Steel Skeleton

Anew?

One week out, and Gavin finally had gone to the bottom floor of the unit to get the tube out. The day was here, and it was a monumental day, a beautiful day. The day he had awaited for so long had come. Expectations were high, and he was expecting to be disappointed. The itching was something he was ready to be done with though. He had never used it; it was all just precautions. Stupid precautions.

Gavin was nervous, totally. Surgeries were scary, and this was sort of an in between. The feeling of it going in was horrible enough.

He awaited the nurse, who was getting some anaesthesia prepared. His thumbs were twiddling and moving from the horrid anxiety.

"You ready?" He heard the nurse ask. Gavin seemed to let a sigh out.

"Yes, and no. I'm just scared of the whole feeling of it coming out, you know." He explained. The nurse gave him a calm smile.

"You shouldn't feel any pain. It will feel super weird when it comes out, so that's a warning." She stated. Gavin let out another held breath. It didn't help any, but he assumed no reassurance would help. He was just nervous.

"I think I'm just scared in general." He stated. His heart seemed to race as the nurse turned. The numbing agent was applied, and he waited for just a bit. The nurse seemed ready, and he gave her a nod.

"I'll count to three, and then it'll be pulled out." The nurse told him, and Gavin just sighed. He gave her another nod.
"Go for it." He stated, and braced himself.

"One, two, and three." The nurse stated, and Gavin just felt a slight tinge, and then the tube came out of his nose.

Relieving. He felt nothing better than his freed up nostril.

"Holy crap. I feel free." He stated, and the nurse smiled.

"It's life changing, isn't it. Well, you have a meeting with your nutritionist, so don't be late." She told him, and Gavin stood, the numbing seemed to start wearing off. He found himself touching his nose a bit too much. He found it so strange to breathe fully from both, and to feel it, crazy. The stairs weren't horrid, and the numbness was slight.

He knocked on the door of his nutritionist.

"Come in." She stated, and he walked in, beaming.

"Notice anything?" He asked. He was stoked to show it off, a full face, not one blocked from a tube.

"The tube is out, nice. Sit." She told him, and he sat. His heart was now calming down from the anxiety of earlier.

"It's nice." He said, quietly, knowing she was preparing a lot. He waited for her to finish. His hand continuously rubbing his nose.

"Alright, you're one week out, and the weight you're at isn't concerning anymore. We have a meal plan for you, when you leave, but once you're gone, we won't have much say in what you do. Do you feel ready yet?" She asked. Gavin gave a nod. He could do it. He did it once, before relapsing. A second time wouldn't be impossible.

"I feel fine, I've done it before. It was just unstable. I feel much more stable in such a sense." Gavin told her. It was true, he did feel much better, but he also knew that the slightest trigger will pull him straight back into the horrible nightmare. It was always a thin line between the two.

"I hope so, we'll always be available if you need it. Are you finding that the symptoms of the starvation are subsiding?" She asked. Gavin nodded. He wasn't freezing, his hair had grown into a thick mop, and his lips weren't blue. He was functioning, and it seemed almost crazy.