THE NEXT MORNING

"Got any threes?" asked Miranda from where she sat Indian style on her hospital bed staring at Rodney over the top her cards.

"Damn Sanchez what are you psychic or something?" grumbled Rodney as he handed two cards over to Miranda's eager hands.

"Nope not psychic" said Miranda as she placed another matching set of cards down on the bed between them "Just smarter than you is all."

"Ha ha ha," said Rodney rolling his eyes "Got any Kings?"

"Nope, Go Fish," said Miranda smiling sweetly while pointing to the deck of cards that was sitting on the bed.

"I hate this stupid game," mumbled Rodney as he once again took another card from the deck and added it to the ever increasing amount of cards in his hand.

"You only hate it because I've won every game we've played," said Miranda sticking her tongue out at Rodney.

"Oh that was very mature," said Rodney rolling his eyes again "And for your information missy I could've won any of these games we've played if I had gotten any sleep last night."

"Excuses, excuses," said Miranda sarcastically "Got any Jacks."

"It's true," said Rodney as he handed Miranda the cards she asked for "If you hadn't kept me up all night with your snoring than maybe I wouldn't be so tired and playing so bad right now."

When it got quiet all of a sudden Rodney looked up and cringed as he watched Miranda lay her cards down on the bed andbegin to give him a glare of death that would have scared the living crap out of Ganges Kahn himself.

"RODNEY CHRISTOPHER STEVENS I DO NOT SNORE!" was all Miranda got out through her gritted teeth as she continued to glare at Rodney.

"Yes, you do!" said Rodney while wondering just how in the hell Miranda knew what his middle name was.

"I do not!"

"Oh please you do too snore" said Rodney "You snore so loud people in the rooms next door were probably thinking a squadron of low flying airplanes were buzzing the hospital all night."

"Oh you are so dead!" shouted Miranda as she grabbed the pillow off her bed and sent playing cards flying in every direction as she jumped over on top of Rodney and proceeded to pillow whip him into submission.

"Ok Ok I give up! I was mistaken you don't snore!" shouted Rodney as he put his arms over his face in surrender after a few seconds of Miranda hitting him with her pillow.Rodney was also trying very hard not to notice how Miranda's hospital gown had risen up a good bit gaving him a very good view of a very shapely and tanned thigh.

But luckily for Rodney or unluckily for him he wasn't quite sure which one yet he and Miranda were interrupted by a sudden clearing of the throat that come from the doorway of the hospital room. Turning their heads the pair found the doctor that had treated Miranda the night before standing in the doorway smiling at them.

"What's up Doc?" asked Rodney turning his head to the side so he see the smirking doctor better.

"What's up Doc?" Miranda asked looking down at Rodney with a look of disbelief on her face while still straddling him "I can't believe you just said that?"

"Hey cut me some slack would you," said Rodney grinning from ear to ear"I've always wanted to find someway to drop that into a conversation."

"You are such a moron," said Miranda smiling as she rolled off Rodney and climbed back into the normal position of her bed.

Thank you God, thought Rodney as Miranda finally slid off his waist. Not that that had been a bad thing mind you. It just meant that he could now quit trying to think about Betty White in a bikini. He had found it was the only thing he could think of that kept him from getting a Mr.Happy while Miranda was on top of him.

"Well what's up is," said the doctor as she walked over to Miranda's bed not notcing how Rodney winced a little at the phrase she had just used "Your friends are all outside in the hall waiting for you and I believe it's ok now for you to go home."

"Oh thank god," said Miranda "No offense Doc but I can't wait to get out of here."

"No offense taking" said the doctor smiling"But before you can go I would like to check you out one last time."

"I think that's my cue to go outside and take a short walk or something," said Rodney as he climbed off the bed and started to head for the door.

Or maybe I'll go take a cold shower, thought Rodney as he reached the door.

Looking back over his shoulder Rodney could see how worried Miranda was looking at the prospect of him leaving.

"Don't worry Sanchez I won't go far," said Rodney hoping to make her feel better "I'll be just outside. So just use that famous big mouth of yours to call me if you need anything."

Seeing the smile once again grace Miranda's face Rodney happily walked out the door to find Lizzie standing there holding a change of clothing for Miranda.

"Hey Lizzie what's up?" asked Rodney as he walked up to her while rubbing his neck.

"Morning Rodney," smiled Lizzie "Sore?"

"Yeah" said Rodney nodding his head "I got muscles that I didn't even know I had hurting right now. That's the last time I spend all night sleeping in a chair."

"Well like I said you're just a big sweetie for staying here with Miranda all night, keeping her company," said Lizzie as she gave Rodney a big hug.

"Please Lizzie don't call me that.You're going to hurt my tough guy image."

"Oh please" said Lizzie rolling her eyes "Now while I go take Miranda this change of clothing you go find David at the front desk and wait for us."

"Yes maam" said Rodney as Lizzie walked by him and into Miranda's room.

