AUTISM IN THE PLANKTON FAMILY ii
(Autistic author)
Karen's friend Hanna came
over unexpectedly. Hanna never met
Plankton personally, nor did she hear
of his diagnosis.
"Oh, Plankton, it's good to finally
meet you!" Hanna exclaimed, voice
bubbly. Plankton looked up from his
book, his gaze unwavering. He didn't
move or speak. Yet Hanna was
oblivious.
Karen stepped in, her smile forced.
"Honey, this is Hanna," she said,
hoping for a response.
Plankton studied Hanna with a
curiosity that was both intense and
slightly unnerving. He tilted his head,
his antennae vibrating slightly. "Hello,"
he said, his voice monotone.
"I'll go get some refreshments," says
Karen.
Hanna took a seat right up by
Plankton, unaware of his
aversion to touch.
"So, Karen tells me you're quite the
inventor," Hanna said with a
chuckle, reaching out to pat him
on the back. Plankton flinched at the
unexpected contact, antennae
twitching.
"What are you working on?" she asked,
picking up a gadget.
Plankton's antennae snapped to attention,
eye widening in horror. "That's not
for touching!" he snapped, his voice
sharp and urgent.
"Oh, sorry," she stuttered,
quickly returning it to the bench. "I didn't
know."
Plankton's gaze didn't leave.
He took a deep breath.
But she didn't
give him space, didn't understand him.
Plankton felt tense,
antennae quivering.
"Could I see what you're reading?"
Hanna leaned closer, trying to peer
at the book. Plankton
flinched, his grip tightening around the
pages. His eye
flitted to the book and back to her,
his antennae pulsing rapidly.
But Hanna was
unaware of the discomfort she was
causing.
"It's just a book," she said with a
wave of her hand. "Don't be so
secretive." She leaned in even closer,
trying to make eye contact.
The room grew hotter, his antennae
twitching uncontrollably. He felt his
heart racing in his chest, the thump-
thump echoing in his ears. He wanted to
yell at her to go away, but he knew
that would only make things worse.
"Could you not talk so much?"
Plankton's voice was tight, his
desire for quiet clear. But Hanna, in
her ignorance, just laughed,
thinking it was a quirky part of
his personality.
"I've got so much to tell you about!"
she babbled, her hands animated as
she talked.
Plankton's seeking an escape from the
onslaught of sensory input.
Hanna, oblivious to his distress,
rattled on. Each word she spoke
was a new pinprick on his already
frayed nerves. He couldn't focus on the
conversation.
"So, what do you think?" Hanna
asked, her eyes bright with
expectation. Plankton blinked,
pulled from his thoughts.
"Think about what?" He replied,
his voice flat.
Hanna's smile wavered. "I said,
what do you think about the new
fashion trend in Bikini Bottom?"
Plankton blinked again, trying to
process her words. His mind was a
whirlwind of thoughts, and the effort
it took to engage in small talk was
exhausting. He shrugs.
It was the only response he could
muster. His brain felt like it was
short-circuiting, trying to keep up.
Hanna was unfazed.
"It's all the rage!" she exclaimed,
grabbing his shoulder.
Plankton's antennae shot up, his
body stiffening. The touch was like a
shock to his system, and he had to
fight the urge to pull away.
"Mm," he murmured, not really
listening. The effort to maintain
his composure was Herculean.
Hanna didn't seem to notice, her
laughter bubbling over,
taking Plankton's lack of engagement
as shyness. "You know, Patrick's
even started a jellyfishing club!"
Plankton nodded again, his eye
flicking towards the doorway,
willing Karen to return.
Plankton felt his head
throbbing. He tried to focus
on her words, to find some semblance
of meaning in the chaos.
Plankton realized she was
waiting for him to speak, but he can't.
He wanted to scream, to tell her to
just leave him alone.
"You know, Plankton," Hanna said, her
voice softer now, "Karen tells me
you're quite the genius." She leaned
forward. Plankton's antennae
twitching erratically.
She reached out to pat
his arm again, but that
was the straw that broke
the camel's back.
Plankton's eye widened with panic. He
twitched abruptly, knocking over
his chair.
"I'm sorry. Did I do
something wrong?"
Plankton didn't answer. He couldn't.
The words were trapped in his
throat, a tangled mess of frustration
and anxiety. He took a step back,
his chest heaving with shallow
breaths. The room spun around him,
his senses on overload.
Hanna noticed his distress. "Plankton?" she
whispered, her hand outstretched.
But Plankton was beyond words.
He couldn't form a coherent
response, couldn't explain.
Karen rushed into the room, alerted
by the sound of the chair falling.
Her screen searched her husband's face,
seeing the distress he couldn't voice.
"What happened?"
Hanna stuttered, her hands up in
defense. "I don't know! I was just
talking to him, and he...he..."
