"You just want to make this harder for us."
Lynn Loud Sr. had gone back to being detained after having a mysterious episode of sorts owing to recent events that had spiraled in his mind. Playing along with his daughters, particularly Junior, in favor of them over Lincoln's physical and mental health eventually led to his only son being hospitalized and later placed in child care. He hadn't seen him in over a week and while guilt ate away at him and his family, something inside him snapped during an audio conversation with Lincoln, which led to his own mental breakdown. Now, he was once again face to face with Officer Schoffner in a room, seated across from each other at a table.
"I don't know what in your right mind broke you, but you realize that you violated your house arrest as well as resisted a few officers," she said, obviously displeased. "Both you and your wife are expected to be held accountable for neglecting and abusing your son, but it looks like we're going to have to add on a few more things once the trial starts." While Lynn Sr. remained deathly silent with a despairingly sad face on, Schoffner then received some chatter through her walkie. "Right on time," she responded. "Send him in." She resumed addressed the Loud patriarch. "Pretty much the whole town of Royal Woods got wind of this case," she said. "So a couple of folks decided to hire someone they know and work with personally. He's both an officer and a prosecutor, so he'll surely see this case as a golden opportunity in his career. And his timing couldn't be better. With that little stunt you pulled, we're definitely going to need all the seriousness we can get." The officer mentioned opened the door and stepped inside the room. An African-American police officer, he appeared boisterous yet calm as he sat down next to his colleague for a discussion on the situation, which seemed to revolve around the unique white-haired boy that was Lynn Sr.'s son, Lincoln Loud, as well as this interesting turn of events. And yes, Lynn Sr. was intimidated at first glance by his posture and demeanor.
"Lynn Loud Sr., I presume," he spoke. "The father of the now infamous Loud family consisting of thirteen people." Lynn Sr. gulped.
"It turns out that a classmate of Lincoln Loud really wanted to bring the rest of the family to justice," said Schoffner. "The folks I mentioned are her parents who often have business trips held in New York."
"Officer Gavelyn," said the staunch officer introducing himself. "I represent the NYPD. That is, the New York Police Department in case I need to put it to you in small words. Now... I was planning on coming to the trial anyway to serve as the prosecutor... but what's this I hear about your little misconduct?" Lynn Sr. had no clue how to answer in addition to being terrified, so he just looked down, his lip trembling. "You realize that you made a fool of yourself, but that should be the least of your concerns," Gavelyn continued. "I assume you already know why you and your wife are in serious trouble."
And then one night, Leni heard Lincoln crying in his room and managed to catch a few words from him through the door to his room.
"I hate it here!" His voice was somewhat muffled, but Leni could hear him perfectly. "I wish I could get out of this place! They don't love me anymore..." Leni gasped upon hearing this and instinctively knocked on his door. "LEAVE!" Lincoln hollered upon hearing the knock and had a terrible coughing fit afterwards. Leni felt horrible, but in going along with what the family was doing to him, she felt that she had no choice but to leave him be. The poor blonde felt like crying, knowing that her only brother needed help, but she fought back her tears instead. It was time for her to be brave, even if her brother was still being labeled as bad luck while not wearing some silly mascot costume. Whether it was the heat of a moment or an instinct born of sisterly love, she knew what the right thing to do would be. However, it dawned upon her that there was a very real chance that their family would be changed forever. There would be no turning back and the right thing to do could cost everything that they hold dear, but Leni would not swallow her pride, not this time. There's no other way, she thought. Linky... I have to do this! Mom, Dad, LJ... forgive me. Her mind made up, she proceeded to slink off to the kitchen, where she was sure no one could hear her, and whipped out her cell phone to make a late-night call. She waited for the other end to answer and then replied.
"Leni L. Loud," she said, nervous but standing her ground. "I... I wish to report... a confession."
Things got progressively worse for Lincoln the following morning. Sick in his sleep, his breathing began to come out hitched. Leni knocked on his door again to check up on him, but got no response. So she carefully opened the door and what she saw nearly made her throw up. He was coated in skin rashes, his face was nearly as pale as his white hair, and she noticed his breathing was slightly abnormal. What do I do?! she thought frantically. Remembering that she had already been brave by calling the authorities to report that she and her family were neglecting Lincoln, she had to be brave in this situation as well. If there was to be an investigation against the Louds, it would have to wait. Hang on, Linky! she thought, dialing 9-1-1 on her cell phone.
"Leni L. Loud!" she said frantically when she got a response. "Yes, I called the police the other day... Please help! My little brother is sick! His skin's all splotchy, his face his pale, he's having trouble breathing... 1216 Franklin Avenue!"
"Stay calm, Leni," said a voice on the other end. "We're sending an ambulance."
"Please hurry! I don't wanna lose him! I'm scared..."
At around half past ten in the morning, the Loud family heard ambulance sirens coming their way. At first they thought something was happening in their neighborhood, which got their attention. But Lori peeped out the window and to her surprise, a whole ambulance was in their driveway!
"What... on... earth...?" she said. "Alright, whoever pulled a prank call, I'll literally turn you into a human pretzel!" she bellowed. But it wasn't a drill. Two medical staffers barged into the house with a stretcher in tow. "Hey! What's going on?!" Lori demanded, but she was ignored. The other Loud sisters stuck their heads out of their rooms and saw the staffers go into... Lincoln's room. In less than a minute, they were carefully carrying Lincoln in a blanket on their stretcher.
"Lincoln?!" they all said, but everything they saw was happening too fast for them to snag any details. As Lincoln was placed into the ambulance, his parents came out of the house quickly.
"Lincoln?!" said Rita.
"Hey!" said Lynn Sr. "Where are you taking my son?" A woman who specialized in paramedics approached the parents.
"You're the parents of Lincoln Loud?" she asked. They nodded in confusion. "He's very sick. He'll need to be treated at the hospital right away."
"Did you touch him?" asked Rita.
"They had to," said the woman, referring to the medical staffers, now tending to the sick white-haired boy.
"You touched him?!" said Lynn Jr. "But he's bad luck! He'll get you next!"
"Wait... what?" The woman looked like she had never heard anything so awkward and ridiculous. And she hadn't. "Look, we don't have time for this," she continued. "We'll provide the details later." She got back into the ambulance and it sped off, sirens blaring. The parents returned to the house. All ten of their daughters, sadly, were not able to comprehend the suddenness of Lincoln being whisked away.
"What... just happened?" asked Lynn Jr.
That afternoon, the phone rang at the Loud residence and Lynn Sr. answered.
"Is this the hospital?" he asked. "Listen, we still have the costume here, so whatever you do, don't touch my son-"
"Will you shut up and listen to me?!" a voice roared on the other end, nearly making the resident father drop the phone. "Lincoln Loud has pneumonia, do you hear me?! He has pneumonia! He just slipped into a coma moments ago!"
"...What?"
"You heard me! Pneumonia! He's in a coma!"
"..."
"Do I have your attention now? Good. Now listen. Your son has developed a slightly mild to moderate case of pneumonia. It's not life-threatening, but since he's now in a coma, he'll have to be treated here at the hospital. Although we're confident he'll wake up this evening, we're keeping him here for a few days."
