A TOOTHY STORY pt. 7
The next morning, the
anesthesia's completely
worn off. Plankton wakes
to find himself drooling
on his pillow, the gauze in
his mouth a soggy mess. His
eye opens. Wincing as he wiped
his mouth, he took out his now
pink gauze.
"Wha’ happened?" He says.
Karen's smile is a gentle wave.
"I had my wisdom teeth out, right?
I remembe--- I held your hand
Karen. I was in a chair, then
somehow in a bed.."
Karen nods, her voice a soothing
symphony. "Yes,
that was yesterday.."
Plankton's antennae twitch with
realization. "Y-yesterday?"
he asks, his voice a sleepy
whisper. "But...but what happened?"
Karen laughs, her voice a
gentle lullaby. "You had your
wisdom teeth out," she says, her
fingers tracing his cheek. "Do
you remember the clinic?"
"Yes, Karen," Plankton rolls his
eye; "I don't know what happened
after leaving to go home.."
Karen nods, smiling; there's
her snappy husband! "It's normal,"
she says. "The anesthesia can
make your memory fuzzy."
Plankton's eye widens.
He tries to sit up, but
his body is still a ragdoll's.
"What...what did I do?" he
asks, his voice a slurred mess.
Karen helps him, her smile a gentle
lullaby. "You were just tired,
sweetheart," she says, seeing
Hanna come to the doorway. "My friend
Hanna's here because her home
is being worked on."
Hanna waves, her smile a warm
beacon. "Hi, Plankton," she says.
"What‽ But Karen, remember
she gave you that virus..."
"It's okay, Plankton,"
she says, her voice a gentle
whisper. "That was in the past."
Hanna nods, her smile
soft. "I promise, I'm all better
now," she says. "How you
feeling?"
Plankton's antennae twitch, his
eye still foggy. "F-fine," he mumbles,
his voice a murmur. Karen
helps him sit up, the pillows
propping him up like a soft
fortress.
"Do you remember wanting
muffins?" Hanna asks, her voice a
soft reminder. Plankton's antennae
wave wildly. "M-muffins?" he asks,
his memory a distant tide.
Karen nods, her laughter
a warm sunrise. "Yes, you talked
about them a lot last night,"
she says, her eyes twinkling.
"But it's okay, you were just
a bit loopy from the surgery."
Plankton blinks. "Loopy?"
he asks, his voice a tentative
wave. Karen nods, her smile
a comforting breeze. "It's normal,
sweetie. The medicine made
you feel funny."
Hanna's eyes sparkle with
mischief. "You were quite
the character," she says,
her voice a gentle tease.
Plankton feels his face heat
up, his antennae drooping with
embarrassment. He doesn't
remember a thing from the
night before, but the
laughter and smiles from Karen
and Hanna tell a story he
clearly missed.
"How's your mouth?"
Hanna asks, her voice a
concerned ripple. "Karen
told me you went to the
dentist.."
Plankton's antennae twitch,
his mind racing to catch up.
"It's...it's fine," he mumbles,
his voice a tentative whisper.
The reality of his surgery
sinking in, he gently touches
his cheeks, feeling the swollen
mounds where his teeth once were.
But Hanna's curious about
what this procedure was.
"So, Plankton," she starts,
her voice a gentle wave, "What
was it like at the dentist?"
He blinks, his mind still
a bit hazy. "It...it was okay,"
he mumbles, his tongue poking
at the empty sockets. "I don't
know.."
Hanna nods, her smile
sympathetic. "It must have
hurt," she says, her voice a soft
caress. "What did they do?"
Plankton's antennae droop,
his eye flashing with annoyance.
"I don't remember," he grumbles,
his voice a stormy sea. "But I'm sure
it wasn't as fun as you
seem to think it was."
Hanna's smile fades, her eyes
full of understanding. "I'm sorry,"
she says, her voice a gentle
current. "I didn't mean to make
you uncomfortable. I just wondered
what procedure you had done."
He can't believe he's
talking about his dental woes to
a stranger.
Plankton's antennae stiffen, his
body tense. "Why do you
ask about the dentist?"
his voice a snappy bubble.
Karen's eyes widen, her smile
fading. "Plankton," she says,
her voice a soft warning. "It's okay,
Hanna's just curious."
Hanna's smile falters, her voice
a gentle retreat. "I didn't mean to
pry," she says, stepping back.
"I just..."
But Plankton, his emotions
a swirling maelstrom, waves
his hand dismissively. "I don't
want to talk about it," he says,
his voice a firm tide. "It's
none of your concern."
Hanna's smile falters, her
cheeks flushing with the sting
of his words. "I'm sorry," she
whispers, her voice a retreating
wave. "I didn't mean to make
you feel uncomfortable."
