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chris had been ignoring his tooth pain for a while. he wasn't a fan of doctors, particularly dentists, and the boy had been lucky that with enough salt water swishing and teeth brushing he could escape anything. but there was a growing discomfort in his jaw for a while now, and it got worse by the day. it might've slipped below your radar if not for one fatal mistake: he wasn't talking.
chris, the world's largest chatter box- mister never-shuts-up- hadn't said a word in two days. you missed the sound of his voice so much that when you asked him questions, you replaced his real-world grunts with kind responses like, "yes, i would love a pepsi, babe!" and "i'm not hungry, yet, darling." when you caught chris calling you darling in your brain, that's when you noticed he wasn't actually speaking to you. he hated that nickname.
the boy was stationed on the living room couch, tucked under a blanket and leaning his cheek into the palm of his hand. you spied silently from the kitchen, trying to deduce what exactly it was that kept him quiet. you weren't elusive enough, as the boy turned to catch you red-handed. you smiled and waved cheekily, and he only rolled his eyes- no sassy retort, no tease. nothing.
you shuffled into the living room and plopped on the couch beside him, the impact jolting his palm upwards and into his jawbone. the boy groaned, and you felt a pang of guilt ripple through your chest.
"shit, i'm so sorry babe," you lamented, "did i hurt you?"
as you reached to touch his jaw, the boy swerved; he waved a hand at you, signaling that he was fine. but he didn't say so, so you pushed a bit more. "did you bite your tongue or something?"
chris shook his head, wincing slightly as he rubbed slow circles into the far corner of his cheek.
"why aren't you talking? are you upset?"
chris opened his jaw to rebuke you with a no, but the searing pain in his back right tooth sent shocks through his mouth and he shut it instantly, letting out another groan laced in agony.
"okay, stop fucking around now," you lurched forward, feeling your heartbeat screech to a halt as the boy scrunched up his face. "what hurts, chris?"
the brunet tapped his jaw, the right side, close to where his skin molded into his ear. you took him as gently as you could by the chin and turned his face carefully, trying to see if he was swollen; it didn't appear that way from the side, but looking straight on, you had no idea how you missed it. the entire right side of his cheek was inflamed, curving outwards like a baby's- certainly not his natural structure. when you instructed him to open his mouth and ignored his quiet protests, you shone your phone's flashlight inside. you found a raised red bump at the back of his mouth, so red it was almost purple. you could nearly feel the tooth pushing against your own gums just by the look of it.
"god, you poor thing," you frowned. "you should've told me, babe."
you stood up and hurried to the kitchen, grabbing the closest cold thing in the freezer (which happened to be an old bag of frozen broccoli) and brought it back to chris, who was in no position to resist the relief the chill administered. "your wisdom tooth has to come out, chris. why didn't you say it hurt so bad?"
chris began shaking his head, and you read the message in his eyes loud and clear: i don't like doctors!
"i know you don't like doctors, but there isn't a home remedy for this. i'm taking you to the dentist."
the boy recoiled into the couch, rubbing his eyes in frustration. he wanted so badly to tell you he wasn't going, but each time he tried to speak, the grinding of his bones flooded his teeth with pain. so, he begrudgingly let you push his uggs onto his feet and throw a zip-up over his shoulders, and allowed you to lug him to the car.
"i promise you'll feel so much better, okay? you know i wouldn't bring you if i didn't think it was best for you, baby." you smiled apologetically as chris buckled himself in.
the boy watched you put the car in reverse and back out of his apartment driveway with a little more sympathy than before. he knew he was stubborn, but you could knock down that wall with just a little push. all it took was a question or two before chris let down his guard every time. he could see the nerves pulsing in your hands as you gripped the steering wheel, and he grew guilty. i'm worrying her, he thought to himself. the boy's expression softened then, and he reached across the glove compartment to rest a hand on your thigh as you drove. he didn't know if you'd take it as a thank you or something else, but as long as you knew he was trying to make up for the stress he was causing, he didn't care.
you brought the boy to your dental office because he hasn't made an appointment since moving to california, and had no office to go to. when you reached the front desk, you put on your most charming smile.
"hi. my boyfriend hasn't made an appointment, but he's having severe tooth pain and i think he needs to get a wisdom tooth removed,"
"has he been to the emergency room?" the woman behind the desk asked. her expression was kind, but her voice was condescending at best.
"no, i figured they'd be no help if he needed it taken out. he's in really bad pain, he can't even speak. is there any possible way he could get an assessment or and emergency removal? or at least something to help the pain?"
the clerk asked you for some identification. chris fished through his beat-up wallet for the insurance card his mom gave all three of her boys when they moved, and you passed it over along with his state ID. the woman behind the counter printed up a few forms and stated, "have him fill these out and i'll get you to the doctor shortly."