"My... my son..." murmured Lynn Sr. "What happened? How did this happen? How on earth did he get pneumonia?!" Rita and all ten daughters overheard this fact and gasped loudly.
"Apparently, he's been sick for at least ten days and it went untreated," the doctor on the other end of the phone confirmed. "So we're gonna be the ones dying here... for answers."
"Ten days?!" gasped Lynn Sr. "But... how?! Why didn't he...?!"
"We've found multiple skin rashes leading to various infections," said the doctor. "There are also traces showing that a wild raccoon had come into contact with the boy. And apparently the reason he slipped into a coma was because of a near heat stroke." The Loud father grew increasingly nervous. "Has your son been exposed to extreme heat?" the doctor asked. It was now Lynn Sr.'s turn to start sweating. He and the rest of the family knew exactly what they made Lincoln do for the past two weeks, as well as how a wild animal touched his son, and right then and there, he finally realized the negative impact it had. "Has your son been exposed to extreme heat?" the doctor repeated. "And what about the raccoon coming into contact with him? ... ... Hello?! Why won't you answer? What's going on?!"
"Uh..." Lynn Sr. stammered. "We'll... pay a visit to the hospital and explain everything."
"Negative," said the doctor. "Visiting hours will have to wait until at least tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm afraid we'll have to conduct an investigation." Before Lynn Sr. could say anything in response to that, the doctor hung up. He slowly turned around to face the rest of the family, each of them in utter shock.
"Pneumonia?!" said Rita, going pale.
"Bruh..." Luna stuttered.
"How did he...?" questioned Lori.
"How long did we make him wear that suit?!" Lynn Jr. asked.
"T...two weeks..." Lisa choked. The father made his way to the living room and collapsed into an armchair.
"Dad?" said Lana.
"L...Lincoln... is in a coma..." Lynn Sr. sputtered weakly. Everyone else gasped. "He almost had a... heat stroke... Th-the doctor asked... if he had been exposed... to extreme heat... I was stunned... didn't answer... The hospital is going to conduct an investigation..." The Loud family trembled.
"Does that... mean...?" Luan whimpered.
"We... we have made a grave mistake."
"You and your wife had your own son locked outside of his house over some superstition you two played along with to stay in the good books of your unstable daughters," said a displeased Gavelyn. "For one night, he slept on a pile of leaves and that was it. For the second night, he had a blanket and pillow, but a wild raccoon came into contact with him. What if that animal had rabies? It wouldn't have slept on his head, it would have bitten him. Would your family still not have so much as touched him even if he needed emergency services?" Lynn Sr. of course didn't answer. That or he couldn't because he was too terrified, or that no answer would help him. Gavelyn slammed the table with his huge fists. "YOU COWARD!" he bellowed. "Is this boy even your son or just someone you pretend to throw a roof over his head just so you can treat him like an animal?!" Lynn Sr. began to break down and cry softly. Officer Gavelyn was of course stone-faced, his eyes dry as a bone. He was a man of respect and dignity, one whom many officers looked up to for his gracious and bold attempts to keep the peace in the Big Apple. The air around him suggested that he was not about to cave in or even show any mercy, as it were. "We're not done, far from it," he huffed. "Your son didn't even want any of you to visit him while he was in the hospital, didn't he? What do you think that says about how pathetic your family is?"
Rita hung up the phone in tears, breaking down into a sobbing fit. Her husband acknowledged that this recent bad luck fiasco finally went too far when it was revealed that Lincoln got sick from skin rash infections and went untreated long enough to catch a variant of pneumonia.
"Honey?" said Lynn Sr. Rita turned to face her husband and family, thick tears streaming down her face.
"He doesn't want to see us!" she wailed hysterically. Everyone else was dead silent, even Leni who put out those two calls from before. Events from the past two weeks and the couple of days before were rushing up to meet them and hit them in their sorry faces. What started as bad luck put Lincoln in the hospital and now the rest of his family had driven him away. Lincoln's plan for me time backfired on him only for the family's retaliation to backfire on them.
"What have we done...?" murmured Luna. Tears then formed in Lynn Jr.'s eyes and she finally realized everything that was happening. What have I done? she thought. What have I done?! She buried her face in her hands and cried.
"Lincoln, we're here to help," the doctor reminded him.
"And if you think you're in an abusive situation at home, then you need to get yourself out of it," said Officer Schoffner. Lincoln nodded.
"Okay," he said softly. "It all started when I was attending one too many of my sisters' events and activities... and I really wanted some time to myself..." As Lincoln talked about his recent weeks, Schoffner was jotting down several notes. And of course, Lincoln didn't skip out on any details, bringing up the important bits - his sister Lynn Jr. threatening to hit him with a baseball bat, his room being boarded up and forced to sleep outside for two nights straight, his family selling everything he had, and of course being forced to wear that mascot costume on the beach during a hot day. At last, things came full circle for the doctor and he understood not only how Lincoln got sick, but why the boy's father didn't immediately answer him when he asked if Lincoln had been exposed to extreme heat or why a wild raccoon came into contact with him. It was also rather difficult for Schoffner to swallow, but as a police officer, she held her composure and wrote down in notes what Lincoln said, without missing a beat. Her eyes narrowed, going over her notes.
"This is serious, Lincoln," she said. "I should tell you that the station got a call the night before you were brought to the hospital. Your sister Leni reported what she called a confession, before Doctor Antilles put out his call, and most of what you've said is a perfect match to what she told the authorities. So there's no way any of this is fabricated."
"Leni?!" said Lincoln. "Doctor Antilles told me that she called for an ambulance!" This was the second act Lincoln heard of that Leni pulled off to his surprise. The last two weeks were undoubtedly a living hell for the white-haired boy, yet it was his seemingly scatterbrained sister coming to her senses first and might have saved him by calling for an ambulance.
"Might be the one sane member of your family left," grumbled Schoffner. "That is, if the rest of your family hasn't started feeling sorry yet."
"Maybe they do." Lincoln wanted to be a bit hopeful.
"Fact is, they shouldn't have even done it to begin with." Officer Schoffner made a justifiable point. "What were they thinking? As long as they outnumber you ten to one, they could just continue to walk all over you. We have to sort this out."
"I... I understand..."
"We'll be letting you out tomorrow," said the doctor. "I imagine, though, you don't want to face your family just yet. You...didn't want them to visit you once while you've been here."
"Even if I went home, there's nothing in my room," said Lincoln. "I don't even have a bed to sleep in."
"Is there someone you can call to stay with for a while?" asked Schoffner.
"There is." Lincoln retrieved his cell phone from the small table next to the bed. He thanked the stars that his family didn't strip him of his phone. Going through his list of contacts, he found what was now the most important one to him. "My best friend, Clyde McBride."
