It was quiet in the tiers of cell block B at Statesville prison on the afternoon of April 13th. The convicts had returned from the mess hall and those that weren't napping where otherwise quietly occupying their time playing cards, writing letters or simply daydreaming about life on the outside. Leonard "Hutch" Hutchinson, Michael Scoffield's cellmate, was taking advantage of the quiet time, reading a book as he sat on his upper bunk in cell 18, waiting for Michael to return from his visit with his brother, Lincoln Burrows.

Until recently, Hutch had never been much of a reader. At 51, he couldn't remember when the last time he had taken the time to sit down and read a book. Of course, years of dodging cops while simultaneously trying to plan and execute your next big robbery heist didn't afford him a lot of free time. But Michael seemed to enjoy it and it always amazed Hutch how he could spend literally hours with is nose buried in a book.

"What's the point?" Hutch finally asked Michael one day. "It the books any good, they'll eventually make it into a movie."

"Yeah, well…I don't get to the movies much these days." Michael replied sarcastically without looking up, as he flipped the page in his worn copy of "The Rule of Four." It was a strange comment Michael thought, coming from a man who had spent the last ten years behind bars and was probably looking at, at least, another ten. When was the last time he had seen a movie. But sometimes Hutch just liked to be argumentative. He seemed to enjoy debating things with Michael.

"Besides, the books are always better than the movies." Michael added as an afterthought.

"You think?" Hutch replied.

"Most definitely."

"You're almost through with that one I see." Hutch pointed out.

"Yep." Michael replied, still not looking up.

"You just started it last night."

"Yep."

"That good. Huh?"

"Yep."

Hutch rolled his eyes. It really was damn near impossible to engage this kid in any type of conversation when he was engrossed in one of his books. He sighed and glanced over at the small metal desk in the corner of the cell where Michael had stacked his ever-growing collection of reading material.

"These any good?" Hutch asked, walking over to the desk and picking up a random book from the top of the pile.

Michael briefly glanced up and shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Well maybe I'll read one then." Hutch announced.

Michael finally pulled his nose from the book and smiled incredulously.

"What?" Hutch demanded. "You think I can't read a book?"

"I didn't say anything." Michael laughed, turning his attention back to his own book. "Knock yourself out."

"I'll have you know, I was reading books before you were even born kiddo."

"I didn't say anything." Michael insisted as he flipped another page in his book.

"I can read a book." Hutch muttered to himself one final time.

And that's exactly what he did. And while it took him significantly longer than Michael, he eventually made it through Michael's entire desktop collection. And he really did enjoy it. Michael was right.

"Open 18."

Hutch looked up and saw a CO escorting Michael back from his visit with Lincoln.

"All clear. Close it up!" The CO yelled again once Michael had stepped inside.

Hutch closed his book and looked down at his cellmate. He was expecting Michael to be all smiles and ready to talk his ear off about his visit with his brother. But something was wrong. Michael didn't look at all happy.

"So…How'd it go?" Hutch said, almost afraid to ask.

Michael said nothing. He didn't even acknowledge his cellmate. He simply disappeared into the bunk below.

"Shit!" Hutch muttered to himself. "That's never a good sign."

He hopped down from his bunk and turned to face Michael.

"Hey kid… What happened?" He asked.

Michael remained silent as he sat on his bunk, nervously tapping his thumbs on his knees, which were pulled up close to his chest.

"Michael?" Hutch said, tilting his head as he tried to make eye contact with the young man. But it was no use. Michael was staring straight ahead, but he wasn't seeing anything. He was in his own little world and Hutch knew that was never a good thing.

"Hey kid! I'm talking to you!" Hutch tried using a more, stern authoritative voice to break through to Michael.

When that didn't work, he decided to try a different approach…begging.

"Come on kid. Don't do this to me. OK? You know how I hate it when you do that vacant stare thing. It freaks me out. OK? So just…just… knock it off!"

Still nothing.

Hutch was starting to panic. No one in Statesville knew Michael better than Hutch. And no one knew better than Hutch what Michael was capable of when he kept things bottled up and let them fester inside of him. It was not a good sign that Michael wasn't talking and the longer it went on, the worse it would get. Normally, Hutch would give Michael some time…let him work it out. But he would keep a close eye on him and normally, Michael would come around. But the fact that he was behaving this way after a visit with Lincoln concerned him.

Hutch glanced down at Michael and then toward the front of the cell. He didn't want to have to summon a CO, but if Michael was going to flip out on him again, he would need some help. He approached the bars and began calling out…

"Boss! Hey! I need a guard down here. I think we uh…I think we have a situation here!"

"No. We don't"

Hutch whipped around to find Michael looking up at him.

"We don't have a situation here." Michael repeated calmly, despite the fact that Hutch's declaration had caused a bit of chaos and excitement in the surrounding cells.

The once quiet cons were now all pressed to the bars of their cells, laughing, yelling and trying to determine what was going on in Cell 18.

"Yo! Heads up fellas! Looks like Scofield is on the fast track to the whack shack again!" One con yelled out excitedly.

"Man! What the hell is wrong with you then?" Hutch asked Michael angrily, trying hard to ignore the rowdy cons. " Didn't you hear me talking to you?"

"I heard you. I was thinking."

"You were thinking? And what? You can't think and acknowledge me at the same time? Damn kid! Learn to multi-task will ya?" Hutch spat back.

His final comment caused Michael to smile despite himself, which only enraged Hutch further.

"You think that's funny? You scared the shit out of me!"

"I'm sorry." Michael replied.

"What's going on Hutch?"

Hutch and Michael turned their attention back to the front of the cell where not one, but three COs were now standing outside the cell looking anxious. Neither Hutch nor Michael was surprised to see so many. This wasn't the first time COs had been summoned to cell 18 and they all knew what Michael was capable of. So whenever Hutch summoned them because there was "a situation" they came quickly and they came prepared.

"Hutch?"

"Uh…I think I may have jumped the gun this time fellas." Hutch replied apologetically. "Everything is fine."

"You sure?" the CO asked skeptically, glancing over at Michael.

"Yeah. I'm sure." Hutch said.

"Scofield?"

"I'm fine Boss." Michael assured them.

The guards still looked skeptical. They knew something had to have happened for Hutch to call out like he had. But realizing they weren't going to get any more information from the cellmates, they turned and walked away.

"Hey! Shut the hell up!" One of them yelled out to the rest tier as they walked away. "Now! Or you cons will lose your yard time for a week!"

That seemed to work and as the cell block quieted down, Hutch turned back to Michael who was still seated on his bunk.

"Now…are you going to tell me what the hell happened with your brother? And don't try to tell me nothing kid. Because I know you."

"He's angry with me." Michael replied quietly.

"Angry with you? Why the hell would your brother be angry with you?"

Hutch could see the tears start to well up in his cellmates eyes as the young man began rubbing his mutilated forearm.

"Because I broke my promise." Michael said, choking back sobs. "I disappointed him. Again."

To be continued…