While Harvey was in the break room playing darts with his best friend and co-worker Mike Ross, his phone rang, and he rushed to answer it when he saw the name of the New York District Attorney.
«Mister Vance?»
«Harvey Specter, an operation is underway at a law firm in the Hudson Yard neighborhood. An armed man has entered the building and is heading to the forty-second floor to threaten the lawyer who is defending his wife in a divorce case. He is threatening to kill the lawyer and all employees present if the divorce is not annulled. Two patrols are already on site and have tried to reason with the man, but nothing works»
«Text me all the information, I'm leaving the office now»
As soon as he hung up, Harvey ran out of the office, running down the stairs to the parking lot before getting into his car, turning on the beacon and driving at full speed to the place where the situation was taking place. Harvey was now thirty-five, and after graduating with great honors from Harvard Law School, the lawyer had worked a few years in an office before realizing he wanted more. Tired of defending rich assholes, he had returned to Cambridge at thirty to take the Harvard negotiation master class in order to become a hostage negotiator. Quickly, he had stood out from the others by his powers of persuasion and his composure, raising him to the status of the most gifted negotiator of his generation. Over his four-year career, he had succeeded in all his missions and saved a lot of lives. The young man was devoted to his job and neglected his personal life, but seeing the many victories, he had no regrets. As soon as he got there, he parked the car to run straight into the barricaded lobby of the big building, where a police team was already on the scene, computers and phones already in place, just waiting for Harvey to start.
«What do we know about the man?»
«Edward Green is a forty-year-old man who recently lost his job in a department store. His now ex-wife filed for divorce six months ago, and the hearing was held three days ago, where she won her case and won custody of their two children. He can't stand the idea of having lost and went to Skadden with the idea of killing the lawyer who defended his ex-wife»
«Has he been there long?»
«Thirty minutes»
«How many people are there?»
«Seven. Two lawyers, a paralegal, three secretaries, and an intern. Eight with the assailant»
«Any injured?»
«Not yet»
«Alright, put me in touch with this asshole»
As soon as he sat down in front of the computers, a cop handed him the headset, and Harvey went into his own bubble and waited for the man to react. After several attempts, the man finally answered, and Harvey got in touch with him. He quickly understood that this was a classic situation — a desperate man with nothing left to lose — the most dangerous. He had to be attentive and work on communication and dissuasion to calm the man down. He could do it, he was Harvey Godman Specter, he was going to save the day, as always. He had been negotiating with the man for nearly forty minutes now, who seemed to be already more attentive than at the beginning of the conversation, but wanting absolutely to move forward, he murmured.
«Mitchell, do you mind if I go up?»
«Why?»
«To talk face-to-face, come on, we're humans, aren't you sick and tired of all those limited contact, rules, and everything? I go up, but there will be only me, alright? Only me, I promise you»
For a few minutes, the man hesitated before Harvey managed to convince him to let him go up. Immediately, he took off his headphones, put on his bulletproof vest, loaded his gun, put on his police badge, and plugged in his earpiece. After briefing his team, he headed for the elevators before taking a deep breath and watching the floors scroll by until he saw the number forty-two appear and the doors open. Immediately, he raised his arms as a sign of surrender until he found himself in the main hall and analyzed the room. He spotted the seven people identified by the police patrols, his gaze lingering on a beautiful redhead sitting on the ground next to another woman, before approaching the armed man.
«Can you lower your gun? We're going to talk»
As he obeyed, Harvey hurried to continue the negotiation. Seeing the man give in little by little, Harvey decided to move on to the second step: freeing the hostages. Again, if the man was reluctant at first, the negotiator could see that he was giving in little by little once again.
«Alright, listen to me»
After explaining his plan, the man nodded while Harvey announced to everyone the steps to follow, and if the negotiator thought that everything would be back to normal and that he would be able to conclude the mission, he was far from imagining the turn that this day would take. As the seven hostages got up to go to the elevators, the lawyer targeted at first started running for no apparent reason, while the armed man didn't think twice and fired in his direction. Before Harvey even had time to react, he heard the redhead gasp before seeing her collapse to the ground with a dull thud. The room was then plunged into chaos with the hostages who began to scream and flee, the assailant dropping his weapon to collapse on his knees while the redhead was still lying on the ground, a red stain spreading on the cream-colored fabric of her dress. After a brief second, finally regaining his senses, he rushed towards her to analyze the situation and put pressure on the wound while whispering.
«Hey, hey, can you hear me?»
Seeing that she didn't react, he continued to press, before pushing on the earpiece and speaking quickly.
«I have a woman in her thirties who has been shot. She's losing a lot de blood. Send a fucking paramedic team. Fast»
He was panicking. He wasn't afraid of blood, he never had, but seeing the color disappear from the redhead's face and her eyes rolling, he didn't think he had been so afraid of his life, ever. In less than five minutes, he found himself in the ambulance, sitting next to her lying on a stretcher with a paramedic straddling her, compressing the wound while the huge oxygen mask was covering her pale face that clashed with her beautiful red hair. Between the two paramedics communicating with each other, the sound of the ambulance siren, the radio, and the beeps of the machine, Harvey felt like he was losing his mind. As he rubbed the bottom of his face with his hands and tasted metal against his lips, he felt the acid rise up his esophagus as he looked at the redhead's blood stains on his hands. He couldn't believe it, and, as soon as he closed his eyes, he remembered the way her body had collapsed to the ground and the blood had spread over her dress.
«Sir. Sir, are you alright?»
«No»
Seeing him pale, the paramedic who wasn't busy with Donna handed over some sort of trash can while the negotiator threw up everything he had eaten in the last twenty-four hours. The ride in the ambulance seemed endless as Harvey couldn't take his eyes off the unconscious redhead, her body limp as Harvey didn't know how to breathe anymore. After God knows how long, the ambulance stopped, the doors of the vehicle opened quickly, and a medical team rushed to pull the redhead out and bring her inside the hospital via the emergency entrance while the lawyer remained alone, sitting in the van, his hands still covered in the blood of the stranger.
«Sir. Are you alright ?»
«What's going to happen to her?»
«They're waiting for her in the operating room, they're going to take care of her and try to stop the bleeding. Are you the negotiator?»
