𝖢𝖮𝖬𝖤 𝖳𝖮𝖦𝖤𝖳𝖧𝖤𝖱
𝖻𝗒 𝖭𝖾𝗎𝗋𝗈𝖥𝖺𝖻𝗎𝗅𝗈𝗎𝗌
part 18
Karen squeezed his hand,
a silent reminder of her
support. She knew that Hanna's
apology was a step, but it
wasn't enough to erase the
damage done. She looked at
Hanna, her gaze firm. "You
have to understand that
what you said was incredibly
hurtful, not just to
Plankton, but to me too. Our
love isn't something to be
bargained with or judged."
Hanna nodded, her eyes
now filled with genuine
shame. "I understand, Karen,"
she said. "I'm sorry for
the pain I've caused." Karen
nodded back, her eyes never
leaving Plankton's. "Good,"
she said simply. "Because
Plankton is my everything."
Plankton felt a warmth
spread through him, despite
the anger still simmering
just below the surface.
Karen had stood up for him,
just like she always did.
"Okay." Hanna reached out
slowly, her hand hovering over
Plankton's arm. He stiffened
at the uninvited contact, his
skin prickling with discomfort.
"You okay, buddy?" she asked
him, her voice tentative.
Plankton felt a familiar
tension in his chest, a tightness
spreading through his body.
The room seemed to close in on
him, the lights too bright, the
sounds too loud. Another seizure
was approaching, and
Karen noticed the change
instantly. She knew the
pain from wisdom teeth
extraction and the touch
from Hanna has been too
much.
Hanna watched as
Plankton's body began to
tense up, the signs of an
impending seizure all too
familiar to Karen. "What's
happening? Plankton!"
she asked, her voice filled
with worry.
But Karen was already
in action, her movements
quick and precise. She
guided Hanna's hand away
from Plankton, as Plankton's
body began to convulse
slightly, his eye rolling back.
"Seizure," Karen murmured,
as she knew the signs
all too well. Hanna sat on
the edge of his bed as
Karen got his sensory
box of fidget items.
"Just stay calm," Karen
said to Hanna. "This
happens sometimes."
Hanna's eyes were wide
with fear, but she nodded.
Plankton's seizure grew
more intense, his limbs
thrashing as his body
tried to cope. "Let it in,
let it wash over you."
Karen says, grounding
him slightly.
The room grew quiet,
except for the sound
of his labored breathing.
Hanna watched, her heart
racing, feeling useless.
Karen held out a
plush toy, a green
squishy star. "Look
at the star, sweetie.
Focus on the star.
Look at the star,
Plankton. Just the star."
His body continued
to convulse. Hanna
watched, frozen as the
plush star trembled
in Karen's hand. "Look
at the star, Plankton,"
Karen repeated, her voice
calm and steady. "Find peace
in the star." Plankton's eye
flitted towards the toy,
his breathing erratic. The
sensory overload was
intense, but he tried to
follow Karen's guidance.
As the seizure subsided,
Plankton's tremors grew
less intense, his gaze
remaining fixed on the
green star. He took
deep breaths, trying to
regain control of his
body. Karen watched him,
her own breathing matching
his rhythm, willing him to
find peace.
Hanna sat there, her
heart pounding in her chest,
seeing the raw vulnerability
of her friend's husband. She
felt a deep sense of regret
for her earlier words.
"It's okay, baby," Karen
whispered. She knew
the aftermath was often
a hard part for him,
his body still reeling from
the neurological storm, his
sense of reality skewed.
Plankton's eye focused
slowly on the green star.
As the seizure's grip
weakened, he turned to it,
his gaze hazy.
"It's okay," Karen murmured.
"You're okay now." His
breathing grew steadier,
but his mind was still
semiconscious in confusion.
The world around him was
a blur of color and sound,
his thoughts tangled and
disjointed.
"Plankton?" Hanna's voice
was tentative. Plankton
barely registered her words,
semiconscious. He turned
to her, his gaze hazy and
his movements awkward.
"Hi, Hans," he mumbled,
his voice slurred. Karen
exchanged a knowing look
with Hanna. "Hi, Plankton,"
she said, her tone gentle.
Plankton giggled to
himself, his laughter
sounding distant and
slightly off-key. Karen
smiled softly, recognizing
his postictal loopiness.
It was a common reaction
for him from a seizure,
his brain trying to find
its bearings.