Back at the Loud residence, the rest of Lincoln's family was in a pickle. They did not know how they could face Lincoln at this point. The parents alone took extreme measures over Lincoln merely telling a lie or just being unsupportive of the family and as a result, the white-haired boy got sick from skin rash infections and coming into contact with a wild animal and it went untreated until he got pneumonia. Although they began to regret their actions, it may have been too little too late for them. Eventually, there came a knock at their front door, but when Lynn Sr. got the courage to answer, it wasn't Lincoln. It was a representative from Royal Woods Child Protective Services. She introduced herself and requested an inspection of the house. The parents allowed this in the hopes to avoid any further trouble, but it didn't ease their worries and their kids were certainly no less of a wreck.
"I think we're in trouble," murmured Rita.
"I know, honey," said Lynn Sr., his hands gently rubbing his wife's shoulders. "I know." Obviously, it wasn't just Lincoln's empty room that would be a problem. A thorough inspection meant checking every room in the house, so because of this, the representative encountered a few disturbing things - science equipment near a baby crib, a few outdoor animals, including a rattlesnake, and a coffin, which would be the least disturbing if it was a prop, but it looked like a real coffin. She jotted down several notes and then returned to the living room to address the Loud parents.
"You realize that for the most part the conditions in this household are relatively unsafe, particularly for your younger children," said the representative. "Honestly, it's a wonder how this lifestyle has gone on for as long as it has. And what doesn't help is that this is tacked on to a report filed for child abuse, negligence, and endangerment. Don't expect this to end well." She then addressed Leni. "Leni Loud?"
"Y-Y...Yes," Leni stuttered.
"You did the right thing," said the representative, putting her hand on the blonde girl's shoulder briefly to assure her. "Thanks for your time." As she went on her way, the rest of the family was left slack-jawed and wide-eyed. Leni faced them with her best brave face.
"I called the authorities," she told them. "And I called for that ambulance." The family was still quite stunned, so there was not one response. "I had to!" Leni went on. "I... I love my brother." She looked down for a moment. "I love Linky." She then looked back up to face her family once more. "Do you?" Two simple words that would pierce their souls forever.
"So that's two nights out in the cold, a wild raccoon coming into contact, wearing a mascot costume for two weeks - one of those days being at the beach in hot weather - causing skin rashes, leaving his body open to infection, and extreme heat, causing him to slip into a coma from almost getting a heat stroke," Gavelyn continued. "For TEN DAYS STRAIGHT, your son was sick. And since you kept him in that costume, which is now labeled as stolen property from Royal Woods Middle School, you obviously had no way of knowing, which is why this case is being treated as intentional child abuse. As of now, he's recovered physically, but your actions have scarred him mentally, and as you should know, that takes a hell of a lot longer to heal, if at all."
"The thing is, officer," said Lynn Sr. nervously. "We knew our son wasn't really bad luck."
"Whaaaaaaaat?!" stammered Leni. The other sisters at the stairs also looked aghast, especially Lynn Jr. She had insisted to their parents that Lincoln was bad luck and should stop attending their events, but something must have been amiss because otherwise, the parents would have actually believed her. And now, with an officer and a detective in the vicinity, it was time for the truth to come out.
"We believed... Lincoln was lying when he went along with Lynn Jr. saying that he was bad luck... because he might have been taking advantage..." said Rita.
"He smashed Lori's golf clubs," said Lynn Sr. "So we believed he was just trying to stay home and get out of going to any events rather than come and be supportive. When he showed up in that costume after Junior's softball team won that time, we decided that he would continue to bring good luck while he wore it. Long story short, we were teaching him a lesson for being selfish and for lying." Leni was in shock and horror. Things were worse than she thought! Her mom and dad knew the whole time that Lincoln wasn't bad luck and the only reason for his suffering was because he was... lying? No, that couldn't have been it. He confessed that after the first night he was locked out and Lynn Jr. and Sr. didn't believe him. Or was this all part of their ultimate plan to continue to teach Lincoln a lesson? And if so, how long would it have gone on for? Leni began to shake with fright. What if she hadn't taken a stand? Her little brother could have...
"Mr. and Mrs. Loud," said Officer Schoffner soberly, standing up. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you two to accompany us."
"What for?" asked Rita, standing up along with her husband. Schoffner and the detective restrained them, holding their hands behind their backs and slipping handcuffs on them.
"You're under arrest for committing domestic abuse against your son, Lincoln Loud," replied Schoffner. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can be and will be used against you in a court of law." The other sisters raced down the stairs to protest, despite that what their parents said might have been a game-changer.
"Let Mommy and Daddy go!" bawled Lola. "Don't take them to jail!"
"Your parents have committed a crime, and against one of their own," said the detective. "They'll be lucky if this isn't considered a felony."
"Lori, you're in charge!" said Rita as Schoffner and the detective led them outside towards one of the police vehicles.
"Officer, please!" Lynn Sr. begged. "We didn't know he was sick! We didn't mean for him to-"
"Of course you didn't know!" exclaimed Schoffner. "Your daughter said he was wearing that stupid costume the whole time!"
"And the fact that you were punishing him this way just for telling a lie, regardless of how it was fabricated, makes this even worse, especially doing it to this extreme," said the detective.
"But who will take care of our children?" asked a now tearful Rita. "Can we please just tell my baby boy that we're sorry?"
"Oh, you'll get that chance... in court!" snapped the detective.
The following morning, Leni used her own cell phone to dial Lincoln's cell phone number. She knew that there was a chance Lincoln would not answer, but she had to try. She had to inform him of what happened, even if Lincoln could figure it out on his own with a mere educated guess. And then there was the big reveal that her parents confessed to Officer Schoffner - they knew there was nothing wrong with Lincoln the whole time and continued to punish him because he lied and tried to get out of attending all their family activities, events, and such... all because he just wanted some time off and to himself. Was that such a crime in the Loud household, especially in a family of 11 kids? As the only son of Rita and Lynn Sr. and the only brother among 10 other sisters, Lincoln was easily the most overwhelmed of the bunch.
"How am I gonna tell poor Linky?" said Leni, in tears. Back at the McBride household, Lincoln saw that Leni was trying to reach him. Remembering that she might have saved him, Lincoln chose to answer.
"Hello?" he answered. "Leni?"
"Linky!" said Leni from the other end. "Thank goodness you're okay!"
"Yeah... I am. Is everything all right with you girls?"
"No, it's not!" she sobbed. "Mom and Dad got arrested last night!" Lincoln's eyes widened.
"They did?! Mom and Dad?!"
"Yes..." Lincoln heard Leni crying on the other end.
"I'm so sorry," he murmured.
"No, it wasn't your fault!" Leni insisted. "It never was!"
"But I... I..."
"Mom and Dad knew you weren't bad luck the whole time!"
"Wait... WHAT?!"
"They were teaching you a lesson... because you lied... They saw it as a means of you taking advantage just to get out of supporting us... and... y-you know the rest..." Clyde overheard the entire conversation, as Leni had raised her voice from being upset herself. Lincoln was in shock. "Linky? Linky?! ...Lincoln!"
"I... I-I-I..." Leni heard him stutter. Tears began to form in his eyes. "Wh-why didn't they just ground me for two weeks?!"
