𝖠𝖣𝖠𝖯𝖳𝖠𝖡𝖫𝖤 𝖥𝖠𝖬𝖨𝖫𝖸
(𝖡𝗒 𝖭𝖾𝗎𝗋𝗈𝖥𝖺𝖻𝗎𝗅𝗈𝗎𝗌) Pt. 26
The nurse checks
his vitals, then looks
at the family. "He's
going to be fine," she
reassures them. "This is
normal. Just keep
talking to him."
Sandy nods. "Plankton
what do you recall?"
Plankton's eye flickers
open again. "I... I
wuz... it wuz...
scawy! Buh feelth
wike a melting gill
sheesh san witch
floating. Karen thpinned
thoo! Thpun awound.."
Karen looked intrigued.
"I was spinny?" She asked
him. "Yesh," Plankton nods.
"Youw wiz." He tried to sit
up again.
Sandy couldn't help
but laugh harder. "Looks
like you had quite the
adventure, Plankton."
He nods, his antennae
bobbing. "I di'n't even
hafe tho weave de chaw
fo' de rollercoatheth,"
he mumbles, his voice
still slurred.
The nurse checks
his gauze and nods.
"Everything's going
as planned," she says.
"He's just feeling the
after-effects of the
anesthesia."
Plankton tries to
focus on the three
figures before him. "Youwre
aww... fuzzy," he murmurs,
his voice muffled by
the gauze. "Nurse?"
The nurse's smile widens.
"Yes, Mr. Plankton?"
"I had a mask,"
he slurs. "I wath...
thwimming wif... I din't
floth my teef?" He giggles
uncontrollably at the
thought. "Ith thweemed
wif... I dunno? I forgot
to floth yestewday. Sho
thad can'th be wight.."
The nurse and
Karen share an
amused glance,
while Chip tries to
keep a straight face.
"It's okay, Plankton,"
Karen says, her voice
trembling with laughter.
"You're okay. You're just
a little loopy right now.
Let it run its course,"
she says with a smile
as Plankton notices the
bandage on his hand.
"Oooh, accessowry?"
Plankton asks, staring at the
bandage where the IV was
removed, his eye squinting
in confusion. "I din't member,
how I geth thish?"
Karen chuckles, wiping
away a tear from her
eye. "You had surgery,
sweetie. They had to give
you something to make
you sleep through it, the IV."
Plankton's not following.
"I'vth? Whath's an I'vth?"
The nurse's laugh is
gentle. "It's a tube,
Mr. Plankton. It helped
you sleep." Plankton nods
slowly, still confused. "A
tube? Whath tube? I din't
thee any tube.."
Karen's smile widens.
"You had it in your
arm," she says, pointing.
Plankton looks down, his
eye still unfocused. "Oh,"
he says, his voice faint.
"I din't member thad.
Wheh dith thish tube thingy
happn’ nurse? Karen, member
the mask?"
The nurse nods. "You
were given a mask with
gas to help you sleep,"
she explains. "And then
we moved to the IV after
that. You're going to be
a little out of it for a
while, but that's normal."
Plankton processes
the information. "Oh,"
he says, his voice
slightly clearer. "Thath's
why I feelth wike I'vth
been hith by a party
balloon filled wifth...
wather?" He giggles,
his cheeks turning
pink. "I don't wike
balloonth. They pop
loud."
Chip can't help but
smile, seeing his
dad in this state.
It's like watching a
child discover the world
for the first time, all
over again. "You're okay,
Dad," he says, his voice
filled with affection as
Sandy goes to hug Plankton.
But Plankton flinches,
his antennae shooting up.
"No huggles!" He says,
his voice panicked. "I'm
thtick!" He tries to
push her away, but his
movements are slow
and clumsy. Sandy pulls back,
understanding. "It's okay,
Plankton," she says. "We're
just happy to see you. And
you're not sick, silly!"
Chip watches, his heart
warming at Sandy's gentle
tone. It's clear she's
learning too, adapting
to Plankton's quirks.
Plankton's eye finally
focuses on her. "Oh,
wight," he says, his voice
still slurred. "Ish thcared?
I'm mawwied to Karen and
she woffth meeeeeee!"
This sets off another
wave of laughter. "We
know, Plankton," Karen says,
trying to keep a straight
face. "But you're okay
now. No need to be
scared. Chip was a bit
scared though," she adds,
nudging their son with
her elbow. "But he's
brave for you."
Plankton looks at Chip,
his antennae drooping.
"Whewe's Chip? Can, can
shay hi? Shay hi to Chip?"
