Wishful Thinking (a journey that will change lives forever) by Melissa Hill

Cork University Hospital, bound up and in traction, Heather’s earnest and worried face looking down at her.  Heather was Louise’s only sister and her only remaining family member – the girls having lost both parents to cancer in Heather’s late teens.  Roger had gone first and Bridget – her illness greatly exacerbated by her husband’s death – had died a year later.
    “You’re awake!” Heather cried in relief, and went to embrace her.  But Louise was too full of morphine to even sense her older sister’s touch, let alone understand what had happened to her. 
    Apparently she had broken an arm, fractured her hip and thigh “with a shattered tibia thrown in for good measure,” the doctor explained.  The driver, a Dublin businessman in an apparent hurry (and with a few drinks in him) had failed to stop at the red light, and had thrown Louise five feet into the air. 
    This had resulted in a two-month stay in the hospital for Louise, but as the driver had been charged with drunk and dangerous driving, the insurance company very quickly paid out a sum to go towards her hospital bills.  While the guy had admitted liability, what had really hurt Louise was the lack of an apology or even a simple ‘get well’ card from him.  Apparently, he was such an important man that he wanted the episode dealt with as quickly as possible, and had little time for such pleasantries.
    At the time though, Louise was in college at UCC and was barely scraping by on her part-time wages, so the insurance payout had been a godsend.  Heather, although doing well in her chosen hospitality career, had also been unable to contribute much to her sister’s hospital and rehabilitation bills, so they were both grateful the insurance company had paid out so soon.  Additionally, Heather was due to get married in the New Year, and had postponed her big day as a result of Louise’s prolonged hospital stay.
    What the girls hadn’t bargained on, though, were some additional complications – namely a recurring back injury, some ten months after the crash.  Louise needed further rehabilitation, and much to her disappointment, was deemed by the doctors unable to continue with her Physical Education degree in college. 
    As the insurance company had already contributed to her initial hospital bills, Louise had no choice but to take on a large Credit Union loan to pay for her additional medical costs.  At twenty-two, personal health insurance was the last thing on Louise’s mind, and much as it bothered her, she eventually agreed to Heather’s tentative suggestion that they sell the family home to help make the repayments.  The decision was greatly helped by the fact that Heather had in the meantime married her Welsh boyfriend of three years, and was then making plans to move to Cardiff with him. 
    So, denied of her initial choice as a result of her injuries, Louise set about finding herself another career.  Although she was greatly tempted to stay in Cork where all her friends were, she found that due to her back injury in particular, potential work choices were limited.  Then, when she was offered what seemed like a most attractive opportunity to work flexible hours at a new Dublin company, Advanced Credit Services, Louise found she really couldn’t turn it down.  Also, after the difficulties she’d had recently, the idea of packing up and starting afresh in another city – like Heather was doing – appealed to her enormously.    
    So, Louise, no longer quite as bashed, but still a little bruised, moved to Dublin to start her new job and her new life, leaving her home town – and, she hoped, her recent run of rotten luck – far behind.

Chapter 8
     
     
    That Thursday night after work, Louise went out with the girls to celebrate Gemma’s forthcoming nuptials.  She was sitting with the others, enjoying her drink and minding her own business, when someone caught her eye. 
    Someone who was really, really cute and who was