The phone drops from her hand. A dog howls.
Her heart pounds in her chest, she collapses on the floor.
Tendrils of auburn hair cling to her face. Her skin feels clammy and cold. Her breaths are rapid.
She kisses her dog, and then she pulls him closer. “Stay with me,” she whispers.
A knock, and then the front door opens.
Voices call her name.
She nods her head.
The ambulance crew lift her onto the stretcher. Her dog howls one more time while a tear rolls down her cheek.