Close Your Eyes (5SOS)

Endo

Ten more minutes, and they're both starting to realize it's not going to work.

"Luke," Michael's voice is thin and pained. "Please . . . just give me an intrapulpal."

Luke tries to pretend he's not stunned by Michael's request. He knows Michael's done them before and knows how much it'll hurt. If he's in that much pain . . .

"I-I"m not trained to give intrapulpal, Michael. You know that,"

"I know. Just . . . call somebody. Call Josh,"

Dr. Joshua Dun is an endodontist on the other side of town. Luke does have his office number, it's worth a try.

Grace rolls a little closer to Michael, taking his hand and squeezing it twice.

"I'm so, so sorry. I love you, it'll be gone soon,"

Michael closes his eyes tightly. Luke steps out to call Dr. Dun.

"Pine Ridge Endodontics, this is Lynn,"

"Hello, this is Luke Hemmings, I assist for Dr. Michael Clifford. I was hoping I could speak with Dr. Dun?"

"I'm sorry, he just left the office,"

"Could I have his personal number? I'm a friend,"

After some convincing, she gives him his cell number. He dials and waits, holding his breath.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Josh, it's Luke Hemmings. I assist for Dr. Clifford across town. Michael has severe damage to several teeth and possible mandibular damage, and I'm having no success numbing him. Lidocaine and Bupivacaine were ineffective, and Mepivacaine was partially effective for about five minutes. He's asked for intrapulpal injections and I'm not trained. He specifically asked for you,"

Josh lets out a low whistle. "How severe?"

"Ellis III and an avulsed,"

"I was on my way home, but I'll be there in twenty minutes. One of my assistants will be right behind me. Try an inferior alveolar block while you wait."

"Okay, thank you. See you then," he hangs up and goes back to Michael. "Josh is going to be here in twenty minutes, he said to try an IAB."

Michael sighs. "Do your worst."

Fifteen minutes later.

"Anything?"

"No, they went numb for a couple of minutes but they hurt again,"

Knocking on the glass door outside makes everyone jump. Grace jumps up. "I'll get it."

Josh stands on the other side, brow creased in worry. Grace lets him in.

"Michael okay?"

Grace grimaces. "Not really, he's in a lot more pain than he's letting on. Nothing's working,"

She takes him back to Michael's room. Luke looks relieved, Michael still looks on the edge of passing out.

Josh takes Grace's stool. "Hey, Michael. Remember me?"

Michael's breathing is becoming labored and he sounds close to tears. "Please, Josh. Please make it stop."

Josh nods. "I'll make it stop. Can you hang on five minutes while I get everything ready?"

Michael nods, swallowing.

"Maybe some kind of topical anesthetic or something?" Luke says.

"No, no, don't introduce anything to the pulp. Surefire way to an infection,"

A knock on the exam room door makes everyone jump again. The door opens and a young-looking guy stands next to a white-faced, shaky Ashton.

"Sorry," Ashton says, looking like he's going to throw up. "I should go."

The guy steps into the room and the door closes behind him.

"Tyler, right on time. Thanks so much for coming,"

Luke gets up and sits next to Grace in the visitors chairs. By the time Tyler is scrubbed and gloved, Josh is ready with the equipment. Josh gets himself ready and they start prepping Michael.

Tyler cleans out Michael's mouth and puts in a bite block while Josh locks a burr onto the handpiece. He tests it with a quick tap of the pedal at his feet, and Michael flinches a little.

"All ready, Michael? They'll stop hurting soon,"

Josh's motions with the handpiece are fierce, almost violent. "Exposing the pulp now, here comes some pain."

Michael hardly even moves.

Josh sets down the handpiece and takes the right-angle syringe Tyler hands him, forcing the needle into the tooth with his other thumb.

"Some more pain in just a second,"

Michael's hand jerks up, but Tyler was ready for it. He grabs Michael's hand and holds it. "Almost there."

He relaxes a few seconds later. They repeat the process twice more and remove the bite block, and about half an hour later MIchael seems to release a breath.

"Numb?" Josh asks.

"Maybe ninety percent, yeah. It feels good,"

"Enough to start?"

"Maybe. Try and I'll let you know,"

So they start. About three minutes in, Michael raises his hand. "Okay, okay, stop. Stop."

Josh looks down at his hands, then to the tray, then to Michael, then back to the tray. "What are we going to do with you, Mikey?"

He slumps back even farther. "I don't know. There's no way you can work with me like this."

Josh seems to consider for a moment. "Let's put you out. Really heavy, so even without the local you'll be fine."

Michael sighs. "Okay."

Tyler places an IV in the back of his left hand and Michael's unconscious in minutes.

***

Michael wakes up sitting up on the couch at home with an unsettled stomach, an ice pack wrapped around his head, and a mouthful of gauze. Luke's sitting next to him, and when he feels Michael's movement, he shifts to see him.

"How you feeling, Mikey?"

Michael mumbles an incoherent, "Crappy," around the gauze. He reaches up to assess the damage, but Luke grabs his wrist.

"Don't touch. Lots of tissue damage and stitches,"

Michael lets his hand drop and goes back to sleep.