AUTISM IN THE PLANKTON FAMILY iv
(Autistic author)
The front door clicked open, and
Hanna poked her head in, expression
uncertain. "Hi! Is he ok?" she asked,
her voice barely a whisper.
"Come in," Karen called out softly,
noticing Hanna's worried features.
Hanna stepped into the room, her
movements cautious.
Plankton rocked
slightly in his chair, a subtle
motion that Karen recognized as
his way of self-soothing. It was a
stimming behavior, something he
does now.
Hanna looked from Karen to Plankton,
her gaze questioning. Karen nodded
reassuringly. "He's okay," she
whispered. "He just needs a
moment."
Plankton sat in his chair, his
body moving gently in a rhythmic
rock. It was a new behavior, one
he'd developed since the
diagnosis. Karen had read about
stimming in her research and knew
it helped him to regulate his
sensory input.
Hanna, who had returned with a
cautious hopefulness, took a seat
across from them, curious
as she watched Plankton's
movements.
"What's he doing?" Hanna asked
softly, her voice filled with
concern.
Karen glanced at Plankton,
his body swaying gently in the chair.
"It's called stimming," she explained
calmly. "Plankton, Hanna's here. Do
you want to tell her about what's
happened with you?"
He stopped rocking, his antennae
twitching. He took a deep breath
and nodded slightly.
Hanna leaned in, her eyes full of
sympathy. "What happened, Plankton?"
she asked gently.
Plankton took a deep breath,
his antennae still. "Plankton...
autistic," he murmured, his voice
barely audible.
Hanna's expression shifted from
confusion to concern. "What does
that mean?" she whispered.
Karen took a deep breath,
preparing to explain. "It means
his brain works differently now.
He's more sensitive to sounds,
textures, lights, everything. And
sometimes, it's just too much."
Hanna's eyes widened, her grip
on the chair tightening.
He swallowed hard, his gaze
dropping to his trembling hands.
"Fight," he began, his voice
still a whisper. "With Krabs."
Her screen filled with
understanding, the pieces
falling into place. "The fight
gave you...this?" she asked, her
voice tentative.
Plankton nodded, his antennae
twitching slightly. "Krabs hit
head," he murmured. "Too much."
The words were simple, but clear.
Hanna's eyes filled with tears
as she looked from Karen to
Plankton. "Oh, Plankton," she
whispered. "I had no idea."
Plankton nodded slightly, his gaze
fixed on his hands. Karen watched
his struggle to communicate, her
heart breaking for him. She knew
autism was a part of him now.
Hanna reached out tentatively,
her hand hovering over Plankton's
shoulder. "Can I...?"
But Plankton flinched, his antennae
shooting up.
"No," he murmured, his voice
strained.
Hanna's hand hovered in midair,
uncertain. She looked to Karen for
guidance. Karen's expression was
sad, but firm. "He's touch averse now,
Hanna," she said gently. "It's part of
his condition. But thanks for asking."
Hanna nodded, her eyes never leaving
Plankton's. She could see the fear
in his eye, the way he shied away
from her touch. She felt a pang of
regret for her earlier behavior.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, her voice
filled with sincerity. "I'd never hurt you.."
Plankton's gaze remained on the
floor. "No touch," he said firmly, his
voice shaky but determined.
Hanna nodded, her hand dropping
back to her side. "Okay," she whispered,
respect in her tone. "I'll remember."
The doorbell rang, a sharp
intrusion into the quiet of their
makeshift sanctuary. Plankton's
head snapped up, his antennae quivering
with the sudden noise. Karen
stood quickly, moving to the door.
"I'll get it," she murmured to
Plankton, her hand on the doorknob.
"Remember, it's okay."
Plankton nodded, his antennae
still. The door swung open to reveal
Karen's gal pal Sandy, face lit up
with a smile. "Surprise!" she
exclaimed, her voice too loud for
Plankton's heightened hearing.
Sandy didn't notice the tension
in the room, her eyes bright with
excitement. "I brought cookies!"
she chirped, holding out a plate of
sugary goodies.
Plankton flinched at the sound of
her voice, the sudden change in
environment jolting his senses.
He felt his heart rate spike, his
body preparing for fight or flight.
Sandy saw Karen and Hanna sitting
in front of Plankton.
Sandy knew Plankton's always a
loner, so she didn't catch on, nor
does she know about what
happened to him this week.
"Hi Plankton!" she said cheerfully,
completely unaware of the
sensory minefield she'd just
stumbled into.
Plankton's antennae twitched with
discomfort, the sudden burst of
sensory input overwhelming him. He
swallowed hard, trying to
maintain composure.
"Hi, Sandy," Karen said, her
smile forced. She took the plate
of cookies, hoping to diffuse the
situation. "Thanks for the surprise."
