Hey guys! Just finished some stuff up, so here's a chapter to celebrate that! Same stuff as before applies, let me know if anything feels off. Admittedly some of the mechanics to keep Lucy alive might not be 'medically accurate', however since this story is placed in the future, I've taken some artistic liberty and used some future technology hoo haa. Nothing outlandish though.

Anywho, please enjoy!

Waking up this time was easier... However the position she woke in was a little uncomfortable and Lucy realized she couldn't move to fix that... She would never be able to. She shivered as she opened her eye, looking around the room again.

Still the bedroom, only the light was off and it was day now... However it likely wasn't as long a nap as the last few times had been. Rita was still there, holding her daughter in her sleep. It seemed they had both passed out at some point.

Since Lucy was still semi-seat, she looked around the room, however she couldn't really see around her mother and there was only the wall behind her. Looking down Lucy paused, slightly shocked to find that she and her mother seemed to be close to ...the same size?

Her legs were only a little ways shorter that Moms... While both were curled on the bed it was clear that Lucy was taller than she had been...

Oh yah, eighteen years, right... wait 18 + 8...

26.

Lucy was 26 years old now...

She really didn't feel it. It felt more like a week had past since her teacher had welcomed her class to third grade.

Still looking down at her feet Lucy tried to move one of them... She didn't sense them move at all... Seeing as how she knew she was paralyzed, Lucy couldn't help the depressing idea that she was an idiot for trying.

There was a creaking noise and Lucy paused, listening to a pair of footprints walking from the door towards them. Dad appeared above them, catching Lucy's eye before smiling. He held a finger to his lips before reaching around his wife and lifting Lucy into his arms with a slight grunt.

The world wobbled for a second as Mr Loud shifted her, putting her head to his shoulder and carrying her out of the room, all while Lucy looked around. The hallway had about four doors, the walls white and the floors carpeted in blue. They passed another bedroom that had only one bed in it was well, the next bedroom held a bigger, king sized bed and seemed much more lived in.

Mom and Dad's room then...

They didn't give her enough time to look around as her dad carried her into the next room, right into the living room she remembered waking in before. It was a small room, holding the aforementioned chair and couch. There was a china cabinet to one side, with a stylized painting of Buckingham palace over it.

Dad and his British appreciation.

Sitting on the couch was Lisa, watching the news quietly. She looked up as the two crossed before her, Mr Loud setting Lucy back into the chair. "There we go..." He grunted, standing up and cracking his back as he did so. Before leaving he arranged Lucy's arms and legs into a more comfortable position, put a blanket over her and left towards an a joining dinning room, going around the corner. "I'll get some lunch started... Lisa you have any preferences?"

"Mac N Cheese?" Lisa asked, not looking up from the news.

"Sounds good."

Lucy blinked as she looked around again, finding not much had changed in the room... She looked to the Tv quietly.

'-urrently on Mar's settlement Beta there is new news that the farming project has been delayed, after a tear in the settlement's air dome. Until repairs are made, the project has to be postponed.'

"I don't know how they're going to feed those people... you can only eat freeze dried raisins for so long." Lisa grumbled, glaring at the Tv. "If they had used the more expensive materials for the Dome, like we told them, this wouldn't be happening."

Lucy looked to her sister, surprised. "There're humans on Mars?"

Lisa looked at her in confusion, but it quickly melted away. "Oh, yes of course... Yes they've been there for about two years now. I was helping a bit with the set up, but I've since left that project." Lisa rolled her eyes. "The cheapskates. I swear they only had our team in case something went wrong and they could blame it on us."

Lucy cocked her head and frowned quietly. A lot more had changed than she thought... "Is Mac N Cheese different now?"

Lisa looked at her, laughing slightly. "Why fix what's not broken? Trust me its just as bad and just as cheap... However..." Lisa grimaced. "You won't be eating it."

Lucy blinked. "Why?"

Lisa looked surprised for a moment. "Uh, can you feel anything on your throat, under your chin?"

Lucy stared at her in confusion before trying to look down. Course she couldn't see her her neck, but with her chin pressing against it she could feel something something hard there. She looked back to her sister, a little alarmed.

"Relax. Its a neck plate port. You had a tracheotomy of sorts." Lisa explained. "Its sort of an extra entry way to your throat. You have a tube going down to your stomach and another for breathing." Lisa shrugged. "They can be closed, and they are now, but once the tubes are in place it will open them to bring food down to your stomach and/or used for respiration." She gestured to her own neck, two fingers placed side by side to indicate the holes. "Medical science has improved to the point where the ports aren't as big. They also are magnetically set so they only open for the 'correct tube'. Don't want to mix up the two ports." Lisa put her hands down. "Mom and Dad had it done so they could take care of you at home easier. You won't be able to swallow more than liquids from your mouth."

"Oh." Lucy let her head roll back and stared at the ceiling. Now that she knew it was there, she could feel the flesh stretch around plastic...

Hopefully it would go back to not being noticeable. Lucy watched the high ceiling light fan spin around lazily. It was weird to hear Lisa tell her that she would never be eating food the same way again... then again she wouldn't be doing much the same way as before...

Wait.

"W-what about..." Lucy twitched as she looked to Lisa, slightly embarrassed. "What about.. the other way...?"

Lisa stared back at her, eyes squinted before understanding dawned on her. "Oh, you mean the issue of toilet matters. You've had a colostomy and urostomy. All of your excretions go into a bag on your hip. Don't get flustered however. The process is actually very quick and easy. Un-clip the bag and re clip another one. Simple and clean." Lisa looked over her shoulder to the kitchen, listening for a moment before turning back. "Mom and Dad might have gone the 'diaper' route, seeing with how many kids they have had they shouldn't be perturbed by it. However given the... severity of your injuries these surgeries were required sooner or later."

