In a private ICU room at the New York Surgical Hospital.
Strange didn't know how long he had been unconscious, only that he had experienced a very long dream until his consciousness finally emerged in a haze.
As he struggled to open his eyes, he was greeted by a familiar sight of white surroundings and various medical equipment, including a heart monitor. It was unmistakably the ICU of his own hospital.
The only difference was that this time he was the one lying in the hospital bed.
Strange felt pain all over his body, but his hands, didn't hurt at all - in fact, they had no sensation at all.
"Strange, it's okay, everything's going to be all right."
A soft, familiar voice reached his ears. Strange turned his head slightly to see his colleague, Nicodemus West, crouched beside his bed, looking at him with concern and repeating, "Everything will be fine.
"What happened to me?" Strange asked weakly, looking at his hands, which were held in place by numerous wires and devices. Terrified, he asked, "What have they done to me?"
Nicodemus West replied with a hint of reluctance, "You were in a car accident. The car went into a lake, and it took a long time for the rescue team to find you. By the time you were brought to the hospital, the best window for nerve treatment had passed..."
He paused and sighed, "Your hands suffered multiple ligament tears, with twelve pins inserted into the bones. The nerve damage is severe. No one could have done better."
"No."
Strange looked at his nearly paralyzed hands, and with the last bit of pride he whispered, "I could have. I could have done better..."
...
In the top floor office of the Supernatural Incident Bureau building.
Kyle sat in the chairman's chair, with his legs crossed, swirling a glass of red wine. He took a small sip and looked out through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the bustling New York streets below. "The weather's really nice today."
"I can join you for some sunbathing."
Lucy walked into the hall, her high heels clicking on the floor. She was wearing a woman's business suit, her golden hair pulled back in a ponytail, giving her a look of mature intelligence.
"You're so busy that Raina has mentioned it to me multiple times."
Kyle shrugged indifferently, put down his wine glass and hugged Lucy as she approached.
Lucy didn't resist and said quietly, "It can't be helped. After being away from Earth for so many years, financial work has changed a lot. It takes time to adjust and to handle the transition with Tony and the Stark Industries."
"Alright." Kyle nodded, although his mind seemed to be elsewhere.
Lucy noticed and smiled, "Raina also told me that you've been paying attention to a surgeon named Strange and even secretly sabotaging him. I've heard that he's recently sold his car and house in a desperate search for a cure for his paralyzed hands. He's hit a dead end."
Though aware of Kyle's dark actions, Lucy, like Raina, felt no disgust. Instead, she would support Kyle without hesitation. Both women believed in their hearts that what Kyle was doing was right.
If the whole world thought Kyle was wrong, then the whole world must be wrong.
"This is exactly the effect I wanted." Kyle smiled faintly. "If he hasn't reached the end of his rope, prideful as he is, how could he give up everything and go down a path most people wouldn't dare tread?"
"What if the doctor finds out later? Will he blame you?" Lucy asked, always thinking about Kyle.
"Maybe, but I don't care."
Kyle's expression remained calm and natural. With his status and power, he no longer had to think about such things - when he wanted to do something, he simply did it.
"Well, I should get back to work."
Kyle shook his head slightly and muttered to himself. Moments later, Raina entered the office carrying a pile of documents.
"Boss, I sent a cardholder to conduct a comprehensive investigation of paralyzed patients in New York City. We've identified an individual who fits the profile you described."
Raina pulled out a file from the stack and placed it on the table, her Mental Manipulation flipping through the pages. The document contained detailed information on a young white male.
Kyle looked at it and asked, "Where is the doctor who diagnosed him before?"
Prepared in advance, Raina produced another file, this one with information on a black doctor. "He's still in New York, working as a neural consultant at a public hospital."
Kyle finished his glass of red wine, smiled, and instructed, "Arrange a meeting between Strange and this doctor. From there it will be up to fate."
"Understood," Raina nodded seriously.
A few days later...
Strange, his hair disheveled and his face covered in stubble, sat despondently on his hotel sofa. This was his last night in the five-star hotel; he would not be able to pay the rent and would have to leave the next day.
On top of that, the cost of six or seven high-tech surgeries had nearly wiped out his savings.
Half an hour earlier, Strange had had a heated argument with Christine, who had urged him to accept the reality of his paralyzed hands and move on with his life.
Maybe she was right, but how could he move on without his once-proud hands?
Staring at himself in the bathroom mirror, unable to even hold a razor properly, Strange felt a deep sense of despair.
Just then, his phone rang.
Using his injured left hand, Strange awkwardly swiped the screen to answer. On the other end was his former colleague, Mark. "Strange, you haven't given up yet, have you? I found a neural consultant surgeon in New York who might be able to help you."
"Send me his contact information and location," Strange replied, taking a deep breath.
Half an hour later...
In the neural consulting room of a public surgical hospital in New York.
A black doctor sat across from Strange and said bluntly, "I'm sorry, Strange, but with our current neural treatment technology, there is no way to heal your hands.
Strange wasn't surprised. He let out a bitter laugh, raised his hands and muttered, "I knew it. Have you ever seen anyone recover from such severe paralysis? If I can't do it, no one else can!"
The doctor's eyes gleamed with a hint of curiosity. "Actually, there was one."
"What do you mean?" Strange asked in surprise.
The doctor recalled, "There was a patient who had an accident at work. He injured his back, was completely paralyzed, and one leg was completely useless. He was in constant pain sitting in a chair. About half a year ago, he stopped coming to our hospital for treatment. I hadn't seen him since and thought he was probably dead."
"And then?" Strange pressed eagerly.
The doctor sighed, "Recently, I saw him walking past me, just like a normal person."
"That's impossible!"
Strange's eyes widened as if grasping at the last straw of hope. "Please, give me his information!"
The doctor looked directly at Strange and said earnestly, "You know it's against hospital policy to access patient records without authorization. But for your sorry ass and to see you admit you were wrong, I'd be happy to make an exception just this once!"
...
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