Home Alone

Hazel Cross lay restlessly on her hospital bed, tightly closing her eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. However, the more she tried, the more awake she felt. She knew her mother was sick, she knew her father was stressed with work, and she knew she shouldn't ask for more.

But, if she were still healthy, would she not become a burden to her family? If she were still healthy, could she attend school normally, make friends normally, and... go see a movie normally? But, these were all "ifs".

"Hazel." A soft, hushed voice sounded in her ear, like a whisper that tickled her senses. Hazel's eyes flickered but remained closed, feigning sleep. The voice drew closer, and once again, it called out softly, "Hazel."

With a London accent and a rich timbre, like the strings of a cello, Hazel could tell it was Renly.

Suppressing the urge to open her eyes, Hazel remained indifferent. Today, she didn't feel like moving; she just wanted to lie quietly in bed, not bothering anyone, even if it was Renly.

After a brief pause, Hazel heard a couple more calls, and then it seemed like Renly gave up. She heard him speak in hushed tones again, "She's resting, so let's forget it."

"Didn't the doctor say her recent condition has been really good? Why has she been sleeping all day?"

"I don't know, probably because of the weather."

...

Hazel couldn't help but strain her ears; Renly wasn't alone; there was another companion nearby. But she couldn't recognize this voice, and curiosity surged within her. She wanted to just open her eyes and take a peek. Then, she heard the topic she was most interested in:

"What about the movie?"

"Let's go by ourselves. Originally, I planned to take her with us, but the weather's already bad, and the nurses don't agree. Let's not take any risks; what if her condition worsens?"

"But, the whole idea of going to the movies was because of Hazel, right? If Hazel isn't going, then maybe we could take Annie and Alex to the museum."

"No!" Hazel sat up abruptly, her atrophied muscles suddenly filled with energy that even startled her. It required almost no effort, but she didn't have time for that now. Her eyes widened as she looked at Renly standing by her bed and... Paul Walker?

Why was Paul at the hospital?

Hazel didn't have time to dwell on it; she urgently said, "I'm feeling really well. I mean, I've slept the whole morning, and I'm feeling better than ever." Finishing her words, she even stretched lazily, as if a sleeping beauty had just awoken from her slumber, "I'm all prepared now. I want to go see a movie this afternoon. What do you guys think?"

But as soon as Hazel spoke, she realized her words were riddled with holes, exposing the fact that she had just feigned sleep. Quickly, she tried to make amends, "What do you think? I mean, how do you feel about this proposal? Shall we go see a movie together this afternoon? I heard that "Buried" is still playing?"

Hazel's eyes shimmered with hope, her gaze fixed on Renly, fearing she might hear a refusal.

Hazel's words were full of loopholes, yet Renly didn't expose her intentions. He exchanged a glance with Paul, both of them showing a conflicted expression. "Hazel, if it were in the entertainment room with an old movie projector, that would be fine. But taking you outside...," Renly began.

Paul, who stood nearby, joined in, "Yeah, the weather in New York is really bad today. Going out for a movie, that's not a wise choice."

Renly continued, adding more weight to the argument, "Moreover, for us to take you out, we need to get approval from Derek and Ellie. Taking you out privately would violate hospital rules. If they report us..."

Renly glanced at Paul, and both of them nodded in agreement, wearing an expression of genuine concern. The cunning glint in their eyes was a communication only they could comprehend.

"No, no way," Hazel feared she might miss this opportunity, "My recent condition is very good. Not only has my illness not worsened, but my rehabilitation has also made great progress. The doctors praised me, and my dad wanted to take me out to see a movie, which the doctor also approved of. Originally, my dad was planning to take me today; it's just that he had a last-minute meeting, which is why he canceled. So, there's no problem, absolutely no problem!"

Hazel's urgent posture didn't even allow her to notice that she was kneeling on her bed, her upper body erect, eyes brimming with desire and anticipation, mixed with a hint of pleading. This lively and vigorous enthusiasm was something Renly had never seen before. If it weren't for the hospital gown she wore, one could easily forget that she was sick.

Hazel looked at Renly and Paul with sincerity, hands tightly clasped together against her chest in a praying, almost imploring pose. Then she saw the two exchange a glance. Renly let out a sigh, seemingly wavering. She knew she needed to add more fuel to the fire.

