𝖬𝖸 𝖠𝖴𝖳𝖨𝖲𝖳𝖨𝖢 𝖣𝖠𝖣
Pt. 1
by NeuroFabulous
Karen and her husband
Plankton adopted Chip
as a newвorn. Chip is a
good kid, but he doesn't
know that his mom and
dad kept a secret, which
is Plankton's autism.
Plankton was only
comfortable with
Karen knowing of
it. She knew all his
different tics, his stims,
nonepileptic seizures;
but Plankton's unsure
of sharing it with his
son. His pride made
him not want others
to ever find out!
But one day, that all
changed, for Chip
found out the hard
way. He stumbled
upon his dad having
an absence seizure,
not knowing what it
meant, what was
happening.
Karen was out front
gardening when Chip
went into his parents
bedroom to the sight
of Plankton on his bed.
He sat rigidly stiff, his
unblinking eye unseeing.
"Dad?" Chip called out, his
voice trembling with fear.
He had never seen
his father like this
before. Plankton didn't
respond, lost in his
moment of absence.
Cautiously, Chip
approached the bed.
With trembling fingers,
he gently squeezed his
dad's shoulder. "Dad?"
he repeated. No reply.
Panic began to set
in, his heart racing.
"Dad, wake up!" Chip
shouted, his voice
cracking with worry.
Chip tried to shake
his dad gently, but
Plankton remained
motionless. He was
scared, unsure. He
doesn't know about
seizures, let alone
absence seizures. "Dad,
please," he whispered,
his voice quivering.
He didn't know what
to do.
The room felt eerie,
as if the air had
become thick and
stıll. Chip looked
around desperately,
his eyes searching for
anything that might
explain what was
happening. He saw a
picture of the family
on the bedside table.
The happy faces in the
picture seemed to
contrast sharply with
the scene before him.
He tried to shake
his dad a little more
forcefully this time.
"Wake up, Dad!" he yelled,
his voice echoing in
the quiet room. The fear
was now turning into
desperation.
Tears began to well up
in his eyes as he sat
on the bed beside his
dad. He took Plankton's
hand in his own. "Dad,"
he whimpered. Nothing.
He decided to try talking
to him, maybe it would
help bring him back.
"Dad, it's me, Chip.
Remember when we went
to the beach last summer
and you taught me to
build sandcastles?" His voice
was shaky, but he continued,
"You said I was the best
sand sculptor you've ever
seen. Remember the seagulls
that kept stealing our
snacks?" Yet Plankton
remained motionless.
The silence grew heavier,
pressing down on Chip like
a weıght he couldn't lift.
He swallowed hard,
his mind racing. "Dad, please
come back," he begged, shaking
his father's arm. He didn't
know to wait it out, ending
up sending Plankton deeper
into his overload, his eye
even more vacant.
Chip's thoughts were a
whirlwind of confusion and
fear. "What if he's hurt?"
He whispered to himself.
He knew he had to tell
his mom. But what
could she do? Would
she be mad if he did
something wrong? Besides
he didn't want to leave his
dad alone. "Dad, I love
you so much," he said,
tears spilling over.
He decided to sing. "The
wheels on the bus go round
and round," he began, it
being the first song that
popped into mind. He hoped
that would somehow break the
silence that had overtaken
his dad. He sang softly,
his voice wavering as the
lyrics filled the room. His
small hand tightly gripped
his dad's, willing him to
return to reality. Nothing.
So he stopped singing.
With a tremble in his
voıce, Chip decided to try
again to make a connection.
"Dad," he began, "do you
remember when you took me
to the arcade and I beat
you at Whack-A-Mole?"
He paused, hoping for
a reaction, a twitch of
antennae, anything. "I
don't want you to go any
where, Dad. I need you here."
Just as he finished speaking,
he heard the front door
opening. His mom must've
finished gardening! He didn't
want her to find them like this,
but he knew he needed her
help. He didn't know how
else to get his dad to wake.
"Mom!" Chip yelled, his voice
strained and desperate. "Come
quick!" The sound of her
footsteps grew closer, the
tension in the house palpable.
He felt his throat tighten,
his eyes blurring with tears.
Karen rushed into the room.
Her eyes scanned the scene,
quickly assessing the situation.
Seeing Plankton on the bed,
she knew instantly what was
going on. She had seen it
before, too many times to
count. Her heart ached for
Chip's innocent confusion.
"It's okay, sweetie," she said,
trying to calm Chip's nerves
as she sat beside him. "Your
dad's just having a moment.
It's like a little nap, but for his
brain." She took his hand,
squeezing it gently. "You don't
have to be scared. He'll be
back in a bit."
Karen had prepared herself
for this day, knowing it could
come eventually. She had
learned early on what Plankton
needed during his episodes.
Now it was time to explain it
to their son. She took a deep
breath, her eyes never leaving
Plankton's vacant one.
"Chip," she began, her voice
soothing, "you know how
sometimes you get really into
your toys and don't hear me
when I call?" He nodded.
"It's like that for Dad right
now, but with his brain. He
can't really hear or see us. We
just have to wait for him
to come back."
She stroked Plankton's arm.
This was something she had
experienced countless times,
but seeing her son's fear
was a new kind of pain.
"Remember, Chip," she
whispered, "his brain is just
taking a little break. It's
like he's in a bubble right
now. We have to wait until
he pops out."
Karen knew that Plankton
needed quiet and space during
his seizures. She gently took
over, moving Chip aside to
give Plankton the room
his overstimulated mind
required. She sat down
next to her husband, placing
a calming hand on his back.
Her touch was gentle, familiar.
The seconds ticked by,
each one feeling like an eternity.
Karen's heart was beating fast,
but her voice remained calm
and soothing. "It's okay,
Plankton," she murmured.
"You're safe here. It's just us."
Chip watched his mom,
his eyes wide with questions.
He had never seen his dad
like this before, and it scared
him. But the way Karen
spoke to Plankton, with such
patience and understanding,
was comforting.