"A Glimmer of Hope"

A few hours later, Ashley slowly opened her eyes, looking around the unfamiliar room with a confused expression. Erica's eyes lit up with relief as she saw her friend was awake. "Ashley, oh my god, you're awake," Erica exclaimed, rushing to her side. Ashley tried to speak, but her voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper. "W-where...?" she stammered. Erica took her hand, trying to comfort her. "You're in the hospital, sweetie. You've been having seizures." Ashley's eyes widened, and she looked at Erica with a mixture of fear and confusion. "S-seizures...?" Erica nodded, trying to reassure her. "You've been okay, though. The doctors are taking good care of you." As they talked, the doctor came back into the room, a serious look on his face. "Ashley, I'm glad to see you're awake," he said. "We've run some more tests, and we've found a tumour on your brain." Ashley's eyes went wide, and Erica's grip on her hand tightened. "A tumour?" Ashley repeated, her voice shaking. The doctor nodded. "Yes, we need to run some more tests to determine the type of tumour and the best course of treatment. We'll need to do a biopsy to get a better understanding of what we're dealing with." Ashley's face went pale, and Erica could see the fear and uncertainty in her eyes. The doctor continued, "We'll admit you to the ward and get everything set up for the biopsy. In the meantime, we'll do everything we can to make you comfortable." As the doctor and nurses began to make preparations for Ashley's admission, Erica got up to make a quick phone call to Ashley's team to let them know what was going on. After that, she decided to go to Ashley's home to gather some essentials for her hospital stay. She arrived at Ashley's house and quickly packed a hospital overnight bag with some of Ashley's favorite things, including a cozy blanket, a few comfortable clothes, and her phone charger. She also grabbed some toiletries and a book or two to keep Ashley entertained during her stay. As she packed, Erica couldn't help but think about the uncertainty that lay ahead. What if the tumour was cancerous? What if it wasn't? The not knowing was almost too much to bear. With the bag packed, Erica headed back to the hospital, determined to be there for Ashley every step of the way. As she arrived at the ward, she was relieved to see Ashley was settled in and looking a bit more comfortable. "Hey, I've brought some things from home," Erica said, setting down the bag. "I thought you might like them." Ashley smiled weakly, and Erica could see the gratitude in her eyes. "Thanks, Erica. I don't know what I'd do without you."