Outside the operating room, the hallway lights were on. This was his third time standing here.
The first time was for his grandfather, the second for Reuben, and now, the third time, it was for Callie.
Nelson took out a pack of cigarettes, and lit one with trembling hands, taking a while to get it going.
Cora stood behind him, wanting to speak but hesitating. She never expected Nelson to treat Callie with such special consideration.
He was actually afraid… She had followed him through many storms and this was the first time she saw him show such emotion…
For an hour and a half, Nelson sat there smoking one cigarette after another, enveloped in a haze, his face looking grim.
Finally, the doctor came out pushing a gurney. “Who is the family member?”
Nelson stood up. “I am her husband.”
Cora’s heart sank further.
“Let me explain the situation. Your wife has a fractured arm; we have put it in a splint for stabilization. She will need some time to heal. Other than that, just some minor scrapes.”
Nelson looked over at Callie lying unconscious on the hospital bed, her left forearm in a cast, her face scratched and lifeless, looking as if she were on the brink of death.
His heart tightened.
“Next, you need to complete the admission procedures. She needs to be observed for a few days.”
Cora clutched her vibrating phone tightly and said with difficulty, “I’ll handle it, Mr. Oconnor.”
Nelson did not object. The burning cigarette reached the filter, snapping him back to reality. “She was in a car accident. Did you do a full-body check? Are her internal organs okay?”
The doctor handed him a form to sign. “We checked everything; there are no other issues. However, her psychological state isn’t great. During the surgery, she woke up several times, mumbling about needing to go to work. Your wife is quite the workaholic.”
Nelson paused with the pen in his hand, his heart clenching tightly.
Cora arranged for a VIP room. Inside, Callie had not yet woken up. Nelson sat by the bed, staring at her blankly.
Before long, someone arrived at the door with a folder. “Mr. Oconnor, all the detailed information is here.”
Nelson took it and quickly opened it. A stack of photos fell out, some showing Callie lying on the road with a shared bike on top of her, blood stark against the pavement, looking like a shattered porcelain doll.
“There was an accident on the route from the hospital to Oconnor Group today, causing a major traffic jam. Madam got out of the car and took a shared bike but was followed all the way. The driver was a thug who had just been released recently. According to him, he simply wanted to take revenge on society. We checked the surveillance along the route; he had been tailing Madam for days. It was intentional; someone must have been behind it.”
There was footage showing Callie realizing she was being followed and taking a shortcut, but she still got hit.
Nelson sneered as he looked through the man’s information. “That thug drove a Mercedes?”
The man hesitated. “Could it be Scott Group… Should we investigate Jaquan?”
Nelson’s face turned grim as he concluded, “It’s not him. This method is too simple and crude for him.”
“Of all days…” He tapped the folder against his knee absentmindedly. “What’s the purpose? To prevent Callie from attending the meeting?”
He glanced at Cora and had an initial conclusion. “Investigate within Oconnor Group.”
She pressed her lips together. “Yes.”
Nelson then instructed another person with a tone laced with menace, “Keep an eye on that man. Once the investigation is over, I want him to pay blood for blood.”