"Oven mitts," Lynn Sr, requested with Luan quickly and quietly obliging and handing him the oven mitts, the two of them both intently watching their soufflé as it neared its completion.
Luan held her breath as Lynn Sr. carefully retrieved the soufflé from the oven. Luan bit her nails as her father moved toward the counter.
"One wrong move," Lynn Sr said in a whisper, "and this Choco Lynn Soufflé is ruined."
Luan continued to watch, as Lynn gingerly began lowering the hot metal pan onto the hard surface to cool…
On the floor above, in the upper portion of the restaurant's building, Lance was nearing the completion of a particularly taxing set of bicep curls. Two 55 pound dumbbells in each hand, the 45 year old was determined to push himself to his limit. The fitness enthusiast had already completed triceps reps as well as intermediate bench pressing exercises as well. This was to be his last scheduled exercise before taking a break in order to rest his muscles and rehydrate.
To some, they would consider his move to be reckless. Others, especially non gym goers, might even accuse him of being needlessly excessive, but for Lance, this was about drive. This was about more than power. This was a test of his sheer determination. Louds never quit and even as his arms seemed as though they were screaming at him, Lance epitomized that by powering through the aching soreness accumulating in his limbs.
Lance let out a guttural scream as he finally finished the rep, simply dropping the dumbbell in his left hand to the ground, causing a sharp THUMP as it hit the ground. Lance, feeling triumphant, didn't just drop the second dumbbell he held in his right—he spiked it into the floor.
Lance let out a triumphant roar, failing to notice the heavy instrumental breaking through the wooden floor panel and driving through the hard drywall and insulation beneath it. Lance failed to notice until he heard a scream that was. His brother's scream.
Lance simply chuckled as he figured Lynn had been frightened by the loud noise. Lynn always had been the easily frightened and startled type. Nothing a little reassurance from his big brother couldn't help.
"Woah," he apologized as he peeked his head through the hole, his sudden appearance doing nothing to quell his brother's screaming. In fact, if anything, Lynn sounded even more hysterical. "Gosh, sorry! Guess I don't know my own-"
Lance lost his jovial tone, immediately adopting an anguished and somber expression upon seeing what caused his brother's hysteria.
Lynn Sr was on his knees, frantically trying to rouse his daughter as she lied facedown on the hard tile floor. Her puppet lied a few feet away, it the dumbbell right next to it, having clipped the dummy and caused it some minor damage. Luan herself, was another story. The girl was motionless and quite clearly unconscious as blood pooled around her face, her brown hair coated with sticky red viscous fluid, with even more of it seeping from the back of her head and onto the floor. The only saving grace was that Lance could see her back rising and falling, indicating that for the time being, she was still alive and breathing.
That did nothing to calm Lynn Sr, who held onto her hand and frantically tried to wake her as Lance's niece and nephew, Lynn Jr. and Lincoln ran into the room to see what was the cause of the commotion.
"What's going on in-?" Lincoln asked, pausing mid sentence and gasping in fright, his eyes going wide as he bear witness to the sight in front of him.
Looking to spare her brother any more possible trauma and anguish, Lynn shielded his eyes with her hand and pulled him in towards her, hugging him in an embrace and keeping him turned away from the grisly scene.
"CALL AN AMBULANCE!" Lynn Sr. instructed, "SOMEBODY CALL AN AMBULANCE QUICK!"
"I'm on it!" Lynn replied, quickly taking action by escorting Lincoln out of the kitchen while simultaneously pulling her phone out of her pocket to dial 9-1-1. All while Lance could only look on dumbstruck from above.
"I…I…" he stammered, his face blank, his chest heavy and his throat tightening as the sense of remorse became overwhelming. "I didn't mean to…" was all he could say.
The world outside blurred into streaks of flashing red and blue as the ambulance tore down the road, its siren wailing in an endless, high-pitched scream. Inside, the space was unbearably small, the air thick with the sharp scent of antiseptic and something metallic—blood.
