The next thing Luan became aware of was the blaring sirens of the ambulance that was racing towards the Royal Woods Hospital. She knew that her parents would not be happy about another visit to the Emergency room to treat one of their kids. She had a sinking feeling that they would be especially frustrated that it was her who needed urgent medical care. This is for two reasons, reason number one being that most of the time it was her pranks that caused family members to need emergency medical attention, and reason number two being that part of the prankster territory comes with never being taken seriously when it comes to your actual health and needs.

Her head was still throbbing, and she was drifting in and out of consciousness. All she could make out was a demand for a CAT scan and one of the paramedics calling her mother…Luan didn't even have the energy to make a joke about her own pet cat. She just surrendered to the release of sleep.

"This is one elaborate prank…even for Luan," Luna said as the family settled into the hospital waiting room. Something about the concerned tone of the paramedic had caused Rita and Lynn Sr. to forcefully gather their entire brood into the cramped hospital waiting area.

"I still don't know why you guys said I had to come all the way from Fairway U…this is literally just one of Luan's pranks…I can almost guarantee that as soon as the Doctor calls us back there Luan is gonna be sitting up preparing to pelt us all with banana cream pies," Lori said frustratedly as she used one hand to message Bobby that she had arrived home safe and sound…and that she already missed him.

"Please don't mention pies! I'm so hungry!" Lola complained.

Lincoln tried to take comfort in the relaxed demeanor of his sisters, but something in his gut just wouldn't let up. Maybe it was the genuine concern on their goofy dad's face, maybe it was the fact that this didn't seem like Luan's typical prank, or maybe it was simply the fact that living through twelve April Fool's Days with Luan had permanently damaged Lincoln's ability to relax when she was involved. It was probably a combination of all of these little things that convinced Lincoln that this whole thing wasn't something you should relax over.

After what seemed like an eternity Luan's Doctor came out with an unreadable expression on his face. He quietly asked to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Loud privately, which was enough to change the mood of the hoard of children in the room. When Luan pulls a prank, she is an equal opportunity prankster, she wouldn't just want their parents in on this. It was enough to drape pounds of concern on the shoulders of the Loud children as they watched their father and mother disappear behind a door with a sad and concerned look back at their other children.

Lori put down her phone as she sat Lily on her lap and tried to calm and comfort her clearly concerned other siblings.

"C'mon guys, we should totally stay calm until we know exactly what's going on,"

"I wonder if this has anything to do with how she was rubbing her head this morning?" Leni asked.

"Potentially…I was going to examine her before she assaulted me with one of her cream pies," Lisa added.

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT BRINGING UP PIE?!" Lola shouted.

"Chill out, Lols…something could be seriously wrong with our sister!" Lana scolded.

"At least you have eight more should the worst happen," Lucy added morbidly, getting disturbed looks from the others.

"We should just wait and see what the Doctor says," Lincoln said as he tried keeping his sisters (and himself) from coming unglued.

Their parents were gone for a long time, and during that time the kids tried (and failed) to focus on other things. Lynn and Lana played a board game where Lynn just let Lana win. Lori combed Lola's hair and didn't even scream when it fell off. Lincoln tried doing a teen magazine quiz with Leni (who was hardly even focusing on it). Lucy tried summoning her tarot cards to tell her what was going on with Luan, but for some reason they weren't revealing anything. Meanwhile poor Luna looked absolutely sick (and not in a rock and roll way).

Lily got her attention by pulling on Luna's earrings, she didn't even shout and instead looked sadly down at the toddler.

"Can I tell you a secret lil sis?"

"Secret!" Lily squealed.

Luna gave a sad smile, it would have to do.

"This morning…I got frustrated with Luan and I told her I wished she would just go away. I told her the house would be better without her and her puns and pranks,"

Lily let out a shocked gasp before blowing a raspberry in the rocker's face before climbing off her lap and waddling away.

"Yeah….I guess I deserve that,"

"DIPG?" Lynn Sr. asked in total disbelief.

"You're sure this isn't a joke?" Rita added, trying to use that as her last sting to cling before having a complete and total breakdown.

"I'm so sorry," the Doctor said…there was nothing else he could say. There was literally no more devastating diagnosis in the medical books.

DIPG was a brain tumor that typically affected much younger children, normally between the ages of five and seven. It was an inoperable brain tumor that grew at the root of the brainstem. Making any and all treatment completely and totally useless.

"So…we're going to lose our daughter?" Lynn Sr. asked as a flood of tears started spilling out.

The Doctor could only nod.

Both parents collapsed in tears in each others arms…they had no words, no breathe, no hope, only a devastating diagnosis that they somehow had to work through with their eleven young children.