PLUSH ONE x
(By NeuroFabulous)
Plankton's sleep is deep,
his body at rest, but
starts stirring when Karen's
phone dings with a text.
She jumps, fearing
the sound might disturb him.
Carefully, she pulls her
hand from his, her eyes
never leaving his face.
The plushie remains
under his arm, his antennae
twitching slightly with his
dreams. Karen reads the text from
Hanna, her friend. Her house
is under construction and
needs a place to stay! But
Hanna and Plankton never
met each other..
She thinks for a moment,
weighing her options. Plankton's
autism is still new, and she's
not sure how he'll react
to a stranger in their space.
But Hanna's in need, and
Karen can't ignore that.
Gently, she leans over
and kisses his antennae. "I'll
be right back," she whispers
to his sleeping form. She goes
out front, texting Hanna to
meet her in the front yard.
Her mind races as she
sees Hanna. "Hey, Karen!
Sorry about the short
notice." Hanna says. "It's
ok, just follow me inside,"
Karen says, opening the
front door and closing it
behind them. And yet
Karen's mind is racing.
How will Plankton react?
They enter the bed
room, where Plankton still
sleeps, oblivious to their
guest. Karen takes a
deep breath. "Hanna, this is
Plankton. He's been through
a lot today."
Hanna nods, her eyes
widening at the sight
of the tiny creature. "Hi,"
she says softly.
Plankton's antennae
twitch, and his eye opens
slowly. His gaze flits
between Karen and Hanna,
his body tense.
"It's okay," Karen whispers,
her voice a gentle breeze. "This is
Hanna. She's a friend."
Hanna nods, her smile kind. "Hi,
Plankton," she says, her voice
soft. "You're Karen's husband
right? The one who inven-"
But before she can finish,
Plankton's body jerks upright,
his antennae quivering. "NO!"
he shouts, the word cutting
through the quiet with panic.
Karen's mind races, her eyes
snapping to him. "It's okay,"
she repeats, her voice soothing.
"This is Hanna. She's a friend."
Plankton's gaze flicks between
them, his antennae a blur of
movement. "Friend?" he asks,
his voice tight with fear.
Karen nods. "Yes, a friend,"
she says firmly. "We're safe here."
Hanna nods. "Hi there
Plank..."
But the sound of her
voice sends Plankton into
a spiral of anxiety. His
eye widens, his body
stiffens.
Karen's knowing she's
made a mistake.
The sudden presence of a
stranger has disrupted
his carefully controlled
environment.
"Shh," she whispers, moving
closer, her movements slow
and deliberate. "It's ok.
This is Hanna, she's here
to stay for a bit."
Plankton's antennae twitch
frantically, his eye darting
between Karen and the new
presence in the room. "Hanna?"
he echoes, his voice filled with
uncertainty.
Hanna nods, her smile gentle.
"That's right," she says softly
before noticing the plushie
on the floor. "Ah, is that
a plushie?"
Plankton's antennae stop moving,
his gaze locked on Hanna's hand
as it reaches for the toy.
"MINE," he says firmly.
Hanna's hand freezes,
her screen a silent question
as she picked it up.
Plankton's eye tracks the
movement, his body tense.
He doesn't like change,
his autism demanding
predictability and routine.
Karen knows what to do.
"It's okay," she says, her voice
low and reassuring. "Hanna's
just lo…"
But Plankton's autism
doesn't allow for this.
He snatches the plushie
from Hanna's hand, his
body rigid. "MINE!" he
shouts sharply.
This was a mistake,
introducing change so
suddenly into his life.
"I'm sorry," Hanna says,
her hand dropping to her
side. "I didn't kn-"
But Plankton's
fear has turned
to anger. "NO!" he
shouts, his antennae
flaring. "MINE!"
Karen's eyes widen,
his outburst echoing
in the room.
Her mind is
racing to find the right
words, the right way to
comfort him. She knows
his autism has made him
hyper-aware of his possessions.
"It's okay, Plankton," she says,
her voice a calm river.
"Hanna didn't mean to take it.
It's still yours."
His antennae slowly
retract, his body loosening.
He looks at Karen, his
eye searching for truth.