Lucy craned her neck, trying to see the bag. It was more of a fanny pack looking thing now that Lucy noticed it. Not really noticeable, but knowing what it was for had Lucy wincing unenthusiastic.

"Its best to not think about it." Lisa agreed, sitting up a bit on the couch. There were a few moments of silence that was a little awkward. Lisa, it seemed, was being just a little tight lipped, there was a lot of stuff still off the table about this situation that Lisa and her parent's weren't telling her yet, Lucy knew it... Maybe they just wanted to let the news about her body sink in first, so as not to overwhelm her...

Looking at Lisa now... It was hard to see her four year old sister in there. At least in visuals, she was still as brainy , driven and stubborn as ever. Looking down Lucy could see she was in a hoodie that read 'Harvard University' 2027.

"You went to Harvard?" Lucy asked.

Lisa looked at her, checking her shirt before blushing. "Ah yes. Medical. I'm technically a Doctor. Although I'm working more sciences right now and am going for my third degree soon. I want to do some work in Robotics."

"Wow." Lucy wasn't surprised. Lisa was smart enough to do anything she wanted. She was teaching at the community college at the age of four. It was nice that Lisa was doing so well... But then... "What's everyone else been up to?"

Lisa looked to her hands. "Uh... well Lori was in the army for a bit. Leni was a seamstress in Paris... Luna's a famous rock star, Luan owns a Comedy Club in the city, Lola's a model, Lincoln does work as an event planner, and Lily's in college."

Wow. Lily in college. Lucy thought back to her memories of a drooling, cooing, happy baby. "Whats she going through for?"

"Art." Lisa stated. "She's a painter." The genius sunk into the couch with a scowl. "Course she went though a rather, rebellious tagging phase in high school. She was dragged home three times by police for doing Graffiti. Thankfully it was never permanent, she was smart enough to use spray paint that could wash off, but it was still an unwise decision in the first place." Lisa sighed. "I had move out before that started."

Lucy frowned when the baby in her mind transformed into a smoking, spray painting thug, trudged home in handcuffs to the Loud residence. Mmmmm... However that raised another question.

"Uh, where ... are we anyway?"

"Mom and Dad's place." Lisa explained. "Moved here about... three years ago."Lucy looked around once more as Lisa continued. "It's a condo of sorts near the edge of the city. Its a short drive to the hospital from here, that was a big selling point,and only fifteen minutes from the Casa Da Loud."

"Casa Da Loud?"

Lisa looked to her with a smirk. "When mom and dad bought this place, they sold our childhood home to Lincoln. Bobbi insist on dubbing the house that, even if he's not living there... Speaking of he and Lori are married now." Lisa changed the channel and lower the volume. "She's Lori Santiagos now."

That wasn't a surprise. "How long have they been married?"

"Ten years soon."

Hold on, ten years? Lori had just started dating Bobbi, if Lucy remember correctly, back before the accident. So that means they dated an extra eight years?! Why did it take so long? Lucy looked to the Brunette again "Why would they wait so long? Did Lori's career get in the way?"

Lisa froze, swallowing slightly the girl looked to her. "Uhh... Thats not important."

What? Lucy frowned as Lisa looked away to the kitchen. Why was she clamming up again? It wasn't that difficult a question. Looking to the side table's picture Lucy realized something.

"You never mention what Lana's up to... or Lynn..."

Lisa looked back at her, eyes wide. "W-well that is-"

"Foods On!" Mr Loud rounded the corner with a pot in his oven mitted hands. "Lisa could you go tell your mom that-"

"On it!" Lisa leaped up and ran to the back halls, leaving Lucy alone. The girl frowned...

Her dad set the pot down on a pot holder, and came into the living room. She watched as he came to pick her up again, her gut twisting in worry. Once she was in his arms she swallowed. "Dad...?"

"Mmhmm?" He said with a smile.

"Di-did something happen to Lana and Lynn?"

The man stopped mid walk, looking to daughter. "Why do you .. uh, ask?" He said, looking a little pale.

"Lisa told me about Luna being famous and Lola's modeling... but she didn't answer me when I ask why she left them out..." Lucy frowned.

The man breathed heavily, but carried her into the dining room, setting her in an armed chair. "Kiddo... I'm gonna be honest here... We aren't going to tell you everything... not right away at least..." Dad paused to watch Lucy's expression carefully. "I know that must be frustrating but Lisa told us that if you get overwhelmed... lets just say your body may not take too kindly to it. For now we want to let the..." He lifted her arm slightly before letting fall to her side. "situation... sink in. We don't want to stress you out, there for stressing your body out, too much at once..."

He walked over to a cabinet as Lucy thought this over. So something did happen to them... at least she knew that much. Were they in trouble with the law or something? As she thought about this Dad came back with a some objects. She watched him pull an IV stand from the corner of the room and sit in a chair next to her.

"Alright, Lucy... This will be a little different, but I'm gonna explain everything so try and hang on for me..." He held up a device in his hands, it looked like an electrical plug, but with tubes instead of prongs. "This is your... feeding tube."

"Lisa told me about it... kinda..." Her eyes darted down to the invisible neck port.

"Well, when we feed you, we hook this into the port, ones for food, the others for breathing. Now when the food plug is in, we need to put you on a respirator, as the feeding tube blocks off the airway. When that happens you not going to be able to talk... There will be no air going back and forth... It won't last more than thirty minutes, but we'll be here if you need anything. Just blink at us a lot or something."

