๐ฌ๐ธ ๐ ๐ด๐ณ๐จ๐ฒ๐ณ๐จ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ
Pt. 6
by NeuroFabulous
Plankton's sobs grew
softer, his body slowly
relaxing into hers. He's
exhausted from today's
events, and his eye had
fluttered shut.
Karen stroked his back,
her mind racing. They
needed to explain to
Chip about autism, and
they needed to do it now.
It was time to break the
silence and start a
conversation that was long
overdue.
"Chip," she called out, her
voice gentle, "can you come
back here, sweetie?" Chip
came, his eyes red from
crying. He slowly
approached, his heart
racing. "Dad?"
Plankton's eye then
flitted open, and he
looked at his wife, then
his son. He felt so tired,
his mind a jumbled mess.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, his
eye half-lidded with fatigue.
"Don't be sorry," Karen said.
"Come sit," she beckoned
to Chip, who approached
slowly. He climbed onto
the bed, his eyes never
leaving his dad's face.
Plankton's eye was
half-closed, his body
heavy with sleep.
Karen knew the
emotional outburst
had exhausted him.
"What's autism, Mom?"
Chip's voice was filled
with curiosity.
"It's a part of your dad's
brain," Karen began,
carefully choosing her
words. "It's something
he was born with."
Chip looked at her, his
eyes still wide with
question. "But what does
it do?"
Karen took a deep
breath, stroking Plankton's
back. "Well," she said,
"it makes him see the world
a little differently.
Sometimes, his brain gets
really busy, like when there's
a lot of noise or when
things are too bright. It can
be hard for him to handle.
And sometimes, when he's had
a big seizure, he gets like
this," she gestured to
his sleepy form in her arms.
Chip studied his
father's face, his
curiosity piqued.
"Does that mean
he's sick?"
Karen looked at her
son, her heart heavy
with the weight of
the truth. "No, Chip,"
she said, her voice
soothing. "It's like
having a different
kind of brain that
sometimes needs
extra care and
understanding.
Dad's autism is like
his brain's special
way of working," Karen
explained, her voice
calm and even. "It's like
a computer sometimes
runs really fast or really
slow, and we just need
to know how to help him
when it's too much."
Chip nodded. He
thought about his
own video games, how
his console sometimes
glitched or lagged. He
couldn't imagine his
dad feeling like that.
"But what about his
stims?" he asked,
his voice filled with
concern. Karen took
a deep breath, her heart
racing as she tried to
explain.
"His stims are like little
things he does to help
his brain feel better. It's
kind of like when you
pace. But he doesn't like
for us to call attention to
them," Karen said gently,
trying to find the right
words to explain.
Chip nodded. "But
why did he get so
mad?"
"Because," Karen said, her
voice soft, "his brain was
overwhelmed. Sometimes
autistic people can get
upset when they don't feel
understood. And when you
used that bad word, it just
reminded him of all the
times people have said
things without knowing
what it means to be autistic."
Chip's eyes grew wide
with realization. "But
I didn't know it was
bad," he said, his voice
tiny as tears threatened to
spill over. And Plankton's
body tensed at the
mention of the word.
"Well," Plankton began,
his voice thick with
sarcasm, "now you
know." His tone was
sharp, his anger
palpable. "So, now that
you've seen the freak
show, you can tell all
your friends!"
Chip's eyes filled with
hurt at his father's
harsh words. "Dad, I
didn't mean to up-" "Oh,
you didn't mean to?"
Plankton interrupts. "Aw,
are you gonna give me the
'I'm just a kid' excuse?" His
tone was laced with anger
and sarcasm. "Well, here's
a newsflash, kiddo: words
have consequences. So
maybe you can tell all your
little pals about how
'fun' it is to have a
dad who turns into a
blubbering mess at the
drop of a hat! Is that right,
little man?"
Karen's grip on Plankton's
arm tightened. "Plankton,"
she said, her voice firm but
filled with love. "That's en-"
But Plankton's anger
would not be contained.
"What, Karen?" he snapped,
his eye glaring at Chip. "You
think I don't know what
he's going to do? That
he's not going to tell his
friends?"
Chip's lip quivered, his
heart racing with fear
and guilt. He didn't
understand why his dad
was so upset. "I-I won't,"
he promised, his voice
shaking. "I didn't know.
And I'm sorโ"
But Plankton's sarcasm
continued, his voice
sharp as a knife. "Oh,
you're sorry," he spat.
"That fixes everything,
doesn't it? Ohhhhhhhh
look, Chip's such a good
boy, he said sorry!" He
mocked, his antennae
waving erratically.
Chip felt a knot form
in his stomach, his
cheeks burning with
shame. He didn't know
what to say. He hadn't
meant to upset his dad.
"Plankton," Karen's
voice was firm, "that is
enough. You're scaring
him."
Chip's eyes filled with tears,
his voice trembling. "I just
want to know why you're
acting so mad," he choked
out.
Plankton's antennae
drooped, the anger in
his voice giving way to
frustration. "I just want
to be by myself," he said,
his voice low. Chip looks
at his mother, his eyes
pleading.
Karen nodded, her heart
breaking for both of them.
"Okay," she said gently.
"We'll leave you alone
for now. But remember,
we love you." She kissed
his forehead.
Chip climbed off the
bed. "I'm sorry, Dad,"
he whispered before
exiting the room, his
tiny legs carrying him
as fast as they could
to his own room.
Karen watched him go,
her heart aching. She
turned to Plankton, who
was now lying on his
side.
"Why do you have to be
so hard on him?" she
asked, her voice filled with
frustration and love.
"He didn't know what he
was sa-"
"I know," Plankton cut
her off, his voice tired.
"I know he didn't know.
But it doesn't change
the fact that it's hurting
me.."
Karen sat next to him,
silent for a moment. She
knew his anger was a
defense mechanism, a
way to protect himself
from the fear and pain of
being misunderstood. "I'm
sorry," she whispered, her
hand on his arm. "But
you're right, what he said
was hurtful. That's why I
wanted us to explain."
Plankton sighed, his
body slowly deflating. "I
know you're trying to help,"
he said, his voice tired.
Karen leaned in, her eyes
filled with compassion.
"And we're here for you,"
she said firmly. "We're a
team. You don't have to..."
But Plankton's eye closed.
"I know," he murmured.
"But sometimes...it's just
so hard. I'm tired.."
Karen nodded, her
hand still on his arm.
"I know, sweetie," she
said, her voice gentle.
"But Chip loves you. He
just needs to understand.
And we ca--"
But her words were
interrupted by Plankton's
snores. Karen sighs,
stroking his arm. She
knew these conversations
weren't over, but for now,
he needed rest. She leaned
in, placing a soft kiss
on his cheek. "I'll take
care of him," she whispered.
With a heavy heart, she
got up from the bed and
closed the door behind
them. She found Chip in
his own room, sitting on the
edge of his bed, his eyes
fixed on the floor.