"I'm so, so sorry, Linky," she cried. "Mom and Dad are paying the price... and we're on our own for who knows how long. I know our family goes overboard... and I guess this takes the cake..." Clyde saw the tears falling down his best friend's cheeks and he knew just how badly Lincoln's parents betrayed and hurt him. If they weren't in a jail cell by now, he'd certainly march on over to the Loud residence and defend his honor. "I'm gonna let you go," Leni finished. "Okay, Linky?"
"Okay..." said Lincoln tearfully.
"Stay strong, Linky! I love you!" The call ended.
"I can't believe this!" Clyde fumed. And he went to tell his dads while Lincoln spaced out, tears falling from his face. He eventually stood up and made his way towards the front door.
"Lincoln!" came the voices of Clyde and his fathers, Howard and Harold. They quickly swept him up in a hug.
"We're so sorry, buddy!" said Clyde, on the verge of tears himself.
"What your parents did was lower than low," said Howard. "I'm personally glad they got arrested. No offense, Lincoln." Lincoln said nothing. He was shedding tears, but seemed to be too shocked to even cry.
"I-I'm... gonna go take a walk..." he managed to speak once he was released from the hug. Howard and Harold could have gotten the wrong idea then and there.
"Lincoln!" said Harold. "Surely your family didn't stop loving you! They must have been misguided... a-and it got... out of control!" Lincoln swung open the front door and walked out of the house.
"I was just their good luck charm," he moaned in misery and despair. "I wasn't even a person with them... I'm no one... I'm nothing... I'm... no good..."
"Lincoln... buddy..." said Clyde, watching him walk off to who knows where. Among Lincoln's worst fears from living in a large family was being ostracized and considered no good. Knowing that his parents punished him like he was an animal hit home for him and began to make these fears come to light.
"Lincoln," Mrs. Johnson sighed. "I cannot tell you how sorry I am for what's happened to you. I have a right mind to give your parents a verbal lashing, but they've already been detained, so that won't do any good. The McBrides are looking after you, correct?"
"Yes," Lincoln croaked.
"Alright. I will forward them some information about a child care service I know of that can help you. It might be best if they check you in tomorrow."
"...What's gonna happen to me?" Lincoln sounded like he was going to cry.
"Oh, Lincoln," said Mrs. Johnson, taking pity and holding her student's shoulders gently. "I know you'll be missing school, but hopefully it will just be for a few days. You'll be someplace quiet and safe, and... given what has happened recently, I think you'll need it. As my student, I'm proud of you. And as any other teacher would, I want you to be able to do your best in school. You have a future ahead of you and I would hate to see it taken away from you. So I am going to do my best to make sure you won't be held back from graduating. You just worry about getting better. Okay?" Again, Lincoln nodded.
"Okay." Mrs. Johnson gave Lincoln a warm smile and a hug. She then handed him a copy of class notes she took for him.
"Principal Huggins and I will try to locate your school supplies, so here are some notes from today for now. Take care, Lincoln."
The McBrides were on the road with Lincoln in tow. The two fathers were in the front seats while Lincoln and Clyde sat next to each other in the back. But all Lincoln did was just look outside from his window seat. There was no doubt that his parents basically using him in a costume as a staple for good luck only for it to amount to nothing more than a charade just to punish him had sent him into a deep pit of depression. He felt hollow on the inside and dead on the outside. Clyde had his arm around him, but Lincoln didn't avert his eyes or even utter a word. He didn't blame him, as he knew his fathers wouldn't have taken such extreme measures to lay out any punishments for him. He then noticed that a single tear rolled down Lincoln's left cheek. Seeing his best friend so sad made him sad too. Eventually, they arrived at their destination, a beautifully painted one-story building. The sign at the building read "Royal Woods Child Care for Mental Health". The vehicle pulled into the parking lot.
"Alright, let's do this," said Howard. The four got out of the vehicle and went into the building, meeting the receptionist at the front desk.
"Howard and Harold McBride here," said Harold. "We called yesterday to inquire about checking in this young man right here." He gestured to the white-haired boy.
"Lincoln Loud?" said the receptionist. She checked some paperwork. "Ah, yes." She then pushed a buzzer on her front desk. "Miss Lone, please come to the front desk. Lincoln Loud is checking in." She then spoke to the dads. "So Lincoln will be assigned to the care of Lyra Lone. She will escort you to the room where he'll be staying."
"Thank you very much," said Howard. Both dads put a hand each on Lincoln's shoulders and smiled at him to assure him. Lincoln gave a small smile back to them, but then let out a sad sigh, looking down.
"Hey there." A white-haired young woman appearing to be in her mid-thirties arrived at the front desk. She wore a purple jacket over an orange shirt, light gray pants, and white shoes. Her white hair was long, down past her waist halfway to her knees. Lincoln got a good look at her as she lowered herself to match the boy's height. "Hello," she said with a very nice voice. "You must be Lincoln. Nice to meet you. I'm Lyra. I'm gonna take care of you." Lincoln still didn't say anything but they did shake hands.
"You would not believe what this poor boy has been through," said Harold. "The stories have made our skin crawl. But, long story short, he was abused by his family for about two weeks and then got sick with pneumonia." Lyra gasped, holding her hands to her mouth.
"Oh my gosh," Lyra murmured, instantly taking pity on the boy. "You poor thing. Can I give you a hug?" Lincoln nodded sadly and Lyra did so. "I'm so sorry to hear this. You seem like such a nice, sweet boy."
"A-am I hearing this right?" asked the receptionist. "Domestic abuse followed by... pneumonia?!"
"Luckily, it was only mild to moderate," said Howard. "He still had to be taken to the hospital, though."
"He was also treated for skin rashes and a wild raccoon coming into contact with him," said Harold. "Must have happened when he was forced to sleep outside for two nights straight." Both the receptionist and Lyra reacted with horror. It was a good thing that raccoon didn't have rabies or Lincoln would have been far worse off.
"Where are the boy's parents now?" the receptionist asked.
"They're detained," answered Howard.
"Good," said Lyra suddenly. Even though she had yet to learn everything else, including the two weeks Lincoln was stuffed into that mascot costume, she already hinted at instantly despising the boy's parents. "Anyway, let's get you to your room." Lyra, Lincoln, and the McBrides took a walk and soon arrived at Lincoln's assigned room. The door was labeled "208A". They went inside. "This is where you'll be staying for a few days," said Lyra. "It's relatively new, as we got recent donations of old furniture from a couple of other homes." Lincoln looked around the room. It reminded him of his own room back at home, which he recalled as a small space of comfort to stay out of the thick of things. That is, whenever his sisters weren't intruding on his privacy, which he found annoying. But this room appeared to be a little larger than his own room. This was likely because it was actually a room and not a closet converted into a room. And then, something, or some things, stood out to the boy as very familiar, a little too familiar.
"My... my bed..." he said.
"What?" said Lyra.
"This is my bed," said Lincoln. "I know it's my bed! What's it doing here?" Lincoln took another glance and sure enough, he spotted the rest of his furniture as well. "My desk... my chair... my shelf..."
"Hey, he's right!" said Clyde. "I recognize these!"
"What on earth...?" said Howard.