Lucy swallowed tightly. "O-ok?"

"Alright, this shouldn't hurt a bit, but it might feel a bit odd..." Lucy watched as the tube came straight at her neck, twitching at the pressure of the port moving on her neck.

Lucy frowned. "Is it suppose to wiggle so mu-" The rest of her sentence was lost and Lucy puffed a bit when she realized she felt like a knotted balloon, with no where for the air to go... The feeling, thankfully, was short lived however as with a click another port opened and air flew out.

"Sorry honey, the respirator hole missed the jack... You breathing ok?" Dad asked, watching her face.

Lucy swallowed again, this time feeling something hard in her throat. Her breathing felt normal, but it was eerie how she felt no air movement in her nose and throat. Feeling nervous she looked to her dad, nodding the smallest way possible so as not to dislodge the tube.

She felt pressure on her leg somewhere as her dad most likely squeezed her knee. "That a' girl. Ok, I'm gonna set up your food, then we can have lunch, ok?" He turned to the Iv stand, but Lucy didn't go to watch, afraid she'd upset the tubes.

"Good afternoon..." Mom called as she and Lisa returned. The blonde spotted Lucy before smiling, walking to her side to kiss the side of her head. "Hey Lucy... How are you this morning?"

Lucy started to mouth a response before stopping mid movement. Right, no air, so no voice... Rita seemed to realize this to as she patted her daughter on the cheek. "Its ok, we can talk afterward..."

Lisa was sitting at the table, watching the transaction closely before grabbing a bowl and filling it with the Mac N Cheese from the pot. Once Rita takes her seat Lisa handed her the full bowel and started on another. "I'm going to do some more tests on Lucy tomorrow." Lisa said, as she spooned the noodles up and looked to the sister she was speaking of. "I think you'll have fully awoken by then and we can check for any side effects or previously undiscovered damages. For now, however ,I say we simply try and transition through the inevitable surprises that have and will crop up."

"Sounds good." Dad spoke, coming back around and accepting the bowel Lisa offered. Lucy watched him take his seat before tilting back slightly to look at the Iv the best she could without moving. She couldn't see much besides the black bag hanging on it...

As lunch went on Lucy realized she didn't feel very different. There was no disgusting feeling in her throat or movement, but she could tell it was working. The hunger that had just started inside had dissipated. She supposed so long as food went where food should go, it really didn't matter.

The food the rest of the family was having smelled good though... Apparently there was more to eating then filling your guts. Lucy had never experienced this strange feeling. Like she wasn't really eating anything, even though she knew she technically was... Without chewing or tasting anything it was a rather empty experience, not to mention her mind was abuzz with the two conflicting sensory information.

Rita paused her eating to watch her child stare at her. "Lucy are you ok?"

She nodded carefully, looking at the spoon her mom still had poised in the air. She heard shifting and looked back to Lisa standing from her place at the table, mouth still chewing as she pulled a spare spoon from the side of the pot . She dipped it inside , swishing it around before removing the spoon and tapping any noodles off of it. She then meandered around the table to Lucy's side, offering her the cheese gooey spoon.

Lucy stared between the two.

"Lisa, Lucy not suppose to-"

Lisa held her free hand up to pause her mother patiently before finishing her mouth full. "I know that, I'm the one that told you two. I said anything more than liquid. This is a Liquid." Lisa said, waggling the spoon before addressing Lucy again. "You'll need to wait before water can wash your mouth out, until the drips done, but this should keep those pesky physiological trick at bay." Lisa looked back to her parents. "Since she doesn't feel anything in her mouth, her brain doesn't think she's getting anything, even though her stomach is telling it that they are. I suggest gum for later on, but this will do for now."

Lisa toyed the spoon in front of Lucy's eyes until the girl took the spoon in her mouth. The taste of cheese flooded her mouth and Lisa shifted the spoon in her mouth so it took most of the sauce off as she pulled it back out. Lucy moved her tongue around, enjoying the flavor as the nagging feeling her brain had bothered her with left as well.

"Easy peasy." Lisa said, sitting back to her food.

"We'll pick up some gum later, ok?" Rita spoke, reaching to Lucy's seat and stroking her cheek again. Lucy just looked to her and nodded again, sucking on her own tongue.

After Lunch was done and Lucy was disconnected from her tube they had retired to the living room again. Dad once more carried her to the room, depositing her on the couch end this time. He arranged her once more before blanketing her and going to help his wife clean up.

Lucy looked to the turned off Tv helplessly. Unsure of what to do with herself... Lisa had gone to take a shower. Mom and Dad were busy. If she were able to, she would have turned on the Tv but her useless arms were still. Looking around Lucy searched for something to keep her busy when her eyes spied something she hadn't seen before in the room, due to the angle of the chair.

A first she wasn't sure. However the blinking figure proved that it was indeed a mirror. She was shocked that the person she saw in the reflective surface wasn't her. At least, not anymore. She did, however, know that she had seen them somewhere before. Looking up to her parents wedding photo she realized why.

She looked just like her mom.

She was wearing some sweat pants and a blue t shirt. To be fair her parent's had never really understood her interest in Gothic clothing. (Not that they tried to stop her interests) She doubted they could tell the difference between what she liked and what she didn't. What really took her by shock, though, was something else.

Lisa stumbled into the room, drying her hair lazily before she spotted her sister and came to her. She studied the shocked look on Lucy's face before looking to the mirror. "What?" Lisa asked, uncertainly. "Whats wrong?"

