Tamina's hands are warm in his as she guides Mike out of the dark recesses outside of the hotel. "Come on, Mike. We've got you, we're... we're here." She glances over her shoulder at Ciampa, relieved when he steps forward and puts a steadying hand on Mike's arm. "One foot in front of hte other, there you go. Got it."
He breathes a little steadier when he's on even footing, standing in the glow of the hotel lights. Words are impossible to find, Mike stuck standing there, glancing from Tamina to Ciampa and back. They guide him inside, Ciampa unlocking their hotel room and immediately pushing him into the shower before getting him into more comfortable, warm clothes.
Mike barely reacts to any of it, staring absently into the distance. Hearing AJ's voice helps a little, but he can still only touch reality, breathing roughly as Tamina pushes him to drink, Ciampa handing him a fork full of fried chicken, and then another with some salad on it. They eventually get him to eat most of what they'd ordered for him in this slow, painstaking way, but they know something needs to give.
"AJ will probably help him more than us," Ciampa says, scrolling through his phone. "There's a flight out early." He looks up. "Would you be willing to fly with him? I... I have to return to Florida, I have a special date." He smiles a little, his beard shifting with the movement of his lips, and Taminia quirks an eyebrow at him.
"I can," she says. "It'd be nice to see AJ and Alicia again." She taps her fingers against her forearm, examining him. "You tell your daughter hi for me, yeah?"
Ciampa chuckles. "I'll make sure to do that."
Mike doesn't sleep much that night, each noise startling him and sending him into a near panic attack each time. The airport doesn't help much, each person who step too close sending him into a panicked kind of frenzy, his eyes darting around back and forth until Tamina gets him into his seat, making sure that he follows the pre-flight instructions. Although such things are almost ingrained into wrestlers' DNA by now, Mike barely seems aware of what's going on around him.
The flight is quiet, tense, and Tamina is relieved when they land in Pennsylvania a few hours later, guiding Mike to Ricardo's car. She smiles at him, checking on Mike before leaning forward. "Hey, Ricardo. How's Alicia?"
"Hanging in there," he says, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. "Having AJ there helps, I'm sure she'll be real glad to see you and Mike too."
"Sorry we took you away from the house like this, I wasn't sure what else to do."
"No worries," Ricardo says, glancing back at her in the rear view mirror. "I know either you or Mike would- and have- done similar things for me in the past. And I know this probably will make me sound like a shitty husband and father, but... there's really only so much I can do for Alicia and the babies right now. It's just a waiting game and I... I try to be zen, but even I'm not that zen. Not when it's the health and well being of my wife and children on the line, you know?"
Tamina hums. "That makes you the opposite of a shitty husband and father, Ricardo. You care, and it hurts that you can't make everything right for them. I'm sure Alicia understands, and she probably feels the same way right now."
"Yeah, I'm sure she does," Ricardo mumbles. "But she doesn't- she can't go anywhere. She's... stuck in that bed, hoping that the twins make it til they're viable, while I'm running around all over town, getting my school together, and... whatever else." He sighs. "She deserves better."
"You're here, taking care of her friends, and it takes stress off of her," Mike offers, surprising both of them as he hasn't spoke yet the entire drive. "It's not like you're being selfish and just leaving the house for no particular reason. You should take it easier on yourself. Everyone's just doing the best they can during a very difficult situation."
Silence fills the car for a moment, and then Tamina clears her throat, shrugging as she meets Ricardo's eye in the mirror once more. "Well, I agree with Mike here. You need to be kinder to yourself, Ricardo. AJ has plenty of help- she has Sofia, and AJ, now she'll have me and Mike. You're fine. Trust me. If there ever is a problem, I'm sure Alicia will let you know. I doubt even pregnancy will have tempered her outspoken nature."
"True," Ricardo sighs. "It's just difficult. I wish I knew what to do."
"Just take it a day at a time," Tamina tells him. "That's all you can do."
It's a relief when they finally arrive back at the house, some of the tension easing from the car as Ricardo and Tamina help Mike into the house."
"Husband," AJ calls out, coming running. She stops short and slowly walks up to Mike, wrapping him up tight in her arms. "Oh, my poor sweetheart," she breathes into his jaw. "I'm so happy to see you."
He doesn't say anything in response, but he does hug her back almost as tightly, burying his face in her hair. "I missed you," he finally mumbles out.
She pulls back and stares at him, smiling faintly. "One positive of you not getting booked in Cardiff, I get to keep you all to myself for a few days." She rubs his arms up and down briskly. "If the kids were here, it'd be perfect."
Mike nods, his wide blue eyes locked on her as she cradles him close, kissing him carefully. "AJ," he sighs.
"You look exhausted," she tells him. "Why don't you go change into something more comfortable and we can go nap for awhile, huh?"
Mike nods, following Ricardo's guiding hand down the hall towards where their guest room is at to do just that.
AJ and Tamina wait until they're out of hearing range, and then step closer to each other. "Has he said anything?"
"Noting really," Tamina says. "A little here and there, but ... nothing. I have no idea what Lumis did to him but..."
AJ nods. Scratches at her forearm. "I'll do my best. Maybe we'll... we'll need to try therapy if he keeps being as unresponsive as this. I really don't know." She scrubs at her face, and shrugs. "I just want my husband back..."
Tamina nods sympathetically, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around AJ in a tight hug. "We'll figure it out," she promises. "We will."