"Yeah, of course,"
We move back to the chair, Ashton motioning for everyone else to stay.
My chest floods with sudden fear. "Please don't touch it,"
He shakes his head. "I won't, I won't. I know how much that's got to hurt."
A long silence of him looking back and forth between the x-rays and my mouth later, he sits me up and tugs his mask under his chin.
"Super easy, I'll take a little instrument and just lift them right out. Does that make sense?"
I pale a little. "Yeah."
"Aw, it's okay. You'll be all numb, you won't feel a thing,"
"Do I have to be awake?"
"Have you eaten anything in the past eight hours?"
I count backward in my head. "That's . . . what, seven a.m.? Yeah, I had cereal at like nine."
He pulls his lip into his mouth again. "So general's out of the question, but there's still an option. Something called conscious sedation, it uses nitrous to achieve pretty much the same effect."
"So what Radell did to me,"
He takes one breath. "Well, yes and no. Same idea, but carried out very differently. Nitrous isn't meant to be used as profound sedation, for complete loss of consciousness like that."
"What's it supposed to be used for, then?" I tap my fingers on my leg, nervous it's similar.
"Never had it before?"
"No,"
"Makes you sleepy, really relaxed, you probably won't remember much. You'll still be able to communicate if you need to, but you'll be sort of half asleep,"
"Sounds good. Better than being awake,"
He nods and smiles. "Yeah. I am going to need to make sure your mom knows what's going on, though. Mind if I call her again?"
I hand him my phone without a word.
"Luke?" my voice is whiny.
He looks up. "What's up?"
"Ashton stole my phone," I make grabby hands, and he comes over and pushes Ashton's stool away with his foot. Ashton glances up from the call as he rolls away, only half-concerned.
Luke drags a chair to my side and sits. I grab his hands, and he rubs his thumbs along the backs of my hands. "Worried?"
"Shh, don't talk about it. I'll be asleep. Lay me down,"
He laughs and does as I say, then falls silent. I close my eyes. We sit together quietly until Ashton hangs up.
"Got the all clear. Let's get started so you can go home,"
I nod. He giggles. "I stole your information from the county files. 5'4" and 130 pounds is accurate?"
"Sounds about right,"
"Cool,"
I hesitate. "Ashton?"
"Hmm?"
"It's not going to hurt, right?"
"No, no, it won't. Don't worry about that. There's a top-up scheduled about an hour in, but if for some reason you're feeling anything close to pain before that, you tell me. Okay?"
"Okay,"
A pair of gloves and a mask later, round two of anesthetic begins.
"No nerves here, you won't feel much at all,"
