EACH WISDOM ⅓
"Karen, we finished up your
husband Plankton's wisdom
teeth extraction. It went
perfectly and he's doing well.
He's not awake yet, but you
can come in to see him now."
Karen nods. She follows
the nurse, a kind-faced
woman named Becky. Becky
smiles at Karen. "He'll be
a bit groggy at first. Just
talk to him calmly. He's still
asleep."
Karen steps into the
recovery room. Plankton
lies on a bed, his mouth
slightly ajar. Karen approaches
his bedside and takes
his hand. She looks at Becky,
who nods reassuringly.
"He did great. After he wakes
up, his mouth will still
numb from the surgery. And
he might act loopy from the
lingering anesthesia. You
can just talk to him calmly
Karen." Becky says.
The door opens, and the young
dentist, Dr. Marlin, enters. He
checks the monitors and nods
to Karen. "Everything is
normal," he says in a calm
voice. "He should wake soon,
but if you want to talk to him,
that's fine. Sometimes hearing
a familiar voice can help."
Karen squeezes Plankton's hand
and whispers, "You're ok, sweetie.
It's all done now. You're going to be ok,
Plankton. You're going to be ok."
Yet Plankton's chest
rises and falls gently,
a soft snore escaping
his mouth every few
seconds.
A droplet of saliva forms
at the corner of Plankton's
mouth, then slowly
travels down his chin. Karen
reaches over with a soft tissue
and gently wipes it away.
Her eyes are filled with
affection, yet a hint of
amusement flits across her
screen. Plankton had been
so nervous about the surgery,
now he's snoring peacefully
while she's the one worrying.
Another droplet forms
at the corner of his mouth.
Karen reaches for the tissue
once more, dabbing it away
as gently as she would a tear.
The action is almost maternal,
and she can't help but feel
a warmth spread through her
chest. This tiny creature, her
husband, so brave in his own
way, even when unconscious.
Dr. Marlin looks up from his
clipboard, a slight smile playing
on his lips. "He's really out,
huh?" He says. "It's completely
normal after wisdom tooth surgery."
Karen nods, the smile
lingering. "Never has been
a heavy sleeper," she murmurs,
squeezing Plankton's hand.
The room remains hushed,
the only sound the rhythmic
hum of the heart monitor
and the occasional snore.
The drool starts to form
a tiny puddle on the pillow.
The nurse, Becky, glances
up from her paperwork. "We can
turn him onto his side if it
bothering you," she suggests,
sympathy in her voice.
But Karen shakes her head,
smiling softly. "It's okay," she
whispers. "It's kind of...cute."
Her screen never left Plankton's
face, love unmistakable.
The snores grow a little
louder, and Dr. Marlin
chuckles quietly. "It's the
anesthesia," he explains. "It'll
wear off soon." He checks his
watch and makes a note.
Karen continues to watch
Plankton, the drool now forming
a small river on the pillow.
Her smile widens as she
remembers their first date,
his nervousness, his awkwardness,
his endearing way of trying
to impress her. And here he is,
still making her laugh, even in
his most vulnerable state.
The nurse, Becky, finishes her notes
and stands. She crosses the room,
adjusting the IV tube. "If you
want to talk to him, it's fine," she
says. "Sometimes they can hear you
even if they're asleep."
Karen leans in closer. "You know
what, Plankton?" She says, her
eyes dancing with mirth. "I'm
going to tell everyone how you
snored through your wisdom teeth
removal. It'll be our little
secret." She giggles quietly.
The snoring crescendos, and
Plankton's head rolls to the side.
The drool now forms a puddle,
spilling onto the clean white
linen. Karen's smile falters for
a second, but she quickly recovers,
using the tissue to absorb the
moisture. The nurse, Becky, watches
with a knowing look. "It's alright,
dear," she says gently. "It's normal. It's just
his body's way of dealing with the
anesthesia as it wears off."
Dr. Marlin returns with a roll
of gauze. "Let's get him more upright,"
he says. They carefully elevate the back of
Plankton's bed. The
snoring subsides a bit, but doesn't
disappear entirely. "This will help
with any excess bleeding," the dentist
says. Plankton's body tenses, but he doesn't wake
as gauze is placed with precision,
each pad strategically positioned to
absorb the blood and encourage clotting.
Karen watches, a mix of fascination
and concern etched on her screen.
"It's ok," she whispers, more to
herself than to him. "Almost done."
The gauze is in place, and Becky
smiles. The snoring quiets to a gentle
purr. Plankton's eye begins to
flicker under his eyelid, a sign
that consciousness is slowly
seeping back into him.
Karen sits up straight as she
anticipates his awakening. She
holds his hand tighter, eager to
see his reaction to the successful
surgery. Dr. Marlin nods at her,
his eyes saying it's time to prepare.
Plankton's eyelid flutters, and
his snoring turns into a quiet
moan. He starts to stir, his eye
opening just a crack. The room
seems to spin around him, but
his gaze finally settles on Karen's.
