In a single day Rudy had lost everyone he loved. Of course, he still had people, but he had lost the ones he was closest to. He had known he was going to lose his dad for months and that took some of the sting out, but Sylvie and Louise. That came completely out of nowhere. What was worse, Sylvie and Louise were still alive, but he had still lost them. Sylvie wasn't that much of a surprise. Honestly, he was surprised it took Chloe this long to pull this stunt. She had been furious ever since Sylvie insisted on staying with him. Louise, however. It wasn't supposed to end this way. She hadn't officially broken up with him or declared she hated him, but she didn't have to. The things he had said the previous night were completely uncalled for and she had every right to hate him. He was grieving and angry his child was hurt but that did not excuse his actions.
Rudy rarely drank but this was a day he would just as soon forget. He wanted to get blackout drunk but knew from experience that was not a good idea. If he managed to avoid ending up sick from mixing alcohol with his medications. He would make a fool of himself for sure. He had very little resistance. So, the two beers had pulled from the fridge were enough to get him buzzed. Sylvester was supposed to avoid alcohol but when they knew he was dying. Rudy bought him a six pack. Of which he'd drunk one.
Louise woke up feeling like crap. She had been feeling like crap for a while now but today it was especially bad. She thought about closing but knew she needed the distraction. She had ruined things with Rudy and now the restaurant was all she had again. Her parents had moved across the country and her siblings were busy with their families. She still doubted Tina ever trusting her again and Gene was so overprotective of Hans. She managed to drag herself through her morning routine but after most of a pot of coffee she was still exhausted.
Tina ended up driving the boys to apologize to Rudy. While Zeke and Lily went to get Mason from the hospital. She was furious with him for what he said to Louise, but she was genuinely concerned Zeke would murder Rudy. He had always seen Louise as a baby sister, and he was horrified by Rudy's words. So, for his safety. Tina chose to be the one to visit Rudy. She knew something was wrong from the moment she knocked on the door. It took Rudy forever to answer and when he finally did, he looked as if his world had come crashing down.
"Hey" Rudy muttered tiredly.
"Rudy are you OK?" Tina asked.
"My life has gone to hell." Rudy slurred.
"What happened?" Tina asked.
"My dad is dead, and Chloe took Sylvie. Because I am too irresponsible." Rudy replied.
"Was this because of last night?" Bobby gasped.
"That's what she said but she was waiting for something." Rudy scoffed.
"Shit" ZJ gasped. He had just wanted to have a little fun and be popular. He had never met Sylvie to be taken from her father. From Lily.
"Well go on boys. I think your apology is even more important now." Tina ordered.
"Rudy er Mr. Stieblitz I am so sorry. I never meant for you to lose Sylvie or even for her to get hurt. I was just so nervous about high school and so desperate to fit in. I wasn't even thinking about anyone else. I know you have no right to forgive me. God the whole way over here I was complaining. Because I thought I was the victim but now I see how wrong I was." ZJ apologized.
"I knew the party was a bad idea. I knew I should have stood my ground, but I feel the same way that ZJ does, and I was scared. I never wanted any of this. I am sorry." Bobby apologized.
"I can't say I forgive you boys, but I do know you are being genuine." Rudy replied.
"We understand" ZJ assured.
"Tina" Rudy called.
"What is it?" Tina asked not wanting to have a full conversation with Rudy.
"Have you talked to Louise today?" Rudy asked.
"Not yet she wanted to open up today but said she would come and see Mason later." Tina replied coldly.
"Do you think she would want to talk to me?" Rudy questioned.
"Honestly, I doubt it. You really hurt her." Tina hissed.
"I know and I know I deserve her to hate me, but I really didn't mean to say what I said." Rudy explained.
"You are going to have to talk to her. I am not going to speak for her or decide how she should feel. You have to apologize." Tina insisted.
"OK" Rudy sighed.
Tina got Mason set up in the small downstairs guest room. He protested but she worried about him going up and down the stairs. The twins seemed genuinely humbled by Rudy's ordeal and were now more complacent with their punishment. Lily was devastated by the loss of her friend and even more angry with her brothers. Tina was just flat out upset by the entire situation and wished it had never happened. Even Zeke was saddened to hear what Rudy was going through but agreed with Tina that he had to apologize to Louise on his own and accept that she may never forgive him. So, it was confusing and annoying when she received a call from Rudy about an hour after returning home.
