Searching For Sanctuary

6. Push or Pull

Doc was pacing the space in front of Sister Elizabeth's desk with one hand playing with his lips as he mulled over the way to begin his proposition. He chewed on the inside of his cheek while trying to figure out the right way to approach the topic. His hair was disheveled from running his hands through it absentmindedly.

Sister Elizabeth was leaning against the windowsill, watching the rain pour in bucket loads. All the greenery of the trees seemed to blur together from the sheer intensity of the downpour. Sister Elizabeth stood, waiting patiently for Doc to find his words. She knew exactly what he was going to say even before he knew himself.

"Sister Elizabeth, I think it would be best-" Doc started, but cut off, shaking his head.

Sister Elizabeth's eyebrows rose, urging him on. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited once more as Doc's scattered fragments were clustered and rearranged time and time again.

"You see, it would be in everyone's best interest if-" Doc stopped again, muttering to himself and tapping his pointer finger against his chin as he lost himself in thought.

Sister Elizabeth sighed, figuring it was time to step in and help the poor man out, "Doc, there's no need to beat around the bush. Just spit it out and tell me exactly what it is that has you so wound up, pacing in the corner over there, contemplating life."

"Fine!" Doc sighed heavily and threw his hands up, "This place isn't good for Aisling anymore. She needs out. You cannot expect her to get better if she's locked up in here 24/7. She needs to be out there in the real world again, getting used to it all. She needs to live. Her time here after Harry left only made her worse. Not better, worse.

"When she was out in town earlier, she did better than I ever could have imagined. She faced a memory of her time with Harry and didn't freak out like she's done before," Doc paused when he saw the confusion flicker across Sister Elizabeth's face.

"Remember when we got that new patient whose name was Edward and Aisling lost it? She just slammed her hands over her ears and began screaming?" Doc waited for some sign of recognition from Sister Elizabeth, but when he received none, he continued on, "Harry's middle name is Edward! That's what set her off. She heard that name, and the memories must have whipped right back in her face."

Sister Elizabeth's head was tilted to the side as the information sank in. She thought back to the time, the memory clicking in her brain like a light switch flicked on. Once that memory of Aisling's overwhelming panic surged to the front of her mind, Sister Elizabeth began to remember all the other times that Aisling had a lost look in her eyes as she went to pieces.

"Sister," Doc drawled, "Aisling can't stay here anymore. It's making her condition worse. I think it would be best for her and everyone here if she came with me into the city. I've got some connections so I could get her a job, we could share a flat so I could keep an eye on her. She'll need my guidance, but the only way for her to get better and overcome her problems is to go out there and live it, deal with it every day. Aisling needs to be discharged so she can leave."

Sister Elizabeth's face was a mask of indifference. On the inside, she was thinking over Doc's proclamation, but on the outside, she couldn't care less. Sister Elizabeth turned away from Doc to look out the window once more, squinting when she saw a small figure move in the torrential downpour. As they both stood there in each other's company of silence, Rylie threw the door open and barged in with wide eyes and frantic movements.

"Doc! You need to read this right now." Rylie's tone was urgent as he thrust a folded piece of paper into Doc's hands.

Sister Elizabeth ignored them, leaning closer to the window as she placed a hand to the glass and tried to make out the form in the rain. She shook her head, bewildered at the sight. She wouldn't believe it. That was until the figure came closer to the building as it scurried down the pebble driveway.