My sister a dentist my brother a doctor

Root canal & extraction

AMELIA'S POV

"Are you starting to feel numb?" Joe asked, his voice gentle but focused as he carefully checked on my progress.

"A bit," I replied, trying to sound calmer than I felt.

But I could still feel a tight knot of anxiety deep in my stomach, and my hands were trembling.

"Perfect. Then I'm going to go ahead and start," Joe said, grabbing his mirror and the drill.

I could hear the unmistakable hum of the drill as he readied it, and my heart skipped a beat. I nervously opened my mouth, my body already tense and on edge, bracing for what was coming next. Joe's hands were steady as he leaned in, and I could feel the cold, sharp pressure of the drill against my tooth. I immediately squeezed Taylor's hand tighter, my grip so tight it almost hurt, but the pressure was the only thing grounding me.

"You're okay, hun. You're doing so well," Taylor said softly, squeezing my hand in return, her voice a comforting whisper against the backdrop of my rising panic.

It felt like an eternity as Joe continued to work, the drill vibrating against my teeth and sending a wave of discomfort through my entire body. The deeper he went, the more I felt like I was being pulled into a sea of unease. The sharpness of the drilling was overwhelming, and I couldn't hold back the tears.

"It's okay, you're doing great," Joe said, his voice steady. "We're almost through this part. I just need to scrape out the rest of this cavity, and then I'll fill it back up."

I could feel the scraping sensation, like he was digging deeper into my tooth. It was uncomfortable—scratchy, almost—but worse than that, it felt like I was losing control. I squeezed Taylor's hand even harder, my body shaking despite the numbness creeping over me. Tears fell down my cheeks, but I couldn't even wipe them away. All I could focus on was the pressure, the scraping, and the overwhelming need for it to end.

"Almost done, hun," Joe said as he worked, his voice calm despite the intensity of the procedure.

The scraping was relentless, but I held on. I was so close to breaking, but I knew I had to get through it. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he stopped, and I felt a sense of relief wash over me, but the numbness wasn't enough to make me feel okay. He started filling the tooth, and I could feel him working to seal it up. There was a strange sensation as he dried it, and all I could think was *please just let this be over.*

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" Joe asked, pulling his tools away and setting them back on the tray.

I couldn't help it. I looked up at him, my face flushed from tears, and whispered, "That was awful."

My voice cracked, and I hated how vulnerable I sounded, but the experience had completely drained me.

"I'm sorry, hun," Joe said sympathetically, pausing for a moment to grab another Q-tip and dip it into the numbing gel.

"Oh, yeah, I have more, don't I?" I whined, my voice small and defeated.

The thought of more needles, more pain, was enough to make my stomach turn. I just wanted to escape.

"This part will be the easy part, hun," Taylor said softly, trying to comfort me, though I could tell she was just as worried as I was.

"An extraction isn't easy," I whimpered, my fear rising again.

The thought of the tooth being pulled out was almost worse than the drilling.

"I'll be fast, just open up for me, hun," Joe said, his voice gentle but firm as he prepared for the next step.

I hesitated, but then slowly opened my mouth again, feeling completely exposed and vulnerable. He carefully rubbed the gel around my other tooth, the one he was about to extract.

"Just another quick pinch, hun," Joe warned as he readied the needle.

I couldn't even bring myself to look at the needle as he gently inserted it into my gums. I tried to relax, but every muscle in my body was tense, and my heart was racing in my chest. The only thing that made it bearable was Taylor's hand, still tightly gripping mine. When the needle was finally removed, I felt a wave of relief—at least the worst was over... for now. But then came the sensation of the pliers in my mouth, and I immediately tensed up again.

"Just some pressure while I wiggle this tooth out," Joe said softly, though the words didn't make it any easier.

He started to gently move the tooth, and I could feel the resistance, the awkwardness of it, like something inside me was trying to fight against it. At first, it wasn't too bad, but then suddenly, I felt a sharp pull. My body jerked in surprise, and I flinched, nearly choking on my own breath.

"It's out," Joe said quickly, his voice steady and reassuring. "You're alright, hun. It's all done."

He pressed gauze into my mouth, and for a moment, I just laid there, unable to speak, unable to move. I was still in a daze from everything that had just happened, but relief flooded me. The worst was over.

As soon as Joe finished and stepped back, I couldn't get out of that chair fast enough. I pushed myself up slowly, stretching my stiff muscles and trying to shake off the dizziness that lingered in my head. My whole body felt heavy, like I had just run a marathon, but the weight of the anxiety had finally lifted. I wasn't happy about everything that had happened today, but I was just thankful it was finally over.

"Thank you," I whispered quietly to Joe, my voice shaky but full of gratitude.

I could barely meet his eyes after everything, but I knew I'd made it through, and that was what mattered most.

"You're welcome, hun," he said with a small, reassuring smile. "You did great. Now, let's get you cleaned up and out of here."

As Taylor helped me out of the chair, I felt a deep sigh of relief. Today had been terrifying, but it was done. And for once, I didn't feel like I was trapped in a nightmare anymore.