Butterflies

Surgery

I woke up to my alarm, immediately turning it off. I slid out of the warmth of my bed onto the cold floors, making my way over to the bathroom. After doing my hair and makeup, I picked out some scrubs and put them on. I heard a knock on my door as my mom came in, bringing me a cup of coffee. 

"Thanks Mom" I said, setting it on my dresser.

"Look at you, all grown up. I am so proud of you." she said, taking a seat next to Paisley on my bed. I smiled and continued to get ready. 

"So, today is my only busy day but you probably could use a day to rest." I said. "I will probably get home late sense I might go visit Shawn to see how he's doing after surgery."

"That's okay, I'll be here" she said.

"Shawn said he really wants to meet you so we will see when he's up for it. I've told him a lot about you." I said. 

"That would be nice, I've been thinking the same." she said. I grabbed my bag and hugged her goodbye. As I got to my car, I started to mentally prepare myself for the day ahead of me.

***

I quickly got to my office and started to set up my exam room while the other hygienist prepared the surgical rooms. Shawn's appointment was at 7:30, twenty minutes from now. As the office started to fill, I waited for Shawn to arrive. Before I knew it, I saw him and another man walk in.  I made my way to the front of the building where Shawn was standing. He lit up as he saw me. 

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"I should be asking you that, silly." I laughed. He motioned the other man to come over where he introduced us. 

"This is my manager, Andrew Gertler. Andrew, this is Rachel." he said as we shook hands.

"Nice to meet you." he said. After talking for a few minutes, I was paged and had to return back to where my coworkers were. There, Dr. Stevens gave everyone todays rundown and we all dispersed. 

"Rachel, you can begin prep for Mr. Mendes' surgery" Dr. Stevens said. 

I made my way back to the front where I saw Shawn sitting. 

"It's time" I smiled. He got up and I walked him to one of the surgical rooms. 

"Take a seat in the chair for me" I said. He complied and let out a sigh. I could tell he was nervous. "Don't worry, I will be here the whole time." 

He looked around as I grabbed a few things. "So, I need to draw some blood real quick, can you pull up your sleeve?" I asked, taking a seat next to him. I tied the band around his bicep and prepped the needle. "Okay Shawn, look away for a second. I will make this quick." I said. He turned his head as I positioned my hands. I slid the needle into his vein and connected the tube, watching it start to fill. Shawn didn't even flinch but he still kept his head turned the other way. Once I finished, I slid the needle out of his arm, putting a bandage over it. He turned to look at me as I set the tubes onto the tray. 

"That wasn't so bad, right?" I said.

"No" he grinned.

"Good. Now I am going to attach these to your chest" I said, pointing to the monitors. I lifted his shirt and placed four of them in specific spots. Once I was finished, I turned the machine on and it started to sound in the tune of his heartbeat. I then placed a clip on his finger which he wiggled around a little bit. It made me laugh which then made him smile, but his expression didn't last long. 

I started to prep the IV and the medicine that would be used to put him to sleep. Once that was in order, I turned on the oxygen tank and attached a nosepiece, bringing it over to the side of his chair.

"I am going to put this nosepiece on you. It's just so we can regulate your oxygen balance throughout surgery." 

"Alrighty" he said. I placed the thin tube right under his nose, sliding the two nubs into his nostrils, and tucked the sides behind his ears. The expression on his face made me laugh. He shook his head and laid back, letting out another sigh. I took his hand and felt him grab mine in return. 

"How are you feeling?" I asked, sitting on the side of his chair. He moved his legs over so I could have more room.

"I don't know, nervous I guess." he said. I started to rub the back of his hand as he looked up. 

"Do you want me to come visit you after work?" I asked. He smiled, signaling that his answer was yes. "Trust me, you are gonna be okay." I said, patting his arm. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dr. Stevens pass by the door. He gave me the signal that he was ready so I got up and placed a bib around Shawn's neck. Dr. Stevens came in and took a seat on the other chair while I grabbed the IV.

"Okay Shawn, it's time to put you to sleep." Dr. Stevens said. I passed him the needle as he moved down to where Shawn's arm was resting. I could see Shawn start to tense up and I immediately placed my hand on his other arm. 

"Hey, look at me. Don't focus on that." I said. He turned his head, making eye contact with me and grabbed my hand. Dr. Stevens pulled up his sleeve and searched for a vein. I felt Shawn's grip tighten as Dr. Stevens inserted the IV. 

"Okay Rachel, you can put the medicine in now. Shawn, any last words?" Dr. Stevens said. We both looked at Shawn. 

"Nope" he said, taking a deep breath. I moved to the other side of the chair and attached the syringe of medicine to his IV. Shawn laid his head back again and looked at the ceiling. With my free hand, I grabbed his. Again, his grip was strong. I started to push the end of the syringe, inserting the medicine into his vein. As I neared the end, I felt Shawn's grip loosen and his eyes started to close. I detached the syringe as Dr. Stevens laid the chair back. He aimed the light right above Shawn's mouth and both of us snapped on a pair of gloves. 

"He's surely asleep, lets begin." Dr. Stevens hummed. I looked at Shawn and gave his hand one last squeeze before starting his surgery.