SPONGEBOB OVERLOAD 2/2
(By NEUROFABULOUS)
Plankton's memory
was a jumble of images
and sounds, but he
recaled the confrontation
with Mr. Krabs, the
spatula, and the pain.
He sat up slowly,
his head spinning. The
pain was intense, but
his mind was racing
even faster.
Plankton looked around
the room, his eye
trying to make sense
of the scene. The Chum
Bucket was a mess,
his usual order thrown
into chaos. Karen's face
was a blur of concern,
and Sponge Bob hovered
close by, his expression
filled with a mix
of fear and pity.
Plankton's mind raced,
his thoughts scattered
like sand in a storm. He
felt a deep disconnect
from the world around
him, as if he was
watching a play in
which he was a reluctant
participant. His head
throbbed, but not just
from the blow. It was
the pressure of his own
thoughts, his brain working
overtime to process
what had just occurred.
Karen noticed the
confusion in his
expression and squeezed
his hand reassuringly.
"You had an accident,
sweetie," she said
softly. "It's okay. You're
home now."
Plankton's eye darted
around the room,
his mind struggling to
understand the sudden
shift in his reality. The
noise was overwhelming,
each sound a needle
pricking his sensitive
nerves.
"Karen," he said, his
voice barely a whisper.
"What's happening?"
Her gaze softened. "You
got hurt, Plankton," she
explained gently.
"But the science
fair," he mumbled,
his thoughts jumbled.
Karen's expression grew
even more concerned.
"The science fair can
wait, Plankton," she
soothed.
But Plankton's mind was
stuck in a loop,
repeating her words.
"The science fair can
wait Plankton," he echoed, his
voice frail and distant.
Karen's eyes grew
wet with worry. "Yes,
dear," she said, stroking
his arm. "Your wellbeing is
more important."
Plankton's eye
narrowed as he
repeated her words,
his voice a mix of
stubbornness and
determination. "Wellbeing is
important," he murmured,
his thoughts racing.
The words echoed
in his head, a
maddening loop. "The science
fair can wait, Plankton," he
whispered to himself, his voice
taking on a rhythmic
pattern. "Can wait, can wait..."
Sponge Bob watched,
his heart heavy with
concern. He had
never seen his friend
like this, his usual
confidence and scheming
reduced to repetitive
mumbles.
"Plankton," he ventured
cautiously, placing a
spongy hand on his
shoulder.
Plankton's eye snapped
to his, the loop
breaking for a brief
moment. "Sponge Bob,"
he murmured, his voice
still weak.
Sponge Bob's heart
leaped with hope. "Yes,
Plankton, I'm here,"
he said gently.
But Plankton's gaze
was distant, his
thoughts clearly elsewhere.
"Wellbeing is
important," he murmured
again, the words
coming out in a
staccato rhythm, his
mind locked in the
grip of echolalia.
Karen's heart
clenched with fear.
This wasn't just
disorientation from
his injury. This was
something more.
"Sponge Bob," she
whispered urgently. "I think
he's in shock."
Sponge Bob nodded,
his face a mask of
concern. "I'll get
some water," he said,
rushing to the sink. He
filled a glass and
hurried back, careful
not to spill a drop.
Plankton's eye
followed the glass,
his gaze unfocused.
He began to rock
back and forth slightly.
Karen noticed the
change in his
behavior, her
concern deepening.
"Here, drink some water,"
she urged, offering
the glass to his
shaking hand.
Plankton took it
without a word, his
motions mechanical.
He brought the
glass to his lips, but
his hand trembled
so badly that water
sloshed out, spilling
down.
The moment the
cool liquid hit the
floor, a strange
look passed over
his face. It was
as if he had seen
a ghost, his single
eye going wide with
alarm.
"The water," he
stammered, his voice
shaking.
Karen's heart sank
as she watched her
husband's distress. "It's
okay, Plankton," she
soothed. "It's just
water..."
But Plankton's eye
were glued to the
spilled water, his
entire body trembling.
"It's... it's not right,"
he muttered, his voice
filled with a childlike
fear.
