Attorney Scott O'Connell, who is representing Exeter Hospital in the Hep C case, said during a press conference yesterday that he is astonished by the NH Attorney Generals accusation that the hospital was obstructing their investigation into those Hep C cases by seeking judicial guidance. The hospital filed a petition in Merrimack Superior Court on Aug. 29 asking a judge to grant a protective order shielding the medical records of its patients from state health officials. They say the state's Division of Public Health Services request for broad access to medical records would constitute a breach of both state and federal laws, as the records  contain confidential health information.