KAREN HAS A LESSON pt. 13
(Autistic author)
Plankton's antennae twitch
slightly in her direction,
his eye not quite focusing
on her. "Sandy," he murmurs,
his voice still flat.
Sandy nods, her own
heart racing. She's seen
his fiery spirit, his sharp
mind, but this Plankton is
a puzzle of patterns and
sensitivity. She takes a
deep breath, trying to
mirror Karen's calm.
"Hi, Plankton," she says
slowly, her voice a gentle
wave lapping at the shore.
He looks at her, his antennae
twitching slightly.
"Sandy," he murmurs, his voice
still devoid of its usual
inflection. Sandy's eyes
well up with tears.
"Hey buddy," she says, her
voice a gentle ripple in the
calm waters of his room.
"How are you feeling?"
Plankton's antennae twitch
slightly, as if trying to
interpret the meaning
behind her words. His
eye blinks, focusing on her
face. "Okay," he says, his
voice a monotone as he
sits up.
Sandy nods, her heart
aching. "Do you
remember earlier
today when you
threw the tantrum?"
Plankton's antennae
wave erratically, his
eye widening. "No," he says,
his voice strained. "But
now, Plankton feels...
angry."
The room seems to
shrink around him as his
frustration boils over.
Sandy doesn't realize.
"You're not gonna throw
another tantrum, are you?"
With a sudden burst of
energy, he leaps to his
feet, his voice a guttural
howl. "No, no, no!"
Sandy's eyes widen
in shock. "Plankton
wh..."
But she's cut off by his
verbal tsunami, a rage-filled
torrent of words she's never
heard from him before. "No,
Sandy, NOT AGAIN!" he yells.
"IT'S NOT A TANTRUM!"
The room seems to
shiver with the force of his
voice, and Sandy's eyes
widen in shock, her paws
trembling.
"I'm sorry, Plankton," she
stammers, her voice
quavering. "I didn't mean..."
But he shouts, his
voice echoing off the
walls. "It's not a game,
Sandy! It's not for fun!"
The room seems to
shrink around him, his
words a storm raging
in the quiet sanctity
of his bedroom. Sandy
flinches back, her eyes
wide with shock and fear.
"Sandy not understand!"
Plankton screams, his
small body shaking with
the intensity of his
frustration. "And not
about the Krabby Patty
formula anymore! SANDY,
STOP!"
Sandy's eyes widen in
fear, her heart racing.
This isn't the Plankton
she knows. His rage
is uncontrolled, his voice
a knife cutting through
the calm.
"Plankton, please," she whispers,
her voice trembling. "I just...I
want to understand."
But Plankton is beyond
reason, his eye wild with
frustration. "It's not a tantrum!"
he screams, his antennae
quivering with rage.
Karen moves quickly,
placing herself between
Plankton and Sandy, her
body a shield.
"Plankton," she says,
her voice a gentle breeze
against the storm of his
rage. "You're upset. It's
okay."
Sandy sighs. "Is he gonna
throw another..."
"NO!" Plankton shouts, his
voice like thunder in the
small space. "It's not a
tantrum!"
Karen's eyes are filled
with a mix of fear and
determination as she
intervenes.
"Plankton," she says, her
voice a soothing balm,
cutting through the storm
of his anger. "You're
upset, and that's okay. But
please, let's talk about it
calmly."
Plankton's antennae
quiver, his eye flickering
between Karen and
Sandy. His chest heaves
with the effort to contain
his rage, his body a
coiled spring ready to snap.
Karen's voice remains
steady, a lighthouse in
his chaotic sea. "Let's
talk about it," she repeats,
her tone soothing.
Plankton's body relaxes
slightly, his antennae
still twitching with
residual anger. "It's not
a tantrum," he says, his
voice a harsh whisper.
"It's...overwhelming."
Karen nods, her eyes
never leaving his. "I know,
sweetheart," she says, her
voice a gentle caress. "Let's
talk about it."
Sandy watches from
the sidelines, her heart
still racing. She's seen
Plankton's fiery spirit, his
sharp intellect, but this
new side of him is
frightening. "But..."
"It's his autism," Karen
explains gently, her
hand on his shoulder.
"He can't always handle
the world's chaos. And
I understand you meant
to see if he's okay..."
"NOT A TANTRUM! NO
MORE, ENOUGH SANDY!"
Plankton snaps.
"I'm just telling her not to
say it. What other wording
can we use instead, Plankton?"
Karen rubs his arm.
Plankton's antennae
quiver, his eye searching
his brain for a solution. "Shutdown,"
he murmurs, his voice
barely audible. "Spasm's, Pauses.
Moment or mishap. Yes, yes."
Sandy nods, her
expression a mix of
understanding and
concern. "I'll remember
that," she says, her voice
soft. "I'm sorry, Plankton.
I didn't mean to upset you."
Plankton's antennae
slowing. "I'm sorry
Plankton," he
mumbles, his voice
exhausted.
Karen nods, her screen
filled with love. "It's
okay, love," she says,
helping him sit back down.
"You're okay."
Plankton nods, his
body still trembling with
the aftershocks of his
outburst.
Sandy watches him,
her eyes wide with
understanding. "I'm
sorry," she whispers, her
heart heavy with regret.
Plankton's antennae
quiver slightly.
"Well, I best be going,"
Sandy says.