A TOOTHY STORY pt. 6
Plankton's eye closes, his
breathing deepens into snores.
Karen watches him for a moment,
his chest rising and falling
in the rhythm of sleep.
"You're okay," she whispers,
her voice a soft ripple in the
quiet room. "You're safe now."
Her words hang in the air, a
comforting lullaby, when Karen's
friend Hanna unexpectedly
arrives.
"Karen?" Hanna's voice is
a splash of cold water, jolting
Karen to the present. She
quickly wipes Plankton's mouth
and stands up, turning to face
her friend. "Is everything alright?"
Hanna's eyes widen, noticing
Karen's husband Plankton on
the couch, his mouth open,
snoring softly.
Karen laughs nervously. "Oh,
yes," she says, her voice a bit
too high. "Just a little...
dental procedure."
Hanna looks with
concern. "My place is getting
a remodel, I don't know where
else to stay..."
she asks, her eyes scanning
Plankton's sleeping form.
Karen nods, her smile
reassuring. "Of course,
you can stay here," she says,
her voice a warm embrace. "The
spare room's good."
Hanna looks at Plankton,
still snoring peacefully. "Is he
okay?" she whispers. "I know
I've never personally met him.."
Karen nods, her voice a
whisper. "Yes, he's fine,"
she says, her hand on
his forehead. "Just sleepy."
Hanna's eyes flicker with
concern. "What happened?"
she asks, her voice a
soft ripple of curiosity.
Karen hesitates, her hand
still resting on Plankton's
head. "It's nothing to worry
about," she says, her voice
a gentle breeze. "Just a
little dental work."
Hanna nods, her eyes
studying Plankton. "Is he
going to be okay?" she whispers,
her voice a soft ripple of concern.
"Why's he tired?"
Karen sighs, her smile
slightly forced. "It's just...
part of the process,"
she says, avoiding the mention
of teeth. "They had to give him
some medicine to help him sleep."
Hanna nods, her gaze still
on Plankton. "He seems so peaceful,"
she says, her voice a soft
caress. "What was it for?"
Karen's smile is tight. "Everything
is just fine, Hanna. He might not
want me to say much without
his permission."
Hanna nods, understanding.
"Of course, I didn't mean to
pry." She looks around the room.
"It's just, I've never seen anyone
sleep so... peaceful?"
Karen laughs softly, her
voice a gentle ripple. "It's the
medicine," she says. "They had
to give him something to relax."
Hanna nods, her gaze lingering
on Plankton's sleeping form.
Karen decides it's time to
wake him, gently shaking his
shoulder. "Plankton," she whispers,
her voice a soft nudge. "Wake up,
sweetheart."
Plankton's eye opens with a
start, his antennae shooting up.
"Whath...whathapened?" he mumbles,
his speech still slurred. Karen laughs,
her voice a warm embrace.
"We need to get you into bed,"
she says, her eyes
twinkling with love. "My friend
Hanna came, and she'll stay
in the guest room."
Plankton blinks, his antennae
waving erratically. "Han-Han?"
he mumbles, his voice a slurred
song. "Whaths...whaths?"
Hanna waves, her smile
genuine. "Hi, Plankton,"
she says. "Nice to meet you.."
But Plankton, still groggy,
mumbles incoherently, his
eye half-closed. "Muff...muff...muffins,"
he says, his tongue thick.
Karen laughs, her voice a warm
laugh. "It's okay, sweetheart,
you're just tired," she says,
guiding him to his feet.
He sways, his body still
under the anesthesia's spell.
"Muff...muffins," he repeats,
his voice a sleepy mumble.
Karen rolls her eyes, her smile
a gentle curve. "No muffins,"
she says, her voice a soothing
wave. "It's night.."
His antennae droop, his mind
a jumbled mess. "B-but...
you promithed..." he slurs,
his eye struggling to focus.
Karen laughs, her voice a warm
caress. "Oh, Plankton," she says,
helping him to the bedroom.
They reach the bed, and she helps
him lie down, his body
collapsing onto the mattress.
"Just sleep, love," she whispers,
her hand stroking his.
Hanna watches from the
doorway, her smile a mix
of amusement and concern.
"Is he going to be okay?"
she asks again.
Karen nods, her voice a
reassuring lullaby. "Yes, just
rest is what he needs," she
says. "It'll will wear
off completely in the
morning; we all need
our sleep."
But Plankton, not quite
ready to drift away, reaches
his arms out. "Pweath...picture,"
he mumbles, his hand reaching
for Hanna's.
Hanna, surprised by
his sudden request, pulls out
her phone, the screen a
bright beacon in the dim room.
"A selfie?" she whispers,
her voice a questioning bubble.
Karen nods, her eyes
twinkling with mirth. "I'll get
you gauze first," she says,
helping him sit up slightly.
Hanna, unsure but willing,
holds out her phone, the screen
glowing with potential. "Ready?"
she asks, her voice a soft
whisper. Plankton nods,
his antennae bobbing.
Karen carefully places the
gauze pads in Plankton's mouth,
his eye widening slightly at the
unexpected sensation. "Now,"
she says, her voice a gentle
prompt. "There."
Hanna holds the phone
steadily, the camera lens a
tiny window into their world.
Plankton's arm wraps around her
shoulder, his antennae sticking out
like party horns. "Cheeese,"
he mumbles through the gauze, his voice
slurred but earnest.
The flash goes off,
illuminating the room briefly.
Hanna looks at the photo, her smile
warm. "You got it, Plankton," she says,
handing him the phone. His eye
squints, trying to focus on the screen.
Karen laughs softly, watching
them from the bedside. "You two
are adorable," she says, her voice
a gentle tease. Plankton looks
at her, his mouth still full of gauze.
With a thumbs up from Plankton,
Hanna posts the selfie, the image
of their smiles and Plankton's
comical gauze-filled grin floating
into the digital abyss of her
social media feed. The caption
reads: "Visiting Karen! Featuring
@ Plankton 😂🦷💊"
The notification sounds
chime through the quiet room,
a digital symphony of likes and
laughing emojis. Plankton's eye
widen, his antennae perking up.
"What's that?" he asks, his voice
a groggy whisper.
Hanna laughs. "Everyone thinks you're
cute. Now I gotta get some rest myself!"
Plankton's antennae droop, his
eye heavy with sleep. "M-more...m-muffins?"
he asks, his voice a slurred
plea. Karen laughs, her voice
a warm hug. "No more, Plankton,"
she says, placing a kiss on his forehead.
"You need to sleep now." Plankton
closes his eye, succumbing to
the gentle pull of sleep. Karen
and Hanna watch him for a moment,
his snores the only sound in
the quiet room. Hanna's smile
is warm. "He's so cute," she whispers.
They both watch as Plankton's
snores fill the room, his
body finally at peace. Hanna's
concern fades into curiosity.
"What's with the muffins?"
she asks, her voice a whisper.
Karen giggles, her hand still
on his. "It's just the remnants of meds
talking," she says, her voice a gentle
wave. "He'll be himself in the
morning." She stands up, her
movements smooth as a dolphin's.
"Let's get you settled in the guest
room now.."