＃ＫｎｅｅＳｕｒｇｅｒｙ pt. 12
Karen knows
he's trying to be
polite, but it's clear
his tolerance is waning.
This isn't how she
wanted Hanna to
meet Plankton. She'd
hoped for a more
harmonious introduction,
but with his current
mood and the cast
looming over the room,
it's clear that's not
going to happen.
"So, Hanna,"
she says, her
voice cutting through
the tension. "Why don't
we get you settled
in?" Hanna's smile
doesn't falter. "Okay,"
she says, her eyes
sliding to Plankton's
cast again before
quickly looking away.
Karen leads Hanna
to the guest room,
leaving Plankton
alone with his
thoughts. He stares
at the wall, his
antennas drooping.
Karen knows Plankton isn't one
for strangers, and his
current condition
has made him even more
prickly.
In the guest room,
Hanna sets down
her suitcase,
her smile fading
slightly as Karen
closes the door.
"I'm so sorry,"
Hanna says, her eyes
filled with
apology. "I didn't kno—"
Karen waves her
apology away. "It's
okay," she says,
her voice warm. "He's
just a bit...sensitive
right now."
Hanna nods.
"Can I ask
you something, Karen?"
Her voice is
soft, tentative.
"How did he...? Like
why's he in a ca--"
Karen cuts her off with
a gentle smile.
"It's a long story,"
she says. "But basically,
he had an accident. It's
just going to take
some time." She looks
at Hanna, her eyes
filled with warmth.
"And a little patience."
Hanna nods,
understanding. "I
see," she says. "I'm
sorry, I didn't mean to
make him uncomfortable."
Karen gives her a
reassuring pat on
the shoulder. "You
didn't," she says. "He's
just a bit...sensitive
about it." Hanna nods,
looking down at
the floor.
"But why does
he have to wear
that cast?"
she asks, her voice
hushed. Karen sighs.
"It just helps
his leg heal after
surgery..."
"He had surgery?"
Hanna asks.
"Yes," Karen
explains patiently.
"He had a pretty
bad break, so the
doctors had to
do some fixing."
Hanna's eyes
widen with
sympathy. "Oh no!"
she exclaims. "Was
it...painful
for him during
the surgery? Did
he feel pain..."
Karen's smile
softens. "He's okay
now," she assures
her friend. "They
gave him something
so he didn't feel
anything. They put him
to sleep so he wouldn't
feel anything."
Hanna's eyes
widen. "Oh, like a
nap?" she asks,
her voice high with
curiosity. Karen
nods. "Sort of, but
not really. It's just a
way to keep him
comfortable during
the surgery. It's a bit more
complex than that,"
she says. "But yes,
it's like a deep sleep."
Hanna nods,
her curiosity
far from sated. "So,
how did he break it?"
she asks. Karen's
eyes dart to the
door, checking
that Plankton isn't
listening. "It was a
little accident," she
says, her voice
low. "A...mishap.
He tripped and hit a rock."
Hanna's eyes
widen. "Oh, no!"
she says, her voice
filled with concern.
"Was it bad?"
Karen nods. "It was
pretty serious,"
she admits. "But he's
going to be okay. The
cast will keep his
leg stable while it heals.
He'll be in it for about
a month."
Hanna looks
thoughtful. "A month,"
she repeats. "That's
a long time."
Karen nods. "It is,
but he's strong.
He'll get through it.
Why don't we go back
to the living room?"
Hanna nods, her
expression serious.
They walk back to
find Plankton sitting
on the couch, his
leg propped up on
a pillow. He looks
up as they enter, his
expression unreadable.
"So, what's the plan
for the day?" Hanna asks,
trying to lighten
the mood as they
re-enter the living
room.
Karen glances at
Plankton, who
simply shrugs his
shoulders. "Well,
we usually keep
it pretty low-key
around here," she says,
forcing a smile.
Hanna's eyes light up.
"Oh, I don't mind,"
she says. "I'm happy
just to help out."
Plankton's antennae
twitch. "Help out?"
he asks, his voice
sharp. Karen sighs.
"Plankton, Hanna's
going to stay with
us for a bit," she
says gently. "And we
could use the extra
hand."
Hanna's smile
doesn't waver. "It's
no trouble," she says.
"I'm happy to help
with anything." Plankton
looks at her, his
expression skeptical.
"Is that so?" he
says, his voice
cautious. Karen nods.
"We could use the
help," she repeats.
"But what if I don't
want to do anything?"
Plankton asks, his
tone challenging.
Hanna's smile
remains unbroken.
"Then I'll just keep
you company," she says.
Her eyes flicker
to the cast again,
and Plankton feels
his antennae stiffen.
"Great," he says
sarcastically. "A babysitter."
Hanna's smile falters
slightly. "I'm not a
babysitter," she says,
some defensiveness
creeping into her voice.
"I just want to help."
Plankton sighs,
his antennae drooping.
"Fine," he says. "But I
can take care of myself."
Hanna nods, her
cheerfulness bubbling
back up. "Of course,
Plankton," she says.
"But it's always
nice to have
someone to ta-"
Her words are
interrupted by
Plankton's groan.
"Look, I appreciate
the offer," he says,
cutting her off.
"But I don't need a
babysitter." His eye
narrows. "Underst--"
"I know you don't need
one," Hanna says quickly,
her voice earnest.
"But it's nice to have
company, right?"
Karen nods, her smile
slightly strained. "Exactly,"
she says. "And Hanna's
good company."
"I suppose," he says
begrudgingly. Hanna's
smile brightens. "Great!"
she says, her voice
chirpy. "What should
we do first?"
Plankton sighs.
"I don't know," he says.
"How about a game?"
Hanna suggests.
Karen nods.
"That sounds
fun," she says,
trying to keep the
peace. "Why don't
we play something
easy?"
Plankton grunts
his assent, his
eye scanning the
shelves for a game.
He settles on a
card game.
"This one," he says.
Hanna claps her
hands together. "Perfect!"
she says, her
excitement contagious.
Karen brings over
the card game, setting
it up on the coffee
table. Plankton's
leg sticks out, the cast
a stark reminder of his
current limitations.
Karen smiles. "Let's
move to the floor
to sit on," she says.
With a grumble,
Plankton shifts to
the floor, his cast
scraping against
the rug. Hanna
and Karen follow,
sitting cross-legged.
Hanna picks up
the cards, her
fingers deftly shuffling
them. "What's the
game?" she asks, her
eyes sparkling with
eagerness. Plankton
rolls his eye. "It's
War," he says. "You know,
the one where you
just slap down
the card with
the highest number?"
Hanna nods,
understanding. "Oh,
I love that one!" she
says. Karen gives
Plankton a look,
silently willing him
to be nicer. He
sighs, his antennae
drooping slightly.
"Fine," he says. "Let's
start."