"Emily! Are you alright?" Hannah asked Emily sitting beside her hospital bed.

It was kind of a posh hospital room with a multitask bed beside which there were all sorts of equipment. Near the bed, there was a bedside table to keep the medicines. On top of that table, there were fruits and flowers which were sent by Emily's friends & family. On one side of the bed, there were sliding glass windows that could be opened to feel a breeze of cold air as Emily's room was on the 7th floor. On the other side of the bed, there was a sofa and chairs for sitting.

"Yeah. I feel better now." Emily replied while trying to get up.

"It's ok. You need to rest. But I need to ask you, how did this all happen? It's so strange."

"I don't know either. I mean everyone's aware of my allergies and the last thing that I ate was dinner which my mom cooked but she did not put any mushrooms."

"Ms. Emily?" Came the voice of a man from behind. He wore a white coat, a stethoscope around his neck & a name card attached to his coat that read 'Dr. Matthew'. He looked like in his 30s, had dirty blond hair, a beard, and a mustache. He had a small clipboard in his hands in which he was writing something. "You should be more careful. You are well aware of this. If you wouldn't have been admitted early, maybe you could've died."

Hannah raised eyebrows and opened her mouth in shock. But Dr. Matthew's face seemed to be unaffected as if saying these lines were no big deal for him as he got used to it.

"I'll be careful," Emily responded. What else could she say? She was also surprised by this unusual incident.

"Anyway, I've written medicines. Tomorrow morning she can go home when you sign these discharge papers." Dr. Matthew said handing over the papers to Emily's dad.

"Thanks, Dr. Matthew."

"My pleasure."

The next morning, Emily got discharged and was feeling much better. She came to meet Hannah for their school project.

"It's almost done!" Emily squeaked.

They both were working on a homemade solar air heater for the upcoming science fair.

"Yup. Just a touch-up and our project will be finished!"

They then heard someone knocking on the door. It was John.

"Guys, when you're finished with your project, would you come down and play?" John asked coming halfway through the door, his hand still on the handle.

*woof*

"Sure! How can I miss playing with you?" Hannah said while petting Tom's fur as he barked and wagged his tail.

" You know, sometimes I get confused as to which one is your brother - John or Tom." Emily mocked John as both the girls laughed.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. C'mon Tom."

------------

"So, what are we playing?" Emily asked John.

All four of them were in the front yard. It was not a big fancy yard but had enough space to play and run. There were some beautiful colorful flower beds and a pond in which there were small fishes and it also had a little bridge for decoration. There were trees surrounded by rocks on either side of the front yard entrance.

"How about -" John merely finished when Tom came with a frisbee in his mouth.

"Guess we'll be playing frisbee." Hannah giggled.

Catching frisbee was one of Tom's favorite game. Hannah, John, and Emily would form a circle with Tom inside and they would throw the frisbee at one another while Tom would try to catch it.

It had been nearly 10 min now when Mrs. Jackson called Hannah.

"Hannah, where did you get it? It's beautiful." She had the stone in her hands as she came closer to them. " I found this on the kitchen counter. "

Suddenly, when she was about to show it to them, the stone slipped from her hands and Tom picked the stone from the grass in his mouth.

"No! Tom! Give it back!" John yelled.

But Tom ran and ran. In a blink of an eye, Tom was on the streets when suddenly a speeding car hit him hard.

"TOM!!!!!" Hannah screamed and ran as fast as she could. John, Emily, and Mrs. Jackson ran after her. Tom just laid there in the middle of the road, in a pool of blood with the stone in his mouth.

"NOOOO!!!" Hannah cried as she lifted Tom's head and put it on her lap. She then took the stone from his mouth, looked at John, and screamed at him, " This is all your fault! If you wouldn't have brought this stupid thing home, none of this would be happening. Why John why? Why didn't you leave it just there? Why you had to take it? " Hannah screamed at John while tears kept rolling down her cheeks.

John stood there not knowing what to do or say except saying sorry with tears in his eyes.

"Sorry? Really John? That's all you have to say?"

Emily put a hand on Hannah's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

"No Emily!" Hannah said angrily and brushed her hands off of her shoulder and went inside the house while Mrs. Jackson called the ambulance and went inside to inform Mr. Jackson.

"Hannah? Where are you going?"

But without replying or turning back, she just went inside the house.

After a few minutes, Hannah emerged with a hammer.

"I am going to finish you once and for all. You have caused enough drama and messing with Tom was the last straw." Hannah said to the stone as she placed the stone on the ground and hammered it again and again. But nothing happened. Not even the slightest crack. But Hannah continued.

"Hannah! Hannah!" Emily shook Hannah. " I understand Hannah. But this won't destroy it." She said as she took away the hammer from her and Hannah broke down crying.

" I think I have a solution to end this once and for all," Emily said with a pause, comforting her best friend as the sound of the siren filled the air.