"Ashley Sanderson?"

Ashley gulped. "Yes?"

"I have news for you."

Ashley didn't recognize the woman on the phone. She sounded worried, and confused.

"What- What is it?"

"It's your mother, Emily Carson. She's in the hospital."

Ashley's breath hitched. "What happened?!"

"She had an accident, we need you to come quickly."

The phone hung up. Ashley scrambled from her seat and grabbed a sweater. She slipped on her green Converse sneakers and raced out of the door in the pouring rain. She ran to Erin's house and started banging on the door. After a moment, Erin answered.

"Ash," she asked.

"Erin," Ashley breathed, "My mom's in the hospital, I need a ride."

Erin's brown eyes widened behind her reading glasses. In a heartbeat, she grabbed her jacket and keys.

"Mom, Ashley needs me! I'll be back before dark!"

Ashley heard the soft, "Go on, sweetie," from Mrs MacIntosh, and Erin raced out of the door. The two of them ran to Erin's car and drove off to the hospital.

"What happened?"

Ashley shook her head. "I don't know. She left a few hours ago, then the rain started, and then I get a call saying my mother's in the hospital."

Erin nodded. "She might be alright, maybe we don't need to worry about it."

Ashley shook her head again. "I don't think so."

The two arrived at the hospital, where someone was waiting at the front desk.

"Hi," Ashley said, trying to keep her voice calm. "I'm Ashley Sanderson. I just got a call saying my mother was sent here."

The woman nodded. "Room 216. Follow me."

The woman guided Ashley and Erin through a hallway to the room Ashley's mother was being kept. The woman opened the door and Ashley raced to the bed. It was covered in curtains, but Ashley practically ripped off.

Her mother was unconscious on the bed. She was breathing shallowly, with bandages covering her arms and head. There was blood on the hospital gown she was wearing. Ashley gasped.

"What happened?"

"She was in an accident. Apparently, she was driving in the rain, and an 18-wheeler was coming across the corner. The wet road caused it to crash into your mother's car. Thankfully, she's alive. A bystander called immediately and we came as quickly as we could."

A soft knock on the door. Erin went to open it. "Tori?"

Ashley turned around. Erin was right, her fellow cheerleader and friend Victoria Lewis was standing in the doorway.

"Ashley! Erin! I was the one who called. I didn't know it was your mom until she was removed from the car!"

Tori ran and wrapped her arms around Ashley, but Ashley didn't hug her back.

"You made the call," she asked. Tori let Ash go, the tears on her face running her makeup.

"I just saw the crash! I- I didn't-"

But Ashley squeezed Tori in a bear hug. Tori responded quickly.

"Thank you," Ashley said quietly. "Thank you so much."

After a moment, Erin broke the silence.

"Ash, look."

Ashley turned around to see her mother's eyes fluttering open. "Mom!"

Ashley's mother was looking at Ashley with confusion. "Ash? Where am I? What happened?"

Ashley swallowed. "You were in a crash. Tori found you and called. You were sent here and I came."

A slow nod. Then, to the nurse, "How bad?"

The nurse moistened her lips. "We bandaged the outer injuries, but we noticed something else."

Ashley blinked. "What do you mean?"

"We performed an X-ray to make sure nothing was wrong, but we noticed something. Your mother's bones were badly injured, and she lost a lot of blood. If she doesn't have any transfused into her, your mother will die."

Ashley gasped. Erin wrapped her arm around Ashley's shoulders. Tori walked up to the bed.

"A blood transfusion," she asked, "I don't-"

"Mom," Ashley interrupted, "What does this mean to you?

The question had been something her mother would sat that to her all the time, especially after her father left them. The question had a massive amount of symbolism to them.

"I think this means I never would get that far," her mother said. She turned to the nurse again.

"Could I speak to Ashley alone, please?"

The nurse nodded and left. After a moment, Erin and Tori left too.

"Ashley, remind what my favorite song from SiX."

Ashley choked on the tears forming. "Heart of Stone. Jane Seymour's song."

Her mother nodded. "The only one he truly loved."

"Rude."

A small chuckle. "But do you know why it's my favorite? It's not because of the high notes."

Ashley nodded. "It's a song about a mother promising she'll always love her son, no matter what. Even after her.. death."

"Yes," her mother said softly. "'Soon I'll have to go. I'll never see him grow. But I hope my son will know, he'll never be alone.'"

The tears poured out of Ashley's eyes before she could stop them. "No," she said, "They'll work it out. They'll find a donor or something. You'll live, I promise."

"No," her mother said, squeezing her hand, "I'm not. And you know it."

Ashley sniffled. "It's something they can handle. I don't want you to think we're saying good-bye."

Both of them were crying, and Ashley tried to bring up some hope. "I'm sure we can find a way out of this."

Her mother shook her head. "There is no scenario in which we can both walk out of this. You need to let go."

A knock. Ashley opened the door and the nurse walked in, along with Erin and Tori. Erin's mother also walked in.

"What are you doing here," Ashley asked. Mrs. MacIntosh smiled softly.

"I got a call from Erin," she explained, "I didn't know how severe it was until I got here."

Erin wrapped her arm around Ashley again, and squeezed her slightly. "How is she?"

Ashley turned back to her mother. "Not good, but not bad either."

