THE LIFE OF UNITY iii
(Autistic author)
Kevin's laughter reaches a crescendo as
he takes a step closer to Plankton.
"What don't I know?" he asks, his voice
sharper than ever. "That PLANKTON
JUST. DON'T. WUV. THEM. JELLYFISH.
YOU ARE COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY..."
But his words are cut off by the
sight of Plankton, his antennae
drooping, his eye brimming with
tears. The tiny creature's body
trembles as Kevin's to
loud words settle upon him, and
suddenly, all the pent-up frustration and pain
come rushing out in a torrent as
a single tear forms and slides down his face.
Plankton's antennae quiver uncontrollably, and
he squeaks out a sob, his tiny
body convulsing with the weight of Kevin's cruel words.
SpongeBob is shocked.
Kevin's words hang in the water, his
laughter fading into an awkward silence
as he watches Plankton's reaction. The sea
cucumber's eyes widen as he
takes in the sight of Plankton's tears, his
own expression morphing from smug
to surprise, then to something akin to fear.
"Plankton?"
Plankton's antennae quiver as he sniffs,
trying to compose himself, his
monotone voice thick with emotion. "Plankton...
brainless," he murmurs, his
one eye filled with unshed tears. "Plankton," he
adds, his voice cracking,
"Plankton... not like jellyfish."
Sponge Bob's heart squeezes tight
in his chest. "Hey, Plankton," he says
softly, "it's ok. Kevin didn't mean it."
But Plankton's antennae quiver, his monotone
voice echoing Kevin's hurtful
words. "Kevin... right," he murmurs, his eye
glistening with tears. "Plankton...
brainless. Like jellyfish."
Kevin's expression morphs from
smugness to shock, his eyes wide as he
realizes the impact of his words. "It's just...
you know, a joke."
But Plankton's antennae quiver, his
monotone voice trembling. "Joke?" he
murmurs. "Plankton... a joke. Plankton...
brainless."
Kevin's grin falters, his eyes widening in
horror as he sees the pain etched
on Plankton's tiny face. "No," he stammers,
his voice cracking. "It was just a... I
didn't mean it like that."
But Plankton's antennae continue to
quiver, his monotone voice a sad echo
of Kevin's cruel words. "Plankton... no
purpose in life," he murmurs, his one
eye filled with a sadness so profound it
seems to suck the color out of the
surrounding waters.
Sponge Bob's eyes widen in shock.
"Plankton," he says gently, "you
have friends. You have a purpose."
But Plankton's antennae droop even
lower, his monotone voice a sad
echo of his own self-doubt. "Plankton mindless.."
Kevin's smugness evaporates, replaced
with a flicker of concern as he
watches the usually unflappable Plankton
crumple under the weight of
his words. "Look, Plankton," he says, reaching
out to touch him.
But Plankton flinches, his antennae quivering
with pain.
"Plankton," Kevin says, his voice a mix of
surprise and regret, "I didn't mean
it like that. I was just messing around."
But Plankton's antennae continue to
quiver, his monotone voice a sad echo
of Kevin's insults. "Mindless," he murmurs,
his one eye fixed. "Brainless."
Sponge Bob's eyes wide with shock and
sadness. "Plankton," he whispers, his
voice filled with a tenderness Plankton
rarely hears from anyone. "You're
not brainless."
But Plankton's antennae quiver with
doubt, his monotone voice echoing
Kevin's words. "Plankton... mindless,"
he murmurs, his one eye unable to
meet Sponge Bob's gaze. "Like jellyfish."
SpongeBob knew that Plankton's obsession
with jellyfish is more than just a
hobby; it's a deep connection, a part of
who he is after the traumatic brain injury.
And now, Kevin's careless words have struck
a nerve, leaving him feeling
exposed and vulnerable.
"Plankton," Sponge Bob says, his voice gentle,
"you're not like that. You're
smart. You're... you're you."
But Plankton's antennae quiver
with insecurity, his monotone voice a sad
echo of Kevin's words. "Mindless," he
murmurs, his one eye still avoiding
contact. "Plankton... like jellyfish."
SpongeBob understood
that the brain
trauma has
affected him, making him
more vulnerable to words that question
his intelligence and identity due to his autism.
"Plankton," he says, his voice filled with
concern, "you know that's not true.
You're not like jellyfish in that way."
But Plankton's antennae quiver with doubt,
his monotone voice a sad echo
of Kevin's mockery. "Mindless," he
murmurs. "Mindless, brainless."
Sponge Bob's heart aches for his friend,
reaching out to offer
comfort. "Plankton, you're not like that,"
he says, his voice gentle
and assuring. "You're brilliant. You
know more about jellyfish than anyone."
But Plankton's antennae quiver with
insecurity, his monotone voice a sad
echo of Kevin's laughter. "Mindless,"
he murmurs, eye downcast.
"Plankton... brainless."
Sponge Bob tries to find the right words
to say. "Plankton," he says gently,
"you're not like that. You're so much
more than what Kevin said."
But Plankton's antennae quiver, his
monotone voice a sad echo of the
cruel words. "Mindless," he murmurs,
his one eye avoiding Sponge Bob's
gaze. "Plankton... no purpose."
Kevin's eyes dart from Plankton to
Sponge Bob, his grin faltering. "What's going
on?" he asks, his voice tight with confusion.
"You guys are acting weird."
Sponge Bob's embrace tighten around
Plankton's tiny body, his voice firm
but kind. "Kevin," he says, his gaze fixed
on Plankton, "you don't know what
happened to Plankton."
Kevin's laughter fades into a puzzled look.
"What do you mean?" Kevin's
smirk fades, his eyes narrowing with
confusion. "What are you guys talking
about?" he asks, his voice tight.
Sponge Bob hesitates, glancing at
Plankton, who nods almost imperceptibly.
"Kevin," he says, his voice serious, "Plankton
had a bad accident. He hit his
head, and now he's... different."
Kevin's tentacles freeze in mid-air, his
smugness evaporating. "What do you
mean, 'different'?" he asks, his voice tentative.
Sponge Bob sighs. "Plankton's had a
brain injury," he says, his eyes never
leaving Plankton's quivering antennae.
"He's... autistic now."
Kevin's eyes widen, his tentacles dropping
to his sides. "What? No way," he
stammers, his smugness gone. "You're...
you're joking, right?"
But Sponge Bob's expression is serious,
gently stroking
Plankton's antennae. "It's true, Kevin," he
says, his voice gentle. "Plankton's
had a tough time, and he's different now."
"Plankton, joke."
Kevin's confusion turns to shock as he
looks from Sponge Bob to Plankton,
his tentacles dropping to his sides. "But...
but why didn't you say anything?"
he asks, his voice trembling.
Sponge Bob's eyes are filled with a mix
of sadness and determination. "We
didn't think it was anyone's business,"
he says tightening around Plankton's
shaking antennae. "But now you know
Kevin. And we need you to be cool
about it."