Momo's Gradual Change

C31. The Soft and the Hard.

Chapter 31: The Soft and the Hard

With a loosely structured schedule laid out before her, Song Yimo glanced up to find the infusion nearly complete. She quickly rose and pressed the call button.

The nurse, observing the warmth measures she had taken for the elderly, moved with a lighter touch as she replaced the IV fluids, adding with a gentle reminder, “Do keep an eye on the drip; don’t let it crimp.”

Song Yimo nodded earnestly.

For most, keeping vigil at a hospital is a weary chore, yet for Song Yimo, it was a familiar path trodden through more arduous trials. Even when she lay on the vacant bed in the middle of the night, or when patients arrived requiring her to yield her place, she felt no stirrings of impatience.

The newcomer appeared to be in his twenties, and from the murmurs exchanged around him, it was clear he was suffering from acute appendicitis. With no beds available in general surgery, he had been temporarily placed in the less crowded gastroenterology ward.

The constant ebb and flow of visitors rendered the other occupants sleepless. With a sigh, Grandma Song urged her granddaughter to shed her shoes and lie beside her.

Today, Grandma Liu had her son accompanying her through the night. He seemed irritable, having stepped out for a smoke only to return to a noisy room. His voice gruffly broke through the air, “Can’t you all consider that there are two other patients in this ward? They’re not young anymore—do you wish to keep them awake all night?”

Pulling at her son’s sleeve, Grandma Liu whispered, “Keep it down.”

Though his demeanor suggested a short temper, he was dutiful at heart. The moment he was chastised, he fell silent, reaching into the quilt to caress his mother’s arm, retrieving a blanket from the closet to drape over her.

The new arrivals, perhaps sensing their lack of justification, wore displeased expressions yet refrained from sparking a quarrel. Instantly, the noise level in the ward diminished significantly.

In her heart, Song Yimo silently applauded the elderly man’s intervention. Leaning against her grandmother, she soon slipped back into slumber, a skill honed through experience.

Half-dreaming, she heard a groan that jolted her awake. Instinctively, she opened her eyes and was about to rise to comfort her grandmother.

“Have we disturbed you?” Grandma Song, now wide awake, acknowledged the noise. She could hardly expect others to stifle their pain for the sake of their sleep.

“It’s likely the anesthesia is wearing off,” Song Yimo replied, relieved as she rubbed her eyes and got out of bed to fetch some cotton from the nurse's station. Passing Grandma Liu’s bed, she offered half, saying, “Stuffing these in your ears should help a bit.”

Grandma Liu smiled, gesturing for her son to take it. “You’re clever; hurry and help your grandma with it.”

Grandma Song allowed her granddaughter to fuss over her. “Will it really help?”

“It should be better. Can you hear my voice more softly now?”

“It is indeed quieter. You should use some too and catch a bit more sleep; the sun hasn’t even risen yet.”

Sleep came in fragmented pieces, never truly restful. Song Yimo found herself perpetually in a state of half-wakefulness, feeling more drained than if she had not slept at all. Meanwhile, the newcomers slept soundly, and accustomed to early mornings, she shot them several resentful glares.

Fortunately, her grandmother eventually found her own repose, appearing quite tranquil.

To avoid waking Grandma, Song Yimo remained still, shutting her eyes to ponder the items she needed to purchase later that day.