Luan lay motionless on the stretcher, her face pale beneath the harsh overhead lights. A stiff oxygen mask covered her nose and mouth, fogging up slightly with every shallow breath. A cervical collar was placed on her neck to keep it stable, just in the case that there was spinal damage. Straps held her in place, but her body remained limp, her ponytail matted with crimson where the dumbbell had struck. Lynn Sr. clung to her hand, his grip firm but trembling, as if he could will his warmth into her cooling skin.
"BP dropping," one of the paramedics muttered, adjusting the IV in her arm. The other pressed gauze against the back of Luan's head, trying to stem the slow but steady trickle of blood.
Lynn Sr.'s heart pounded louder than the sirens. No. No, no, no. He leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Sweetheart… Daddy's here. You're gonna be okay. Just stay with me, okay?"
Luan didn't stir. Lynn Sr was hoping for anything, even if it were just the twitch of a finger, but received nothing.
The monitor beeped in an erratic rhythm, a sound that made Lynn's stomach twist into knots. His breath came in short, uneven bursts as he pressed his forehead against her hand. He felt like he was drowning—suffocated by fear, by helplessness, by the sickening knowledge that there was nothing he could do but watch.
Through the rear window, distant and small, Lance's car followed behind, its headlights a pair of accusing eyes in the darkness.
This was the most quiet that Lynn had seen Lincoln in quite some time. In fact, come to think of it, this was the most quiet that Lynn had ever seen him. Not that she could blame him. After seeing what they had seen… just the situation as a whole.
While saying that Luan had never been the most serious type would be an understatement, the jovial jester had always possessed a knack for providing levity in even the most dire of situations. How ironic was it then that now, in a moment of helplessness none of the siblings had ever experienced, the one person Lincoln and Lynn could trust the most to relieve that tension was in peril.
Looking at Lincoln, Lynn could see that he was fighting back tears. Truthfully, she was too. Lynn recalled the good memories she had shared with Luan and was very quickly coming to regret all of the times she had groaned at Luan's jokes. Rolled her eyes when she made a pun or even slapped her upside her head for a particularly cringeworthy joke. The realization that there was a very real chance neither she or her siblings would ever get to hear one of those jokes again made Lynn choke and gasp for breath.
"Stay strong," Lynn thought to herself, "If not for yourself, then for Linc. Just don't think about-"
Lynn noticed that Lincoln seemed to be faring worse by the second. The sole son of the Loud Family had made a habit of wiping his eyes, in spite of his attempts at maintaining a poker face. For his part, Lincoln had his fair share of remorse too. It was from the jester that Lincoln developed his own knack for pranking, a hobby that he'd happily engaged in with Ronnie Anne on many an occasion. Lincoln never thought that he was taking Luan's presence for granted or even entertained the idea. Not until now. After all, who could've foreseen a tragedy like this?
"This is my fault," Lincoln thought to himself his hands trembling with trepidation, "I should've let Dad just say no and-"
"Lincoln," Lynn whispered as she reached over and grabbed his hand, attempting to provide some comfort.
The officer in the driver's seat noticed this as he trailed behind the ambulance, ensuring that it had a clear path to the hospital. The officer's heart truly went out to the kids. The possibility of losing a beloved family member, let alone an older sister that you've known your entire life was scary for any adult, to say nothing of a child.
"Hey," the officer said softly, trying to keep their voice firm, "your sister… your sister's in good hands."
Their reassurance wasn't much, but it was the best they could offer at a time like this.
"It's… it's going to be okay."
One person praying above all else that things would work out for the better was the man responsible for this incident in the first place. As his trembling hands tried their best to remain steady on the stirring wheel, Lance was left alone with nothing but his thoughts.
Every attempt he'd made to drown out his thoughts, be it through the radio, calling his own wife and children to inform them of the situation or listening to a podcast through his earbuds, only made them shout louder. Even with the presence of blaring sirens, the world around Lance felt utterly silent. In Lance's mind, the only noise provided was the humming of his engine and the ticking of his turn signals.
