The Dental Student

S e t e n t a y d o s

7 2

Noah grabbed one of my hands as he stopped one of my many nervous habits.

"Alrighty, Willow. Open please." Dr. Finnegan said.

I closed my eyes and hesitantly opened my mouth, not ready to face the truth.

"Okay, we're about to start Willow. Dr. Collins is going to give you nitrous oxide and once you start filling good, I'll start with the local." I heard Dr. Finnegan explain, as I just kept my eyes closed and tried to chill.

"Willow, you're going to have indicate to us that you haven't fallen asleep yet." Dr. Finnegan joked with a quick chuckle.

I opened my eyes and looked only at Noah,
"I'm still here."

I watched as my uncle, Dr. Collins as Dr. Finnegan would say, brought over the mask for the nitrous oxide.

"You know what to do kiddo, just breath." My uncle explained as he situated the mask over my nose.

I just laid in the chair, waiting for the gas to kick in while I just stared at how perfect this tall glass of water was that I get to call my boyfriend.

I started to feel numbness and a little lightheaded.

"It's working." I mumbled out, still focusing on Noah.

I've been on laughing gas before, I know what to except it, I'm just not too thrilled about getting my wisdom teeth removed and by some random weirdo.

"Here we go, you know what to do Willow, no wiggling, no shifting, no movement." I heard Dr. Finnegan say as I closed my eyes.

I opened my mouth and was just preparing for the worst.

I felt Noah squeeze my hand, showing that he was right there for me.

I tried my hardest not to jump when I felt the first needle plunge into my skin.

Yeah I'm used to needles hurting, but this one hurt so bad.

I felt the needle throughout my whole mouth.

As he went to do the next one, a tear slipped out of my eye.

The next one hurt more than the first.

If Dr. Finnegan, kept on going at this rate, one after the other with no recovery time, then I won't be able to handle anymore.

I couldn't move.

I couldn't express that I felt any pain.

I just had to squeeze Noah's hand until it fell off.

I began to cry, unable to handle the pain or even the situation I was in.

I was vulnerable in front of three different males, one of whom I didn't even know until 5 minutes ago and now they're performing surgery in my mouth!

The other two I completely trust with my life, but I was just so overwhelmed, with everything.

As I was in the middle of my breakdown, I suddenly felt Noah's hand leave mine.

Even though I'm in a very gassed state, I know what's going on.

I watched as Noah quickly got up and just walked out of the room, leaving me.

I couldn't do anything.

I couldn't turn my head.

I couldn't move.

Dr. freaking Finnegan was still stabbing my mouth with needles.

I can't handle this.

I can't handle being on my own.

I can't handle this without Noah.

Why did he just leave me like that.

I started hyperventilating which is ironic since I'm on freaking laughing gas.

The needles kept on plunging into my skin, causing pain to rip through my mouth.

Through all the pain, Noah just leaving me, and the situation of this basically awake surgery, I was overwhelmed and not able to calm down and breath.

The laughing gas wasn't helping the situation, causing less and less oxygen leading to my brain.

I saw the concerned face of my uncle and the professional look of Dr. flamboyant Finnegan before I slipped into the deep darkness of unconsciousness.