"How in the world...?" said Harold. Lincoln suddenly ran out of the room and looked further down the corridor. He saw a larger room with other children either playing by themselves or on the laps of adult supervisors having children's stories read to them. Walking into the room carefully so as not to disturb anyone, he had a quick look around and there was a collection of unsorted things. And yes, they were his belongings - his toys, comic books, video games, clothes, posters, school supplies... all of them. And of course...
"Bun-Bun?!" choked Lincoln. He managed to keep his voice down, but likely due to his current level of depression, he was incapable of raising his voice. "...Bun-Bun!" He scooped up his precious stuffed animal and hugged it for dear life, breaking down. The other adults and children present did stop what they were doing, but weren't exactly interrupted.
"Lincoln?" Lyra stepped into the larger room, seeing Lincoln sobbing while snuggling his stuffed bunny.
"M-my things..." he cried. "They're here... They're all here!"
"These are all yours? But how?"
"They were all donations from several other families who apparently didn't want them anymore," said another adult. "We don't know why. And we don't know why they were donated here of all places. Yeah, we got kids here, but did these families even know what kinds of kids we're looking after? Video games alone are rather loud, though the volume could always be turned down or one can just wear headphones. We've only had them a couple of days."
"Isn't that how long ago we got the furniture for Room 208A?" asked Lyra.
"Hey... yeah it is," said the adult. "And what's funny is that each family just happened to give the exact same reason for not wanting these items. ...This can't be a coincidence, can it?" Lincoln's belongings had indeed traveled hither and yon, divided amongst several families. And somehow, either by sheer luck - yeah, luck - or by the whims of fate, they all happened to reunite in the exact same place. And it was the same place that Lincoln Loud just happened to be checking into for the next few days. As final proof, Lincoln pulled out a sheet of homework paper from his backpack that had his name signed on it.
"Uh, Miss Lone?" said Clyde. Lyra giggled.
"You can just call me Lyra if you like," she said.
"Well... what you know about Lincoln so far is only bare bones of just half of it." Clyde sighed. "We'd better tell you the whole story. Let's go back to Lincoln's room."
"Hold up," said Lyra. "Not without helping me move his things there." And so Lyra, Lincoln, and the McBrides pitched in and brought all of Lincoln's belongings to Room 208A and afterwards, Lyra closed the door so the story could be told privately. "Tell me everything."
Lynn Sr. was intrigued that Lincoln somehow got all of his belongings back and for some reason, he figured that would have to count for something.
"Well... he... got all his stuff back," he said nervously to Gavelyn, who was obviously unimpressed. "So... uh..." Lynn Sr. twiddled his thumbs. Gavelyn then leered at the poor Loud father.
"You're in a lot of hot water... mister man," he sneered. "You're seriously expecting even a sliver of a happy ending to this fairy tale you've concocted?"
For the rest of the day, things began to look up for young Lincoln. By mid-afternoon, he even began to play quietly with some of the other kids. One of them, about his age, plucked up his courage and spoke to him.
"Hi, Lincoln," said the boy. "I'm Max." He had dark brown hair and wore glasses and a black t-shirt.
"Hi, Max," said Lincoln. "Nice to meet you."
"I saw your Ace Savvy comics yesterday. I like Ace Savvy. Do you like Ace Savvy?" Oh, how Lincoln was tempted to explode with excitement then and there!
"I do!" he said, doing his best to keep his voice down to a reasonable level. "I can share my comics with you if you like."
"Really?!"
"You bet!" A little later on after some good reading, Max decided to bring up the more serious topic of what happened to Lincoln, as he had begun to open himself up to him over their similar interest in the Ace Savvy comic series.
"Lincoln," said Max, swallowing a bit. "I... I heard about what happened to you."
"Yeah," Lincoln muttered sadly.
"I told my mom and my dad yesterday when they came to visit me... and I never saw them cry so much in my whole life. They hugged me and told me that they would rather die than give me up like that. I thought they would take me home right then and there." Hearing how much compassion Max's parents had for him brought Lincoln to tears. He started to wonder if the reason his family ever went overboard at all was due to the sheer size of it - one boy, ten girls. While Lincoln may have told himself he wouldn't trade that for the world, it seemed that he was beginning to backpedal on that statement. It was like his own personal window was broken and even if the pieces were put back in place, the cracks would still be there. Overshadowed and overpowered, it seemed that his efforts to be his own person had left him fending for himself and it didn't help that for two nights straight, and what might as well be the following two weeks, he had all but been left high and dry. You can't put back the pieces of a broken window, Lincoln thought. Like it or not, he believed that eventually, moving on would be the only option remaining for him, as in all likelihood, he wouldn't just be tossed back into the lion's den living with the scars lingering. But for now, it was best for him to enjoy his time with caring professionals and other kids who struggled with similar issues as he was now dealing with. "Will you be okay, Lincoln?" asked Max. "Do you think... that maybe... you'll..." Max couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.
"Find a new crowd, right?" said Lincoln for him. "It's okay, Max. I'm not offended. Hey, why don't we play some video games in my room? We'll do it there so as not to disturb anyone else." Lyra and a couple of other adults nodded in agreement and approvingly while Max smiled at his new friend. As Lincoln and Max headed for Room 208A, Lincoln thought that maybe in the long run, things wouldn't be too bad and maybe work out for the better or best, even if he was taken in by a new family. He just hoped that he wouldn't have to go through the same pain that his sisters and parents inflicted on him. Surely, there's a place in this world for even the man with a plan.
After about forty-five minutes of gaming, Lincoln and Max had bonded as friends even more. Of course, Max was by no means on the same level as Clyde in terms of his friendship with Lincoln, but the man with a plan managed to perk him up. It might have been Lincoln's reason for being checked in that made Max decide to approach him and be his friend. Of course, what might have helped is that they both happen to like the Ace Savvy comics. They returned to the larger room where the other kids were along with Lyra and the other adult.
"By the way," said Lyra. "I happen to know Max's mom personally. She's an old friend of mine. ...Well, she was the only friend I had growing up. Her name is Lina and not a lot of people were exactly kind to her because her mother was supposedly not a nice woman."
"What did she do?" asked Lincoln.
"Mom always told me to wait until I'm old enough to understand... and to be able to take it in," said Max. "But, long story short, I was told that the woman did something that... 'brought my mom into this world too early', as I heard it. So my mom was raised by foster parents and my mom's parents... again, long story short, went mentally insane and they'll prolly be living the rest of their lives out wherever they are now."
"I swear I'll never understand the motivations behind these kinds of people," said Lincoln sadly. "Some just do crazy and outlandish things... like my family did to me... even my... my mom..." Max put a hand on Lincoln's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, man," he said. "I know it sucks... and I really hope things get better for you."
"Things ended happier for Lina," said Lyra. "She became a musician, met and married a therapist, and they reside together in Fern Valley, which is where I live too. But my house isn't too far from here."
"My dad's name is Shawn," said Max to Lincoln. "Shawn Long. So that means when my mom got married, she became Lina Long. Hey, maybe you can meet them one day! That is, if they decide not to pamper you after introductions." Lincoln chuckled a bit.
"Hey, Lyra," he then said. "What about you? Do you... live by yourself?"
