Shivers (Chapter 5)

In the hospital, both Lincoln and Clyde lay on the beds where they were surrounded by doctors and nurses. These professional caretakers check their breathing, their heart rates, their blood pressure, and anywhere else that could point out what happened the two preteens. Clyde looks up the ceiling with the pillow on his head. That night cause him to think he enter the worst thing that shouldn't happen. He couldn't believe a crazy guy locks them in a cabin and now he was safe at the hospital. He turns his head to face Lincoln. His reaction was unbelievable to see his friend alive and breathing, for back at the house, he knew his friend was killed. He knew he couldn't shake off three stabbing from a large knife. Those stab wounds did connect to his friend, and he was not breathing. So why is he still alive with him?

Lincoln stare at the ceiling not knowing what was going on. He did remember what happen to him, but he felt like it wasn't him. He felt like he wasn't able to control himself when he woke up. He felt like a different person. He knows there was a different person, and it's in him. He continues to think the one memory where he felt the stabbing on his body, and when he lick the blood off the floor as the only food source. He look at the blood bag connect to him. Each drop of the red liquid in the plastic made him lick his lips, but he felt like his energy was drain. He needs that to live.

Doctors find nothing wrong with the boys the next day. They did what it was necessary to check for any trance of assault. They were glad the preteens weren't, but there was something odd about one of them. Clyde McBride was let go with a perfect condition to return to his two dads, but Lincoln Loud, other than having a large family waiting for him on the other side of the medical room door, was showing signs he actually drank blood. Police officers inform them that he was licking blood near the body of an old man who took the two hostages, which they quickly took the blood off the boy so he doesn't suffer any illnesses. After that, he began to be dehydrated. It was a questionable sign indeed, for they have supply him water to drink. It seems like he needs something to keep him fresh in his systems.

To check on his condition, they look at the results of his examination. They were baffled of his body temperature being 40 degrees F, his blood pressure being low, and being dehydrated. They ran the examination on the preteen over and over again for a week. They told his family that he needs to be check on, which the family were worry about their only boy. They told him he was fine and they need to double check in case there was something wrong. The family did visit him sometimes through the weeks. They saw how each pair of sisters would visit him in the room when they aren't examining him. It brought smiles to their faces to see how they all love their brother in the most warmhearted way. On the last day, they couldn't find out what was wrong with the boy, but they talk with the parents. They recommend them to buy some medicine that would help with his condition. The parents question what was wrong with Lincoln, and they wish they knew what to say, but all they say was they don't know.

Lynn Sr. and Rita were driving back to their homes. They already got the medicines the doctors told them to have for Lincoln. Rita watch how their only son lay on the back seats as Lynn Sr. continues to watch the road. He looks like he has never rest peacefully before in his life. It was so long that he was gone from their site from the time he was capture by that crazy old man to a week of being in the hospital. It didn't make sense for the doctors to make them wait for their son, worrying if there was something wrong, give them their son back with a warning about his health. They had no idea what was wrong, which cause the two parents to wonder why he was stuck for a week.

"Lynn, I'm worry about our dear son," spoke Rita as she faces her husband with concern. "He was taken by a stranger for a week, and the doctors kept him in for another week. I'm starting to be scare for what happen to our son."

"I don't know Rita. I was so happy when they found him, but I was upset too when they kept him in there for another week," said Lynn Sr. with his eyes still on the road. "I thought my boy was very hurt, but they had no clue what is wrong with him-"

"There's nothing wrong with Lincoln! He's just scared and alone in the hospital. Those doctors just want us to him recover from what he had already gone through. I don't want him to think that there is something wrong with him."

"Rita, I just want to know why we have to get medicine for him. If he was fine then we won't be at home right now and celebrate him coming home."

Rita looks back at her sleeping son while Lynn Sr. sighs.

"I just want our boy be okay without any issues that will happen in the future," Lynn Sr. said as he slows down Vanzilla to park at the curve of their house.

He turns off the engine and look back at Lincoln sleeping on the seat. He watches how Lincoln look so peaceful like nothing bad has ever happen. It made Lynn smile in delight to have his son back.