Following Lizzie's orders Rodney made his way down the hallway and to the front desk where he saw David waiting for everyone. But before Rodney could make it over to his friend he was set upon suddenly by a very lovely and very shapely blonde candy striper.

"Hi my name is Molly," the candy striper said to Rodney as she held out her hand to him while giving him one hell of a megawatt smile.

"Rodney" said Rodney as he took her hand and shook it.

MEANWHILE BACK IN MIRANDA'S HOSPITAL ROOM

"That's quite a nice looking boyfriend you have there," said the doctor as she shined her light into Miranda's pupils just double checking.

"He's not my boyfriend," said Miranda a little to quickly.

Hmmm do protest to much, the doctor thought to herself while smiling.

"Well what is he than?" asked the doctor while taking a hold of Miranda's wrist to check her pulse "If you don't mind me asking?"

"He's...he's just...well he's just Rodney," Miranda said as if that would explain it all.

"Oh ok," said the doctor as she started to write down a few things on Miranda's chart "Well I guess it's a good thing that he's not your boyfriend after all."

"Why?" asked a confused Miranda.

"Well it just seems that about all the single nurses on this floor and some of the married ones have come down with a severe case of the hots for him," said the doctor "They think it's so sweet the way he stayed the whole night here with you last night sleeping in a chair. The more forward ones are even talking about maybe asking him out for coffee or something."

"Well everything about you seems to check out fine Ms. Sanchez.You're going to have a slight headache for awhile due to the blow you took but that shouldn't be anything to serious. I'll write you out a prescription for it," said the doctor as she closed up the chart and started heading for the door just as Lizzie came breezing in.

"Oh sorry doctor I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," said Lizzie "I'm here to bring Miranda a change of clothing since her old ones are covered in blood from yesterday."

"Not at all Mrs. Gordon " said the doctor smiling at Lizzie and than turned to Miranda "Ms. Sanchez when your're done changing just hit the call button by your bed and a nurse will come in a help you get discharged out."

"Ok thanks Doctor" said Miranda nicely to the doctor but actually she was no longer paying any attention to the woman anymore. For Miranda now found that her mind was focussed on the thought of a whole hospital of nurses wanting to flirt with Rodney.

Knowing him he'd probably enjoy that, thought Miranda as she felt her blood start to boil in anger for reasons she knew not why.

"Well come on Rand and hurry up," said Lizzie a little to cheerfully as she walked up to Miranda "Lets get you out of that bed, dressed and out of this hospital!"

"Yes, lets do hurry and get out of here," said Miranda as she climbed out of her bed, grabbed the clothing from Lizzie and headed into the small bathroom to change.

A few minutes later Miranda found herself much to her embarrassment sitting in a wheelchair and being pushed by a nurse down the hall toward the front desk.

"Is this really necessary?" asked Miranda for the hundredth time "It was my head not my legs that were hurt."

"Sorry ma'am," said the nurse "Everyone checking out regardless of what injuries they had coming in are all wheeled out the door in a wheelchair. It's hospital policy."

"Alright than if that's the case than lets just get this over with," said Miranda as the nurse pushed her toward the front.

But upon reaching the front Miranda received a sight that started her blood boiling once again. Standing there at the front desk talking with Rodney was a blonde candy striper tramp. Now Miranda didn't know the woman and had never seen her before until now but she knew that the woman was a tramp. I mean good Lord just look at her! Her body language alone spoke volumes! God when she moves those hips of hers like she's doing right now she's clearly shouting out to the world 'Hey look at me I'm a slut!'

As Lizzie walked around Miranda and approached her husband she couldn't help but notice the glare of death that Miranda was shooting at the candy striper.

"Do you have your gun on you?" Lizzie asked David "Just in case we need to save that poor girl when Miranda attacks her?"

"She sure looks pretty pissed off right now doesn't she?" said David the two never taking their eye of the sight unfolding in the hospital lobby.

"Here" said Molly as she placed a piece of paper into Rodney's hand "Now remember what I said hon.You can call me anytime you want to."

THE HELL WITH THIS, thought Miranda seeing red as she came out of the wheelchair suddenly making it roll back into the nurse who was pushing it.

Miranda stalked over to the flirting pair and calmly took the piece of paper with the phone number on it away from Rodney and handed back to the candy striper.

"I'm so sorry" said Miranda as she gave the candy striper a fake smile and a very dark look "But I'm afraid that in the future Rodney here wont have anytime available for you."

"I won't?" asked Rodney a little confused but than yelped out in pain when Miranda's foot suddenly came down on top of his instep.

"Uhhhh I mean yeah I won't sorry," said Rodney looking over his shoulder at the candy striper as Miranda looped her arm into his and started leading him out the front door and toward the parking garage. They were being followed close behind by a laughing David and Lizzie.

"Damn Sanchez," moaned Rodney when they made it outside. He was having to work very hard not to hobble on his now VERY sore foot "I think you broke my damn foot!"

"Serves you right," said Miranda rolling her eyes but still with her arm looped through Rodney's arm.

TBC