TOOTH AFTERNOON v
With care, Karen spooned
a small amount of
ice cream into a bowl,
the coldness a stark contrast
to the room’s warmth. She brought
it to his mouth. “Here,
just a little bit at a time.
Let it melt a bit, okay?” she
instructed, her voice a soft
reminder of the care he needed.
Plankton’s eye widened
as the chilled sweetness
touched his tongue. He took
small, tentative licks, the taste
familiar yet foreign in his
numbed mouth. “Mmh...goog,”
he murmured, his words still
slurred.
Karen watched with
affection, her heart swelling
with love as she fed him.
The simple act of caring for
him in this vulnerable state
was a testament to their bond,
stronger than the Krabby
Patties they’d fought over countless
times. She knew he’d be back
to his usual antics soon enough.
“Tank...you,” he
managed, his
voice still thick.
Karen’s smile was a
soft embrace. “You’re welcome,
Plankton. Now, let’s get you
comfortable. Here, lie back down,”
she said, her voice a gentle
reminder of the care he needed.
Plankton’s body complied, his
head sinking back into the
pillow with a sigh. Karen
carefully placed the bowl of
ice cream on the bedside table.
“Rest now, Plankton. I’ll be
right here if you need
anything,” she whispered.
Plankton’s eye searched hers,
his thoughts slowly coming into
focus. “Ish...okay, Karen,”
he mumbled, his speech still
slurred as he closed his eye again.
Karen watched him, her
heart a gentle symphony of
relief and love. She knew the
recovery would be long, but
the worst was over. With
careful movements, she stood and
dimmed the light, leaving just
a soft glow from the lamp
in the corner. She sat back
down, her chair a silent sentinel
in the quiet room.
The hours ticked by, and
Plankton’s snores grew more rhythmic,
his body finally relaxing into
deep sleep. Karen’s thoughts
wandered to the days ahead,
planning his care, his meals,
his pain relief, and the moments
of joy she’d weave into his recovery.
The soft glow of dawn
filtered through the curtains.
Plankton’s eye fluttered open,
his mouth throbbed with the echoes
of the surgery.
Karen stirred in the chair beside him,
her eyes opening to the sight of him
awake. She had spent the night
in vigil, ready to ease his pain.
“Morning, Plankton. How’re you feeling?”
she asked, her voice a gentle melody.
Plankton’s eye searched hers,
his thoughts groggy from the
remnants of sleep. The anesthesia
worn off overnight, leaving him
more aware.
“Morning...whath...whath’sh...”
his voice was a croak.
Karen’s smile was a gentle
awakening. “Good morning,
sweetie. You had your
wisdom teeth removed. Do you
remember?” she asked.
Plankton’s eye searched hers,
his mind a foggy haze. “Tesh?” he
mumbled, his mouth a swollen
cavern. “I only remember getting
set up for surgery, then...nothing.”
Karen’s smile was a warm
comfort. “Don’t worry, love. That’s
normal. The anesthesia can
make everything after that
a bit fuzzy. But you’re home now,
and you’re going to be ok,”
she assured him, her voice a gentle
caress in the early morning quiet.
Plankton’s gaze searched
the room, the unfamiliarity
of his surroundings briefly
unsettling him before he
recognized the comfort of
their bedroom. He shifted slightly,
his jaw protesting with a
dull throb. “Whath time ish it?”
he mumbled, his speech still
slow and thick. “And what the
barnacles happened?”
Karen’s chuckle was a soft
symphony of amusement. “It’s
morning, Plankton. And as for
what happened, after you had your
wisdom teeth removed, you had a bit
of a loopy day. But now you’re home,
and it’s time to star…”
Plankton’s eye grew wide with
realization. “Loopy?” he
repeated, his voice still
slurred. “How loopy?”
Karen’s laugh was a soft
symphony of memories. “Oh,
you were quite the entertainment,
Plankton. You talked about
floobydust and bishbath, and
thought it was still morning
all afternoon. You even
tried to sit up and look around
while you had that IV in your
arm!” she said, her voice filled
with gentle teasing.
