Before this scene, the Don has been shot, almost to his death and lies in his hospital bed, barely clinging to life. He has been shot by an allegiance of Sollozzo, a man who wants the families to enter into the drug business, yet the Don refrained, because he is of "old school" values. Sollozzo fearing that the Don being against his idea of partaking on the new wave of drugs, decides to assassinate the Don, hoping to build allegiances with the other families. Mysteriously, one night, Connie calls her brother Sonny, the new head of the Family when the Don is hospitalized, and tells her husband that Carlo has beat her. The movie shows later that Sonny leaves the family mall, and races to Connie's aid. Upon traveling to Connie's side in the city, Sonny must hit the causeway from Long Island and is taken out by a group of thugs. The book explains that Carlo was hoping to join forces with the other families and gain a higher rank than that which he has been offered with the Corleone family, so he "lightly" beats up Connie, knowing she would call Sonny to come to her, and sets Sonny up to be taken out b y the opposing side, thus, enabling him to a greater position with another family. This was not understood until I had read the book.
Another scene shows Michael at his dad's bed in the hospital, where no guards are protecting his father, after the unsuccessful hit on his life. Michael realizes that his dad is being set up for another hit. He stands outside with a visitor of his fathers to deter any would be assassins. Moments later a car pulls up in front of the hospital. the occupants see Michael and the visitor and speed off, thinking the Don is still being guarded. Seconds after that, the Police Captain and a bunch of his men show up, telling Michael to get lost. Michael questions why there is no one there to guard his father and the Police Captain has two of this men grab Michael by each arm and hold him up.
