CHAPTER FOUR
"Darling, how was work?"
Doctor Mrs Stones asked warmly, moving towards her husband as he stepped into the grand hallway of their mansion. She reached up to help him remove his jacket, her tone soft but curious.
The house manager, Fred, appeared promptly, taking Doctor Stones's briefcase and waiting politely to receive the jacket.
"Work wasn't pleasant today," Doctor Stones replied curtly, his voice edged with frustration. "Jacob did something… disturbing."
He walked past his wife, loosening the top button of his shirt and tugging at his tie. His movements were stiff — the kind that came from deep agitation.
"Jacob?" Mrs Stones repeated, glancing briefly at Fred as she handed him the jacket. "Fred, please tell the cooks to bring dinner quickly. My husband must be starving."
"There's no need," Doctor Stones interrupted sharply, turning to face Fred. "I'm not hungry."
Fred bowed slightly and disappeared down the corridor without another word.
"What happened?" Mrs Stones asked, a frown forming between her brows. She stepped closer, concern replacing her earlier warmth. "What did Jacob do?"
Doctor Stones didn't answer immediately. Instead, he raised his voice, directing it towards the grand staircase that led to the upper floor.
"JACOB!" he called sternly, his voice echoing through the quiet house.
"What did he do?" Mrs Stones asked again, resting a calming hand on her husband's shoulder.
"He's one of the suspects involved in that incident at the college today — the one that almost killed a student," Doctor Stones said, his tone heavy with disbelief as he began climbing the stairs two at a time.
Mrs Stones froze for a moment, then gasped. "Oh my goodness! Are you certain he's involved?"
"I don't know," he replied tightly. "That's exactly what I'm going to confirm."
They reached Jacob's door. Doctor Stones rapped on it sharply.
"Jacob! Open this door right now!" he demanded.
Receiving no answer, Mrs Stones spoke more softly, trying to reach her son through gentler means.
"Jacob, darling, please open the door. We just want to talk — to understand what's going on."
Still, there was no response.
Doctor Stones exchanged a worried look with his wife before pulling out a spare key from his pocket. The door creaked open slowly — and then they froze.
A gasp tore from Mrs Stones's throat. "Oh, my God!" she screamed, rushing into the room.
Jacob lay sprawled across his bed, motionless.
"Jacob!" she cried, dropping beside him and shaking his shoulders desperately. Her trembling fingers went straight to his neck to check his pulse.
Doctor Stones stood at the doorway, paralysed by shock. His eyes darted around the room — and then fell upon a small bottle lying beside the bed.
He picked it up slowly, his stomach twisting as he read the label. His hands trembled.
"Look," he said hoarsely, showing it to his wife.
Mrs Stones snatched the bottle and stared at it. Her face turned pale. "Poison," she whispered. "He drank poison. Judging by this formula, it takes between six and eight hours to reach full effect — we're lucky we found him in time."
She stood abruptly, snapping into medical instinct. "We need to move him now!" she ordered.
Stepping to the doorway, she called out, "Joshua! Come quickly and help your master with my son!"
Within seconds, a tall, muscular young man rushed into the room. Together, he and Doctor Stones carefully lifted Jacob's limp body.
"Take him to the car!" Mrs Stones instructed. "We'll drive to my hospital — I'll treat him in my own ward."
She grabbed her phone on the way out, dialling her hospital as they hurried to the car. "Prepare the emergency unit," she said briskly. "We're on our way. Suspected poisoning — teenage male."
The drive was tense and silent except for the faint, rhythmic breathing of Jacob in the back seat. Doctor Stones's hands were shaking slightly as he held his son's wrist, praying silently.
Upon arrival at the hospital, the emergency team — already alerted — took charge. Jacob was rushed into the intensive care unit, straight to his mother's private ward.
Inside, Doctor Mrs Stones worked tirelessly, commanding her team with the precision of a seasoned surgeon. Her mind raced through dosages, antidotes, and procedures. Every second mattered.
Outside, Doctor Stones waited in the corridor, motionless on the bench. His thoughts were a storm.
Why would Jacob do this? Was he threatened? Humiliated? Framed?
He couldn't make sense of any of it.
Minutes passed like hours. Finally, the door opened. Mrs Stones stepped out, exhaustion written across her face. She walked straight to the washing basin, scrubbed her hands thoroughly, and took a seat beside her husband.
"Is he going to make it?" Doctor Stones asked immediately, his eyes pleading.
Mrs Stones exhaled and nodded, managing a small, reassuring smile. "He's stable now. The poison hadn't fully spread. It only affected part of his nervous system, which explains his unconscious state. By tomorrow morning, he should regain consciousness."
Doctor Stones closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Thank goodness," he muttered, leaning back against the wall.
"Yes," she said gently, placing a comforting hand on his lap. "You should rest, my dear. If you don't eat or sleep, your own health will start to fail."
She turned towards Joshua, who had been standing respectfully by the door. "Take him home," she said firmly. "He needs rest."
Doctor Stones hesitated before rising to his feet. "You must rest too," he told her softly. "Don't overwork yourself tonight."
"I'll be fine," she assured him with a tired smile.
---
Outside, the cool night air greeted Doctor Stones as he and Joshua climbed into the car. For a while, neither spoke. The city lights flickered past in silence until Stones finally said, his voice low, "Something feels wrong, Joshua."
Joshua nodded. "I feel the same, sir."
"When did Jacob return home?" Stones asked after a moment.
"About an hour before you arrived, sir."
"Did he say anything to my wife about the incident?"
"I'm not certain," Joshua replied, eyes still fixed on the road. "I wasn't in the room when they spoke. But from what I gathered, it wasn't a long conversation. Afterwards, he went straight to his room and locked the door."
"He didn't eat?"
"No, sir. Fred offered him dinner, but Jacob said he had some goodies in his bag and would eat those instead."
Doctor Stones frowned, turning his gaze towards the dark streets outside. "Did my wife know about that?"
"Yes, sir," Joshua replied quietly.
After a brief pause, Stones asked, "Do you think she knows about the incident at the college?"
Joshua hesitated. "I can't say, sir. But judging by her reaction tonight, I doubt she had any idea. She seemed genuinely shocked."
Doctor Stones nodded slowly, the lines of worry deepening across his forehead. "That's what I thought too," he murmured.