"M-my hair... its blonde again!"

Lisa gocked, looking between the real Lucy and her reflection before coming to realize what she was saying. "Oh! Ooohhh! Right, you use to dye it, didn't you?" Lisa started to think a moment. "I think it all grew out after only three years... you've been blonde for so long I forgot!"

"I look... like mom..." Lucy said slowly, eyes blinking at the sight. Lucy watched Lisa look at her reflection, then to the same picture Lucy had compared to. Lisa pursed her lips, slightly surprised.

"Well yes, more than anyone else in the family now that I think of it." Lisa cocked her head. "I never noticed!"

Lucy stared at the stranger before her. Hair golden and throat pierced with plastic. She exhaled shakily as her chin quivered again. Lisa gripped her shoulder to take her attention. "Why don't we watch some Tv?" Lisa asked, taking position between Lucy and the mirror. Lucy looked her sister in the eye, finding comfort in their steady but tired gaze. She hiccuped softly before looking to her lap, feeling oddly guilty for some reason...

"Ok..."

She vaguely felt Lisa squeeze her shoulder before the tv turned on. Lisa changed to a scientific discovery channel that had a show about bees on, Lisa was only half watching it as Lucy noticed. She was mostly positioning herself to cover the mirror.

Their parents arrived, sitting in the empty seats to watch the show with them. Lucy wasn't paying attention. As interesting as bees could be, she wasn't in the mood. She looked to her parents quietly before coughing, catching her attention.

"So, you guys still working?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, well I'm still working at the office... I got promoted actually!" Mr Loud said proudly. His wife gave him a bemused .

"I quit working at the dental offices a few months... after. I'm a writer now. Some of my books are on tape if you want to hear them." Ms Loud explained. "Most of them are children's books though, so I don't know if you want to. You were above the average reading level for your age, if I recall."

Lucy looked down at her hands... Thats right. No nerve connection meant no holding books. Only listening to them on tape. She wouldn't feel the light but connecting weight or the soft, smooth texture of paper. There would be no dusty smelling musk or ribbon place holders...

That was actually more depressing than the hair...

The day was spent quietly watching Tv, with her parents trying to avoid the news channels for the time being. It seemed something things never change however, as commercials showed the usual brands, along with some new, and Lisa would talk over them about the downside of the products.

However, things couldn't be more different. The house was too quiet. Without the ability to move ones limbs there was nothing to do, the day was so long... Her parents were actually home for once, and she was getting most of their attention, both of them, at the same time. She wasn't use to it, or the fact that Lisa was giving her attention as well. Yet there were times when they talked about her like she wasn't there. Like making a decision of when to take her to bed, as she'd likely be tired. At one point her father asked if Lucy maybe tired around eight. Lucy hadn't known he had asked Lisa, because she responded that she was tired more often than not now, so it'd be likely. Her parents had jumped in surprise, forgetting she was now awake and consultive. Then again after eighteen years of living with a hollow shell, it was likely a hard thought process to break.

It was around nine pm when her dad carried her into the bedroom. Only this time he arranged the pillows so she was on her side. Looking up at him she frowned. "Why am I laying like this?"

"Its to stop any bedsores Lucy. Keeping a different position helps keep blood circulating." He said this as he pulled up a before unseen padded arm on the bed. "This guy will keep you from falling off the bed in your sleep. Gravity can be a tricky mistress when your laying like this." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight honey."

"Goodnight dad..."Lucy said, watching the man smile at her. He made his way to the doorway slipping out as his wife slipped in. The blonde came in and headed to her daughter's bed.

"Lucy I just need to change your bag." Rita said as opened a side drawer near the bed.

Lucy blinked, trying to lift her head up to see what she was looking for, but found she could only get it so far up. Whatever Rita needed she found relatively quickly. Lucy didn't get a good look at whatever it was, but she shivered when her mother shifted her shirt and she heard a zipper working.

What?...Oh...oh no...

Lucy's face burned in embarrassment as her mother set about changing her colostomy bag. There was no smell or strange feeling, but she could feel a bit of pressure and pulling. She pressed her face into her pillow as tightly as she could, swallowing tightly. She felt guilty all over again... as horrible as this was for her, it was likely more troublesome for her mother... and she had been doing this for eighteen years.

"There we go. All done.." Her mother said with a smile. Lucy looked at her when the women cleaned her hands off with some antibacterial. She returned to pull the blanket back up over her daughter.

Lucy licked her lips quietly before she shivered. "M..Mom..." The older woman paused to kneel down in front of her daughter, looking her in the eyes. "Ummm... I'm sorry... thanks for...ummm-"

"Lucy, honey. Don't." Her mother leaned in so they were nose to nose. "Just don't, ok? You have nothing to apologize for." Lucy looked back down to her pillow in contemplation before her mom took her cheek in hand and made her look into the woman's eyes. Lucy swallowed slightly when she realized her mother wanted a response...

"Ok..."

Her mother watched her closely for a moment before smiling softly, moving in to give her a few Eskimo kisses that made Lucy release a few giggles. For a moment, she felt like nothing had changed. Everything that had happened was a dream or a story idea she dealt too deeply into.

"Don't worry about this honey. I've changed diapers for eleven children, at least three years each. This is nothing."

Lucy looked up at her mother as the woman pulled the blanket over her again, kissing the side of her temple. "Good night honey..."

"Night mom."

The two shared a smiled again before Rita, with some difficulty to Lucy's dismay, got back to her feet. Groaning a little the woman sighed. "Oh I am not getting any younger..." She stretched slightly, cracking a few bones before she left for the door, paused to turn off the light. There were a few moments as she watched Lucy in the doorway before she left.

