A PLANKTON FAMILY STORY i
(By NeuroFabulous)
Chip and his friend
Alex go to the Chum
Bucket, where Chip
lives with his parents
Karen and Plankton.
Chip had been looking
forward to this moment
all week. His friend Alex,
the new kid in school, was
finally coming over to his
place. Chip's thought about
the endless possibilities of
what they could do together.
Would they play video games?
Maybe build a fort? Or, if they
were lucky, his mom Karen
might let them have ice cream
before dinner..
The door swung open. "Welcome
to the Chum Bucket," Chip said
with a proud smile, leading Alex
inside. Karen looked up from
her book. "Hi," Alex said nervously.
Karen's eyes widened. "Oh,
hello!" She hadn't been expecting
company. But she put down her
book. "You must be Alex!"
Alex nodded. "Hi, Chip's
mom," they mumbled.
"Just call me Karen, sweetie,"
she replied, her voice as warm
as a freshly baked pie. "You two
have fun!" She turned back to
her book, her screen dancing with
curiosity as they climbed the
stairs.
Chip's room was at the end of
the hall, but they weren't going
there yet. "C'mon," he whispered
to Alex, his screen sparkling with
excitement. "I want to show you
my Dad!" He led him to the bed
room door.
They tiptoed closer. Plankton's on the bed.
Alex peered around the doorframe,
their curiosity piqued.
"Surprise!" Chip shouted, jumping
forward. Plankton's antennas shot
straight up, a mix of
shock and annoyance.
But Plankton didn't move. He remained
frozen in place, his eye vacant and
unblinking. Alex took a step back,
concerned. Chip's excitement faded into
puzzlement. "Dad?" he called out, nudging
Plankton's arm. No response, not even
a twitch.
They both stared at him, the room
silent except for the faint buzz of a
neon sign outside. Plankton's body was
rigid. Chip felt a twinge of fear.
This wasn't like his dad, who was
always bursting with ideas and energy.
Alex's grip on the doorknob tightened.
They approached the bed slowly.
Plankton remained unblinking. "Dad, are
you ok?" Chip asked, his voice cracking.
He reached out to shake him gently.
Plankton's arm was cold and stiff,
like a mannequin. Chip's heart raced.
He'd never seen his dad like this before.
Alex's eyes widened in alarm, their grip
on the doorknob turning white.
They stepped back, exchanging glances.
"Chip, what's going on?" Alex whispered,
fear seeping into their voice.
Chip's eyes searched the room, his heart
racing. "I don't know," he replied, "but we
have to do something!" He rushed to the
bedside, his hands trembling as he touched
his dad's face. "Dad! Dad!"
Alex hovered near the door, unsure of
what to do. "Should we get your mom?"
Chip nodded, his voice shaking. "Yeah,
we need to tell." They both bolted out of
the room and sprinted down the stairs.
"Mom!" Chip yelled, "Something's wrong
with Dad!"
Karen looked up from her book, her face
puzzled. "What do you mean, Chip?"
But when she saw the look on his face,
she set the book aside and followed
them upstairs.
In Plankton's room, she paused. The
silence was heavy, and the tension was
almost palpable. She could see the fear
in Chip's eyes, mirrored in Alex's wide gaze.
They pointed to the bed, where Plankton
still sat, unmoving.
Karen took a deep breath. She had known
about Plankton's secret for yearsâhis
autism. But moments like these were always
difficult to navigate.
"It's okay," she assured them, her tone calm
and steady. "Sometimes Daddy has these
moments where he goes into his own world.
It's part of who he is." She approached the bed
slowly, her movements deliberate and gentle.
Plankton's chest rose and fell with his breath,
but he didn't acknowledge their presence.
Karen placed a hand on his shoulder, her eyes
filled with a mix of concern and understanding.
"Plankton?" she called softly, her voice barely
a whisper in the quiet room. No response.
Her heart ached for her husband, trapped in his
own thoughts. She had learned over the years
to recognize the signs of his episodes, but
seeing him like this never got easier.
Carefully, Karen sat down beside him, her
hands resting on his shoulders. "It's okay, sweetie,"
she murmured, her voice soothing. "You're safe."
Slowly, she began to rub his back in small,
comforting circles. Chip and Alex watched,
silent and worried, from the doorway.
Minutes ticked by like hours. Karen's gentle
persistence never wavered. Then, almost
imperceptibly, Plankton's shoulders relaxed,
his eye blinking back into focus. He looked around
the room, bewildered. "Karen?" he croaked, his voice
hoarse from disuse.
Chip and Alex breathed out in relief. Karen
smiled warmly, her eyes never leaving Plankton's.
"It's okay, honey," she said, her voice a lullaby.
"You're back with us." Plankton's gaze found hers,
his mind slowly returning from its solitary
adventure. He looked from her to the two
in the doorway, confusion etched on
his face.
Alex took a tentative step
forward, their heart
still racing. "Are you okay?"
Plankton blinked.
"What happened?" Plankton
managed to ask, his voice
scratchy from his silent
reverie. Karen stood, placing
a comforting hand on his
knee.
"You had one of your episodes,
sweetheart," she explained gently.
"But it's okay. You're back now."
Chip stepped into the room, his
eyes brimming with relief.
"What's an episode?" Alex
asked softly, their curiosity
overcoming their fear.
Karen turned to them, her
expression gentle. "It's like
his brain goes on a little trip,"
she said, trying to simplify it.
"It's part of him. Sometimes
he needs time to come back."
Alex nodded, their eyes
still glued to Plankton. "Does he
know he does it?" they asked,
their curiosity genuine.
Karen squeezed Plankton's
hand. "He knows, honey," she
explained. "But sometimes it's
like he can't stop it."
Chip felt a pang of sadness,
his earlier excitement now
replaced with a deep concern
for his father. He knew that
his dad was different from
other parents, but he had never
seen him like this. It was as if
Plankton had been taken from
them for a brief moment, leaving
a shell in his place.ðĐâĄðŠ