Oddly enough I have read up on a subject in this chapter long before The Loud House was created. Stress can make a lady miss her period. The name of this condition that results from stress is called Secondary Amenorrhea.
If you speak French and there are some issues, blame Google Translate. Feel free to give me the real translation of what I was going for. I will not bother with it myself since I don't know if the Louds speak french, so, I put in what they hear people say. Well, Lisa is a genius.
On the test- why do the pregnancy tests have to be sticks? Yes, if you have the good home drug tests, they are cups. sit it at an angle, the cap has this little test strip on it... you get the idea.
Week 7 Wendesday
The day after Lincoln's admission to the hospital, the Louds saw Mika step away from the restraunt. She was spending more time on the phone and they soon learned that it was her business in New York.
Some big clients were coming in for meetings within the week and she had to meet them. She added that she might as well stay home since her kids would be out of camp soon.
Lori was in top form, though, handling the endevor of running the kitchen as head chef.
The new hire, Jacque, was a bit insulted as she had no schooling with any of the great culinary schools. He made it a point to voice his displeasure of that fact.
They would have let Jacque go right away, but some of the extra help had went on to college or had returned to school as those things were starting again.
Carol and the handful of Lynn Sr.'s loyal employees were still on staff.
However:
Isabella was dealing with a divorce and the new responsibility of being a single mom.
Ted had his to get his kids to and from school as his wife's work kept her out late. He was officially part time.
Not to mention, the younger Louds also had school or their own priorities.
So Jacque had been around since the day after Mika had departed for the penthouse in New York.
Jacque often didn't follow recipies, insisting that his were better, and just as often disregarded customer wishes.
Lori repeatedly had to remind him that he shouldn't smoke in the kitchen or at all in the restraunt.
He even had the idea, that as a trained chef, he was able to give the staff orders.
Yuki had taken a few days to head out to a cabin for a photo shoot. She had invited Leni along and had taken the Akiko sisters as well. Her usual backup wasn't there.
Shinji had disappeared for a few days as well. The only trace of her to let Lori know she was still alive was the laundry drying on the line when Lori had gotten home last night. She had left messages, but they were more of minor complaints, not urgent calls. Lori was basically venting.
Lori wiped her brow and looked at the new order. "Jacque, I need three number fours."
"We are not making the number four." Jacque replied coldly.
"Jacque, I am the boss, you make that order, now!"
"Or you'll do what? Fire me and run yourself ragged with a small, incompetent staff." He replied with some venom in his voice.
"How about you just do what she says."
Lori looked over to see a short girl, no, short woman. She gave Jacque a small shove to get him out of her way, which was part of why Jacque looked so shocked.
"Heard a lot about you! After watching I thought you could use a break." The woman put on an aperon. "How do we make that number four I heard you yelling about?"
"What is this?!" Jacque waved a spatula at the stranger. "She shoulden't be here in the kitchen! I want her out, NOW!!"
"I have this, cousin." The woman patted Lori's arm sweetly then turned to the confident man. "I'm not in the mood, jack! I had two layovers, a delayed flight that left me over night it a terminal and managed to be sat near a crying child the entire time. My taxi dropped me off two blocks away and I am not putting up with your shit. Either get back to work or I'll feed you your green card, get my friends to erase your records and turn your Cordon Bleu, snail munching ass into ICE."
"Petite chienne!" Jacque turned to the stove, obviously beaten but still taking that shot.
"Mince glace, mon ami, glace mince!" Those words left Jacque all the more stunned as he looked up from the stove to see the woman glaring at him. "I bet Lori here has lots of French words to inquire about. Care to apologize now."
Jacque just resumed work. After a minute they heard him ask. "Three, number fours?"
The rest of the day went off without a hitch. The short woman fell in quick with the work and kept the dishes clean. As they locked up, Lori looked to her. "I don't even know your name.
"Bella, Bella Norman. I just happen to be a cousin from Normandy. My mother was Japanese and French, she grew up in Paris." She paused to take out a smoke and lean on her luggage. "So, what do you think of my Midwestern American accent? Convincing?"
"You sound like you're from Montanna." Lori watched the woman smile widely.
"Parfait!" Bella shouted, the pleased shout carried through the streets.
"No thanks, I'm not hungry."
Lori watched as Bella chuckled. "Parfait is perfect in French. Though, I now want one."
"So are you looking for your cousins?" Lori asked.
"No. Just traveling. I make it a point to go some new place every year. Your restraunt was the last thing I had heard about before I booked my flight." She took a long drag off her cigarrette. "The quicker I find my cousins, the quicker they lecture me about smoking." She let the smoke out as she spoke. "I prefer cigars, but apparently there is a ban on Cuban cigars here in the states. I settled for Camels." She sucked the cigarette down to the filter and stomped it out. "They suck."
