Violet

Chapter 20: The Tooth Extraction

That same night, Mr. Harmon couldn't help but toss and turn in his sleep. He kept hearing someone whisper in his ear, "I will listen to your worst fears. I will understand what makes you tick. Then I'll control you like a remote control toy. I'll start you out with small tasks you find distasteful and work you up to things you never dreamed you were capable of. Why will you do all this for me? Because I'll dangle the illusion of love before you and let you get close enough to almost attain it."

When Mr. Harmon woke up, he didn't expect to see himself standing in Violet's room.

"What are you waiting for?" a voice whispered to him. Mr. Harmon looked around. "You need new ideas for your artwork. Another tooth. This time, don't stitch it. Let her feel the pain..."

The voices often started off as an airy whisper for Mr. Harmon. They would come whenever he was occupied with family or even thinking about his family like he did that same night.

"What are you waiting for?!" the voice hissed.

Mr. Harmon looked at the bed where Violet lay. Her chest rose and fell. A smile crossed his face as he placed his hand over her heart.

"Soon," he whispered, only behind Mr. Harmon's voice was another voice. It was faint but if you listened really closely, you could hear a dark and deep voice mixed in with Mr. Harmon's.

He left Violet's room for his medical equipment before returning with it. He took out a mask and placed it on the bed. He took out a small bottle of liquid next. General anesthesia is what he would use on Violet to knock her out cold. She wouldn't remember a thing.

Mr. Harmon turned on his mini helmet light and shone it into Violet's mouth. He didn't hesitate to go for another molar. He stabbed a sharp, pointy blade around one molar and dug his way in. Without gloves, he reached in and yanked it back and forth with a horrible pull. Still, unloose, he used the blade again, digging deep into her gums. Still no luck. Just like the last tooth, he decided to break it into tiny pieces. Using a small hammer-like tool from his equipment box, he began tapping at Violet's tooth. First light taps and then violent bangs. Half of the tooth broke off. Not wanting to destroy what was left, he grabbed the blade and cut through her tooth from underneath. Blood gushed out of her gums and onto Mr. Harmon's hands. He put the blade down and yanked at her tooth once more with all his strength.

The tooth ripped from whatever gum was left. He quickly placed the tooth in his equipment box and packed up everything, not bothering to clean up the blood on Violet. Mr. Harmon had a better idea for that.

***

The anesthesia wouldn't hold long. Violet woke up around 6 AM, screaming and calling for someone to help her. Mrs. Harmon quickly hopped out of bed, and something fell onto the floor.

A hammer.

"What's that?" Mr. Harmon asked, standing up.

Mrs. Harmon dismissed the hammer and ran into Violet's room. Mr. Harmon followed with the hammer in his hand.

Violet sat on her bed, blood on her hands and blood dripping out of her mouth. "Help!" she screamed. "It hurts! Help!"

"Shit, she needs a hospital," Mrs. Harmon said, helping Violet up.

Mr. Harmon raised the hammer in the air. "This fell off of your lap. I left this in my kit. Were you sleep walking?"

Mrs. Harmon walked past him with Violet. Violet's blood dripped out of her mouth onto the floor. Mr. Harmon stepped over it, following them to the front door.

"Veronica, a hammer!" he says. "This is not safe!" He threw the hammer on the floor and followed them outside.

***

The doctor shook his head at Mrs. and Mr. Harmon. He glanced at the clipboard in his hand. "So, what happened this time?"

Mrs. Harmon looked down at the ground and shook her head. "I don't-"

"Actually," Mr. Harmon interrupted. "My wife woke up and a hammer fell from her hands. I think she could be sleep walking."

Mrs. Harmon's jaw dropped as she stared at her husband. "What are you saying?" she looked at the doctor, who looked at her suspiciously. "Come on, how could you possibly think that I could do something like that?"

The doctor sighed. "I've had patients who killed their parents just by sleepwalking. I wouldn't find it hard to believe that a parent knocked out her daughter's teeth. Do you have a history of drinking?"

"Occasionally," Mr. Harmon stated.

"I can answer for myself, thank you," Mrs. Harmon said, feeling frustrated. "Doctor, all I'm saying is that you can't possibly believe that I could do something like this. The first time, how could I even have stitched her back together? Or the second time with her stomach. I'm no surgeon! I gag at the site of a wound."

The doctor looked at Mr. Harmon then at Mrs. Harmon. He sighed once more and looked down at the floor. "I'm afraid if there's another incident like this, child services will have to take action." He looked back at Mrs. Harmon. "If you do indeed have a history of sleepwalking, you need to stay away from Violet at night. When I say stay away, I mean nowhere near her. Not even in the house." He took a step closer to her and whispered, "At this rate, Violet is in danger."

The doctor excused himself and walked into the room where the nurses cared for Violet. Mrs. Harmon and Mr. Harmon exchanged glances. As she stared at him, she noticed a faded red spot above Mr. Harmon's eyebrow. He quickly took notice and excused himself.

Impossible, Mrs. Harmon thought to herself. As she looked at Violet from behind the window, she began to think about her husband. She did her best to empty her mind, but thoughts of Mr. Harmon just kept popping up. Could it really be her own husband doing this to their daughter?