"thank you so much," you sighed, "you're a life saver."
chris followed you across the lobby with his thawing bag of broccoli to sit in a pair of sterile chairs, which he shifted in uncomfortably. you helped him fill out his paperwork, and he didn't object to all the way until the last form. against the back of the clipboard laid an anesthesia consent form that required both his signature and that of his dependent, which in this case was you. his hand hovered over the page anxiously, and you rested your hand on his shoulder.
"hey, it's okay. anesthesia is safe. you won't feel any pain," you promised, "and i'll be there with you the whole time. i'll be the first thing you see when you wake up, okay?"
chris let out a defeated hmph and scribbled his chicken scratch signature on the page, and you signed just beneath his. you stood up to hand over the paper work and then, for the first time in dental office history, things moved along quickly; the desk clerk assigned the resident oral surgeon to chris's case and brought you into the back of the building where all of the private rooms were, explaining vaguely that the doctor (miraculously) had an open schedule for the rest of the afternoon. chris settled into the dentist's chair in a room tucked away in the corner of the office, and you sat on the cold stool beside him, holding his hand firmly and waiting quietly for the surgeon to show up. it took nearly twenty minutes by the time a short, stocky man with a clipboard under his arm walked through the door; he wore a white coat and a smile worthy of a ken doll. you recognized him from the last few appointments you've made, and he shook your hand generously.
"well, hell-o there, sweetie. and hello-" the surgeon smirked as he looked over chris's chart, "christopher! we have the same name, you know that?"
chris forced a fake smile, which you could only chuckle at. you knew exactly what he was thinking: wow, real cool, jackass.
"dr. chris owens. you're lucky i had some time, so i can help you out with this pain, alright?" dr. owens beamed. "let me get a good look at what you've got going on before we decide what to do."
you leaned back, still clasping chris's hand, while dr. owens clicked on the overhead light and pulled a pair of rubber gloves on. chris was stiff as a board as the surgeon shoved tools around in his mouth and hummed assertively, and you tried not to giggle each time the boy squeezed your palm when the man touched the inflamed spot at the back of his mouth.
"you've abso-lutely got a tooth trying to come in there, chris," dr. owens assessed. "you've got an impacted wisdom tooth, which means it's growing sideways, so it's pushing against your molar instead of up through your gums. that's why it hurts so bad. now, i can take it out for you today, but i want to make sure you're okay with that. it's a routine operation, i've done hundreds of them. i'm a pro."
chris surrendered judgement at this point. his head lolled over to you and raised his eyebrows, asking what do you think?
"that would be great, dr. owens. anything to stop his pain, really. he's in a lot of pain," you sighed heavily, feeling that same weight in your chest that hasn't left. you just wanted it to stop hurting for him.
"the lady wants, so she shall get!" the surgeon joked. you were used to his oddball personality, but chris was not and it showed. you giggled at the freaked-out expression he wore.
dr. owens left the room for a few minutes to prepare the right tools and grab his dental assistant, leaving the two of you alone. you took the opportunity to try and calm chris' nerves.
"so, he's gonna knock you out, which means you'll fall asleep and wake up like no time passed at all. you won't feel a thing, i promise. and i'll hold your hand and i won't let go until the whole thing is done, babe. i swear. i'll stay right here, okay?"
chris' eyes sparkled in your direction, and you blushed. the boy mustered enough courage to push through the discomfort and mouthed a slow thank you to you. you formed a sweet you're welcome in return, and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. he squirmed in his seat and made a happy little sound, reminding you of the sweet boy he is.
when dr. owens returned, everything became a blur. a younger assistant followed him into the room, and an extra doctor who you presumed to be the anesthesiologist arrived as well. a mess of white coats covered chris, and you were asked to sit off to the side as they administered his anesthesia; you tugged his arm out just a bit so you could keep your fingers laced with his, and you zoned out to the whirring of dental tools and babbling doctor speak.
it didn't take very long, or maybe you had lost track of time, but chris' surgery was over before you realized it. you completely zoned out while the doctor extracted his tooth. you felt a tap on your shoulder from the anesthesiologist, a younger lady who couldn't have been much older than you. she had golden hair and blue eyes like every girl from your high school who grew up to be a nurse. she smiled softly and said, "i'm gonna wake him up, alright?"
you scooted to the side so she could reach your boyfriend. your hand had fallen asleep from holding chris' the whole time, which you were so glad you could do. you didn't want to break your promise. you watched as chris was given some reversal medication that would wake his muscles up, and in a few moments his icy eyes fluttered open. they were cloudy and confused, but when they settled on you, he smiled. the anesthesiologist and the dental assistant left quietly, leaving you, the boy, and dr. owens to finish up.
"hi baby," you greeted, squeezing his palm.
"hmm. my girfreinth!" his words were misconstrued through all of the bloody gauze lodged in his jaw, but you knew what he was trying to say.
dr. owens chuckled to himself as he discarded his gloves and shuffled to the sink, running his hands under some warm water. "how're you feeling, chris?"
"weirth," chris replied, the word sounded muffled. the cotton stopped his tongue from touching the roof of his mouth, turning his consonants into th sounds.