There were no arguments that could be made. No defense that could be given. Lance was entirely at fault for this. He owned this scary situation.
"God," the fitness guru thought to himself, "Why didn't I just set the weight down like a normal person?"
"Why was I so reckless?" he berated himself. "I've done those sets a thousand times, I should've known better. Oooh, I was stupid!"
"And now…" he murmured aloud to himself, "Luan could-"
He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence, instead simply praying "Please God, just… just let her be okay."
For the first time in a very long time, Lance didn't feel strong. This was the most powerless he'd ever been.
Letting out a sob, Lance swore, "I'll do anything."
Hospitals were already known for not being the most quiet and calm settings, especially when it came to the family of ailing loved ones. Nevertheless, for some doctors, the sight of a mother frantically worrying about the condition of their child was never easy to see. It was never something they could get used to.
Rita was already hanging on by a thread when she burst through the doors of the ER. The blonde woman seemed out of breath, gasping between each breath she took with her eyes already swollen from crying, further marked by the mascara running down her face. Lynn Sr was already there, waiting there for her.
"Where's my baby?" Rita demanded to know as she ran from the other end of the hall. "Where is she? Is she-"
Rita couldn't even finish the question before she broke down even more, almost collapsing to the ground had her husband not been there to catch her.
Lynn Sr. tried to be strong as he held her tight, allowing the woman to sob into his chest as he informed her, "She's in surgery. They took her back for surgery."
A doctor approached them at that moment to further explain the matter.
"Are you the patient's parents?" She asked, with an overwhelmed Lynn and Rita only being able to nod. "Yes, Mr. & Mrs. Loud, I don't mean to alarm you, I know this has already been harrowing day, but I thought that you should know."
"Luan suffered from a depressed skull fracture in addition to a intracranial hemorrhage," the doctor informed them, "specifically what we refer to as an epidural hematoma, which is bleeding between the skull and the protective covering of the brain."
"Fortunately," the doctor told the two, "we found no signs of any spinal damage, but your daughter was immediately taken in for emergency surgery."
"And how is she holding up?" Lynn Sr. asked.
"I unfortunately don't have the details at the moment and I'm sorry," the doctor apologized, "I know this is a lot for you both, but we plead with you to remain patient."
"Oh my God~!" Rita squealed, breaking down even more.
Lance finally pulled into a parking space. For several minutes, he could only sit there as his stomach was in knots and his chest tight.
Finally, he forced himself out of the car and walked toward the hospital entrance, dreading every step. He wasn't sure what scared him more—the thought of losing his niece… or facing the family whose daughter he almost killed.
"Mom, Dad," Lori exclaimed as she and the rest of the Loud Siblings finally arrived at the hospital, "We came as soon as we heard the news."
"Luan," Lori began to ask, Lucy gnashing her teeth as she clung tightly to Lori's leg as the latter held onto her, "Where is she? Is she going-… is she going to be okay?"
"W-We don't know," Rita said, now having to stay strong for the sake of her children. "She's in surgery right now and right now it's in the doctors' hands."
Lana was knelt on her hands and knees, tearfully and silently muttering prayers as Lola kept a hand on her shoulder. The pageant queen wasn't much better off with tears spilling down her cheeks. On the surface, Lisa seemed the most composed, never breaking her stoic demeanor at a moment where even Lucy's expressions were betraying her. It was all a mask however, something given away by both the fogging of Lisa's glasses and the quivering of her lip.
Luna seemed almost the most despondent, her face utterly blank and her eyes widened in shock. The only thing the rocker could do was periodically shake her head while placing a hand to her temple. Leni meanwhile, took on the task of comforting Lincoln and Lynn, who had been here the longest compared to the rest of the kids. If Lisa gave off the appearance of most composed, Leni was easily the most emotional, openly weeping in a gentle but still audible manner.
The baby of the family, Lily was the most confused by the situation. She didn't quite grasp what was happening but given that the family was at the hospital and that the only person Lily didn't see was Luan, she knew that it couldn't be good. Thus, the sheer scariness of what was transpiring drove Lily to cry, Rita taking her into her arms and attempting to comfort her.
