医院走廊的陪护人

凌晨líng chén四sì点diǎn，住院zhù yuàn部bù的de走廊zǒu láng安静ān jìng下来xià lai。一yī排pái折叠zhé dié床chuáng上shàng，躺tǎng着zhuó病人bìng rén家属jiā shǔ，有人yǒu rén已经yǐ jīng睡着shuì zháo了liǎo，有人yǒu rén还huán在zài看kān手机shǒu jī。

At four in the morning the ward corridor goes quiet. On a row of folding beds lie patients' families, some asleep, some still on their phones.

老lǎo周zhōu也yě在zài其中qí zhōng。他tā爱人ài ren做zuò手术shǒu shù已经yǐ jīng第dì五wǔ天tiān了liǎo，他tā就jìu睡shuì在zài病房bìng fáng外wài的de走廊zǒu láng上shàng，寸cùn步bù不bù离lí。

Old Zhou is among them. His wife has been five days post-surgery, and he has slept outside her ward, never leaving.

白天bái tiān，他tā要yào给gěi爱人ài ren打dǎ水shuǐ、买mǎi饭fàn、倒dào尿niào袋dài，还要hái yào陪péi医生yī shēng查chá房fáng，记住jì zhu医生yī shēng说shuō的de每měi一句话yī jù huà。

By day he fetches water, buys meals, empties the urine bag, and follows the doctors' rounds, memorizing every word.

医院yī yuàn的de饭fàn贵guì，他tā就jìu在zài楼下lóu xià的de小xiǎo店diàn里lǐ吃chī。一yī碗wǎn面miàn十shí块kuài钱qián，吃chī完wán赶紧gǎn jǐn上楼shàng lóu，怕pà爱人ài ren有事yǒu shì找zhǎo不到bù dào他tā。

Hospital food is pricey, so he eats at a small shop downstairs, ten yuan noodles, then hurries back lest she need him.

邻lín床chuáng家属jiā shǔ是shì个gè年轻nián qīng人rén，母亲mǔ qīn住院zhù yuàn。他tā第dì一yī次cì照顾zhào gu病人bìng rén，什么shén me都dōu不bù会huì，老lǎo周zhōu手shǒu把手bǎ shou地dì教jiāo他tā。

The neighbor's family member is a young man whose mother is hospitalized; it is his first time caring for a patient, and Zhou teaches him hand by hand.

晚上wǎn shang九jǐu点diǎn半bàn，走廊zǒu láng里lǐ摆bǎi开kāi了liǎo一yī排pái折叠zhé dié床chuáng。租zū一yī张zhāng床chuáng十shí块kuài钱qián一yī晚wǎn，被子bèi zi和hé枕头zhěn tou都dōu是shì自己zì jǐ带dài的de。

At nine thirty the corridor lines with folding beds, ten yuan a night each, with quilts and pillows brought from home.

陪péi护hù的de人rén都dōu懂dǒng彼此bǐ cǐ的de辛苦xīn kǔ。谁shéi家jiā的de病人bìng rén今天jīn tiān能néng下xià床chuáng了liǎo，谁shéi家jiā的de检查jiǎn chá结果jiē guǒ出来chū lái了liǎo，大家dà jiā都dōu真心zhēn xīn替tì对方duì fāng高兴gāo xìng。

Caregivers understand each other's hardship. Whose patient sat up today, whose test results came back, all genuinely glad for one another.

第dì七qī天tiān，医生yī shēng说shuō手术shǒu shù很hěn成功chéng gōng，再zài观察guān chá两liǎng天tiān就jìu能néng出院chū yuàn。老lǎo周zhōu心里xīn li的de石头shí tou终于zhōng yú落là了liǎo地dì。

On the seventh day the doctor says the surgery was a success: two more days of observation. The stone in Zhou's heart finally drops.

手术shǒu shù那nà天tiān，老lǎo周zhōu在zài手术室shǒu shù shì门口mén kǒu坐zuò了liǎo六lìu个gè小时xiǎo shí。每měi出来chū lái一yī个gè医生yī shēng，他tā都dōu站zhàn起来qǐ lai，每měi次cì都dōu不bù是shì他tā要yào等děng的de人rén。

On surgery day Zhou sat six hours outside the OR, standing at every emerging doctor, none ever his.

爱人ài ren推进tuī jìn病房bìng fáng的de时候shí hou，身上shēn shang插chā着zhuó好hào几jǐ根gēn管子guǎn zi。老lǎo周zhōu握wò着zhuó她tā的de手shǒu，什么shén me话huà也yě没méi说shuō，眼yǎn圈juàn却què红hóng了liǎo。

When she was wheeled back, tubes ran everywhere. Zhou held her hand wordlessly, eyes red.

走廊zǒu láng尽头jìn tóu有yǒu个gè开水kāi shuǐ房fáng，陪péi护hù的de人rén在zài那里nà li泡pào面miàn、接jiē水shuǐ、热rè饭fàn。半夜bàn yè两liǎng点diǎn，那里nà li总zǒng有人yǒu rén。

At the corridor's end is a hot-water room where caregivers make noodles and warm meals. At two in the morning, someone is always there.

护士hù shi们men也yě都dōu认识rèn shi他tā了liǎo。夜班yè bān护士hù shi经过jīng guò，会huì小声xiǎo shēng说shuō：大爷dà ye，今天jīn tiān老太太lǎo tài tai气qì色sè好多hǎo duō了liǎo。

The nurses all know him. Passing on night shift they whisper: uncle, the old lady looks much better today.

住院zhù yuàn部bù的de窗户chuāng hu外头wài tou有yǒu一yī棵kē大dà树shù。老lǎo周zhōu每měi天tiān看kān它tā，叶子yè zi从cóng绿lǜ变biàn黄huáng，他tā觉得jué de秋天qīu tiān过guo得děi真zhēn快kuài。

Outside the ward window stands a great tree. Zhou watched it daily as leaves turned from green to yellow, autumn passed so fast.

出院chū yuàn那nà天tiān，老lǎo周zhōu把bǎ折叠zhé dié床chuáng还huán了liǎo，把bǎ剩下shèng xià的de水果shuǐ guǒ分fēn给gěi了liǎo走廊zǒu láng里lǐ的de陪péi护hù人rén。他tā说shuō：大家dà jiā都dōu不容bù róng易yì，能néng搭dā把手bǎ shou就jìu搭dā把手bǎ shou。

On discharge day Zhou returns the bed and shares leftover fruit with the corridor's caregivers. Times are hard for all; lend a hand when you can.