The next day, Percy went over to the Cajun inmate, Del's cell to see a mouse on the prisoner's shoulder. "Well, well, well!" Percy said politely, "Looks like you found yourself a new friend there, Del."
Del looked at him uncomfortably. "Don't hate him, okay?" he said and set the mouse on his shoulder.
"The one I chased?" Percy inquired to the other guards. He felt bad about what he'd done to the poor creature.
"Yeah, that's the one," Paul replied.
"Only Del says his name is… Mr. Jingles," Brutal finished.
"Del's been asking for a box," Paul told Percy, "Big for the mouse to sleep in, I guess. Might keep it for a pet."
Percy nodded before Paul questioned him, "What do you think?"
"You know what?" Percy answered, "We ought to find a cigar box, and get some cotton from the dispensary to line it with. Yeah… Yeah, that should do real nice!" He wanted to make it up to Del for not knowing it was Del's mouse he chased.
"Did you hear that, Mr. Jingles?" Del whispered to his pet mouse, "Percy's going to give you a new box."
Percy stopped only to wink at the Cajun prisoner.
…
The next morning, a new inmate named Wharton, who looked about nineteen years old, was taken from Briar Ridge Mental Hospital to Cold Mountain Penitentiary in Louisiana. As soon as the prisoner arrived at the prison, he started to go wild, knocked things over on the floor, and put his cuffed hands around Dean's neck. "Ain't this a pretty neck?!" Wharton said as he strangled poor Dean.
"Let him go!" Paul commanded William Wharton.
"I hear ya!" Wharton said, not quite listening to Paul's orders.
"Shoot!" Dean gagged to Percy, who stood nervously at the sight of poor Dean being strangled. Percy did not want to see Dean getting hurt, especially with a bloody mouth, but Percy knew he had to do something.
"Hit him, Percy!" Paul shouted.
Percy was reluctant at first, but hearing this gave him courage. He remembered being bullied and beaten up as a kid at school until he couldn't take it anymore so he fought back. Having enough, he grabbed his baton and whacked Wharton in the back.
Brutal went over to help Dean, who was on the floor with the crazy inmate. "Come on, Dean," Brutal said, "Come on, get up! Alright, just breathe! Come on, now."
"I didn't see it coming," Dean breathed, "Didn't see it coming!"
Harry got off the floor behind the clutter and told Paul, "We thought he was doped! Didn't we? Didn't we… all of us, think he was doped?"
"But it's still… a good… learning… experience," Paul panted.
"Percy," Dean said in a hoarse voice.
Percy looked back at him.
"Thank you," Dean finished.
"Anytime, Dean," Percy said, "I'm glad I can help you."
Minutes later, Brutal and Paul grabbed the now unconscious Wharton to the cell and threw him on the prison bed before locking the door and leaving.