«I am»
«Are you alright?»
«It never happened before, I never failed like that. If she dies, it will be because of me»
«Look, I'm sure you did your best, unfortunately, we can't always succeed»
«I don't know what to do»
«You're going to come with me first. We're going to examine you to make sure everything is okay, freshen you up, and then you can go»
«I want to wait for her»
«It's up to you, but come with me first»
Without another word, he followed the woman to a room where she quickly performed some basic examinations and gave him something to wash his hands and face, the dried blood of the redhead making him want to vomit. Once finished, he sat down on one of the chairs in the hallway, waiting for news from the woman who had been shot because of him, and after an hour, two hours, three hours, Harvey was starting to despair as the hallway emptied and darkened, and he still had no news. He was going crazy as guilt ate away at him, causing a surge of anger inside him that he manifested by punching the wall with his fist.
«Mr. Specter?»
Turning around, he saw a surgeon walking toward him, removing his mask as he swallowed hard.
«Is she —»
«She's alright. We had a hard time extracting the bullet that was lodged just above the brachiocephalic artery, narrowly missing the heart, and it was quite complicated to control the bleeding, but she's fine, we finished the procedure twenty minutes ago, and we're already taking her up to her room»
«Is she awake?»
«We're putting her in an artificial coma while her body recovers from the injury. Her condition will be assessed on a daily basis and decisions will be made accordingly»
«Alright»
«Do you have any questions?»
«Can I see her?»
«Sure. Please follow me»
For a few minutes, he followed the man through the hallways until his breath caught at the sight of her. He slowly entered the room and felt his vision blur as he saw her lying there, as pale as the sheets on her, a multitude of devices connected to her, catheters stuck in her arms, an artificial respiration system, while her beautiful hair formed a halo around her face. Noticing a bracelet around her wrist, he approached slowly before pulling a chair to sit next to the bed and delicately grabbing her hand to read the information noted.
Donna Paulsen, thirty-two
Donna. Her name was Donna. As the machine that monitored her heart rate beeped repeatedly every few minutes, seeing her chest rise and fall thanks to artificial respiration, the negotiator burst into tears. He didn't know why he was there, why he had insisted on staying, waiting for her, sitting in tears next to her. It was the first thing you learned during the master's degree in negotiation: not to get involved in personal feelings. But as he observed the young woman of almost his age lying in this dewy room, unusually pale, he couldn't overstate the sadness, fear, and anger that mixed inside him.
«I'm so sorry, Donna. It's all my fault, you didn't deserve it. I'm sorry»
He should have negotiated more, not rushed into freeing the hostages, isolated the assailant, shot him before he had time to do it first. He could have done a lot of things so that she wouldn't end up in that bed, and, in the end, she was there, and he couldn't help but blame himself for that. He then held the redhead's hand between his, sitting next to the bed, his head resting on their intertwined fingers until he heard someone knock on the door.
«Sir? I'm sorry to bother you, but visiting hours are over, you have to leave her»
«I'm not leaving her alone here, she just got shot. You just have to write on your goddamn sheet, or God knows what that is, I'm family»
If he expected the woman to refuse or call security since he hadn't planned on leaving, he was surprised to hear her whisper.
«I'll bring you a pillow and blanket»
«Thank you, Miss»
After settling down next to her and covering himself with the blanket, Harvey intertwined his fingers with hers and closed his eyes. Despite the many attempts to fall asleep, every time he closed his eyes, he saw her body collapsing to the floor, his fingers covered with her blood, and all the noises of the ambulance engulfing him. So, at six in the morning, when his phone rang, he finally answered for the first time.
«Hey Mike»
«Hey. Are you okay, bro? I've been trying to call you since last night. Where are you?»
«In the hospital»
«Did you get hurt?»
«No, I'm with her»
«Her?»
«The victim»
«Harv..»
«She's in a fucking coma, Mike. Everything was under control, the hostages were leaving, I had the situation sorted, then in a second, I heard a gunshot and saw her collapse»
«Hey, Harvey— »
«I pressed on her wound as hard as I could, but there was so much blood everywhere, on my hands, and she was so pale, Mike, she's— »
«Hey, brother, it's fine. I'm coming over, text me the information»
As soon as he hung up, Harvey complied and sent his best friend a text to give him the room he was waiting in while he approached the redhead. For a few seconds, he said nothing, simply caressing her hand with his thumb until he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and whispered.
«Hey. Um, I have no idea if you can hear me or not, but I'm really sorry. I should have done better and saved you, Jesus. I don't even know why I'm so touched. I was always taught not to get attached, to be honest, and to keep a good professional distance, but I can't do it. God, every time I close my eyes, I see your body collapse, and it drives me crazy. I'm so sorry, Donna»
Quickly wiping away a tear that had just fallen, he took a deep breath before whispering.
«Sorry, I'm rude, I didn't even take the time to introduce myself when I literally spent my night in your room. Looks like we don't do anything in order»chuckled the lawyer.
Seeing her inert, still so pale, and connected to all these connections, he felt his lower lip tremble before squeezing her hand and continuing to speak.
«I'm Harvey. I'm thirty-five, and I've been a hostage negotiator for four years now, and, you know what's funny? You're a legal secretary, and I was a lawyer in a New York firm too before. I don't know if you know it or not, but it's named Pearson Hardman. Yeah, well, it's stupid, but we could have crossed paths in other circumstances, and knowing me — sorry if I'm going too far — but I would have hit on you for sure, you're beautiful. Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Anyway, I'm still really sorry for everything, and I hope you wake up soon so I have the opportunity to tell you to your face and properly apologize»
For a few more seconds, Harvey continued to watch while stroking her hand until he heard a knock on the door, followed by a whisper from his best friend.
«Hey»
«Hey»
«Did you spend the night here?»
«I did, yeah»
«You don't look like you slept»
«I didn't. Every time I close my eyes, I— »
«Hey, Harvey. It's alright. What did they say?»
