In the midst of the fun and warmth, Qingqing found herself beside Tang Fei, peeling an orange, her small fingers slow but steady.
"Do you like it here?" Tang Fei asked gently.
Qingqing nodded, her voice a whisper, "It smells like… stories."
Tang Fei blinked, touched. "That's a beautiful way to put it." Because every patient present was an old Grandma and Grandpa, who had seen life and had a million stories to tell. Their lives were at the end of the ropes and they were best when it came to knowledge and life understanding lessons.
She wrapped an arm around the child. Qingqing didn't flinch this time, she was a bit welcoming and warming up.
"You can relax! Here, no one knows you and no one will find you." She assured her as Qingqing nodded her head.
As the sun dipped lower outside the hospital windows, music floated in, an old phonograph brought out by one of the staff. The elderly began to sway, some even standing to dance with the help of the younger visitors.
