But in the mean time know that Rob and Haley don’t die in a car accident like poor Jen and Mel.  That was just horrible.  The other people in their lives, especially Christy, are still absolutely crushed.  Eventually we will check back in on them though just to see how they are doing.

I'm glad it's not just me occasionally trying to kill off their characters.... :-)

Part 48.

Once we were in my truck I looked over at Haley, then craned my neck to look at Britt in the back seat, and said "ok, I was planning on taking you two to Bob's, it is pretty swanky.  But, things have changed.  Since you gals are free to eat anything you want, you pick."  The girls thought for a second and almost in unison they both said "TACOS!".  I smiled and said "your wish is my command."

As we drove we chatted.  I asked Britt about her change in treatment, about why Dr. Sanders had taken everything out of her mouth, even the braces.  I asked her if she was done; I didn't think so since she had mentioned headgear when she got back.  She explained "well, Dr. Sanders is not happy with the direction my treatment is going.  Not the mechanics of it, but the theory behind it.  She has been applying traditional orthodontic theory on me.  You know, straightening my teeth, pulling everything back with the headgear, what they traditionally have taught orthodontists in school.  Since she has jumped off into the abyss of holistic orthodontics she has had a bit of a paradigm shift in her thinking.  She told me she is worried she might be giving me an incredible smile, but at the expense of my overall health.  I started treatment before Haley and before she really had this change of philosophy.  Because of all of this, she took everything off while she reconsiders a new treatment plan for me.  You know Haley is in treatment to expand her mouth and bring everything forward.  Pretty much the opposite of what she was doing with me.  Haley will end up with a beautiful smile.  But Dr. Sanders primary goal is to improve her airway and increase her nasal breathing.  And I think she is going to do the same with me."  I looked at Haley and asked "what about you then?  If she already has you heading down the path she wants, why change?"

Haley responded "you remember at our last appointment together?  When Dr. Sanders said she was worried I was not getting real expansion, just tipping my teeth out?  Well, it has gotten worse.  It is easy to expand a kid's palate when they are growing.  But once we grow up, and everything fuses, it is a lot harder.  She tried the removable expanders with me and they didn't work.  She then tried traditional fixed expanders, and they didn't work either.  The traditional RPE I had was just tipping my teeth out.  If we had kept going, it could have tipped them all the way out of the bone. And that is obviously a bad thing.  Remember how Dr. Sanders recommended SARPE surgery for you?  Well, that would traditionally be the next step for me."

I reached over and grabbed her hand and said "oh baby, I am so sorry.  But at least you get a little break.  Are you going to get the surgery?  You know I am a big chicken, but I know you aren't.  And I would be there every second to hold your hand during recovery."

Haley said "maybe, but I may not have to.  That is the whole reason we are going to southern California in the morning.  There is a doctor out there who has developed a new expander.  It uses screws to anchor the expander in the palate.  And he is getting successful expansion in adults without surgery.  Dr. Sanders thinks I may be a candidate for it.  But first she wants to try it on herself."

My eyes got big and I asked "so, she it having it done herself?  And you said this thing will be screwed into her mouth.  Yikes!"

Haley responded "yes, she is going to be her own Guinea pig.  She doesn't want to start using this new technology until it is a little more tested, so she decided to be the one to test it.  This ortho has been experimenting with this for about 10 years and just released a scientific paper on it last year.  He had a number of cases, all successful.  There was a fair amount of interest in it within the orthodontic community.  So he has been teaching these courses for the last year or so; teaching others how to do it.  And as part of the course they always have a live demo of the actual installation on a new patient.  Dr. Sanders volunteered, along with another general dentist from Michigan that is attending, to be the patients.  It is all pretty cutting edge stuff and interesting.  Dr. Sanders had me remove her expanders last week so she could do all of the necessary impressions and overnighted them out there.  These expanders are custom made to fit each individual patient's mouth.  So, on the second day we will actually get to see a couple installed.  One in Dr. Sanders' mouth.  She said depending on how her experience goes, she might start using these in our practice.  And on me.  But don't worry, protraction is still a big part of it so I will still have to wear my facemask if I go that route."  She squeezed my hand and winked at me.  She continued "I will show you some pictures of it once we get to the restaurant and you aren't driving."

As we waited on the margaritas I had ordered for the girls to celebrate their parole from orthodontic hell, Haley pulled out her phone.  She held it up to me and said "this is what one of the expanders looks like.  At first glance it looks similar to the expander I had.  But notice those screws?  They go through the expander and anchor in the bone of the palate.  That is what makes it different and what makes it work.  The actual name of it is a maxillary skeletal expander, or MSE for short.  Hold on, there is a video of it on Youtube."  She found the video and opened it.  Once it was playing she handed her phone to me.  While I was watching the installation of one in a patient's mouth the waitress had brought the drinks.  The girls where sipping on them while I watched.  Once done I shook my head and handed the phone back to Haley.  She asked "what do you think?"  I answered "I think it looks scary.  And intense.  And that it would hurt a LOT."  Haley said "well, it is a little scary.  But it isn't nearly as intense or painful as surgery would be."

I was amazed at how many crunchy tacos the girls packed away.  I guess they really had been missing them.  I was a good orthodontic patient and settled for a soft burrito.  Both girls complimented me for this.  Once they had waved the white flag I said "well, we have a super early day tomorrow.  That 4 a.m. alarm is going to be here too soon.  Britt, how are we doing this?  I am staying at Haley's tonight, do I need to pick you up in the morning?"  Britt answered "nope, my suitcase is sitting at Haley's right now.  I will sleep on the couch.  That will make it a lot easier on all of us."  I told her "that is a great idea.  You know, you are smarter than you look" and gave her a big smile.  She looked back at me and said "and you are a bigger as**ole than you look" and smiled back at me.

The next morning's alarm did arrive very early.  We had stayed up until almost midnight the night before.  I rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom. I was removing my facemask and splint when Haley stumbled into the bathroom.  She hugged me and said "it felt SO weird to wake up this morning without my facemask on.  I almost miss it."  I hugged her back and said "I do miss it.  You are so cute in it.  But I have also missed that tongue of yours, so I guess it is a fair trade."  She reached up and kissed me, letting me enjoy that tongue once again.  I pulled away and said "you do that too much and we will miss our flight.  But speaking of flights, I am afraid security might be a pain wearing your collar.  I am going to remove it, just for your trip.  I will keep it safe and sound here with me, like I keep your heart with me."  She cooed "awww... you are so sweet and thoughtful.  I hadn't even thought about security.  I will hate it not being there, always reminding me of you.  But you are probably right."  After I had unlocked her collar and removed it from her, I kissed the tan line on the back of her neck where it had been.  I told her "it and I will be waiting here for you when you get back."

