＃ＫｎｅｅＳｕｒｇｅｒｙ pt. 20
The first
sign of
movement was
his antennae.
They twitched
slightly, then
more vigorously.
His eye cracked
open, looking
around the room
in a daze.
"Wha- what happened?"
Plankton croaked,
his voice
slurred. Karen
and Hanna
exchanged glances,
both smiling
nervously. "Remember
you've just had a
procedure," Karen
explained. "The doctor
removed the excess
bone glue." Plankton's
eye widened.
"Oh," he said,
his mind still
fuzzy from the
sedative.
He looked
around, taking
in the
white-walled room
and the
beeping machines.
"Where am I?"
he slurred, his
eye droopy. Hanna
chuckled. "You're
still at the
hospital, Plankton,"
she said. "In the
recovery room."
Plankton's gaze
shifted to
his bandaged leg,
his expression
still confused.
"What's going on?"
he murmured, his
hand reaching
for the bandage.
Karen gently
guided his hand
back. "It's all right,"
she assured him.
"You're okay."
Plankton's eye
focused on
Hanna, then
Karen again.
"What's with the
crutches?" he
asked, his voice
still groggy.
"You broke your leg,
remember?" Hanna
prompted, trying
not to laugh.
Plankton's antennae
twitched as he
processed the
information.
"Oh yeah," he
mumbled, his
eyelid drooping.
Karen chuckled
softly. "Looks like
the doctor was
right," she said
to Hanna, who
nodded. "Let's
see what else he
has in store."
Plankton's eye
flitted around
the room, his
brain clearly
still foggy from
the anesthesia.
"Is that... is
that a jellyfish?"
he slurred,
pointing to a
lamp in the
corner. Karen
laughed, shaking
her head.
"No, Plankton,"
she said,
gently patting his
hand. "It's just a
lamp." Hanna
covered her
mouth to stifle
her giggles. Plankton
frowned, his
thoughts still
scattered.
"Why are we
laughing at me?"
he asked, sounding
slightly hurt.
Karen leaned in,
her smile
reassuring. "It's just
the medicine,
sweetie. You're
saying funny
things," she said,
keeping her voice
soft. Plankton
scowled, his
cheeks reddening.
"Well, I don't
think it's funny,"
he grumbled, his
leg shifting
slightly under
the bandage. Hanna
moved closer,
her eyes
dancing with
mirth. "We're not
laughing at you,"
she assured him.
"We're just happy
you're okay."
Plankton's
frown deepened,
his thoughts
still jumbled. "But
what if I say
something I don't
mean?" he
asked, his voice
weak. Karen
squeezed his hand.
"We know it's
not you," she said.
"It's the medicine."
Hanna nodded.
"You're safe
with us," she
promised. "We won't
judge you."
A nurse
came in,
checking his
monitors. "Looks
like you're
coming around,"
she said, her
voice cheerful.
"How's the
pain?" Plankton's
expression grew
serious. "It's
bearable," he
managed. The nurse
smiled. "Good. We'll
let you go home with
Karen, and Hanna, with just
your crutches; whenever
you're ready."
As the nurse
left, Plankton
turned to Karen. "So,
what did I miss?"
he asked, his
eye half-closed.
Hanna couldn't
help but laugh.
"You've been
asleep," she
replied. "But don't
worry, we've got
everything under
control." Plankton
frowned, trying
to remember. "Let's
get you home," Karen
said, her voice
soothing. Hanna
gathered their
things as Karen
helped Plankton
towards the exit.
The sun was
now fully up,
its warm rays
filtering through
the hospital's
large windows.
In the car,
Plankton leaned
back, his
bandaged leg
sticking out.
"So, who's driving
me home?" he
asked, his voice
slightly slurred.
"I am," Karen
said, her eyes
on the road.
"And Hanna's
coming with.
She's gonna sit
in the back with you."
Plankton's eye
flitted to the
rearview mirror.
"Hey, Hanna," he
slurred. "You look
okay today."
Hanna blushed,
her cheeks
flushing pink. "Th-thank you,
Plankton," she
stammered. "But you're
the one who
just had surgery."
He chuckled,
his laugh
sounding strange
in the quiet car.
"I know," he said.
"But you're always
so... so... cheerful.
But don't tell my
wife Karen!" Karen's
grip tightened
on the steering
wheel, trying
not to laugh.
Hanna smiled.
