“How are they?” I asked urgently, my own fear mirrored in her eyes.

“The doctors are with them now,” she said, clutching her hands together as if in prayer. “They’re doing everything they can.”

We sat in silence, united in our shared dread. Minutes stretched into hours as we waited for news, each tick of the clock a reminder of the precious time slipping away.

Finally, a doctor approached, his expression grave but not without a glimmer of hope. “Mrs. Allen,” he addressed Laura, “we’ve stabilized the children. We’ve identified the substance and are administering the antidote. They should recover fully.”