The Greatest Showman

There are four beds in the ward, but the other three are empty. Only one bed by the window lies on a young girl, with long dark hair lying smoothly and spectacularly on the pillows, like a fairy tale The Rapunzel in the story is like a princess, wrapped in that slender body, the strength and fragility become more and more incompatible, and the pearly white face is covered with an unhealthy luster.

The sound of pushing open the door of the ward did not attract her attention. She just quietly looked at the pale blue sky outside the window. The sparse sunlight stayed beside her pale mouth, and the faint vitality could be seen indistinctly. It was flowing slowly, but it was lifeless.

　　 Her name is Hazel-Cross (Hazel-Cross), she is only fifteen years old, suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as "gradual freezing man", this is the cruelest condition that Lan Li has ever seen.

The patient will gradually lose control of his own muscles, and the motor nerves will eventually atrophy completely, which is no different from general paralysis. It may even affect basic body functions such as eating, breathing, and speaking, but because this disease does not affect sensory nerves, The patient’s intelligence, memory, and five senses will not suffer any damage. In other words, the patient can only watch as he loses control little by little and heads toward death step by step, but he is helpless.

　　 The whole process is slow and long, and the pain is gradually superimposed, making every day a torment. Generally speaking, patients can only survive two to five years after the onset of the disease. So far, there is still no effective treatment, and even delaying the disease is extremely difficult. In 2014, the "Ice Bucket Challenge" that swept the global network was an activity started to attract more people to pay attention to people who are gradually freezing.

　　 Heather was the first patient that Lanly took care of after arriving at Mount Sinai Hospital.

They got along very well at the time. Heather, who had just learned that he was sick, always maintained a positive attitude; but then Lanly left for more than half a year for filming. After returning, Heather had become taciturn and also Refuse to talk to Lan Li, ignoring the existence of Lan Li every time.

　　 Lan Li knew that this was Heather protesting in her way.

"The weather in New York is so bright recently. It has been sunny for a week. I almost doubt that it's New York anymore." Lan Li didn't get a response, but he didn't mind, and said to himself, "I brought it last time. Have you listened to the record? I told you that British rock in the 1960s was the real classic. Picking a band at random will make people remember. If you like it, next week I brought you the first album of Joy-Divison. There are only four songs. It is very experimental, but it is really interesting. It represents the budding of punk in the seventies."

Lan Li seemed to be talking to herself and entertaining herself. She talked endlessly, and occasionally glanced at Heather, she would find that she still did not respond, and she looked out the window intently, as if there was nothing in the room. Lan Li this person.

　　Looking at Heather's childish behavior, Lan Li couldn't help but smile. He sat down on the hospital bed next to him and took out the kite-making materials from his backpack. Spring has come recently. The wind on Manhattan Island is very strong. It is the season for kite-flying. Renli has simply processed the materials at home last week, and today only the final assembly parts are needed.

"Lan Li! Lan Li!" The shouts from outside the ward came from far and near, and stopped when they reached the door. A small head cautiously poked in through the crack of the door, not Alex. Who is it, he showed a big smile and said softly, "I have finished the medicine!" He straightened his chest and looked proud, waiting for Lan Li's compliment.

　　 Lan Li gave him a thumbs up, which made Alex shook his head triumphantly, but then his gaze fell on Heather, but Alex couldn't help but hesitate, worried that his actions would shock Heather.

　　 Lan Li rubbed the little guy's head with his big hand, "Do you want to join?" Alex's attention was immediately attracted, and he nodded vigorously. Lan Li took out a stack of tailored drawing paper from his backpack, "You draw on it, and draw everything you can think of, and then we make the tail of a kite, long, long..."

　　 Alex did not take the paintbrush immediately, but thought about it for a while, and asked seriously, "So is it like Zhong/Guolong?"

　　 Lan Li raised his eyebrows and laughed, "Of course, why not."

　　 After getting the affirmative answer, Alex accepted the brush with a smile, and then supported his chin very seriously, and began to think hard. This look made Lan Li couldn't help but laugh, "What are you doing?"

"I'm thinking about what I want to paint. I can't just do a little graffiti." The natural appearance made Lan Li dumb, nodded hesitantly, and said solemnly, "Yes, of course." Then Lan Li did not forget to squeeze a fist to cheer Alex on.

　　Looking at Alex's serious look, he seemed to be painting for an international competition. This makes Lan Li a little envious. In many cases, children are the purest, most persistent, and simplest group of people. Maybe their behavior seems a little naive, and they always waste time on "unnecessary" things, but it happens. It is this naive loss that makes adults lose their source of happiness.

