TO SEE OR NOT TO SEE
(by NeuroFabulous)
𓇼 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐆-𝟏𝟑 🕊️🩰🐚
Pt. 17
The next morning
Plankton groaned
awake, anesthesia
for his wisdom teeth
having worn off
during the night. He's
in his bed, by Karen's.
"Karen?" he mumbled.
His antennae
twitch as he looked
around, trying to
recall the previous day.
Karen stirred beside him,
her eyes opening sleepily.
"You okay?" she asked,
concern etching her
face. Plankton nodded, his
movements slow. "Mouth
hurts," he whispered, his
voice hoarse. Karen's smile
was filled with sympathy.
"It's normal, sweetie," she
soothed, her hand reaching
out to stroke his cheek.
"The surgery was yesterday.
It'll take a few days
for it to feel better."
Plankton's antennae
twitched as he tried to
sit up. The pain was
sharp, a reminder of
his ordeal. Karen knew
his autism would make
him impatient, knowing
his sensory sensitivities.
"Do you need anything,
sweetie?" she asked, her voice
gentle. Plankton was
always particular, but now,
his needs were magnified.
He shrugged. "Not right
now," he murmured.
Chip knocked softly
on the door, his heart
racing. He hadn't
seen his dad since last
night. "Hey, Dad," he
whispered, stepping into
the room. Plankton's
eye widened slightly, his
antennas quivering. "Chip?"
he said. Chip nodded, his
expression tentative.
"How are you feeling?"
Plankton's antennae
twitched. "Mouth hurts,"
he mumbled. "But I'm okay."
Chip nodded, his eyes
searching his dad's.
"Do you...do you rememb-"
Plankton's eye darted to the
side, his antennae quivering.
"I...I remember," he said, his
voice strained. "The de-"
"Dentist," Chip finished
for him, his voice gentle.
Plankton nodded, his gaze
flicking to Chip's face. "Yeah,
the dentist." He paused,
his antennae stilling. "It was
scary." "But I mean, what all do you
recall from yesterday, Dad?"
Plankton's antennae drooped
slightly as he searched
his mind. "I...I remember
the chair, the lights,"
he murmured, his voice
faint. "And the...the...uh,
the mask." His voice grew
smaller. "And then...
I felt myself waking up.
Anything else after that I...
I'm not sure; hopefully I've
done nothing foolish.."
Karen's eyes filled with
understanding. "You
were groggy, sweetie. It's
normal. You didn't do
anything weird." Plankton's
eye searched hers. "I...I talked
to you, right?" Karen nodded.
"Yes, you talked to me."
Plankton's antennae
twitched. "And Chip?"
he asked, his voice hopeful.
"You talked to him too,"
Karen assured him.
Chip stepped closer to
the bed, his eyes on his
dad's face. "You talked to me,
Dad," he said softly. "You
were just a bit out of it,
but we ta—"
Plankton's antennae
shot up. "What do you
mean I was out of it?"
Karen sighed, her eyes
soft. "You were a bit
confused, darling," she
explained gently. "The
anesthesia can make people
say things they might not
usually say." Plankton's eye
widened. "What things; Chip?
What made you to believe I
was out of it?"
Chip's cheeks flushed, but
he knew this was an
important moment for
his dad to understand.
"Well," he began, "you talked
about wanting pudding,
and you held my ha-"
Plankton's antennae shot
up. "I did WHAT?" he
interrupted, his voice
sharp with alarm. "I
held your hand?" Chip nodded,
his throat tight. "Yeah, Dad,
you asked if you could hold
my hand, I guess looking for
com--" "I did no such
thing!" His face flushed
with embarrassment.
Karen's eyes filled with
concern. "Plankton, it's
okay. It was just the
medicine. It was just
because you were so tired
and needed comfort."
Plankton's antennae
drooped with embarrassment
in front of Chip.
Chip knew his dad valued
his dignity highly and
his autism made social
interactions difficult.
He took a deep breath.
"Dad, it's okay. It's just
that you were really tired
and the medicine made
you say some things you
might not have meant."
Plankton looked up. "I kno—
I said stuff? What stuff?