Once we were all dressed I carried the girls bags out to the truck.  It was still dark outside.  The good news was this meant traffic would not be too bad.  Despite it being an almost hour drive to the airport, we didn't talk too much.  I think everyone was tired.  I know I was.  As I pulled up to the drop off area in front of their terminal I said "well, I guess I have to let you two out."  I looked at Haley and said "I am going to miss you so, so much."  Looking over my shoulder at Britt I said "and I am going to miss you too my little munchkin."  She extended her middle finger to me.  I laughed and exclaimed "I love you too!"

After I had gotten their bags out Britt gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek.  She said "thanks for the ride.  And dinner last night.  That was fun."  I hugged her back and said "I promise it was my pleasure."  Once I released her Haley slid up against me.  She said "I am going to miss you too.  But I will be back in four days.  And I will bring you a present."  She arched her eyebrows at me.  "But in the meantime, just remember this".  She leaned in and kissed me.  We played twister with our tongues.  Finally Britt said "get a room you two!"  Haley and I finished our kiss and Haley squeezed my butt.  As they walked away I yelled out "I love you! You two have fun!  And try to learn something."  Haley turned and blew me a kiss.  Britt turned and extended her middle finger to me again, a big smile on her face as she did.  As I watched them walk through the automatic sliding glass door into the terminal I thought about how lucky I was. 

As I climbed back into the driver's seat, my thoughts drifted from Haley and Britt to Dr. Sanders.  I thought about the video of that expander that Haley had shown me the night before, and the fact that in just a couple of days Dr. Sanders was going to have one literally drilled and screwed into her head.  Just the thought of such a thing sent a chill through me.

Part 50.

It was after dark by the time I dropped Britt off at her apartment.  The girls had been hungry after travelling all day, so I had treated them to dinner on the way home.  They were still excited about being braces and appliance free and being able to eat anything they wanted.  And they were taking advantage of it.  On the ride home and at dinner, the girls had done most of the talking.  After all, they had a lot to talk about.  They had really had a good time on their little workcation.  They had eaten well, learned a lot, seen some sites, and connected with other dental professionals.  They talked a lot about how exciting this new technology was. 

I tried to talk them out of it, just based on how miserable Dr. Sanders had looked, but they seemed to have made up their minds.  Haley told me "look, I have spent over 6 months trying to get expansion.  And I have failed.  I need this.  And this seems like such a better option that surgery."  I couldn't argue with that.  Britt had chimed in "and I told you way back when, we do everything together.  I am not super excited about it, and I am not the poster case for needing it.  But from what we learned out there, almost everyone, well over 90% of people, could benefit from this.  So, Haley and I are going to do it together.  Not tomorrow, not next week.  But when Dr. Sanders begins to offer this treatment option, we are going to be patients numbers one and two.  Or maybe number two and three; Dr. Sanders might be number one already."  I gave up the fight, they seemed determined.  I promised them I would do whatever I could when the time came.

Once at Britt's, I carried her bag to the door and gave her a hug.  I told her how happy I was they had such a wonderful and eventful time.  But I was glad they were back home safe and sound.  Back in the truck, Haley rubbed her hand down my arm and said "I hope you brought your night splint with you.  Because you need to take me home, and I don't plan on letting you leave until tomorrow morning."  I smiled at her and said "I am a good Boy Scout.  I brought it and my facemask."

As soon as I had dropped her bag inside her bedroom she kissed me.  We made out for several minutes.  Once she pulled back she said "you need to put on your facemask.  I bet you haven't gotten your time in this weekend without me here to stay on top of you."  I sheepishly answered "I tried.  I really did.  But I still feel like such a goober wearing it."  She rubbed up against me and said "you are the furthest thing from a goober.  Maybe it will help if I put it on for you."  I told her "I am not the only one that needs to put something on."  I walked over and opened the night stand drawer and pulled her collar out.  I said "I kept it here so I could be close to it as I slept. It wasn't nearly as much fun to snuggle with as you are though" and gave her a big smile.  She obediently walked over to me and turned her back to me.  I quickly fastened it and locked it around her neck.  She turned and kissed me.  She then had me lay down on the bed.  She picked up my facemask and two elastics from the night stand and said "just lay back, I will take good care of you tonight."

The next morning I woke to find Haley gone from bed.  I went into the bathroom and found it empty.  I went into the kitchen and found her cooking breakfast.  She smiled at me and said "you have cooked me breakfast so many mornings, I have a lot of catching up to do."  I walked over to her and gave her a hug.  I then went to remove the elastics from my facemask.  She put her hand over mine and stopped me.  She said "you are so cute in that.  Leave it on till we are ready to eat."  She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.

As I left her apartment I thought about what a wonderful way this was to start a week.  I had a pretty smooth week.  Work was fine, and Haley was back.  She made sure that I got my time in with my facemask.  I hated it but loved to see her happy.  She had given me updates on Dr. Sanders during the course of the week.  Haley told me that Monday and Tuesday had been very rough for her.  But Wednesday and Thursday were each better than the day before.  As I walked into the office at 3 p.m. on Friday I would find out for myself how she was doing today.  I didn't have an appointment.  But Haley was getting a removable Hawley retainer fitted today with an integrated tongue crib.  It had arrived that morning.  I told her I wanted to be there for her, even though I knew it would be a super simple and quick appointment.  But the honest truth is I had missed seeing all the girls in the office. 

I was not wearing my facemask as I knocked on the door.  Haley opened it for me and pouted.  She said "I was hoping you were wearing your facemask so I could show you off again."  I hugged her and said "and it is wonderful to see you too!"  She laughed and said "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."  I squeezed her rear end and said "that's ok, you can make it up to me later."  She led me back into the treatment area where Bri was reclined in the chair with Dr. Sanders leaning in over her and Britt assisting.  Dr. Sanders was wearing her purple facemask and had seen me enter.  She nodded in my direction and held up her hand for a quick wave.  I sat down out of the way and watched.