Chip leans in, his
laughter subsiding. "Hi,
Dad," he says gently.
"I'm right here."
Plankton's antennae
wave in recognition.
"Chip! Thpuny Chip!"
He slurs, his eye
widening. "Shay, shay
hi, Chip?"
Chip nods, his smile
soft. "Hi, Dad."
Plankton laughs.
"Hi Chip!" He says,
his voice still slurred.
"Youw... wookth...
so... biggew!" He
tries to sit up, but Chip
gently pushes him back down.
"Easy Dad," he says. "You
got stitches. We don't want
to pop those stitches, or—"
But Plankton's antennae
drop instantly. "Stitchesh?"
He says, his voice filled with
fear. "Stitchesh thurtth?"
He starts to panic, his
body tensing. The nurse
quickly intervenes. "Mr.
Plankton, no, no," she
soothes. "Chip, we gave
your dad strong but dissolving
sutures! They're specially
made for patients with a
history of seizures and special
needs. They're not like regular
sewing stitches. He'll be fine."
But Plankton's fear has
taken over, and his
single eye starts to
water. "I don't wike
stitchesh," he mumbles,
his voice shaking. "Karen
pwease, no stitchesh!"
Karen's heart breaks
seeing her husband so
upset. She takes his hand
again. "Plankton, no.
You don't have stitches
that hurt," she says, her
tone gentle and firm. "They
used special ones that
dissolve on their own.
Remember we talked about
this befo—"
But Plankton's
fear isn't easily
soothed. He starts to
hyperventilate, his
single eye wide with
panic. "Karen, Karen, no
stitchesh! No stitchesh!"
His antennae are
quivering, and his
body is tense. Chip
swallows hard, his
hands clenching into
fists at his side.
Karen's eyes fill
with tears, and she
quickly stands up. "Chip,
Sandy, I need you to go
wait outside for a
moment," she says,
her voice shaking. "Let me
talk to him alone."
Sandy nods, her own
concern etched on her
face, and gently
guides Chip out of the
recovery room. "Let's get
some air," she says,
leading him to the
waiting area. Karen and
the nurse turn to Plankton.
"Plankton," Karen says,
her voice calm yet
firm, as she sits on the
edge of the bed, her
hands gripping his. "Look
at me. Look at me."
Plankton's eye is
teary, his breathing
quick and shallow. "You're
safe," she whispers. "You
don't have the stitches that
hurt. Chip didn't know
about the dissolving
ones, that's why he said
that. But I know, and
you know, because we talked
about it. Remember?"
Plankton's antennae
quiver as he tries to
focus on her words, his
body slowly relaxing.
"Ditholvish..." he mumbles,
his voice small and
scared. "No stitchesh?
No popping!"
Karen nods, her
own eyes filling with
tears. "No stitches that
pop, love," she says. "You're
okay. You're safe." She
holds his hand tighter,
feeling his fear
dissipate slowly. "Remember
the plan? The one we
made together?"
Plankton's antennae
twitch, and he nods
slightly, his breathing
easing. "Yeth," he says,
his voice weak. "Dotholvish
stitchesh."
The nurse steps in,
her voice calm and
soothing. "Mr. Plankton,
your wife's right. We
used dissolving ones.
We just want you to
be careful because of
the pain can be worse
if you jostle too much."
Plankton's antennae
wave slightly, his
expression still fearful.
Karen nods. "We talked
about it, Plankton.
Remember the special
plan?" She whispers, her
eyes filled with love
and understanding. "You
have to stay calm and let
the medicine work. No
stitches to pop. No pain
like that. We discussed it
before, right? Now, let's
get ready to go home!"
Plankton's antennae
still, his breathing
steadies. He nods
slowly. "Home?" He
slurs, his mind still
fuzzy from the anesthesia.
"I wath... I wath
thcared of stitchesh."
Karen's smile is
relieved, her eyes
glistening with tears.
"You're safe, Plankton.
We're going home soon.
Ready to go?" She
strokes his cheek.
Plankton's antennae
wave in acknowledgment,
his single eye focusing
on hers. "Home," he
repeats her. "Yeth."
The nurse nods,
satisfied with his
response. "Alright,
Mr. Plankton; let's get
you into a wheelchair!"
With the nurse's help,
Plankton is transferred
to the chair, his legs
dangling over the
edge. "It's just to get
you to your car."
Plankton nods,
his eye still a bit
glazed over, but his
body more cooperative
now. His antennae
wave slightly as he
tries to sit up straighter.