Dentophobia – Clay Spenser
Clay sat down in the mess hall with his team for lunch sandwiched between Brock and Ray with Cerberus laid on the floor snoozing with his head resting lightly on his paws while Trent, Sonny and Jason sat on the opposite side of the table. Clay was grateful to be on base at home for a few days as the team undertook a few training exercises while they waited for a spin up. He withheld a grimace as one of his bottom wisdom teeth ached sending sharp stabs of pain into his jaw and down his neck; it had been acting up on and off for a few weeks but it was nothing that a bit of Tylenol could not fix, and it had chosen to make its reappearance today with the accompaniment of a less than appetising taste in his mouth. He curled his hand into a loose fist and pressed it up under his jaw, making it look like he was just resting his head on his fist but the pressure helped to ease a bit of the pain until he could get the Tylenol from his pack that was located in his cage. He had spent most of their lunch break so far just pushing his food around the tray with the plastic fork but could not be bothered anymore so he let the plastic fork drop out of his hand and pushed the tray away from him.
Jason looked over at Clay's tray that was completely untouched as he pushed it away; the kid was not fooling anybody by pushing his food around. "You done?" Jason asked seeing the familiar signs that their youngest was in pain, the tight lines around his eyes, his clenched fist tucked under his jaw, and his bottom lip was sucked into his mouth with his top teeth biting down on it. Jason also noted how the rest of the men were all subtly keeping an eye on him even as they continued to eat.
Clay raised his other hand to his eyes and rubbed them before he let it drop back down to the table and gave Jason a feeble nod. He was pretty sure that even opening his mouth was going to hurt so a verbal response was out of the question unless one was demanded. "Dump your tray and hit the showers." Jason ordered knowing Clay was in no shape to go through any more training exercises for the day, sure he could send him to the range but he was sure the kickback from whatever weapon he chose to shoot with would cause the kid some kind of pain so target practise was out as well. Clay gazed at Jason for a few seconds, his eyes a little unfocused, before he stood up and grabbed his tray then walked away to follow through on the orders.
"Kid's in pain again." Ray sighed as he stated the obvious once Clay was well and truly out of their sight having dumped the contents of his tray in the bin and then returned his tray to the stack that were to be cleaned.
"Didn't eat anything either." Brock added on having seen how slowly he had pushed his food around the tray, not even attempting to take a bite. "Didn't see him eat anything at breakfast either." He recalled Clay had been sitting with a bottle of room temperature water and nothing else when they had joined him earlier in the morning.
Sonny pushed his now empty tray away and leaned back in his chair as he thought back over the past few days at Clay's eating habits. "He's been in pain for a few days. Didn't even have a beer at the bar, he stuck to water and made sure that there was no ice in his glass. And I couldn't convince him to eat anything there either." He explained wishing he had picked up on it earlier, or rather called Clay out on it as they could see the toll the pain and the lack of eating and drinking was taking on their youngest brother.
"Trent?" Jason hoped that Trent would have something valuable to add as he had remained too quiet for Jason's liking.
"It's his tooth, been acting up on and off for a few weeks at least. Kid needs a dentist, not me." Trent said waving his fork around before he shrugged not liking that Clay was in pain any more than the rest of them.
"Well why the hell doesn't he just go to the base dentist and get it sorted then?" Jason could not understand how the kid could be in constant pain on and off and not get it sorted when there was a solution right here on base because like every Navy base they had a dentist to treat them.
Ray could not help the snicker that escaped his lips as a thought popped into his mind making everyone look at him with Jason scowling and waiting for an explanation. "I think Clay and Jameelah share something." Ray knew his daughter's hatred of the dentist as he recalled the last time he had to take her and the fight that he had holding onto her as she kicked and squirmed all the while crying and begging him to keep the dentist away from her. The only difference was his daughter was a little girl while Clay was a grown man, a Navy Seal, but the fear of dentists did not discriminate; and he hoped it was something that Jameelah would grow out of but it was apparent that Clay had not.