Plankton’s eye grew wider with
each word, his mind racing to
fill in the gaps. “IV? Did it
hurt?” he mumbled, his voice
a sluggish river.
Karen’s smile was a gentle
reminder of his bravery. “No,
sweetie. You were asleep for
the surgery. You don’t remember
because of the anesthesia. But
don’t worry, I’m here to fill you
in on the details you miss,” she
said.
Plankton’s eye searched hers,
his curiosity piqued. “Tell meh...
whath happened?” he asked, his
voice a slurred plea for clarity.
Karen’s smile grew, her voice
a gentle stream of words. “Well,
you were a bit out of it. You talked
about wanting to see the lobby,
even though we were in the
recovery room. But I’ll start with
the anesthetic. After they set up,
they administered the sleepy juice,
and you were out like a light, then
they took your teeth out, no problem at all,”
she recounted, her words a soothing
balm to his confusion.
Plankton’s eye searched hers.
“Out like a light? How…”
Karen’s smile was a soft
reminder of his resilience. “Yes,
you were out cold. Right after
they put the IV in, you just
closed your eye and went to sleep
with an adorable snore. And the
surgery went perfectly. No
complications at all,” she said,
her voice a gentle reminder
of his strength. “And right before
you first woke up from the anesthesia,
I noticed you had a bit of drool.
It was cute, really,” she added,
trying to lighten the mood with a
chuckle.
Plankton’s eye searched hers,
his mind racing with questions.
“What else...Drool?” he asked.
Karen’s chuckle was a warm
symphony of shared moments.
“Don’t worry; you were so tired,
you didn’t even wake up when
I had to change your gauze,”
she said, her voice a gentle
reminder of his vulnerability.
Plankton’s hand reached up to
his mouth, his fingers
exploring the foreign presence.
“Gauze? Why?” he mumbled, his
speech still thick with sleep.
Karen’s voice was a soft
explanation. “It’s to help
the bleeding stop, love. After
they took your teeth out, they put
some gauze in to help with
the clotting. You had to keep
it in for a bit, but you slept
through most of it. You were
a real trooper, barely even stirred,”
she said, her words a gentle
reminder of the surgery’s aftermath.
Plankton’s mind was a
whirlwind of confusion and
questions. “What about the
lobby and the ice cream?” he asked,
his words still slurred but growing
clearer with each passing minute.
Karen’s smile was a gentle
reminder of his delirious state.
“You kept asking to see the
lobby because you were still
under the anesthesia’s influence.
And the ice cream was for later,
once we got home. It’s still in the
freezer, waiting for you to wake up
and have it for yourself,” she said,
her voice a soft narrative of
his hazy day.
Plankton’s mind slowly
pieced together the puzzle.
“But why did I want to see
the lobby?” he asked, his
speech clearer now.
Karen’s smile was a soft
illumination. “You were just
confused, love. Sometimes
after anesthesia, people say
things that don’t quite make
sense. It’s normal,” she said, her
voice a gentle guide through
his foggy memories.
Plankton’s gaze searched hers,
his thoughts a tapestry of
question marks. “But why did I
drool?” he slurred, his curiosity piqued.
Karen’s laugh was a sweet
symphony of care. “It’s just a side
effect of the anesthesia. Don’t
worry, you were out cold. You
didn’t even know it was there,”
she said, her voice a gentle
reminder of his oblivion.
Plankton’s eye searched hers,
his mind still trying to make
sense of the day. “But the
ice cream? Did I get any?”
he asked, hope in his voice.
Karen’s smile grew, her eyes
twinkling. “Oh, Plankton. You
can have some now, if you
want,” she said, standing up to
fetch the frozen treat.
Plankton’s eye lit up with
anticipation. “Yesh, pleash,”
he murmured, his mouth still
uncomfortable.
Karen returned with the
chocolate chip cookie dough
ice cream, a spoonful held out
for him. She watched as he took
it into his mouth, the coldness
causing him to flinch before
his expression softened into one
of pure bliss. The sweetness
and the coldness of the ice cream
was a soothing balm to his sore
mouth, and he took another spoonful.