The Irish Rose

Chapter 6

The very next day, I was released from the hospital. To say the least, I was reluctant to leave now that I had found someone who cared for me just as I ought to be cared for and treated. Currently, I was sitting in my room getting ready to leave. A nurse helped me change into some shorts and a t-shirt.

I was sitting on the edge of my bed, about to situate myself in the wheelchair that the nurse had told me was required for me to be carted out of the hospital in, when low and behold Dr Aedan came strolling through my door with a smile on his face. "Lilly, I know that this is going to sound super weird, since we only met but a few weeks ago for the first time. But I feel like I have to say this." I waited for Aedan to go on, he had me hanging on every word he spoke. I wanted to know what he was going to say. "So here it goes. The first time I met you, I have to admit, I felt an attraction to you. Like we were meant to be, like it was fate. Then you came in a few days ago, and that's when I truly felt like I couldn't live without you." I was slightly taken a back, but I was so happy that he felt the same way I did. "Lilly, I am saying this, because well... I have some vacation time coming up, and I figured that after everything you told me, that you would want to have some new scenery. So I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go to Ireland with me."

Aedan Pov

"So I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go to Ireland with me." I watched her face intently as I gauged her reaction. She didn't seem surprised, she seemed happy, but I was just so dang nervous that I couldn't know for sure. She took a breathe, "Aedan, I would love to go to Ireland with you!" she exclaimed.

She quickly jotted down an address to a flat downtown and a phone number along with it. Then the nurse unlocked her wheelchair and started rolling her down the hall to the elevator. I stood in the room that she was just in processing everything that had just happened. When the reality of it finally hit me, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with feeling of joy and happiness. To say the least, I walked out of the hospital walking out on a high. That woman had just made my night.

As I made my merry way to my car, I got in, turned on the radio, and began jamming out to some of 5 seconds of summer's greatest hits, when all of a sudden I remembered that I needed to go book some tickets to Ireland. I had invited this woman to Ireland, and I didn't even have any reservations or plane tickets or anything. I really hope I didn't just make a huge mistake. I could not afford to loose her.

Lilly Pov

I couldn't believe it, he actually asked me out to Ireland! I was still riding the high a week later. I was so excited to be traveling to the one place on earth that I had always wanted to go to.  In the week that I had been away from the hospital, I had received several text messages from Aedan outlining our plans for traveling to Ireland. He had set the date to be two weeks from today, and we were going to be staying at Ashford Castle in Cong County Mayo. When Aedan had told me about Ashford castle, I immediately grabbed my laptop from off the couch beside me and began researching everything there was to know about Ashford Castle. But, I had not prepared myself for one thing. When I searched on google, I went to the images tab, and saw these gorgeous pictures of Ashford castle. When I saw these, I couldn't help but feel like I had been transported back to the medieval ages. The castle itself was a thing of beauty, something fit for a king and queen, for royalty alone. The minute this revelation was realized to it's fullest extent, I couldn't help but feel like this was meant to be. That this trip would reveal something to me that I never knew.

The very next day, I was packing my bags for Ireland and having my best friend Elizabeth drive me around London to buy suitable clothes for my journey. "Lilly, I think you are overthinking this entire trip. It doesn't matter what you wear, just make sure you have fun." Elizabeth said to me as she drove me towards Lipsy. "You know, I have you and your crazy horse to thank for sending me to the hospital. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have gotten to know Aedan better, and if I hadn't gotten to know Aedan better, then I wouldn't be heading to Ireland with him." Elizabeth looked over at me, and said "Your never going to let me live that down are you?" I looked over at her with what I hoped was a mischievous glint in my eye and replied "Nope never." Elizabeth began laughing, and it was one of the most joyous things that I had heard in a while.

A few days later it was time to leave for the airport. I had my bags all packed, and was sitting on my couch, with my crutches next to me. I watched random tv shows, until I heard the doorbell ring. "come in! its open!" I exclaimed. "hey Lilly, its me." Aedan announced.  I smiled brightly as he entered into my flat's living room.  "Are these your bags" he asked. I nodded. "Alright, I'm gonna go run these out to the car, and then I'll come back to get you." "That's fine by me." with that, Aedan grabbed my luggage and rolled it out of my flat. He came back a few minutes later "You ready to go to Ireland Lilly?" "Yes, I am super excited!" "well it certainly sounds like it. Are you sure that you have everything that you need?" I looked around my flat one last time and nodded. I turned my telly off. Aedan then scooped me up off the couch and I grabbed my crutches. He walked me out of my flat and to his car, carefully setting me into it, before shutting the door behind me.

Aedan drove us to the airport. When we finally made it, we got valet parking so that I could have a shorter walk. The valet walked up to the car, taking the keys from Aedan's hand. Aedan walked over to my side and handed me my crutches. I carefully maneuvered my leg out of the car and grabbed ahold of the crutches. I hoisted my self out of the car and made my way to the revolving doors. Aedan stayed behind to unload our luggage from the car before the valet was able to take it away.

As I made my way inside, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the amount of people that were crowded inside of the airport. I had never been in an airport before , and I was shocked by the amount of people that were held within.  My breathe was suddenly stolen from my lungs. I couldn't breathe. My brain was going a hundred miles an hour. I needed Aedan. I felt my knees begin to weaken as my breathing came in pants and rasps. I looked behind me, and saw that Aedan was still outside getting out luggage packed up on to a cart, so I quickly made my way to a nearby seat and collapsed into it. My crutches were discarded beside me as slumped into my chair, my chest tightening. My breathe was coming in tight rasps. "Lilly, are you ok?" Aedan said a hint of worry and concern evident in his voice. I shook my head. "Ok, so you aren't ok. What's wrong Lilly?" I managed to wheeze out a quick reply "Can't breathe right." Aedan quickly guided my head down between my knees. "Alright Lilly, you are having a panic attack. Just take a minute your alright, I'm right here." Aedan continued to reassure me. He stayed beside me, until the panic subsided and I was able to catch my breathe. Once the panic was gone, it was replaced by heavy weariness. I let out a small yawn as Aedan rubbed gentle soothing circles into my back as he continued to crouch beside me.

When I was fully recovered, Aedan handed me my crutches. I grabbed the crutches from Aedan, I was about to get up when a woman came over the loud speaker and said "Flight AAL78 to Dublin, Ireland is now ready for boarding." Aedan and I both shared a look, knowing that that was our flight. I quickly got to my foot, but was soon overcome with a sudden weakness. My leg gave out from underneath me. Before I could hit the ground, a pair of strong hands were gathering me up. Thank God Aedan was there to pick me up before I could hit the floor. "Lilly, are you ok?" I chuckled slightly, it seems like this was a common question as of late. "I'm just a bit tired." I replied as a yawn escaped my lips. "It looks like that panic attack took a lot out of you, huh?" I nodded my head in reply as I snuggled my head into Aedan, and I just let my body relax fully into his arms.