TO SEE OR NOT TO SEE
(by NeuroFabulous)
𓇼 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐆-𝟏𝟑 🕊️🩰🐚
Pt. 1
Chip, adopted at birth
by Karen and Plankton,
came home from summer
camp an hour early since
the traffic was better than
originally expected.
The house was unusually quiet,
his parent's bedroom door ajar.
He overheard Karen talking to
Plankton in a hushed tone. "It's
ok, sweetie. You're going to be ok."
Chip decides to eavesdrop on them.
He saw Plankton sitting in bed,
his body still, eye unblinking. Karen
was stroking his hand, looking
to calm.
Chip tiptoed closer to the door.
Karen's voice grew clearer. "It's ok,
just a little longer, and you'll be
back with me." Plankton's hand
twitched slightly under hers. Chip
swallowed hard. It wasn't his
imagination; something was off.
Curiosity gnawed at him as
he listened, his heart thumping
louder than the ticking clock.
Plankton's face remained frozen,
his eye vacant. Chip had never
seen him like this before. Was he
sick? In pain? Chip felt his own
body tense up as he strained to
make sense of the scene.
"Remember," Karen whispered,
"it's like daydreaming, but your
body is here with me."
Chip leaned in closer, trying to
make out the words. "It's ok,"
she repeated, her voice soothing.
"I'm here. You're safe." Plankton's
hand moved again, slightly, as if
to squeeze hers back. It dawned on
Chip that this was like a regular
event for them behind closed doors.
The mystery grew heavier in the
air. Chip had heard of people
fainting, getting dizzy, or even
having seizures before, but never
anything so... quiet. His mind
raced with questions, each more
confusing than the last. What was
happening to Dad? Why hadn't
his parents ever mentioned this?
He watched, unnoticed, as
Plankton's chest rose and fell
evenly, but he was utterly
unresponsive.
Chip's curiosity turned to
concern. He knew he should
probably leave, but his feet
were rooted to the floor.
The room was dimly lit, the curtains
closed to keep the afternoon sun
from piercing through, as Plankton
finally starts to stir. His eye blinks
slowly, as if waking from a deep
sleep, and his hand grips Karen's
firmly despite his grogginess.
"Welcome back," Karen says with
relief, her voice no longer a
whisper. She kisses his forehead
gently.
Chip's eyes widened. He'd never
seen his dad come out of such a
strange state before. It was eerie,
yet somehow comforting to see
his mom's tender care. He felt like
an intruder, but his worry for
his dad overpowered his guilt.
Plankton's voice was weak when
he finally spoke. "Was it... I had
another one didn't I.."
Karen nodded solemnly, her
grip on his hand tightening. "It's
okay. You're okay now. I still
think we should tell Chip abou–"
"No," Plankton cut her off, his
voice stronger now, but filled with
a hint of fear. "Not yet." Chip held his
breath, not wanting to alert them
to his presence.
The room remained silent for a
moment, thick with the weight
of the unspoken. Chip's heart
raced as he tried to piece together
the puzzle of his father's condition.
He felt a twinge of guilt for not
noticing anything amiss before,
but the scene was so surreal, so unlike
anything he'd ever witnessed.
Plankton took a deep breath and
shifted in bed, the sheets rustling
beneath him. "We can't," he said,
his voice gaining strength. "He's
no-" "Plankton, your disability is
a part of you," Karen interrupted, her
tone firm but gentle. "Our son deserves
to know, to understand."
Chip's stomach clenched. Disability?
Was that what this was? He felt
a mix of fear and confusion. What
kind of disability could cause
this?
He leaned closer to the crack in the
door, his heart thumping like a
drum in his chest. Plankton looked
up at Karen, his single eye filled
with a determination Chip hadn't
seen before in such a vulnerable
moment. "Karen," he said, his voice
steady, "Chip might sta-" "We can't
keep it from him forever. He's
not a little kid anymore."
He leaned in further, his ear
pressed to the crack in the door.
"Karen," Plankton's voice was
insistent, "Chip won't understand.
I don't want him to see me like this."
Karen sighed, her hand stroking
his arm in a comforting manner.
"He's growing up."
"He's not grown up," Plankton protested,
his voice still weak. "What if he decides
not to love me anymore?"
Karen's eyes searched
Plankton's, filled with
sorrow and love. "Chip
loves you for who you
are, not for what you
can or cannot do. You
know that."
The silence grew heavier,
but Plankton's expression didn't
ease. Chip's mind raced, trying to
understand what he was hearing.
Disability? How could his dad have
a disability? He had always been so
active, so strong, so...normal?