"We need to wake him up now. I don't want him to stay here and not be in the house at last," said Lynn Sr. as he got out the car with Rita tapping on her son shoulder.

"Lincoln, wake up, its mommy."

Lincoln slowly eyes his eyes and look at his mother for the first time. He smiles to finally see them again.

"Hey home, are we home already?" asked Lincoln with his voice sound weak.

"Yes we are, and I need you to get up so you can see your sisters there too."

Lincoln was glad to come back home, yet he had a question in his mind.

"Hey mom, do you and dad think I'm... I'm..."

"You're what sweetie?" asked Rita, who was wondering what her son was going to say to her.

"Do you think I'm weird?" Lincoln finished his question with worry what his mother was going to say.

"Lincoln! Why would you ask that to me, your own mother?" Rita reaction was shock and hurt to see her son looking at himself down.

"I was kept in the hospital, evening though I feel find. I'm just hungry, but I kept you guys worry sick about me. I don't want you guys to be worrying so much about me."

In her mother instinct, Rita hugs her son to comfort him. She doesn't want to hear him talk about himself being a distraction. Lincoln was surprised by the hug, but he took it in as he felt the warmth from his mother. He can hear her heart pumping from her chest, but he felt something in him. It felt like an urge to get what his mother has.

Rita grabbed Lincoln by his face to stare at her.

"Listen to me Lincoln Loud, I want you to know that we take about you so much. We all love and miss you. We don't want to be hurt or gone. We just want our boy to be here with us."

Lincoln was happy to what his mother has told him. He knew how much they really care when they visit him in the hospital. Each sister and the parents gave their best wishes for him to return home and enjoy another day with them as a family. He knew as a family they won't let him go if he had the chance to leave.

"Thank you mom," said Lincoln as he felt happy by her words.

"You're welcome," said Rita as she gave her son a kiss on his cheek.

Lincoln blush in embarrassment as his mother walk out the van. He got out of Vanzilla to stretch his body from exhaustion and walk back to the house he was familiar with. When he enters the front door, he was quickly greeted by Lola and Lana. They hug him tightly while weeping for being gone for so long.

"Please don't leave us again Lincoln! We want you to stay here!" they cried with tears soaking Lincoln's shirt.

"Hey... Don't worry about it. I won't leave you ever again," he assures the two small sisters as he pat them on the back.

He looks at the living room to see every sister stood and watch. Their eyes were watering with both joy and sadness to see their brother at last. The preteen was going to say something when out of nowhere Leni ran to him and hug him tightly along with the twins off their feet.

"It's good to see you Linky," Leni spoke with joy as she too cry to finally see her brother.

The brother simply chuckle with a smile and pet her head.

"It's good to see you too, Leni."

In the two weeks he was not in the comfort of his home, he finally feels safe. He thought he was in heaven to have a family who deeply care for him and do their best to have him found. He finally found warmth from his three sisters hugging him. It made him think that he never really saw them very caring for him. The next he knows, he was getting warmer as the other sisters decide to join the group hug. The parents did the same to finally have the family all together.

Lincoln wanted to cry. He wanted to cry to finally have the same comfort that makes his day just like the usually Loud House days. He wishes they could stay like this forever. Then, he starts to hear the heartbeats of each other his sisters. The sound of their hearts beating like a drum was calming him in a way he felt like closing his eyes. The beats just made him relax and calm. He has never felt this way. Being a lab rat in the hospital, there was no warmth or comfort. He was stuck on the bed being check on and study. Now, he can have some rest.

Elsewhere, Clyde was on his bed, looking at the ceiling of his own room. He wants to go to sleep, but something was bothering him. The one thing that bothers him was how well Lincoln was. He did saw that dagger stab his friend. His friend was lifeless before he ran away. He died right before his eyes, yet there he was at the hospital bed besides him and now he heard that he finally came back home.

When Clyde was the first to go home, he had to think how Lincoln was still alive. It was impossible for him to just walk off with no stabbed wounds. So much to think about, but he doesn't have any explanation for Lincoln's surprise survival. He needs to get some rest if he was going to think about it. Who knows, maybe tomorrow he can visit his best friend and ask him what happened back at the cabin. It might get personal for the two, but Clyde wants to get to the bottom of this. He needs to know.