"Yeah... I do," answered Lyra. "And yes, it does get lonely sometimes."
"You don't have a family?"
"I'm not raising one at the moment, if that's what you're asking, but my parents still live in Pleasant Greens. It's the next town up just north of here, so I visit them often when I can. Helping look after the children when I'm at work who come and go makes my life worthwhile."
"At least they have families to go back to," Lincoln said, looking down. "I don't know where I'll go, but I really hope things will work out."
"That's what I like to see in children such as yourself," said Lyra, pulling the white-haired boy into a one-armed hug. "You have such a good heart, showing concern for your family despite that they casted you out, and you don't seem to wish for anything bad to happen to them."
"Of course not!"
"But everyone should have limitations," said Lyra. "While being selfless is indeed noble, you do need to look after yourself as well. Think about yourself every now and then. Sacrifice may be an act of love, but isn't it about time that someone should be happy for you?" Lincoln began to ponder on these words, as he recalled that while arranging his belongings in his assigned room, which had been sold to several families and then returned to him, one of them was a portrait of his family.
Meanwhile, at the Royal Woods schools, the rumors of the Loud family's recent dilemma spread by gossip were being confirmed as true. Students and teachers were left aghast over the story that the 11-year-old boy, Lincoln Loud, had been basically abused for half a month before Leni did the most sensible thing and reported it to the police. Not only had the abuse gone on long enough, but it ultimately led to Lincoln getting sick with pneumonia, which was definitely going to make things even more grim for the Loud parents, currently detained until a court of law could hold a fair trial. Things had gone from bad to worse when Lori and Leni were unable to find babysitters who could look after Lily on a daily basis, but mainly because they didn't want any involvement with the Loud family in light of how Lincoln was maltreated. It didn't help that their grandfather, Albert, was unable to leave the nursing home even temporarily, as their nurse, Sue, would simply send workers to come and bring the elders back home if they were out past their curfew. And his sister, Aunt Ruth, didn't want to look after Lily on the grounds that the toddler would misbehave, not that anyone sensible would want to leave anyone under Ruth's watchful eye anyway due to her slobby and lazy nature. In the end, Leni called Officer Schoffner and she came for Lily, convincing a local day care to look after her daily until further notice.
Lori was shunned on social media and by her friends, and she had a bad feeling she wouldn't be making it to her dream school, Fairway University, for her involvement. It didn't help that she was nearing the age of 18, in which she would likely be held liable if this matter dragged on long enough. Bobby broke up with her, greatly saddened and disappointed that his girlfriend and her family had scarred "his little brother" and also warned her not to threaten Lincoln again, as he ended up finding out that Lori almost smashed him with a lamp table when he broke up with her over his little sister Ronnie Anne one time. Bobby also told Lori that by looking back, he felt idiotic that he broke up that one time because it was unnecessary and it only put Lincoln through some real, legitimate grief... at his own older sister's hands.
Luna was kicked out of her own band, and although it didn't surprise her, she was still hurt, but more so over hurting her little brother when maybe she could have taken a stand to her family instead the way Leni did. Luan was also down in the dumps and felt that she wouldn't be returning to her usual comedic self anytime soon. She actually had to temporarily close down Funny Business Inc. as parents of several children ordered her to not only cancel her upcoming gigs, but to stay away from their children. One time, she got a pie in the face by another school student, who asked her how she liked it when comedy is directed at the comedian, possibly because Luan's pranks had been performed at levels in which only she would enjoy them. In her emotional state, the student's act and words hurt her feelings and she dashed off to the nearest restroom and cried. Lynn Jr. was not only thrown off all her sports teams, but middle school students went back to teasing and bullying her, as she had originally donned her tough personality and attitude to ward it off. Now, even students younger than her picked on her as well, especially for her superstitions and rituals. Among the teasing included other students mimicking her silly dances that she called rituals to appease the gods. It didn't help that of the Loud family, she felt the most devastated over what she did to her little brother when regret caught up to her. While Principal Ramirez expressed that she too was disappointed in Lynn Jr., she agreed that she would do everything in her power to stop the maltreatment towards her.
"But I deserve it!" insisted Lynn Jr., her eyes red and puffy from crying way too much.
"I did say I was disappointed," said Ramirez. "But you do not deserve to be tormented too far. It's not too late to turn your life around and if you allow yourself to be a victim, no different than your brother, you could end up much worse. For one, there's depression and even mental trauma to the point of suicide and surely even you do not deserve to take your own life and I seriously doubt Lincoln wants that. You're still one of my students, Lynn. And what you did to your brother was wrong, but I am proud of you for being able to see that rather than let your usual brand of stubbornness and pride get in the way. Being self-aware of your actions goes a long way."
"I'm a monster," Lynn Jr. murmured.
"No, you are not," Ramirez insisted. "So please don't talk like that."
Lucy was kicked out of the Morticians Club, which didn't surprise her, but like Luna, it hurt her to no longer have a place among her own kind. Haiku suggested that she and Lucy should at least stay friends, which made things less depressing for the young goth, but without the Morticians Club, Lucy felt that she had nothing left except her big brother Lincoln, and she wanted him back in her life. She took a moment to cry and Haiku held her.
"I'm a bad sister," Lucy wept. "He covered for me once... and this is how I repaid him. By going along with some dumb superstition... for half a month... and then he got sick..."
"You're not a bad sister," said Haiku. "You just did something bad. And you know it, so for that, Lincoln will forgive you in time."
The twins, Lola and Lana, were also shunned by their teacher, Miss Allegra, and other school students. But of course, Miss Allegra wasn't about to deny them an education or treat them differently due to school regulations, so she simply remained disappointed in them. Principal Huggins was more on the understanding that the parents were held the most responsible and it was likely because of this that the staff at least would not be hostile towards the Loud sisters. And then there was Lisa. Not too long ago, she had been transferred to Lincoln's class, albeit temporarily, and her actions caused Lincoln to take the heat for everything just because he was her big brother. Now, those events were thrown back at her in full force. Miss Shrinivas, Lisa's teacher, got furious at her because she blamed Lincoln unnecessarily for her actions that she should have been held responsible for in addition to her part to play in the bad luck fiasco. To make up for this, Principal Huggins requested that Rusty, Zach, and Liam should do detention for one day for ostracizing poor Lincoln over his little sister. Even Clyde offered to do detention on the same day, anything to give his best friend the justice he deserved after what his family did to him, and Huggins agreed.
And finally, Mrs. Johnson and Principal Huggins were both informed that Lincoln's school supplies were found and returned to him, so he could begin to successfully make up for any school days he was to miss. Clyde could vouch as well, as he was there when Lincoln found all of his belongings. So while Lincoln would start to make progress and get better, especially regarding his mental health, one couldn't exactly the same about his family. What would happen to them, especially his parents, remained unknown at this point.
"Yes, your son is getting better, but it's the exact opposite for you and your family, it seems," retorted Officer Gavelyn. "As for Leni L. Loud, the one daughter who gathered her courage and did the right thing by standing up to everyone else to put a stop to your punishment schemes... I still doubt she'll be entirely exempt from prosecution, but a little kindness does go a long way. Nevertheless, we'll have to see what the judge has to say... won't we?"
