Wow, has it been forever or what? I've been wanting to continue this for a while, and this idea just randomly popped into my head. Well, not really an idea so much as the fact that I wanted a slightly darker chapter, because not everything in life can work out perfectly.

Also, sorry it's so short. Making it any longer would seem to be forcing it, and that's no good.

This has heavy influences on the anime. Pretty AU as well. Very angsty as well, be warned. Please do enjoy!

"Good morning, Cilan."

Cress took a seat at the table, careful of the distance between him and his green haired brother. Anything less than at least six feet away caused the teen to have a panic attack. Chili and Cress could sometimes manage five feet on one of his "good days", but those were unpredictable and few and far between.

"The nurse says you haven't been eating lately." And it was starting to show. All three of them had always been on the thin side, but the gown he was dressed in hung off his shoulders more than it did last time he visited. Next time he would have to bring him something to eat from home.

The eldest triplet longed to be able to reach out and at least take Cilan's hand, both for his brother's reassurance and his own but knew from past experience that doing that was a bad idea. His middle brother had been causing him nothing but constant worry and despair. Ha, and he thought Chili would be the one to put him in an early grave with his antics.

Cress leaned over as slowly as possible, as not to startle him, to see what he was doing. It was a puzzle this time, and a hundred piece one at that. Last he had heard, Cilan couldn't even finish one with twenty-five pieces. The nurses were becoming more confident that there was no brain damage now that he seemed to be making some progress. At least no major effects, anyway.

"I'm sorry Chili couldn't make it out this time. He wanted to, but you know how busy it gets at the gym this time of year. Between that and the restaurant, we couldn't manage with both of us leaving. He should be visiting sometime in the next few weeks hopefully. It's just so difficult to make it out here."

He still didn't know why the doctors wanted to keep Cilan so far away in Castelia City. What was wrong with the hospital in Striaton? It wasn't like they had top notch superior hospitals that didn't exist anywhere else. Cress knew the move would be stressful and potentially damaging for Cilan's now fragile mind, but he was sure there were ways to make it easy.

At least that way, he and Chili could see their brother more often instead of on a twice a month basis.

Cress inched forward another couple inches, causing his brother to glance up through his messy hair and stiffen. Guess he was nearing the six foot personal barrier then. He shrunk back to his original spot; there was no need to cause another incident like last time.

"Ash and Iris have been worried about you as well," Cress continued. The blue haired triplet didn't know if Cilan was listening or could even comprehend what he was saying. Regardless, he spoke anyway, if only to rest his own worries and hear himself talk. "They left a while ago, but I talked to them over the phone just the other day. They miss you a lot. Ash says his journey isn't the same without you."

Secretly Cress blamed them for this whole ordeal, but that was something he kept in that dark spot in the back of his mind. Cilan didn't need any more negative things to impact his life.

"Your Pokemon miss you too. Stunfisk is picking fights with Chili's Pansear, and Dwebble and Pansage have been moping around. I'd bring them in, but this hospital has some kind of no Pokemon policy. Stupid, I know. It's impossible to even sneak them in. Chili tried once and he wasn't even allowed in."

What kind of place didn't allow Pokemon? Cress hated Castelia City, with its cold, emotionless, and impersonal atmosphere. Nothing like their own Striaton City.

Glancing over, he saw that Cilan hadn't made much progress on the puzzle. Whether it was from himself being there or some kind of mental difficulty Cress didn't know (and he didn't think he wanted to, either). He reached over to help put a piece in place, but immediately retracted his hand when he notice his brother shying away.

If he could, Cress would drop everything to take care of Cilan himself. The restaurant and gym weren't the same without the famed triplet brothers running them. Hell, he would undo the past two months of his younger brother's life, maybe even go further and stop him from going on that journey with Ash and Iris in the first place.

With a sigh, Cress pushed his chair back and stood up. He couldn't have spent more than fifteen minutes in the cold, bare room, but he felt suffocated. Two months in a hospital and there was no recovery, hardly even a sign that it was still possible. Dare he say it, but he was quickly losing hope.

Giving one last glance to his frail brother sitting at the table, Cress picked up his coat lying nearby and headed for the door.

"Goodbye, Cilan."

What happened to him? Something terrible, is all I really know or can say. Might do a follow-up or a prequel in the future, only time will tell.