But Sandy's gaze was on Plankton,
who sat stiffly in his chair. "Howdy,"
she said, her voice a little
too bright. "How are you?"
Plankton didn't look up, his
body tense.
"Why ain't ya talking?" Sandy
asked, her cheerfulness fading.
Plankton's antennae twitched, his
body tightening. "Sandy," he murmured,
his voice barely audible.
Sandy's smile faltered, her eyes
narrowing. "What's with you?" she
snapped, her voice sharp. "You're
acting weird!"
Plankton flinched at the harsh
tone, his antennae drooping. He
couldn't explain, not with words
that made sense to him. "No."
He says.
Sandy's smile disappeared, replaced
by a scowl. "What do you mean, 'no'?"
she demanded. "I don't get it,
why are you being so rude, even for you?"
Her voice was loud.
Plankton's eye darted around the
room, searching for an escape from
the confrontation. He felt the
familiar panic rising, his heart
beating faster.
But Sandy wasn't having it. "You
usually got a lot to say, Plankton,"
she said, her tone accusatory.
"What's wrong with you?"
Plankton's antennae flattened
against his head, his eye darting
nervously around the room. He
could feel the pressure building,
his ability to communicate slipping
away under the weight of her
frustration. "Sorry," he murmured,
his voice a mere whisper.
Sandy's frown deepened. "Sorry?
What for? You're acting like a
sulfur-brain, Plankton!"
Her words were a slap to his face,
each syllable a jab at his already
fragile state.
"Can't ya at least say hi back‽"
She demanded.
"Hi back." Plankton replied.
Sandy thought he's trying to
be rude. "You're
always so full of it, but now you
can't even bother to talk?"
Her words cut through the
tension like a knife, slicing
into the quiet sanctuary they
had built. Plankton's antennae
twitched erratically, a silent
testament to his rising anxiety.
But Sandy was
on a roll, her frustration with
his lack of response fueling
her accusations.
"You know what? Forget it," she
huffed, throwing the cookies down
right in front of Plankton.
The sharp clatter of the plate
was like a gunshot to his
overstimulated senses. He
flinched, his antennae shooting
straight up. "It's like you're not even
trying!" Sandy's voice was a
whirlwind of accusation.
Plankton felt his control slipping,
his thoughts racing. "Sandy,"
he tried again, his voice strained.
"Plankton not good now."
But Sandy's irritation had turned
to anger. "What's your problem,
Plankton? You've always been a
tiny troublemaker, but now
you can't even have a simple
conversation?"
The room grew tense, and
Plankton started rocking
trying not to let the tears
in his eye fall.
Sandy's eyes narrowed, her
frustration with Plankton's new
behaviors growing. "What's with
the rocking?" she snapped.
Plankton's rocking grew more
pronounced, his antennae
twitching rapidly.
Sandy got even more annoyed.
Her voice grew louder.
"Stop that!" she barked, startling
Plankton more. He stopped rocking
but he starts shaking.
Sandy's fury was a storm, her
words stinging like hailstones. "Why
are you acting so crazy?" she
demanded, her voice laced with
disgust.
Plankton's antennae drooped, his
body trembling. The room was too
loud, too bright, too much.
Sandy's tone grew sharper, her
frustration palpable. "What's gotten
into you, Plankton?" she snapped.
"You're acting like you're not even
here!" Plankton's eye darted to Karen,
his silent plea for help evident.
Karen took a deep breath,
stepping into the fray. "Sandy, I
need to tell you something," Karen
began, her voice steady
despite the storm of emotions
swirling within her. "There's
something we need you to know."
Sandy's scowl didn't fade. "What
could possibly be more important
than a simple hello?" she spat out.
Karen took a deep breath, her
hands clenched into fists at her side.
"It's not simple, Sandy," she began, her
voice tight. "Plankton had an accident.
A really bad one."
Sandy's expression morphed from
anger to confusion. "What do you mean,
an accident?" she asked, her voice
softening slightly.
Karen's screen was a mix of
sadness and determination. "He
got into a fight with Mr. Krabs,"
she said, her voice measured. "And
he hit his head. Hard.
It... changed him. Plankton's been
diagnosed with autism,
Sandy," she said gently.
Sandy's expression went from
confusion to shock. "What?" she
whispered, her anger forgotten.
Sandy looked at Plankton,
his antennae drooping, his body
shaking.
Her eyes filled with horror as
she took in the scene before her.
"Oh my stars," she breathed, her
hands reaching out.
But he shrank away from her.
"No touch," Plankton murmured, his
body curling inward, antennae
quivered with anxiety.
Her heart sank. "Oh, Plankton,"
she murmured, her voice filled
with regret.