"i bet. you did good, bud," dr. owens complimented. "you wanna keep your tooth?"
chris' eyes widened and he shook his head in slow motion, even with all the energy he tried to put into it. "abtholuly noth!" he lisped.
"be nice!" you chided.
"or whath?" the boy sassed. you watched him try to wink, but it turned into him sleepily closing both eyes while he followed up with a cotton-mouthed smoulder, "make me."
"oh, shush."
chris wriggled his hand free from yours and reached for your cheek, and you leaned in a bit; it was then that he decided to take a different route to the top of your head, where he ruffled your hair and scratched your scalp like you were a dog. he offered a goofy smile. "you're so prethy,"
you tried to communicate your embarrassment to dr. owens with a glance, who stood quietly and enjoyed the lasting effects of anesthesia. chris followed your eyes with jealousy and started up, "my girfreinth, so cuthe, hm? i lobe her hair."
you flushed bright red and chuckled nervously, "he's pretty doped up, huh?"
"yes ma'am," dr. owens chuckled. "she has very nice hair, chris. i agree."
the man turned to you and detailed what was left to do: "alright, so i've called in a prescription for some antiseptic wash and painkillers to the closest pharmacy accepting his insurance. same cvs we send your stuff to. pick those up, that will help tide his pain and prevent the area from infection. the girls at the desk have care instructions, but just rinse with the wash, take the medication until the bottle runs out, and keep a close eye on him until the anesthesia wears off. he should be fine. soft foods, lots of water- i'm sure you know the drill."
you sighed with relief. "thank you so much. you saved him a lot of pain, we're so lucky you had time!"
"sometimes things just work out, huh?" dr. owens smiled kindly. "alright. take your time in here, stay as long as you need. he might need a little support walking out. check out at the desk and call if he has any further problems, alright, darling?"
you couldn't help but laugh- even doctors called you the endearing name chris refused to. you nodded, "absolutely. thank you again."
"no problem. have a good rest of your day. and you heal up, chris!"
your boyfriend worked very hard to stick his tongue out at the surgeon, who laughed at the mean gesture. when dr. owens left you alone with him, the boy's dizzy head turned to you. he mumbled, "he wath flir-ing with you!"
"oh, he was not," you rolled your eyes. "he's just one of those guys. he probably calls every woman nice names."
when you tried to help chris out of the chair, he was very wobbly on his feet; you had to hold him up around your shoulders just to get him moving. you carried the boy up to the front of the office, stopping by the desk to pick up his prescription slip and aftercare sheets. chris leaned dependently on your body as you signed him out and paid his co-pay, which was surprisingly cheap- you made a mental note to check what he plan was on later. i gotta marry this kid for his plan, you (not so) jokingly thought.
chris hobbled out to the car high as a kite, and you wondered just how long it would take before the effects of the anesthesia wore off. his eyes couldn't focus on anything for longer than a few seconds, and no matter what he tried to say, he couldn't speak properly from all the swelling and gauze. you had to help him get into the passenger seat and mind his head so he didn't smack it on the car doorframe.
chris settled into the car and blew you a sleepy kiss, and you blushed. "thank you," he slurred.
"you're welcome. let's get you home, huh? you wanna stop for some ice cream?"
"yeth pleathe!"
you were quick to start the car and head for mcdonald's, planning on grabbing two cones in cups and taking them home- you didn't want the boy to spill anything in your car.
chris admired the way you shifted into drive, and noticed the change in how you held yourself. now that he wasn't in pain, your shoulders sloped downwards with relaxation; your jaw wasn't clenched, and your hands sat on the steering wheel loosely, not so tight as they were when you drove him there earlier. his heart fluttered as he thought about everything you did to make him better- you got him emergency surgery just to fix his jaw pain, and he recognized that. and he was so grateful.
so in a loopy daze, the boy opened his mouth and did his best to say, "i love you, tharlin'."
your heart stopped beating completely as you drove slowly down the road, feeling every inch of your body flood with butterflies. your mouth melted into a mushy smile, replying, "i love you too."
chris spent the rest of the drive home messing with the music, playing ridiculous songs just to make you laugh (and because he couldn't think straight). you were just happy to see him better. and you couldn't wait to bring a dazed chris home, because you could only imagine the things matt and nick will get him to say as he comes off the anesthesia- that's a whole wednesday video on it's own.
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originally requested by april-xoxo :)
when i posted the story about matt
going to the hospital, i was asked to rewrite
it for chris- so i changed it up a bit and
came up with this. and so many of you
asked for more chris after my last post,
so here you are! i hope you don't mind
the switch from hospital to dentist, hehe
this was so fun to write. just imaging chris
all loopy made me laugh. i hope you guys
liked reading it as much as i liked
writing it!!
plenty more stories to come for
both my matt and chris girls, and hopefully
nick, too. i've got so many drafts. ;)
i love you all so much. stay safe. <3
- somethingheavenknows.