Her voice is the first thing
he hears through the fog. "Hey,
sleepyhead," she says, her tone
filled with relief and affection.
Plankton tries to speak, "Mmph?"
He tries to sit up, but the world
spins faster. Karen gently
pushes him back down, her hand
on his shoulder. "Take it easy,
honey," she says. "Your mouth's
numb. You just had your wisdom
teeth out."
Plankton's eye widens. "Wha..."
he mumbles, thick and slurred.
Karen giggles, the tension in
the room dissipating as she
sees his groggy state.
"Your mouth is all numb," she
explains, her voice soothing.
"You had your wisdom teeth out,
remember?"
Plankton nods slowly, his eye
still glazed over. He tries
to speak again. "Ish ok?"
Karen laughs lightly. "Yes, it's
ok. You did great," she reassures.
The nurse, Becky, chuckles at
his slurred speech. "It's the
medicine," she explains. "It'll
wear off soon." "Karen,
dish you thee the... the... big
wight?" Plankton's voice is
childlike.
Karen's smile widens, and she
nods. "Yes, I saw the light. It was
beautiful, wasn't it?" she teases.
Plankton looks confused. "Big...
white... thing... wook... took...
my teef!" He giggles.
Becky and Dr. Marlin exchange
amused glances. "Those were
the surgical lights, Plankton,"
Dr. Marlin says. "Not heavenly
beings."
Plankton giggles again, his
hands reaching up to feel his
swollen jaw. "Ith... ith... sho
fat!" He says, his speech
slurred and slow. Karen can't help
but laugh, the sound echoing in
the sterile room.
"Yeah, your mouth's pretty
puffy," she says, her screen
shining with amusement. "But it's
okay, the swelling will go
down soon." She squeezes his hand.
Plankton tries to move his
jaw, wincing at the pressure. "Can I...
can I hash ish cweam?"
Becky laughs and nods.
"Once the bleeding stops, you can
have all the ice cream you want."
"Goog, 'cause I wanna eat ith all,"
he mumbles, his eye half-closed.
"What fwavor?"
Karen raises an eyebrow, her
smile growing. "How about mint
chocolate chip?" She suggests.
Plankton nods eagerly. "Mith mint
chocothate chip! Yesh!"
"And remember, no straws," Dr. Marlin
adds with a smile. "Sucking can dislodge
the blood clots and delay healing."
Plankton nods, his tongue playing with
his numb cheek. "Ish okay," he slurs.
"I don't wanna make ith wowse."
Karen nods solemnly, suppressing
a laugh.
The nurse, Becky, brings over a
wheelchair. "Here, let's get you to
your car," she says, helping him into a
slightly elevated position.
Plankton's eye widens.
"Weh... weh... weh... we're
going foe ice cweam, wight?"
his voice lilts with a childish
innocence that's both endearing and
comical. Karen nods, smothering a giggle.
"First, we go home," she says firmly,
but her voice is filled with affection.
"Then, when the bleeding stops, we can
have all the ice cream you want."
Becky wheels him out.
"Look, Karen! Ith a... a... a...
bithy pithter!" he exclaims, pointing
to a painting on the wall. Karen
follows his gaze and sees a serene
seascape, but she plays along, nodding
and smiling. "Very pretty," she
agrees. "Bithy, no?" he asks, grinning.
The nurse laughs. "Very pretty,"
she repeats.
They arrive at the elevator, and
Plankton's eye widens as it opens with
a soft ding. "Ish... an... elevathor!"
his voice filled with wonder. Karen
rolls her eyes, but her heart swells.
He was always so reserved, but not now.
They settle into the elevator, and
Plankton's eye glue to the descending
numbers. "Wook, Karen!" He points. "We're
going down, down, down!"
The doors open with a gentle whoosh,
and Plankton clumsily claps his hands. "Wow!"
He exclaims, looking around the lobby.
Karen can't help but watch her
usually stoic husband act like a
toddler on a sugar rush. They make
their way to the parking lot,
Becky pushing the wheelchair.
"Wheeee!" Plankton says, his voice
squeaking. Karen laughs, her eyes sparkling
with joy. Despite the circumstances,
it's a refreshing change to see
his usual seriousness replaced with
such childlike wonder.
They reach the car, and Becky
helpfully opens the door. Plankton
tries to climb out of the wheelchair,
but his legs seem to have forgotten
how to work. Karen helps him, her
laughs mixing with his giggles. "Easy
there, Plank..."
"Ish okay," he says, interrupting
her. "I got thish."
Plankton tries to stand, but his
legs wobble. Karen
steadies him, her own laughter
bubbling up as she watches his
determined expression. "Let me
help," she offers, taking his arm.
He nods, leaning heavily on her as
they make their way to the car. "Tank
youw," he slurs. "Ish wike... wike... wike I'm
talkin' wiff my mouf fowl of...
fowl of marshmallows!"