Percival Chapter One Part Four

They gave Percival a week to live and after he survived that, they gave him a month. One of the nurses named him Percival, after the knight who discovered the holy grail and eternal life. When three months passed they placed him in a special home for sick children. When he turned one, they gave him a party. The nurses gathered around the enclosed plastic casing of his crib and sang happy birthday to him.

In 1984, AIDS was a death sentence, but he survived another year. At age three, the media called him ‘The miracle Baby’ and attention began showering the orphanage. The other sick children grew jealous and they teased and alienated him.

Each year that passed, and he saw kids come and go, most in caskets. He became the nurses favorite, always hanging out with them instead of the kids. No one thought he would keep going but then came five, six, then seven. The doctors kept testing him to see what his body did to combat the disease. How is it that he wasn’t dead? At the age of eight the pharmaceutical companies came, offering to help the orphanage if they could check on Percival.

The Head Doctor, Mr. Othertin, a kind gentle man, refused their offer to bring in their own doctors and instead gave them a vile of Percival’s blood every week for a minimal amount of money.

Dr. Stevenson interned under Mr. Othertin. He would come in and take the temperature of the kids and draw their blood under the watchful eye of Mr. Othertin.

After Mr. Othertin passed away and Philip went to another hospital, the orphanage changed and new doctors came in testing Percival everyday, which he despised and would climb out of the window at night and run away before their appointments.

Doctor Silverman would get off his late night shift by passing by the waiting room. He would spot Percival sprawled across the seats asleep and tap him on the shoulder and rouse him. Then he’d take him to his house and let him sleep on the couch, calling the orphanage to tell him where he was.

Philip and Percival would share a meal of eggs and sausage links before heading back. Percival doused his eggs in ketchup and Philip teased him saying that the eggs were bleeding. He’d beg Philip to let him live there but Philip calmed him down and persuaded him to go back to his orphanage, where he had the best chance to beat his illness. He gave Percival courage and he always entered the orphanage with his back straight and his head held high.

The line in the cafeteria dwindled down so that Percival could escape from the register and mingle near the employee’s table where Franco and some of the other dishwashers were eating. They were talking in Spanish to each other which Percival could make out a word now and again, since he had taken a few Spanish classes.

They talked about an upcoming boxing match which Franco bought on Pay-Per-View. They placed bets on who would win and in what round. Percival listened to Franco get a few of the men who hadn’t bet yet to put up some cash.

He turned to Percival, noticing him for the first time and pointed at him. “I bet Percival would bet ten bucks. Ain’t that right, Percival? What do you say?”

“Don’t try to get me to bet. I’ve already lost to much money to you. "

Franco gave Percival a look that said, don’t blow my cover, and then turned back to the group around the table and started in on them again. A lady approached the register and Percival hurried over to cash her out. He only had an hour left on his shift but the sun had already set. Mr. Silverman entered into the cafeteria and the dishwashers sprang into action, gathering trays and wiping down the tables. Franco remained the only one at the table, slurping on the bowl of chicken noodle soup.