It had been a week since the Mime's encounter with the wolf, he was busy collecting more seaweed for the restaurant, not that there were much customers to begin with, there were a few customers who were lost that grabbed a bite to eat but he doubted that Russel's restaurant will recover as quick as he ruined it. Russel had taken it upon himself to be in charge of the restaurant. Mime may have become adept at filleting fish, but Russel said he still had to a lot to learn before he can work at the restaurant.
Mime hung the last of the seaweed on the racks. He had already fished till the bucket was full and put the dried weed inside the container so there wasn't much he could do anymore. He laid down on the wooden planks of the pier exhausted, it had been a long day he had spent collecting ingredients. On top of that, he felt woozy and colder than usual but his thoughts went back to his boss. Was Russel doing fine without him?
That quickly answered his question when the rays of the sun was blocked by Russel's body. "Lad, if I didn't know any better you'd work yourself to death." Said Russel, sitting beside him. Mime sat up, wondering what he had come here him for, who then held out his hand, giving something to Mime. It was a burger, no wait. This burger was different, instead of lettuce, it had been replaced with fried seaweed and what seemed to be fish fillet. Was this really what Russel's been selling at his restaurant all along?
Russel looked at him grinning, "Go ahead lad, try it, you'll be making them soon enough" urged Russel. He took a bite of the burger, combined with the warmth of the buns, his tongue was greeted with the crunch of the seaweed piled up with the fish fillets, the mayonnaise and mustard oozing out with the bite, it felt like the flavour of the burger had exploded into his mouth, leaving some sauce on Mime's face. Mime licked his lips after swallowing it, this was even better than the burgers that Petunia and Giggles served in the diner. If he could speak, he'd immediately tell the other tree friends about this place.
Russel chuckled at the giddy expression of Mime, he could easily tell that he liked it a lot from his renewed energy tearing into the burger. "Yar har har! Sorry lad, I just got too much of me sauce into the burger" said Russel while rubbing the back of his head. "Here lad, wipe yourself with this" he said, giving Mime a disposable tissue paper which Mime tried to grab but almost fell over, suddenly feeling dizzy from the attempt.
Russel grabbed Mime, making sure he didn't fall over. "Whoa there lad! Be careful next time" warned Russel. He noticed Mime's body felt hotter than usual and told him "Mime, can ye hold still a second?" and placed his hand on Mime's neck. He was hot, and he was fidgeting a bit from the cold feeling. "Yarr! Mime you have a fever. Ye might want to rest." Worried Russel, who took Mime's arm over his shoulder and started leading him to the Employee's rest house.
Russel laid Mime down on the bed, the feeling was worsening for Mime and he was now full-blown shivering. He was still soaking wet from the morning swim though and he was still wearing his soaked clothes. Russel made him sit up, removing his sweater and pants, he was reluctant to remove the last article of clothing that Mime had on but he ultimately did so, avoiding his gaze on the exposed deer. He took out the covers and covered Mime's shuddering body with it. "I'll be back Mime, I just have ta get some of me medicine" and Russel then rushed back to the restaurant, remembering that there was some medicine in the medicine in the medicine cabinet.
Mime fell asleep, combined with the fatigue and the sickness, it was hard not to. Mime fell unconscious, dreaming his mind away…
Mime was standing in front of Russel's restaurant, except the restaurant was now decrepit and run down. Those same cars were there, the same ones that he had caused to break, and ultimately causing everyone there to get hearing damage. Pop and Cub were there, their dead bodies having decayed from who knows how long. He saw what seemed to be a copy of himself inside, his hand still on the volume dial, as if frozen in time. He circled around the restaurant, coming up to the entrance. From there, he saw Russel, sitting on top of a counter, his head hung low enough for his face to be obscured by his pirate hat.
Mime ran towards Russel, shaking him awake. Russel lifted his head, not staring at Mime, his eyes were bloodshot and his beard was starting to grow. "Ye happy now lad?" asked Russel, his voice seemed that sad and broken. "Ye have doomed me business, nobody comes here anymore. Your careless attitude had cost me everything" stated the former shell of his employer.
Mime could only feel guilt and regret from what he did that time, he had no idea what kind of job he had signed up for back then. If he knew that it involved being able to talk he would have not taken it. Not to mention it was the first time that they met, which probably had been a bad first impression.
