PLUSH ONE xix
(By NeuroFabulous)
Karen's eyes are on Hanna, a silent
reprimand. Hanna's hand
drops to her side, her screen
filled with regret. "Plankton, I'm
ju—"
But it's too late. Plankton's
body is wracked with sobs,
his antennae thrashing as
his fear overwhelms him. The
plushie falls to the floor,
abandoned in his desperate
attempt to escape the horror
Hanna's words have conjured.
Karen's arms reach out
to him. "No, no, no," she
whispers. "You're safe,
Plankton. Yo--"
But his body is a wild
storm of fear, his sobs
escalating into convulsions.
His antennae whip around,
striking the air in a silent
scream of terror. Karen's heart
shatters as she watches, her
own hands hovering,
unsure how to comfort him
without causing more harm.
Hanna's eyes are wide with
horror, her own sobs joining
the cacophony. "I'm sorry,"
she whispers, her voice a
desperate apology. "I di-"
But Plankton's fear is a
storm, his antennae a blur
of panic. "Karen, make it stop,"
he cries, his voice a
desperate plea. "Make it STOP͏!"
The room seems to spin around him,
his senses assaulted by Hanna's
regret and his own fear. The
plushie is forgotten, a discarded
comfort in the face of the horror.
Karen's gentle voice is a lifeline,
a soft whisper in the chaos.
"You're safe," she says, her voice
a promise. "You're with me—"
But Plankton's sobs only grow
louder, his convulsions more
pronounced. His tiny body is a
crumpled mess on the floor, his
autism a cage of panic he can't escape.
"Make it stop," he cries, his voice
a desperate wail. "Please, make it
stop!"
Hanna's eyes are filled with
determination as she
retrieves the plushie,
carefully bringing it back to
his trembling form. "Here,"
she whispers. "I---"
But Plankton is
a maelstrom, his body
twitching beyond
control. His eye rolls back
in his head.
Karen's heart races
as she watches him
seize, her mind racing.
Her hands hover over him,
knowing not to touch.
Hanna's eyes are wide,
tears streaming down
her cheeks. "What's happening?"
she sobs, her voice shaking.
Karen's eyes are filled
with fear as she watches
his tiny body convulse,
his sobs turning to silent
screams. "It's a seizure,"
she whispers, her voice tight.
Hanna's eyes widen, her hand
dropping the plushie as if
it's a live wire. "What do
we do?" she asks, her voice
high-pitched with panic.
Karen's gaze is focused
on Plankton's convulsing body.
"Don't touch him," she says,
her voice a command. "Just
stay calm." She moves swiftly,
getting a pillow and placing
it under his head.
Hanna's eyes are glued to
his twitching form, her breath
coming in gasps. "Is he going
to be okay?" she whispers, her
voice trembling. "Do we need to
call..."
But Karen's eyes are on
Plankton, her movements swift
and sure. "No," she murmurs, her
voice a soft command. "It's
overstimulation. We have to
calm him down. It's part of his
disability. An ambulance will
just make it worse, by adding
more noise and claustrophobia.
Hospitalization will create
unnecessary trauma."
Hanna's eyes are wide
with terror, her hands
shaking as she watches
Plankton's convulsions. "But
he-"
Karen's voice cuts through
the chaos. "Trust me,"
she says, her gaze
unwavering. "We need to
calm him, not add more
stress."
Hanna nods, her eyes
locked on Plankton's
distress. "What do we do?"
Karen's voice is calm. "Find a
favorite blanket," she says,
her eyes never leaving his
twitching form. "And dim the
lights, reduce the noise."
Hanna's legs are a blur
as she rushes to comply,
grabbing the softest blanket.
Her hands shake as she
gently drapes it over him,
his convulsions jolting
against the fabric.
Hanna's eyes are wide with
panic as she watches, her voice
a whisper. "Is he going to be okay?"
Karen's gaze is unwavering
on Plankton, her voice steady.
"We need to stay calm," she says,
her hands a gentle guide. "It's
his autism, it's how he can react
to stress."
Hanna's eyes are on the
floor, her breath shallow.
"I'm sorry," she whispers, the
weight of her words heavy.
"I didn't kn-"
But Karen's voice is
steady. "It's okay,"
she says, her voice a calm
reminder. "We're here."
Her eyes are on Plankton, her
body a wall of protection.
"Let's help him."
Together, they work to
soothe him, Hanna's hands
shaking as she follows Karen's
calm instructions. They dim the
lights, reduce the noise, and
cover him in the warm embrace of
his favorite blanket. Hanna
gets the plushie and goes up
to him.
Plankton's body jerks
under the blanket, his antennae
still a blur of fear. Karen strokes
his head gently, her eyes filled
with a fierce determination to
keep him safe.
"Hey," Hanna says, holding
out the plushie. "Do you want
this?" Her voice is tentative.
"Plankton, can you tell me
w---"
But Plankton's eye is
squeezed shut, his body a
writhing mess of limbs.
The seizure is a silent
scream, a desperate protest.