"Share what?" Sonny grumbled not understanding why Ray was snickering when Clay was in obvious pain.
"Pretty sure Mikey went through the same thing Jase. Just our kid has not grown out of it." Ray's statement had Jason cursing as he realised what Ray was implying as Brock smirked and Trent shook his head. Jason knew immediately what Ray meant as he recalled how Mikey had a fear of going to the dentist when he was around four to the point where his son would make himself sick over the mere mention of the dentist but thankfully Alana had managed to ease the tension Mikey had felt and eventually the fear had lessened considerably in the past years.
"What the hell?" Sonny leaned forward menacingly as he had not figured out what Ray was talking about and what had Jason cursing a blue streak that rivalled the best of them.
"Ray thinks the kid is scared of the dentist." Brock helpfully supplied not missing the look of confusion that overtook the anger that showed on Sonny's face. Brock shrugged his shoulder as it made sense to him given how Clay had not taken care of the problem beforehand.
"Pretty boy gets bullets fired at him on a regular basis but it's the dentist that has him fretting worse than a Texan without a gun?" Sonny could not help keep the disbelief out of his voice as he asked for clarification to what the rest of the team were thinking as his comparison earned a few wry smiles and snickers.
"Makes sense." Trent answered with a shrug without being dismissive of the suggestion. "Kid's clearly in pain, has been for weeks on and off and I know it is his tooth that is the cause of the pain, and his face is starting to swell now too. He's not eating and avoiding drinking as well if he can cause I'm betting that makes everything feel worse. He's irritable and exhausted from the pain and if I had to guess I would say that he isn't sleeping that well or at all either. And doing his best to ignore it all." Trent laid out what they knew as it made sense. The kid was avoiding going to the dentist, had been for a while, and it made sense if he feared them.
Jason raised his hand to his cheek and scratched at the day's old scruff knowing that Clay needed to get his tooth sorted before they were spun up again. There were a few possibilities that could happen if Clay did not get it taken care of and none of them were anything that he was willing to entertain; the last thing Clay needed was to be unfocused during a mission because bad things could happen as an infection could set in and leave him violently ill, or they might have to risk pulling the tooth themselves in a crude manner without the proper instruments if they were stuck in the middle of nowhere which could cause long term or even permanent damage but most of all Jason did not want to see Clay or any of his team in pain if it could be avoided at all. "He is restricted to base until he sees the dentist and gets his tooth taken care of." Jason decided knowing it would be the only way to get Clay into see the dentist. "I will ground him if I need too." It was the last thing he wanted to do but when it came to the health of his team it was not something that Jason was willing to play with or risk, he had learned that lesson from past experiences that he preferred not to recall.
They all knew how stubborn the kid could be and how well he could hide his feelings when he needed too – something that they were sure that they had Ash Spenser to thank for in the most unkindest way that they could possibly think of – but they knew that this had gone beyond the usual stubbornness that their kid displayed on occasion as they had been working hard on making him recognise when he could be as stubborn as he wanted and when he could not. "So, how are we doing this boss? The kid is not going to take being grounded or restricted to base well." Sonny hoped that Jason had more to his plan than simply punishing Spenser until he took himself off to the dentist because he had an inkling that the kid would stand his ground on this one and be more resistant than he usually would be despite the pain that he was obviously in.
Jason sighed knowing that Sonny was right, and it felt wrong to punish Clay for being fearful of the dentist but they were required to be in optimum health and when one of them was not then it could pose a risk to all of them. "Trent, go and see if the dentist can fit him in this afternoon. Tell him it is an emergency if you have too then met us back at the cages then we are going to have a little chat with the kid." Jason paused already foreseeing how it would go. "Hope your afternoon is clear boys because it looks like Bravo is taking a trip to the dentist with our kid." If they all had to go to the dentist to get Spenser to take care of his problem tooth then they would, and if they had to carry him kicking, screaming and squirming then they would because they hated to see him in any sort of pain and this had already gone on too long.
