Chapter 167. Fight, Don't Give Up

Lauren's gaze lingered on Melissa's frail form as she lay motionless on the hospital bed. The vibrant spark that had once danced in her friend's eyes had been dimmed, replaced by a haunting hollowness. Melissa's once-radiant complexion had given way to a sallow pallor, her cheeks sunken and her body alarmingly thin.

 

She lay motionless, the tubes and wires connected to her body a stark reminder of the relentless battle she faced. Stage 3 bone cancer, its claws sinking deep, was compounded by the HIV coursing through her veins—a cruel combination that threatened to unravel her from the inside out.

 

Lauren's heart clenched with a mixture of sorrow and helplessness as she scanned Melissa's patient chart and medical records. A part of her yearned to lash out, to hurl curses and accusations that might somehow undo the cruel hand that fate had dealt her friend. But deep down, she knew such an outburst would accomplish nothing.