Lights, Cameras, Outsiders!

Chapter 22

LCO 22

Francis never did find out about the fight due to Jack's coverup but that Friday was the last day of full rehearsal and Tuesday was the first day of filming. And Saturday was the day Matt had to get his wisdom teeth yanked out. So I took him. He may look real tough on the outside, but he was a nervous wreck.

"Look," he said in the waiting room, "I'm gonna take a smoke out. Will you tell me once I'm called in?"

"You're gonna smell if you go in with smokers breath."

"It calms me."

"Fine." As soon as he went outside, I picked up the magazines around. One of them was one of those stupid tabloids you see at the grocery store. I started to flip through it when the nurse called his name out.

I got up.

"One minute," I said and went outside toget him.

"Matt, you're up," I said.

I brought him back in once he stomped his cigarette out. He wasn't garbed in anything special today, just an old white t shirt, ratty jeans, some nike sneakers and I don't believe his hair was even brushed.

"Do you want to come in with him?" The nurse asked me.

Matt looked at me wide eyed.

"Sure, I'll come in," I said, following them into the hall. We went into a small room and they shut the door.

"Alright, you can hop in the chair here," she said, gesturing to the seat.

He nervously got in the chair and laid back. She pushed a chair over to me and I sat next to him.

"Has he had any recent root canals, fillings, caps, crowns in the last six months?"

"No. Just a cleaning," he said.

"Okay. During the procedure, I'm gonna need you to fill a couple things out," the nurse said.

"Okay."

"So we're coming in for wisdom teeth?"

"yeah."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Kinda late for getting your teeth pulled, eh?" She asked.

"She hasn't even had hers grow in yet," Matt said to me.

"Oh really? How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Is there some sort of issue? Have you asked your dentist about that?"

"Yeah he said its fine my teeth are just slow developers."

"Okay," she said.

"We're gonna let you breathe this in for a little while. I'll get you that paperwork," she put a mask around Matt's mouth and left the room.

"What's this?" He said.

"It's to knock you out and to help you relax."

"I'm gonna be asleep for this?"

"Yes."

"Okay good." So ten minutes later the nurse came back with papers and to see how he was. He was still awake. She uped the dosage of the gas and left again. Ten minutes later, she expected to see him asleep but he was in limbo. Another five an he wasn't asleep all the way. He was weakly opening and shutting his eyes. She tried for another five with a higher dosage and he finally was knocked out. I began to fill out the paperwork when two dentists came in.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Perkins," one of them extended their hand to me.

"Hi, I'm Essie, Matt's girlfriend."

"I hear he didn't knock out so quickly."

"I don't know why."

"Don't worry. I'll let it sit a little longer and then I'll start." And then she finally took the mask off. He was out.

She took this metal contraption.

"Sondra, can you open up his lips?" The other dentist turned his head and opened his mouth up. The dentist inserted the top metal rod under his top lip and the other under his bottom lip and tighten a knob.

"This is just to keep his mouth open for the procedure," she said.

I really couldn't stand to watch that kind of stuff so I walked back out into the waiting room.

"Are there any meds he has to take afterward?" I asked the nurse at the desk.

"Yes."

"Can I just get the prescription and then come back?"

"Yeah sure I'll ask someone to write it out for you."

I realized we brought Matt's rental car so I had to go back in the room. I saw they had two teeth already extracted and on the metal table. The dentist looked up.

"Sorry, I have to get his car keys. I'm gonna go pick up his prescription now so he doesn't have to come with me," I stuck my hand in his jean pocket and drove over to the pharmacy. I picked up his meds and

Came back just in time and he was awake.

"Wow, that was fast," I said.

"You can come see," the nurse said. I walked back there and Matt was stretched across the chair.

"Hi, honey, how'd you do?" I asked. He turned and opened his eyes.

"I really... Hate this." I laughed. His cheeks were the size of grapefruits and his lips were enlarged.

"We put some gauze pads in. Replace those every couple hours. He'll be in some pain for a couple days. He'll have to drink out of a straw for a while. Okay?"

"Okay. I don't have to sign anything or/"

"No you're fine."

"okay thank you.

"You look funny," he said.

"You're the one who looks funny, pal. Let me help you up."