Bri had a set of lip retractors in.  Wow I thought, those fully banded braces on her lower teeth were so visible.  Poor girl.  Once Dr. Sanders had replaced her wires and ligatures, she chose light pink, Britt went over to the cabinet and returned with several baggies and a pink Petit facemask.  Dr. Sanders explained to Bri "I am going to check the fit of your sagittal expander.  You will need to wear it all the time, only remove it for brushing and cleaning.  The removeable expander didn't work for Haley, but you are still young enough it might.  And if it doesn't, we can go to plan B."  She quickly fit the appliance in her mouth.  She looked at it from several angles and then nodded her head.  I realized how much clearer Dr. Sanders speech was.  I hardly noticed any lisp.  It had really improved since Sunday.

Dr. Sanders looked down at Bri and asked "so, how does that feel.  Poking or digging in anywhere?"  Bri replied "nah, ish jush fees sho beeg n bulky."  Dr. Sanders said "it will feel that way for a couple of weeks but eventually it will feel completely natural.  Now, I am going to install your forsus springs, lower lip bumper, and finally fit you for your facemask."  Once Dr. Sanders was done installing the springs and then the lip bumper, she removed the lip retractors from Bri's mouth.  She held up a mirror in front of Bri.  Dr. Sanders asked "so what do you think?"  Bri smiled.  I noticed as she did that the forsus springs protruded out of her mouth.  She quickly put her hand up over her mouth, covering it.  She said "ish sho musch metal.  What ish my fiancshay going to think?"  Dr. Sanders reached over and pulled her hand away from her mouth.  She said "it all looks wonderful.  You look wonderful Bri.  And if Tommy is the right guy for you, and I think he is, he will be just fine with it."  She then looked over at me.

She exclaimed "isn't that right Rob.  You had no problems with Haley having expanders and having to wear a facemask did you?"  I answered truthfully "no, not at all."  Dr. Sanders turned her attention back to Bri and said "and my Pete has no problems with all of the crazy things I have had to wear in my mouth and on my face.  Tommy won't either.  And it will all feel normal in no time.  Now, let's get you fitted for your facemask. You need to wear it 12-14 hours a day.  I'm not going to make you wear it in the office; I mean I don't make any of you do anything; but if you do it will leave you a lot more time to not wear it outside the office." 

Britt quickly adjusted the mask so that the forehead and chip cup fit Bri's face, then adjusted the horizontal bar on the mask where the elastics would go.  Once she was finished she held it on Bri's face while Dr. Sanders examined it.  She said "looks perfect Britt."  Britt quickly attached a pair of elastics to hooks on Bri's top molar bands and then stretched them and placed them on the mask.  Then to my surprise she attached a second set to hooks on Bri's lower molar bands and attached them to the mask as well.  Dr. Sanders took a look at everything and said "and you are done Bri.  You understand all about hygiene.  The only thing that is a little different with your current plan is having the protraction elastics top and bottom.  Remember one set up top, one set on bottom.  Good job, and they look great.  Now Haley, if you would?" gesturing to the chair.

As Bri got up she had a dazed look on her face.  She went over to the mirror and examined everything in her mouth.  After a few seconds she began crying.  Dr. Sanders got up and went and wrapped her arm around her.  Britt brought her a handful of tissues.  Dr. Sanders tried to console her "come on, it isn't the end of the world.  You look great.  And Tommy is going to be totally fine with it.  I promise you."  Bri sniffled and said "I dah think I can do thish.  Can you tah any of it off?"  Dr. Sanders tightened her arm around Bri's shoulders and said "I will make a deal with you.  Please try it this weekend.  Remember, you can take your facemask off.  I certainly won't ride you if it takes you a few weeks to work up to 14 hours.  Get through the weekend, and on Monday we can talk about it.  Is that ok?"  Bri took a final look in the mirror and turned.  I had the feeling it was just so she wouldn't have to see her reflection in the mirror.  She said weakly "I will tra."  Dr. Sanders hugged her and said "good girl.  Do this, you go on home now.  We can handle it here."

As Bri gathered up her things I stood and walked over to her.  I said "Bri, they look great.  That color really suits you."  She said "thah you" without a smile on her face.  I then considered whether I should say what I was about to.  I probably shouldn't, but I did anyway.  I added "and you might be surprised.  Tommy might chase you all around the bedroom tonight.  It has that effect on some people."  Then I looked over at Haley, who had her mouth open as Dr. Sanders fitted the new retainer on her.  I turned my head back towards Bri and noticed she had a slight smile on her face.  She said "thah you.  I dah believe you buh thank you."  I told her "I promise you it will be ok.  And look, those two girls over there are pros at having all kinds of metal in their mouths.  They will be more than glad to give you pointers I am certain."  Bri said "I hate to be a bother to them.  They hah been sho nicsh to me shince I shtarted, showed me sho musch."  I said "you won't be a bother to them.  Do they have your cell number?"  She said they did.  I concluded with "I know them pretty well.  And I am betting they are going to be the ones bothering you."  I offered her a hug, which she accepted.  It was a very "friend zone" hug.  I released her and said "and I totally get being a little freaked out about the facemask.  I still feel it.  But I bet the weekend goes better than you expect.  Now, take that facemask off, stow it in your purse, and get on home."  She went over to the mirror and did just that.  She returned and said "thank you."  I then said "let me walk you to the front, I will lock the door behind you."  After she had stepped through the door I shouted to her "they look great.  Congratulations!"  She turned and gave me a meek smile.  I locked the door back and went to check on Haley.

As I entered the treatment room, it looked like Dr. Sanders was finishing up with Haley and Britt was over in the corner working on some machine.  Dr. Sanders was going over her final instructions with Haley.  She said "so, all the time except when eating."  She looked at me and said "and maybe a few other things." then winked at me.  I had already realized that the personal side and professional side of Dr. Sanders were two vastly different animals, this was just further confirmation.  She continued "you will get the hang of talking in no time. The crib is smaller than the fixed one you had.  And once you start with your myofunctional training and get that stubborn tongue of yours trained, we can get rid of it completely.  And maybe by then you will have had your own expander installed anyway."  Haley said "thank you Dr. Shanders.  Thank you for making it removable.  Rob thanksh you too" and laughed.  I blurted out "what am I going to do with you woman?"  Looking over at Dr. Sanders I added "the both of you.  By the way Dr. Sanders, how is your mouth feeling?"

