"You know I hate these early mornings," Plankton grumbled, his eye squinting against the glaring light. Karen, his ever-patient wife, offered a gentle smile, her hand resting firmly on his arm. "It's just a simple procedure," she assured him, as he’s getting his wisdom teeth removed as a preventative measure. The drive to the surgery center was quiet, except for the soft hum of the car's engine and the occasional swipe of the windshield wipers against the rain. Plankton's stomach churned with nerves, his thoughts racing to worst-case scenarios. Karen noticed his grip tightening on the armrest and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Once they arrived, the receptionist's bright smile did little to ease Plankton's anxiety. The waiting room smelled faintly of antiseptic and mint, a sterile combination that always made him feel somewhat uneasy. They checked in, and Karen filled out the last of the forms while Plankton nervously tapped his foot, watching the clock's second hand move in slow, deliberate marches around the face. With a few moments to spare, Karen discreetly pulled out her phone and started typing a group text to her gal pals, Sandy and Pearl. "Plankton's about to get his wisdom teeth out! 😨🦷💊" she wrote. Her thumb hit send. Sandy's response was almost instant, "Good luck to him! 💪🤞 I'll be thinking of him!" Pearl's message popped up moments later, "Oh no, poor guy! Send us updates, please! 🥺💔" The nurse called Plankton's name, and Karen gave his hand a final squeeze as they followed the nurse to the operating rooml, her thumbs poised over the keyboard of her phone. "Going in now. 🙏💛" The room was cold and clinical, with shiny instruments gleaming in the harsh overhead lights. Plankton's breathing grew shallow as he settled into the chair, the paper crinkling under him like a warning. The anesthesiologist, Dr. Shell, was a kind-faced crab with a gentle demeanor that somehow made Plankton feel slightly less nervous. "This won't hurt a bit," Dr. Shell assured him, placing a mask over Plankton before the iv. "Just breathe deeply and count back from twenty for me." Plankton nodded, his heart racing like a squirrel's in a predator's gaze. He took a deep breath and began to count, his eyes never leaving Karen's. "Twenty...nineteen...eigh-" his voice trailed off as the warm embrace of anesthesia took hold, his eyelid growing heavier by the second. Karen waited until he was fully asleep before sending another text. "He's in! 🛃💤 I'll keep you both posted." She watched as the surgical team went to work, their movements swift and precise. Karen watched the surgery finish and sat with him. He’s still asleep, drooling a bit, but she couldn’t help but smile at his peaceful snores. The nurse nodded her way, indicating everything had gone according to plan. She took a picture of him sleeping to send the gal pals. "Success! 👨‍⚕️💤🦷" she texted, including the photo. "The teeth are out, and Plankton's snoring like a champ!" Sandy's response was swift, "Phew! 😅 That's a relief. How's the little guy holding up?" Karen chuckled softly, typing back, "Out cold, but his snores are music to my ears. 😂🎶" Sandy's response was a symphony of emojis, "🎉🥂 He's gonna be so groggy when he wakes up! Make sure to get some funny videos for our group chat! 📹😂" Karen couldn't help but laugh at the thought of capturing Plankton's post- op antics. She knew her friends would get a kick out of it. The nurse, sensing her amusement, leaned in and whispered, "You'll want to keep an eye on him when the anesthesia wears off. They can get pretty loopy." Karen nodded, her thumbs dancing over the phone's screen. "You bet I will. 😂🎥" she texted back to Sandy. The nurse returned with a small cup of water and a set of instructions. "Here you go. Make sure he sips this slowly once he's ready. And don't let him have any solid foods for a few hours. Just soups and smoothies." Karen nodded, still smiling at the thought of Plankton's impending drowsy adventure. Her phone buzzed again. It was Pearl this time, "Send us the updates! 👀💃" Karen looked down at Plankton, his mouth now swollen and his cheeks still numb as he slept. With a smirk, she sent a quick selfie of the two of them, his mouth open and her thumb up in the background. "Still hasn’t woken up, but I'm ready for the post-op show! 😂🤡" Sandy's reply was, "Oh, the joy of modern medicine. 😂💊👨‍⚕️" The nurse returned with a wheelchair to take Plankton to the recovery area. Karen helped his body sit up, and his head lolled against her shoulder. As they made their way down the hall, his eye still remained closed. Sandy responded to the selfie with a string of laughing emojis and a thumbs up. "You've got this! 😂👍" Pearl's message was a bit more dramatic, "Oh my gosh, he looks like he's been in a battle with a sea serpent and lost! 🐉💨🤕" Karen couldn't help but chuckle, despite her exhaustion from the early morning and the worry. Plankton began to stir as the wheelchair stopped. "We're here," Karen whispered, adjusting his pillow. The nurse helped him into a recliner, and Plankton's eye flickered open, a look of confusion spreading across his face. "Whewe...an...I?" he slurred. Karen held up the cup of water and the nurse nodded. She brought it to his lips, and he took a tentative sip, wincing as the coolness hit his numbed mouth. The sensation was oddly comforting. "Teef...?" Plankton managed to ask, his voice thick with sleep and the aftermath of the procedure. Karen giggled at his speech, snapping another photo of his swollen, goofy smile. She sent it to Sandy and Pearl, adding, "Ahoy there, pirate Plankton! 🏴‍☠️🦷" The responses came flooding in, a river of laughter and well wishes. "Looks like he found the hidden treasure of pain relief! 😂💊💎" Sandy texted. "Send our regards to the tooth fairy for us! 🧚‍♀️💃" Pearl added. Their messages brought a warmth to Karen's heart, reminding her that she wasn't alone in this moment, despite being miles apart from her friends. The nurse left them in the recovery area, the steady beep of monitors and the distant mumble of patients and staff filling the space. Plankton's eye grew heavier, and he drifted back to sleep, snoring gently. Karen, now in charge of documenting Plankton's recovery for their amusement, sent another update. "Pirate Plankton's snoring symphony is in full swing! 🐠💤🎶" This time, the replies from her friends were even faster, their emojis reflecting the comical sight of her husband. Pearl's response was a string of laughter and a band-aid emoji, "Tell him not to talk to the fishes about his treasure lost! 🐠🤐💨" Karen giggled at the thought and leaned in to whisper in Plankton, "You've got fans waiting for your tales of the deep, captain." His snores grew louder, a gentle sea breeze escaping his mouth like a lullaby for the fishes. Her phone vibrated again. Sandy had responded with a series of emojis: "🐠💨💃💃💃" followed by "Make sure he doesn't swipe his treasure map with those souvenir teeth! 🛃💃🐠" Karen couldn't resist playing along, sending a photo of Plankton's teeth, now in a tiny plastic treasure chest, along with the text, "Arrr, he's lost his pearls, but the sea's still got plenty more! 💎🐠🏹" Sandy replied with a row of clapping fish, "What a hero's journey he's had! 🐠👏" and Pearl chimed in with, "Those teeth are now part of the ocean's legend! 🐠💃💃" Karen's phone buzzed again, and she saw that Sandy had sent a meme featuring a lobster with wisdom teeth, holding a tiny pirate flag. "This is too much," she thought, laughing quietly so as not to wake Plankton. She showed him the meme once he began to stir again. His swollen smile grew wider, and he managed a chuckle, his speech still slurred. "Arrr, I'm the king of the sea now, aren't I?" Sandy texted back, "Definitely the king of the dental seas! 🐠👑💃" Pearl sent a GIF of a fish doing a celebratory dance. "Your teeth are now part of the ocean's treasure! 💃💃💃" The playful banter between the friends continued, with each text bringing a little more life to Plankton's droopy eye.