"Ready to leave budskies?" Liz asked Nick an afternoon one month later.

"Yeah! Let's go!" he said grabbing his mother by the hand and pulling her out the door, towards the park.

"You ready?" She asked him once they were in the park, playing with a ball.

"Yeah, throw it, mama." he replied.

"OK, here it comes." Liz told him rolling the ball to him softly. Nick missed the ball and it rolled straight into the street. He followed it into the street, "Nick, stop, Nicholas!" Liz yelled trying to get the young boys attention. Unfortunately, he didn't hear her, and kept running after the ball into the street. Just then a car came speeding down the street, the driver not paying much attention to the road, by the time he saw Nick he was about 5 feet away. The driver tried to stop, but unfortunately, he was too late, and he hit Nicholas.

"OHMIGAWD! No! Someone, call 911, please!" Liz yelled running out into the street, over to Nicholas. "Hurry, please!"

The driver got out of the car and went to Liz, "I'm so sorry! I didn't see him! I am sorry, really really really sorry!" He said.

"Get the f__k away from me!" She yelled, pounding at his chest. "You may have killed my son! Get the hell away from me!"

"Whoa, I'm sorry, please, stop, calm down." The man said grabbing Liz's wild arms. Suddenly, Liz broke down in this strangers arms. Though he was baffled he tried all he could to calm her down, and get her under control. A minute later the ambulance arrived and Liz went in it with Nick to the hospital, while the man followed behind them.

"Calm down, Liz, take a seat." Justin, the driver, said. "Getting worked up like this isn't going to help you any, now sit, ok?"

"OK, you're right, I just need to relax, everything is going to be fine, right?" Liz said taking a seat. When Liz sat down, she started thinking about Justin. How could she be so nice to him? He had hit her son with his car, yet, for some reason, she couldn't hate him. In fact, she thought she might even have some kind of feelings for him, but she quickly shook that thought from her head, remembering, once again, what he had done.

I don't get how she can be so nice to me; I mean I could have killed her son! Justin thought as he took a seat in the waiting.

A few minutes later a doctor came through the doors that led to the emergency room. "Miss. Miller?" He asked into the room.

"That's me." Liz told him getting up to meet him.

"Hello Miss. Miller my name is doctor Penick." He said, introducing himself.

"Hello, how is my son?" she asked impatiently.

"Your son is going be just fine. He has a couple of bruised ribs which will hurt him for a week or two, he also has a broken wrist and fractured ankle. He is a very lucky boy." The doctor informed Liz.

"Yes, I know, may I go see him now?"

"Yes you may, he is right through those doors on the right."

"Ok, thank you doctor, thank you very much." Liz said running through the doors to see her son leaving Justin standing there thankful that Nick was going to be ok.

A few minutes later, as Liz sat at her son's bedside she heard a knock on the door. "Come in.,” she told the person on the other side. When she looked up she was surprised to see Justin walking into the room. "What are you doing here?" she asked in a rude tone.

"Whoa, sorry, I just wanted to come see Nick and make sure he was ok." Justin said holding his hands up in defeat.

"Oh, sorry I snapped, but you know."

"Yeah, sorry."

"Mommy, who dat?" Nick asked His mother, pointing to Justin.

"Oh, Nicky, baby, that's the man that was driving the car that hit you earlier, you remember?"

"Oh, I sowwy." Nick said quietly.

"What are you sorry for?" Justin asked kneeling next to Nick's bed.

"I got in your way, I sowwy."

"Hey, it's not your fault. It's my fault for not paying attention and I am very sorry that I did this to you." Just told Nick with sincerity as Liz looked on from her spot on the other side of the bed. She was surprised the amount of compassion she saw in Justin's eyes, she knew he wasn't just putting on an act for her and Nick, but instead he was being true and honest.

"Well, I would love to stay here with you guys but I have to go before they send out the bounty hunters, bye Liz, Nick." Justin said walking out the door waving. "Oh, by the way, give me a call sometime, whether you need a friend or a babysitter, bye guys."

Liz was rather shocked that he had used the word friend, but for some reason, she didn't mind, in fact, she kind of liked it. "Maybe, bye Justin." Liz said, turning back to Nick.

Justin walked out of the room, thinking about how Liz had acted. She hadn't been rude to him; instead she had been extremely nice.

He walked out to the parking lot, got in his car and headed off to the studios, still wondering what it was that made Liz not hate him.

Meanwhile Liz sat next to her son’s bed thinking the same thing. She didn’t hate Justin. Sure, she had some animosity towards him, but not hate. She wanted to hate him more than words could explain; she wanted to hate him for what he had done to her son, yet she couldn’t. Why? She would figure it out sometime, but for now all she had to concentrate on was taking care of Nick.

“Yeah, can we watch Joe, momma?” He asked her.

“Of course we can, let me put it on and I’ll come back and sit with you ok?” Liz asked the boy, as he nodded. She got up and put in “Mighty Joe Young” then went back to sit down.

Soon, Nick was sleeping on her lap before the movie was halfway over. She carefully got up and brought him to his room. After leaving Nick in his bed to sleep Liz came back out into the living room and put her hands in her pocket as she looked around at the mess.

She felt something and pulled it out. It was the piece of paper that held Justin’s number. Liz felt that she should call him to thank him for staying but she also didn’t think he deserved it. It was his fault after all. But then again, he stuck around.

She shook her head to clear it of all thoughts and pout the paper down on the counter, kicking off her shoes and getting down to cleaning.