"You think we can try and bribe him by taking him out for ice cream afterwards as a reward if he does not bite the dentist?" Ray tossed out the question recalling that Jason had advised him to do that with Jameelah when he had asked for his advice on how to work through her fear because it had been one of Alana's tricks to instil good behaviour with Mikey at the dentist. Ray had gone to Jason because he had been so conflicted and had felt so guilty for putting Jameelah through the routine of a dental check-up after how she had acted.
"May be the same fear but I don't think ice cream is going to cut it. Might be worth offering whiskey instead." Jason threw back immediately figuring the kid would prefer the potential numbing qualities of the whiskey much more than he would prefer ice cream.
"He can't have whiskey if the dentist gives him any strong pain killers and antibiotics." Trent was quick to point out already suspecting that the dentist would be putting Clay on some sort of oral antibiotic to combat the infection that Trent strongly suspected had already set in and some strong pain relief no matter what the outcome was, whether the pained tooth was pulled or not.
"You think they will?" Ray asked hoping Trent would share his suspicions with them that he was sure he had.
"Suspect it. I'm guessing an infection has already set in too considering the swelling that has started." Trent shrugged as dentistry or more specifically oral healthcare was not in his wheelhouse of knowledge but he knew Clay well enough to know that if he was openly exhibiting signs of pain then it was already well beyond the average ten on the pain scale.
"Damn!" Sonny, in equal parts, wanted to hold the kid until he felt safe and strangle him for letting it be so bad that he was in constant pain and discomfort. He knew Trent would be spot on, he usually was, and didn't that just irk Sonny because once again it was not just a minor thing with Clay.
SEAL TEAM
Clay felt even more miserable which he had not thought would be possible after having showered and changed into his civvies rather than his uniform as the heat of the shower had only left him feeling worse and the pain increased tenfold so that his entire head felt like it was exploding as if a concussion grenade had gone off close by him, and his eyes were throbbing to a beat of their own. He reached his cage and sat down on the ground with his back up against the wall and his knees pulled to his chest once he pulled his blue hoodie on and zipped it up feeling cold like the temperature had just dropped rapidly before he let his eyes close. He didn't even bother to locate the Tylenol that he had stored in his bag as he knew it was not going to provide him any relief as it would not even touch the pain that he felt nor did he feel like attempting to dry swallow the pills. Clay made no effort to move or even open his eyes as he heard the door open and the sound of several familiar booted feet walk in.
The sight of Clay curled up on the ground and wrapped up in his familiar blue hoodie that met the guys was not what they were expecting but it did highlight how unwell he felt as that blue hoodie was one that he would wear when he felt unwell. They were expecting all of the usual bravado that their kid exhibited. Cerberus pushed past the halted men who were all exchanging worried glances and made his way over to Clay where he laid down in front of him again and let out a soft whine before he nudged Clay's leg with his nose.
Brock knew just by Cerb's body language and the soft whine that he omitted that something had changed in the short time since Clay had left to take a shower and now but what was more alarming was that Clay made no effort to reach out to pet Cerb which was something he always did to reassure not only the hair missile but the rest of the team that he was alright. Brock moved into Clay's cage and crouched in front of him seeing how Cerb moved around to Clay's side but still kept his nose pressed against his leg. "Spense?" Brock kept his voice low as he could see how ashen Clay had become but his cheeks were flushed and he was sweating profusely; the soft tone was enough to make Clay open his eyes which were a lot duller than usual. Brock reached his hand out and placed the back of it on Clay's forehead feeling the temperature that he was now fighting. "He's got a fever." Brock informed everyone as he glanced over at them with a worried look before he returned his attention to Clay who had not shied away from him.
