𝖣𝖠𝖱𝖤 𝖳𝖮 𝖡𝖤 𝖣𝖨𝖥𝖥𝖤𝖱𝖤𝖭𝖳
(𝖡𝗒 𝖭𝖾𝗎𝗋𝗈𝖥𝖺𝖻𝗎𝗅𝗈𝗎𝗌) pt. 3
Chip looked up, his eyes
reflecting the confusion
he felt. "What happened,
Mom?" he asked, his voice
smaller than usual.
Karen took a deep breath,
trying to keep her anger
in check. "Your dad is upset,"
she began, her voice tight.
"You used a word that hurt
his feelings."
Chip's eyes widened in
shock. "What wor—"
"Don't lie to me," Karen
snapped, her voice
unusually harsh. "I know
what you said. That word
is not okay."
Chip looked at her,
his face a picture of
innocence and confusion.
"But it's just what
you said," he protested.
"What?" Karen's voice
was a mix of anger and
despair. "I only talked
about your dad's
autism, Chip. I never
called him that."
Chip had only been
trying to repeat what
he thought she had
told him. "But I didn't
know it was bad," he
whispered, his eyes
welling up. "I just didn't
know what to call it."
Karen sat by him. "Do you
understand why Dad was
upset?"
Chip nodded, his eyes
brimming with tears. "But I
didn't know it was a
bad word," he said, his
voice cracking. "What's it
mean?"
Karen took a deep breath,
trying to keep her emotions
from overwhelming her. "It's
a very hurtful word," she
explained gently. "It's used
to hurt of people who are
different, like those who have
neurological conditions like
your dad's. It's not right,
and it's not even accurate."
Chip felt his heart sink.
"But Mom," Chip protested,
"I didn't mean it like th-"
Karen's voice was firm
but not without gentleness.
"It doesn't matter how
you meant it, Chip. That word
is not acceptable. It's
hurtful and it makes people
feel less than who they are.
Your dad is not 'that'. He's
just your dad, and he loves
you more than anything."
Chip looked down,
his screen blurring with
tears. He hadn't meant
to cause pain, but the
realization of what he'd
done made his stomach
twist with guilt. "I'm sorry,"
he mumbled, his voice
barely audible.
Karen sighed, her
frustration dissipating into
sadness. She knew her son
wasn't cruel—just confused.
"I know you didn't mean it,
Chip," she said, her voice
softening. "But it's important
that you know that words
have power. They can build
people up or tear them down."
Chip nodded, feeling
the weight of his
mistake. He had never
seen his mother so upset,
and he hated that he was
the cause.
"Let's go talk to Dad," Karen
said, her voice softening.
"We need to tell him that
you didn't mean it, and that
you understand now."
They walked back to
the bedroom, Karen's hand
in his. Plankton sat on
the bed, his back to them.
"Daddy?" Chip's voice
was tentative. Plankton's
body tensed, his antennae
twitching with the effort
not to turn around.
"It's okay, Plankton,"
Karen said softly, stepping
forward. "Chip didn't
know that word was
hurtful. He's sor-"
Plankton's antennae shot
up, his eye burning with
a mix of sadness and pain.
"How could you, Karen?"
he spat out, his voice
shaking. "You, of all people.
How could you let him
think that about me?"
Karen stepped closer,
placing a gentle hand on
his shoulder. "I didn't,
Plankton. Chip just heard
me mention your autism
and he didn't underst--"
But Plankton jerked away,
his antennae quivering with
frustration. "That's not
what he said!"
Karen's screen filled with
puzzlement. "What did
he say, then?"
"That you said I was..."
Plankton paused, his antennae
drooping. "That I was...
that."
Karen's eyes searched
his face, her heart breaking.
"Plankton, no. I swear, I
would never use that word
for you. You're not 'that'.
You're just you—my love,
my partner, Chip's dad. Autism
is just a part of yo-"
But Plankton was
too caught up in his own
turmoil to hear her. "It's
always been there," he
whispered, his antennae
drooping. "Everyone else
can see it. Why couldn't
I?"
Chip watched, feeling
his own heart break at the
sight of his dad's pain. He
wanted to fix it, to make
everything right again.
"Daddy," he said, his voice
shaking with emotion. "I
don't think you're that way.
You're just... Daddy."
Plankton's antennae
perked up slightly at the
sound of his son's voice. He
turned to face them, his eye
swollen with unshed tears.
"I'm sorry," Chip continued,
his voice trembling. "I didn't
know that word was bad.
I just wanted to tell you
how much I love y—"
"Love?" Plankton choked out,
his antennae twitching. "How
can you love someone who's...
who's like me? After all, you
just called me tha-"
"Daddy, I didn't know it
was bad," Chip said, his
voice filled with sincerity.
"But I do now. And it doesn't
change anything. You're still
my dad. You're still the best
person I kno—"
But Plankton can't bear
to hear any more. "Get
out!" he roared.
Karen and Chip stared at
his outburst, shocked by
his sudden anger. They
could see the pain in
his eye, the deep-seated
fear of being misunderstood.