EACH WISDOM ⅔
The cool evening air hits Plankton,
and his eye widens with delight.
"Look, Karen!" He points to a tree.
"Itsh got weaves!" The leaves rustle
gently in the breeze, and Plankton
watches with the fascination of a child.
Karen laughs, the tension of the
day melting away as she helps
him into the passenger seat. "Ish a...
a... a bwue caw!" He giggles.
Starting the engine, Karen
glances at her still-woozy
husband, his cheeks bulging like
a chipmunk with gauze. "Ready
to go?" She asks. Plankton nods,
his eye still on the tree. "Weee!"
He says as they pull out of the
parking lot. "Mooo!" He exclaims.
"What?" Karen asks, smiling.
Plankton points out the window.
"Itsh a caw," he insists, his
voice slurred. "Are you buckled in
Plankton?" She says. He nods.
The car rolls on, Plankton's head
lolling as he tries to take in
the world around him. "Wook,
Karen! Itsh a... a... a...
b...b...big...bwue...b...b...ball!"
He squeals, pointing at the
sky. Karen laughs. His hand reaches
out to touch it, smacking against
the car window. "It's okay, it won't
come in the car." He giggles, satisfied
with her explanation. "The wightsh
awe twinkling!" He says, his voice
filled with amazement.
They drive past a playground, and
his gaze lingers on the swings.
"Can we stob?" he asks, his words
still thick. Karen laughs. "Not now,
honey." "But I wanna go widing on the
sheeping sheep!" His voice is
plaintive, like a child denied a
favorite toy. She shakes her head.
"Your mouth needs to rest," she says.
He pouts, his bottom lip sticking
out. "But I can't feel it," he
whines, his speech still slurred.
"It's okay," she soothes, her voice
calm and loving. "We'll go to the park
another day."
As they pull into their driveway,
Plankton's eye light up again. "Home!"
he exclaims. Karen helps
him out of the car, his legs still
unsteady, when they see Mr. Krabs,
Plankton's rival. But he waves. "Hi,
Mr. Kwabby!" Karen stifles a
laugh. "Hi, Mr. Krabs," she says
politely. "Plankton's had his wisdom
teeth out."
Mr. Krabs looks surprised, then
chuckles. "Looks like he's lost his
marbles too," he jokes. Plankton
frowns, then smiles. "Marbulls?"
He tries to laugh. "I wike marbulls!
Can Krabs play wif me?" He giggles.
So Mr. Krabs follows them inside.
Karen helps Plankton into the
house, his arms wrapped around her
like a child seeking comfort. "Wook, Karen!"
He says, pointing at their couch.
"It'sh our shofa! So shofy!" Krabs sits
beside him while Karen gets
Plankton comfortable. "Now, just
rest," she says, placing a pillow
under his head. "You need to take it
easy."
Plankton nods, his eye already
half-closed. "But I'm not tidewed,
I'm all woke up!" He protests, his
voice still high and slurred. Mr.
Krabs chuckles. "It's the drugs,
Plankton. They make you feel weird."
"Weirdish?" Plankton repeats, his
eye opening wider. "Yeah, weirdish,"
Krabs confirms.
"Karen, ish thish wove?"
He asks. Karen chuckles
to herself, shaking her head. "It's
a pillow, honey," she calls out.
"Ish a wove!" Plankton
declares, his voice filled with
excitement. "It's so...so...so
flaffy!" His hand waves in the
air, trying to grasp the concept.
Mr. Krabs laughs, snapping a selfie
of them.
"Look, I got you a surprise,"
Karen says, bringing in a bowl
of ice cream. Plankton's eye
lights up. "But remember, no straws,"
she warns, handing him a spoon.
He takes it eagerly, his eyes never
leaving the frozen treat as she
removes his gauze.
Mr. Krabs watches with amusement
as Plankton's face contorts in an
attempt to scoop out a bite. The
first taste hits his numb tongue,
and he makes a sound between a moan
and a squeal. "It'sh sho cold!"
He laughs, the sound high and
unexpected from his throat. Karen
and Krabs exchange a knowing
glance. "Careful, Plankton,"
she says, a mix of laughter and
concern in her voice.
Plankton takes another bite,
his face a mask of pure bliss. He
turns to Mr. Krabs, his speech still
slurred. "Tank youw for wooking
after me, Mr. Kwabby," he says,
his voice thick with affection.
Mr. Krabs is taken aback by the
sudden warmth, not used to such
kindness from his rival. He
clears his throat, unsure of
how to respond.
"You're welcome, Plankton,"
Krabs says awkwardly. Plankton
reaches over and pats Krabs on the arm.
"Ish... ish... ish wike youw my...
my... my besht fwiend!" He giggles,
his speech barely coherent.
Karen watches the exchange with
wonder. "You guys okay over there?"
she asks, smiling. Plankton nods vigorously,
his spoonful of ice cream threatening
to topple. "Wesh fine! Besht fwends!"
