𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐦𝐛 | 𝐇. 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑

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𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐀 𝐃𝐈𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐒𝐇𝐄'𝐃 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐘 𝐒𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓. She'd seen him crumble after telling him about the death of his father, she'd seen him betrayed when Mike defied his principles of loyalty, she'd seen him overwork himself to death. But she'd never seen him look as empty as he did now. And it scared her to no end, knowing that this time, she didn't have an answer for whatever had him looking so desperate. She couldn't help him at all.

He'd arrived inexcusably late, his eyes grey and glazed over, like he wasn't really present in whatever he was doing. And although she knew that Harvey had most likely pushed Marilyn to an extent that she wasn't at all ready for, the redhead was also angry at the news anchor for leaving him in this state. It was no secret that Donna cared for her boss, that they shared a mutual understanding above any partnership, so she knew that this required her intervention, although the situation seemed untouchable in its entirety. She knew that whatever she had to say wouldn't help him, or provide any comfort, but she knew that she had to try.

Unfortunately, Jessica beat her to it, striding down the corridor at such a fast pace that Donna hadn't even registered where she was headed until she was in his office, the glass door closing behind her. Her heart sank that she couldn't be his aid, just when she'd mustered the courage, but she knew that Jessica's delivery would give him a reality check. Harvey looked up from his desk, occupied by scattered papers that Donna had organised neatly before his arrival, and once he did, Jessica inhaled sharply at his appearance. As soon as he heard her gasp, he instantly looked back down, overwhelmed with shame. He didn't even look early days Mike messy, but he was nowhere near his sharp self, some stray hairs out of place, his suit not as crisp as it would be, his tie crinkled and cufflinks absent. It was hard to determine whether he was even Harvey anymore, or whether this shell was going to be long lasting. The man looked like a ghost, unrealistic and transparent.

"You're late," she began, attempting to start the conversation off lightly, since it was no secret that no one within the firm cared about Harvey's punctuality – he'd always complete whatever needed doing, even if it was going to cost him like it was now. To her dismay, Harvey didn't even spare her a glance, his gaze lingering on some papers that he clearly wasn't reading. He was off in his own mind, which terrified Jessica. Harvey was the most assertive, intuitive person in the room and now he wasn't even present enough to acknowledge her. It was clear that whatever had occurred had left some lasting damage. He didn't even look like he was in his own body.

She took a seat on the sofa, studying Harvey as his posture remained stagnant. She didn't know what to do with him, the atmosphere was so foreign and uncomfortable. It was no secret that the lawyer wasn't himself. The entirety of Pearson Specter Litt had grown used to one form of Harvey Specter, the one that constantly had his eye on the ball. All it had taken was a couple of days and a long-lost love to disrupt that – he wasn't as solid as they'd all thought, after all. His entire foundation had been broken. That, or Marilyn Manson was a complete powerhouse that had an unbreakable hold on their best asset, one that they couldn't afford to lose.