Karen looked
confused, the spilled
water seemingly a
minor issue. “Plank…”
“It’s not right!”
Plankton’s voice
was urgent now,
his trembling hand
gesturing at the
spill. His mind was
a whirlwind of
disturbing thoughts,
each more distressing
than the last.
Sponge Bob and
Karen exchanged
worried glances.
“What do you mean,
Plankton?” Sponge
Bob asked, kneeling
beside the couch,
his eyes full of
concern.
Plankton's
breathing grew rapid,
his chest heaving.
"The... the... water,"
he stuttered, pointing
at the puddle. "It's
too... too... much!"
Karen's gaze
flitted to the floor,
then back to her
husband. "It's okay," she
soothed, her voice
quaking with fear.
"It's just a little
spill."
But Plankton's
agitation only grew.
He flung the
glass aside, the
remaining water
splattering against
the wall. "No!" he
shouted, his voice
high and desperate.
"Too much!"
Karen and
Sponge Bob watched
in horror as Plankton
collapsed into a
sobbing mess, his
tiny body wracked
with tremors. His
hands fluttered in
his face, his
breath coming in
quick, sharp gasps.
The room grew
claustrophobic, the
air thick with his
panic.
"It's okay," Karen
whispered, her voice
shaking. "It's just
water, Plankton." But
his anguished cries
only grew louder.
Sponge Bob's
heart ached as he
watched his friend
fall apart before his
eyes. Plankton's
behavior was unlike
anything he had
ever seen, his
usual cunning
replaced with a raw,
overwhelming fear.
The room grew
smaller as Plankton's
sobs filled the space,
his body convulsing
with the intensity
of his breakdown.
Karen looked at
Sponge Bob, her
expression a mix
of despair and
determination. They
both knew they had to
calm him down, but
how?
Sponge Bob took a
deep breath, trying
to think. "Plankton,"
he said softly, his
voice a gentle coax. "Look
at me, buddy. It's
just a spill. It's okay."
Plankton's cries grew
louder, his body
shaking uncontrollably.
Karen wrapped her
arms around him,
trying to soothe the
storm raging inside
his mind. "Shh, it's okay,"
she murmured, her voice
barely audible over
his cries.
Sponge Bob's
heart was in his
throat as he watched
his friend's breakdown.
Plankton was not
his usual self.
The usually
scheming, sneaky
scientist was reduced
to a quivering mess,
his sobs echoing
off the walls of the
tiny Chum Bucket. His
face was a mask of
fear and confusion,
his single eye wide
with panic.
"Plankton, please,"
Karen begged, her
voice trembling. "You're
scaring me." She scans
his brain.
The results
were not what she
expected. The blow
from Mr. Krabs had
caused more damage
than she could have
imagined. The
injury had altered
his brain chemistry
in a way that was
both profound and
irreversible.
Plankton had developed
a rare condition
called acquired
autism, a disorder that
could occur after
a severe head trauma.
It was a cruel twist
of fate for a man whose
life had been
consumed by the
desire for the Krabby
Patty formula.
The realization
hit Karen like a
tidal wave, knocking
the wind out of her.
Her eyes filled with
tears as she
whispered the diagnosis
to Sponge Bob and
Plankton. His
expression mirrored her
shock and sadness.
Sponge Bob sat
silent for a moment,
his usually cheerful
face contorted with
sympathy and concern.
"What do we do?" he
asked finally, his voice
barely above a whisper.
“Can you clean the mess?”
Karen asks him.
He nodded solemnly,
his movements slow
and deliberate as he
stood up to mop the
spilled water. As
he worked, he couldn't
help but feel a deep
sorrow for his
friend. Plankton had
always been the
troublemaker, the
one who pushed
boundaries. But now,
his world was shattered.
The silence in the
room was only
broken by Plankton's
sobs and the
swish of the mop.
Sponge Bob's
heart felt heavy
as he cleaned up
the water, his
thoughts racing. He
couldn't believe what
he had just heard.
His best friend,
his rival, his...
his family. Plankton had
always been there,
through thick and thin,
and now he was...
different. And yet, that’s ok.