What'd all I do?"
Karen stepped in, her voice
calm. "You just talked
about being tired, and
asked for pudding. That's
all." Plankton's antennae
twitched in relief. "Oh. Okay."
He lay back, his breath
evening out. "So I didn't look
or ac-"
"You were adorable," Chip
interrupted, trying to
lighten the mood. Plankton's
eye narrowed, his antennae
still. "What?" he asked, his
voice skeptical. "I was
what? How so, Chip?"
Chip shrugged, his smile
genuine. "In the car, you
fell aslee—"
"Chip," Karen warned,
interrupting him. She knew
his intentions were good,
but she also knew that Plankton
could become easily upset
by perceived patronizing.
But Plankton's always been
stubborn. "No, no; Chip, how'd
you know if I was asleep?"
Chip stumbled, trying to
explain without causing
distress. "You, uh, your snores
were...uh..."
Plankton's antennae perked
up, his eye focusing on Chip.
"WHAT?" he asked.
Karen chuckled. "Yes, dear,
you snore. But it's nothing
to be embarrassed about."
Plankton's cheeks flushed a
deep shade of red. "I do
not!" he protested. "You must
have heard the engine, or
something?"
Chip couldn't help but laugh,
his eyes sparkling. "No,
Dad, it was definitely you."
Karen's eyes crinkled with
amusement. "It's just your
snoring, Plankton," she said.
"It's cute, and I've heard it
numerous times before." Chip
just grinned, unable to hold
back his laughter any longer.
Plankton's antennae
drooped, his eye looking
between the two of them.
"Cute?" he murmured, his
voice filled with doubt. Karen
nodded, her smile warm.
"Yes, cute," Chip told
him. "It's just a part of
who you are, like your
stims.."
Plankton's antennae
twitched slightly at the
word 'stims'. He knew
about stimming, the way
his body moved when he was
nervous or overwhelmed. But
to hear it from Chip, to know
his son was still thinking of it,
was mortifying.
Chip, noticing his dad's
discomfort, quickly changed
the subject. "So, how
about that chocolate pudding?"
he chuckled, trying to ease
tension. But Plankton's
attitude remained.
Karen, ever the mediator,
stepped in. "You know what,
let's give each other some
space," she suggested, looking
at Chip. She knew Plankton's
limits and can tell when
he's overwhelmed.
Chip nodded, his
laughter dying down. "Okay,"
he murmured, stepping back.
Plankton's antennae
twitched as he lay there.
His hand began to move in
small, repetitive circles.
It was a stim, something
he did when restless.
"Why did I ask for pudding?"
he whispered to himself, his voice
tiny. "Why did I hold his
hand?" His antennae quivered
with the weight of his thoughts.
He had always been particular
about personal space, so the
idea of holding Chip's hand was
both confusing and disconcerting.
"It was the medicine," he murmured.
"Just the medicine. That's right. Just
the medicine. It's just me,
Plankton. I'm ok. Just a bit...different."
He paused, his antennae still.
"But I'm ok."
"Dad," Chip said softly. Plankton's
antennas shot up at the sound,
his stimming hand freezing.
He turned his head, his eye
finding Chip's face. "What
is it?" he asked, his voice
sharp. Chip approached the bed,
his gaze on his dad's hand,
still mid-motion. Plankton's antennae
twitched in irritation.
"Is that a stim, Dad?"
Chip said, trying to keep his
tone neutral. "You know,
like when you bounce your leg
or I ta-"
"I know what a stim is,"
Plankton snapped, his antennae
waving in annoyance. "Why
do you keep bringing it up?"
Chip took a step back, his
face falling. "I just...I'm
sorry, I didn't mean to-"
Plankton's antennae
twitched, his eye narrowing.
"No," he murmured. "It's...it's
because my mouth hurts."
Chip nodded, his gaze
focused. "But that's not all of
it, is i---"
Plankton's hand abruptly
stopped moving, his antennae
straightening. "What do you
know, Chip?" he asked, his
voice defensive. Karen
could see the hurt in Chip's
expression, but she knew
this was a boundary Plankton
needed to set.