But Karen had already
assessed the situation. She saw the
fear in Hanna and the panic
in Plankton. She knew he was
overwhelmed. She stepped in
quickly, her voice a soothing balm.
"It's ok Plankton," she said, her
tone calm and reassuring. "You're safe.
It's just Hanna. She's a friend."
Plankton's antennae stopped quivering,
his breaths coming in slightly more
even. But he didn't look at Karen,
his gaze still locked on the wallpaper.
Hanna watched, her expression
mixture of concern and confusion.
But Plankton couldn't find words.
His mind was a maelstrom of thoughts
and sensory input. He felt his body
shaking, breaths coming in
quick gasps.
Hanna took a tentative step. "What's
going on?" she asked, her voice
barely a whisper.
Plankton's body remained
rigid, his eye still fixed on the wall.
Hanna tried to reach out to him
like Karen did. "NO!" he yelled,
his voice echoing through the
lab, the first time he'd raised it
since his diagnosis.
Hanna took a step back, her face
falling. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
But Plankton couldn't hear her
apology, couldn't process anything
anymore, couldn't move nor speak.
The world was too much, too loud,
too bright, too everything. He retreated
into himself.
Karen watched as Hanna took in
the scene before her, her own hand
freezing in mid-air. The room was
silent except for Plankton's ragged
breaths, his tiny body trembling.
"I didn't mean to upset him," Hanna
whispered, her voice trembling. "I just
wanted to be friendly."
Karen's gaze never left
Plankton. She knew he couldn't help it.
The diagnosis was new, and they were
both learning to navigate this
uncharted territory. Karen didn't want
to go into details about Plankton's
autism with Hanna, not yet.
Hanna looked from Plankton to Karen.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked him,
shaking.
Plankton didn't respond, his gaze
still locked on the wallpaper. His
body was a statue, but inside, he was
a tempest of overstimulation and fear.
Hanna's words, her touch, her very
presence was too much for him to handle.
Karen stepped closer, placing her hand
on Hanna's arm. "He's just overwhelmed."
Hanna looked at her, the
confusion clear in her screen.
"Can you give us a moment? He
needs space."
Hanna nods.
Approaching Plankton, Karen knelt before
his frozen form. "It's ok," she
whispered, her voice a gentle lullaby.
"You're safe here." She took his
hands, guiding them to her shoulders,
his grip tightening reflexively.
Hanna hovered, unsure of what to do,
but Karen's gaze was firm. "I'll take
care of him," she assured.
Karen sat with him, her
heart pounding in her chest. She knew
what he needed.
"You're ok," Karen whispered,
repeating it like a mantra. Plankton's
body was rigid, but his grip on her
shoulders began to loosen. She stroked
his arm, her touch gentle and
rhythmic. "It's just you and me, Plankton."
Slowly, the tension in his body
began to ease, his breathing evening
out. Karen remained
a constant, calming presence.
"I'm here," she murmured, her eyes
meeting his, which were now brimming
with unshed tears. "You're ok.
It's just us."
Plankton's antennae stopped
twitching as he focused on Karen's
face. Her eyes were filled with love
and understanding, a beacon in the
storm of his overwhelmed senses.
"You're ok," she repeated, her voice
a lullaby that seemed to resonate with
his racing heart. He nodded slightly,
his gaze never leaving hers.
Sensing his comfort with her
proximity, Karen carefully wrapped
her arms around him. He didn't resist,
instead leaning into her embrace. She
could feel his body relaxing, his
breaths growing deeper.
The room was quiet now. She rocked
him gently, the motion soothing to
them both. His antennae stilled, and
his eye began to droop.
Plankton's body grew heavy, his
muscles finally relaxing. The storm
of his thoughts began to calm, the
sensory overload slowly abating.
Karen felt his grip loosen, his
breaths deepening as he leaned into her
embrace.
The weight of his head grew
heavier against her shoulder. His
breaths grew slower, deeper.
Karen felt Plankton's grip on her
shoulders loosen until his arms
were draped over her, his breathing
deep and even. She knew he was
exhausted. Plankton's
head lolled against her neck, and
she felt the tension in his body
ease away, his limbs going slack.
Her hand stroked his back, the
rhythmic motion a comforting
reminder that he was safe.
Karen noticed Plankton's
breathing had turned into a gentle
snore, his body finally at ease.
Hanna, who stood in the doorway,
came closer to the couple. "I
am so..."
Karen turned to her, her expression
firm but gentle. "Shh," she hushed, raising
a finger. "He's asleep."
She didn't want to explain
his condition, not yet. The words
were still too fresh, too raw.
Hanna nodded, brimming
with unshed tears. She looked at
Plankton, then back to Karen. "What
can I do?" she asked softly.
Karen took a deep breath,
composing herself. "Just give us
some space for now. I can explain
later."
Hanna nodded, her screen never
leaving Plankton. "Ok," she
whispered, retreating.