Visiting the Hospital

Yanjing Third People's Hospital. Xiao Xiao gazed at the shining characters on the building, lost in thought.

People bustled past him, hurrying along. Occasionally, someone would glance at him strangely, wondering why he was standing stock-still at the hospital entrance.

Xiao Xiao had never been one to meddle in others' affairs, but when he might have the ability to intervene in such a matter, he found it difficult to simply stand by and do nothing.

He was restless.

And the girl's desperate, heartbroken sobs, her trembling, frail back, felt like a lump in his throat.

He thought he could still do something...

"Young man, what's wrong?"

"Hm?" Xiao Xiao blinked his somewhat dry eyes, looking dazed. The scene before him gradually cleared. It was a kind-faced elderly lady, looking at him with concern.

"...I'm fine." Startled back to reality, Xiao Xiao felt a bit flustered. After a moment's pause, he replied, then added sheepishly, "I was just spacing out."

"Oh, that's good then." The elderly lady didn't ask further questions and smiled as she turned to leave.

"Thank you." Xiao Xiao's hands, tucked into his pockets, clenched slightly. He looked at the old lady's profile and thanked her earnestly.

This unexpected encounter suddenly brightened Xiao Xiao's mood.

The pure kindness of strangers always had an easy way of making him happy.

His steps, as he resumed walking, became a little lighter.

The class all knew Lin Zhenzhen's room number.

The day after Lin Zhenzhen was admitted to the hospital, her classmates quickly organized a delegation to visit her.

But in the end, they could only look helplessly at Lin's Father and Lin's Mother, their faces haggard.

Lin Zhenzhen refused to see anyone except the doctors and her parents.

The classmates who went as representatives returned feeling dejected. They had heard Lin Zhenzhen's hysterical, gasping cries through the closed door. The hallway was noisy, yet all they could hear were Lin's Father and Lin's Mother's hoarse sighs and apologies.

Seeing the situation, they knew better than to intrude. They offered Lin's Father and Lin's Mother a few dry words of comfort, left the flowers and fruit they had brought, and took their leave.

Later, some of Lin Zhenzhen's close female friends from class also went to visit her in the hospital, but they all ended up unable to even get into her room.

After that, everyone consciously stopped visiting the hospital.

They didn't want to cause any more trouble.

Because every time someone visited, it seemed to agitate Lin Zhenzhen, causing her to have a major outburst.

"Knock-knock-knock." Xiao Xiao stared at the hospital room door for a moment before knocking with his knuckles, his voice soft and the rhythm gentle.

However, after repeating this a few times, there was no response from inside.

Was she sleeping? Or had she gone out?

Xiao Xiao wondered what would happen if he just pushed the door open.

Maybe he should find a nurse to ask?

"Classmate?"

Xiao Xiao turned his head. It was a middle-aged woman with a haggard face, her eyes bloodshot. She was holding a thermos, clearly having just returned from fetching water. She looked at him with some confusion, then seemed to realize, "Are you here to see Zhenzhen?"

Lin's Mother hadn't immediately recognized him. Because of Zhenzhen's resistance, no one had visited her for the past few days.

Moreover, she had been utterly exhausted lately, and her reactions were inevitably a beat slow.

Seeing someone suddenly appear at her daughter's door, her mind went blank, and she asked the question without thinking.

"Yes, Auntie, hello. I'm Lin Zhenzhen's classmate. My name is Xiao Xiao."

"I happened to be in the area today, so I wanted to come see Lin Zhenzhen."

"Oh, oh." Lin's Mother blinked dazedly at the polite and refined Xiao Xiao, then the worry lines on her brow deepened. "Classmate Xiao Xiao, thank you for coming to see Zhenzhen."

"But Zhenzhen isn't seeing visitors." As she said this, Lin's Mother's eyes welled up again. Her daughter had always been sensible and obedient; how could she have suffered such a fate? Thinking of Zhenzhen's increasingly gaunt figure and her dull, almost lifeless eyes, Lin's Mother's heart ached.

Her husband was already trying to contact doctors abroad.

If they couldn't find a solution in China, they would go overseas.

As long as there was a glimmer of hope, they wouldn't give up.

Xiao Xiao had considered sneaking into the room to talk to Lin Zhenzhen while Lin's Father and Lin's Mother were away.

But he also worried that Lin Zhenzhen might cause a scene.

Besides, he didn't know how much time it would take, and if he were caught by Lin's Father and Lin's Mother, it would be hard to explain.

Therefore, he decided to abandon the idea of taking a "shortcut."

That left only one option: a direct approach.

"Auntie, I'd like to go in and see Lin Zhenzhen."

"So many days have passed, maybe..."

"No." Lin's Mother refused somewhat vehemently, then realized her attitude had been too harsh. After all, he was Zhenzhen's classmate and had come with good intentions.

A stiff smile touched Lin's Mother's lips. "I'm sorry, Xiao Xiao. But Zhenzhen really can't handle any more stimulation."

Lin's Mother was scared. Initially, she had thought that seeing familiar friends and classmates show concern might improve Zhenzhen's mood, but the result was the complete opposite of her expectations.

Whenever someone visited, Zhenzhen would act like a small animal whose territory was being invaded. Even though she was weak, she would still wave her hands non-stop, screaming incessantly, driving away the outsiders in her eyes in an almost tragic manner, refusing and resisting others' approach.

Every visit from a well-wisher resulted in Zhenzhen's all-out struggle.

Lin's Father and Lin's Mother were exhausted, both physically and mentally, feeling helpless and heartbroken. Lin's Mother could only hold her daughter tightly, her eyes welling up again as she looked at her daughter's pale, lifeless face in her arms. What kind of sin had they committed?

"Why are you standing at the door?" a deep, hoarse male voice sounded. It was Lin's Father.

"This is?" Lin's Father walked past Lin's Mother and saw Xiao Xiao standing at his daughter's hospital room door.

"This is Xiao Xiao, Zhenzhen's classmate."

"I happened to be in the neighborhood today and wanted to see Zhenzhen."

Lin's Mother paused, then spoke again, her voice even hoarser. "...But, as you know, Zhenzhen's condition is absolutely not suitable for visitors."

"Hello, Uncle." Xiao Xiao hadn't met Lin's Father before, but looking at him now, he knew this man had aged considerably during this time. His temples were streaked with white, his perpetually furrowed brows had etched deep lines on his forehead, his eyes drooped, and his gaze was somewhat clouded with fatigue.

Xiao Xiao couldn't quite describe his feelings at that moment.

He only knew that these were parents who had worn themselves out worrying about their daughter.