Miya's leg bounced nervously as she sat, waiting to be called in. She was waiting to have her wisdom teeth removed. Not an unusual procedure, but she was still nervous. There were always things that could go wrong. It was also her first time being under the influence of laughing gas, and she didn't know how she would react. She hoped she wouldn't say something stupid and make a fool of herself. Then there was the recovery afterwards. She'd stocked up on soup and mashed potatoes for her next several meals.
The clock on the wall next to her ticked ominously, marking every passing minute with excruciating slowness. The seats around her were all empty; she was the last patient of the day. Besides the secretary in the corner who was busy tapping away at her computer, Miya was alone. She didn't even hear any noise coming from the back rooms.
Miya's nails dug into her palms as she tried to calm herself. She could feel her heart racing. She never liked the dentist before, and this was someone new doing her procedure. His name was Dr. Powell, and she had never met him before. New procedure, new place, new people. It was a nightmare for her anxiety.
"Miya?" came a voice suddenly, along with the opening of the door to the back room.
Miya started, practically leaping to her feat. "Yes! That's, uh, that's me," She stammered, mentally kicking herself for the weird response. The woman in the doorway smiled, seemingly understanding her nervousness.
"Follow me," she instructed, turning to lead the way. Miya followed her through the hallways of empty exam rooms, far into the back of the office. She noted that they passed very few other people. It was as if everyone else had gone home for the day. She shrugged to herself. It made sense as she was the last appointment. She had specifically booked this time because having less people around might have helped her anxiety.
Finally she was led to her room and instructed to relax on the dental chair. Miya sat herself down, shifting uncomfortably against the cold plastic. Behind her the dental assistant bustled about, preparing what Miya assumed were instruments for the procedure. The clatter and scrape of metal made her ever more nervous, and she began bouncing her foot again.
The dentist appeared suddenly next to her. He looked down at her and smiled, resting his hand on her arm. "How are we doing today?" he asked. "Nervous?"
"Um, yeah, a little," Miya responded, uncertain about his hand on her. Perhaps he was just being nice. "I've never been under laughing gas before."
Dr. Powell chuckled. "You'll like it. There's a reason it's called laughing gas. It's a mood elevator. You'll feel nice and happy during the procedure, and it'll be over before you know it. Sound good?" Miya nodded. It sounded better than the constant anxiety she had.
Dr. Powell explained that the procedure would take a few hours, she would have a little recovery period in the office to made sure the gas had worn off, and then she would be allowed to go home. Cleaning and meals were explained, but Miya only caught half of what he way saying. Her mind was still flooded with anxiety, knowing every minute brought her closer to having her mouth cut open and teeth ripped out. The assistant continued to prepare equipment behind her, making a distracting amount of noise.
Finally Dr. Powell finished his speech. "Here, we will start the gas and when you are nice and relaxed, we will begin." He placed a little triangular mask over her nose, adjusting it so the rubber edge was flush against her skin. "Just breathe normally through your nose. We will start off low and check in on you in a few minutes." A small hiss as the knob was turned on a giant gas tank that Miya could barely see out of the corner of her eye.
Miya lay there, staring at the ceiling, breathing deeply. The gas didn't smell like anything, and she was still very anxious. She hoped it would kick in soon and allow her to feel more relaxed. Maybe it wouldn't work on her. Maybe she was just going to be anxious and conscious this whole time.
