EACH WISDOM 3/3 The next morning, Plankton woke up on the couch. He looked around the room, blinking rapidly, trying to remember what had happened. "Karen?" He called out, his voice hoarse. She appeared from the kitchen, a knowing smile playing. "Good morning, sunshine," Karen says. "How's the mouth?" Plankton's hand shoots up to his jaw, his eye widening with remembrance. "Wisdom teeth," he mumbles, his speech still a bit slurred. He looks around the room, his gaze finally landing on the bowl of melted ice cream and the discarded gauze. "Whath's... whath happen'd?" Karen laughs lightly, handing him a glass of water. "You had your wisdom tee..." "Wisdom teeth," he finishes, his voice groggy. "I know." He sits up, wincing at the pain. "Buh I don't remember... goin’ home." His hand goes to his cheeks, feeling the swollen jaw. "Nor anything thereafter." Karen sets the glass on the coffee table, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "You had quite the adventure," she says. Plankton falters, his cheeks turning a shade of pink. "I... I did?" "Remember the wightsh?" Karen asks, her smile uncontainable. Plankton looks at her, confusion clouding his features. "Wightsh?" "The lights," she prompts, trying not to laugh. "When you thought they were coming for you?" Plankton's eye narrows as he tries to recall. "I... I don't remember any lights," he says slowly. "But I do remember something...about ice cream?" Karen laughs, a warm sound that fills the room. "Oh yes, you had quite the time with the ice cream," she says, shaking her head. "You were so excited." Plankton's cheeks flush a deeper shade of pink. "What...what do you mean?" He asks, his voice a mix of embarrassment and curiosity. Karen sits down next to him, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Let's just say you were feeling the love," she says, her smile wide. "I was?" Plankton's voice is filled with doubt. "For...for ice cream?" Karen nods. "Oh boy," he mumbles, burying his face in his hands. Karen knew better than to mention Mr. Krabs, especially if he's got no recollection. "How do you feel?" She asks instead, her voice filled with concern. Plankton's hand moves to his jaw, gently probing the swollen flesh. "It hurts," he says, his voice a whisper. "But I'm alive." He tries to stand, his legs wobbly, but Karen's hand is there to steady him. "You need to rest," she insists, helping him back onto the couch. "You had quite the surgery." Plankton nods, his eye glazed with pain. "But I don't remember anything after...after the chair." He looks around the room, noticing the pillow and the bowl of melted ice cream. "Did I do...that?" he asks, pointing to the mess. Karen laughs, her eyes shining with humor. "You certainly did," she says, her voice teasing. Plankton's cheeks flush, and he sinks back into the couch, his hand covering his mouth. "What did I do?" He whispers to himself, his voice filled with a mix of embarrassment and dread. Karen just shakes her head. "You don't remember anything?" She asks, her voice light. Plankton shakes his head, his expression sheepish. "I just remember... being in the chair, and then... everything's fuzzy." Karen nods, her smile fading to a more serious expression. "You were pretty out of it, Plankton." Her hand reaches over to his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "But you're okay now." Plankton looks at her, his gaze intense. "But what did I say?" He asks, his voice filled with dread. "What did I do?" Karen's laugh fades, and she looks at him, her expression sympathetic. "You were just a little...loopy," she says, choosing her words carefully. "You talked about lights and riding sheep, and... well, you had a good time with the ice cream." He nods slowly, trying to piece together the fragmented memories. "But no...no important secrets?" His voice is hopeful, his eye searching hers for reassurance. Karen shakes her head. "No, Plankton. Nothing important." Then a card slides under the front door. Karen picks it up, her eyes widening. It's from Mr. Krabs and his employees. It's a get well card signed by Mr. Krabs, who also had Squidward and SpongeBob sign it. Plankton stares at it, his mind racing. "How'd they know about..." "Mr. Krabs must've told," Karen says. "It's okay, Plankton. Sometimes it's better not to remember every...." "WHAT?" Plankton's mind is racing. How could he have forgotten so much? He's always so sharp, so calculating. This was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. How's Mr. Krabs know? He takes the card from Karen's hand, his heart racing. He tries to read the words, but his mind's a blur. "What's it say?" He asks, his voice a mix of fear and hope. Karen's smile softens. "It's a get-well card," she says gently. "From Mr. Krabs and the crew