«The bullet grazed the heart, I waited for at least three hours, and they struggled, but the operation went well. Now, they put her in an artificial coma while her body recovers, and we'll see over the days»
«Alright. Do you think you have time to make a statement? I'm busy putting together the case for the court»
«Yeah»
For about half an hour, Harvey recounted the entire operation from the call to today while Mike wrote everything down while casting worried glances at his best friend when he saw his fingers intertwined with the redhead's and the way he looked at her. So once everything was written down, the lawyer turned to his best friend while whispering.
«We're going to go»
«I'm staying with her»
«Harvey»
«I'm not leaving her alone here, Mike»
«We've already contacted her family, her parents coming from Connecticut, they'll be here by the end of the day»
«So I'll stay until then»
«Don't feel guilty, you did everything you could, it's because of that lawyer who started running that the assailant shot, you did everything you had to»
«Really? If I had done everything right, I wouldn't have ended up with her blood on my hands»
«What's going on? She's not the first victim or collateral damage»
«She's... different»
«Harvey»
«I know what you're going to say — no feelings, but I can't help it»
«You want to see some psychologists from the department? Maybe talking about it will do you some good»
«I don't want to see anyone, just wait for her to wake up»
«Alright. I'll call you later then»
«See you, Mike»
«See you, brother»
After Mike left, Harvey remained in the same position, sitting next to the redhead's bed, her hand in his, while he inspected every little detail of her face. He couldn't tell when he had last eaten, slept, or used the bathroom, he was just sitting, waiting to see her move, but without success. Since this morning, the doctors had already come twice, and each time, it was the same thing: no change. He was going crazy, and as he continued to observe the redhead, the door opened abruptly while Harvey let go of the redhead's hand when two older people entered the room and rushed towards Donna.
«Oh, sweetie»
For a few secondes, the woman caressed the patient's face et placed kisses while she wiped the tears that ran down her face. At the end of the bed, a graying man stared at the unconscious young woman, as the beeping of the machines was the only sound in the room. When the woman noticed Harvey's presence, she quickly wiped away her tears before whispering.
«Oh, I'm so sorry, um, I'm Laurel, Donna's mother. And you are?»
«Harvey. I was the hostage negotiator, I'm the one qui brought your daughter to the hospital and —»
«Hostage negotiator?»
«I am»
«So is it because of you that my daughter is here?»
«Jim…»sighed the older woman.
«Sir, I'm sorry, everything was going well. I did everything to— »
«And yet, she got shot. You didn't do your job correctly»
«Sir, look, I —»
«You better leave now»
As Laurel caressed her daughter's face, and the graying man walked around the bed to sit on the spot previously occupied by Harvey, the negotiator understood that he had nothing more to do in the room and slipped away. After a last glance, he went out before calling out to a nurse a few feet from him.
«Excuse me»
«Yes ?»
«Um, her parents arrived, so I'm going to go. Look, if they ever leave and she finds herself alone, please, call me and I'll come»
«Alright»
«Do you have my number?»
«Yes, don't worry. Go home and try to rest, I know these last twenty-four hours have been difficult for you»
«Yeah. Hum, I'll go, but you'll —»
«— call you. Yes, we will do»
«Thank you»
With a final nod, Harvey left the hospital where he took a shower, ate, and swallowed two pills to fall asleep, the same ones his psychiatrist prescribed when his anxiety kept him awake at night. For the first time in almost forty-eight hours, he managed to sleep a few hours, but enough to feel better. Seeing that he still had no news about Donna, he went to the office to fill out the paperwork and go to his doctor.
«Mr. Specter, how can I help you ?»
«I would like a document to be exempt for an indefinite period from my work»
«Is everything okay ?»
«Yesterday, an operation went wrong, and I don't feel like going back to work right away, I'm still too fragile»
«I understand. Are you being followed by a therapist for that?»
«No, not for that, it's not necessary. I'll be better when she wakes up»
«She?»
«The victim»
«Oh, alright. Look, I'm putting you on sick leave for a week, then we'll reevaluate»
«Thank you, doctor»
«You're welcome. Take care, Harvey»
Given the hour and the lack of news about the redhead, Harvey went home, andtwent au gym in his building to work out for almost two hours, trying to eliminate all that anxiety, sadness, and fear of him, before falling asleep, thanks to the pills. The next day, while he was still asleep, he woke up with un start when he heard his phone ring.
«Hello?»
«Mr. Specter? This is the intensive care unit at Mount Sinai. I'm sorry, am I waking you up?»
«No, no. Is she okay?»
«Yeah, yeah. I just wanted to let you know that nothing had changed but that her vitals were still good. She spend a good night»
«Oh, alright»
«It was my colleague who told me to keep you informed, I didn't know if —»
«No, you did well. Thank you very much»
«You're welcome, oh wait — yes? Alright, thank you — Anyway, her parents just left, if you're— »
«Can I come?»
«What?»
«Do you mind if I come to see her?»
«No, no problem»
«Thank you. I'll hurry up»
As soon as he hung up, he jumped into his shower before getting dressed, making a detour before going to the hospital and heading towards the redhead's room. When he arrived and saw her still unconscious, in the same position as the day before, he sighed while his heart sank in front of her. For a few seconds, he remained planted in the entrance before entering and clearing his throat.
«Hey, hum, it's Harvey. I don't know if you remember me, I was there yesterday. I heard you spent a good night, I'm glad, even if I would have liked you awake. Anyway, I brought you some flowers, I don't know if you like red roses, and now that I look at them, I think it's not appropriate for this kind of situation. Anyway, it's fine, the next bouquet will be a little less romantic. Also, I —»
«Harvey?»
«Oh Laurel, I'm sorry, the nurse told me you were gone, so I came because I didn't want to leave her alone, but I'm going to leave you two together»
«You can stay. Her dad had to go back to Connecticut for work, and I stopped by her house to pick up some clothes»
«Oh, alright»
«I'm sorry for what my husband said to you yesterday»
«He wasn't wrong»
«He was. I read the police report, you did the right thing»
«She should never have been shot»
«But she was, and now she's fine»
«Yeah»
«Don't blame yourself too much»
«Right. Hmm, apparently there's no change, but she had a good night»
«Yes, I'm just a little worried about her legs»
«Legs?»
«Yeah, as she collapses, they suspects she has sprains or fractures in her tibia»
«What?»
