SAINT FRANCIS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
SAN FRANCISCO 8:30am

"Hi Miranda." Lizzie said in a quiet voice while looking down in shame when the doctors finally allowed Miranda into Lizzie room.

Without a second thought Miranda was at Lizzie side sitting down next to her on the bed.Miranda was shocked at the sight of all the bruises that covered the left side of Lizzie face,but she quickly wrapped her arms around her now softly crying friend.Holding her tight Miranda hugged her with all she had."I'm here for you hon." said Miranda softly "Whatever you need and what ever you need me to do, I'll do it for you."

As she held her now sobbing friend Miranda begin to speak softly into her ear hoping to calm her down "Everything is going to be alright hon." Miranda repeated over and over again while using her hand to gently stroke Lizzie long blonde hair.

After a few minutes of sobbing Miranda could start to feel Lizzie calming down some. When she noticed that Lizzie was still unable to look her in the eye, Miranda took her hand and put it under Lizzie chin and lifted it up so she could look into her eyes. "How are you doing sweetie?"

"Well, from what the doctors tell me I totally lost it and went psycho for a time." said Lizzie her face getting red from embarrassment. "They said I was wondering around town in the rain like some type of crazy person talking to myself."

"You didn't lose it or go crazy." said Miranda softly and smiling at her friend " You were in shock sweetie. Kevin put your life in danger when he attacked you. So your mind did what it had to do to survive. It shut down the conscious part of your mind and allowed another part of it to take over.A part that could help you fight back harder against him."

Miranda noticed the frightened look that started spreading across Lizzie face after the name Kevin had been spoken outloud.

"You don't have to worry about him every again, hon." said Miranda grinning from ear to ear very proud of her friend "The cops told me a few hours ago that they found Kevin still knocked out on the floor of your house just where you left him. The cops took him to another hospital to get checked out and now he's sitting in a jail cell waiting to get charged with assault and battery."

Miranda was overjoyed to see Lizzie start to calm down a little after hearing that.

"Will I have to testify against him?" asked Lizzie nervously "Or can he be charged without me doing that? I mean if I do that and he gets out! He may come after me again......"

"Ok first off sweetie that bastard won't ever come near you ever again!" said Miranda through clenched teeth as she pulled a sheet of paper out of her jacket pocket and handing it to Lizzie to see "I got a TRO for you while you were in here asleep."

"A TRO?" asked Lizzie confused as she tried to read the legal document, but failed to understand any of it.

"TRO stands for Temporary Restraining Order." said Miranda explaining the document that Lizzie was holding in her hand "It's an emergency order that will keep Kevin away from you until we can get a full Restraining Order hearing in front of a judge today."

"But how did you even get this one?" asked Lizzie still confused "I mean it was night when I was put in here."

"I called a friend of mine by the name of Christie Ryan. She's a judge who works the night shift down at the courthouse. "said Miranda smiling "She owed me a big favor after I got her son out of trouble with the law last year. So after my call she had her aide do the paperwork, she signed it and than had it sent over here to me."

"Oh ok." said Lizzie softly.

"Now I talked to the doctors earlier and they said they will allow you to check out of here sometime this afternoon.So after I get you out of here,me and you need to head to the courthouse." said Miranda "We'll file charges on Kevin for assault, have a full restraining order issued on his ass and than have you file for divorce." Miranda took a close look at Lizzie before saying "You do want a divorce don't you?"

"Yes," said Lizzie in a voice that was stronger than she had used in years "I want a divorce."

"That's my girl! I'm proud of you!" said Miranda smiling as she took Lizzie hand into hers "I'll contact the best divorce lawyer in my firm and have him get to work cleaning Kevin out of everything he owns."

Now here comes the big news and I hope she takes it well, thought Miranda taking a deep breath to gather her courage.

"Speaking of favors." said Miranda letting the smile on her face grow wider "Someone else who owes me a big one is coming here. And he's coming here just to see you. He coming because he wants to help you through all of this." Miranda watched as a puzzled look began to spread across Lizzie face. Ok here goes nothing, thought Miranda. "Gordo is coming here to see you."

Miranda was a little shocked when she saw how pale Lizzie face became and at how panicked she looked again upon hearing this news.

"Lizzie hon are you ok?" asked Miranda very concerned.

"Gordo?!...he's coming here?!.....He's going to ......I mean.... I can't let....Oh God I can't let Gordo see me like this!" Lizzie started stuttering. She was starting to freak at the thought that Gordo was going to come here and quite possibly see how bad her life had turned out.Lizzie turned her face away from Miranda in shame.

"Sweetie?" Miranda said as she took Lizzie by the chin once again and turned her back around to face her "Gordo is coming here to help you through this because he still cares about you."

"Why?" came the quiet question from Lizzie.

"Why what hon?" asked Miranda with a puzzled look on her face.

"Why should he still care about me." Lizzie asked with tears rolling down her cheeks "I was never good to him. I broke his heart,yelled at him and told him I never wanted to see him again. So why would he care enough about me to want to come here and help me?"

"Because no matter how angry you think he is at you or no matter how angry HE thinks he is at you, I know for a fact that deep down he still cares about you." explained Miranda "And that's why he's coming."

"I thought you said he was coming here because he owes you a favor?" asked Lizzie with what Miranda could have sworn was an almost smirk on her face.

"Well, there is that too." said Miranda who than took a look at her watch "Look sweetie Gordo will be at my house in about an hour. I need to leave you so I can head over there to meet him." Miranda watched as Lizzie only nodded "I'll be back here for you later in the day when they let you out. And than after we get everything done at the courthouse I'll take you to my home where you'll be staying from now on."

"And than I can see Gordo?" Lizzie asked in a soft voice and with a smile starting to spread across her face.

"Yeah than you can see Gordo." said Miranda smiling back at her.