ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 𝟷.𝟶𝟼ᴋ
At the Neptune Medical Center, Karen parks the car and goes with her husband Plankton into the building
after an injury to his antenna.
"I still don't see why you didn't press charges against Krabs, Sheldon," Karen sighs, as they walk through the
gleaming, sterile corridors of the medical center. "Karen I'm not gonna give him the satisfaction."
Plankton's antenna now hangs limp and damaged. The doctor had assured him it was a simple repair job, yet
Plankton's nerves were as frayed as the antenna itself.
They enter the reception area, the automatic doors whispering shut behind them, as if sealing off the outside
world's chaos. The smell of antiseptic fills the air, mingling with the faint scent of fear and hope. The
receptionist, a young squid with a friendly smile, looks up from her computer screen. "Mr. Plankton, your
appointment is with Dr. Marlin, the antenna specialist," she says, her tentacles typing efficiently. "You can go
straight to the third floor, room 304."
The elevator ride is silent, save for the rhythmic ding of each passing floor. Karen notices his distant gaze and
squeezes his arm reassuringly.
"You'll be fine, Sheldon," she whispers. Plankton nods.
They arrive at room 304, and Karen opens the door, revealing a state-of-the-art examination room. Dr. Marlin,
an octopus with a gleaming scalpel in one tentacle and a clipboard in another, looks up from his notes.
"Ah, Mr. Sheldon Plankton, right on time," he says, his eight eyes blinking in unison. "I understand you've had a
bit of an injury?"
Plankton nods, his voice tight. "Krabs... he... snapped it."
Dr. Marlin's tentacles twitch in concern. "Mr. Eugene Krabs, eh? He's had his share of accidents around here."
He scribbles something on the clipboard. "Well, let's get you fixed up. I've seen worse, and you're in good
hands."
The doctor leads Plankton to the examination chair, which is surprisingly comfortable for someone so tiny. He
adjusts the chair's height and angles the light to shine on the antenna. Plankton winces as the doctor gently
prods the damaged area.
"It's definitely snapped," Dr. Marlin says, his voice calm and professional. "But the good news is, it's not to far
gone. We can repair it with a simple procedure."
"You'll need to be under for this," he explains. "It's nothing to worry about. You'll be out Before you know it."
Plankton's heart races as he lies back in the chair, the cold metal pressing against his back. He glances at
Karen, who gives him a forced smile, her screen filled with concern. The doctor notices and pats his shoulder
reassuringly. "It's just a little sleep," he says. "You'll be back in no time."
Karen reaches for his hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.
The anesthesiologist, a bluefish with a gentle demeanor, enters the room, pushing a trolley with a variety of
bottles and tubes. She introduces herself as Nurse Bella and explains that she'll be administering the
anesthesia for the surgery. Plankton swallows hard, eye darting from her to Karen's screen and back again.
Karen's gaze follows the anesthesiologist, Nurse Bella, as she meticulously prepares.
"Ready? Count as high as you can," she asks, her voice as soft as a lullaby. Plankton nods, his grip on Karen's
hand tightening.
"One... two... three..." Plankton's voice starts strong, but the medicine's effect begins to take hold. His eyelid
grow heavy, and the numbers begin to slur.
Karen watches as Plankton's count descends into a whisper. "Five... six... sev..." His tiny hand relaxes in hers,
and his body goes slack. She watches the rise and fall of his chest slow as he succumbs to the anesthesia.
Karen squeezes his hand one last time.
The door to the exam room opens again, and Dr. Marlin's head pokes out.
"Everything's gone well," Dr. Marlin says, peering over his mask. "We're to halt anesthesia."
"You're okay," Karen whispers, her voice cracking. "You're okay."
"He's doing great," the nurse whispers. "You can talk to him if you'd like. Sometimes they can hear you."
Karen leans closer, her voice low and soothing. "Hey, Plankton, it's Karen. You're safe now. They've fixed your
antenna. No more pain, okay?"
Her thoughts are interrupted by a soft groan from the bed.
Karen's screen snap to Plankton, who's beginning to stir under the blankets. "Shh," she whispers, stroking his
arm. "You're safe."
"K...Karen?" His eye opens.
"Yes, it's me. You're okay, you're in the hospital. They've fixed your antenna."
"Karen... antenna... Krabby Patty... wait, what?" He giggles, the words jumbling together in a way that makes
no sense.
Plankton's eye widen with childlike excitement. "Oh, right! The antenna!" He tries to touch the bandage but
ends up nearly slapping himself in the face with his own arm. "Oops!" He giggles again, the sound echoing
through the quiet room. He tries to sit up, but cannot. "Whoa, Nelly!"
"Easy," Karen laughs.
"I'm the king of the jellyfish prom! They got no flair!"
Once in the car, Karen buckles him in with care, double-checking the seatbelt. "Remember, no funny business,"
she warns.
Plankton's eye droop, and his head lolls to the side.
"You're going to sleep, aren't you?" she says, her voice a mix of amusement and exhaustion.
"M'not sleeping," Plankton mumbles, his eyelid fluttering, his voice fading into a snore.
The drive home is peaceful, with Plankton snoring lightly beside her.
As they approach their place, she gently shakes him awake. "We're home, Sheldon," she says, her voice gentle.
"Can you wake up for me?"
Plankton's eye blink open, and he looks around in confusion. "Home?" he mumbles. "Already?"
Karen nods with a smirk. "Yeah, you slept through the whole drive. Came out of it just in time."
They get out of the car, and Plankton wobbles slightly on his legs, the after-effects of the anesthesia still
lingering. Karen wraps an arm around his waist, supporting him as they make their way to the front door.
With a chuckle, Karen helps him inside, the warm light of their living room washing over them. Plankton's
snores become more pronounced as they move through the hallway. "Come on, you need to get to bed," she
says, leading him to their bedroom.
The room is cozy, with a large bed that seems to swallow Plankton whole as he collapses into it. Karen
carefully pulls the covers up to his chin. "Rest now," she whispers, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.