17. Surgery

Malcolm is hospitalized with diagnosed appendicitis. He begins feeling better and struggles to prove the diagnosis wrong before the surgery. The rest of the family obsesses over a board game called March and Conquer, which they usually don't play since Malcolm always quickly beats them. Francis and the cadets go on a hunger strike after Spangler takes away their television, but due to their lack of clear thought when hungry, they finally agree to settle for the promise of negligible improvements.