Lucy lay quietly in bed, listing to the sounds of the other members of the house going to bed. Soon enough the hall light shut off and Lucy found herself alone in the dark. She turned her head slightly, thinking.

She had just gotten a taste of her brand new life and so far... hmmm... Then again it was just the first day. There was still a chance things could get a little better... Lisa had mentioned something about a chair before...

Lucy turned her head closer to the pillow thoughtfully until she felt her body shifting under gravity. Lucy released a squeak as her body flopped forward into the bumper, her face pushed up against the meshing. There was a moment of silence as she tried to assess herself... Breathing fine... everything feels ok... She scowls a bit at the discomfort her face was in, forgetting for a moment and tried to fix her arrangement. When nothing changed Lucy froze, shivering slightly before starting to heave a heavy sob...

The night passed slowly. Between crying, the quiet, some dark contemplation and a few rare instances of actual sleep, Lucy watched night turned to day...

Not as near rested as yesterday Lucy listened to the sounds of her family waking up. Floor boards creaked as the plumbing shook to life, sleepy stumbling and the sound of the front door clanging. Lucy lay, face still a little smooshed and waited for someone to come find her, eyes red and likely a red imprint of the bumper's meshy middle made into her cheek.

Then again what if they didn't come for a while?

Growing up in the Loud house made attention a rare commodity. The older children needed constant guidance so they wouldn't screw up too badly... like going to parties or drinking underage. The younger needed care as they weren't very good at doing things themselves, things like making food, getting dressed, making sure they were washed up, ect.

That usually left the ones in the middle of the family without much. Not to say they got none, or that the older sibling wouldn't offer their attention, but it was, what felt like, the leftovers of whatever they had left to give. The middle kids, Lynn, Lincoln and Lucy, all dealt with this in different ways.

Lynn got all the attention she needed from sports. Being good at them was a side effect of enjoying the comrodery of her team mates, and the praise of the coach and fans. She had played sports since before Lucy was born, so maybe she didn't even notice the lack of attention at home too much...

Lincoln was a social kid. He had a group of friends around him from a very early age. However they couldn't be around constantly and being the only boy tended to make things even harder at home. So he liked to plan and make crazy schemes, getting attention for a job well done, or for botching something entirely.

Lucy was an introvert. In a house of extroverts. Save for Lisa she may have had the smallest circle of friends in the house. Haiku was the first to deeply share her interest of the macabre and the first the she actively tried to hang out with. Sure she was a bit older, sure Haiku would smoke on occasion, sure Haiku had lent her some books her mother wouldn't let her read. (whatever a harem was... or whatever was wrong with a book about a lot of gray stuff...). Haiku was the first close friend Lucy had made...

Only she couldn't depend on Haiku for everything. At home she stayed to herself, finding it fruitless to try and get attention. No one wanted to read her poems, no one wanted to talk about the works of Edgar Allen Poe... Sure she wasn't a boy but sometimes Lucy wondered if she could have been born a random shambling mass of incoherent shapes and still fit in better, if she was as upbeat as the others.

Only now that she was unable to even get out of bed on her own, Lucy wondered if those practices had changed while she was gone. A kid who would just stay in one place no matter what probably made her parent's lives much easier, after all they could just leave her in here for a few more hours if they wanted to... nothing to stop them...

Lucy blinked when her door pushed open, Lisa walking in and rubbing her eye's. "Uhhh... good morning... Mom's just getting the-" The brunette yawned as she looked up, jerking when she finally got a good look at her sister. "Oh! Hold on!" She scrambled over, rolling Lucy back to a more comfortable position before looking her over. "Gah... how long were you like that?!" Lisa frowned as she ran her hand over Lucy's cheek ,to feel the divets in her skin.

"ummm... A little after mom left last night?" Lucy mumbled.

"You've been like that all night?!" Lisa frowned as she lifted Lucy's shirt a bit to inspect her before sighing. "I don't see any pressure sores or bruises... Mom will have to look in a minute..." Lisa scratched her head before grunting. "Why didn't you call one of us?"

Lucy bit her lip. In all fairness, she hadn't thought to do it... then again if she had she may have been a little embarrassed to need to get help over something so small... It was easier to just endure the mild annoyance than call for help because she had 'rolled over' and couldn't roll back. Then again, she was at the far end of the hall... "How would anyone have heard me?" Lucy asked, slightly snarky.

Lisa seemed to think this over before looking a little guilty. "I suppose that is true...Sorry, I'll have talk to mom about that later..." Lucy looked away, her slight anger melting away in the face of Lisa's apology... it wasn't really fair to get angry with her. Lisa seemed to brush her sister's behavior aside however, as she sat in one of the chairs still inside the room to look her sister in the eyes again. "Ok... so that aside. We need to talk about whats about to happen now."

Lucy looked back at her, surprised. "What?"

Lisa seemed a little uncomfortable for a moment. "Well, its time to give you a... bath. Moms gonna give you a bath... yes..."

Lucy blinked. "Ok."

Lisa looked at her oddly. "Ok?" She seemed to grapple for a moment. "Wh- what do you mean ok? Isn't that a little... awkward? Bathing with some one else in the room?"

Lucy cocked her head in confusion. "Whenever I took a bath alone people came in all the time for stuff, sometimes mom was checking on me. I mean, I was sharing with Lola and Lana till I was five... Lincoln until I was three. I think you and I even shared a bath once or twice. Its not really that odd to me. Why?"