"Since when?" Jason asked as he stepped closer and crouched down, mirroring Brock's stance, as he gently knocked Brock's hand away and replaced it with his own to check how high the fever was although he knew none of them could answer his question as they had all been with him. "Shit! We need to get him to the dentist now." Truthfully Jason wasn't sure whether to take him to the dentist or to the infirmary but logic said it was the tooth causing the initial problem so the dentist was the best option, and if the dentist decided he needed the infirmary then that was where they would end up with him.
Ray shook his head at how accurate Trent was once again, and then frowned as he realised that Clay had not tried to pull away or protest when both Brock and Jason checked his temperature. "Dentist will see him straight away. I'll have a doctor meet us there to get him started on some fluids and antibiotics too via an intravenous cannula in his arm." Trent had already cleared it with the dentist but he had to admit that he had not foreseen Clay going downhill so rapidly which was of great concern to him because it meant the infection had already set in as he had suspected and was rapidly progressing.
"No, no dentist." Clay mumbled in protest as he tried not to open his mouth any wider than he had too as he finally tried to pull away from Jason's hand where it was still rested on his forehead although the coolness of Jason's skin against his own was a relief. "Not going, nope, not going, nope." He grimaced as he shook his head which he instantly regretted as the pain steadily increased which made him pout. It did not matter how much pain he was in, he was going to resist going to the dentist for as long as he could even when he felt as terrible as he did.
Jason could not help the exasperated sigh that left his lips or the amused smile that made his way to his lips at the kid's protests before he schooled his face into a more neutral expression. They had an uphill battle on their hands with the kid on taking a trip to the dentist, that much was clear to them all. Jason looked up and over to the rest of the guys for help with the exception of Brock who was holding Clay up as he had begun to list sideways despite his protesting.
"Come on pretty boy… time to put your big boy pants on and go visit the good ole dentist to get those pearly whites sorted. Got to keep you up to snuff Mr GQ." Sonny hoped to goad Clay into going with them on his own volition rather than them having to drag him there but Sonny was also aware that his health had begun to deteriorate and that time was not on their side now that an infection had set in.
"Nope. No dentist." No one missed how Clay attempted to curl in on himself even tighter nor the way his skin paled even further with every word he mumbled as the pain flared. He was too focused on avoiding a trip to the dentist that he did not even have a comeback to Sonny's goading.
Trent made his way into the cage and knelt down next to Jason seeing how Brock had positioned himself somewhat uncomfortably around Cerb to stop Clay from listing sideways by holding him up. Trent could see how glazed Clay's eyes were but he could also see the determination in them that he often saw from the kid. "The dentist is going to make you feel better Clay, and we will be with you the whole time." Trent kept his voice light as he was using the voice he used when he did not want his patient or his brothers to panic at the situation at hand but close up he could see the seriousness of Clay's condition and how much he had deteriorated in such a short amount of time. Trent looked at Jason and they held a silent conversation between the two of them, it was one of the things he was thankful for given that it took a decent amount of time to be able to communicate effectively without words; Trent knew that they had to ignore the kid's protests, get him up and to the dentist's office immediately where a doctor would be waiting for them as well, and he could also understand Jason's hesitance as he did not want to do anything that would cause Clay to become distrustful of them especially after how hard they had worked to get him to trust them but it was a risk they had to take. "Brock give me a hand… Come on kid, up ya get." Trent waited until Brock nodded at him before he directed his words at Clay who even in an infection deduced haze looked ready to fight them on getting up off of the ground. Trent reached out and grasped his upper arm and he and Brock managed to haul the kid up and off of the ground realising for the first time how unsteady he had become on his feet.
"I've got him." Sonny stepped forward and took over Trent's position at Clay's side as Brock was still on his other side as he knew that Trent would want to liaise with both the dentist and the doctor who would be waiting for them, and it was best to do that out of earshot of Clay who was already freaking out if his short swallow breathing and the tenseness of his body was anything to go by as they made it the first few steps until Clay stopped just outside of his cage. "Come on pretty boy, let's get going. Doc will give you some pain relief and then you can be tucked up in bed for the rest of the day." He knew that the kid would not be going home on his own and not just because he was not in any fit state to drive but because they would want to monitor him closely for their own peace of mind more than anything else; he also hoped that by mentioning pain relief and being tucked up in bed that Clay would be more compliant although he withheld a scoff at his own thought as he doubted that he would go willing or make it easier on himself and them.
