Chapter 86
Mirabella gave a quick report to the nurse on duty at the station and left the hospital in a hurry. Despite her grandmother’s sudden illness, there was a sigh of relief knowing that her grandma was admitted to the hospital in time and had her medication on hand. There was little worry about complications.
However, as Mirabella stepped out of the hospital, her eyes inadvertently caught a somewhat familiar figure. She paused mid–stride, her mind quickly placing the person. Wasn’t that Collins, Leo’s agent? She had just seen him yesterday and his image was fairly fresh in her mind.
She squinted, scanning the crowd once more, but there was no sign of Leo.
Seeing an agent at the hospital didn’t necessarily mean that Leo would be there as well, especially since Leo had mentioned flying out to a neighboring state to shoot a music video that day. Leo was likely airborne at the moment.
With a shake of her head, Mirabella let go of her curiosity and continued on her way out.
No sooner had she left, a man emerged from a side door near the restrooms, his face half–hidden by a black mask and a baseball cap pulled down low. Collins approached him with a document in hand. “Leo, the hospital director and the others are waiting,” he said.
Leo’s gaze fell on the sheet Collins was holding. He nodded, “Let’s go.”
Collins knew how much courage it took for Leo to come to the hospital and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You never know, miracles can happen, right?”
Leo just offered a wry smile in response.
Soon, they entered the director’s office, where they were met by the director and a top neurologist.
With a polite nod, Collins handed over the medical report to them. After a brief examination, the director removed his glasses, his expression tinged with regret. “The spinal damage is severe. It will take years to recover, if at all–and that’s secondary. The main concern is the damage to the spinal cord nerves. That complicates things significantly.”
The neurologist added, “The nerves connect to the entire body. If the spinal nerves are damaged, it could lead to sensory abnormalities or even paralysis. According to Mr. Davis‘ report, the damage is moderate. Conservative treatment is the only option, and there’s no guarantee of full recovery. Even if there’s a one in a thousand chance of healing, strenuous physical activity will be out of the question.”
Leo’s fists clenched at his sides. Despite having heard similar verdicts before, each one felt like a knife twisting in his gut.
“Isn’t there any more effective treatment?” Collins asked, his eyes reddening. Collins had secured this meeting because the hospital was renowned for its neurology department, and he had hoped for more than the same disappointing answers they’d received elsewhere.
“I’m sorry,” was the simple, disheartening reply.
Before Collins could say another word, Leo placed a hand on his arm, nodded to the director and the specialist, and said, “I understand. Thank you.”
Without waiting for a response, Leo turned and walked away, his solitary figure a portrait of despair.
The neurologist, accustomed to such cases yet still touched by the sight, let out a sigh. His eyes inadvertently fell on a magazine lying nearby, sparking a thought. “Wait a second,” he called out to Leo.
