Page 38 of Family Bonds- Jarrett & Andi

She turned her head to where Mandy had been getting things ready. She tried not to look at all the tools being laid out.

She opened her mouth and Mandy was feeling around. “Nothing,” she said.

“Good,” Mandy said. “I’ll get Dr. Bond. He’ll give you the shots and then it will be a few minutes after that.”

She sat there while Coy came back in, gave her two shots, then left to check on another patient.

When five minutes went by, he returned. “Let’s see how you’re doing,” Coy said.

She opened her mouth again and he was poking around with some tool that she’d seen him pick up, but didn’t feel a thing.

“Nothing,” she said.

“Good,” Coy said. “We can get started. You’re going to hear the noise. It’s just the sander. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure my hand doesn’t slip and hit another tooth.”

“Dentist humor?” she asked.

He was grinning and then pulled his mask up and put a shield over his face. That didn’t make her feel any better.

Jesus, was debris going to fly out and hit him? Was she going to go through more pain or injuries than she’d already endured? Maybe she could just live with the chipped teeth.

“I can tell by the look on your face I just made you nervous. I don’t like goggles, as they tend to steam up with the mask. I can’t get my eyes scratched if something did come out and it has happened.”

“Good idea,” she said, forcing some bravado. “I’d rather you focus on the right teeth too.”

Andi lay back in the chair while Coy did his work. She shut her eyes at one point because the light was bothering her. She was glad the vibrations weren’t giving her a headache.

“I think you’re done,” Coy said. “Bite down on this one more time and rub your teeth back and forth.”

She did as she was instructed for the third time. Not that she understood the reason for it but didn’t need to know either.

“Thanks,” she said when Coy said everything looked good.

“The Novocain should wear off in an hour or so. Maybe longer for some people, but you’re good to go and eat like you normally would. If you have any problems or pain or something feels off or not even, give us a call.”

She drove home and, though she was hungry, she wasn’t going to eat anything until her mouth wasn’t numb. She didn’t feel like chewing on half her cheek and not knowing.

Once she got to her house, Andi pulled her phone out of her purse and realized she’d missed a call from Jack. He never worried much when that happened since she could have been with clients.

It was only twenty minutes ago so she called back.

“Hey,” Jack said. “I was just checking in on you.”

“I’m fine,” she said. He’d been texting her daily and she was surprised it’d taken him this long toactuallycall.

“You sound funny. Are you sure?”

“Half my mouth and face are numb,” she said. “I’m probably slurring my words. I just got my teeth fixed.”

“I forgot about that,” Jack said. “You know you can submit that in for payment. There are funds for that.”

“No,” she said. “I’ve got it and you know that.”

“No use arguing with you,” Jack said. “I never win.”

She snorted. “Please. You’ve won enough and on the big things and that is why you give in on the small ones.”

“True. Everything else good?”

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