KAREN AND THE AUTISTIC JOURNEY v
(Autistic author)
The room falls into a tense
silence, the air thick with
the unspoken words of regret
and uncertainty. Plankton's
humming becomes the only
sound in the room.
Sandy's eyes are glued to
Plankton, watching his
hands move in a mesmerizing
pattern. His humming grows
slightly louder, filling the
space around them with a
comforting buzz. Despite the
simplicity of the act, it's a
powerful declaration of his
new reality.
"Plankton are you ok?" Sandy
asks him.
Plankton's humming stops abruptly,
his gaze snaps to her. "Book," he says
with longing. "Want book."
Sandy nods, her eyes glistening
with newfound understanding.
"Of course," she says, standing up.
She and Karen move to the shelf
where she had placed the book earlier.
Karen reaches up, her hand
carefully retrieving it.
"Here," she says, her voice calm,
handing the science book to him.
He opens it, his gaze
immediately drawn to the index
table in the back. His eye
scans the rows, his
brain finding comfort in the
predictability of the page
numbers.
He starts to read the
index aloud, his voice a monotone
that fills the room with a
strange rhythm.
"Quantum Mechanics... 134," he reads,
his finger tracing the line. "Relativity,
Special and General... 212."
Karen and Sandy listen, their
expressions a mix of wonder and
concern. They've never seen
Plankton so engrossed in anything
other than his own schemes before.
Sandy's gaze follows the
movement of his finger as it
traces the numbers, her mind
trying to grasp the significance
of his actions. "Why does he
read the index like that?" she
whispers to Karen.
Karen's smile is filled with
both love and pride. "It's
his way of finding order,"
she concurs. "The numbers,
the patterns, it brings him
comfort."
Sandy nods, her eyes never
leaving Plankton. His focus
on the book is intense,
his voice a steady rhythm as
he reads off the page
numbers. "Biology... 37.
Chemistry... 101," he drones.
Karen sits beside him, her
hand on his back, providing
the gentle pressure he craves.
The sound of his voice, the
comfort of the book's familiar
weight, it's all part of his
new routine.
Sandy sits opposite, her paws
clasped in her lap, watching
intently. Her gaze flickers from
Plankton to Karen and back again.
She's learning, trying to
understand.
Plankton's voice rises in excitement
as he reaches the physics
section. "Quantum Entanglement...
543!" he exclaims, his
hands flapping. His
eye lit up, a rare smile
spreading across his face.
Karen's smiles. This was the
Plankton she knew, the one
who found delight in the
complexity of the universe.
He reads on, his voice
picking up speed. "String Theory...
621! Gravity Waves... 784!" His
stimming becomes more animated,
his hands fluttering like the
wings of a butterfly, each
flap a silent declaration of his
newfound obsession with order.
Sandy's curiosity is
piqued, but she's careful not to
interrupt, instead watching him
with a newfound respect. Karen
smiles, her hand still on his
back, feeling the warmth of
his excitement through her metal
shell.
"Plankton, why do you like
the index so much?" Sandy asks,
keeping her voice soft, when
the doorbell rings.
Karen's head snaps up, the
interrupted moment forgotten. "I'll get it,"
she says, standing quickly.
SpongeBob's face appears
in the doorway.
"Hi, Karen!" he says, his
voice bright and cheerful.
"Hi, Sandy!"
Sandy's eyes dart to the
closed bedroom door, then back
to Karen. "I should go," she says,
standing up. "Let you guys
have some space."
Karen nods, her gaze
following Sandy's. "Thank you," she
whispers. "Bye Sandy. Sponge
Bob, come on in; Plankton's in the
bedroom.."
SpongeBob's now going in,
his eyes wide with excitement.
"What's up, Plankton?" he says,
his voice a bubbly burst of
enthusiasm.
Plankton's head snaps up, his
eye wide. "SpongeBob," he says, his
voice excitedly affectionate.
Sponge Bob's eyes widen at the
sight of Plankton's intense focus
on the book. "Wow, Plankton,
you're really into that, huh?"
Plankton's hands stop moving,
his gaze shifting from the
index to Sponge Bob's smiling
face. "Sponge Bob," he says, his
voice filled with glee. He jumps
up from the bed, the book
forgotten as he rushes to embrace
his friend.
Sponge Bob stumbles backward,
surprise etched on his features
as Plankton's arms wrap around
his waist. "Whoa, buddy," he says,
his eyes wide. "What's gotten into
you?"
Plankton's grip tightens, his
body vibrating with joy. "Sponge
Bob," he repeats, his voice a
high-pitched squeak.
Sponge Bob's smile falters, his
hands awkwardly patting Plankton's
back. "It's ok, Plankton," he says,
his voice gentle. "I'm just here
to visit."
Plankton pulls away, his
eye shining with joy
with a warmth Sponge Bob isn't
used to seeing from him.
"Come, sit," he says, his voice
eager. He pats the spot on the
bed next to him. Sponge Bob's
expression is a mix of
happiness and concern.
Sponge Bob sits down, his
body tense. "Plankton, you
ok?" he asks, his eyes
searching Plankton's.
Plankton nods, his hands
still flapping in excitement.
"Good," he says, his voice
monotone yet earnest.