She said "well, you can call me Dr. Sanders.  Or, you can call me Leslie.  How about Leslie?  Anyway, thank you for asking.  To be honest, Sunday through Tuesday were very tough sledding. I had lots of pain.  Maybe not 10/10, but not far from it.  But it has gotten better every day since then.  And I am not back to 100% yet, but I feel like I am well on my way.  Other than the screws in my palate; they give my tongue heck; this expander is actually a little less bulky than the two I had previously.  I can talk so much better with it.  You know, this would be a very good option for you."  I said "well, I would like to talk to you about it.  And what it is like.  But not for me.  But for what Haley and Britt have in store for them.  I tried to talk them out of it on Sunday.  But they are awfully hardheaded."

She looked at me and asked "well, what plans do you and Haley have this weekend?  If you don't have anything, why don't you two come over to the house tomorrow evening for dinner?  Pete mentioned on the ride home Sunday how you two hadn't really had time to thoroughly catch up.  And I can tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly of the alien in my mouth.  What do you say?"  I looked at Haley and then answered for us both "sure, that sounds great.  Do I need to bring anything?"  Leslie looked at me and said "bring your facemask if you want to score bonus points with your orthodontist."  This cracked her up and she laughed so hard she knocked her own facemask askew.  As she straightened it up she then said "no, just bring the two of you. And an appetite.  This will be fun."

Part 52.

I looked over at Dr. Sanders, or was it Leslie, or was it Kristin?  She had just arrived with another round of drinks.  I looked over at her and said "so, I have some questions for you about that expander in your mouth.  But first, what is your name?"  She looked at me with a confused look on her face and replied "what do you mean?"  I responded "well, you are obviously Dr. Sanders.  But when we first met you introduced yourself as Dr. Kristin Sanders.  But Pete calls you Leslie.  And you asked me to call you Leslie.  Just curious about that."

She said "oh, that.  All my friends and family call me Leslie, that is my middle name.  But all of my legal documents, professional listings and associations and such, show me as 'Dr. Kristin Sanders' or 'Dr. Kristin L. Sanders'.  It is confusing, but in a professional setting I will introduce myself as my "professional" name; Kristin.  But among friends I am Leslie or Les.  So, you can call me Leslie.  Both of you.  Haley, maybe just in the office in front of patients call me Dr. Sanders.  But I consider the whole office as one big family, so you should call me Leslie outside of the office.  Deal?  Both of you?"

I looked at her and said "it is a deal Leslie.  And that makes sense."  Haley said "it ish going to be a hard habit to break Dr. Sandersh.  I mean Leslie.  But I will try."  Leslie said "good, thank you.  So, what questions do you have about this impressive contraption in my mouth?"

I replied "first, that thing just looks brutal.  How bad did it hurt when you got it?  And how bad does it hurt now?"

She said "well, the installation was not bad really.  The spacers and the injections to numb my palate hurt worse than the actual installation.  Getting it installed wasn't fun, but I would not call it painful.  It was just a LOT of pressure.  And the noise!  Oh, you can hear and feel the screws going in.  That was a bit like nails on a chalk board.  When I start offering this treatment, I am going to provide headphones for patients.  That way it least it will mute some of the noise.  Now, the pain after the anesthesia wore off was pretty severe.  I was sore that Saturday night after getting it.  But Sunday was just hell.  I woke up hurting, and it got worse during the day.  But, I think a lot of that had to do with having to take off and land four times.  I have sinus issues anyway; that is one of the reasons I am undergoing expansion among others; and it is often hard for me to equalize the pressure in my head when flying.  With this new device screwed in; with the mini-screws sticking through into my sinus cavity and the expander pushing my palate apart laterally, it was excruciating.  It got a little better Sunday night once I got home."   She looked over and patted Pete's hand and said "I had a good nurse though" and continued.  "So, Monday was still very painful.  I was able to work, but barely.  Tuesday was a little better.  But that whole time I was popping Tylenol and Ibuprofen like candy.  I probably should have taken a prescription pain pill, but that would have meant I had to miss work.  And I didn't want to do that.  Every day since then has gotten better.  I am feeling pretty good now.  I still notice it is there all the time.  And eating is still a chore.  And the screws are rough on my tongue.  But I can live with it.  Speaking of tongues, stick your's out."

I looked at her with a scrunched-up face, unsure where this was going.  But I complied and stuck my tongue out.  Leslie leaned over and examined it.  She said "so, I am sure you have noticed it all too well, but your TPA leaves an indention on your tongue all the time.  It will go away when it is gone, but not until then.  And I am sure for the first week or two it really bothered you.  But I bet by now you are used to it.  Don't even notice it most of the time.  Am I right?"  I affirmed that all this was true.  She stuck her tongue out at me, and I looked at it.  She then pulled it back into her mouth and said "so, did you see that?  You can see the imprint of the expander on my tongue, the screws and the metal arms.  I too hope that I will just completely be used to it in another week or two.  But, I am not there yet.  At least my lisp is largely gone."

I said "so, it is bad, but gets better.  I am worried about my Haley here.  She seems dead set on doing this.  But you looked so miserable on Sunday, I don't want her to go through that."

Leslie responded "it is too early to say for certain, but I feel like it will be worth it.  Haley has tried so hard to get the expansion she needs.  But her mouth is being stubborn.  I think this will be the right thing for her.  And she will be glad she did it.  You know that whole "short term pain for long term gain".  It is a little of an axiom in the world of orthodontics.  But it is especially true with this."

I asked her "what's it like to turn it?  Does it hurt?  Or is it just pressure like Haley described with her old expanders."

Leslie responded "well, these expanders are a little more aggressive than a traditional Hyrax expander.  Each turn expands a little more than a turn with the Hyrax.  So, there is definitely more pressure.  I wouldn't call it pain.  But I wouldn't call it fun either.  Pete baby, do you want to turn Mama's expander now?"  Pete hopped up and headed inside.  As we waited Leslie continued "I think the best way to describe it is to show you.  And also, every patient is different.  From what I have seen and heard researching this, some patients hardly notice the turns.  Others experience real pain each and every turn.  For the vast majority of patients, including me so far only a week in, it is somewhere in the middle."

Pete arrived back and stood in front of Leslie.  She said "I think Pete enjoys turning my expander.  Maybe he feels like he is getting a little payback for me putting him in braces and making him wear that facemask."  He smiled and said "I am going to plead the fifth on that one."  Leslie removed her facemask and placed it on the table.