"No, please, no. Don't make me go." Clay almost begged and that undeniably pulled at each and every man's heartstrings because of how genuinely frightened the kid sounded and looked as he physically trembled in their grasp. "I don't want to go, please don't make me go, please." He was shaking his head back and forth undeterred by how much pain the movement caused or how sick it made him feel. "Can't go, can't go, no, please no, don't make me go please." He tried to twist and turn to get out of Brock and Sonny's supportive holds but he did not have the energy or the strength to do so like he normally would.
Jason hated that he had to put the kid through a trip to the dentist but he knew there really was no other way around it. They had not even made it that far and the kid was already fighting them and having a breakdown all at the same time which meant their afternoon was going to be emotionally taxing, emotionally scarring, and there was no doubt that they would be left feeling guilty which would take time to pass just as it always did for the men of Bravo. Jason moved out of the cage and stood in front of Clay, putting both of his hands on his shoulders in an effort to ground him and he did not miss the look of guilt that was shown on all of their faces at Clay's unbridled terror. "Clay, look at me." Jason ordered making sure his voice was sharp and firm to get through to the panicking kid in front of him, a far cry from the usual cocky and confident persona that Clay used as a shield to protect himself and keep people at arm's length so he did not risk being disappointed or hurt like he had been in his past. Jason waited until Clay's eyes finally focused on him and he took a few short steadying breaths but the terror in the kid's eyes did not recede one bit.
Jason did not know what to do as he had never seen Clay this terrified before so without any second guessing he leaned forward and rested his own forehead against Clay's hoping the connection would help ease the fear and the panic that was coursing through him, and he made a mental note that the kid felt hotter which indicated his fever was still rising. "We are not going to let anything happen to you kid. We just want you to feel better, that's all. We won't leave you." Jason kept his voice soft as he reinforced the need to trust in his brothers with Clay. Clay gave another feeble nod which made Jason pull back from him. "Let's go." Jason stepped aside knowing that Brock and Sonny had a tight hold on both of his arms and would hold him steady so that he did not stumble or fall. Ray and Jason fell into line a few steps behind the trio with Cerberus leading the pack as Trent went left instead of right to go and get a doctor to meet them at the dentist's office.
"Think we found what his breaking point is." Ray kept his voice incredibly quiet as he realised the seriousness of the situation especially if Clay was ever captured and tortured although it was an unlikely occurrence, it still concerned him because he knew that it was not a part of SERE training. Ray grimaced as he could only imagine what would happen if Clay needed any major dental restorative work in the future if something like that were to occur but he knew that they would push for Clay to be sedated.
"We can only hope no one else ever will." Jason knew exactly what Ray was thinking as he could practically see the wheels turning in his head as they stayed far enough back to not be heard but close enough to see Clay's body language as he became even tenser despite the soft reassurances that Sonny was giving him by repeating Jason's earlier words. Ray nodded and sent up a silent prayer that his thought never became a reality, and that Jason's words would be the truth.
SEAL TEAM
Sonny felt the second that Clay used the last of his strength to make them come to a complete stop as they reached the dentist's office housed near the infirmary on base. It felt like they had reached the forcible entry part of the journey where Clay would most likely have to be forcibly taken into the dentist's office which none of them were looking forward too but they were all aware it was a strong possibility. Clay had been incredibly quiet the entire slow walk over from their Team room to the building that housed the dentist and the infirmary but his anxiety had not receded any even with Sonny and Brock taking turns to offer reassurances and verbal distractions to and for him. Trent was waiting outside the building with his foot planted up against the wall as he leaned back against it but as soon as they came to a stop he frowned and began moving towards them as he quickly nodded his head at Jason to signal that everything was ready for Clay to be treated both by the dentist and the doctor.