«They have to do X-rays, but because of all the equipment, they prefer to wait until she's out of her artificial coma»
«Oh»
«It's nice of you to bring flowers»
«Oh, that's normal, this room is a little sordidotherwise »
«They're her favorites»
«Really?»
«Yeah. Donna is obsessed with Shakespeare, and her favorite play is Romeo and Juliet. So she always said her favorite flowers were red roses because she's sure that's what Romeo would have given Juliet»
«She's a romantic?»chuckled Harvey.
«She loves that, yeah. How about you stay for a while and I talk to you about her?»
«I would like that»
As expected, Laurel settled down next to her daughter and began to tell little anecdotes about her while she caressed her face, Harvey being intrigued to know a little better about the mysterious stranger. When visiting time was over, Harvey went home, only to do the same thing over and over again, extending his sick leave each time, until a month after the accident, when Harvey was sitting next to the still unconscious redhead, reading MacBeth to her on her phone, he saw out of the corner of his eye her hand move. Immediately, he dropped his phone before grabbing the redhead's hand and squeezing it while whispering.
«Donna? Hey, Donna? Can you hear me?»
As he felt her squeeze his hand a second time, he stood up hastily before continuing to speak in a shaky voice.
«Donna? Hey, Donna, can you squeeze my hand one more time?»
Pain. All she felt was pain, as if she had been run over by a truck. If everything was still dark and painful, she could hear someone calling her in the distance while she tried to move all her limbs. Suddenly, she finally managed to open her eyes, the light blinding her vision, accentuating her migraine, while her sight became clearer and clearer.
« Donna? Hey? You're awake »
In front of her, a tall, buzzcut man with a simple black t-shirt, a chocolate eyes with a big smile looked at her, vaguely reminding her of someone. As her eyes were now open, she realized that something was obstructing her mouth and that her throat was dry. The moment she started to cough, she was invaded by pain in her chest and moaned.
«Hey, don't move, I'm going to get a nurse»
She was awake, he couldn't believe it, she was finally awake. He didn't want to leave her alone, but at the same time, seeing her so uncomfortable, he couldn't help but run to find someone who could help her.
«Hey, hey, she's awake»
In less than five seconds, a doctor and two nurses burst into the room, and Donna opened her eyes wide when she saw the crowd and the mysterious man in the corner of the room.
«Miss Paulsen? I'm Doctor Rossi, we're going to take care of you, but you have to stay calm while we examine you, understand?»
Harvey then saw the redhead nod slowly while the nurses checked the constancies and the doctor checked the pupillary reactions. After a few minutes, the doctor smiled at the redhead.
«Everything is fine, Miss Paulsen. We're going to remove your artificial respiration slowly, it's not pleasant and kind of painful, but you will be less uncomfortable. As for the drug infusions and the para-anteral feeding tube, we'll leave everything for a while to see how you evolve, and we'll remove it in due time. Alright?»
After another nod from the redhead, the doctor turned to Harvey before whispering.
«Can you go out while we remove all that? It's a pretty traumatic gesture for some people»
«Oh, sure. Yeah, um, I'll call her parentsin the meantime »
«Alright»
He hurried out and looked up Laurel's name on his phone to contact her. After a few rings, he heard the older redhead's voice reasoning.
«Harvey?»
«She's awake, Laurel»
«What?»
«She squeezed my hand, and then her eyes fluttered, and she responded when I called her. There, the doctors are removing the artificial respiration, and they're going to leave the rest while waiting to see if she gets better»
«I'll be there in twenty minutes»
«Alright»
«Thanks Harvey for being there when she woke up»
«No worries»
As soon as he hung up, he felt his heart break as he heard the doctors talking, encouraging him while she coughed and threw up because of the removal of the machine. God, he couldn't believe it, after a month, she was finally awake. On the other side of the door, between the burning of the vomit and the pain in her chest with each cough, Donna felt like she was dying. Once the respirator was removed, she took a few deep breaths as the doctor began to speak.
«Can you tell me your name?»
«Donna»
God, her voice was so hoarse and husky and everything hurt, but she knew she had to answer.
«And your age?»
«Thirty-two»
«Alright. Do you remember why you're here?»
«Shooting»
«Exactly. You took a bullet that was removed. You were in a coma for almost a month»
«Jesus»
«Yes. But everything is fine, we checked all the vitals, and we're all good. We still have to do an x-ray of your leg, but otherwise it's fine. Harvey warned your parents who will be here soon»
«Harvey?»
«Yeah. He's the hostage negotiator, he's the one who brought you here»
«Oh»
«I'll let you rest, okay?»
«Alright. Thank you»
«You're welcome. See you later»
Once the doctors were out of the room, she could see the man — Harvey — pacing in the hall, glancing towards her room. After seeing him talking to the doctors through the small window, she heard someone knock and whispered as loud as she could.
«Yeah?»
The door opened slowly, revealing the sexiest man she had ever seen, approaching while biting his lip.
«Hey»
«Hey»
«Um, I'm Harvey. I don't know if you remember me, I was the one in charge of the operation»
«Vaguely»
«I'm really sorry, Donna»
«What?»
«It's my fault if you're here»
«No»
«Yes, it's my fault. I could have waited a little longer, isolated him, or shot him first, I don't know, but I should have done something so you wouldn't get shot»
«It's not your fault»
«I'm sorry»
«Thank you for —»
As she interrupted herself to cough, Harvey rushed to grab a glass of water and help her to drink before she moaned while touching her chest.
«Ow»
«You're alright? Do you need me to ask the doctor for more painkillers?»
«I'm fine, I —»
«Oh, sweetie»
«Mom, dad»
«Hey. Oh, sweetheart, I'm so happy you're fine»
As the family gathered, Harvey felt like he was in the way and decided to leave the room and go home. She was fine and surrounded, and as painful as it was, his job now was over. As the negotiator went home to go up to the gym and work out, trying to forget the pain, Donna realized that he was gone when her father left the room to get food from the cafeteria downstairs.
«Where is he?»
«Who?»
«Harvey»
«Oh, he probably went home to leave us as a family. You know, he came over every day during your coma, he even spent the night with you sometimes when I couldn't stay. He didn't want you to be alone»
«Oh. That's nice»
«More than nice, he always brought you flowers, red roses, to bring a little joy to this room and read to you, Shakespeare, for fear that you would get bored»
Seeing her blush, Laurel laughed before murmuring.
