Doctor Brown is setting up his sterile table beside me, talking me through the process in his calm, professional voice.
“Removing the stitches should be relatively easy,” he says. “There’ll be a little pulling and a small snip as I cut under each knot, but nothing too painful. You’ve already had pain relief, so you should be fine.”
I told him I didn’t want anyone else here; I want to do this alone. I’m tired of feeling like everyone looks down at me, like I’m fragile or broken. I’m not a kid. Thisismyface. I want to do it in peace. Even though I know Soren probably won’t be happy when he finds out; he’s not here anyway. He went out with Rayagain.
I never realised how much time those two spend together. Sure, they’re best friends, and Ray’s his second in command but… I can’t stop the ugly twist of jealousy in my chest. It’s irrational, I know. Ray’s been in Soren’s life for years longer than I have, and I’m pretty sure Ray isn’t even into men. Still, the feeling lingers.
The doctor pulls me out of my spiralling thoughts as he snaps on his gloves. “If you could lie back for me, Christopher,” he says gently. “I’ll start by cleaning the area.”
I nod and slowly lie down, my hands already shaking with nerves. I twist the bedsheet between my fingers as he gently dabs a piece of wet gauze over my face. The sting is immediate and sharp. Nausea rolls through me, but I squeeze my eyes shut and try to breathe through it.
“Alright, Christopher. We’re going to start. If it gets too much, you tell me and we stop. Okay?”
I try to focus on breathing, but my stomach is already churning. The nausea from the pain relief and the sight of the tiny scissors in his hand is making everything worse.
“First stitch,” he murmurs. “Small snip… and pull. There we go. That one’s out.”
I feel the tiny tug and the strange sensation of thread sliding out of my skin. It’s not unbearable, but it’s deeply uncomfortable. My face feels tight and hot.
Another snip, another pull; he keeps going like that.
“You’re doing great,” the doctor says steadily. “We’re about a quarter of the way through. Want a break?”
I nod quickly. He stops and lets me breathe for a minute. I close my eyes, but the room starts spinning behind my eyelids. When I open them again, the ceiling lights feel too bright.
“Ready to continue?” he asks.
I swallow hard and nod again, even though I don’t want him to.
He works slowly, talking me through every step. “Snip… gentle pull… good. This next one is a little deeper, so you might feel more of a tug.”
The pull is sharper this time. I whimper, my vision blurring. My stomach rolls violently. “Doctor… I feel sick,” I whisper.
He pauses immediately. “Okay. Deep breaths. In through your nose, out through your mouth. That’s it.”
I try, but the dizziness is getting worse. The room tilts slowly. My hands are clammy and shaking.
“We’re more than halfway done,” he says encouragingly after another short break. “You’re being incredibly brave, Kit. Just a little longer.”
I nod, but I can feel myself slipping. The nausea is overwhelming now. Every snip and tug makes my head spin faster. Cold sweat breaks out across my forehead.
My vision tunnels. “Doctor… I think I’m going to…”
The words die in my throat as everything fades to black.
???
I come around slowly, the world fuzzy at first. There’s a cool, damp cloth resting on my forehead, and I’m propped up slightly against pillows. The dizziness is still there, but it’s not as bad as before. Doctor Brown is sitting on the edge of the bed, watching me with a calm, patient expression.
“Welcome back to the world, Christopher,” he says lightly. “Have a nice nap?”
I let out a weak laugh. Even though my face still hurts, the pull of the stitches feels… less intense. I gasp in surprise.
The doctor smiles. “Feels better, huh?”
I nod. “Did you finish?”
“I did. You were only out for about eight minutes. The nurse got you the wet cloth. You’ll be alright, kid. A lot of people don’t handle the sensation well, especially on the face. You did good.”