Lisa blinked for a second before she slapped her forehead in her hand. "Oh, that's right! Stupid..." Lisa pointed to her, now red, forehead quickly. "I forgot. Your still eight up here. I was expecting the reaction of someone a bit older..."

Lucy knew what Lisa was talking about. When she was seven she had once just pushed open the bathroom door without knocking to get her squirt gun from under the sink (very useful for making realistic blood gushing during a pretend game of 'Violent Ways To Die'). Lincoln, who had been taking a bath, wigged out until Lucy was bodily dragged out by her mom, who was ushering apologies as she shut the door. The woman had to explain that, at a certain age, people wanted privacy in the bathroom. Lincoln was just at that age. Heck she had started to get it at eight herself.

The door squeaked open again returning Lucy from her reprieve. Mom had just come into the room, shaking her hands dry. She paused to smile at her kids softly. "Ok, water's ready." She made her way to Lucy bedside, pausing when she spotted Lucy's face. "Oh honey, what happened?"

"She slept most of the night rolled into the side arm." Lisa frowned as she gestured down to her sister. "Although 'slept' may not be the right word."

"Oh, I'm sorry sweety. We'll make sure that doesn't happen again, ok?" Rita said, stroking her daughter's cheek. "How are you feeling?"

Lucy took a quick assessment. "I'm a little sore, but otherwise I'm ok..."

"Well maybe a nice warm bath will make you feel better, huh?" Rita suggested, as she shifted her arms under Lucy's body and lifted her off the bed with a grunt. "Ough!"

"Uhhhh..." Lucy looked around nervously as her mother carried her out the door. "Are you ok? Where's dad?"

"Work. He called in sick yesterday to help keep an eye on you, but they needed him for a meeting." Rita huffed slightly, looking to her daughter in amusement. "What? You think I can't carry you? Your nothing compared to your father, I've been catching him in my arms for the last 40 years." She winked to Lucy. "He really needs to stop watching those horror movie trailers."

Lucy smiled as her mom pushed open the bathroom door, setting her down on a chair inside. As Rita went to pull off Lucy's socks the goth looked around. It was a large bath room with one of those walk in tubs, a granite counter with a double sink and lots of storage space around it, with a large mirror resting above. It was quiet the bathroom...

Getting undressed and into the tub was actually quiet simple, if not just a little awkward and embarrassing. However once Lucy was in she almost melted. The warm water was very comforting and was quickly soothing her nerves. She could feel her mother lifting an arm out of the water to wipe a wash cloth over it.

"Feeling better honey?" Rita asked with a smile as she watched Lucy sigh contently. She nodded, tilting her head slightly as her mother finished with the arm and moved to the next. All was calm for the moment. Until a burnt smell wafted into the air. Rita paused, sniffing as Lucy blinked in confusion. Her mom set Lucy's leg down and turned to the doorway quickly. "Lisa? Lisa, your not trying to cook anything out there are you?" She frowned, waiting a moment until there was a timid response.

"Ummm...Maybe...?"

"Lisa, you and I both know you can't cook worth a darn." Rita said, turning to the door completely and using the counter to get up to her feet.

"Mother, I can do basic chemistry, that's all cooking is-"

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP-

Rita sighed as the fire alarm went off. She started for the door swiftly. "I'll be right back Lucy, I just need to make sure thats all smoke..." She grunted, leaving the girl in the tub.

Lucy looked around again ideally. Trying to ignore the annoying beeping. So far, this was nice. She was enjoying the warmth of the bath... however being constantly bathed by others may start to get old after a bit,especially if she couldn't have a bath when she wanted one... but it wasn't like this was as horrible as Lisa thought it would be for her...

Twisting slightly Lucy looked up at the tiling in the shower, looking at the designs imprinted on them for momentary entertainment, when she froze. She could feel, if not more easily with her upper body, that she was... slipping down slightly into the tub. Lucy looked down at the water , eyes wide before trying to adjust herself subconsciously. When she realized there was no way to stop what was happening she started to panic.

Ohno! Oh no! Oh NO!

Lucy whimpered loudly when the water started to reach her chin. Shaking slightly she reach desperate measures. "M-Mom!" Lucy shouted. She slipped deeper, forcing her to tilt her head back frantically. "Mom, help!"

"What?" Rita responded, Lucy making out the distorted sounds of her foot print as her ears submerged. Lucy sobbed when she slipped deep enough for the water to slip up over the edges of her jaw bone. What was she suppose to do?! She couldn't move! She was gonna die, drowning in a bathtub! Lucy then felt someone snatched her under her arms and pulled her up.

"Lucy!" Her mother gasped as she pulled Lucy back up. "Oh sweetie are you ok?!"

Lucy shuttered as her mother rubbed her face softly... Rita pulled her daughter to the edge of the tub in order to tilt Lucy's head into the crook of her neck as the girl stared to cry softly. "Oh, honey I'm so sorry! Normally I have a chin support, but I didn't want you to be uncomfortable and I wasn't suppose to even be gone that long and... and..." Rita shivered herself and held her girl tighter. "Oh god that's no excuse... after we just got you back, I almost..." Rita chocked slight on a sob. " I almost..."

Lisa stood in the doorway behind them, watching them and rubbing her hands nervously...

So much for not being such a horrible experience...

Lucy shuttered as she sat on the couch, properly dried and clothed again, her mother practically curled around her as an old horror movie play on Tv. Shakie hands ran through her hair quietly and just out the corner of her eye, Lucy could see Lisa sitting in the chair. Blocking the mirror again, granted, but that didn't seem to be the goal this time. The brunette was only pretending to watch the movie like the others. She would look over at them nervously before shifting back to the TV, hands tapping together.

