Franklin Lost Episode: Otter's Sickness is a fanfiction based upon the Franklin franchise by Paulette Bourgeois.
This story focuses on a man who used to watch Franklin as a kid. One day, he goes to a book fair with his son and gets to meet the creator of the Franklin books, Paulette Bourgeois, who gives him an episode that involves Franklin going to visit Otter in her home in the city, unaware of a terrible secret that she has that could cost her her life.
A reading of this story can be found here
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This fic contains the following tropes:
- Anger Born of Worry: When Franklin finds out that Otter is going to die, he is not happy with her for lying to him about the reason she has to take her medicine.
- Bear Hug: As soon as Franklin enters Otter's room, she immediately greets him by tackling him onto the floor and giving him a tight hug.
- Dark Fic: This story is about Otter having a disease in her blood that is fatal.
- The Disease That Shall Not Be Named: It turns out that Otter's sickness is worse than the flu. There is some sort of disease in her blood that even Otter's doctors don't know what it is. And guess what? It is confirmed to be fatal.
- Honesty Is the Best Policy: When Mr. Otter tells Franklin's parents about Otter's disease that could kill her, they decide to sit Franklin down and tell him about what's going on with Otter. Unfortunately for them, Franklin overhears them talking and is devastated.
- Earlier, when Mr. Otter calls Mr. Turtle to tell him that Otter is sick with the flu, they both decide to tell Franklin about this.
- I Didn't Tell You Because You'd Be Unhappy: Otter decides not to tell Franklin about her fatal sickness because it would devastate him if he found out. Needless to say, it comes back to haunt her when Franklin does find out.Franklin: Why would you lie to me, Otter? Why would you not tell me the truth? More importantly, why wouldn't you tell me the truth for a whole week? Why, Otter?
Otter: (Choking up) I'm sorry, Franklin! I-I didn't want to scare you! I just... I just didn't want you to feel sad that I was sick and... I just...
Franklin: (Huffs) That's not an excuse, Otter! You're supposed to be my best friend! Friends don't lie to their best friends about something that's serious, Otter!
Otter: But... I am your friend, Franklin! I... I'm sorry, I... I should have told you, it wasn't right of me!
Franklin: You did hurt me, Otter! You did hurt me! - Littlest Cancer Patient: Otter, who is a child roughly the same age as Franklin, has a fatal disease that will kill her in 3 months. Fortunately, she survives.
- Pool Scene: Otter has a swimming pool in her garden which she and Franklin play in.
- Wham Line: This exchanges that leads us into Otter having a bacteria in her blood that turns out to be fatal.Mr. Turtle: I think the flu might have completely gone away, hasn't it?
Mr. Otter: Honestly, I'm not really too sure how long that's gonna last, though.