So Hazel hurriedly continued, "I promise, I'll keep warm, I'll be careful, really careful. If I don't feel well, I'll let you know immediately. Trust me, we'll only go to the movie theater a couple of blocks away. It's not too far, really! It's just a movie, it's only two hours."

Renly crossed his arms and let out a sigh, "Provided that..."

Before he could finish that sentence, Hazel screamed, "Ah!" She knew Renly had agreed, he really agreed! But she quickly covered her mouth with both hands, preventing herself from shouting out loud. She vigorously nodded at Renly, her eyes brimming with joy and happiness seemed to say, "I'm listening to you, I'll do whatever you ask!"

Renly chuckled helplessly, "Provided that you must keep this a secret. Otherwise, if Derek and Ellie find out, Paul and I will be in trouble."

Hazel couldn't utter a word, she just nodded vigorously, repeatedly nodding.

"Well, then, we have to be careful, and above all, we can't let Anita find out." Renly seemed to have finally made up his mind. Hazel excitedly raised both hands high in the air, her entire face glowing with a radiant light, "Has the time for room rounds passed?"

Hazel nodded vigorously. Twenty minutes ago, the room rounds had ended.

"We must first find you some warm clothes." Renly seemed to be getting his gears in motion. His gaze fell on Paul, as he quipped, "And we also need to find Paul a thick coat." The teasing tone made Hazel chuckle, especially when she saw Paul's embarrassed and awkward smile. She couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"You change your clothes first. Paul and I will go to the staff locker room and find some clothes. We'll be right back." Renly emphasized once again, "Remember, be careful, don't get caught." With that, Renly and Paul turned and left the hospital room.

However, they didn't go far. Instead, they discreetly observed through the room's glass window. They saw Hazel kneeling on her bed, vigorously waving her hands, her mouth agape, silently shouting for joy and venting her excitement. Then she began searching for her clothes. Starting with her socks, she progressed step by step, putting on her clothes clumsily and laboriously.

It wasn't a simple task at all. Even putting on a single sock had her panting. But what did it matter? She was going out! She was leaving this hospital! She was going to the movies! Just thinking about it in her mind made her so excited she felt like screaming.

Watching Hazel's back, so focused and immersed, clumsily putting on a pair of socks and then wearing them, she displayed a satisfied expression of happiness. She even started humming a tune.

Paul's eyes welled up slightly, and then he felt a gentle pat on his shoulder. Renly's voice followed, "Let's go. You do need a coat. Anita said there are two in the locker room. Let's see if they're your size."

What others could complete in five minutes took Hazel a whole twenty-five minutes, and yet she still couldn't put on the coat. She had managed to put on her undershirt and sweater, and her movements had grown even more awkward. Halfway into the coat, she struggled to put the other half on. Hazel paused for a moment, catching her breath.

Looking back at the entrance of the room, Renly and Paul still hadn't returned. This made Hazel feel a bit anxious. She wasn't worried about Renly going back on his word, but what if he got caught? What if the next person to come in was Anita?

Her emotions oscillating between desire and anxiety, Hazel's mind was filled with all sorts of conjectures. She clenched her teeth, diverted her gaze, and resumed her struggle with the coat. She couldn't give up; she wouldn't give up.

"Hazel, are you ready?" Renly's lowered voice came from behind. Hazel's mood soared once again. She nodded, unable to resist using a hushed tone herself, "Ready! By the way, Anita didn't find you, did she?"

"No. But we have to be a little more careful." Renly held a black down jacket in his hands and gestured to Hazel, "It's a bit ugly, but it's discreet enough and warm enough. You don't mind, do you?"

"Don't you know that girls care about looking good?" Hazel wrinkled her nose and retorted, but her playful tone gave away her true thoughts.

With Renly's assistance, Hazel first put on her thin coat and then struggled to put on the thicker one. Then, Paul wheeled a wheelchair over.

"We might need to run a bit later. I don't want to leave you behind to get caught alone. No abandoning, no giving up, Corporal Cross," Renly's words made Hazel burst into laughter. The reference was from the movie "Saving Private Ryan".

Once everything was ready, Renly led the way, and Paul followed, pushing Hazel's wheelchair. The tense and exhilarating atmosphere resembled something out of "Mission: Impossible". Hazel felt her excitement surge, her mind replaying scenes from "Home Alone": Today, New York City would be under her command, wouldn't it?

"No one's around! Let's go!" Renly operated like a tactical team leader, speaking in hushed tones. Then the two of them pushed the wheelchair, crouching, and jogged towards the elevator.