Milo Before Visiting Hour- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Milo has visited the ward every afternoon since Monday.

Today he carries a tiny card and a potted violet.

The card is for the nurse who usually greets him, and the flower is for his grandma.

Visiting hour begins in ten minutes, yet the elevator door stalls halfway and stops.

A cleaner rolls an overflowing cart into the narrow cabin, so Milo steps out and chooses the stairs.

Halfway up, a loose shoelace catches his ankle.

The card slips free and glides down the gap between rail and wall.

It lands on a ledge just out of reach.

Voices echo below while he stretches an arm toward the paper.

The ledge wobbles under his fingers, and the card flutters deeper.

He tightens the shoelace and scans the stairwell.

An individual in hospital blue steps through a side door.

It is Mr. Harris, a retired orderly who has become a volunteer mentor for young visitors.

Without a word, Harris slides his walking stick under the ledge, nudging the card upward.

Milo blinks at the quick rescue and catches the card.

A grateful nod passes between them while the elevator bell rings above.

When he enters the ward, the intended nurse adjusts an IV pump beside grandma’s bed.

Milo steps nearer and hands over the recovered card.

The folded note, which has been decorated with violet sketches, rests between her fingers.

Light from the window touches the ink.

Her smile spreads as the room settles around the quiet plant.

自從星期一開始，米洛每天午后都會到病房。

今天，他帶著一張小卡片和一盆紫羅蘭。

卡片留給平常迎接他的護理師，花則送給他的奶奶。

探視時間還有十分鐘就開始，電梯門卻在半途中卡住。

清潔人員推著滿載的推車擠進狹窄的電梯車廂，米洛只好走樓梯。

走到半途，他的鞋帶鬆了，卡片滑出手，沿著欄杆與牆之間的縫隙飄落。

卡片停在伸手碰不到的壁架上。

樓下傳來人聲回響，他伸手去夾紙張，壁架晃動，卡片更深地滑了進去。

他繫緊鞋帶，掃視樓梯間。

一位穿著醫院藍制服的人從側門走出。

那是退役雜務員哈里斯先生，他已成為年輕探訪者的志工導引。

哈里斯不發一語，把手杖伸到壁架下方，把卡片輕輕撬起。

米洛眨眼看著這個俐落的救援，接住卡片。

兩人之間交換了一個感激的點頭，樓上的電梯鈴聲此時響起。

走進病房時，那位護理師正調整奶奶床邊的輸液幫浦。

米洛走近，把找回的卡片遞給她。

摺好的卡片上畫著紫羅蘭，安穩地放在她的指間。

窗外的光照在墨跡上，她的微笑漸漸展開，房間在靜靜的花盆旁安定下來。