There Is a Boy Ithaca, New York

Im-perfect choice

'Ava? What are you doing in my house?'

The girl flinched and hugged the teddy bear from Sara.
'I don't know who you are.'
'Math contest. Last year. You were with your mother who is a teacher.'
'I don't have a mother...'

Ava told it upset.
'Don't lie. Your mother is alive. I gave you a sandwich. You kept telling your mom that you were hungry, remember?'
'I kind of remember.'
'I saw you walking along the street with your dad in Ithaca forest today morning. I was on way to the school.'
'I don't have a dad.'
'Who was that?'
'He told me that he could show me big aquarium in his house.'
'You can't talk with people who you don't know.'
'I thought he could be my dad...'
'I'm back in few minutes.'

Michael run to parents.
'Mooooom. Daaaaad.'
'Mikey, what were you? What did I tell you?'
'I just...'
'You don't obey.'
'I just wanted to take the stethoscope and...'
'Yeah. Sorry.'
'And I know who she is.'

Michael got up and squated before his son and held his arms.
'Are you sure, Mikey?'
'I saw her last year during Math contest. She was with her mother who is a teacher in Cortland.'
'It's 21 miles.'
'And I saw her walking with strange man when I was in the school bus.'
'In the morning?'
'Yeah.'
'Mikey, I need your help. Listen to me carefully. How did the man look like?'
'Like psychopath from movies. He has long beard, grey hair. He wears checkered shirt and blue jeans.'
'Would you recognize him?
'I think yes. Just let me draw his face.'

Mikey got really good at drawing. In particular by faces. It took him 15 minutes to draw.
'That's it, daddy.'
It was very detailed drawing.
'You're amazing son.'
'You will help the girl very much.'
'What happenned?'
'The man hurt her.'
'I thought it was her dad...'

Mikey felt guilty.
'If I would have known...'
'It's not your fault, sonny boy.'

Michael kissed his forehead.
'We couldn't make it without you. You don't know how proud I am. Do you know her mother last name?'
'I'm not sure... it was something like... walking... Walker?'
'Ok. We'll check on the internet.'

Michael found Ava's mother adress. She lived in Cortland.
'Sara. I take Ava and I go with Mikey to her mother but it doesn't mean I'll leave her there.'
'It would be better if Mikey will stay home.'
'I need him to confirm me if it's her mother. She hangs out with strangers to get a little tenderness. I'll take care of him. I mean them.'
'Be safe.' She kissed him.

'Mikey! Son! Let's go!'
Sara carried Ava and handed over Michael. She was very sleeply.
'She will be ok. She needs only a psychologist now.'
'Good to have amazing doctor in the house.'

Scofield put Ava to the backseat of the car. Mikey sit next to his dad and thought very intensively.
'What do you think about, sonny?'
'I don't understand why adults hurt little children.'
'Sometimes things happen that are just out of our control. We can just take care of our loved ones and help people as much as we can.'
Michael put a hand on Mikey's knee.
'I love you so much. I won't let anything happen to you.'
'I won't let too. And mom as well.'
'And that's my real Scofield boy.'

Michael smiled.
It took them twenty minutes to get there. Michael woke Ava.
'Can you walk princess?'
'Probably...'
She wanted to grab his hand.
'Don't do it.'
She was obey.
'It's my house! I don't wanna... I don't wanna stay here!'
'You have to see your mother.'

She hid behind Michael and kept his shirt. He put the hand on her shoulder.
'Let's go!'
Mikey held dad's hand.
'This house looks so weird, dad.'
'Shut up!' Ava said.
'Hey, girl! Don't dare to talk to him like that.'
Michael got really upset but he had to knock the door.

The door were opened by drunk woman with greasy hair.
'Finally somebody brought you. You little devil. Where have you been, fucking brat?'
'Mikey, go to the car. Now!'
She tried to hit Ava's face but Michael caught her wrist.
'If you do it I'll call the police.'

Ava's older sister came into the room. She was about 16 years old.
'I'm so sorry. Hey, Ava. I missed you. I couldn't find you. Thank you Mr...'
'I'm Michael Scofield.'
'Ahm... Thank you. And I'm so sorry.'

The mother got out of the room.
Ava hugged her sister very tight. The older one had bruises on her face.
Michael looked pityingly at them. He took his wallet and put 200$ on a table.
'Buy food and clothes for you and your sister.'
'I can't take it, Mr. Scofield.'
'You have to. Bye.'

Ava had tears in her eyes. Older sister looked Michael very intensively.
'He is so handsome.' She thought.

Michael came back to the car but he couldn't pull himself together.
'It was the teacher for sure, dad.'
'Yeah. I know. Thank you.'
'I'll give you a lift home and I'll go somewhere, ok?'
Mikey nodded.

Michael left Mikey before a gate and went to the Ithaca forest. He had Mikey's drawing in the pocket. He looked at it.
'The son of a bitch had to leave tracks.' Scofield thought.
He came back to the place where he found Ava. There were only tracks of boots.
'I need to follow it.'

Then he noticed traces blood and little white sock and a shoe.
'It's Ava's things for sure.' He whispered.

Immeditaly Michael felt somebody's arm on his neck. Somebody started to choke him. He couldn't free and tried not to black out.
Finally Scofield managed to twist man's arm and took out the guy.
'You son of a bitch.' He slapped the assailant dozen times in the face.
'Do you have something to hide, pedophile?'
Michael spitted on him. He looked exactly like the man who Mikey drew.
The man just whined. Scofield called 911.
'You're gonna rot in a prison.'

The police arrived very fast.
'Thank you. We looked for this man very long time. He hid perfectly. It's a pedophile.'
'Really?' Michael pretended to be surprised.
'I know your face from TV. It was impressive what you did.'
'Bygones by bygones, Sir.' Scofield said calmly.
'Anyway. Congratulations.'

Michael couldn't stop thinking about Ava. He felt guilty for leaving her by drunk mother.
'What have you done, Michael? You fucking idiot.' He thought.
But he still wanted to have normal life. He wouldn't want any trouble.

Michael came back home pretending that nothing happened.
'Hi family. How are you?'
'Thank God. You're all right, Honey.'
She kissed him hard and hugged.

Sara grabbed her stomach.
'What is going on, Sara?'
'Our baby is kicking.'
'Really? It's 16 weeks pregnant. Not too early?'
'Mikey moved very early too.'

Michael put his hand on Sara's belly and felt moves of his second child.
'It's amazing. Heyyy, I'm your dad.'
Sara smiled.
'Sara. You don't know how happy I am.'
'Me too.'

Mikey run to dad and hugged him. Michael held him and kissed his cheek.
'My boy.'

Michael pulled out his phone and took selfie with Mikey.
'Do you post it on Instagram, dad?'
'I think yes. I need to show how beautiful is my boy.'

Michael wanted to post but he noticed something.
'Hannah Walker started following you.'
Scofield recognized her and ignored.
'Ava's sister.' He whispered.