She then leaned her head back and Pete inserted the wrench into her mouth.  It took him two tries to get the wrench seated on the expander.  He then turned the wrench downwards, from under her nose toward her chin until the wrench was stopped by her lower teeth.  As he made the turn I could see her face tense up, especially around the eyes.  He pulled the wrench out of her mouth, seated it back on the expander, and made a second turn.  Once he was done Leslie closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.  For several seconds she sat there with her eyes closed taking long, controlled breaths.  She opened her eyes and said "that will wake you up in the morning.  It isn't really pain.  But you can feel the pressure radiating all the way up through the face.   Speaking of which, one thing I have noticed in patients in research papers is an increase in wrinkles.  You can see it in their progress photos.  Especially around the eyes.  It seems like, especially in women, this causes crow's feet around the eyes.  I think that is simply because of how much clenching of the face this whole process causes.  One thing I have integrated into my own treatment is using moisturizer religiously during the day and a retinol cream every night.  This is something else I am going to dive into a little deeper before I start offering this in the office."

I replied "that is good to know.  Any idea on when you might put her in one?  I want to have a heads up so I can take her out to eat all the crunchy, sticky, and chewy food."  As I was talking she picked her facemask up and quickly put it back on.

Leslie replied "well, I want to see how my process goes.  I never like to use any appliance or technique on a patient that isn't proven.  This is new, so I want to feel comfortable I am offering a proven method.  I actually like to have experienced what our patients are going through.  I think it makes me a better doctor.  And I also like it for all the girls to do the same.  It think it helps build empathy towards our patients.  I think a few of the girls think I just like to see them suffer.  And that is not the case at all.  There is a method to my madness.  I don't shy away from using the most effective treatment tools I have in my toolbox, regardless of the appliance.  And I extend that same philosophy to my employees' treatment as well.  I mean, how can we ask a patient to wear headgear, or a tongue crib, or a facemask if we aren't willing to ourselves?  That is another reason I wear my extraoral appliance in the office, and strongly encourage everyone else to do the same.  I just don't understand why there is such a social stigma about it.  I mean, tons of people every day wear glasses and no one bats an eye.  I look at that as an extraoral appliance for the eyes.  But someone wearing an orthodontic headgear or facemask?  The whole world turns to look.  I just don't get it.  Maybe I hope to normalize it.  At least around here.  Speaking of which, has anyone talked to Bri today?  I talked with her last night and gave her a little pep talk, she sounded like she was still down in the dumps."

Haley said "actually, Britt took her out shopping today.  To try to take her mind off of it.  And Tommy was taking her out to dinner tonight.  Let me shoot Britt a text."

We continued to chat, largely it consisted of Pete talking about his time playing ball.  And of stories of him and Leslie from back in that time in Colorado.  It was sweet.  And it made me reflect on a thought that had repeatedly run through my head about Haley and I.  Sometimes, it just seems like fate intervenes to make sure that two people run into each other in life.  Then Haley's phone dinged.

She looked down and said "well, Britt said that Bri was a lot better today than yesterday.  Britt said she seemed to be coming to terms with her braces.  She said the facemask was still an albatross, but we can work on that."  Leslie said "wonderful! I knew she would come around. I know it was a shock to her system.  But she will be fine.  Speaking of Britt, what is she doing this evening?"  Haley texted her back and quickly got a response.  Haley said "she is just sitting at her apartment watching TV."  Leslie said "awww.  We have got to find her a boyfriend.  She is just too incredible to be sitting at home on a Saturday night.  Tell her to get her butt up here, but that she has some catching up to do on the drinks.  And in the meantime, let's put our heads together and try to find her someone." 

And then it hit me.  I didn't know why I hadn't thought of him before.  Maybe it was because I wanted to keep Haley AND Britt all to myself.  But that wasn't fair to Britt.  She WAS special.  And I didn't need to try to hide her light under a bushel.  I thought about a friend from grad school.  He was probably my best grad school friend until we had both graduated and gone our separate ways; each moving away for jobs.  We had been very similar back then.  Only he was a MUCH better basketball player.  It was always fun to play pickup ball at the rec center and see the opponents' jaws dropped when he, the 6' 3" white kid, jumped through the roof to dunk on them.  I had only messaged him a few times over the past ten years.  But from Facebook I knew he had moved back to town and started his own business.  And I knew he was unmarried, though I wasn't sure about the girlfriend status.  One thing I did know, or at least suspected, was that he might share the same affliction I have.  He had never said it outright, but neither had I.  And I hadn't asked him about it.  But I did remember back in the day when we would be out at bars that he would always notice the girls with braces, often making a comment like "she is really cute with those braces".  And I remembered if there was a group of girls, if one had braces, she was the one he wanted.  As did I.  Maybe that is one reason we had gravitated towards each other.  Regardless, I knew he was a good guy.  I knew he was successful.  I knew he was in town and unmarried.  And I knew he needed to meet Britt.  And I kicked myself for not thinking of this when Britt was in her headgear.  If I were right about Chris, and I felt pretty confident I was, he would have chased her around the world while she was wearing that monstrous Interlandi headgear.  But, even without braces Britt was incredible.  And I bet the idea of her upcoming treatment would be enough to get his complete and undivided attention.  I didn't have his cell number.  But we were friends on Facebook.  So, I pulled out my phone and sent him a Facebook messenger.  I simply put "hey dude, how you doing?  We need to catch up."  I then gave him my cell number and told him to give me a shout when he could.  I then looked up and said to the girls "before you two start playing match maker, I might have just the right guy for her."

So, I have had an idea for a while.  Probably a really stupid idea. 

It's not at all a stupid idea.  Quite the contrary.  My sense is to use whatever is available to you to add atmosphere to the story.  I applaud your efforts.

Part 54.

Haley got out of the chair and approached Britt and said “come on now.”  Haley, Britt, and Chris walked away to the corner of the office.  I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Britt appeared animated, doing much of her talking with her hands.  After a few minutes it looked like she calmed some.  Dr. Sanders asked me “do you think I should go talk to her?”  I thought on that for a few moments and said “I don’t know.  Give them a few minutes.  If Haley can’t calm her down, nobody probably can.”  We watched as Britt went silent.  She stood statue still for several seconds.  She then marched over towards us and without a word sat down in the chair.  Chris sat down on the stool beside her and took her hand.  Britt cut her eyes towards Dr. Sanders and said “please just get this over with.”  As Dr. Sanders administered the injections I could see Britt’s lip quivering and her eyes watering.  Once Dr. Sanders was finished Britt said “holy shit.  I hope that was the worst of it.  I don’t think I can take any worse.”  Dr. Sanders patted her on the arm and said “I promise, it is downhill from here.”

