Me: Now to find out what's wrong with Sapphire, if you don't like sad things look away, NOW! (PS, last chapter was a week after the birth)

Chapter 25

It was tense in the waiting room, even people unrelated to the whole fiasco felt the sadness and became silent. Ash and May had yet to arrive, so Ruby was sitting on her own, face in her hands and crying.

She loved her little sister, a lot, this was quite a thing to handle, especially when you are only 10years old and alone.

Some people wonder why the age for leaving on a journey was set at 10, truth is it was to build responsibility. But when the final decision was made they failed to think about how dangerous it may be, or how much strain it could put on their minds. True, Ruby's emotional distress had nothing to do with the journey right now, but she believes that if she had not been on her journey that she may have noticed her sister getting ill, failing to remember her parents were around the whole time she wasn't.

Her tears kept flowing, never stopping. Even the people she didn't know seemed sorry for the girl crying in the corner.

The same corner her mother had sat in all those years ago.

Ruby tried to keep faith, having total belief that Dr. Cullen would do all he could, but it was hard when one of your closest friends, who also happens to be related to you, was lying in a CAT scanner. Hearing the doors open she looked up again, this time seeing her Parents running in, pushchair and all. They stopped halfway to her, May opening her arms wide. Ruby ran toward her, launching herself into her mother's safe arms, sobbing into her shirt. May held her daughter close, soothing her despite the tears in her own eyes.

Ash parked the pushchair near Ruby's seat and wrapped his arms around both of his beloved girls.

May gently patted Ruby's back, whilst Ash just held them close, stroking Ruby's curly hair.

When they sat back down Ruby held her youngest sibling, Jasper, when he began to cry, as Ash and May held the other two crying children. It wasn't easy to calm someone so young when you yourself are crying your heart out. When she felt a tiny hand on her cheek she opened her eyes, looking at her now smiling little brother. He had one of those innocent little grins you couldn't help but smile at, Ruby took in a laugh like gasp and held the baby close, her tears soaking the black ringlets that adorned his head.

2 hours later...

All three Ketchums looked up when Dr. Cullen walked back in, a soft, yet somehow unnerving , smile on his pale face.

"I'm afraid it appears that Sapphire has a minor brain tumour, it's in the middle stages but is definitely what caused today's incident. It would be best to operate straight away." He said. All three were stunned.

"If its best..." Ash said.

"It is."

"Ok, do whatever you need to do, just bring us back our little girl, k?"

"Don't worry, I'm the best." Dr. Cullen said. Ash just nodded, holding May close. He glanced over at the triplets, all sleeping now.

For Ruby, on the other hand, it was too much. She stood up and ran out of the hospital doors, tears running down her already stained cheeks.

"RUBY!" Ash exclaimed, running after his eldest child.

___________________

When Ash finally found Ruby she was leaning against a tree trunk by the river. Sighing Ash took a seat next to her.

They just sat there for a while, before Ruby turned to her father.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Ru'?"

"Will she be OK?"

"Of course she will."

"Dad." Ruby said, looking at him with serious eyes, he sighed.

"I don't know. I hope she will, but this 'Cullen' dude has only been here 2 months. He's supposedly really good... I just don't know!"

Ash put an arm around his daughter's shoulder.

"Just always keep yourself safe on your journeys, k? I never wanna lose any of you guys." He was almost crying now.

Ruby almost felt guilty for not being able to tell him about what had really happened when she ended up in hospital.

Ash stood up and held a hand out to her, she took it and he pulled her up, squeezing it gently.

"C'mon, let's get back to your mother." He smiled weakly. Ruby followed him, silent the whole time.

The wait was a long one, Ruby had fallen asleep on her father's shoulder before even half the time was over.

But finally, after 4 hours, Dr. Cullen approached them again.

Me: God, I am updating a lot faster now! Please read and review guys, I miss reading your nice, supportive comments.