Clay turned his head around, his eyes searching for Jason, as he saw Trent approaching as he wondered if he could convince his boss that he did not need to visit the dentist. "Boss?" Clay called quietly as he frowned at the pain even the slightest movement of his jaw caused but he was still determined not to set foot inside the building or be anywhere near a dentist.
Jason glanced at Ray who simply shook his head knowing that the kid was going to try and convince him that he was fine and that there was no need for him to be examined by a dentist but no amount of pouting or begging would change Jason's mind. It did not mean that it would be easy to tell the kid no and force him into the dentist's office and the chair. "We'll get inside and get you settled in. The doctor is going to start an I.V to give you some fluids first before anything else happens." Jason could see how defeated Clay already looked even from where he stood behind him just as Trent reached them coming to a stop in front of Clay.
"Doc is going to give you something for the pain and a muscle relaxant to help as well." Trent picked up from where Jason had left off as he pressed his hand against Clay's sweaty forehead quickly knowing that the fever was rising which was adding to the stress of the situation earning a scowl from the blonde who did not possess the energy to pull his head away. "And the dentist will give you lots of lidocaine so you won't feel anything at all." Trent continued glancing at Sonny who shook his head warning him off mentioning anything more about the dentist as Clay's trembling had become more violent. Clay's doe and fear filled blue eyes caught Trent off guard as he finally looked up at him and managed to focus on him. "It's going to be alright Clay, I promise." Trent felt a wave of protectiveness came over him as he had never seen Bravo's kid look so terrified and that was saying something but then again there was not a surge of adrenalin to get the kid through it either.
Clay resigned himself to the fact that he was not going to get out of the strong grip that Sonny and Brock had on him, nor was he in any shape to run and hide which he knew was not very mature but the fear he felt overrode the maturity that he had. His eyes searched out his boss' again seeing the worry that was in them before he turned back to Trent who was not hiding his concern as well as he usually would have. "Okay." Clay mumbled as he tried to calm himself but he felt terrible which did not help him to do so.
Bravo made their way through the waiting room of the dentist office and into the small examination room which was made even smaller by the time they got Clay settled into the chair with Cerberus tucked into his side as Jason, Ray, Trent and Brock all took up spots around the room, and then they were joined by the dentist, the doctor, and the dentist's assistant. Clay was unsettled and restless, and his hands were curled into fists with his nails digging into the palms of his hands even as the doctor got the intravenous cannula set up in his arm and started him on broad spectrum antibiotics and a bag of fluids after giving him an injectable muscle relaxant and a shot of pain relief and checking his vitals under Trent's watchful gaze. Clay's tension did not go unnoticed and had Cerb keeping careful watch of the movements of everyone who was unfamiliar especially after having a number of x-rays taken. Cerb belly crawled so that he was across his lap with his head rested on his stomach.
"What colour glasses do you want pretty boy?" Sonny held up two of the options hoping to distract Clay from the tray of dentistry tools that were put next to him after a paper bib was clipped around his neck. The two options were a bright fluorescent pink set or a pair that looked like oversized clear safety googles; there were more options but Sonny was not about to show him those as they were plain and boring and not the least bit distracting.
Clay barely heard a word that was said by anyone as he could not pull his focus away from the shiny and sharp, pain inducing, tools that were laid out on the tray beside him. He felt his breathing quicken and he knew that he was close to hyperventilating given how sick he already felt. He was doing everything he could to remain laying down and still in the chair.
Jason looked across at Sonny who had not received any answer to his question and shook his head at the hideous options that Sonny was holding. "Give him the plain black pair Sonny." Jason ordered as he was sure that Clay was humiliated enough without anything extra but he also knew that the guys would not tease or joke about this with Clay because it was clearly a fear that was beyond his control as was his reaction which had them all on edge and the dentist had not even been anywhere near him.