"Tina!" Rudy wheezed.
"Rudy, I told you. You have to talk to Louise on your own! I can't speak for her! She is my sister! So of course, I am taking her side! I am sorry your kid got taken away but for the love of God, man up!" Tina snapped.
"I wasn't expecting you to take my side. I was just wondering if you knew where Louise was." Rudy replied.
"What do you mean?" Tina demanded.
"I have tried calling her and the restaurant. She isn't answering either line. I drove to the restaurant, and it's pitch black in there. Louise is always open this time." Rudy rambled.
"Maybe she took a mental health day?" Tina suggested.
"She always advertises when she is going to close. There is nothing." Rudy explained.
"Are you still at the restaurant?" Tina asked.
"Yeah" Rudy replied.
"Keep knocking. I am going to call her." Tina replied.
Tina wasn't overly concerned by Rudy's call. In her mind Louise had every right to ignore Rudy and maybe she had made a post Rudy just hadn't seen it. She called Louise's cell first and got nothing. She tried calling the cell two more times and still no answer. Still, she wasn't overly concerned. Louise almost never answered her phone. She tried the restaurant and when she didn't get an answer on that line she worried. Then again maybe Louise was busy with customers or in the basement or bathroom. Though Tina was still convinced her sister had taken a mental health day. She tried Gene next. Even though they had become closer in adulthood. Especially since Gene went into full-blown first-time parent mode after Hans was born. Louise still had a special bond with their sibling and sometimes they were the only one who could cheer her up.
"Hello?" Gene greeted.
"Gene it's Tina. Have you heard from Louise?" Tina asked.
"How's Mason?" Gene asked.
"He's fine. We just brought him home. Now have you heard from Louise?" Tina demanded.
"Not since that weird post she made this morning. Did Rudy die?" Gene gasped.
"No, they had a fight. Rudy was kind of a dick. I'll explain later." Tina explained.
"I'll be waiting since Elliot, and I don't have lives anymore. I mean I love Hans, but I miss doing stuff." Gene sighed.
"Yeah, we will talk later but right now I need to find Louise." Tina insisted.
"Right our missing sister. Who has the luxury of being able to go missing." Gene whined.
"OK! Gene, if you want adventure meet me at the restaurant. We are going to find Louise." Tina insisted.
"Alright a perilous journey to find our missing sister!" Gene cried.
"Yeah, let's hope it's not perilous." Tina moaned.
Rudy pounded on the door of Bob's Burgers. He had tried calling Louise numerous times and had been constantly pounding on the doors of either the restaurant or the apartment. He got no response at either and he could not remember where the Belchers hid their emergency key. Even if he could remember there was no guarantee Louise kept it in the same place. After knocking for what felt like an eternity Tina's SUV pulled up outside the restaurant, and she and Gene jumped out. Tina grabbed the restaurant key from her purse and Gene retrieved an apartment key from their pocket. Rudy followed Tina into the restaurant. Staying a few steps behind. He was just getting to the counter when he heard a blood curdling scream come from the kitchen. He ran to the back and discovered Tina kneeling beside Louise's unconscious form.
"What happened?" Rudy gasped.
"I… I don't know. I came back here, and she was lying on the floor." Tina stammered.
"Is she… Is she I mean did she?" Rudy asked.
"She's alive and breathing. That's the good news." Tina replied.
"You stay with her I'll call 911." Rudy declared.
Rudy ran back to the front of the house to call for an ambulance. While Tina stayed beside Louise's prone form. They were shallow breaths, and her heartbeat was pretty weak, but she was breathing, and her heart was beating. Tina wasn't an expert, but she assumed that meant she would come out of whatever this was with no to minimal effect. Tina knew her sister could be dying before her eyes, but she refused to even acknowledge that.
"LOUISE! I need you to wake up!" Tina screamed.
"The ambulance is on the way. They said about fifteen minutes!" Rudy called.