at the Krusty Krab." Plankton's eye widens in shock. "They know?" He whispers. Karen nods. "It seems so." Plankton sinks back into the sofa, his mind racing. How could he have been so...so...out of it? He's the one with the plans, the schemes, the...what was that word he was thinking of? "Loopy," he murmurs to himself. That's it. He was loopy, he must've been. He needs to confront Mr. Krabs! He starts to get up, but Karen intercepts. "Plankton, you're still recovering," she says firmly. "Let's just rest today, okay?" But Plankton's mind is made up. "I need to know," he says. "I can't just...just rest without knowing!" With a sigh, Karen helps him to his feet. His legs wobble again, but he's determined. He has to find out what happened. Karen watches him shuffle to the door, her heart torn between laughing and worrying. "Take it easy," she calls after him. Plankton steps out into the bright daylight, squinting. Everything seems so much more... vivid than he remembers. He walks slowly down the street, his mind racing with questions. What did he say to Mr. Krabs? What did he do? The thought of his usual enemy seeing him in such a weakened state is...disturbing. As he nears the Krabby Patty restaurant, he sees Mr. Krabs through the window, his claws moving swiftly as he prepares lunch orders. Plankton's heart thuds in his chest. What if Krabs knows something, something he said? He takes a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever may come. He pushes open the door, the bell jingling. Mr. Krabs looks up, his expression unreadable. Plankton's eye darts around, searching for any sign of his earlier antics. "Krabs," he says, trying to keep his voice steady. Mr. Krabs looks over, his eye twitching. "Plankton!" He calls out, his voice a mix of surprise and something else. Plankton can't quite place it. "How's the mouth?" Mr. Krabs asks, his voice a tad too cheerful. Plankton's grip on his crutch tightens. "It'sh...it's fine," he says, his speech still slurred. "But...what happened yesterday?" "Oh, you don't remember?" Plankton's cheeks burn. "What do you mean?" He asks, his voice smaller than he'd like. Just then, Pearl comes in with the three selfies. "Look what Daddy found on his phone," she says, her voice filled with laughter. Plankton's heart drops as he sees himself in a variety of silly poses, his mouth full of gauze and his eye wide with wonder in the first photo. He takes the phone, his hand shaking slightly. The second picture shows him with the bowl of ice cream, his mouth open in what must be a squeal of joy. The third one...he's snuggled against Mr. Krabs, his head on his shoulder, drooling. "What...what's going on here?" He stammers, his mind racing. Mr. Krabs clears his throat, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Well, Plankton, it seems you had quite the experience after the surgery," he says, his voice filled with mirth. "You were pretty loopy." Plankton's hand shoots up to his mouth, his heart racing. "But...but I don't remember anything," he stammers, his eye wide. "It's all...all fuzzy." Mr. Krabs nods. "That's what the anesthesia does to ya." Pearl laughs, showing the photos around to the other employees. "Look at Plankton!" She says, her voice filled with mirth. "He's so...so... cute!" Plankton's cheeks burn with embarrassment as the room fills with chuckles. Squidward smirks from behind the cash register. "Looks like someone had a wild time," he says, his tone sarcastic. Plankton's mind is racing. He can't believe he's become the butt of the joke, even in his own state of vulnerability. But Mr. Krabs' expression softens, and he claps a claw on Plankton's shoulder. "Don't worry, buddy," he says, his voice surprisingly gentle. "It happens to the best of us." Plankton can't help but feel a flicker of...gratitude? Towards Mr. Krabs? It's a sensation so foreign, he almost dismisses it. "Let me tell you, you had us all in stitches," Krabs says, his laugh genuine. "You talked about being friends and wanting to play with marbles. And that ice cream...oh, how you loved that ice cream." Plankton's cheeks burn even more as the room continues to laugh. He tries to recall anything about the day before, but his mind is a complete blank. It's as if the anesthesia had erased all memory of his post-surgery adventure. "I...I don't remember any of that," he says, his voice small. Mr. Krabs' grin fades, and he looks at Plankton with a hint of...was it pity? "It's okay," he says, his voice softer. "You were pretty out of it." Plankton nods, trying to understand. "But we're not...not really friends, are we?" He asks, his voice hopeful. Mr. Krabs' smile turns genuine. "No, we're not, Plankton," he says, his claws tightening slightly on Plankton's shoulder. "But for one day, we were."