Mr. Krabs coughs, looking a bit
uncomfortable. "Well, I should...uh...
get go..."
But Plankton, in his
loopy state, isn't ready to let go.
"No, no, Mr. Kwabby!" He grabs
Krabs' arm. "Youw gotta shay!
We're besht fwiends!"
Mr. Krabs is torn between
laughing and being touched by
Plankton's sudden affection.
He's never seen the tiny creature
like this before, and it's a side
of him he never knew existed.
"Okay, okay," he says, patting Plankton
on the shoulder. "I'll stay for a
little bit." "Tank you, Mr. Kwabby," he slurs,
his voice filled with genuine
gratitude. "You're a gwed one."
Karen watches, her heart swelling
with love. And Mr. Krabs,
despite his usual gruff demeanor,
can't help but feel a warmth
spread through him as Plankton
snuggles closer, his head lolling
onto him.
"You know," Plankton says, his voice
drowsy and slurred, "Ish always
wanted to be wike you, Mr. Kwabby.
Big and stwong."
Mr. Krabs looks surprised, then
his expression softens. "Is that right?"
He snaps another selfie. Plankton's
eye droops heavily. "Ish...so...tiwed..."
he mumbles.
Karen chuckles, watching her
husband's antics, his head
falling onto Mr. Krabs' shoulder.
Krabs, not expecting the sudden
weight, jolts a bit. "Plankton?"
But Plankton's snores are the
only response. His mouth is
still open, a small trickle of
drool escaping onto
Mr. Krabs' shirt. Karen laughs,
shaking her head. "Looks like he's
out," she says.
Mr. Krabs looks at her, a hint
of surprise in his eye. "Well,
I guess I should...uh...go?"
But Karen just smiles, taking
the bowl of ice cream from Plankton's
limp hand. "You can stay if you
want. He'll be out for a bit."
The room is quiet except for
the occasional snore. Plankton's
body relaxes into Krabs' side,
his breathing deep and even.
Karen watches them, her mind racing
with thoughts. The sight of her
usually scheming husband, now a
babbling, sleeping mess, is both
comforting and bizarre. Mr. Krabs
snaps the third selfie.
"I guess I should go,"
Mr. Krabs says, his voice
slightly awkward. "But it's good to
see him like this." Karen nods,
her smile tender. "He's always so...
so... Plankton," she says, searching
for the right words. "But this is...
refreshing."
Mr. Krabs looks at her, his
own smile growing. "I know what
you mean," he says. "He's usually
got his head in his schemes."
Karen nods again. "But now he's just...
loopy." She giggles.
Plankton's snores grow louder,
his body going slack against
Krabs. "Looks like he's really
out for the count," Krabs says,
his voice a mix of amusement and
concern. "Do you need any help
getting him to bed?"
Karen smiles, the corners of
her eyes crinkling with affection.
"No, I got it. But thank you for
offering." She gently lifts
Plankton's head, moving it
to a more comfortable angle
on the pillow. His snores don't
even falter.
Mr. Krabs nods, standing up.
"Okay, well, if you need anything,
just call." He starts to leave,
his eyes lingering on the
unusual sight of Plankton, his
usual adversary, so vulnerable.
"Thanks, Mr. Krabs," Karen says
sincerely. "It really means a lot."
He pauses at the door, turning
back. "Karen... about what he said...
about wanting to be big and
strong like me. I know we've had
our...differences, but Plankton's
got his own strengths. He's...
he's pretty clever, you know?"
Karen nods. "I know, Mr. Krabs.
He's got a heart of gold, even if
it's wrapped in a bit of...
mischief." Mr. Krabs chuckles.
"That he does."
They stand in companionable
silence for a moment before Mr.
Krabs clears his throat. "Well,
I'd better get going." Karen nods,
her eyes never leaving Plankton's
peaceful face. "Thank you again
for everything."
Mr. Krabs nods, a hint of a smile
on his own face. "No problem, Karen.
Take care of him." With that, he
leaves, closing the door gently
behind him. Karen looks down at
Plankton, his chest rising and
falling with each deep breath.
The sight of him, so defenseless,
makes her feel a mix of
concern and warmth.
As Krabs goes to his own
house, he can't shake the image
of Plankton, so trusting, so
innocent in his anesthesia-induced
stupor. It's not often he
sees this side of him, and it's
strange to realize that even
his worst enemy can be...
cute. Krabs shakes his head,
trying to push the thought away.
He's got a Krabby Patty empire to
run, after all, no time for
sentimentality, right?
Krabs can't help but feel a twinge of
something...soft. He sighs,
his claws tapping on the
countertop. The sight of the
empty cash register brings him
back to reality. Plankton might
be vulnerable now, but come
morning, he'll be as usual.
But will Plankton even recall
the day's events?
He absentmindedly charges his
phone before going into his own
bedroom. He doesn't know his
teenage daughter, Pearl, finds
the three selfies on his phone..