"There, there," Rita tried soothing her, "it's okay."
Lance emerged from the other end of the hallway, uncharacteristically staring at the hard tile floors as he paced down the corridor. Lance lifted his head to address the family. He could not be a coward about this. He had to face the ramifications of what he had done.
"You," Lynn Sr snarled as his brother drew nearer. "Do you have any idea what you've done? What on Earth were you thinking?"
"I-I wasn't," Lance stuttered, "I didn't think and… and… and I'm sorry. I never wanted-"
In that moment, Lynn Sr's protective nature overtook his composure and lost to rage, he lunged at his brother, leaping off of his feet and tackling him to the ground as his children could only look on in shock. Lori and Rita did their best to control the situation, keeping the rest of the family as calm as they could. Leni began weeping harder, Lily was bawling and Lisa's walls finally broke as she allowed herself a quiet cry.
"SORRY?!" Lynn shouted, wrenching back on Lance's shoulder as he lied on top of him, Lynn's free hand reaching for his head. "My little girl is fighting for her life and all you can say is that you're sorry!"
"You're breaking my arm!" Lance protested, prompting Lynn to reply, "Only because I can't reach your neck!"
Cooler heads prevailed as soon as Lynn heard those words escape his own mouth. The culinary genius lifted himself off the ground as backed away from his brother, although his voice lost none of its tranquil fury as he berated his elder brother.
"Right now," he explained, his voice uncharacteristically monotone and barely above a whisper, "Luan is on an operating table and none of us know if she's going to make it through this."
"Even if she does," Lynn Sr stated, "her life is never going to be the same again. She may never recover from this."
"There are so many things I want to say to you," Lynn admitted, "but none of that is important right now. What's important is being there for my child."
"Knowing that I promised to protect her before she was even born and drew her first breath and that I failed to live up to that vow," Lynn venomously spat. "Knowing that right now, there's nothing I can do."
"No way that I can save her," Lynn growled. "A nightmare that I never thought I would have to live through."
"You had better pray on your hands and knees for Luan to survive," Lynn stated, "but either way, from this moment on, we are through as bro-"
Lynn Sr was interrupted when the doctor from early returned informing the family, "Your daughter's out of surgery."
"And?" Rita asked fearfully. "How is she holding up?"
The doctor's face sunk as a heavy and suffocating silence filled the hallway that had been so chaotically hectic just a few seconds prior.
With a heavy heart, the doctor informed them, "We don't expect Luan to make it through the night… we are inviting you to come say your goodbyes."
The sterile smell of antiseptic hung in the air, mingling with the soft, mechanical beeping of heart monitors from the patient rooms. One would've expected that if Luan had to visit a place like this, it would be as a clown to play a Patch Adam's esque role, not as a patient. Alas, the universe had a cruel sense of humor.
Luan lay motionless in the sterile white hospital bed, her once vibrant, mischievous expression now eerily still. Tubes and wires snaked across her body, the rhythmic beeping of the monitors the only sign that life still lingered within her fragile frame. Her face, normally so animated with laughter, was pale and hollow, the bruises along her temple stark against her skin. A thick bandage wrapped around her forehead, barely concealing the swelling beneath.
Her right arm, hooked up to an IV, hung lifeless to her side, her fingers limp and unresponsive. The rise and fall of her chest was slow—too slow—her breaths shallow, each one seeming like a struggle. Dark shadows clung beneath her closed eyes, as if sleep had been restless, or as if she were already halfway to slipping beyond the waking world.
The crisp hospital sheets, tucked tightly around her, felt suffocating in their neatness, a sharp contrast to the chaos that had led her here. The room was sterile, yet the scent of antiseptic couldn't mask the overwhelming presence of grief that hung in the air. Luan, the life of the family, the one who always filled the house with laughter, now lay silent. A cruel, devastating silence.