«You'll see, he's a great guy»
«He seemed, yeah»
Throughout the evening, Donna ate a little with her parents, the negotiator never leaving her thoughts until her parents announced they were leaving the room to let her sleep.
«Mom?»
«Yes?»
«Do you mind giving me his number? I just want to thank him»
«Of course, yeah»
After exchanging contact information, Donna waited for her parents to leave for good before pressing the recently saved contact and clearing her throat.
«Hello?»
«Harvey? It's.. Donna»
«Donna, hey. Is everything okay?»
«Yeah, yeah. Hum, I just wanted to thank you. My mother told me everything you did, it's really nice»
«It's fine»
«Maybe you can come by tomorrow? I mean, if you have nothing else planned, or if not, it's not a big deal, I'll understand; it's not like— »
«I'll be there»
«Really?»
«Yeah»
«Perfect. Hum, see you tomorrow, then»
«See you tomorrow, Donna. Sleep well»
As they hung up, both of them had butterflies in their stomachs as they felt their hearts racing, eagerly anticipating seeing each other the next day when Harvey came into the room with a big bouquet of red roses. The two adults talked for hours, until it was time to leave, and the negotiator promised to come back the next day and the next day again until they saw each other every day without ever getting tired of it. They couldn't have explained what connected them, but it was as if everything was simple and natural between them, as if they had always known each other, leading to a certain closeness. Due to her prolonged immobilization and a sprained ankle, the redhead was unable to get up on her own, let alone walk, so when the physiotherapist came in a week after she woke up to explain the rest of the rehabilitation, Harvey listened attentively.
«We'll start with simple exercises in bed before considering getting up completely, okay?»
«Yeah, sure»
Seeing the man remove the redhead's sheet and take her first leg, Harvey tensed before whispering.
«Hey, do you want me to go out?»
«No, you can stay, don't worry»smiled Donna.
For almost ten minutes, Harvey watched as the man moved the redhead's legs, who tried to participate but without much success, and once finished, the negotiator spoke.
«Will you come by again today?»
«My colleague will come by in the late afternoon»
«And twice is enough for her to get better?»
«The more she does it, the better, but unfortunately we can only come by twice a day. We have a lot of patient»
«I can do it?»
«Harvey, you don't have to»
«It's fine. So, can I?»
«Of course. Do I have to show you again?»
«No, it's fine, I memorized»
«Perfect. See you tomorrow, Miss?»
«Of course, thank you»
As soon as the man left, Harvey positioned himself at the edge of the bed to grab her leg and look at her with a smile.
«Let's go?»
Every day, Harvey came by and did the exercises several times to train the muscles of her legs, while they chatted and laughed together. Everything was perfect, and Donna couldn't help but blush whenever he looked at her kindly, a bouquet of flowers in his hand, or made her laugh while helping her bend her leg, her foot resting against his abs while he followed the physiotherapist's exercises. If he was gentle and attentive, she would never have thought to see this side of him on a random afternoon while they were playing cards sitting on the redhead's bed. While she had just beaten him up, they heard someone knock, and seeing the lawyer she worked for at the door, the one because of whom she had been shot, before she even had time to say anything, she saw Harvey get up quickly and slam his fist into the man's face, who fell to the ground with the impact.
«Harvey»
«Son of a bitch»
«Harvey, stop»
«It's because of you that she's here»
In less than a minute, one of the doctors was trying to separate Harvey from the man while he continued to hit him until security arrived, who finally managed to separate them, holding Harvey back who continued to yell.
«Son of a bitch, you have the audacity to stand here when it's because you're a fucking coward that she's in this bed. You should have taken that bullet»
«Sir, you better leave»
Without a word, her boss left the room as Harvey pulled away from the security guard's grip, raising his hands in surrender, his breathing ragged and deep.
«Alright, alright, I'm done»
«Sure?»
«Yeah, yeah»
«You're alright, miss?»
«I am, yeah»
«Perfect. Call us if there is anything»
«I will»
As soon as the doctor and the other man left, she watched Harvey pace back and forth as he muttered.
«I'm sorry, I didn't want you to see that. I'm not a violent person, I didn't want to. I'm sorry, it's just that I freaked out when I saw him, but I never— »
«Harvey, it's alright. You just avenged my honor, it's cute»chuckled the redhead.
«Really?»
«Yeah. Come on, come sit down, you have to take your revenge, I think»
Once seated, the two now friends resumed their card games, no longer mentioning the accident, while they threw each other discreet little glances, Donna feeling flattered to see him fight for her, while Harvey had been touched by the gentleness with which she had looked at him despite the violence of his behavior. Days passed, and Donna was slowly starting to regain some feeling in her legs as she continued to stay in her bed, chatting with Harvey, who came by whenever he had the chance, while she used the wheelchair with the help of the nurses to move around when it was needed. One day, when Harvey arrived with sushi as Donna complained about the hospital food, he stopped dead when he saw the redhead.
«Oh, sorry»
«It's fine, you can come in, we were done anyway»
Sitting on the bed, Donna was wearing black leggings and a simple dark burgundy strappy bra. The nurse was busy cleaning the operation wound above the hollow of her breasts while Harvey swallowed hard. Seeing the young man embarrassed, the secretary realized that she was half naked in front of him and tried to lighten the mood.
«They decided to remove the bandage to leave the wound exposed»
«That's good?»
«Yeah, and it's not too obvious either, I was afraid of having a huge scar, but it's fine»
«You can barely see it»
« Good. Can you give me my t-shirt? »
«Of course, yeah»
Once she was dressed again, and the negotiator less blushing, he showed her the paper bag with the logo of the sushi restaurant downstairs from the hospital while the redhead smiled widely, her eyes filled with stars.
«You're the best»
«I know. Come on, make some room for me»
«Wait, I have to show you something first»
«What?»
«Come here»
As he saw her sit a little more upright, she then took one leg and then the other to find herself sitting on the edge of the bed before motioning for him to hold out his hands. He then felt Donna press her hands on his and the redhead concentrate until she found herself standing in front of him. If he had always had the impression that she was a tall woman, now that she was in front of him and that she arrived at his eye level, he just wanted to put his lips on her forehead, but as he was about to give in to temptation, he heard her whisper.
