Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Stalled
*Bael’s POV*
Bael stands there waiting.
Nothing is happening. And that is exactly why every single minute hurts so much.
After the doctor goes back inside the trauma room, Bael just stands there, staring at the closed white doors. He tries to sit down on one of the hard plastic chairs, but he lasts less than a minute before his body forces him to stand right back up. His chest feels too tight to sit still. He walks a few steps toward the heavy double doors, but a young nurse politely steps in front of him and blocks his path. He has to take a step back.
The waiting area is full of regular people. They are talking quietly in the corners, drinking warm water from paper cups, and sleeping against each other’s shoulders on the uncomfortable benches. The whole room has a strange, tired rhythm. People are yawning, looking at their phones, and flipping through old magazines. For them, it is just a long, boring night.
But for Bael, his entire world is locked behind one pair of white doors, fighting to stay alive.
His phone buzzes loudly in his open palm. The noise makes him flinch. It is Shen Rui. Bael looks at the name flashing on the screen for a very long time before he finally presses the button to answer.
"Sir, we have confirmed the real names behind the investment company," Shen Rui says quickly, his voice full of energy. "I am sending them to you now."
Bael does not say anything. He listens to the static on the line.
"Sir? Are you there?"
"...I am at the hospital," Bael says. His voice sounds different, like a stranger’s.
There is total silence on the other end of the line. Shen Rui completely stops talking. Then, he asks in a low, careful voice, "What happened?"
"Runze was in an accident."
Shen Rui does not speak for several seconds, the shock is clear through the phone. When he finally breaks the silence, his voice is tight and serious.
"I am coming now."
The phone rings several times after that call ends. Company directors call him about a budget meeting, business partners call him about a new contract, unknown numbers flash across the screen over and over again. He ignores every single one of them. He does not care about the company anymore, he does not care about the board of directors, or the millions of dollars, or Uncle Ming’s stolen money.
None of it can make Runze open his eyes.
Eventually, Bael looks down at his chest and notices that he is still wearing the dark gray tie Runze had fixed for him that morning. His fingers automatically reach up to touch the fabric knot, the silk feels cool against his freezing fingers.
The moment he touches it, every small memory from the morning starts playing in his head like a movie.
He remembers the surprised look on Runze’s face when he pulled him in for a quick kiss while Runze was fixing his tie. He remembers the way Runze’s cheeks had turned slightly pink, and how he had looked down at his shoes to hide his smile. Bael remembers thinking how cute Runze looked in that exact moment.
Then he thinks about Runze’s soft, low voice on the phone from just a few hours ago, saying, *"Don’t take too long."* That simple sentence turns into absolute torture now.
Bael’s mind starts spinning in a dangerous, painful way. If he had just left the office right after Runze’s presentation ended, things would be different. If he had just dropped the folders and ignored the filing cabinets, he would have been the one picking Runze up. If he had ignored Uncle Ming for just one more day, none of this would have happened.
If he had been there, he could have done something. The moment he heard the tires shriek, the moment he felt the car tilt, he would have grabbed Runze. He would have thrown his entire weight over his husband, locking his arms around him to take the full force of the crash himself. He would have used his own back to block the shattering glass and the crushing metal frame. He would have shielded Runze and the baby from the impact, no matter what it did to his own body.
The same heavy, suffocating thought loops in his brain over and over again, making his head spin: I should have been there. I should have been right next to him in that backseat. Runze wouldn’t have passed through that alone, I would have protected him.
***
Grandmother Wuchen arrives a little while later. Bael does not remember calling her, but she is suddenly just there, stepping into the bright hallway. Her steps are steady, but her breath is short.
She walks straight toward him, her eyes wide. "Bael," she says, her voice tight and trembling. "Bael, what is happening? Where is Runze?"
Bael does not answer. He slowly turns his head and looks straight into his grandmother’s eyes. In that split second, she looks at his pale, ruined face, and she can see that her grandson has never been this shaken in his entire life. The absolute terror in Bael’s eyes makes her freeze for a second.
Bael looks back toward the closed white doors of the trauma bay, then turns his gaze back to her.
When he looks at her this time, he freezes. Right there on his grandmother’s face, he sees an expression he has never seen before in his entire life too. She looks completely terrified. This is the woman who has handled every family crisis and business war without ever showing a single crack, but right now, she looks small, old, and deeply frightened under the harsh hospital lights. Seeing that look on her face only makes the hallway feel colder.
She reaches him without another word and stops beside him against the wall. She does not try to make speeches or give him empty words of comfort, she just reaches out and quietly presses her old, warm hand over his.
The moment she touches him, she feels his fingers shaking violently. Bael does not even realize he is trembling until he feels her hand trying to steady him.
"Sit down for a moment, Bael," she says softly, her voice cracking slightly.
Bael shakes his head, his jaw clenched tight. "If I sit down and they come out..."
He cannot finish the sentence. The words get stuck in his throat like a heavy stone. He is terrified that if he sits down, it means he is giving up, or that the doctor will come out with bad news while he is resting. Grandmother understands exactly what he means, so she does not force him. She just keeps her hand over his trembling knuckles, sharing the weight of the wait.
Time continues to crawl forward, second by painful second. The hospital around them is not quiet at all. Paramedics rush through the sliding doors pushing new stretchers, their boots squeaking loudly on the floor. Nurses walk past carrying plastic clipboards, talking to each other about their shift schedules in calm, normal voices. Somewhere far down the corridor, a small child is crying loudly, the sound echoing sharply off the bare walls.
The ordinary, busy noise of the hospital feels incredibly cruel to Bael. The staff at the front desk are typing quickly on their computers, occasionally sharing a quiet joke to get through the night. A cleaner moves down the hall, pushing a loud floor-buffing machine that makes a steady, annoying hum. Other families in the waiting room are complaining softly about how long they have been stuck there.
The worst night of Bael’s entire life means absolutely nothing to anyone else in this building. To the rest of the world, it is just another night.
Two more hours pass in total silence. The red light above the door stays bright. Bael does not move a single inch from his spot against the wall. His mind keeps drifting back to the baby. The doctor said they heard a heartbeat, but he had looked so serious. What if the impact was too much? What if Runze wakes up only to find out they lost the child he’s been carrying in him for more than five months? Bael presses his back harder against the wall, feeling utterly powerless.
Suddenly, the white doors swing open with a sharp click.
The doctor steps out into the corridor. He is wearing his green surgical cap and scrubs, but he has taken off his gloves. He looks exhausted, his shoulders drooping as he takes a breath.
Before the doctor can even look up or scan the waiting area, Bael pushes off the white wall. He does not hesitate for a single second. Because he was already standing right there, he closes the tiny distance instantly, stepping straight into the doctor’s space and blocking his path. Bael stands directly in front of him, his chest heaving.
The doctor stops. He takes one slow breath, then he looks directly at Bael.
"Mr. Wuchen."
Bael’s heart stops
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