Broken Heart/Broken Mind

-Chapter Seventy-six-

Sophie tapped her feet on the waiting room floor. The past few weeks, she was getting shooting pains in her jaw. One trip to the dentist, and it was determined that her wisdom teeth were impacted.

Grady and Edaline were getting her paperwork filled out. Sophie was shaking her leg with anxiety. She had never actually been under anesthesia before. The idea scared her.

Her name was called into the back. Her parents followed her and the doctor to the room.

She sat down in the chair, reaching for Edaline's hand. The chair was leaned back to a lying position.

"Alright, Miss Foster," the doctor said. "Going to give you the laughing gas, now. It's going to make you sleepy, but once you're awake, it'll all be over with."

Sophie nodded. She squeezed her mom's hand as the mask was placed over her face. After a couple of breaths, she started feeling funny.

Her head was fuzzy, and it she felt her heart picking up its pace. It felt familiar. And she didn't like it one bit. Her vision was going out on her now.

She whimpered at the feeling. Grady gently brushed her hair back from her face.

She didn't like how any of it felt. Her eyes were growing heavy. It felt like her throat was closing off on her. It hit her

Seizure.

Sophie ripped the mask off her face, startling the doctor and her parents. She gasped in gulps of fresh air, savoring every one.

"Seizure," she muttered to them. "I was having a seizure."

"Oh, dear, that was the laughing gas," the doctor informed her.

"I don't want it," she murmured.

Her head was hurting now. The kind of hurt that came after a seizure. The feeling of it was way too similar for her to be comfortable with it.

"You don't want it?"

Sophie shook her head. "Uh-uh. I don't like it. Is there I different thing I can have? Or am I able to stay awake?"

The doctor scratched his head. "Well, I wouldn't advise being awake for it. But you can have the IV medications. That should help with the lightheaded feelings."

Sophie hated needles. But she hated the feeling of a prolonged seizure even more, so she resigned to the remaining option.

Once the needle was placed in her hand, the medicine was pushed in through the IV. It hit her system so fast that she didn't have time to prepare for it.

To her relief, it wasn't the same sensation as the gas. Her body felt strangely sluggish. Her eyelids were heavy. She could vaguely feel a slight hum in the back of her mind, closing out her thoughts.

Edaline kissed her forehead and brushed her hair back. She was out like a light.

When Sophie awoke, bright lights were all around her. It took a moment for her to come back into focus.

She could feel the numbness in her face. She could see the fact she was in a car. That her head was resting on Edaline's shoulder. But any other thoughts that weren't obvious statements were all jumbled up and thrown out the window.

Edaline noticed that Sophie was awake. She glanced down in her direction with a soft smile.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

How was she feeling? Any coherent thoughts seemed to flee her mind. After a moment of thinking, she finally came to a conclusion. Sleepy.

She mumbled her response the best she could through the swelling, gauze, and numbness.

It caused a mixture of drool and blood to drip down her chin. Edaline took a damp rag and wiped it off her face.

"Alright, we're almost home, and then you can lay down. Think you can hold out until then?"

She nodded.

When they arrived at the house, she was helped inside and on the couch. The haze of the drugs still in her system lulled her back asleep.

Stirring awake, somebody was lying with her. She glanced over her shoulder to see Keefe on top of her. When did he get there?

She made a small noise to get his attention. He lifted his head and smiled at her. He sat up, massaging her scalp. She decided to save her questions for later because the head scratchies put her back to sleep.