Brother from another mother

Car crash

------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was safe to say that Harvey was not in a good mood. His day had not started out the greatest and only seemed to be getting progressively worse from his hot water heater breaking to losing out on a client to Louis.... Louis of all people! Nothing was going as planned. The man was fairly sure that he was going to kill someone by the time the day was over. He had his sights set on either Mike or Louis. Preferably Louis, but Mike seemed to be battling for that right with every minute that he didn't show up for work or answer his phone. That last bit had particularly shocked Harvey as his young associate seemed incapable of not answering the damn thing any other day of the week. He had already left three messages.

The first message he had left before Mike actually had the chance to be late. What could he say? The kid was predictable. That message had gone along the lines of: You have ten minutes before you need to get here. Do not be late today. We have a lot of work to do and I'm not in the mood for your excuses. Unfortunately, at that time Mike was in mid air and hadn't heard his phone. Not that he would have been able to answer it anyway. Harvey had simply shut off his phone and had walked into Pearson Hardman without another thought.

The second message had been left twenty minutes later. Mike had officially been ten minutes late. Look, I know you usually schlep in here about fifteen minutes after we open, but my first message should have made it clear that your usual tardiness wasn't an option today. Get your ass moving. Harvey really didn't think about the fact that Mike had missed this call. He figured that the younger man was on his bike and unable to answer. At least he better be on his bike and minutes away or else he was screwed. It was only a few minutes later that Harvey was called into conference with Jessica. A meeting that should have been strictly between the two of them but had somehow ended up including Louis. Pasty-faced bastard.

Forty-five minutes into the work day and Mike had yet to show or call. To say Harvey was annoyed was really like saying the sky was blue. A fact that was too obvious to need words. He was also a skosh concerned...not that he would admit it. His associate may be a little unmanageable at times, but he was never unreliable. The kid was as loyal as a St. Bernard. So it was with grumbling agitation that Harvey left his third message. Where are you? Pick up your phone and stop avoiding me...You're in enough trouble as it is. He had tacked on that last bit as an afterthought, though he really didn't think Mike need the extra incentive. His concern was steadily growing, however. He should have heard from him by now.

Unbeknownst to Harvey, Mike was currently staring at his phone. The kid mentally cursing as he slowly took in the cracked screen and face plate as the screen flickered on and off. The damn thing didn't even ring for Harvey's third call and the only reason Mike knew anything had happened was the appearance of a voicemail alert that appeared during one of the screen flickers. Oh, he was in trouble.

Harvey was debating leaving a fourth message as he looked over the briefs and bylaws for his latest case. He should have one of the other associates do this, but Greg annoyed him and he didn't want to become acquainted with any of the other minions, besides this was why he had hired Mike. Where the hell was he? His hand was already halfway to the phone when he saw Mike limping slightly toward his office. It was about damn time. He could see that the kid was already a little wary of entering, but what little color was in his face drained when he walked past Donna. He didn't know what his secretary had said to him, but the apprehension only deepened in Mike's eyes.

"You're over an hour late. Where were you?" Harvey's keen eyes were dark as he watched Mike fidget slightly. He silently took in the faint sheen of sweat that was illuminated on his associate's forehead and his stiff posturing. Something was wrong.