"Alright Mr Spenser, let's take a look shall we and see if we can't figure out what is causing you to be in so much pain while we wait for the x-rays to be developed." The Navy dentist sat down beside the chair next to Clay and pulled on another fresh set of off white latex gloves after Sonny slipped the glasses onto his face making him jump slightly and causing Cerberus to raise his head and let out a contemptuous growl which had Brock quickly quelling the protective hair missile. "Open your mouth please." The dentist instructed with his mirror and his dental explorer held out as he waited before he glanced around at the large Seals who made the small room almost claustrophobic but they were unmovable given the youngest Seals current temperament and how unwell he was, no one more so then the dog.
Clay bit down hard on his bottom lip as his eyes darted frantically around the room as the dentist instructed him to open his mouth so he could be examined as his chest heaved as he struggled to breathe, and he tightened his fists sending his nails deeper into his palms, deep enough to cut into the skin. The muscle relaxant had done nothing to put him at ease as the fear and panic overrode it along with his need to stay hyperaware of what was going on, and he knew that was when his training was a disservice to him with the current predicament he found himself in.
Brock could see how antsy Cerb was getting at Clay's panic and how his hackles rose, and at how Clay had ignored the dentist's instruction to open his mouth as he had become more and more frantic. Brock moved forward and managed to sit himself on the edge of the chair immediately feeling how much Clay's trembling had increased as his hip was pressed against his knee. "Spense, hey, it's okay. You need to open your mouth for the dentist so he can help make you feel better." Brock kept his voice soft as he spoke trying to keep the environment calm and still before he reached out for Clay's closest hand and caught sight of the bright red blood that was slowly trickling down the inside of his wrist and into his sleeves as his own hand wrapped around Clay's. "Trent, pass me some paper towels." Brock reached his hand out blindly as he did not miss the questioning look that was shared between his brothers at his request. "It's alright Spense. You're okay. I'm just going to uncurl your hand and stop it from bleeding anymore." He explained as soon as he was handed a wad of paper towels that had been hastily passed to him by Trent that he quickly placed on his lap; with some effort Brock managed to break the tight fist without breaking any of the bones and realised exactly what had happened as he placed one of the folded up paper towels into the palm of his bleeding hand. "Nothing major, his nails have just cut into his palms a little." He informed the guys knowing that they were worried as they had all stepped forward to peer over to see where he was bleeding from as he cleaned and stemmed the flow of blood knowing that they had to sting, and that Trent would be cleaning them out regularly over the next few days so that they did not get infected.
Sonny let out a low curse that sounded more like a growl than anything else seeing that the dentist's patience was starting to wear thin while Clay's anxiety only increased as did his restlessness before he moved around to Clay's right hand side and somehow managed to squish himself into the small area between the tray of tools and the edge of the chair. Brock wordlessly held out a few paper towels to him as Sonny followed his earlier actions and uncurled Clay's fisted and bleeding hand but instead of holding the bloodied paper towel to his palm he placed the wad between their hands and held Clay's hand in his and absentmindedly ran his thumb in circles over the back of his hand. "Come on bam bam, breathe through your nose and then show us that sore tooth." Sonny coaxed taking notice of how Jason and Ray stepped forward and placed their hands over Clay's legs while Trent stepped into his line of sight and gave him a nod that told him he would not let the dentist do anything that did not have to be done.
Clay forced himself to relax and let his mouth open as wide as he dared which was not very far as the sharp pain flared and a groan escaped his parted and chewed raw lips. The dentist earned a menacing growl from both Cerberus and Sonny as he did not miss the opportunity to begin his examination as he dived right in which set Clay into another spiralling panic as he reacted instinctively and squeezed the hands holding his as he shifted in the chair underneath of Cerb's weight who was acting as a lap dog for him.
"Arghh, there we go. Pericoronitis – an infection near the wisdom tooth just as I suspected." The dentist seemed rather pleased with himself and dismissive of the glares that he was being levelled with by all of the Seals except the one who was still fidgeting in the chair. "It looks like that wisdom tooth has come in partially and it has caused the tissue to become inflamed. You have yourself one very serious case of this type of infection young man." The dentist explained with a sense of glee that had the protective men on edge.