Karen's eyes flicker with
concern, her voice a gentle
reminder. "Plankton, Hanna's
just trying to be nice," she says,
her hand on his arm. "It's okay
to talk.."
But Plankton's antennae are
like two flaming torches, his
voice a harsh wave. "I said I
don't want to talk about it,"
he snaps, his eye a stormy
gray. "Please leave."
Hanna's smile fades, her eyes
like ripples of sadness in a
tranquil pond
Karen sighs, her heart a
tiny boat adrift in a sea
of confusion. "Plankton,"
she starts, her voice a soft
lapping wave. "You don't have to
be so harsh."
Plankton's antennae droop,
his eye still stormy. "I just
want to be left alone,"
he mumbles, his voice a
defensive ripple. "I don't
understand why she needs to
know about my mouth."
Karen sighs, her voice a gentle
reminder. "Plankton, she's my
friend," she says. "And she's
just staying here temporarily."
Plankton's antennae quiver with
frustration. "I know, Karen,"
he snaps, his voice a jagged
coral. "But I don't know
her.."
Hanna's eyes shimmer with
hurt, her smile a sad reflection.
"I didn't mean to intrude,"
she says, her voice a quiet
ripple.
But Plankton's anger is a
tidal wave, crashing into the
room. "You're not my friend!"
he says, his voice a snappy
slap. "I don't owe you any
explanations!"
Hanna's smile dissolves, her
eyes a murky ocean. "I'm sorry,"
she whispers, her voice a
retreating tide. "I didn't mean
to upset you."
Plankton's antennae quiver
with agitation, his voice a
harsh squall. "Is that too
much to ask?"
Hanna nods, her smile
evaporating like sea foam.
"Of course," she murmurs, her
voice a retreating wave. "I'll
just..."
But Karen's voice stops her,
a gentle lagoon in the storm.
"Hanna, wait," she says, her
tone a calming current. "Plankton,
you need to apologize."
He turns to her, his antennae
quivering with anger. "Why?"
he asks, his voice a jagged
rock. "She's not my friend!"
Karen's eyes are like calm
pools, her voice a gentle
reminder. "You're upset,
Plankton," she says. "But that's
not fair to Hanna."
His antennae droop, his voice
a begrudging rumble. "Fine,"
he mumbles, his words a forced
apology. "I'm sorr-"
But Hanna's smile is a soft
wave, her voice a gentle
reminder. "It's okay, Plankton,"
she says, her eyes like two
calm pools. "You are in pain,
and you were exhausted last
night.."
Plankton's antennae droop.
"What do you mean," he demands,
remembering nothing. "Exhausted?
Hanna, what..."
Hanna's smile is sad. "It's okay,"
she says, her voice a gentle
wave retreating from the shore. "You
fell asleep; you were snoring..."
Plankton's antennae stiffen, his
eye narrows. "I...snored?" he says,
his voice a mix of disbelief and
embarrassment. "But Karen, I don't
snore!"
Hanna laughs, not knowing
Plankton any better. "You certainly do,"
she says, her eyes twinkling.
"It's adorable, really."
Plankton's antennae flicker
with agitation. "I don't,"
he insists, his voice a sharp
wave. "I never snore."
Hanna's laugh is a soothing
sea breeze. "You did, Plankton,"
she says, her eyes sparkling.
"It was quite... entertaining."
But Plankton's frustration
boils like a volcano. "No!"
he says, his voice a harsh
crash of waves. "I don't snore!"
Karen, however, knew her
husband well enough. "Plankton,"
she says, her hand on his.
"You do sometimes when you're
tired."
His antennae quiver with
disbelief. "But not really,"
he argues, his voice a stubborn
wave. "I'm not a...a snorer!"
Karen's eyes are like a calm
sea, her voice a gentle
reminder. "You do when you're
exhausted, Plankton," she says,
her hand a comforting current
against his. "And after surgery,
you were pretty tired, not to
mention numb.."
Hanna nods, her voice a soft
chuckle. "You had us laughing,
Plankton," she says, her eyes
twinkling with mirth. "You're so
funny when you're sleepy."
But Plankton isn't
finding it funny.
Karen steps in. "Hanna,
let's give Plankton some space,"
she says, her hand on Hanna's arm.
"He's still recovering."
Hanna nods, her smile a sad
wave retreating from the shore. "Of
course, Karen," she says. "I'm sorry."
Karen's eyes are like two
moons, calming the stormy sea.
"It's okay," she says. She turns
to Plankton.
"I know you're uncomfortable,
sweetheart," she says, her voice
a gentle lapping tide. "But
Hanna didn't mean any harm.
We'll let you alone, but let me
know if you need anything."
She sets books and his
phone on the bedside table
before leaving the room with
Hanna.