"I'm gonna make him pay," Mike says, looking over at Heath. "This has to stop. All of it, Shane, Drew, Elias, it's so frustrating and pathetic. I may not be able to get my hands on Drew or Shane, but for now, Elias will have to do." He mulls over it, sipping from a bottle of water. "I'm just done, I'm sick and tired of looking weak and pathetic."
"I feel ya," Heath sighs. His attempt at getting a raise had failed, he'd only briefly been 24/7 champion, and now he's just sitting back in catering, trying to think of something else to try to fix things.
"Hey," Mike says to him. "You can't give up, Heath. You did really well winning the title last week. But we all know that belt's kind of a bitch to hold onto with like twenty guys chasing it at any one time. Your name will always be in the record books, right? It definitely means something. You should be proud."
Heath tries to smile. "Do you think my kids'll be proud of me someday? Or just see me like everyone else does- a loser."
Mike stares at him for a minute. "Hey, Maryse doesn't see you like a loser. Neither do I, or Rhyno, or so many other people. You're a loyal family man, and you've fought back from some really bad set backs. You're incredible, really. A lot of people would've probably given up a lot sooner, but look at you. Still here, still trying. You, Heath Slater, deserve so much more than what you're given. Listen to all of the things the students at your school have to say about you. I could go on and on."
Heath chuckles weakly, looking almost sheepish as he digests Mike's words. "Thanks, man. It means a lot."
Mike taps his fingers against the table and looks at the monitor announcing what's to come. "I think my match is next. But you sit here and think about what I said, ok? It's the truth. No one can ever take any of those things away from you. You just have to start believing in them too. Yeah?" He stands up and rests a hand on Heath's shoulder, squeezing solidly, before turning to head to the ring.
To shut Elias up once and for all. To feel a little less like a failure himself. "For you," he mumbles as his music hits, picturing AJ, Sara, and the baby on the way. "This is all for you."