Chapter 13

Mok felt quite uneasy when he ventured out of his room for the first time, but he forced himself to do something that would keep him busy.

At first, he sat outside alone, watching the inhabitants walk around the grounds till curfew.

After a few days, Mok was comfortable enough to join the other inhabitants in the lounge or outside.

A few people stopped and asked, "So, you are really Mok Swagger? Not some look-alike?"

He assured them that he was the real deal and most of the patients became crazy with excitement.

The hallucinations were becoming less and less frequent, but Mok knew he still had a long way to go.

One day, Mok sat outside, watching some of the patients play badminton.

"Mok!" a voice called from behind him. He turned around to see Nicholai walking up to him.

"Are you doing anything today?" Nicholai asked and Mok shook his head.

"C'mon, there is somebody I want you to meet," he said and Mok followed him to the lounge.

Nicholai still had bandages on his face, but Mok noticed that he was dressed in very nice clothes.

When they reached the entrance of the center, a little voice calls out, "Daddy!" A little girl with a mouse face, short black hair, and beaming hazel eyes ran up to Nicholai and he lifted her into his arms.

An older woman, who also had a mouse face walked up to Nicholai and hugged him.

"Mok, this is my mother, Lisa," Nicholai said, "And this here's my bundle of joy, Minnie."

Lisa stared at Mok and asks, "You're not Mok Swagger, are you?"

"I hate to correct you, but I am," he replied and turns to face Minnie.

The mouse girl looked at him, but buried her face in her father's chest. "She may be tough as nails, but she hates strangers," Nicholai said and he led them back outside.

"When are you coming home?" Minnie asked.

"In two weeks and when I get back, we're going to have a lot of fun," her dad replied as they walked around the grounds.

"Good, because grandma's place is boring," Minnie said to her father.

"I'm boring?" Lisa asked, "Oh, you just broke my old heart."

"No, I mean, there's nothing to do," Minnie said to the old mouse and Lisa ruffled the little girl's hair.

"Nicholai," Mok whispered to him, "Your wife is not coming?" he asked.

Nicholai looked at Mok and then at his daughter. "Minnie, why don't you make a wish at the fountain?" he asked and handed her a copper penny.

Minnie trotted over to the fountain with Lisa behind her, leaving Nicholai with Mok.

"Are you…the d word?" Mok asked in a whisper.

"Actually, it's the w word," Nicholai answered and Mok was shocked.

"My wife and I went out one night, leaving Minnie at my mom's. A drunk driver was driving the wrong way and hit us head-on," Nicholai explained and Mok was saddened by this information. "Our car burst into flames. My face got third degree burns and my wife burned to death."

"Oh God, I am so sorry," Mok said to him. "How did Minnie react when she was told of her mother's death?" he asked.

"Well, my mom said that she told Minnie that her mom was dead and will be sleeping for a long time, but Minnie didn't understand. It wasn't until later, when she visited me in the hospital that she realized that her mother was gone," Nicholai replied.

"What about that asshole driver? I would give anything to see him in jail," Mok said, again, but Nicholai shook his head.

"He's dead, too. Died upon impact I was told," he replied and Mok gave a sneer.

Then, Minnie came up to Mok and stares at him, "Why are you talking to my dad?" she asked.

"Sweetie, he's my friend, friends talk," Nicholai said to his daughter.

"How come you never told me about him?" Minnie asked, again.

Mok came down to her level and says, "Are you protecting your father from me?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," Minnie replied and Mok chuckled.

"You are very smart, but I can assure you that I'm not a stranger," he said, but Minnie didn't laugh.

"I'll ask you one more question; how old are you?" Mok asked.

Minnie, however, did not answer the question and kept quiet. "Minnie, it's okay, you can talk to him," Nicholai said to his daughter, but she did not obey.

Mok began to think; maybe he could show her a magic trick and that might get her talking.

"Nicholai, do you have a penny that I could borrow?" Mok asked and his comrade handed him one.

The rock star showed the penny to Minnie and then, he took a bite of it!

The little girl gasped, "How did you do that?" she asked, but he held up a hand.

Mok showed her the bitten penny and he blew on it and the penny became intact, again!

Minnie clapped her hands and Mok handed back the penny to Nicholai.

"Will you teach me to do that?" Minnie asked.

"After you lose all of your baby teeth," Mok said and ruffled the girl's hair.

"By the way, I'm 4 and a half," the girl replied, again.

The Lenzo's and Mok continued their walk around the grounds.

"Mok, you're not seeing any more illusions are you?" Nicholai asked him.

"No and I want to thank you for assuring me that," Mok replied.

Minnie came to Mok's side and asks, "Why are you here?"

Mok felt uneasy about answering that question, wondering how he could explain it and looks at Nicholai. "It's alright, she understands everything," he said.

"Well Minnie, I have been doing drugs for a long time. I'm here to break my addiction," Mok answered the girl's question.

"Why did you do drugs?" Minnie asked, again.

"I…well, it sort of calmed me in a way and I liked it," he replied.

They continued their walk and admired the scenery and the view of the mountains.

"Mr. Swagger?" Minnie asked, again and he looks at her. "Do you have a family?"

Mok felt a burning sensation in his stomach, he wasn't sure why, but he just felt disturbed by the question.

"I think that's enough questions for him today, sweetie," Nicholai said to his daughter.

"No, I don't have a family," Mok answered.

"What about friends? Maybe someone you love?" Minnie asked and he shook his head. "Don't you get lonely sometimes?"

"Minnie, that's enough," Nicholai ordered and his daughter stopped talking. "I'm sorry, she's always curious about other people," he said to Mok.

Evening came and visiting hours were done. Minnie and Lisa bid goodbye to Mok and Nicholai.

"Goodbye Minnie, I hope to see you, again," Mok said to the girl, but then, she hugs him.

"I hope you find someone who will love you," she replied and Mok returns the hug.

Minnie and her grandmother leave and the two men head to the lounge.

"Nicholai, I think it's time that I tell you something. I have never told anyone this, but I believe you are trustworthy enough to keep silent from the media," Mok said and the two sit down in a quiet part of the lounge.