Chapter Text
April 18th, 2022
Buffalo New York
Liv walked into the backstage, tears welling up in her eyes. Although her partnership with Rhea Ripley had only lasted a month, Liv had felt that she had made a profound connection with the Australian superstar. As she breached the curtains separating the stage of Monday Night Raw from the gorilla position she was immediately hounded by officials and match agents asking her if she was okay. Deep down Liv knew that she was in emotional pain more than physical but to placate the concern of management she volunteered to go to the trainer’s room for a checkup.
As Liv coasted around the arena all she wanted to do was cry in a dark corner away from all prying eyes, but management had sent a lower-level production assistant with her to make sure she made it to the doctors. She finally reached the door hoping that WWE medical personnel would just tell her she was fine so she could leave this awful arena to try and put herself back together.
As Liv turned the metal circular knob that made her hands go cold, she overheard a conversation going on with what sounded like Rey Mysterio’s kid. She didn’t know at the time, how could she, but this fateful moment would set the course for the next two and a half years of her life.
As Liv stepped out into plain view of the training table Liv saw Dominik Mysterio receiving treatment. The previous week the baby-faced Dominik had been massacred by Veer, the new monster that had arrived post WrestleMania 38. As she stepped to a training table the production assistant spoke up to the doctor, telling him that Liv only needed a clearance checkup just to make sure nothing was injured after Rhea’s brutal assault. Dominik had stone-faced everything he had heard so far and seemed to be agitated with his situation which consumed him far too much to care about anybody else’s.
The doctor told Dominik that he would use this as a rest period as Liv’s issue would only take a maximum of five minutes. Dominik didn’t respond, clearly in pain with a surreal sadness in his eyes. Liv seemed to notice this and started feeling sorry for him. She had always been this way ever since she joined the WWE. It was a physical sport that required a level of dedication that outsiders just could not understand. She felt for any wrestler who had gotten injured while on the job not just because of the physical pain but the emotional cycle that would inevitably take place of self-doubt and pity.
The doctor decided that the only necessary thing to do was perform a concussion test on Liv as the brutal attack started when Rhea struck the base of her skull where Liv’s neck connected. “What year are we in?” the doctor asked towards Liv. “2022” Liv replied sheepishly now realizing the suspected severity of the attack. “What’s your name?”, the doctor continued. “Liv Morgan” As she finished the statement the silence in the room was palpable. She glanced over at Dominik who quickly shifted his eyes away clearly having just been caught staring at her. “Great Liv, last question. Who is your best friend?”. Liv paused for a second to think, “I don’t think I have a best friend anymore”, a frown forming as the words left her lips. The doctor seeming satisfied with her answers officially signed a clearance form that let her leave this awful arena and just let her be, but Liv had an urge to talk to Dominik.
Liv moved over to Dominik’s training table and set her phone on the training table confusing both the doctor and Dominik. It was opened to the contact screen but with a blank contact that was as empty as Liv’s heart. Dominik, clearly timid at this exchange broke the silence by asking Liv what she was doing. Liv explained that as both had just gone through something traumatic, they might as well try and use each other to feel better about their current situations. Dominik hesitated but decided that he just wanted this exchange to be over with so complied with her wishes putting in his phone number 619-803-2024