A PLANKTON FAMILY STORY v
(By NeuroFabulous)
Karen held Plankton tightly,
his sobs shaking both of them.
"It's okay," she murmured,
stroking his back. "You're still
my husband. You're still Chip's
dad." Her voice was a salve
to his soul, but the wound
was deep.
In Chip's room, the silence
was deafening. He sat on
his bed, staring at the wall,
his thoughts racing. He had
never meant to hurt Plankton
like that. He had just wanted
his dad to be like everyone
else's. He didn't understand
why it had to be so hard.
Outside, the sound of Karen
trying to comfort Plankton's
sobs drifted under the door,
each one a knife in Chip's heart.
He had never heard his dad
cry before, and it made him feel
like the biggest jerk in the sea.
What had he done? He didn't
want Plankton to go anywhere.
He just wanted all to be okay.
He sat on his bed, his eyes
blurring with tears as he tried
to piece together what had just
happened. His mind raced with
thoughts of his dad, his hero,
his rock, now a crumbling
mess in his mother's arms. He
couldn't bear to think of the
pain he had caused. He stood up, his legs
shaking slightly as he approached
the door.
Karen looked up at him, her eyes
red-rimmed and tired, but filled with
a fierce love that never wavered. Plankton
was still sobbing into her shoulder,
his body trembling with the force of
his pain. Chip felt like he couldn't breathe,
his chest tight with regret.
"I'm sorry," he choked out, his voice
small and shaky. "I didn't mean it.
I just..." But the words trailed off,
his throat thick with unshed tears.
Karen looked up at him, her eyes
brimming with a mix of love and
disappointment. "Chip," she said, her
voice firm but gentle, "you need to
understand. Your dad can't just turn
his autism off." She took a deep
breath, her gaze never leaving
Chip's. "And we love him just the way
he is."
Plankton's body convulsed with
each sob, his fear palpable in the
tiny room. He had always known
his condition set him apart, but
to hear his son say such things...
It was more than he could bear.
Karen looked at Chip, her
expression a mix of anger and sadness.
"Chip, what you said was hurtful,"
she began, her voice shaking with
emotion. "But you need to know
that your dad's autism is just
part of who he is."
Plankton's sobs grew quieter,
his body slowly calming down
as he heard Karen's words.
He knew she was right, but the
fear remained, a cold knot in his
stomach. Fear of rejection, fear of
being seen as a burden, fear
of losing the ones he loved most.
Chip's eyes were glued to the
floor, the weight of his words
pressing down on him like a
heavy stone. He felt like a
monster, a creature that had
lashed out without thought for the
consequences. He took a tentative
step forward.
"Dad," he whispered, his voice
choking with tears. "I didn't mean it.
I didn't mean any of it."
Plankton's convulsions slowly
subsided, his body still tense
against Karen's embrace. His eye
was closed tightly, as if trying to
block out the painful reality.
Plankton's convulsions grew less
intense, his body slowly relaxing into
Karen's embrace. His breathing was ragged,
his antennas quivering slightly with each
exhale. The look in his eye spoke volumes, a
swirl of emotions that seemed to
mirror the turmoil in Chip's own heart.
The room was a stark contrast to the chaotic
underwater world outside, the silence
interrupted only by the occasional
sniffle from Plankton. Karen's gaze never
left Chip's face, her expression a mix
of love and disappointment.
"Your father's autism is
a part of him, Chip,"
she continued, her voice
measured. "It's like
his brain has its own
language, and sometimes
it's hard for him to
translate it to ours. But
that doesn't make him any
less of a person,
or any less of a dad."
Chip felt a knot in his
stomach, his regret growing
with every word Karen said.
He had never thought about
it like that before—his dad
wasn't broken or weird, just
different. And he had hurt
him so badly.
"But I just want him to be
normal," he whispered, his voice
cracking. "Why ca--"
"Normal?" Plankton's voice was
harsher than Chip had ever heard it.
He pulled away from Karen, his
eye blazing with a fierce intensity.
"Chip, maybe you're the one who
needs to leave.."
"Plankton," Karen said, her voice a
plea. "This isn't helping." But Plankton's
face was a mask of pain and anger.
Chip's heart raced, his dad's words
cutting deeper than any insult he
had ever heard. "Dad," he said,
his voice trembling. "I didn't mean it."
But Plankton was beyond
reason, his emotions a swirling
maelstrom of anger and hurt. "Get out,"
he said, his voice cold and final.
Karen's eyes widened with shock,
but she knew better than to argue
with him when he was like this. She
stood, carefully setting Plankton aside.
He didn't move, just sat there,
his body rigid with pain. "Come on,
Chip," she said gently, her hand on his
shoulder. "Let's give your dad some
space."
Chip's eyes were filled with tears,
his heart breaking at the sight of his
father's pain. He didn't know what to do,
his mind racing with fear and regret.
He allowed Karen to lead him out of the
room, the door clicking shut behind
them, leaving Plankton alone with his
thoughts.