"..." Lynn Sr. was out of words.
"Why don't you look at it this way?" said Gavelyn, getting the patriarch's eyes on him. "I assume you want the court to spare your daughters. You could care less about Lincoln, right?"
"N...NO!" Lynn Sr. stammered, horrified. "That's not true!"
"You cared little enough about him to side with your unstable daughters over HIM, right?!" Gavelyn barked menacingly, his hands gripping the table. "One son in a house of ten daughters, I imagine it must have been easy using him as a tool sharpener to satisfy your family's own ends, making ends meet your way!"
"Lincoln?" asked Lyra. Lincoln looked at her. "Do you really feel like you've been... the black sheep in your family?" Now Lincoln knew what that meant and there were several moments where he felt like he didn't even belong in his family.
- Lori once bodily chucked him out of her room when he only accidentally walked in and she broke his Game Goggles in the process.
- All his sisters meddled in his affairs over a bully being a girl.
- They cast him out of his life when he uploaded a video of their comical antics in trying to get an award and be up there with them, leaving him to make himself a laughingstock to get back in their good books.
- They beat him to a pulp over some seat in the family van, which destroyed the whole vehicle.
- He had to slave away to their demands during a camping trip.
- His use of noise-cancelling earphones didn't work out.
- Their family got themselves banned from several public swimming pools.
- His sisters practically ruined Clyde's first sleepover.
- He took the blame for Lucy over clogging the toilet and the other sisters vowed to make fun of him for life over a Princess Pony book.
- They've beaten him up over money.
- Luna once blasted him with her music speakers at maximum volume with enough force to send him flying. How his eardrums survived is anyone's guess.
- Lori called him a monster and threatened to smash him with a lamp table because she blamed him for Bobby breaking up with her and forced him to go on a double date with Ronnie Anne. Lincoln had to kiss Bobby's little sister in front of everyone at the restaurant Jean Juan's just to avoid being on the receiving end on Lori's wrath.
- Luan's April Fool's Day pranking reached astronomical levels, scaring the whole family and possibly threatening them with physical harm. Lincoln had to take blows so that his friend Ronnie Anne wouldn't.
- His sisters got him in trouble at the grocery store and his mom placed all of the blame on him.
- His mom also grounded him over a football incident while he was on a stretcher and being sent to the hospital.
- His sisters forced him to go to the Sadie Hawkins dance and paired him up with multiple girls, getting him into hot water.
- When Lisa was promoted to Lincoln's class, her actions led both his sisters and his closest friends to blame him for everything.
- And did he even need to be reminded of the first Sister Fight Protocol?
And while Lincoln had his own fair share of causing mischief and trying to do things for his own selfish gain, at the most he tried his hardest to make up for these things and it seemed like maybe he had done his own antics because he felt like he had to. It was like if a comedian didn't perform just to make money or even because they loved doing it, but rather felt like they had to. Maybe Lincoln was the black sheep of the Loud family and so he was motivated to earn his place only for several things to fall out of place and fail spectacularly. And then, the darker memories came crashing down on him all at once and he starting crying heavily, his tears beginning to drip onto his pajamas as he squeezed his precious Bun-Bun.
"I'm so sorry, Lincoln," said Lyra, hugging Lincoln and attempting to wipe his tears away. Lincoln sniffled and let out a hiccup.
"I am... I... I-I...I am..." he cried, his speaking almost incoherent.
"You're what?"
"I am the black sheep of my... my..." He let out another fresh sob.
"Lincoln," Lyra said gently. "I don't know what kind of family you come from or the whole extent of what they're like... but there are crazy people upon this Earth and some can be cruel."
"Maybe I deserved it..." Lincoln said suddenly through his tears. "To be-"
"No!" said Lyra firmly. "Do not say that, Lincoln. Even if you did your own fair share of bad things, that does not make you a bad person. And you certainly did not deserve to be cast out of your family or go through anything else they put you through. A truly bad person would not see themselves as bad and they choose to be self-centered and arrogant, thinking the world revolves around them and expect others to be beneath them. That's not you, Lincoln. I see you as more caring and selfless, putting other people's wants and needs ahead of your own. It's just that where you come from, you were taken advantage of for who you are. And no one deserves that." Lincoln sniffled, wiped his nose with his sleeve, and nodded. "Now then... try not to let all this bother you. Get a good night's sleep and I'll be back tomorrow morning. Okay?"
"Okay." Lincoln knew Lyra was right. No family was perfect, but what he was put through at the hands of his sisters and even his parents was just too much. He deserved to be his own person, with or without them.
"P...please... sir..." Lynn Sr. began to cry softly. "I love my son..."
"You do?" questioned Gavelyn. "Or you did? Even when you came your senses, it was too little too late and you had a funny way of trying to prove it, one that crossed the fine line with the law!"
On the afternoon that the McBrides drove Lincoln to the Royal Woods Child Care for Mental Health, Rita and Lynn Sr. continued to mope in their cell. They had spent at least three nights in police custody and were worried that their family and lives would never be the same again. But more importantly, they wondered if they would ever see their children, much less Lincoln, ever again. And then, Officer Schoffner opened the door to their cell.
"Alright, you two," she barked. "Out!" The Loud parents were of course surprised, but steadily made their way to the cell entrance. "You're going home, but you'll be placed under house arrest until further notice." And there was baby Lily waiting for them at the front desk, having come out of day care.
"Poo-poo!" she squealed, as Officer Schoffner placed her into Rita's arms.
"Oh, Lily!" cried Rita. "Thank God! We missed you!" Lynn Sr. joined in, helping cradle his youngest daughter.
"Now don't get too comfortable," Schoffner warned. "Enjoy your family while you still can because there's a good chance nothing is gonna end well for any of you." So Schoffner dropped them off at their house and the parents holding Lily wasted no time scrambling indoors to reunite with their other nine daughters, who had just come from school.
"MOM! DAD!" Lori shrieked. The other girls cried out as well and they all got into a big group hug while Schoffner stood in the doorway. Even though the Loud residence would surely be under police watch, this would be the closest the Loud family would get to being back together, as Lincoln was now the only one absent.
"Wh-where's Linky?" Leni nervously asked Schoffner.
"He's safe," she replied. "But don't expect him to be joining you while under police surveillance." Of course, the rest of the family was disappointed. They wanted Lincoln back in their lives, but in the time that Lincoln would spend away from his family, he wouldn't be looking at them the same way again. "Also, you've been summoned to a court of law. A trial is scheduled for next week and to ensure you'll come, you'll be getting police escort." With that, Schoffner left the house. Lynn Jr. fell to her knees in despair.
"This is all my fault," she choked. "I... I threatened my little brother into coming to that game..."
"Wait, what?!" said Rita. Lynn Sr.'s mouth hung open.
"I threatened him... with a bat..." Lynn Jr. confessed, beginning to tear up and choke on her words. "I just wanted him to come to one of my softball games... and when he finally did... and I lost... I blamed him for it... I was upset... and I let my stubbornness and pride take control!" She pounded the floor with her fists as she said the last sentence.