"O… OK" Tina replied.
"Uh is she still breathing?" Rudy asked.
"Yes" Tina assured.
"Do you remember your CPR training?" Rudy asked.
"Yeah" Tina replied.
The ambulance arrived seventeen minutes and eighteen seconds after Rudy's call. Even though it was only two minutes late and Rudy knew there were a plethora of other factors in play. He couldn't help but be a little upset by the delay. Tina hopped into the back of the ambulance with Louise. If it had been just one day earlier, Rudy would have insisted on going with her, but he did not want to cross Tina any further. Instead, he ended up riding to the hospital with Gene. He knew it was an emergency, but he still made a mental note never to get in a car with Gene Belcher again. Gene had a lot of talents, but driving was not one of them.
They ended up arriving at the hospital twenty minutes late. Because despite following directly behind the ambulance. Gene still managed to take a wrong turn. They quickly found Tina in the waiting room. She had been so calm during the ordeal and now that Louise was in good hands. She was finally allowing herself to break down. Zeke and Lily burst in not long after Gene and Rudy arrived. Gene had stepped away to let Elliot know what was going on.
"What's he doing here?" Zeke snarled.
"He was with me when I found her, and I couldn't exactly tell him he couldn't come. I am not letting him see Louise until she agrees but he has the right to be here. Plus, if Louise is ready to forgive him. Us keeping him away." Tina explained.
"Just remember your place, son." Zeke warned.
"Yes sir" Rudy wheezed.
"I called mom and dad. They are going to take the first flight they can get." Tina explained.
"Do they know anything yet?" Zeke asked.
"No but they are running tests." Tina replied.
"I just hope it isn't back." Gene commented.
"What's it?" Rudy asked.
"It's been a long time. Isn't cancer gone forever after five years?" Zeke asked.
"Not always. My grandma Lily had been in remission for ten years when hers came back. Plus, she is at risk for secondary cancers." Tina explained.
"CANCER?!" Rudy cried.
"He still doesn't know? OK so I guess I don't have to kill him, but I am still furious." Zeke scoffed.
"I don't know what?" Rudy asked.
"OK I promised her that I would never tell you. She didn't ever want you to know but then when you reconnected. I told her that you needed to know, but I guess she never got a chance before everything happened." Tina rambled.
"Can you please just tell me why you are referencing cancer in regard to Louise?" Rudy demanded.
"Remember how Louise went to visit me Sophomore year and had to have emergency surgery?" Tina questioned.
"Yeah, you guys had that accident." Rudy recalled.
"I got hurt in the accident, but Louise seemed to be OK. While she was waiting for me, she doubled over in pain. They immediately took her back for tests suspecting internal bleeding. It was true she hadn't been injured in the accident, but the scans showed a mass on her uterus. I guess it hit something in the accident. So technically she was hurt but not directly. She was bleeding and they had to do a total hysterectomy. Mom and dad were still enroute. So, I had to consent to it. They did a biopsy, and it was cancer. It had spread but not far and they knocked it out with a short regimen of chemo and radiation. She has been OK ever since, but we always knew it could come back or she could get another cancer." Tina explained.
"And she can never have children." Zeke added coldly.
"Louise had cancer? Is that why she broke up with me?" Rudy asked.
"She said she knew you wanted kids, and she didn't want to take that from you." Zeke scoffed.
"Why didn't she just tell me? I love Sylvie but we could have adopted, or I could have volunteered with kids. She didn't have to. I love Louise not her uterus. God and everything I said last night. She has every right to hate me." Rudy sobbed.
"She sure does." Zeke snarled.
"But she may not." Tina added, recognizing the grief in the younger man's voice.
"But she should." Rudy cried.
"Family of Louise Belcher?" A doctor called.
"That's us" Tina replied.
"How is she?" Zeke demanded.
"If you will just come with me." The doctor replied.
"She has to be OK." Gene whispered.
"Are you coming young man?" The doctor asked Rudy.
"Oh no I am just a friend." Rudy replied wondering if he would even be called that anymore. If Louise were even lucky enough to be able to decide anything ever again. What if she died hating him? What if he had cost himself the last person who truly got him?