"You know I hate
these early mornings,"
Plankton grumbled,
his eye squinting
against the glaring light.
Karen, his ever-patient wife,
offered a gentle smile,
her hand resting
firmly on his arm.
"It's just a simple
procedure," she assured
him, as he’s getting his
wisdom teeth removed
as a preventative measure.
The drive to the
surgery center was quiet,
except for the soft
hum of the car's engine
and the occasional
swipe of the windshield
wipers against the rain.
Plankton's stomach churned
with nerves, his
thoughts racing to
worst-case scenarios.
Karen noticed his
grip tightening on the
armrest and gave his hand
a reassuring squeeze.
Once they arrived,
the receptionist's
bright smile did
little to ease
Plankton's anxiety.
The waiting room smelled faintly
of antiseptic and mint,
a sterile combination that
always made him feel
somewhat uneasy.
They checked in,
and Karen filled out
the last of the forms
while Plankton nervously
tapped his foot, watching
the clock's second hand
move in slow, deliberate
marches around the face.
With a few moments
to spare, Karen discreetly
pulled out her phone and
started typing a group text
to her gal pals, Sandy and
Pearl.
"Plankton's about to get
his wisdom teeth out!
😨🦷💊" she wrote.
Her thumb hit send.
Sandy's response was almost
instant, "Good luck to him!
💪🤞 I'll be thinking of him!"
Pearl's message popped up
moments later, "Oh no, poor guy!
Send us updates, please! 🥺💔"
The nurse called Plankton's
name, and Karen gave his
hand a final squeeze as they
followed the nurse to the
operating rooml, her
thumbs poised over the
keyboard of her phone.
"Going in now. 🙏💛"
The room was cold and
clinical, with shiny
instruments gleaming in
the harsh overhead lights.
Plankton's breathing grew
shallow as he settled into
the chair, the paper crinkling
under him like a warning.
The anesthesiologist, Dr. Shell,
was a kind-faced crab with
a gentle demeanor that
somehow made Plankton feel
slightly less nervous.
"This won't hurt a bit," Dr.
Shell assured him, placing
a mask over Plankton before
the iv. "Just breathe deeply
and count back from twenty for me."
Plankton nodded, his heart
racing like a squirrel's in a
predator's gaze. He took a deep
breath and began to count,
his eyes never leaving Karen's.
"Twenty...nineteen...eigh-"
his voice trailed off as the
warm embrace of anesthesia
took hold, his eyelid growing
heavier by the second.
Karen waited until he was
fully asleep before sending
another text. "He's in! 🛃💤 I'll keep
you both posted." She watched
as the surgical team went to work,
their movements swift and precise.
Karen watched the surgery finish
and sat with him. He’s still asleep,
drooling a bit, but she couldn’t help
but smile at his peaceful snores.
The nurse nodded her way, indicating
everything had gone according to plan.
She took a picture of him sleeping
to send the gal pals.
"Success! 👨⚕️💤🦷" she texted,
including the photo. "The teeth
are out, and Plankton's snoring
like a champ!"
Sandy's response was swift,
"Phew! 😅 That's a relief. How's
the little guy holding up?"
Karen chuckled softly,
typing back, "Out cold, but
his snores are music to my
ears. 😂🎶"
Sandy's response was a
symphony of emojis, "🎉🥂 He's
gonna be so groggy when
he wakes up! Make sure
to get some funny videos
for our group chat! 📹😂"
Karen couldn't help but
laugh at the thought of
capturing Plankton's post-
op antics. She knew her
friends would get a kick
out of it. The nurse,
sensing her amusement, leaned
in and whispered, "You'll want
to keep an eye on him when
the anesthesia wears off. They
can get pretty loopy."
Karen nodded, her
thumbs dancing over the phone's
screen. "You bet I will. 😂🎥"
she texted back to Sandy.
The nurse returned with
a small cup of water and a set
of instructions. "Here you go.
Make sure he sips this slowly
once he's ready. And don't let
him have any solid foods for
a few hours. Just soups and
smoothies." Karen nodded,
still smiling at the thought
of Plankton's impending drowsy
adventure.
Her phone buzzed again.
It was Pearl this time, "Send us
the updates! 👀💃"
Karen looked down at Plankton,
his mouth now swollen and
his cheeks still numb as he slept.