She sighed. "I miss my Cohiba Lanceros already." Her eyes landed on Lori and took in her stance and appearance.
Bella smiled up at the Loud woman. "Who is the father?"
"I'm not..." Lori started to protest.
"Darling, I have predicted the genders of seventeen family and friends children! It's a girl, by the way. Who is the father? At least tell me if he is dependable."
"But I'm not pregnant. It's just the stress!" Lori stopped talking as Bella took her hand.
"Get a test, then let us talk again. I will be staying at some place called Shilo's Bed and Breakfast. Room three." Bella pulled Lori down to kiss both of her cheeks. "Bonne nuit, Lori!"
With that Lori watched Bella roll her bag down the street with her phone in hand. She couldn't help but notice the little French flag that was on the back of her luggage.
By the time Lori was in the car, Bella was nowhere to be found. She took a trip around the block and decided to head home.
Lori stopped by Flips, she grabbed an extra large Flippy and a pregnancy test.
Flips estranged daughter was working tonight. She waved when Lori entered.
Winked and held her finger to her lips when Lori put her stuff on the counter.
She even made sure that Lori got her change back, though she was engrossed by the show on the portable television.
Back at home Lori tossed the empty Flippy in the trash and took a seat, waiting for the Flippy to do its thing.
"My lucky sisters get to spend time with our little brother while I wait around to piss on a fancy stick." She said to an empty room.
"I didn't know Lincoln was into water sports." Luan spooked Lori as she walked out of the kitchen. "Sorry, didn't mean to pull a Lucy."
Lori eased up and settled back against the couch.
"That wasn't what you meant, was it?" Luan took a seat by her big sister. "How many did you miss?"
"One." Lori admitted.
"Stress can do that. Aunt Flo cancelled a visit when I was dealing with some stuff."
"Putting Misty Haywood's head in the toilet felt pretty good." Lori mumbled and smirked smugly.
"That was you?" Luan asked with surprise. She remembered that the cheerleader had stopped picking on her months before Lincoln beat up Jackson.
"Yeah, sorry. I just... I really lost it when I heard her call you fat for literally the millionth time."
"You could have got in trouble for that, you know." Luan reminded Lori. "You are an adult."
"She's nineteen." Lori stood up. "She got held back." Lori started walking off. "I have to pee." As she headed up the stairs she opened her package. "Oh, it's a cup! Must be the same company that makes the pot tests Luna uses."
Over at the hospital Lola and Lana were snuggled up against Lincoln on the bed. Lily and Fskit played on the floor.
Lincoln read out loud from The Art of War.
"This is actually kind of cool." Lana said taking notes.
"I hear that many successful people have read this." Lola mentioned. "However, I like my big brother reading it to me."
"Always take the high ground when you can!" Lily said happily as she climbed into a chair to dangle the string.
"How are our furry relatives doing at home?" Lincoln asked after being reminded.
"Charles has been sleeping in your room. Cliff is a cat, kinda hard to tell what he thinks." Lana explained.
"Allright, little dudes. Time to go home." Luna stepped in.
Doctor Bonce came in behind Luna. "This will just take a little bit."
The twins hopped off the bed and Linconln sat up. Doctor Bonce inspected the wounds and asked Lincoln the usual questions about pain and discomfort.
Lana had eased around to get a good look at the wounds on her big brother's back. If this had been any other curcumstance, she would have said it was cool. Looking at it and knowing what had happened, more importantly, that these wounds were on her brother, well, she teared up.
"Did you bring him a change of clothes?" Bonce turned to Luna, who nodded. "Good, because he gets to put them on!"
Bonce took the clipboard on the end of Lincoln's bed in hand and wrote a few things.
As he wrote he spoke both to Lincoln and Luna. "I want you back here, next week, Friday. For a follow up exam, and if you get an infection, I want you back that day. If you feel sick, excessive pain in and around the area, I want you back, that day. No strenuous activity. I would reccomend a sponge bath, but that may be embarrassing, so a shower would suffice."
He handed Lincoln a slip of paper. "Your prescription." He informed. "I will have a wheel chair brought to the room." He rested a hand on Lincoln's shoulder. "You are a very lucky, young man! Family and friends who love you, a healthy immune system and a good enough doctor." The man smiled. "Take care my friend!"
"Thank you, Doctor Bonce." Lincoln was trying to keep his calm, the joy of learning that he was going home was threatening to send him into orbit.