Chapter 14: A Nurse’s Comfort and a Child’s Secret

The Nurse gently placed her hands on Hao Yang’s head, beginning to massage various pressure points.

The touch of a professional was remarkably different. With just a few light presses, Hao Yang’s dizziness and headache significantly subsided.

As her headache eased considerably, Hao Yang’s previously tense mood relaxed. Instinctively, she pushed the unsettling fact of her parents’ phone numbers being disconnected to the back of her mind for the moment.

After about half an hour of massage, Hao Yang couldn’t help but speak.

“Sister, you don’t need to massage anymore,” she said. “My head feels much better now.”

“Really? Does your head still hurt?” The Nurse paused her movements, asking gently.

“Much better, it doesn’t hurt as much,” Hao Yang confirmed. Her headache had indeed lessened significantly, though a slight dizziness lingered.

“Little one, why are all the numbers you called disconnected?” The Nurse asked, picking something up from a nearby table.

“I don’t know.”

“Little one, where are your parents?”

“I don’t know.”

“Little one, did something happen at home?”

“I don’t know.”

“Little one, come—” The Nurse hadn’t finished her sentence when Hao Yang interrupted.

“I don’t know.”

“I’m not asking you a question now, little one. I’m going to help you get dressed. Could you lift your feet a little?” The Nurse approached, holding a set of blue and white striped hospital pajamas.

Hao Yang was about to say she could do it herself, but her feet were already lifted, and a pair of white underwear was pulled onto her.

It had been many years since anyone had helped Hao Yang dress. To have someone put underwear on her, especially in a girl’s body, sent her sense of shame skyrocketing.

Yet, the Nurse’s movements remained unceasing. She continued to calmly help Hao Yang put on the rest of her clothes.

Dressed passively, Hao Yang felt an overwhelming wave of embarrassment. She tugged the blanket up slightly, pulling it over her head.

Only in moments of such intense shame did the faint sadness in her heart completely vanish, leaving her feeling much better than before.

“Oh, little one, are you shy?” The Nurse continued to tease Hao Yang, who protested by keeping her head buried under the blanket.

“Hmph, I don’t want to talk to you,” Hao Yang pouted, mimicking a child’s tantrum in a tender, childish voice. Since the kind nurse was treating her like a child, she might as well play along for a little while.

“Then, little one, how can I earn your forgiveness?” The Nurse asked, deliberately making her tone sound a little anxious.

Hao Yang thought for a moment, then dramatically threw off the blanket.

“Then sing me a song,” she declared. “If you sing me a song, I’ll forgive you.”

“Singing? That’s my specialty!” The Nurse exclaimed. After a brief pause, likely deciding on a song, she cleared her throat, closed her eyes, and began to sing.

****

“The dark sky hangs low, bright stars accompany it. Bug flies, bug flies, who do you miss? Stars in the sky shed tears, roses on the ground wither. Cold wind blows, cold wind blows, as long as you’re with me. Bug flies, flowers sleep, only pairs are beautiful. Don’t fear the dark, only fear a broken heart. Don’t care if you’re tired or not, don’t care about north, south, east, or west.”

It was a very common song, one Hao Yang had learned in kindergarten. She still remembered it after all these years.

As a child, she had only found the melody pleasing. Now, listening to it, she felt it in a different way entirely.

The Nurse sang with a delicate thread of emotion, and Hao Yang, deeply affected, found herself singing along.

“Don’t care if you’re tired or not, don’t care about north, south, east, or west…” Hao Yang’s tender, childish voice softly joined in.

“Little one, did big sister sing well?” The Nurse asked, her face full of anticipation after finishing the song.

“It was beautiful,” Hao Yang replied. “But please don’t call me ‘little one’ anymore. I have a name.”

“Oh? And what is your name, little one?”

“My name is Tang Xiao.” Hao Yang had no choice but to use the original name of this body.

“Xiao Xiao, it’s already past midnight. Get some rest now. Big sister needs to rest too,” the Nurse said.

“Big sister, you should get some sleep. I’ll sleep too,” Hao Yang promised.

Hearing this, the Nurse tidied the room slightly. Just as she was about to open the door and leave, a voice called out from behind her.

“Big sister.”

“Hmm? Is there something else, Xiao Xiao?” The Nurse turned, asking.

“It’s just… will I see you tomorrow?” Hao Yang asked cautiously. In that moment, her heart felt no different from a child’s.

“Oh, so that’s it! Of course, you’ll definitely see your big sister tomorrow, don’t worry,” the Nurse replied with a smile.

“Okay, big sister, goodnight.” Reassured by the Nurse’s promise, Hao Yang finally relaxed.

“Goodnight, Xiao Xiao.” With that, the Nurse opened the door and stepped out, gently turning off the light before softly closing the door behind her.

****

When the Nurse exchanged shifts with another, a fellow nurse asked her.

“What are you smiling about? You look so happy.”

“I met a very sweet little patient, and I even made a promise with her.”

“What’s so funny about that? I don’t get you.”

The Nurse chuckled, shaking her head. As she changed into her uniform, she spoke.

“You wouldn’t understand. That little one is truly adorable; you just can’t help but tease her. What I can’t fathom is how her parents could bring themselves to abuse such a sweet child. When I was cleaning her, I saw so many frostbite marks and wounds on her body. She must have been exposed to the cold for a long time. To have parents like that, this child’s fate is truly bitter.” The Nurse had already concluded that Hao Yang’s injuries were a result of domestic abuse.

“Oh, the child was abused? How do you know?” The other nurse couldn’t resist gossiping.

“All the injuries on her body are from being beaten. Who else would have done it if not her parents? Moreover, the child most likely couldn’t endure the domestic violence, which is why she ran away from home. I heard from the police that this child was sleeping near an ATM and was found with a high fever. She was brought to our hospital for emergency treatment. If she had been discovered any later, she might have frozen to death.” The Nurse’s voice was tinged with deep sympathy for Hao Yang as she recounted this.

“Those parents are truly inhumane, to neglect a child so young.”