CHIP ON THE SHOULDERS i
(By NeuroFabulous)
Chip, son of Karen
and Plankton, came
home from summer
camp early one day.
Chip's mother, Karen,
greeted Chip. Plankton, his
father, was a quirky
little fellow, known
for his ingenious
inventions that often
failed, but never
dampened his spirit. So
Chip decides to go find
his father eagerly.
Plankton was on his
own bed in the room
he shared with Karen.
The door swung open,
slamming against the
wall, and in burst Chip.
He threw himself onto
Plankton's bed, not
noticing his father's
flinch at the sudden
noise and movement.
"Dad! Dad! You
won't believe what I
learned at camp! I
made a new friend, and
we did the coolest science
project together! It's like
you're always saying, science
can make anything taste
good!" Yet it was too much for his
overwhelmed body to handle. Plankton's
eye glazed over, his body
still as a statue, frozen in
the midst of his usual
frenetic energy. Chip's chatter
trailed off as he stared at his
father, confused. "Dad? Are
you okay?" Chip stepped closer,
noticing the way he didn't
move, not even to blink. Panic
clawed at his chest.
The room grew
silent, save for the
ticking of a clock in
the corner. The vivid
colors of Chip's camp
t-shirt seemed to dull in
contrast to Plankton's unnatural
stillness. The boy's mind raced,
trying to understand what was
happening. He knew his dad
was quirky, but this was different.
It was like the gears in Plankton's
brain had stopped turning, leaving
his body an empty shell.
Chip reached out with a
trembling hand, placing
it on Plankton's shoulder.
The cold, unyielding feel of his
father's skin sent a shiver
down his spine. "Dad?" he
whispered, voice shaking with
fear. "Wake up, please." His voice
was a mere echo in the room,
bouncing off the walls and
returning to him, unheard.
Panic swelled in his
chest, pushing aside
the excitement from moments
before. Chip knew his dad
was different, had always been
different, but this... this was
new, this was terrifying.
Here, in their tiny house
in the Chum Bucket, Plankton's
breathing remained steady,
but his eye were vacant.
The young boy's mind
whirred, trying to piece together
his father's sudden stillness.
Plankton had always been
a whirlwind of ideas and
energy, but now he sits there,
silent and unresponsive. Chip's
fingers tightened on Plankton's
shoulder.
"Dad, please," Chip
began to plead, his voice
cracking with emotion. He
shook him gently at first,
then more urgently, but the
small figure remained unmoved.
He tried to shake his
father again, more firmly
this time, but Plankton was
still as stone. His eye were
open, but there was no spark of
life. The only sound
was the frantic panting of
his own breaths.
"Dad, come on! You're scaring
me!" Chip's voice grew
desperate. He felt tears
prickling at the corners of his
eyes, but he blinked them
back. He couldn't let fear
overtake him now. He had to
help his dad.
He patted Plankton's cheek,
then called out louder, "Daddy,
snapshot out of it!" Still no
response.
He tried calling again, louder
now, but Plankton remained eerily
silent. He grabbed the nearest
item, a rubber spatula from
his dad's invention bench, and
waved it in front of his father's
face. Nothing. Not a blink, not
even a twitch. "Dad, wake up!" But Plankton
just sat there, his gaze
fixed on some unseen point
on the wall.
Chip's thoughts spun out
of control. He had to get
his mother. She'd know what to
do. "Mom,
something's wrong with Dad.
He won't wake up!"
Karen rushed in. She
took in the scene and
immediately knew that Plankton
was in the grip of a shutdown.
An intense reaction
to overstimulation for someone
on the spectrum, like his
autism. "Chip, sweetie,
back away," she said gently, pushing
his hand off Plankton's shoulder.
Karen had
always tried to protect her son
from the reality of his father's
condition. But now, she realized,
it was time for Chip to learn.
Her voice was calm and
soothing as she approached
Plankton. She sat beside him
on the bed, her hand resting
on his cold, stiff arm. "Chip,
sometimes Daddy's brain gets
too full." She looked
up at her son, her screen filled
with both sadness and love.
Chip stared at her,
his mind racing. "What do we do?"
he asked, his voice a whisper.
"We just need to wait," Karen
replied, her voice steady. "It's like
his brain's gone on a little vacation.
Give him some space, okay?"
Chip nodded, though he didn't
fully understand. He stepped back
and watched his mother gently
stroke Plankton's arm.
Curiosity began
to bubble up
inside him, mixing
with the fear.
Chip stepped
back from the bed,
his screen wide with
wonder and worry.
He studied his father
intently, as if trying
to solve a puzzle.
Oblivious to his own
fear, Chip tiptoed closer
once more, his curiosity
getting the better of him.
He leaned in, peering
closely at Plankton's
expressionless face. "What's
happening to him, Mom?"
Karen took a deep breath,
trying to find the right words.
"It's like his brain needs
a break, Chip. Sometimes,
his mind gets too busy, and
his body just stops so he can
recharge."
Chip's screen searched his
mother's, looking for more.
"But why is he so still?"
he pressed, his curiosity
refusing to be quenched.
Karen sighed softly, her
fingers still moving in soothing
circles on Plankton's arm. "It's like
his brain is taking a nap," she
explained. "When he gets too
much information or feels too much,
his body just stops to help him cope."
Chip nodded, his
young mind working overtime.
"Can I talk to him?"
Karen looked down at
Plankton, her gaze filled with
concern. "You can," she said
softly, "but he might not
hear you right now. Give him
some quiet."
Chip nodded, but
his curiosity couldn't be
stilled. "Can't I tell him
about my day?"
Karen squeezed
his hand gently.
"You can, but remember,
his brain is resting.
He might not
understand everything
you say. But it's
okay to whisper comforts
to him. Sometimes
just hearing your voice
can be comforting."
With a nod, Chip
whispered his questions,
his voice barely audible
above the clock's tick.
"Dad, can you hear me?
What's it like when your
brain takes a nap?"
He paused, waiting
for some sign of life,
but Plankton remained
still.
Karen watched her son
carefully. She knew
this was a crucial moment
for him, learning to navigate
his father's complex world.