Her family was gathered around her, not knowing how much longer they had. By all appearances, Luan was slipping away more and more with each passing second. Surely, it couldn't end like this, surely not. The girl hadn't shown any signs of stirring, let alone waking up since the fateful accident at the restaurant.
Each of her parents as well as every single one of her siblings took a moment to reminisce on the fond memories they had shared with her. Each of them took a moment to mourn the impending loss of a chance to make more of them. Each of them expressed remorse for the time spent with her that they had taken for granted.
For Rita, the daughter who would start every morning with a joke or pun to kick off the day on a positive note. The ray of sunshine who even in her most misguided efforts, tried to ensure that even in their saddest moments, no one had a frown on their face for long.
For Lori, the younger sister who Lori could see that in spite of her outwardly boisterous and affable demeanor, hid deep seated insecurity and low self esteem. An almost self loathing that the ponytailed brunette masked well.
For Leni, the little sister who for all the jokes she played at her expense, went out of her way to reassure Leni when the seamstress doubted herself.
Luna was losing more than just a sister, she was losing a roommate. She was losing someone who felt like her other half at times. The comedy and drama side to balance out Luna's musical side on the coin of show business. Though the two of them argued at times, both Luna and Luan always had each other's backs.
Lynn was perhaps the sibling who took the most after Luan in terms of pun and wordplay. In spite of the groans she'd let out, Lynn's habit of sports or food based puns was one that she had picked up from Luan and though it she didn't crack nearly as many jokes as the latter, whenever she did, Lynn could be sure she'd receive a supportive chuckle and high five from Luan. In hindsight, of her older sisters, Luan was probably the one that Lynn spent the most time with.
Lincoln, the sole boy of the family, always felt that for all the pranks Luan played on him, he could rely on her for a pick me up. For advice or even for help when it came to his own endeavors at times. In fact, more often than not, Luan was one of the firsts to cheerfully greet Lincoln and also one of the quickest to jump to his defense.
Sure, she messed with him her fair share as all of the siblings did to each other, but that was something that only she could do.
The resident goth of the family. The aspiring necromancer who routinely indulged in the morbid and grotesque and channeled them through her poetry, would not be the person she was today were it not for Luan's support. During all the times that Lucy felt invisible, Luan went out of her way to make sure she was seen. Thus, it should've come as no surprise that Lucy was taking things the hardest, practically already broken down at Luan's side. Lucy had voiced interest in brushing with death, but this wasn't close to what she had in mind.
Lana and Lola, the twins each had their own fond memories with Luan. For Lana, the sisters both cared for Luan's pet rabbit, Gary as well as the family's cat, Cliff. And similar to Lucy and Lincoln, Lana had been the recipient of Luan's more tender and sisterly side.
Lola had been Luan's partner in crime at one point, assisting Luan in her act and even outside of those activities, the two shared a laugh when gathered together on the couch watching their favorite cheesy romance shows together. Rarely one to be outshined, Luan had no problem with letting Lola take the spotlight and that was something Lola would forever appreciate.
Lisa, the genius and prodigy of the family. The one sister who seemed like Luan's opposite in every way with her adherence to taking herself seriously and focusing on logic and science rather than emotions and the arts, had a true opposites attract dynamic with the comedian. Similar to Lori, Lucy could see beneath Luan's mask and recognized the pain and anguish beneath her laugh. Though Lisa respected Luan's privacy by never publicly drawing attention to the matter, Lisa would still make subtle efforts to ensure that Luan felt seen.
And finally Lily, only a toddler. The family who had spent the least amount of time with Luan, still confused by what was going on. Still unsure of what the future held. But seeing Luan lying broken and in a seemingly eternal sleep, only caused her more distress. There was a question to ask of whether Lily would remember all of the times Luan had held her in her arms. If Lily would remember Luan playing peekaboo with her? Drawing pictures with her? Would Lily remember Luan at all when she grew older?
The Patriarch of the family. The man who had seen his daughter's final moments before this catastrophe unfolded. The father who would remember Luan's final words. Words that neither expected to be her last.
