Walking just is not easy. His crutches are chaffing at his underarms, he's tired and cranky from the weird instability and discomfort ranging to pain in his knee. The thoughts of going to Raw and traipsing all over the Thunderdome- which had nearly done him in the week prior- leaves Mike gritting his teeth, tears of frustration in his eyes as he digs his hands into his pants legs and tries just to breathe in and out, remain in control.

He forgets sometimes, though, how precocious kids can be. Until, that is, Sara is crawling up into his lap- careful of his legs, as AJ has reminded her repeatedly the last few weeks, and her slightly sticky hands are cradling his cheeks, feeling so small against his face. "Daddy, are you..." She frowns at him, deep blue eyes searching this way and that. "Sad?"

He closes his eyes for a moment, finally reopening them and forcing a smile at her. "Oh, sweetie, a little, but I'm gonna be ok." He reaches out and cradles her close, because dammit, he may not be able to play with her, hoist her up and swing her around like he would usually do, but he can still do this much, pressing kisses to the side of her face. "Don't worry, daddy's got this."

She squirms and giggles against his nonstop ministrations, and he wonders, not for the first time, when and how did his baby girl- who sometimes still feels like she'd just been born a few days ago to him- get so big, get so strong and feisty and determined, looking so much like her mother that it takes his breath away sometimes. "Daddy," she whines, overwhelmed by him, and he obliges, letting her go slowly. Content now, she cuddles up close to him and blinks slowly, thumb finding its way slowly to her lips.

He clucks at her, gripping her hand and squeezing gently. "No, Sara Louisa," he chides her gently and she pouts, burying her face in her dad's neck. They sit there for awhile, relaxing and enjoying each other's silent company until AJ comes to get them for supper.

-x

John knows. Mike isn't sure if AJ had told him, or if he could just tell from their phone calls over the last week, both just a little too busy- or too lost in their own head, in Mike's condition- to visit much leading up to Raw. But either way he's gearing up for another hours long fest of enduring his horrible crutches, when John reaches over his chest and grabs the door, shutting it back tight. "John, what are you doing?" Mike demands, eyes flickering from the shut door to his smug looking best friend. "John, we have to go, I don't-"

"Give me one minute," John insists, smirking over at him before getting out of the car easy as can be. Mike watches him go, frustrated and envious, before digging his knuckles into his eyes just to keep from either yelling or trashing the vehicle he finds himself stuck in.

He's not sure how much time has passed when there's a loud knock on the window next to him that makes him jerk before the car door is pulled open, and John is leaning in. "Open your eyes, Mike," he urges, and Mike reluctantly pulls his hands away to do that, contempt swirling up within him as he prepares to lay into John for leaving him like that.

His words, however, die away when he sees the monstrosity next to John. It's garish, and it has a bucket for John's dripstick. and so many other touches that just scream Morrison did this that he can barely wrap his head around it all. It's so ridiculous, so silly, so... "What do you think?" John asks after a solid minute of shocked staring from his best friend.

Mike looks up at him and shakes his head, reaching a hand out. "Get me in this thing," he croaks, suddenly looking forward to the day more. John helps him hobble over and he exhales as he sits down on it. It's comfortable, and melds to his body well, and he closes his eyes as he leans back into it. Opening his eyes, he glances back at John. "So you're gonna push me around in this thing?"

"Yep, consider me at your beck and call," John says cheerfully, gripping the handles and testing the wheelchair out to see how it rolls.

They'll learn later the thing rolls just a little too well, and John will lose an opportunity to compete for the tag belts later, but for now, Mike's world feels just a little brighter, all thanks to his best friend's ingenuity.