With a smirk, she sent a
quick selfie of the two of them,
his mouth open and her thumb
up in the background. "Still hasn’t
woken up, but I'm ready for the
post-op show! 😂🤡"
Sandy's reply was, "Oh, the
joy of modern medicine. 😂💊👨⚕️"
The nurse returned with a
wheelchair to take Plankton
to the recovery area. Karen
helped his body sit up, and his
head lolled against her shoulder.
As they made their way down the hall,
his eye still remained closed.
Sandy responded to the
selfie with a string of laughing
emojis and a thumbs up. "You've
got this! 😂👍" Pearl's message
was a bit more dramatic, "Oh my
gosh, he looks like he's been
in a battle with a sea serpent
and lost! 🐉💨🤕" Karen couldn't
help but chuckle, despite her
exhaustion from the early
morning and the worry.
Plankton began to stir as the
wheelchair stopped.
"We're here," Karen whispered,
adjusting his pillow.
The nurse helped him into a
recliner, and Plankton's eye
flickered open, a look of confusion
spreading across his face.
"Whewe...an...I?" he slurred.
Karen held up the cup of water
and the nurse nodded. She brought
it to his lips, and he took a tentative
sip, wincing as the coolness hit
his numbed mouth. The sensation
was oddly comforting.
"Teef...?" Plankton managed to
ask, his voice thick with sleep
and the aftermath of the procedure.
Karen giggled at his speech,
snapping another photo of his
swollen, goofy smile. She sent
it to Sandy and Pearl, adding,
"Ahoy there, pirate Plankton! 🏴☠️🦷"
The responses came flooding in,
a river of laughter and well wishes.
"Looks like he found the
hidden treasure of pain relief! 😂💊💎"
Sandy texted.
"Send our regards to the
tooth fairy for us! 🧚♀️💃" Pearl added.
Their messages brought a warmth
to Karen's heart, reminding
her that she wasn't alone in
this moment, despite being miles
apart from her friends.
The nurse left them in the
recovery area, the steady beep
of monitors and the distant
mumble of patients and staff
filling the space. Plankton's
eye grew heavier, and he drifted
back to sleep, snoring gently.
Karen, now in charge of
documenting Plankton's recovery
for their amusement, sent another
update. "Pirate Plankton's
snoring symphony is in full
swing! 🐠💤🎶" This time, the
replies from her friends were
even faster, their emojis
reflecting the comical sight
of her husband.
Pearl's response was a string
of laughter and a band-aid emoji,
"Tell him not to talk to the fishes
about his treasure lost! 🐠🤐💨"
Karen giggled at the thought
and leaned in to whisper in
Plankton, "You've got fans
waiting for your tales of the deep,
captain." His snores grew louder,
a gentle sea breeze escaping
his mouth like a lullaby for
the fishes.
Her phone vibrated again.
Sandy had responded with a series
of emojis: "🐠💨💃💃💃" followed by
"Make sure he doesn't swipe
his treasure map with those
souvenir teeth! 🛃💃🐠"
Karen couldn't resist playing along,
sending a photo of Plankton's teeth,
now in a tiny plastic treasure chest,
along with the text, "Arrr, he's lost
his pearls, but the sea's still got
plenty more! 💎🐠🏹"
Sandy replied with a row of
clapping fish, "What a hero's journey
he's had! 🐠👏" and Pearl chimed in
with, "Those teeth are now part
of the ocean's legend! 🐠💃💃"
Karen's phone buzzed again,
and she saw that Sandy had sent
a meme featuring a lobster with
wisdom teeth, holding a tiny pirate
flag. "This is too much," she thought,
laughing quietly so as not to wake
Plankton. She showed him the meme
once he began to stir again. His
swollen smile grew wider, and he
managed a chuckle, his speech still
slurred. "Arrr, I'm the king of the
sea now, aren't I?"
Sandy texted back, "Definitely
the king of the dental seas! 🐠👑💃"
Pearl sent a GIF of a fish doing a
celebratory dance. "Your teeth are
now part of the ocean's treasure! 💃💃💃"
The playful banter between
the friends continued, with each
text bringing a little more life
to Plankton's droopy eye.