eleven damn stitches:

"when the track coach tells you not cut across a random parking lot because there could be, oh, i don't know glass on the ground, you should probably listen to her," Miranda said to her daughter, folding her arms.

"ma'am? do i have to ask you to leave?" the doctor stitching her daughter up questioned.

switching the position of her arms, Miranda put her hands on her hips. "do you want me to fight you?" she asked them.

"hey, i'm doing you a favor, woman," her best friend said, grinning. "Sanaa, do you want me to put your momma out? because i'll do it for you, Squish."

the girl shook her head. "mom, just relax, okay? i'm fine. i hardly feel anything. he's gonna do a great job. right, Benny?"

he nodded and Miranda sighed and apologized to a half-serious Ben and a somewhat dazed Sanaa. she was just so worried. getting a call that her child was in the ER was not something she ever wanted to get and definitely didn't want to get again. especially with the weather being what it was outside. the cold and the rain had caused a few accidents, but prayerfully, Sanaa was here, she was safe. Miranda sat down in the chair pulled up to her daughter's bedside, letting the exhaustion hit her like a sandbag. tears welled in her eyes. "eleven damn stitches".

Ben paused his work for a second and walked over to her. keeping his arms away from her, he dropped his head on top of hers. "she's fine, Miranda, okay? she's tough as shit, plus... she has the best doctor suturing her up."

at that Miranda pushed him away, laughing. he really was a great surgeon and a great friend. during her divorce, he'd been a buddy to drink with, a shoulder to lean on. and, having been through his own, he'd given her advice that had helped immensely. "thankful" couldn't even begin to describe how she felt with him by her side—especially now.

"ooohh!" Sanaa's instigation brought her back to the present.

"see, i can't believe you asked for Benny when..." she held up her hands. "look at these! i'm gonna remember that when christmas rolls around."

"you're not allowed to work on me," her daughter correctly argued.

Miranda yawned. "true."

"yeah, whatever," Ben interjected, "true or not, i'm gonna hold this over your head for a very long time."

"hush and fix my daughter."

he winked at her before turning to the teen. "she needs no fixing. she's perfect."

"exactly."

"but i should have let O'Malley do it because i am supposed to getting ready for a date right now."

Miranda's tongue darted out and slid across her lips. "you really want me to fight you." after a while she added: "but you didn't tell me that."

"eh, it's a last minute thing with Cade. nothing major."

"for you? three dates leading up to the biggest holiday of the season must mean it's serious," she teased. since she'd known him, the man enjoyed playing the game of love though he hadn't reached the end of the board again since his divorce.

he shrugged a little, his eyes lasered on Sanaa's skin. the teen lay still, listening to their back and forth with one earbud in. "we'll see."

"that we shall."

the door opened suddenly, making her jump, and in flew her boyfriend, Eli. "babe?" he leaned down, hugging and kissing her. "hey, Warren. how is she? how do you feel, Sanaa?" he asked, looking at the girl whose eyes were closed shut for the first time since she'd been wheeled in. "oh, she's asleep."