That day the group that Oliver was in were jostled out to sample some antibiotic spray. The scientists first found kids that had bruises and cuts and sprayed it on them.

Oliver had a small cut on his forehead and got a large spray of the foam put onto it. Tears came to his eyes at the stinging pain but none of them fell. At least he wasn’t like some of the other kids.

Those lucky enough not to currently have any injuries were no longer so lucky. A scientist walked over to some of them and put something on their skin. The first cried out in unexpected pain. It had been a hot piece of metal, and he’d been burned. This got antibiotic foam sprayed onto it. The orphans after that didn’t cry out. They knew what to expect.

Eventually, however, the stinging stopped and the pain went away. Even the kids who had been burned felt no pain, the area numbing. The spray would undergo a few more tests to get the stinging out of it. No one wanted it to hurt, and customers mattered.

The orphans did not.