Mike hadn't taken it seriously at first. He and John, they'd dealt with Braun Strowman recently. Hell, John had put Mike in a match against the man himself not that long ago, Mike had come out hurting but fine, all in all, and their friendship had held, despite it all. So when John pivots from talking about fighting Jean Claude Van Damme on a boat and winning to talking about how frightened he is to wrestle Braun, Mike brushes it off, despite the anxiety that suddenly grips him at the look in his best friend's eyes. He again doesn't take it seriously when Morrison tries to suggest Miz take his place, claiming he has no idea about the horror genre before walking away.
But as soon as he's standing outside of the ring, watching Braun manhandle John, he can tell. This is different. This is Bray Wyatt's influence. It's dark, it's evil, it's an absolute lack of care for his fellow competitor. It's over in a matter of minutes, Braun standing over his prone best friend with a truly demented look on his face, and Mike can't breathe because John- John's just been injured, he can feel it deep in his bones and he remembers before, John's neck, his ankle, every other injury he's experienced over the years leading up to the experimental treatment he tried out just nine months prior, going to another country just to find what he felt he needed to return to the WWE schedule.
Mike digs his nails into his palms and waits until Braun is out of the ring before sliding back in and resting a hand on his struggling best friend's arm. "HEY! WE NEED HELP OUT HERE!" he yells, truly frantic as he looks down into John's wide, fearful eyes. He's clutching his neck, mumbling something about not being able to feel his fingers, and Mike grips at his hand for a second, startled by how cold and clammy his skin feels.
Finally, people appear, some carrying a stretcher, and Mike helps stabilize John as they ease him onto it, urging him not to move, let them handle it, but John just looks scared, and Mike has little choice but to help him when he refuses the help, forcing his trembling body back off of the cot. "No, no, I- I just want to get out of here," he says, each breath obviously a struggle.
Mike thinks he might be on the verge of a panic attack so he helps him, guides him to the ropes and helps him out of the ring, trying not to think about all of this movement may do to any potential neck injury. "Here, I've got you," he says, fighting tears as he grips John's arm and gently pulls it over his shoulders, supporting him up the ramp. "Come on, just a little further," he urges when John falters. They make it, somehow, and Mike guides him to the trainer's office to be examined, trying not to think too much about how John's eyes flicker this way and that, clearly looking for Braun. "It's ok, I've got you."
He breathes a little easier once John is settled on the trainer's cot, people bustling around him, quickly getting things together to examine his neck as best as they can. "He might want to go in tomorrow for further tests if he's still experiencing numbness and pain," the trainer tells him once his examination comes back inconclusive. They can tell something's wrong, they just can't tell what with the limited things at their disposal.
"Right," he says, hand resting gently on John's back. "So I guess we just go back to the hotel and try to get some sleep until then?"
"Yeah," the trainer says with a frown. "Call me immediately if anything changes."
"I will," Mike promises, helping John off of the cot.
It's a sleepless night. Mike calls Taya, he calls AJ, he explains the situation as best as he can, and listens to the barely concealed fright in Taya's voice as she talks to her husband, John's voice thin and raspy as he convinces her he'll be ok, and will be home shortly. AJ, as incredible as she ever is, sits on the phone with Mike late into the night, sometimes just listening to him breathe.
"He's going to be ok," she soothes him when he finally realizes what the hour is and urges her to get off of the phone and grab some sleep before the babies start fussing. "It's gonna be ok, husband. We both know how tough he is."
"Yeah," Mike whispers. "We do." He smiles sadly down at his phone and closes his eyes. "I'll talk to you soon."
"Can't wait." She blows a kiss at him. "Love you, husband."
"Love you too." He watches the dark screen for a minute before turning his focus back to John, who is sleeping with a tight look on his face, as if all of the pain and fear he had experienced earlier in the night had chased him into his dreams.
Mike sighs and stands up, settling carefully on the side of John's bed and gently stroking his fingers through his thick, long brown hair. "Hey, man," he says softly. "I don't know what's going to come of this, but I'm gonna be by your side through all of it, ok? Thick and thin, like always." He tries to smile but thinks it comes off as little more than a grimace. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted this to happen. I- I just thought it'd be like when I wrestled him, I never realized he's fallen so far." He rests his head in his free hand, still absently stroking John's hair, and fights to breathe. "You were wrong, ya know, I've never been braver than you. I've never been better than you in much of anything, really," he whispers, thinking about everything he's done in and outside of wrestling. "You've been right there with me, huh. The movies, and the reality shows, and the world championships." He laughs brokenly. "Hell, man, you survived Lucha Underground, somehow. That shit terrified me every day, people were dying in really gruesome ways, and... and, well, you walked out of it without a scratch, you and Taya. I just wish I hadn't been so cavalier about it when you said you were terrified earlier. You probably sensed it, huh? How Braun has changed?"
Mike knuckles his forehead and struggles just to inhale. "I should've known not to dismiss your feelings so quickly. I'm so, so sorry about that." He looks up into his sleeping friend's face, and finally takes in a full breath. John has relaxed under his touch, lips parted as he breathes in and out softly, most of the fear and pain eased from his features. "Rest well, man. I'll apologize to you properly once you're awake and can hear me, I promise." Weariness weighing him down, he lays down next to John and watches him sleep until his warm, steady breathing lulls Mike to sleep as well.