"So have you reconsidered my offer yet?" said the familiar voice. Mime whirled around, seeing the handsome wolf again, behind him, his two tiger bodyguards were blocking the entrance. "Yes" said Russel dismissively. "I always keep my promises. People will flock back to your little restaurant in no time." The wolf said, his eyes drifting to Mime who had been shaking in fear.
"So, can I have him now?" that question made Mime's blood run cold. "Yes, you may have the lad" said Russel, who suddenly shot his hand out, grabbing his hand tight to prevent Mime from escaping. He looked at Russel's hand fearfully, did he really just sold him out? The two bodyguards started advancing on him, ready to take him to his new master. He looked at Russel, hoping that he'd have a change of heart but Russel's expression was unmoving. The two bodyguards had grabbed both of his arms, and faced his body towards the wolf, grabbing his face with one of their hands to make him face his owner.
The wolf slowly approached him with an unusually wide grin. "By the way, what is your name?" asked the wolf. "Mime was too intimidated to do anything, tears of fear streamed down his face, ruining his makeup making the wolf take out a handkerchief, removing his only way to hide one of his many vulnerabilities. "His name's Mime, he can't be speaking" said Russel, leaving the restaurant. "Mime huh. Mime. Mime. Mime." His snout started elongating and his voice was snarling, gradually becoming becoming louder. "MIME! MIME! MIME! MIME!" the wolf's maw widened enough for rows of sharp teeth and a gullet large enough to swallow him alive started closing in around him as the two bodyguards started laughing insanely as he was consumed.
Mime woke up covered in cold sweat, he was panting, the dream felt so real and the despair he felt during the dream was genuine. Mime tried to get out of the covers but then it sunk in that his clothes were gone making him slink back into the covers of the bed, when had he taken his clothes off? Russel came back inside, holding some medicine in one hand and some clothes in the other. "Yarr! Sorry if I took so long lad, I had to get to me restaurant to get you something to wear." Said Russel, coming to Mime's side.
There was that feeling again, the feeling of guit and regret had returned, but he felt another conflicting emotion, he couldn't explain it but he felt safe and good whenever he was around Russel, his ears drooped down at the thought. "Drink this lad" told Russel to Mime, who was holding a spoonful of the medicine he was holding earlier. Russel grabbed the back of Mime's head with his calloused hand and leaned Mime's head to help him swallow the medicine. Mime took the spoon in his mouth and swallowed the bitter-tasting syrup, accepting the glass of water from Russel.
"Here lad, I brought you some of me old clothes. Sorry if I… saw anything." Said Russel, blushing madly from the earlier act while giving Mime a set of clothes. Mime's eyes widened and clutched the covers tight, embarrassed at the thought of knowing that Russel saw his bare naked body. Wait, who was guarding the restaurant? Mime looked at Russel and the restaurant, pointing at the restaurant's direction with his eyes which got the intended message to Russel. "Ah lad, I closed the restaurant for now, nobody comes here at this time. I know they don't. Anyway lad, ye really need to put some more weight in ya, you really felt light for your size. A bunch more burgers will be fixing that" said Russel.
Mime appreciated Russel's concern for him, he will help him get the restaurant back on track, it was his fault after all. "I'll be giving ye some privacy for now, I'll be outside if ye need me." Said Russel, leaving through the exit. Mime took a look at the clothes he was given, it looked like a smaller version of Russel's casual outfit except it was smaller, which fit him perfectly. Mime knocked on the door, prompting Russel to come back in. "Yarr! Ye actually look good in me clothes!" Russel exclaimied.
Mime grew flustered at the compliment but the dizziness came back again, getting disoriented in the process. This signalled Russel to hold Mime to keep him in balance and laid him on the bed. "Yarr lad! Just rest for now. I'll take care of you till you rest, forget about going home for now." Russel laid Mime back onto the bed, but before he can get off the bed, Mime pulled him along the bed. Russel was puzzled by this sudden attitude, he'd understand it when he was drunk, but sober? Russel thought about this for a second and figured it would help keep him warm, so he just went with it, using the covers on both of them. There wasn't anything else better to do anyway.