Once the clock struck 12:00 a.m., a quiet buzzer went off. About ten people entered the room in an orderly fashion. They were all dressed in matching t-shirts and pants, probably supplied by the hospital. Kevin tightened his grip on his personal copy of The Book of Mormon, becoming uncomfortable by the drone look of each individual. They spread out after given permission by a man in uniform. Some walked to the small TV, others sat on a couch just staring at the wall, an African girl started to work on a puzzle. Kevin counted all of the patients, noticing that the blonde from earlier was there too. He also noticed that there was one missing from the bunch.
"How long are you gonna stay here?" nasally voice asked. Kevin flinched at the sudden sound, but relaxed once he saw it came from a friendly looking guy.
"Well I-"
"Wait! Don't tell me!" the chubby man insisted. "You're here to…tell us about… a book! And a certain book too. Um…the book…The Book of Hormo- I mean Mormon. Yeah! The Book of Mormon!" the heavier guy guessed.
"Wow, that was unbelievable." Kevin exclaimed as his mouth smiled with amazement. " How did you know that?"
"I have the ability…" he answered, with each word he leaned forward to Kevin as if keeping a secret. "…to read minds." The hefty man finally whispered with a huge smile on his face.
"Wow. That's…something!" Kevin stated with a fake smile.
"I know right? Mind blowing, you know what I'm sayin'?"
"Completely."
"The ability to read minds, it's totally awesome!"
"The ability to read minds? Ha! More like the ability to read what's in your hands!" an old man commented before returning back to his game of chess, which he was the only player. The round, short guy had a look of hurt and anger on his face, but changed it into a happier one.
"Ah, don't listen to that old stick in the mud. Anyway, I'm Arnold." Arnold stated as he stuck out his hand.
"I'm Elder Price, see?" Kevin asked as he pointed to his name tag, paying no attention to Arnold's gesture.
"Oh, that's so cool! That's a weird first name thought. I never met anyone named Elder before."
"No, no. My name isn't Elder, that's my title." Kevin explained.
"Oh, like Father Joe, or Bishop Frank, or Virgin Mary, right?"
"Right, exactly." Kevin said, ignoring the last example.
"So, how long are you staying for?" Arnold asked, pushing a chair next to Kevin's.
"Maybe a month. It depends on my progress. If I do good, I stay for a shorter amount of time. But if I do bad, then I either stay longer and try harder, or I go home and quit. And trust me, my friend; Elder Price is not a quitter." Kevin responded with determination on his face.
"Wow! You're so AWESOME! And, ya know Elder Price, being friends and all, you should really tell me your first name so we could be close. Like brothers!"
Before Kevin could say anything on that subject, he was waved over by some man in a white uniform.
"Hold that thought." Kevin politely said as he left his set.
"Sure thing, friend." Arnold responded. He loved how the word rolled off his tongue. Friend.
"We're ready for you, Elder." The uniformed man informed.
"Thank you. Um, how should I start? At the last hospital, the nurses gathered them all up and seated them into a circle."
"Sorry kid, this bunch is too unpredictable. You'll have to talk to them individually. But, don't get too close. Some of them bite." The man warned.
"Oh…okay." Kevin said. Well, who should be number one? How about the only normal person so far, Arnold? Kevin inhaled and fixed his shirt before walking back to his new acquaintance.
"Hello Arnold. How would you like to be the first person that I talk about The Book of Mormon to?" Kevin asked, ending the question with a Crest- perfect smile.
"Really? Do you mean it?" Arnold asked.
"Of course"
"Wow. It would be an honor!"
"Alright. Let's get started then. Are you aware that the Bible does not only have two parts, but in fact has three?"
"You mean there is a new New Testament? The Newer Testament?"
"No. I mean The Book of Mormon. It was founded by the prophet, Joseph Smith, in 1823." Kevin told Arnold as he sat down next to him.
"Wow, what a boring name."
"And he-wait, what? What did you say?"
"Nothing. Well, just that Joseph Smith is a very dull name. It's like one of those example names the use when you make an account online."
"Anyway…" Kevin continued as he combed his perfectly cut brown hair with his fingers. "Joseph Smith was in up-state New York when he was told by God to dig in his backyard to find the third part of the Bible. Joseph did as he was told and found golden plates. Once Joseph Smith wiped off the dirt on the golden plates, he was visited by the American angel, Moroni."
"Wait, so angels lived in America? When did this happen?" Arnold asked abruptly.
"When ancient Jews constructed ships and sailed here, but that's a whole new story that we'll discuss later. Anywa-" Kevin answered before being interrupted by the silent buzzer. The group started to exit the room, Arnold slowly getting up from his chair to join them.
"I gotta go, but meet me in room 242 in 10 minutes. We can continue to talk there, friend."