Lucy, while shaken from the experience, found herself numb as reality crashed down around her... The incident in the tub had been a wake up call. She thought her new life had sunken in around her, but in truth she hadn't even scratched the surface... Holding books... Eating... The colostomy bags... They came nowhere close to what had just happened.

She could have died... She could have died from something so stupid as being left alone in a bathtub... That was something that happened to babies, or old people who slipped. She looked down at her body quietly and unnoticed by the others. What else could happen that these stupid, worthless arms couldn't stop? What was next? Choking on her own throw up? Suffocating in a pillow?

Lucy just felt cold inside as the horrible thoughts kept coming... The rest of the world was miles away as she could feel herself sinking deeper and deeper into an unfeeling, depressed mess of a human being... So she more heard her stomach grumble than felt, and thankfully her mother did to...

Rita shifted slightly to look at her wrist watch before mumbling and wiping at her eyes. "Oh my... I hadn't noticed what time it was.. Are you hungry Lucy? I can set up your food here in the living room..." She stroked Lucy's hair again. "So you can keep watching your movie."

It only just occurred to Lucy that her family had put this movie on for her... She looked to the screen again and realized it was actually 'The Watcher In The Woods', a movie her dad picked up a long time ago at the video store, in a tired after work haze because it was in the Disney section.

Only she and Lincoln had watched it. The older girls were at friends, the Twins and Lisa were in bed and Lynn had fallen asleep on the couch before the previews were over because of a prior soccer tournament. Lucy had only been four but she had been captured by the dark/spooky themes of the movie and cinematography.

Lincoln had had nightmares afterward for weeks, so mom and dad banned the movie from the house.

She had wanted to see it again, she asked every time movie night rolled around but it was usually outvoted or outright denied...

She looked back at her worried mother wearily. She didn't really feel like watching this right now... she didn't feeling like doing anything right now... but...

"Ok." She said bland, empty tone, that had her mother pause before patting her head softly and wondering to the kitchen. Lucy looked back at the tv as the mirror scene came on, the duplicate Karen reflections softly begging for help from Jan, who looked around in horror.

In the movie, Karen was trapped in some other dimension, where she hadn't aged in the long time she had disappeared, all she could do was beg, trapped and helpless... Lucy felt a lump form in her throat that she quickly swallowed away.

Faintly Lucy sensed, through her dulled nerves, the couch dip as Lisa joined her. Her nerdy younger sister was looking her over as the movie continued...

"Are you breathing ok?" Lisa asked suddenly.

Lucy kept staring at the tv. "Yes."

"Do feel any moisture in your lungs?" Lisa asked again.

"No."

Lisa paused to lean forward, brushing hair from Lucy's eyes. They fluttered slightly as the strands brush a little too close, but otherwise Lucy didn't acknowledge her sister's actions. She could feel Lisa looking into her eyes before she dared to look at her slightly. Lisa was frowning, looking concerned...

"Are you... feeling alright?"

Lucy stared at her before slowly letting her eyes lull back to the Tv screen blankly... She sighed silently before responding.

" 'm fine..."

Lisa was quiet. Lucy wasn't really watching the movie at all... She just didn't want to talk to anyone... Once mom came in with the port... food... thing, she'd have an excuse. Then again she could just ignore Lisa if she wanted to, why should she have to answer? Its not like it mattered. Its not like anything mattered...

Lisa hadn't stopped looking at the side of her face attentively. Was she looking for any odd breathing or something? When Lisa suddenly stood and strode slowly past her vision of the tv, giving her a view of Lisa hoodie for a few moments, Lucy could feel her sisters gaze locked on her face the entire way. Even when Lisa was past her and on her way to the kitchen, Lucy could feel her unwavering gaze until she slipped out of the room.

She was alone. Good... She didn't want to be around people for a few minutes. She let her head slump to a shoulder as she swallowed tightly, feeling throat muscles shift around her port at the angle... Ugh... there was no escape.

There never will be...

Lucy perked when she heard voices talking quietly in the kitchen. Shifting her head a bit to hear them better over the Tv.

"-she's started to get effected by the situation. Its wearing on her..."

"Well how do you mean, Lisa?"

"Remember after the accident? How Lynn and Lori were? I think were seeing it here now-"

"So soon?! She's only been awake a few days and-"

"And this is a more serious blow then what resulted before... We need to nip this in the proverbial bud, before she gets worse."

"She's allowed to feel depressed about this, isn't she Lisa?"

"Depressed yes, losing the will to live no... I looked in her eyes mom, she's empty. She's all glassy and dark lit, not really connecting..." There was a scuffling. "Mom its been proven that when people lose the will to live, to keep going, to trying to connect to reality they tend to... well, die faster..."

There was a moment of silence... Then a soft sob. "Oh god... this is my fault... If I hadn't..."

"Mom, listen. I know your feeling bad about that but we need to keep moving forward. You made a big mistake but you learned from it and it won't happen again-"

"What if theres no way to- to fix this... what if she gets worse... What if she-"

Lucy flinched at the sound of her mother crying softly as Lisa tried to console her, turning back to the Tv in hopes that the sound would drown it out if she focused on it... She felt guilty that mom felt like this... but the emotion was a dull throb more than anything...

Letting her gaze lower to the carpet she sighed, closing her eyes. She was so tired... still tired... Course she hadn't slept much last night but it seemed like that was all she wanted now was to sleep... So why shouldn't she? Not like it mattered...

As she drifted off Lucy heard her sister speak from the other room.