Erin nodded. She then turned to her mother. "Hey, Mom, do you wanna talk to her?"

Mrs. MacIntosh hiccupped and nodded. "Please."

Everyone else left. Ashley could barely walk out, so Erin had to help her. The two sat down in front of the door.

"Hey," Erin said, "You OK?"

Ashley shook her head furiously. "My mom's dying and she's doing it with a smile. After that, I'll have no one. So no, I am not OK."

Erin nodded slightly. "OK. Not good, but at least not terrible."

"It is terrible," Ashley snapped. "Once my mom's gone, you're the last person I can trust. The fact that she's going is enough, but now she isn't even trying to give me any hope!"

Erin blinked. "Pardon?"

Ashley tried to fight the new wave of tears. "You know, when someone's dying, they usually tell their families not to lose hope, to keep fighting, or something like that. But she's not. She's just laying there, waiting for the worst to happen."

Erin squeezed Ashley and she broke. She started crying into Erin's shoulder and didn't stop. Erin started muttering things in Ashley's ear, but she didn't know what she was saying. For all she knew, her mother was gone and was never going to come back.

****

"Ash."

Mrs. MacIntosh shook Ashley awake. Ashley's eyes fluttered open.

"W-What?"

It was late. Ashley and Erin had been sleeping on a couch in Ashley's mother's hospital room. Ashley groaned and stood up.

"What's wrong? Mom?"

Mrs. MacIntosh shook her head. "She's OK. It's just that she woke up and called for you. Now she won't stop."

"Ash," came a voice, soft and shaky.

"Mom," Ashley said quietly, "Mom, I'm here."

She walked up to her mom's bed and squeezed her hand. Her mother's eyes locked onto Ashley's, the same shade of green.

"Ash, honey, what are you doing here?"

Ashley laughed quietly. "Mom, I stayed because I'm not leaving you. OK?"

Her mother looked around. "Oh. The hospital. Right."

A small beep caused Ashley to turn around. It was a heart monitor, showing Ashley's mother's pulse. Still steady, still strong.

"Ashley," her mother said. "You know what's happening."

Ashley nodded. "Yes. And I know there's a way you can get out of this."

Her mother shook her head with a sad smile.

"I checked with Judy. There isn't any available donors for my specific blood, and if they find one, it'll be too late."

Ashley could feel the tears form, and she knew stopping them would be stupid. "Fine. So now you're dying."

Her mother nodded. But she didn't feel remorseful. Neither did Ashley.

"I am, but I'm quite sure you'll know what to do without me."

"How," Ashley asked. "You don't know that. I can't, not without you. I can't believe you'd assume I can live after everything that happened without you?!"

Her mother smiled through her tears. "I know you will, because you always do. And I've watched you learn and grow without me. Now I have the confidence that you can achieve many great things without me. You might not believe it, but you really do."

Ashley nodded. "But I'm still going to lose you, right?"

"In a way, no," her mother said softly, "Because, like the movies always say, I'll always be with you. In memories and in your actions, I'll be there. You should remember that."

Ashley nodded again. The two of them shared a mutual smile. A sniffling sound caused Ashley to look over her shoulder.

"Erin? You're up?"

"Apparently," she said, walking up to Ashley with tears glistening in her eyes.

"Oh, Erin, thank you," Ashley's mother said. Erin blinked.

"For what?"

"For bringing Ashley here and making sure I didn't die alone," she said. Erin smiled softly.

"Then by all means, you're very welcome."

Ashley smiled. Then she noticed that Mrs. MacIntosh was absent. She walked out of the hospital room. The sudden surge of light was overwhelming.

"Ash?"

Ashley turned to Erin's mom. "There you are."

"What happened," she asked. Ashley shook her head.

"Nothing happened. I just wanted you to come back inside."

She nodded and they both walked in. A persistent beeping came from the monitor. Ashley ran up her mother's bed, something was wrong.

"Mom," Ashley asked. Her mother was gasping for breath, her eyes frantically looking around.

"Mom, I'm here." Ashley held her mother's frail hand and squeezed it softly. Her mother's breathing slowed, and her heart rate lowered.

"Ash. I was worried."

"About what?"

"You.. leaving me."

Ashley smiled softly. "I'm not going anywhere. 'Cause like a river runs dry, and leaves its scars behind.'"

Her mother smiled.

"'I'll be by your side.'Cause my lo~ove is set in stone.'"

Ashley finished with a smile.

"You've always had a beautiful voice," her mother said, her voice growing softer.

Ashley nodded. "And that's what I'm competing with."

Her mother's smile lit her eyes, a smile Ashley loved, but never often saw. "Good. That'll knock 'em dead."

Ashley nodded, the tears falling. "OK. OK. Anything else to say to me?"

She nodded. "Never give up hope, no matter what you do. It'll always help in the end."

Ashley's smile widened. Her mother turned to Erin.

"Erin, I need you to make sure Ashley's OK. I won't be there for her, so I need you to. OK?"

Erin nodded. "I'll make sure she's OK."

"Perfect."

Then Ashley's mother turned to Erin's mother. The women shared a mutual nod.

Ashley's mother gave everyone a final smile, and closed her eyes. The heart monitor began to flatline, but they all knew nothing else could be done. Ashley took the covers and gently placed over on her mother's face.

"Rest in peace."