　　 Unable to help, Lan Li took out the camera from his backpack, pointed it at Alex, and pressed the shutter. The experience of the previous life has made Renly Society cherish every moment in life.

A line of sight came from behind 　　, Lan Li raised his head and saw the afterimage of Heather hurriedly turning his head. That silky hair slid like a waterfall, reflecting the flow of light and shadow, and betraying her small movements. The corners of Lan Li's mouth rose involuntarily, picked up the camera to point at Heather, and recorded this moment again.

　　 Hearing the "click" sound, Heather turned his head abruptly, glared, and yelled, "What are you doing!"

　　 Lan Li did not panic at all, checked the effect of the shooting just now, and replied unhurriedly, "I'm taking pictures."

Such an answer caused Heather to choke, "Delete! Don't you know that it is very rude to take photos without the consent of the person involved? If I want to, I can even take you to court! "

　　 Lan Li raised his head and gave Heather a small smile, "I know." This made the angry flames in Heather's pupils get hotter and hotter and burned. Lan Li shook the camera in his hand, "If you don't like it, you can delete it yourself, or even smash the camera." Then, he put the camera on the white bed sheet and listened carefully. Respectful expression.

　　 Heather gritted his teeth, wishing to bite directly on Lan Li's neck, "You know..." The words behind him stopped abruptly. With the passage of time, Heather's illness became more and more obvious, and her walking has now begun to become difficult. This is also the reason why she is always lying on the bed/on the sickbed, and is not willing to come down and walk around.

　　 Lan Li could not understand Heather's current mood, but he knew that Heather would regret it in the future. Because at least she can still walk now, but it is more inconvenient. When she can't really walk, time will be irreversible.

"Each of us is making choices and paying for our choices." Lan Li shrugged, he did not directly explain the truth to Heather, because they all understand these truths, but the actual actions are not that simple. The so-called truth is just another kind of torture for the patient.

After 　　 finished speaking, Lan Li did not continue to pay attention to Heather, but continued to work on the kite in his hands.

　　 Heather glared at Lan Li angrily, his chest filled with generosity that he couldn't swallow, but he couldn't vent it, so he could only gasp for breath, his chest constantly rising and falling. She clenched her fists, wanted to sit up, and then gave Lan Li a hard punch, but... after all, she turned her head and looked out the window again, letting the silence in the ward begin to permeate again.

After a while, Heather even forgot the passage of time. This quietness made her irritable mood gradually calm down. It seemed that time was no longer so boring, nor so difficult, even the unchanging scenery outside the window. Different colors are transformed.

Suddenly, Alex’s uncontrollable joyous voice came over, “It’s done! It’s done!” Heather exhausted all her strength, and then she didn’t turn her head. Then she heard Lan Li calmly. He responded, "Before the kite flies to the sky, UU Reading www.uukanshu.com cannot be called a kite, how about it, do you want to be the one who makes it come alive?"

　　 "I think, I think!" Alex shouted eagerly, followed by a series of running noises, pattering away, and finally disappearing.

　　 Heather was stunned. That's all? Didn't Lan Li invite her either? Didn't even say hello? No, Lan Li must still stay in the room, waiting for her to look back and her surrender, she is not so stupid! In the patient contest, she never worried that she would fail, so let's see who bowed her head first!

　　 Unknowingly, Heather clenched his fists and forced himself to keep going, don't look back, otherwise he would give up.

　　 The passage of time began to become clear, as if the sound of an hourglass slowly falling could be heard, but the silence in the ward made Heather feel a little uneasy. It was the same quiet, but at this moment, Heather felt a thin layer of chill on his skin.

"Heather!" A voice came from behind, which suddenly startled Heather, but before the joy in her heart could rise, she realized that the calling voice was not Lan Li, because Lan Li was in sight. Li and Alex had arrived downstairs, and there was a group of little guys with him, as if a hen was carrying a chick.

"Heather?" The voice behind him called out again. Heather breathed out a long breath. While the disappointment in his heart surged quietly, there was another indescribable... longing, "The nurse just told me that you behaved today. Very good!"

　　 Heather lowered his eyes, concealed his emotions, turned his head, twitched the corner of his mouth at the person who came, showing a weak smile, "Jennifer, good afternoon."

　　 Jennifer Lawrence also showed a big smile, "Good afternoon."