ROBERT

“Please help me”

That was the last words I heard before heavy sobbing.

“Ava, calm down and tell me what is going on please”

I respond clutching the phone tightly. It’s like hearing her voice in distress activated my most caveman Instincts. I feel the urge to hurt whoever made her cry but how is this possible, I was just introduced to her some hours ago.

“It's Pete, I don't know what's wrong with him but he is passed out and turning red all over”

That drags me out of my head and I focus on what she is saying.

“ I can't call an ambulance because he will fail the drug test and that would lead to so many issues”

“I can't seem to wake him up”

“He kept drinking nonstop since we left your house and then suddenly this happened “

Ava responds between sobs.

“Where exactly are you guys right now, text me the address and I will be right over “

“Just stay with him, Ava, “

I say over the phone and cut the call. Turning to my team that’s all connected through a video call, I postpone the remaining issues that have yet to be discussed, picking my keys, I head out. While heading out I receive Ava’s text containing their location.

I zoom off, and on arrival, I realize it's a frat party. Spotting Ava where she is standing, I pause briefly, struck once more by the beauty of Ava. Even in her hysterical state and dressed in those ugly baggy clothes that hid her curves. she is breathtaking and too good for my son.

Drawing close, I try to get her attention. She turns and the relief I feel radiate from her is evident.

She runs over and for some weird reason, I feel the urge to hug and comfort her.

“Where is he, right now ?”

“What kind of a party is this that so far away from the town”

“Can’t Pete do one thing right in his life ?”

I ask her while fighting the urge to take her into my arms.

“He is in a friend's car, I and his friend moved him there. So he won't get crushed or bothered at the party”

She replies but I look down to see she is trembling, her hands are shaking and the stark fear in her eyes stirs my heart. My anger subsides, this is not her fault at all.

I feel my protective instincts kicking in and I reach out and stroke her arm in reassurance.

“Be calm sweet girl “

“Pete will be alright”

“Lead me to where he is “.

Following behind her, we walk a distance and the surrounding is littered with college students in groups of friends coupled up. Which serves as a good reminder to me that everything I feel for this beautiful girl beside me is wrong. Apart from the fact that she is my son’s girl, she is too young to even understand the needs of a man like me.

Getting to the car, she opens the door, I reach out and feel Pete breathe. It's shallow but it's stable. Touching his forehead to feel his temperature, he is burning up and truly red all over. I push him out of the car supporting his weight, and Ava goes to the other to support his Weight.

Pete looks nothing like me, he took more of his mother's coloring and features, everyone says he has my eyes but on most days I don’t see it.

As we move to support Pete's weight, we pass by a group of drunk frat boys who recognize Ava because they start hollering at her,

“Hey, guys !! Isn’t that Miss Goody to shoes over there?”

“Heyyyy!! Ava baby girl come over here and let me show you what a real man can do??”

“That ass of yours is made for spanking and what I could do with that mouth of yours”

Looking over at Ava, I can see that she is visibly upset, she staggers under the weight of Pete.

At this point, I can barely contain my rage but I also know there is no use in engaging these frat boys and there are more pressing issues at hand.

Raising my voice I ask Ava

“Do you know them?”

It takes a while but she replies

“No, I don’t but some of them are part of the click Pete hangs around with “

My idiot son truly has no merits at this point, how can his so-called friends treat Ava like this?

We move towards my car and put him in the back seat.

“Ava get into the front seat, let's go “

She looks up at me startled, so I repeat

“Ava, I won't leave you here on your own, amid all these frat boys. Who knows what they are capable of?”

“Besides, Pete needs you beside him”

After a while, she nods and gets into the car. I drive off.

“He is going to be ok, it's obvious that he was feverish but still went ahead to in jest drugs “

“That is a bad combination, hence his present state”

“He will be fine as far as you follow the prescription I gave but mind you his body will experience withdrawal due to the lack of drugs”.

“By the time he is done with that IV bag most of the drugs will be flushed out of his system”

Doctor Paul says.

“Thank you doc, you can see yourself out”

“You are to come by every day to check his progress”

I respond.

Doc Paul leaves and I turn to Face Pete who is hooked up to an IV. I sigh in exhaustion. How did I fail as a father? , I gave him everything he could jever want. I always give in to his every wimp, going as far as enduring that bitch Florence so she won’t turn him against me. how did my son end up here?

Today has been a long day, I think as I close the day and head downstairs. I still have some meetings to attend before tomorrow.

Hearing noise I move, taking a detour to investigate

“What the hell are you doing ?”