"Congratulations… congratulations!"
And now, she was almost gone, having never woken from the injury inflicted upon her. Inflicted upon her by the man standing awkwardly in the rear corner of the room. Luan's own uncle, looking on from behind as second by second, Luan's breathing slowed.
His hands trembled at his sides, fingers curling and uncurling into useless fists, as if searching for something—anything—to hold onto. But there was nothing. Nothing he could say, nothing he could do, nothing that would undo what had been done.
His eyes remained locked on Luan, lying so unnaturally still in that hospital bed. The girl who once filled rooms with joy, who made even the worst days brighter with her endless jokes and playful pranks, now barely clung to life. The weight of it all crushed his chest, making it hard to breathe.
He wanted to step forward, to say something—to beg for forgiveness, to promise that if he could trade places, he would—but the unspoken barrier between him and the rest of the family held him in place. He was the reason they were here. The reason they were about to lose her.
So he stood in the shadows, silent and still, watching as the people who had once welcomed him back into their lives now wept over the girl he had put in that bed. And all he could do was drown in the suffocating realization that no amount of regret would ever be enough.
The family had hoped that Luan would wake up before the end. That her eyes would open one more time so that they could all tell her how much they loved her. How much she meant to them.
This was no fairytale or Hollywood movie however and when it became evident that Luan's eyes would never open again, the family collectively gathered around and prepared for the inevitable.
Lynn Sr. reached forward and gently grabbed Luan's hand. It already felt stone cold to the touch. Lynn gently squeezed his daughter's hand as he leaned forward and whispered into her ear.
"Luan," he said, "it's okay, sweetie. You can let go. You don't have to fight anymore…"
Lynn gradually lost his composure as he told her, "I just want you to know…"
The tears flowed more freely all throughout the room as emotions ran high, none of the family being able to compose themselves.
"That we've… always… loved you," Lynn sniffled, a sobbing wreck, "and we always will… love you."
That seemed to be what Luan needed to hear as a mere few seconds later, the comedian's breathing ceased and her heart stopped beating, as indicated by the heart monitor flatlining.
The steady, unrelenting beep of the heart monitor faded into silence. The room stood still, suffocated by the weight of reality. No more movement. No more jokes. No more Luan.
Lincoln felt his breath hitch, his throat tightening as he looked around at his siblings. Their faces were drenched in tears, their bodies trembling with grief. Even Lisa—who always had an explanation, always had a solution—could only clutch her glasses, her small frame shaking.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Lincoln stepped closer to the bed, taking Luan's hand in his own. It was still warm, but he knew that warmth wouldn't last. His voice barely above a whisper, he choked out, "We'll never forget you, Luan… and I promise… we'll keep laughing for you."
Rita brushed a hand gently over Luan's hair, her lips quivering as she whispered, "You'll always be with us, sweetheart."
The family, broken but together, slowly gathered around. They held onto each other, their grief heavy but shared. Lynn Sr. wrapped his arms around Rita, burying his face in her shoulder. Leni gently wiped Lily's tears, though her own streamed freely.
Outside, the city of Royal Woods carried on, unaware of the world that had just shattered inside this small hospital room. But for the Loud family, nothing would ever be the same.
Yet, in their laughter—no matter how distant or painful it felt right now—Luan would live on.
Always.
So this is how I'll wrap up my tenure on . A tragic take on an episode I already disliked. I wrote this story for a couple of reasons:
1. To prove that I could write a story set within the show's canon without using any OCs.
2. Write a story based off on an episode I dislike *without* it being outright bashing a character(s) I dislike in it, even humanizing them. I'm not too fond of the parents, Lincoln is the only Loud Sibling that I've come to actually dislike and I loathe Lance as a whole. Nevertheless, I tried to keep them true to how they are written in the show without bashing them.
With all of that said, I hope that you enjoyed this one shot. And as I said in the last chapter of my first Loud House fic, take care and maybe I'll see you down the line.