«Take a step back»
After doing so, seeing the redhead imitate him, he chuckled with join while whispering.
«You walk?»
«Just a few steps»
«Donna, this is —»
«— so good»
« I'm so proud of you »
«Thank you. It's mostly thanks to you and the physical therapy sessions that I'm feeling better today»
«It's mostly thanks to you and all the effort»
«Team effort, then»
«Yeah»
Now that she had looked up, their faces a few inches apart, the sexual tension palpable in the room, both of them were about to kiss before being interrupted by Donna's stomach gurgling.
«You look like you're hungry»
«I'm starving»
«Good thing I thought about sushi»
«Yeah»
With Harvey's help, she settled back on her bed before both of them started to enjoy the huge platter of sushi he had brought for both of them while chatting about everything and nothing. As a ray of sunlight caressed the redhead's face, revealing her beautiful brown-green eyes and her freckles catching Harvey's breath, he heard her sigh.
«What?»
«I miss the sun»
«There's the smoking terrace at the end of the hallway if you want»
«That's nice»snorted Donna.
« I know, right? »chuckled Harvey.
«No, but seriously, I miss the sun, like the beach. Ugh, I would love to go to the beach right now»
«Really?»
«Yeah. I miss the beach. Anyway, let's forget it. Did you bring dessert?»
Quickly, they changed the subject and continued their conversation until Harvey was called by the work he had resumed a few days ago for an operation in southern Brooklyn. After saying goodbye, Harvey ran out of the room while Donna began to read one of the many books Harvey had bought her. He had barely left, and she already missed him. She couldn't have explained why, but something connected them — something strong that she never thought she would know one day. For the negotiator, if his life was summed up by his work before, now that Donna was in his life, even if nothing was happening between them, he was completely addicted to her, unable to do without her, as if he needed her presence to breathe. While he had just intervened on a man who was kidnapping his wife and son, Harvey looked at the hour and sighed. It was too late to go back to see Donna, but he could always call her to spend his evening on the phone with her like most days, discussing everything and nothing, even things that Harvey had never dared to talk to anyone — his mother, his father, his brother, and all his demons for exemple. He was good with her — way too good. She was amazing, and he knew that these last few weeks had been hard for her, so wanting to please her, he got up early, took a shower, went to the hospital, and talked with the doctor before knocking on Donna's door, who was busy with the physio.
«Hey»
«Hey, are you almost done?»
«Yes, why?»
«I have a surprise for you»
«What?»
« Come on, focus on your exercise »
«Yes, boss»
As he settled into the couch next to the bed, scrolling on his phone while waiting for her to finish her physio session, Harvey was already smiling, imagining her face when she'll see the surprise. Once finished, he handed her a sweater and helped her put on her shoes before she settled into the wheelchair, and the two of them left the room, then the medical department. As she found herself in front of a big black car, she looked at Harvey with incomprehension.
«What is that?»
«My car»
«For what?»
«Come on, get in it»
«Harvey, I can't leave the hospital»
«I asked the doctor, and he said it was okay. I just have to take you back tonight»
«Oh, alright. And where are we going?»
«Well, that's the surprise. Come on, I'll help you»
Donna then put her hands on his shoulders before pulling herself up to stand, concentrating on the few steps to the car before settling in comfortably with Harvey's help. During almost an hour of driving to the unknown destination, the two adults talked and laughed while the redhead fell more and more in love with his smile and his laugh. As they reached Lido Boulevard to park in front of the beach, Donna looked at Harvey with a questioning look.
«What are we doing here?»
«You told me you miss the beach, and today, the weather is good. Come on»
Without waiting for a response from her, he left the car to go around, open the redhead's door, and wave her over.
«Harvey, I can't walk that far, and the wheelchairs aren't accessible»
«I know. Hop in»
As he turned his back to her, Donna hesitated for a few seconds before hearing the man whispering a please, and looking over his shoulder to smile at her. She then slid her hands over his shoulders. Harvey slid his hands over the back of her thighs before straightening up and rearranging the redhead on his back, who chuckled while sliding her arms completely around his neck, her cheek caressing his ear with each step he took as he grabbed a bag from the back and walked to the sand. Between Donna's warm breath on his neck, her perfume enveloping him, one arm around his neck, the other hand clinging to his shoulder, and her chest crushed against his back while his hands were placed under her thighs to support her, Harvey was completely intoxicated by her. A few minutes later, they arrived at the beach, where some people were already enjoying the sea while Donna got off Harvey's back, holding on to her still slightly weakened legs while Harvey set up the towels on the sand. Once they were both settled, he saw Donna close her eyes and take a deep breath while smiling, warming his heart that was melting at her behavior until she spoke.
«Hey»
«Yeah?»
«Thank you for this»
«You're welcome»
For a few more hours, the two of them chatted about everything and nothing, lying on the towels spread out on the floor until Harvey went to get tacos for their lunches. In the early afternoon, as beads of sweat appeared on their skin because of the sun, Harvey leaned towards Donna.
«Hey, aren't you a little hot?»
«Yeah, a little»
«Let's get into the water»
«What?»
«Come on»
As he stood up quickly and took off his t-shirt, Donna gasped discreetly at the sight of his muscular torso, his bulging chest, his outlined abs, and the fine line of hair running away into his boxers. God, he was so hot that she had trouble thinking, but then seeing him lower the fly of his chinos to take them off completely, she didn't know what to do anymore.
«So? You join me?»
Without further ado, she took off her t-shirt to find herself in a bra while she held out her arms for Harvey to help her stand up. Once in front of him, she lowered her leggings to find herself in panties and blushed when she saw Harvey biting his lip as he looked at her. Once both of them were in their underwear, the young man cleared his throat before whispering.
«Hop in?»
Again, she climbed on his back, and Harvey headed towards the sea while their warm bodies against each other made them shiver despite the heat. For almost an hour, Harvey walked in the sea with Donna on his back, both of them completely emerging in the sea, their wet underwears touching, before the redhead separated from the negotiator to take advantage of the pressure of the water to let herself be carried and feel for the first time like before.
