Prompt 28- Phone Call
A/N: Since it's implied that Mr. Krabs has a sister in the series, I've decided to create a sister for him, called Josephine 'Jo' Krabs, who lived with a female relative following the death of her father to become a lady, except she rebels against gender stereotypes.
...
9 year old Eugene Krabs swung his legs excitedly on the ratted sofa of his home, with his miniscule best friend, Sheldon Plankton, sitting on his knee.
"What are you so excited about?" Plankton asked curiously, and his best friend beamed in delight at the opportunity to explain the reason for his happiness.
"Today's the day I get 'the call' from me sister!" The juvenile crustacean elucidated his friend. Plankton frowned.
"I didn't know you had a sister." The plankton said in surprise, his singular eye blinking at the revelation.
"She lives with her godmother." Eugene explained. "Her name's Josephine- but don't call her that if you meet her, or she'll beat you up."
Plankton noted that his companion had chosen the word 'if' rather than 'when' and was curious- he was a smart guy for someone so small, and he suspected that Eugene didn't see his sister often- or at least, not as often as he would like.
"Why does she live so far away?" He asked Eugene.
"Mom wanted her to be a lady, and she felt that going with Aunt Mola would be better for her." Eugene explained to his BFF. "She told me she hates being a girl, though."
"Do you ever see her- for day visits or sleepovers, or-?" Plankton asked curiously- only to be interrupted by the phone ringing.
"Shhh, Planky!" Eugene hissed excitedly, leaping across the sofa's armrest before picking up the phone. "Hello, Jo!" He said cheerfully.
"Hi, 'Gene!" A female voice replied. Plankton, who had dived into Eugene's pocket when the phone rang, noted that her voice sounded similar to Betsy Krabs' voice- only slightly higher pitched. "How have you been, little brother?"
"Oh, okay, I guess. But all the other kids are still calling me 'Rags'." He answered. "How are you, Jo?"
"Meh- Aunt Mola's still being too overbearing for my liking. And as for those kids, Eugene- you'll win their respect someday. I have faith in you baby brother."
"Thanks, Jo," Replied Eugene, bashfully.
"Here, 'Gene, can you keep a secret?" Jo asked from the other end of the line.
"Of course I can!" Eugene piped up. "What is it?"
"Well, I've decided that someday, I'm going into...the army. I'm fed up of being told I have to be a girl and have to sew and knit- how can a crab even sew?!"
"Mom can- she makes me clothes."
"Well, I can't sew- nor do I want to. Someday, Eugene, I'll venture into the unknown depths of the ocean in the name of Bikini Bottom, and save many people! I hope that someday, maybe we could be in the army together, and we wouldn't have to worry about being apart, ever again."
"I'd like that, Jo- I'd want to be with you again." Eugene replied.
"Uh, Eugene, are you sure?" Plankton asked, as Eugene said goodbye to Jo and hung up the phone. "It sounds dangerous. What if something happens?"
"I'm sure it wouldn't," Replied Eugene confidently.
...
"Mr. Krabs, sir? Are you okay?"
Mr. Krabs starts on hearing SpongeBob's voice speaking to him. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine, laddie!" He lies, hoping his fry cook wouldn't push it further. But the usually naïve sponge isn't entirely convinced.
"Are you sure?" SpongeBob frowns, fiddling with his thumbs in his seat. "You called me in here, sir, and then you...zoned out."
"Yeah- sorry, me boy. What was I saying?" the old crustacean asks, hoping to get back to where they were before. But when his favourite employee only shrugs, he realises in dismay that he never brought it up...and now he'd forgotten what he was going to say.
"You know what- it doesn't matter, boyo- it's slipped me mind." He sighs.
"But, Mr. Krabs"-
"I said drop it." He sighs, feeling a pang of guilt rise up when SpongeBob's shoulders sink.
"Sorry, sir." SpongeBob says, averting his gaze and staring at the knotholes in the floor of Mr Krabs' office. Mr. Krabs feels worse, and sliding off his chair, he hobbles round his desk before putting a fatherly arm round the lad's shoulders.
"Look, I'm sorry about that, son. I'm just not feeling meself today." He explains, to which SpongeBob's bright, childish eyes widen.
"Are you sick, Mr. Krabs?" He asks his employer.
"No, no,-well..." Mr. Krabs is definitely sick- but not physically. He gulps as he looks at the black, ominous object on his desk.
"Look, SpongeBob- how many customers are there, lad?"
"Not too many, sir- why?"
Mr. Krabs just swipes off his employee's hat and hands it to him, who looks confused by the gesture. Feeling a headache looming in the horizon, he explains tersely that he's shutting shop early-much to SpongeBob's shock.
"But, Mr. Krabs, you, you can't close early!" The poriferan stammers in shock.
"I can, and I will, boy! I'm the captain! Now go and swab the decks, and then you and Mr. Squidward can head home early. I'll see you boys tomorrow at the usual time."
"Y-yes, sir...sorry sir." SpongeBob replies respectfully, albeit timidly, reversing out of his boss's office to go and tidy up and report to Squidward the change of plan.
...
The last time he saw her was at the birth of her three sons. Not long after, she went out to fight far, far away from home- and had never come home since.
No letters, no visits, no telephone calls.