"-one thing we can do..."

It was a short nap. Interrupted only momentarily by her mother hooking up her feeding tube. From there it was in and out with the goings ons around her. Mom removing the tube, the couch dipping as some one sat down, mom humming softly as she stroked Lucy's hair.

It was likely just a two hour nap, but when she did come around both mom and Lisa were missing from the room, and the Tv was on, showing a cartoon of some kind with the volume low... Focusing on the screen Lucy snorted in disbelief.

They were STILL making Sponge-bob cartoons? Really?

Not really a fan she looked around the room to see if she could figure out where the others could be, or what time it was..

What caught her attention, however, was something hovering over the side table closest to her. It was a spider, descending from the ceiling silently by a thin web. She watched it slowly land on the table, scuttling around for a moment...

Lucy wasn't fond of spiders. Not to say she hated them, or went out of her way to kill them, she wasn't Leni bad. After all the vents at the old house were stuffed with them, as if they knew Leni would kill them on site and choose never to leave. So Lucy had learned to tolerate them. Leave them alone, they leave you alone... She just didn't want them on her.

Sadly it seemed this spider was not of the same thinking, as it soon was climbing up her arm, heading to her head! Lucy watched in a slight panic as the arachnid got closer and closer to her face. She couldn't shake it off or bat it away! What was she gonna do?! She desperately tried to blow it off, huffing and puffing.

The spider paused mid elbow, curling its legs and freezing when the warm air hit it. However it was for only a few seconds before it soldiered on, tracking a path to her shoulder. Lucy tried harder but the spider seemed only encouraged by this, moving faster.

No! Nononononononono!

Lucy jerked her head back, panting as the spider reached her shoulder, still making its way to her face. It was so close now she could make out all eight of its black eyes glinting back at her. Lucy whimpered.

No don't start crying, don't start crying! DON"T START- dammit...

Shaking Lucy whined as the spider started to scramble onto her chin, when there was a flash of white and the spider was gone. Lucy blinked before a white cat... Crag, thats it, walked back over the edge of the back of the couch and hopped in her lap. The cat held a few twitching legs in his mouth before he ate the spider in a few crunches. After cleaning a paw Crag looked to her.

Lucy whined and flopped her head back on the couch, feeling the cat give her salty, wet cheeks a few licks with his bristled tongue. Oh god that was horrifying... She'd never bug Leni about her arachnophobia again... She turned her head into the couch and tried to rub her face clean on the surface behind her... it wasn't working very well.

First the bath and now she couldn't even stop a spider...

Look at yourself Lucy. Look what you've become. Her eyes darted to the mirror on the wall on the side of the room. The younger version of her mother looked back, dead eyes red and teary, a port in her throat and a cat in her lap. Lucy moaned and looked back down miserably...

Crag tried to look her in the eye, but when he got no response he rubbed his cheek on Lucy's, purring loudly. Turning to the hand in her lap he rubbed his head on it to, nibbling it a bit and nudging his head under it slightly to try and get her to pet him. When nothing happened he pulled back and meowed loudly, batting her hand with his paw.

"I can't Crag..." Lucy sighed quietly. The cat looked her directly in the eyes now, meowing again and continuing to pad her listless hand. "Crag-" She stalled when the cat meowed louder and inexplicably Lucy found her core hot with rage and ..

"I CAN'T!"

The cat ran to the other end of the couch, looking over its shoulder at her with wide frightened eyes before it hopped over the edge and took off...

Lucy's stomach was still tightly coiled in anger, her eyes darted to the mirror again. The blonde stranger stared back furiously, mouth tight and thin. Her eyes were still dark and narrowed into a glare, still red and teary , but they weren't dead looking anymore... Light glinted

However as the anger faded so did it, and Lucy found the figure before her melt back into a cold, pitiful girl...

"Lucy? Did you shout in here honey?" She turned back as her mother came in from the back hall. "I thought I heard-" Mom rounded the couch and froze, hand quickly cradling the side of her face carefully. "Oh honey! Whats wrong?!" When Lucy didn't respond to her Rita knelt, putting hand to her shoulder. "Lucy? Whats wrong, What happened?"

Lucy shivered as she took a deep breath and softly whined. "Everything... Everythings wrong..."

Rita simply pulled Lucy into a tight hug, letting her daughter nuzzle into her shoulder. As she stroked Lucy's hair the woman sighed and curled around her...

DINGDONG

Rita pulled back, looking over the end of the couch as Lisa scurried through the room and into the kitchen. The woman smiled before looking Lucy in the eyes again. "Lucy honey, we have a little surprise for you... Were hoping it might cheer you up..."

Good luck with that.

Lucy watched Rita rise and make her way to the kitchen as well... There was a scuffling as the door opened and voices muffled before it shut again... Rita came to the archway of the kitchen and leaned there, watching the kitchen with apprehension, glancing to Lucy every now and then.

Where was Lisa? Who was at the door? A delivery guy or something? There was a good ten minutes where Rita stood in silence and Lucy found herself growing board of the situation again, before the kitchen door opened once more... Rita looked up again and straightened, smiling sadly to the people in the kitchen before making her way back to Lucy. She stood before her, blocking her view a little before smiling down at her in a small, worried fashion.

"Look who came to see you honey."

Her mom moved out of the way and Lucy watched the stranger come out of the kitchen, flanked by Lisa. Only she could tell who this was far easier than it had been with Lisa before. The figure paused to stare at her, eyes wide and chin quivering slightly before they crossed the threshold and pulled her into their arms.

"Lucy..."

"Lincoln?"