As Britt got up from the chair I asked “so Doc, now what?”  She said “now we wait.  Let’s give it about 30 minutes for the anesthesia to be fully effective.”  As we waited we chatted. And as we chatted I could feel my palate going completely numb.  It was a strange sensation.

Much of the conversation revolved around Haley’s trip out to Dallas for her orafacial myology training class, and how she was progressing with the course work.  We also talked about everything Haley and I had gotten into afterwards; we had taken Dr. Sanders offer and stayed a couple of extra days.  For the upteenth time, I thanked Dr. Sanders for being so generous.  She said “it is my pleasure.  I am so happy everything went so well.  It doesn’t sound like it could have gone better.”  She looked at Haley and asked “so, when do you think you will be ready for your first case?  I want to be patient zero.” She then looked over at the clock on the wall, and then at me.  She asked “you ready?”  I answered “as ready as I ever will be.  Just be gentle with me, I’m a big baby.”  She laughed and said “I promise.”

After I was reclined in the chair Bri handed Dr. Sanders my expander.  Dr. Sanders narrated what she was doing as she did it.  She said “first, I am going to check the fit.”  She placed it in my mouth, pushing the bands around my molars.  She then had me bite down to seat it.  After examining it she said “looks good.  How does it feel?”  I felt around in my mouth with my tongue and answered “it feelsh huge.”  She responded “it will at first, but over time you will get used to it.  Anything poking you?”  I felt around again and answered “na.”  She replied “Good!  I will now cement it in place.”  She removed it and handed it to Bri, who applied a liberal amount of cement to the bands.  She repeated the process of seating it over my molars, the expander flush against the roof of my mouth.  She then took the UV light and cured the cement.  Once done she said “ok, now we just need to insert the tads.  Go ahead and put these headphones on.”  Haley took the headphones from Dr. Sanders.  She stroked my arm and said “you are doing good baby.  And thank you for this.”  I noticed the look in her eyes, it was the same hungry look I had seen in them before when I was in the chair.  As she gently placed the headphones on my head I thought that tonight would be very interesting.  That is if we both weren’t too sore and miserable.

I couldn’t hear Dr. Sanders over the music, but she held up the first screw and said something to the others assembled around me.  I couldn’t see what she was doing inside my mouth, but I certainly felt it as the first screw went in.  As she used something that resembled a miniature ratchet to screw it in, I felt it.  It didn’t hurt, but it was so much pressure.  When the tip of the screw popped through into my sinus cavity I thought I felt a pop.  Once she was done, she held her thumb up to me and arched her eyebrows.  I answered her with a thumbs up of my own.  She picked up the next screw.

It took her about 15 minutes to insert the remaining 5 screws.  Once she was done she raised me back up and removed the headphones from my head.  She looked at me and said “you handled that like a rockstar.  Go and rinse over at the sink.  I will wait to start on Haley until you get back.”

At the sink the first thing I did was open up my mouth and tilt my head to see what it looked like.  I tasted blood in my mouth and wanted to see how bad it was.  While the expander looked huge, I noticed there was actually very little blood.  I filled a cup with water and sloshed it around in my mouth.  When I spit it out into the sink I noticed it was pink.  My next rinse came out clear.  I turned and walked back over.  As I did my mind was consumed by how strange this invader felt in my mouth.  The hooks along my gumlines didn’t bother me, I was used to them from my TPA.  But this new appliance felt huge.  As I felt around it with my tongue I realized Dr. Sanders was right, these screws sticking out were going to take some getting used to.  I sat down beside Haley.  She turned her head towards me and asked “how are you feeling baby?  Does it hurt?”  I answered “no, it doeshn’t hurt.  It jusht feelsh sho weird.  And wow, what a lishp.”  She said “it is cute.  And soon we will match.”

I held her hand as Dr. Sanders reclined her back.  It took about 25 minutes for Dr. Sanders to bond and screw the expander into her mouth.  While I would never want to see her in pain, it was a huge turn on.  Not only was the expander cemented into my loves’ mouth, it was physically screwed in as well.  I tried to wrap my head around that, and how crazy that seemed.  Just the mental aspect that a piece of metal was screwed into her mouth, and would be for quite a while.  Once Dr. Sanders was finished, Haley stood up.  Before I would let her walk to the sink, I hugged her tight.  I whispered “you are so brave baby.”

I followed her to the sink and watched her rinse.  She hadn’t said anything yet, and I was a little worried about her.  Once she was done rinsing I gently placed my hand on her cheek.  I asked “ish everything ok kitten?”  She looked at me and replied “yesh, it is jusht a lot.  My brain is freaking out a little bit knowing thish thing ish shscrewed into me.”  I looked at her and tried to reassure her. I told her “I know baby.  It ish a lot.  And it feelsh so weird.  But it will get better.  And I will be right here by your shide.”  She looked at me and said “again, thank you for doing thish with me.  It will make it eashier.”  She then leaned in and kissed me.  She pulled back and said “let’s go sit with Britt.  She needsh all the moral support she can get.”

We watched as Britt underwent her installation.  Chris was at her side, holding her hand.  Several times during the installation, her face contorted in a pained look.  Finally she was finished and Dr. Sanders raised her back up to a sitting position.  Before Dr. Sanders could say anything Britt exclaimed “Holy Shit!  That wash intensh!”  Dr. Sanders looked at her and said “and you did great.  I knew you would.  Anyone that can handle that horrible headgear though can handle anything.”  As she stood Dr. Sanders hugged her.  She then said “I am sorry I had to put you through that.  But it worked didn’t it?  And this will too.  I promise.”

After Britt rinsed; Chris had been right beside her the whole time; Dr. Sanders said “now, let me demonstrate how to make turns.”  She looked at me, and I took that as my cue.  I sat back down in the seat and opened wide.  She showed everyone the wrench and said “so, today I am going to make turns until I feel a little resistance in the expander.  But after today, take a week off to let your mouth heal.  Then in a week, each of you need to make two turns per day.  And when you start these turns, you will need to start wearing protraction gear at least 14 hours a day.  Haley and Rob, you two are already old hands at it.  But Britt, it will be new for you.  I will go ahead and fit your facemask today.  Go ahead and start wearing it this week to get used to it.  Ok, so now for some turns!”

