly, each time he tried to pull his tie loose his fingers would only slip, furthering the panic that he couldn't breathe.
A warm hand on his shoulder broke through and Mike saw through blurry eyes that Harvey had knelt down so he could look the associate in the eyes. When had he slouched over? Mike hadn't even realized he had folded his chest almost to his knees, hunched over the chair as he tried anything to get air into his lungs.
It was faint, but Harvey's voice broke through the fog surrounding him. "-ike. Mike! I need you to breathe. I know what you're going through right now, but you need to tell your mind to relax, force your body to take a breath."
It was at that moment that Mike's mind supplied a new word. Panic attack. He was having a panic attack and Harvey was here. Harvey would make it better.
Mike tried to take a breath and coughed; his chest so tight that it felt like he would never get a breath in again.
Strong hands were suddenly at his throat and Mike flinched but then realized that they were only trying to help. The hands, Harvey's hands, were loosening his tie. They pulled it off and then moved to open the top buttons of his dress shirt before removing his suit jacket entirely. Mike could only watch as this happened, still wheezing, unable to control his limbs.
He heard Harvey tell Rachel something and she rushed out of the room, leaving the two of them alone.
"Mike? Breathe. Nice and slow."
Mike tried to comply again and only ended up coughing, but this time it didn't stop. His body felt like it was on fire, his heart pounding in his chest and ears, and it all only added to the feeling of suffocation. As he coughed, his chest barely inhaled and he choked, adding to the cycle of coughing. Then, it shifted. Mike choked again and this time instead of a cough, a gag followed as nausea roiled through him, both from the deep panic coursing through him and the coughing as his body fought to breathe.
Harvey reacted instantly. Hands were back on him, touching his arms and sending pinpricks of discomfort as his overstimulated body recoiled from the sensation, but then he was on the ground, his back against the chair legs as Harvey pushed him so that he was sitting up straight.
With all the extra stimulation, the moving, and the choke-coughing that was still tearing through his chest, Mike gagged again, and saliva flooded his mouth. Harvey saw this too and suddenly a garbage bin was in his hands.
Mike's body didn't waste time. He gagged once more and then his dinner was making a reappearance, the burn in his throat adding to the pain in his chest as his body heaved. He didn't even have time to take a breath, not that his body was doing that before anyway, before he heaved again, and another wave of vomit poured into the bin. Harvey, thank God, was still there, his hand on Mike's back as wave after wave of vomit poured out of him. Finally, his stomach calmed, and he heaved only once more before he sat back, utterly spent.
Mike gave another small cough and found that he could actually take in some air now.
"Easy," Harvey said as he took the bin from Mike's hands. "Focus on breathing now, nice and slow. Copy me."
Harvey grabbed one of Mike's hands and brought it to his chest, letting the associate feel the calm rhythm of his breathing and the steady beat of his heart. Mike looked at Harvey for the first time since the attack had started. His boss was watching him with careful eyes, concern wrinkled on his forehead. He was breathing deeply, the movement exaggerated to further how he wanted Mike to copy him.
Mike tried to sync his breathing. At first, he could only cough, his breath still wheezy, but then, as he followed Harvey's slow and deep breaths, his chest lightened, and he found that air was finally passing through his lungs. They breathed like that until Mike felt the sweltering heat die down and his heart's thunderous tempo slow until it was no longer rushing through his ears.
Harvey let go of Mike's hand. "Good, just like that Mike."
Mike nodded clumsily and leaned more of his weight against the chair, his energy almost entirely depleted.
The associate tried to speak, but nothing came out. He cleared his throat, wincing when pain tore through him, and tried again, this time able to get some words out.
"That sucked," he breathed, his voice quiet and hoarse.
Harvey, who had been kneeling before, sat flat on the ground, matching his height with Mike's so he could observe the blonde better.
"A panic attack is definitely no walk in the park. Although I never threw up from mine, so I guess you're just extra special."
Mike could see that Harvey was joking, even though his boss still had a concerned look on his face, as a way to ease the tension and keep Mike calm.
"Lucky me."
Mike took another moment to breathe, the action wonderful after not being able to do so minutes before.
"Seriously though, are you okay? Do you need me to call you an ambulance?"
Mike ran a shaky hand through his hair and was surprised at the amount of sweat he felt. Now that he was thinking about it, his whole body was drenched, his dress shirt sticking to his body.
Mike shook his head and gave Harvey a tired smile. "No, I'll be okay now. Thanks Harvey."
Harvey gave him a small smile in return. "You were there for me when I was having a panic attack, I thought I might as well repay the favour."
Mike sighed and rested his head against the seat of the chair behind him. While the panic attack was over, his body still felt weak and shaky like he had just run a marathon.
"Hey, where did you send Rachel?" Mike asked, not moving his head from where it rested, as he realized he hadn't seen her since she had rushed out at the beginning of the attack.
"I told her to go grab some cold water from the break room. She was panicking almost as much as you were and I knew that wouldn't help you at the moment, so I decided to give her a task to calm herself down and give me space with you."
Mike took a moment to mull his answer over. It was good thinking. His plan gave Mike space and gave Rachel something to do so that she wouldn't feel like there was nothing she could do.
"That was actually a good idea."
"Why the surprise? I'm not the best closer in New York just because of my looks, although they do help."
Mike scoffed. They were silent for a moment before he heard Harvey move and suddenly the man was in front of him.
"Let's get you up. Rachel will be back any minute now and you need to go home and rest."
Mike shot Harvey a glare at the kid gloves he had put on to deal with him but didn't resist when Harvey grabbed his arms to pull him to his feet.
A wave of dizziness greeted Mike and he swayed, Harvey's hands gripping him tighter, but then the world settled, and he felt like he was back on stable ground.
"You good? You're not going to collapse if I let go?"
"I'm good Harvey."
Harvey dropped his hands the same moment that Rachel came rushing in, a bottle of water in her hands.
"Mike! Oh my god, you're okay. I'm so sorry. The regular staff room was out of bottled water in the fridge and Harvey said cold water, so I had to go to the ITs break room and-"
Mike took a clumsy step toward her and shushed her with a gentle kiss on her lips.
He pulled back and looked into her eyes, wide with panic and concern. "I'm fine. I just freaked out a bit, but Harvey helped me through it."
Behind Rachel Harvey mouthed a bit? but Mike ignored him, taking the bottle of water from Rachel's hands and pulling her into a hug.
"Whatever's coming next, we got this. I trust everyone in this room with my life. We're going to get through this."
Rachel nodded against his chest, hugging him tighter while Harvey smiled.
"You've got that right. I've never lost a case and I'm not about to start now."
And while the panic was still there, lying dormant deep inside Mike, he knew that things would work out how they're supposed to. And as long as he had Harvey and Rachel by his side, he knew the odds were in their favour.
Poor Mike has no idea what's coming. Hope you liked it and if anyone has any requests for a HurtMike scenario, comment it and I'll do my best to make it come true! I have more ideas of my own but if there's something in particular you want to see I'd be happy to write it!
To the Guest who left a prompt in a review, thank you! Thank you for your kind words. I will definitely do my best to bring that prompt to life, but I actually haven't finished the show... I know I said I've rewatched it a few times, but the first time the last two seasons weren't out, then the second time I watched the show I only got to season 8. This time, I decided to rewatch the show and get through all of it, but I'm only near the end of season 5, so I have a few more seasons to watch before I actually finish Suits. I don't know why I've waited so long to finish it. I think it's cause I never wanted it to end lmao Again, thank you for the prompt and I promise I will get to it as soon as I finish the show! 3 It shouldn't be too long, once I start a Suits session, I end up binging more than half the season!