«You seem to be enjoying it, right?»chuckled Harvey.
« I love it. It helps with the soreness too »
«I'm glad»
«I feel like I'm normal again»
«You're normal»
«You know what I mean»smiled the redhead.
«Hey, Donna. You woke up from a month-long coma just two weeks ago, you got shot, and you were immobilized for days. Look at you, in just a few days, you're now up and walking around, that's great. I'm sure in a few weeks, you'll be able to do your morning jog with me»
«Oh, I don't morning jog»
«Too bad»
As he looked at her with a smirk, Donna blushed before continuing to swim, carried by the pressure of the water, enjoying the sun and the calm of the beach as they continued to chat until Harvey suggested they go out to dry off.
«I don't want to leave»
«I understand, but I promise the hospital that I'll bring you back in the evening»
«I know»
«But we'll be back, I promise»
After going out, they took advantage of the last rays of sunshine to dry off and returned to the car, Donna on Harvey's back, to finally turned back to the hospital. The following days, the two adults continued their routines, with Donna continuing her rehabilitation at the hospital while Harvey alternated between his job and visits to the hospital, spending all their time together whenever they could. In the meantime, the redhead's walking had improved significantly, and she was able to move alone at a normal pace for short distances while Harvey spent his time congratulating and encouraging her. Both of them knew that they were more than friends, that there was something special between them, and that he had never felt this way about anyone before, and even though they were aware, neither of them dared to make the first move. So, three weeks after waking up, the redhead received the good news and smiled wildly.
«You can go home»
«Really?»
«Yes. Everything is in order»
«Can I call Harvey, then?»
«You can»
«Perfect. Thank you very much, docteur»
«You're welcome. Get well soon, Miss Paulsen»
As soon as the doctor was outside, she hurried to call Harvey, who answered after a few seconds.
«Hello?»
«Hey»
«Hey. Are you alright?»
«Yeah, yeah. Hum, I can get out»
«Really?»
«Yeah»
«I'm so happy for you»
«You think you can come and get me?»
«Of course. I'll be there in an hour, is that good for you?»
«It's perfect. Thank you, Harvey»
«Anything for you, Donna»
As soon as she hung up, a smile on her lips, Donna got up to prepare all her things and wait patiently for Harvey to arrive. As promised, he arrived an hour later, hugged Donna before taking her things and walking slowly by her side in the hospital corridor to finally take her home. After spending a moment together, he was called to the office to fill out some paperwork, got up to leave the apartment, before turning around.
«Hum, see you tonight?»
«As a date?»
Seeing Donna's smile, Harvey bit his lip before nodding softly and whispering.
«Yeah»
«Yeah?»
«Yeah»
«Alright, see you tonight, Harvey»
As soon as the door closed, Donna couldn't help but feel the butterflies in her stomach going crazy as Harvey went to the office with a stupid smile on his lips. The day passed, both of them having arranged the time and place while they waited with excitement for the famous evening, and barely the paperwork was finished, Harvey knocked on the redhead's door. If usually Harvey was in cop uniform or with loose pants and a t-shirt, casual outfit, he had opted for a suit and was waiting with a huge bouquet of roses in her door.
«Hey»
In front of him was the redhead in a magnificent dark green silk dress, her long hair cascading down her back while she looked at him with her beautiful sparkling eyes and her big smile while he fell in love again and again with her.
«You're beautiful»
«You're handsome too»
«Shall we go?»
«Yep»
Half an hour later, both of them were seated at Del Posto, a luxury Italian restaurant in Manhattan, enjoying a delicious plate of pasta. If they already fell hard for each other, throughout the evening, they couldn't help but flirt with, their hands brushing, playing with each other's fingers as they were looking at each other lovingly while sipping a glass of wine. Quickly, the restaurant emptied, and the two lovers felt that it was time to leave in turn to walk hand in hand to the redhead's apartment. While Donna was inside and Harvey was still in the hall, the redhead laughed while whispering.
«What are we waiting for?»
«You tell me»
Seeing him smirk, she approached slowly, their lips a few inches from each other before Donna whispered.
«For you to figure out that it's time to come inside»
Without waiting any longer, he closed the distance between their lips to kiss her tenderly and approach her, their bodies against each other while Donna slid her hands into his neck and Harvey placed his hands on her hips. Quickly, the temperature rose, and the negotiator hastened to place his hands on her ass to lift her, feel her long, delicate legs he spend hours touching, wrap around his waist, and advance blindly into the redhead's apartment while she showed him the direction. Barely fallen on the bed, they quickly undressed to find themselves naked under the sheets, kissing again and again, never tiring of it while they had the impression of being alive only in the presence of the other. They made love for hours, being completely obsessed with each other, their hearts physically hurting because of the love they felt for each other, never wanting to separate ever again. Around three in the morning, when they had just finished the fourth round and Donna had just fallen asleep lying on her stomach, Harvey was propped up on his elbow, looking at her while sliding the tip of his fingers on her damp back. Feeling his heart pounding at the sight of her so peaceful, with a small unconscious smile on her lips, he couldn't help but place a kiss on her bare shoulder and murmur against her skin.
«I'm so lost, Donna, I have no idea what to do. I love you so much that it hurts sometimes. You came into my life, and you turned everything upside down. I thought I was incapable of loving someone, of wanting more than just a one-night stand, and then I saw you, and you took my heart the moment I walked into the firm. I was in the heat of the moment, I didn't linger, but you were so beautiful. I'm crazy about you, Donna, completely crazy, but I can't do this to you. As painful as it will be, I can't give you the life you want, I don't want to make you suffer by being so selfish. I love you so much you have no idea. Thank you for making me feel alive those past few weeks. Thanks to you, I know what love and being happy are. I'm sorry, Donna. I wish I could stay, for real, but I can't. I can't do this to you, as painful as it will be, but I have to go. I hope you'll know that I love you like I've never loved anyone and that you've made me a better man. I'm so sorry»
After a last kiss on her skin, he took a deep breath as if to remember her smell forever before getting up discreetly, putting on his boxers, and getting dressed quickly to leave the redhead's apartment with a broken heart, leaving behind his greatest regret and his greatest pain, losing forever the love of his life.