I felt the wrench as she placed it on the expander in my mouth.  On the first turn I felt the pressure extend through my nose.  By the fourth turn I felt the pressure exploding all through my face. I didn’t know if I could take another when she said “ok, that feels good for today.”  She then repeated the process for both Haley and Britt, but only made three turns for each of them.  When she was done she said “males are harder headed then women, but we all knew that already didn’t we girls” and giggled.  She continued “so Rob, that may mean that you need a few extra turns along the journey.  Do any of ya’ll have any questions?”  I looked at the girls who didn’t say anything.  I answered for us all “no, I think you have done a great job exshplaining it all.  Actually, no, I do have a queshtion.  Are you going to get mad if the three of ush are cusshing you tomorrow for installing these monstersh in our mouthsh?”  Dr. Sanders laughed and said “no, I will completely understand.   Don’t forget, I understand it all first hand.”  She pulled her face covering down, titled her head back and opened wide.  She pointed towards her own mouth and said “when you are cussing me, just remember I totally get it!”

She said “actually, you know what, you should all come over to the house tomorrow.  You three probably won’t feel like eating much of anything for a few days.  But a frozen margarita by the pool might be the perfect remedy.  My treat for inflicting all this on you.  What do you say?  Please?”

I looked at Haley, she shrugged her shoulders.  I said “sure Doc, that shounds great.  Chris, Britt?”  Chris said “that sounds like a wonderful idea.”  Dr. Sanders said “yay!  Then it is settled.   So, all we have left to do is get you fitted for your facemask Britt.  What color do you want?”  Bri returned with 9 facemasks of different colors and held them out.  Britt said “I don’t care, you all will be the oncesh that have to look at it.”  She looked at Chris and said “why don’t you just pick the one that will look the least hideous on me.”  He looked at her and said “baby, nothing could look hideous on you.”  He looked at Dr. Sanders and asked “can she have a couple?  Maybe to kind of color coordinate like you are doing?”  Dr. Sanders said “of course!”  Chris then put his finger on the pink one, then the bright red one, and finally the cheetah print one.  As he did I thought about Haley, and how sexy she looked when she had worn her cheetah print mask.  The mask and nothing else.

Dr. Sanders said “excellent choices!  Bri, will you fit them for Britt?”  After Bri had fit the final of the three masks, the cheetah print, she looked at Dr. Sanders and asked “do you want me to go ahead and attach her elastics?”  Dr. Sanders said “sure, might as well start the break in period now.”  Once she had attached the mask onto her face, I noticed the way Chris was looking at Britt.  I could tell he wanted her;  right here right now.  He said “baby, you look incredible.” 

Dr. Sanders said “she does indeed.  And we are done!  You all did incredible.  Remember to stay on top of the pain this evening with pain killers.  And take a sleep aid tonight.  And Britt, go ahead and start wearing your mask at night and around the house to get used to it.  Chris, maybe you can help her with it?”  He didn’t answer immediately, he seemed to be consumed by the image of Britt in front of him, her with her new expander in her pretty mouth and her new facemask on her pretty face.  He snapped out of it finally and said “absolutely Dr. Sanders, I will do my best.”  He grabbed Britt’s hand and looked her in the eyes.  He said “come on baby, let’s get you home.  You have had a long day.”  She looked at him and said “yes, that would be nice.”  As they walked out, I realized that Britt had left her facemask on.  Maybe she realized that, like me, her boyfriend had an appreciation for pretty girls undergoing orthodontic treatment.  If she didn’t, she would find out tonight.

I looked at Haley and said “and I think I need to get you home too.”  Before we left I looked at Dr. Sanders and said “thank you Doc.”  She said “don’t thank me quite yet.  When that anesthesia wears off later tonight you might change your tune.”

Part 56. 

I entered the office at 1:45 to find an empty waiting room.  I walked up to the reception desk.  Lauren greeted me with a big smile from behind her facemask.  She said “Hi!  How are you?”  I answered “I am good!  I have almost gotten over this lishp.  Well… I guess I still can’t say lishp.”   Lauren laughed then stopped herself.  She said “I’m sorry, I wasn’t laughing at you.  I promise.”  I smiled back at her and replied “no need for an apology.  It is funny that if you have a lishp, you won’t be able to say lishp.”  She smiled and said “I know, right?”  I changed the subject and asked “so how are you doing?  Have you gotten more used to wearing that mask?  And don’t take this wrong, but you seem awfully bubbly today.”  She smiled back and said “well, I have gotten more used to it.  And it is Friday.  And I have a pretty special date tonight.  My boyfriend is taking me out to celebrate our one year anniversary!”  I exclaimed “that is AWESOME!  Congratulations.  Where is he taking you?”  She said “I don’t know, he is surprising me.  He has been acting coy all week.”  I said “well, it sounds like he has something pretty special planned for you.”  She said “I hope so.”  She changed the subject back to business when she said “I have you signed in.  They are just finishing up with a patient.”  I took that as my cue and turned to walk away.

She said “hey, I’m not running you off.  I was just letting you know.  I have a couple questions for you!”  I turned back around and said “ask away, I am a pretty open book.”  She asked “well, what is the expander like?  Dr. Sander’s has mentioned a couple times this week I would also be a candidate for one.  How bad is it?  I have asked Britt and Haley, but I want an unbiased 3rd party opinion.”

I replied “well, I am not so sure how unbiased I am.  But it hasn’t been horrible.  The first half of the week was rough, but it has gotten better.  Eating still sucks.  And my tongue stays sore.  But it is ok.  I am hoping that turning isn’t too bad.  I will let you know, we all start turning today.  And I am not looking forward to having to wear the protraction gear again.  It has been so nice not having to deal with that.  It is going to be a shock to get back in THAT routine.  But I guess it is worth it.  I hope it is worth it.  But I will be honest, if it weren’t for Haley I would not be doing this.”  Lauren looked at me and asked “so you are doing this for Haley?  That is so sweet.  I wish my boyfriend would consider it.  I love him as he is.  But his teeth could use a little work.  And I think it would be fun to do it together.”  She stopped and said “well, maybe not fun.  But..”. I said “I get it.  It is hard to explain.  It hate all this” gesturing towards my mouth “but I am so glad Haley and I are doing it together.  It has brought us closer.” 

