"I think it's my turn to make a few wishes." Sarah said.
On the way over to Jon's house, Sarah and Karyn had discussed some of the wishes they'd like to make. Karyn had already made most of the wishes she wanted to make. Sarah, meanwhile, had three in mind, and one of which she had mentioned to Karyn earlier.
"Okay, you know Mrs. Williams, right?" Sarah said.
Jon and Karyn nodded. Mrs. Williams was the teacher who got zapped by the Random Gun and turned into a crazy woman who tormented her class by transforming them with the Random Gun several times. She had previously zapped both Jon and Karyn.
"Yes. She's usually a nice person." Jon said. "One of the better English teachers I've met."
"Don't worry. I know it was only the Random Gun that was making her crazy. Karyn and I talked about this on the way here." Sarah said. "You know what happened to her, right?"
"No, I didn't see what happened." Jon said. Which was the truth. By the time Sarah arrived to take the Random Gun from Mrs. Williams, Jon had already turned into a scared girl who wished herself home.
"We got in a fight." Sarah said. "Biff and Reggie got zapped. I grabbed the Random Gun, she zapped herself by accident and turned into a weak old man who hit his head on the desk. Biff and Reggie called the ambulance for her. If what Nicole told me is true, the doctors say she might not regain consciousness."
Jon gaped in shock. Jon had caught some of this in Biff and Reggie's thoughts, but that was in the midst of learning all sorts of other information about what people at Lake Point High School were thinking and feeling. But now she was hearing about this from Sarah, speaking it out loud as the main subject of a discussion. That made Mrs. Williams' fate feel all the more real.
"I know. But Karyn and I talked about this." Sarah said. "I think I know what wish to make."
Sarah picked up the wishing stone, and made the wish she and Karyn had agreed on during their trip.
"I wish Mrs. Williams, or the old man Mrs. Williams became after being zapped with the Random Gun, made a full and complete recovery from any injuries suffered today."
The stone glowed for a bit.
Sarah sighed. "I hope it worked."
"It should." Jon said. "When the stone glows after you make a wish, it usually means it worked. Even if you don't see the results right away."
This made Sarah feel better about the next wish she wanted to make. It, too, was a wish whose results wouldn't be immediately apparent.
Sarah knew Biff would likely be one of the first people in line to be zapped with a Restoration Gun, and he would likely resume his football career as if nothing happened. But the events of the day brought back one very serious discussion she had with Biff.
Sarah had heard a number of stories about football players suffering from CTE or other neurological disorders due to too many concussions, head traumas, and related injuries. This concerned her greatly, to the point where she wondered whether it was even right to continue cheerleading during football games, as she'd only be encouraging Biff and the other football players she knew to risk serious brain damage. She cared about Biff's future, and didn't want to see him end up part of a tragic statistic.
Biff told her that he'd be okay, he can take care of himself and that he'd take doctors' advice seriously. Besides, all that stuff was something most people didn't have to worry about for decades. Sarah had been able to tell herself that it was likely Biff could go on to a long career in professional sports and eventually retire to become a coach or a sports commentator the way many older sports players did, but the worry sometimes resurfaced.
With this in mind, Sarah paused. "I've got another wish to make." she said.
She took the stone in hand, and, with Karyn's advice in mind, thought about how to word her wish for the best possible results.
"I wish that anyone who plays high-impact contact sports such as football, boxing, soccer, hockey and rugby will be immune from all forms of brain damage including CTE, in a manner that does not negatively impact their sports abilities or their quality of life."
The stone glowed. If Jon was right, it meant the wish had been granted.
"You do know that this wish will only work for people within the stone's range, right?" Karyn said.
"I know." Sarah said. "But as long as it works for people within 90 miles ... which is almost everyone I know, then it's fine."
"It's a good wish anyway." Jon said. "She may have saved a lot of lives. People we know, and dozens of people we don't know."
"I know." Karyn said. "It's just that everyone outside the wish range will still have to face those risks."
Sarah nodded. That was the downside of the wish. Unless they took the wishing stone on vacation with them or something, and repeated the exact same wish while at their vacation spot and/or on the way, then there was only so many people the wish would help. But it was still better than not making the wish at all. Biff, Randy, and so many other high-impact sports players in the area most likely had a better future ahead of them now.
"Anyway, I've got one more wish to make. Then it's time to decide what to do with this wishing stone." Sarah said. "I wish my father and anyone else Mr. Dankworth might have harmed will recover from any injuries they might have suffered."
The stone glowed, but not very brightly. Perhaps this was a good sign. Perhaps Sarah's father and the others were not as badly harmed as she feared.
"How do you know it was Mr. Dankworth that hurt them?" Karyn asked. "The news report was pretty vague."
"Mr. Dankworth was a major asshole." Sarah replied. "Everything I've heard about him tells me he's the sort who'd do anything to get ahead. And no, I'm not wishing him back to life. My dad and the others are better off without him."
"His death's been reported on the news anyway." Karyn noted. "By now, it's on social media and the cable news channels, which are out of range of the stone. I'm not sure if it's possible to bring him back without creating a big fuss."
"I only met the guy three times, and he gave off the 'evil corporate backstabber' vibe." Sarah said. "Made me believe all the horrible stories I've heard about him. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he were the one behind the explosion that was reported."
"Well, you saved Mrs. Williams anyway." Jon said. "And just about everyone who plays high-risk contact sports in our area. I think you've done good enough."
"That was the last wish I wanted to make." Sarah said, leaving the stone on the nearby table. "So now what do we do with it?"
Jon had already told Sarah and Karyn the importance of keeping the stone's existence a secret. They also needed to find a way to keep the stone safe until it was time to use it again.
