Percy didn't come back the next night or for a whole week after that day Paul caught him losing his lunch in the water closet.
"Think he's sick or just felt like skippin a few days?" Dean asked as he and Brutal sat at the desk up front, sharing a sandwich and some cheese and crackers. Dean's middle was now large with their third child. He was expected to give birth within the next few weeks so Paul often stuck him at the desk doing paper work instead of anything dangerous or work that required lifting anything. Brutal was just keeping his husband company now since he was off for lunch.
"I talked to Hal." Paul sighed, stealing a cracker and a piece of cheese for himself. "He said he's takin a few days off. Medical reasons. Didn't know nothin' else on the matter."
"I can name another one of us that needs to take a medical leave." Brutal grumbled.
"Let's not start again." Dean warned him, rubbing his belly as he picked up a DOE file on one of the newer inmates to examine closer. "I told you we need the money. I'll go on leave after the baby comes."
Brutal crossed his arms over his chest and sighed deeply. Paul chuckled at him.
"Hey!" A dreaded voice came from down the mile. "I'm fuckin hungry!"
"Pipe down. Lunch is in an hour." Harry shook his head as he walked past Wild Bill's cell.
The boy frowned and leaned against the bars of his cell, rolling his eyes at Harry. "You stiffs make me wanna put a hollow point through my damn skull. Where's Purdy? He still baby sick? Tell him to buck up. My Mama had to raise four brats and run a farm while she was baby sick with me."
"Shut up or you won't get lunch!" Paul snapped at Wild Bill.
The maniac kid grinned and stepped away from the bars, going to lay back down for awhile. He'd gotten a rise out of Paul. That's all he'd wanted.
Dean raised an eyebrow and looked up at Paul. "You think it might be true?" He asked.
"What?" Paul asked.
"You know...about Percy being..." Dean started to say before Brutal shook his head to stop the question.
"Whatever the cause of this we'll just keep to our own business and send a few prayers up for the boy." Paul answered, getting up to go to his office.
Another week came and went. Dean gave birth to a healthy baby girl late in the night on November 5th. He and Brutal named her Juliana Elizabeth Stanton-Howell. Peter Coppins walked the Green Mile a few days after that, with Harry leading the execution, and Percy finally returned after what had seemed like an eternity.
"Welcome back, son." Paul greeted him when he arrived that night for his shift. "Feelin' any better?"
Percy nodded, wiping at his eye as if he were drying a tear. "Yeah..." he replied softly.
Paul gave his shoulder a friendly pat as he passed him by. He didn't push Percy any further. He was shocked in fact that the boy had even decided to return at all. Being around the man who'd raped him every day wasn't exactly a desirable situation.
Brutal came up from the tunnel after he'd taken care of the late Peter Coppins.
"How's my God daughter doin?" Paul smiled at his best friend, making Brutal grin with pride.
"She's perfect. Just like her Mama." Brutal smiled.
"Bobby and Ellie been helpin' out a lot?" Paul asked him then.
"Oh yeah. They're both just as excited as can be about their new baby sister." Brutal replied, his smile growing. He loved to talk about his family. They were his everything.
"Remind me to give you the gift Melinda and I got for the little one." Hal Moores said with a friendly smile as he came from the execution room. "It's up in my office and I keep forgettin' to come down here and hand it off."
"Aw that's alright, Hal. You didn't have to do that." Brutal told the warden.
"Oh yes we did." Hal replied. "In fact, let me run up there and grab it real quick." He turned to head out towards the prison yard to get to his office, grabbing his keys from his coat pocket. "Paul come along with me now." He then called to the head guard. "We've got some things to talk about."
Paul looked from Hal then to Brutal and back again before giving a nod to Brute and following the warden.
"I didn't wanna say anything around Percy." Hal sighed once they'd left the mile. "For fear of upsettin' the poor boy. I think we can both agree that he's been through enough."
"That we can." Paul agreed.
"Well, things have gone downhill even worse than we could've thought, Paul." Hal told his friend as they made the walk up to his office. "You know the boy's been ailing lately?"
"Yes, Hal." Paul confirmed with a nod.
"Well, I don't know exactly how to tell ya this but I got a note from his doctor this morning. It's morning sickness, Paul. The boy's pregnant. With that asshole Wharton's child." Hal said, running a hand over his tired face before unlocking his office door.
"Terrible thing..." Paul sighed.
"Yeah, well, tell only who you must. I don't want gossip getting out. The governor and his wife would have both our heads on a plaque, and that poor child doesn't need any more trouble than he's already got." Hal stressed to Paul.
"What happens on the mile stays on the mile, Hal." Paul replied, his tone just as serious as ever. "You know that."
Hal nodded and grabbed the gift for Dean and Brutal's baby off his desk before he and Paul walked back to the mile.
For the next few weeks Paul had Percy working over in admin, pulling files and organizing the witnesses for the next two executions that were coming up. It was easier for him to be there than around the cell block where his unborn child's father still resided.
Dean came back to work after another month went by. His mother and Brutal's were taking turns watching their grandchildren so both Dean and Brutus could work.
Paul was relieved to see Dean again, for he believed Percy would benefit from having any advice the other young mother had to offer him.
Percy had grown increasingly upset over everything that was happening to and or around him. As if it weren't enough that he was having his rapist's baby now, he was also getting too big to fit into his uniform. Paul had to send him to laundry to get a bigger one and the poor boy had left crying.
Dean tried to help in any way shape or form that he knew how, but nothing seemed to be helping. He would talk but Percy never seemed to listen. He was a mess and everyone knew it. Even his family.
"Honey...?" His Aunt approached him one night after he'd thrown a fit at dinner. "Percy, Sweetheart, please open the door."
"Go away..." Percy whimpered, trying to hold in the river of tears threatening to escape his eyes. He hadn't stopped crying for days. He was downright miserable. Even more so than usual.
"Percy..." His Aunt sighed, grabbing the key from above the doorframe and unlocking the door herself.
"I'm fine!" Percy growled at her.
"Percy...I know you're hurting..." Rose tried to console her nephew.
"Just leave me alone!" He growled again, pushing past her and hurrying downstairs out to his car.
It seemed like no matter what anyone did to try and help him, Percy just refused to accept their charity. He refused to accept their pity. Why? Only he knew, and he sure as hell wasn't telling anyone.
"I think maybe we should transfer Wharton outta here." Brutal suggested. "Maybe that'd get his mind off of things."
"He ain't ever gonna be able to get his mind off of this, Brute." Harry sighed. "For the rest of his life he'll have to remember it. There's no escape."
"Now hold on just a minute..." Dean piped up. "I don't care what anybody says, every child that's ever been is always a blessing. No matter what the situation may be."
"That's very true Dean, but be that as it may I doubt Percy has it in him to parent a child that's a product of rape." Paul argued, gnawing at his lip in thought. They all wanted to help the poor kid. They just didn't know how.
"He'll come around." Dean said. "Once he sees the baby's face everything'll change. I'd bet anything on it."