Plankton's
head lolled to
the side, his
eye still
half-open. "What
was surgery like?"
Hanna asked,
trying to keep
the conversation
going. He took a
moment to
consider her
question, then
his expression
brightened with
a loopy smile.
"It was like, poof!"
he exclaimed,
his hands
gesturing wildly.
"The doctor made
me float!" He
laughed at his
own silliness,
his eye
half-lidded with
sleep. "Plankton, you
were asleep the
whole time," Karen
reminded him.
"No, no,"
Plankton
insisted, his
voice gaining
volume. "I swear!
Suddenly my leg
was fixed!"
Hanna couldn't
help but join
his laughter,
while Karen's
smile grew.
"Okay, okay,"
Hanna said,
wiping a tear
from her eye.
"We believe you,"
she assured him.
"You're quite the
storyteller, even
under the influence
of anesthesia." Plankton's
laughter subsided as his
eyelid drooped
again. His
head nodded
slightly, his
eye blinking
slowly. Hanna
watched him. "Hey,
I'm not tired." He
says, to which
Hanna chuckled
softly. "Well Plankton,
let's just see about tha-"
He was out
cold before
she could
finish her sentence
as her words
were cut off by
his sudden
snore, his head
lolling against
the car seat as his
eye closed fully. Karen
glanced back
at him in the
rearview mirror,
her smile
warm. "Looks like
you've had enough
excitement for
one day," she
said. Hanna nodded,
her gaze lingering
on Plankton's
bandaged leg.
With his snores
echoing, they
arrived home.
Karen parked
carefully in the
garage.
"We're home,"
she announced.
Hanna
unbuckled
his seatbelt.
"Let's get him
up," Karen
instructed,
turning around
to face her sleeping
husband, for Plankton's
snores grew
louder. Gently, they
nudged him. "Plankton,
it's time to wake
up," Hanna
coaxed. His
eye fluttered
open. "We're home,"
she whispered.
He nodded
slowly, his
eyelid drooping.
"Kay," he
mumbled.
They both
moved to
help him out of
the car,
his crutches
waiting by
his side.
Plankton leaned
heavily on
them, his cast
leg feeling like
a weight. Hanna
offered her
hand for
support, which
he took
gratefully. His
eye kept
closing, his
body fighting
the urge to
sleep. Karen
guided him
towards the
house, her arm
around his
wobbling figure.
They managed
to navigate
the short
distance to
the couch,
his crutches
scraping
the floor
with each
step. "Almost
there," Karen
encouraged, her
voice gentle.
"Just a
little more."
With a
final heave,
they got him
safely on the
couch,
his bandaged leg
sticking out.
Hanna
grabbed a pillow
and tucked
it under his
leg, her
movements
careful. Plankton
sighed, his
body sinking
into the
soft cushions.
"Thanks, Hanna,"
he murmured.
"No problem,"
she said, her
voice light.
Karen fluffed up
the pillows
and made
sure he was
comfortable before
sitting beside
him. "Movie
night," she
announced, her
eyes twinkling.
Plankton nodded,
as Hanna sat on
the other side of him.
The movie
started playing,
the room
bathing in the
glow of the
television.
He looked over
at Hanna,
his antennae
waving slightly.
"Hey, look, that's
my leg stand,"
he said, his
eye half-closed.
Karen couldn't
help but laugh.
Plankton
attempted to
reposition himself
on the couch,
his bandaged leg
thumping against
the cushions. "Whoa,
this thing's like a
log," he
slurred, trying
to lift it with
his arms.
Hanna giggled. "Let
us help," she
offered, taking
his crutches
and leaning them
against the coffee
table.
The movie played
on, a gentle hum
of background
noise. Plankton's
head bobbed
slightly, his
eyelid drooping
as he fought
the pull of
sleep. Karen
noticed and
shifted closer,
placing a
hand on his
shoulder. "You
okay?" she
whispered. He
nodded. "Mmhmm,"
he murmured,
his antennae
barely moving.
"Just... I'm really
ti-"
Suddenly, his
head lolled
back and he
was out again.
Hanna's laughter
filled the room.
"Looks like the
medicine's
still got him," she
said, smiling.
Karen nodded,
her hand
still on his
shoulder. "Poor
thing," she
whispered.
They watched
the rest of the
movie in a
comfortable
silence, the
sound of
Plankton's snores
providing a
soothing
backdrop to their
evening.