At that moment the door opened and a teenage girl stepped out in the waiting area.  She approached the reception desk so I stepped back out of the way.  As Lauren worked on her appointment card Dr. Sanders told her “Abby, you have done SO great.  If you will just wear those elastics like I ask I promise you I will have you out of braces before yearbook pictures.”  The girl turned and smiled at Dr. Sanders.  She asked “do you promise?”  As she spoke it looked like her mouth was a giant rubberband.  There had to be at least a half dozen stretching from her upper arch to her lower.  There were several sets on each side of her mouth, but the crowning indignity was a box elastic square in the middle of her mouth.  Dr. Sanders looked at her and said “I promise.  Wear those finishing elastics all the time except when eating.  If you do, we might be able to take those braces off at your next appointment.  And if not that one, I promise the one after.  Do we have a deal?”  She stuck her hand out.  The girl shook her hand and said “we have a deal.  It is going to be so weird being the captain of the cheerleading squad with all this”, she bared her teeth to Dr. Sanders, “our first game is only two weeks away”.  Dr. Sanders said “oh goodness, why didn’t I think of that.  Your school colors are blue and white aren’t they?”  Abby affirmed they were.  Dr. Sanders said “hold on!”  She disappeared back in the treatment area.  She returned with a couple of bags of elastics.  She pulled an elastic out, it was a bright blue, and held it up beside one of the bows in the girl’s hair.  Dr. Sander’s said “it is almost a perfect match.  If you have to wear the elastics, you might as well match right?  I mean, I am doing it with my facemask.  At least you don’t have to wear one of these while cheering.  Right?”  The girl took the elastics and said “thank you Dr. Sanders.  Thank you for not making me wear my headgear except at night.  And thank you for not making me wear one of those” gesturing towards her facemask.  She continued “Wait, I didn’t mean it like that.  I know all of ya’ll have to wear them.  Crap… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”. Dr. Sanders cut her off by saying “stop Abby, I get it.  A facemask is VERY conspicuous.  But it is the most effective tool to fix certain bite issues.”  Dr. Sanders looked at me and said “isn’t that right Rob?”  I was a little caught off guard but affirmed “absolutely, they are effective.  And you ladies make them look cute.”  I noticed out of the corner of my eye this made Lauren smile. 

Abby continued “well, I am sorry, that came out wrong.  By the way, how in the world did you convince Mrs. Thompson to wear her headgear full time?  She is pretty embarrassed to have braces at her age.  I didn’t even know she had headgear.  And now suddenly for the last week she has been wearing it at school and at cheer practice.  I don’t know what seems crazier, that the principal of my high school wears headgear to school, or that our cheer coach wears it to school AND to practice.”  Dr. Sanders said “well Meredith; excuse me Mrs. Thompson; is a very dedicated patient.  As is Mrs. Parker.  Both really want the best outcomes in their treatment.  And I can be pretty persuasive when I need to be.”  As they talked, I put two and two together and realized the cheer coach they were talking about was the woman I had seen the week before, Mrs. Meredith Thompson, the tall blond woman who now had wired in high pull headgear.  She was a high school teacher AND the cheer coach.  Wow, she WAS brave.  But wait, she wasn’t the only one at her school?  The principal wore it as well?  I wondered if this was because Dr. Sanders had wired it on?  Or if she wore it because she knew if she didn’t Dr. Sanders would not give her a choice in the matter.  I noticed that Dr. Sanders had not mentioned that one of the methods she would use to persuade a patient to wear their headgear was to wire their facebow in.

Lauren handed Abby her appointment card.  Abby thanked her then said “so, you promised you would take these off at my next appointment, right?”  Dr. Sanders laughed and said “I promised to try by your next appointment.  But I do promise if not that one, the very next one.  So worst case, we are talking 3 more months.”  Abby said “I would love it if you could make it the next one.  That way I could at least cheer at the last few football games without braces.  I’m a senior, and no one has ever seen me cheer without braces.”  Dr. Sanders stood there in silence for several moments.  She looked at Abby and said “ok, I promise you I will take them off at the next appointment.  You might have to wear a couple of functional appliances for a few months, but you will be able to take them out.”  Abby jumped against Dr. Sanders giving her a huge hug.  She screeched “THANK YOU DR. SANDERS!  THANK YOU!”  As she hugged Dr. Sanders she was jumping up and down.  She finally let go of Dr. Sanders and stepped back.  Dr. Sanders continued “I promise to take them off at your next appointment IF you wear those elastics like I ask.”  Abby said “I promise!  I promise I will keep them in my mouth all the time!”  Dr. Sanders said “and remember to change them out every morning, after lunch, and after dinner.  Three new sets per day.”  Abby said “I promise!  Thank you so much, I am so happy!”  She turned and skipped towards the door.  Dr. Sanders stopped her by saying “Abby, since your next appointment isn’t for six weeks, good luck with cheer.  And tell Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Parker that they are doing great.  Tell Mrs Thompson for me.  But also do me a favor and tell her yourself.  I bet she would appreciate it.”  Abby turned with a huge smile on her face and said “sure thing Dr. Sanders.  And again thank you so much.”  She then headed out through the door, seeming to be floating as much as she was walking.

As Dr. Sanders walked over to lock the door I said “wow, you made her day.  Maybe her week, maybe her year.”  Dr. Sanders looked at me seriously and said “and that is what makes this worth it for me.  To see the excitement on patients faces when they get their braces off and see their new smiles.  And it is also why I am so strict at times.  I want them to be over the moon happy when they see their new smile.  Despite the road it takes to get there, I have yet to have a patient tell me it wasn’t worth it once it is all done.  Speaking of which, come on and follow me.  We have a few things we need to do.  And by the way, where is your facemask and protraction brace?” 

I looked at her and said “I didn’t bring them.  I thought you just wanted to take a look at my expander and have me show you that I know how to turn it.”  She looked at me coldly and said “no, we have a few other things to do today.  And even so, you ALWAYS need to bring ALL your appliances with you to every appointment.  I thought you knew that.  Normally this would be strike one.  But it is my fault.  I just assumed you knew.  So, I won’t count this one against you.  Come on, follow me.”  As I followed along behind her I couldn’t get over how serious she had turned and how suddenly it had happened.  As I followed behind her I pleaded “Dr. Sanders, I am really sorry.  Honestly, I didn’t know.”  She stopped and looked at me.  She said “no need to apologize.  This is my fault.  I have probably been too lax in your treatment on account of your relationship with Haley.  We will rectify that today.  Come with me to my office and we will go over some ground rules before today’s appointment.”

As I followed along behind her my stomach was churning.  What did Dr. Sanders mean by “too lax”?  And what were these ground rules she spoke of?  Regardless, I felt like I had really messed up and that I was being marched to the principal’s office.  And that made me think of Dr. Sanders’ three strikes policy.  And the fact that there was a high school principal right this very minute sitting behind her desk wearing headgear.  I don’t know if I had ever felt more nervous than I did as I sat down in Dr. Sanders’ office.