Hanna's hand shakes as she
holds out the plushie, her
words a plea. "Plankton,
it's okay," she whispers, her
voice trembling. "You're not
unwanted."
Plankton's body continues
to convulse, his antennae
a blur of panic. Karen then
turns to Hanna.
"You need to let him
breathe," Karen says,
her voice a soft
command. "We can
only help him by letting
his body do its thing. If
you talk, make sure it's
quiet and calm, short
and sweet, and be truthful
with your reassurances. Do
not force anything on him."
Hanna nods, tears
streaming down her
screen, her voice a
whisper. "Okay." She watches
as Karen's gentle touch
soothes Plankton, his
seizure beginning to
subside as she rubs his
back in slow, even strokes.
The plushie is placed
near his hand, a silent
offer of comfort. The seizure
gradually loosens its grip
on Plankton's body, his
sobs subsiding into hiccups.
Plankton's eye finds
Karen's, a silent plea for
reassurance.
Her voice is a soft
caress. "It's okay," Karen
whispers. "You're okay."
Plankton's antennae twitch,
his body slowly calming.
He clutches the plushie, his
eye on Karen. "Home,"
he whispers, his voice a
desperate plea.
"Yes," Karen says. "We're
home, in our bedroom."
Plankton's antennae
still, his gaze searching
for the familiar. Hanna
backs away, her eyes
filled with regret. Karen
notices and nods slightly,
a silent acknowledgment
of Hanna's apology.
His body relaxes further,
his breathing slowing. The
plushie is a warm comfort,
but it's Karen's voice that
holds his world together.
"You're safe, Plankton," she
whispers. "You're home."
Hanna watches from her
distance, her eyes
filled with regret.
Plankton's antennae twitch,
his gaze shifting to Hanna.
Her eyes are filled with
remorse, a silent apology
that he can't quite decode.
His mind is a jumble of
fears and questions.
"Hanna," he whispers, his voice
a tremble. "I-I'm not a
b-b-baby? Plankton stays living..."
Hanna's face crumples, her
sobs joining his. "Oh, Plankton,"
she whispers. "You're not a baby,
you're Plankton. And you're not
unwanted. I'm so sorry. I didn't
mean it."
Karen's eyes are filled with
compassion as she looks at Hanna,
knowing the depth of her regret.
"It's okay," she says softly. "It's
new for all of us." She turns
back to Plankton, her voice
a gentle whisper. "You're safe
here. We're all learning."
Plankton's antennae twitch, his
eye focusing on Hanna's shaking
form. His voice is a question.
"Hanna?"
Her voice cracks as she
whispers back, "I'm here."
Her hand reaches out tentatively,
still afraid to touch him. "I'm
so sorry for what I said."
Plankton's antennae quiver,
his gaze flickering to her hand.
"It's okay," he murmurs, his
voice a shaky echo. "But...but
it's not okay," he adds, his
eye filling with confusion.
Hanna's hand hovers,
uncertain. "What do you mean?"
she asks, her voice a
tremulous thread.
Plankton's gaze is on the
plushie, his voice a
whispered confession. "I'm
not the same," he says, his
words a soft acknowledgment.
"I'm...different."
Hanna's hand stops, her eyes
filled with understanding. "You're
still Plankton," she says, her
voice gentle. "You're still the
same person, yet you've some
new aspects.."
Plankton's antennae still, his
eye searching hers. "Different,"
he whispers, his voice filled
with the weight of his new
reality.
Hanna nods, her hand still
outstretched. "But that doesn't
make you less important,"
she says, her voice a soft
promise. "Or less loved."
Plankton's antennae twitch,
his gaze flickering between
his plushie and Hanna's hand.
He reaches out slowly,
his hand trembling, and
takes her hand, holding
it for a moment before
he takes his hand back.
Hanna's eyes are wet with
relief, her voice a whisper.
"Thank you," she says.
Plankton's antennae twitch
in acknowledgment, his gaze
still on the plushie. "It's...it's
just...I'm still me," he says,
his voice shaky. "But, things are...
different, now."
Hanna nods, her eyes
filled with a newfound
understanding. "I know,"
she whispers.
Her hand moves towards him again,
this time with more confidence.
Plankton's antennae
quiver, his gaze shifting from
the plushie to Hanna's hand.
"I know," Hanna says, her
voice a gentle whisper.
"But you're still Plankton,
and we're here for you."
Her hand moves closer,
a silent offer of friendship.
Plankton's antennae twitch,
his eye flickering to her hand,
then back to the plushie.
"Home," he whispers again,
his voice a tremble.
Hanna nods, her eyes
filled with a newfound
respect for the complexity of
his needs. "Home," she repeats,
her voice a gentle echo. "You're
home with your wife Karen.
Would you like to hold my hand?"
Plankton's antennae still,
his gaze shifting to Karen. She
nods, her eyes filled with a
silent understanding. He
reaches out tentatively, his
tiny hand grasping Hanna's
finger briefly before retreating.
It's a small gesture, but it's
a start.
Hanna's eyes widen with
hope, her voice a whisper.
"Thank you," she says, her
hand hovering in the air.