He stared at the green
star in his hand, his
fingers playing with its
soft fabric. "It's so...
fluffy," he said, his voice
full of wonder. Karen
couldn't help but smile at
his childlike fascination.
"It's okay, Plankton,"
she said, her voice soothing.
"Just keep focusing on
the sta-"
"Star," he interrupts, his
laughter bubbling up again.
"Fluffy star."
Karen's smile grew wider
despite the situation.
"It's okay, Plankton," she
reassured, her voice calm.
"Just keep playing with it."
Hanna watched, her
heart in her throat. "Is he...
is he okay?" she asked,
uncertain of what she was
seeing. "Want... want more is,"
Plankton said, his words
slurred.
Karen nodded, her
expression filled with love.
"He's okay, Hanna," she said.
"It's just part of his recovery
from a seizure." Hanna looked
on, still struggling to
comprehend the complexities
of Plankton's condition.
"After a seizure, he can act
a bit... different, sometimes.
He probably won't remember
what happened," Karen
explained, her voice calm and
reassuring. "You can talk
to him, just keep it simple
and don't touch him without
asking."
Hanna nodded, feeling like
an outsider in this world of
understanding and care that
Karen and Plankton shared.
"Hey Plankton," she said, her
voice gentle. "You okay?"
Plankton looked at her, his
eye glazed over. "Fluffy star,"
he replied, his voice still
slurred and playful. Hanna
managed a smile, though it
was tinged with sadness at the
thought of her earlier cruelty.
"Hanna," he said,
his voice still off.
"She smell like...
like bubblegum?"
Hanna's eyes widened.
"Plankton, it's me, it's
just your imagination playing
tricks on you after the se-"
But Karen held up a
hand to stop her. "We
don't want to overwhelm
his senses right now," she
explained. "Let him come
back to us in his own time."
Hanna nodded.
"You like the star, don't
you?" Karen asked, her voice
soothing. Plankton nodded,
his giggles subsiding into
a soft chuckle. "It's so
fluffy," he murmured, his
fingers tracing the star's
outline. Hanna watched
the tender interaction, her
heart heavy with regret.
"You know, Plankton,"
Hanna ventured, her voice
shaky. "I didn't mean to
hurt you." He looked at
her, his gaze unsteady.
"You, hurt," he said, his
words slow and deliberate.
His finger traced the
plush star's fabric, his mind
still in a haze. Karen's
heart broke for him,
but she knew he needed to
hear it from Hanna.
"I know, Plankton," Hanna
whispered, her eyes
brimming with tears.
"I'm so, so sorry."
Plankton's gaze remained
on the star, his finger
tracing its fluffy outline.
"Fluffy," he murmured,
his voice a gentle echo
of his usual self. "You like it?"
she asked, her voice gentle.
"Fluffy," he repeated, not
really hearing her.
The room was still,
the air thick with the
weight of their recent
exchange. Hanna's eyes
were glued to Plankton,
his post-seizure state
both fascinating and
alarming her. "I'm sorry,"
she whispered again.
Plankton's giggle was
sudden, his gaze shifting
from the star to Hanna.
"Hans smell funny," he said,
his words still slurred. Hanna
swallowed her sadness,
forcing a smile. "It's
because I ate a whole pack
of bubblegum," she lied.
His eyes lit up, his
innocence shining through.
"Want bubblegum?" he asked,
his voice filled with childish
excitement. Hanna felt a
wave of guilt wash over her.
"No, Plankton, I'm okay,"
she said gently. "But you
keep playing with your
fluffy star."
Karen watched as Hanna
interacted with Plankton,
his mind still in the same
post-seizure state. It was
both heartbreaking and a
tiny bit amusing to see.
"What's your name?" Plankton
asked, his speech still slurred.
Hanna's smile was sad. "It's
Hanna, Plankton," she said,
trying to keep the conversation
light. "Oh, Hanna Plankton.
You're a pretty name," he
said, his voice filled with
the same wonder.
"Thank you," Hanna said,
fighting back tears. She
felt like a monster for
the way she'd treated him.
Plankton's laughter
filled the room again,
his body still slightly
twitching from the seizure.
"You smell pretty, Hanna
Plankton," he said, his words
still slurred. Hanna's heart
clenched at the innocence
behind his words, knowing
how much pain she'd
caused him.
"Thank you, Plankton," she
managed, her voice thick.
Plankton's gaze drifted to
her, in a way that Karen knew
meant that his mind's slowly
clearing back to himself, his
expression becoming more
aware, his eye focusing
slightly as he took in
his surroundings.