"You've literally got some nerve!" said Lori hypocritically, though she might have regretted almost threatening and seriously injuring her little brother herself. "He's our brother! Did you want him to be afraid of you?!" Lynn Jr. kept her head lowered to the floor, not wanting to make eye contact with the rest of her family.
"I doubt the rest of us were any better," said Luna. "We may have all done some rather heinous things to him. And if Lincoln shows up in court... he'll likely testify against us."
"Mom?" asked Lana. "What do we do?"
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," said Rita, bending down to hug her. "I don't think there's anything we can do. What we all did to Lincoln... was unforgivable. All we can do now is enjoy whatever time we have left before... before..." There was no need for Rita to finish her sentence. The Loud family huddled together, believing that the next few days together could be their last for a long time to come.
It was the day for Max to leave the child care center and Lincoln was able to get acquainted with his new friend's parents. Mind you, the only thing they knew about Lincoln was the half a month of abuse from his family.
"Is that him?" asked Max's mother, Lina.
"Yep!" Max replied. "This is Lincoln, my new friend." Lincoln and Max's father, Shawn, shook hands while Lina hugged him.
"Our son told us about your history of... abuse..." said Shawn. "We're so sorry."
"I'm sorry if my story scared you," said Lincoln.
"You may say that you own up to part of it," said Lyra. "But all you wanted was some time off and to yourself because you were overworked. Did you know that being overworked can be detrimental to your health?"
"Oh, I hope this poor boy's family wasn't trying to work him to death," said Lina.
"Same here," said Lyra.
"Welp, time for us to go," said Shawn.
"Bye, Lincoln!" said Max, the two boys sharing a quick hug. "I'm glad I got to meet you. We'll meet up again sometime, I know it!"
"Yeah, I'm sure we will," said Lincoln. About a half-hour after Max and his family departed, Officer Schoffner arrived to inform Lincoln of the situation with his family.
"Looks like you're doing just fine here," she said to the boy.
"Lyra's very nice," said Lincoln.
"And Lincoln's been very good," said Lyra.
"I suppose you can figure out why I'm here, though," said Schoffner. "Lincoln, your family is being put on trial. It'll begin in a few days." Lincoln gulped, knowing that he couldn't remain at the crossroads of his own emotions and inner struggles forever. "I talked with the receptionist," Schoffner went on. "If you'd like, you can continue to stay here for as long as the trial goes on. By technicality, your parents have not lost custody of you, but I hate to say that there's a strong possibility they will after this."
"Where will I go then?" asked a worried Lincoln. "I'd have to be put in some foster home with people don't love me." Lyra put her hand on Lincoln's shoulder and shook her head.
"That won't happen, Lincoln."
"Huh? It won't."
"It won't." Lyra smiled sweetly at Lincoln. "I promise." Officer Schoffner scratched her chin in thought. Could the whims of fate be spinning towards another spoke of the wheel?
"Do you want to talk to your family?" Lyra asked, knowing it'd be up to him. Lincoln looked at Lyra, almost thinking that she could help with that answer. He knew that his family had wronged him, but he believed at this point, the only reason they should be punished is because the state law had to for them committing a crime and had to be upheld to set an example for society, that no child should be abused to such an extreme. "Lincoln," Lyra continued. "I am mad at your family for committing those heinous actions against you, but it's not my place to speak for you. I'll save my own choice of words if I'm allowed to at their trial or whenever it might be necessary. Does that help?" After a few seconds, Lincoln nodded. Now, the choice seemed clear.
"We just wish we could see you again," said Lana. "So far, only Leni got that chance."
"We will get that chance, girls," said Lynn Sr. "We all will. Because Lincoln's coming home. Am I right?"
"Dad, don't fool yourself," Lori warned.
"We haven't lost him yet! There's still time!"
"Dad!"
"Listen, sport," said Lynn Sr., who was now descending into freneticism. "They're not keeping you." The Loud sisters grew increasingly nervous.
"But I love it here," said Lincoln, a bit confused by his father's words. "Lyra's really nice. She was just upset a minute ago. And I-"
"What have you done to my son?!" Lynn Sr. began to lose it as he intended to address Lyra, the receptionist, and the manager on duty. Now for some reason, he deludedly thought Lincoln might have been brainwashed.
"Sir, we haven't done anything-" the manager started to say.
"My son's coming home or I'm reporting a kidnapping!" There were gasps on both ends. And of course, the call itself was still being recorded.
"Sir!" said the manager. "You're acting like a maniac!"
"I don't care! I want my son back!"
"Sir, don't do this!"
"Hold on, son!" Lynn Sr. shouted, sweating bullets. "I'm coming!"
"Dad!" cried Lincoln. *Beeeeeep*. The call and the recording ended abruptly. Lincoln started to hyperventilate slightly. "Oh... no..."
"Honey! STOP!" cried Rita in vain back at the Loud residence. "We're under house arrest!" The daughters shouted too, but Lynn Sr. was in no condition to listen. He tore out of the house and made a beeline for Vanzilla. But a cop grabbed him before he could open the driver door.
"Hey!" he shouted. "Return to your house at once!"
"Not without my son, Little Boy Blue!" the Loud father snarled, attempting to resist the officer.
"Ooh, real mature, you son of a...!"
"You're the one who's gonna burn, punk!" said a second cop, both of them attempting to restrain Lynn Sr.
"Dad, NO!" Lori called from the house.
"Daddy!" screamed Lola.
"Let me go!" beseeched Lynn Sr., still resisting. "Please! I want my son! I'll do anything!" It took a total of four officers to finally subdue the broken father. "My son..." he blubbered. "My son!" Overpowered, he cried loudly on the ground as he was bodily carried and loaded into a police vehicle. The rest of the family could only watch helplessly as the vehicle drove off with its new cargo.
If there was any way things could get worse, then this was a successful demonstration, no questions asked. The trial was mere days away and one of the parents to be held accountable just made an unnecessary and unprovoked spectacle. Lynn Loud Sr. had been blinded by an unexpected and unexplained delusion that somehow things could go back to being hunky-dory if Lincoln returned. Maybe he would even treat his own son like a king. But now, things definitely weren't that simple, and after all that, they never would be again.
"And that leads us up to now," Gavelyn concluded. "And now there's you. In addition to criminal charges of child abuse, negligence, and endangerment, you also violated your house arrest and resisted law enforcers. I don't know what planet you thought you were on, but whatever state of mind you were in is not gonna be a viable excuse, I can assure you."
"I... I want it back..." muttered Lynn Sr.
"Come again?"
"My family... I want it back... I want it all back!" The father's face was coated in tear stains. Gavelyn just shook his head soberly.
"Well, you just sacrificed that chance," he said firmly. "Then again, we all have to make sacrifices. But you... I doubt you're getting out of this in one piece, nor should you be walking away with a smile. So you'd better get used to your sad face." He finally stood up. "Don't expect me to say anything nice about you and your family in court. See you at the trial." Gavelyn made his way to the room's door as Officer Schoffner stood up to follow him out. Once they both left, Lynn Sr. held his head in his hands and wept. Surely, his life was ruined.