Two years later
Today was a special day. It had been two years since he had left the apartment of the love of his life after a night of passion with the feeling that his heart was being ripped out with bare hands, and if he often tried to forget this feeling, the pain had been so strong that he could not get rid of a feeling of anguish. He had two years to forget, and yet, despite everything that had happened in between, walking through the door of her apartment had been so hard that it still hurt sometimes. As he was fast asleep, he woke up with a start, his heart pounding, when his phone rang in the middle of the night.
«Hello?»
«Mr. Specter, you are expected in the South Bronx, in a home near St. Mary Park where two women and three children are being held captive by the leader of an inverse gang. A police patrol is already on site; I'll send you the information»
«Alright. I'm hurring up»murmured the negotiator before delicately getting out of bed and leaving the bedroom.
Immediately, he ran to the building's garage to get into his car, turn on the flashing light, and drive at full speed to his mission location, where he concentrated and began to do his job. He loved what he did, even if it wasn't always safe and easy, he loved it, but lately, he couldn't help but feel guilty every time he left his house. Once it was done, it was five in the morning when he returned home, exhausted, and after putting his gun on his bedside table, he sat down on the edge of the bed to rub his face and sigh, until he felt a delicate hand caress his back.
«Hey»
Just hearing the voice, he felt like a weight had lifted off his shoulders.
«Hey»
«Are you alright?»
«I'm tired»
«Come on, join me in bed»
Harvey stood up to take off his t-shirt and pants before slipping under the sheets lifted by the young woman next to him. After snuggling in her arms, he felt the soft lips against his forehead.
«How did it go?»
«It's alright, it took some time, but the guy surrendered at the end»
«When did you leave? I didn't hear you»
«At three»
«No surprise you're tired. We'll talk about it tomorrow, rest first»
«I love you, Donna»
«I love you too, Harv. Goodnight, honey»
«Good night, baby»
Immediately, he fell asleep in his partner's arms, until he woke up a few hours later when he felt her fingers against his skin. After his eyes fluttered, he emerged from his sleep and smiled at the redhead sitting against the headboard, scrolling on her phone with one hand while the other caressed his back gently.
«Hey»
«Hey, you're awake»
«Yeah»
«Did you rest?»
«Yeah, I'm feeling better»
«Harv»
«Yeah?»
«What am I feeling like you're hiding something from me?»
Harvey would never forget two years ago when he left her apartment. He had gone home and drunk himself to sleep, convinced that he had made the right choice in leaving her alone until the next day, when she had shown up at his door, tears in her eyes and her face drawn. That morning, they had argued, loudly, for a long time, Harvey wanting to spare her from finding herself in front of federal agents to tell her that he had been killed in an operation, while Donna reproached him for making decisions for her when she knew what she had gotten herself into by agreeing to go out on a date with him. At the end, after a reconciliation under the sheets, they continued their lives, and in two years, they had become a couple, moved in together, gone on vacation, got engaged, and even got married very quickly, living a perfect life with the love of their life, a hint of guilt always invading the man whenever he was leaving, like tonight.
«That night was complicated»
«How so?»
«I took a bullet»
«What?»
«In the bulletproof vest, don't worry, but yeah, it —»
«Harvey, I'm pregnant»
Facing the redhead revelation, Harvey sat down hastily to look at her with wide eyes and shortness of breath. For a few seconds, the room remained plunged into silence until Donna whispered.
«I'm sorry, this isn't how I wanted to tell you, really not, but I can't let you go on a mission again and risk you getting shot without knowing that I'm carrying our baby»
«Donna, I —»
At the same time, Harvey's phone rang, and he was forced to answer it when he saw that it was the prosecutor's office and sighed when he understood that he had to leave right away. So, as soon as he hung up, he turned to his wife and whispered.
«I have to go»
«On mission?»
«No. Debrief about last night»
«Alright»
«I'll hurry up, and when I get back, we'll talk about it, okay?»
«Okay»
«I love you so much»
«I love you too»
After a last lengthy kiss, Harvey dressed quickly before leaving their apartment to go back to the police station to testify and fill out the paperwork, the words I'm pregnant going in circle in his head. For her part, Donna took advantage of being alone on Saturday to do some yoga and cook something for when Harvey gets home, while drinking ginger tea to calm her morning sickness. Nearly two hours later, while she was reading a book on the couch, Donna heard the door slam and saw her husband enter the living room and sit across from her on the coffee table to look at her with a tender gaze while handing her a small white package.
«What is it?»
«For you. Open it, and you'll see»
After putting her book aside, she delicately opened the white package and felt her throat tighten at the sight of the little cream-colored bodysuit and her husband looking at her with so much love. Before she could even say anything, he whispered.
«Thank you»
«Are you happy?»
«To have a baby with the love of my life? I couldn't be happier, Donna»
«I know we haven't discussed it yet, but I really want this baby with you»
«That's a good point, me too»
«Harv, it's going to— »
«I quit»
«What?»
«I can't keep risking my life everyday when I have my wife and child waiting for me at home»
«Harvey, you can't sacrifice your life for us»
«You are my life»
«Honey, look —»
«I always thought that this job was the only way I could feel like a good person, doing the right thing and not being a shitty person man»
«You're not a shitty man, Harv»
«I was a shitty son when I lied to my father and tolerated my mother's cheating. I was a shitty brother when I snapped at him and abandoned him at the first opportunity to go to New York to live my life. I was a shitty husband every time I went on a mission, leaving you panicking alone and hoping nothing would happen to me. Donna, I don't want to be a shitty father too. I always thought this job would be the things that would make me happy, but since you came into my life, I realize that you are everything I need. And now a baby? Donna, you two are worth more than all the hostage releases in the world»
«Are you sure?»
«I've never been so sure»
«I love you so much»
«I love you too, you have no idea»
As the two of them kissed passionately, their tears mixing on their lips, and Harvey's hand on Donna's belly, the couple couldn't be happier. Never in their lives would they have thought they would be so glad that Donna had been shot, but when they saw their wedding, the arrival of their baby, and the beautiful life they had ahead of them, they could only smile as they remembered that moment.
In reality, that bullet had saved their lives.