"How do we sort it?" Jason asked after waiting for Trent to ask anything but the medic was too busy sending a daggered look towards the dentist while Clay had his eyes screwed shut in pain.
"Usually I would wait for the infection to be treated and completely gone but given Mr Spenser's position and the fact that he is likely to be spun up at any minute, I would recommend an aggressive course of action." The dentist paused sensing the young man's distress rise. "I would like to remove the wisdom tooth immediately along with the damaged and infected tissue and pus otherwise there is a high chance that this will keep reoccurring and be more painful each time. We have already started him on intravenous antibiotics and I would recommend letting the bag finish before we change him onto an oral high dose antibiotic. He will need to brush and floss daily as well as rinse his mouth out with water several times a day while he is healing." The dentist finished having had a quick glance at the x-rays as he spoke.
Clay heard the dentist's words and was more than ready to leave as fast as he could. He pulled his hand away from out of both Sonny and Brock's hold and quickly reached up to rip the bib away from where it was placed around his neck as he began to shake his head from side to side. As soon as the bib was off, his hand made its way to the cannula in his arm but before he could succeed in ripping that out to free himself Trent caught his wrist and squeezed making it go lax as he pressed down right on the pressure points. "Nope, not happening, nope. No teeth are leaving my mouth, nope, not today, not ever. Nope." Clay frantically spoke as he pushed himself up into an upright position as Cerb remained undeterred from moving, while he fought against his brother's who were trying to stop him but clearly the intravenous fluids had begun working as he did not feel as weak.
"Woah there Spenser. Just slow down." Ray spoke calmly seeing how he was working himself up again as his chest was already heaving as he fought to catch his breath. Ray looked at Trent who had not let go of him or moved as he considered the dentist's course of action, and Ray knew with just one look that Clay was going to be losing the infected wisdom tooth before he left the dentist's chair.
"Can you sedate him?" Trent asked after he had considered the dentist's proposed course of treatment knowing that the infection had previously flared and had gone untreated which was most likely why it was as bad as it was, and the dentist's suggestion of removing it rather than waiting for the infection to dissipate would not have been made if it was not in Clay's best interests.
Clay's eyes widened comically as he twisted his neck so that he was looking at Trent. "What?! No! Trent! No sedation, no pulling of my tooth. No." Clay did not care how much it hurt to talk as he frantically protested Trent's question with a scowl. He stopped moving as he bit down on his bottom lip again as he turned back around and let his chin rest against his chest as he fought the wave of nausea that fought to surface as well as the spasm that was going through his jaw something fierce.
Jason knew he had to step in and try to calm Clay down enough that he could be rational although he knew it would be hard when he was being driven so strongly by fear. "Spenser… Clay… hey kid… this is something we have to consider because we cannot have you down and out because of an infection. Trent is only asking about sedating you to make it easier on you." He paused as he could see how bad the pain was as Clay's bottom lip had gone completely white and his eyes were squeezed shut tightly so he waited until it had subsided. "We rely on you and your shooting kid, need you to be 100%, not in pain or delirious with a fever. And you can't keep popping over the counter pain pills to keep the pain and fever under control, nor can you keep starving and dehydrating yourself because it hurts to eat or drink." He hoped to make the kid see reason as to why Trent was so keen for the extraction to be done immediately but they all were because they hated to see the torture he was going through. Clay finally felt the nausea abate enough that he slowly raised his head to look at his team leader, and could see the sincerity in his eyes and hear it in his words.
Clay knew that what Jason was saying was the truth and that it was not healthy to continue hoping that the infection would run its course without any further intervention but the fear he felt still coursed violently through his weakened body. Even the idea of being sedated felt like too much because then he would have no control and no idea of what was being done to him. Clay felt as Trent finally let go of his wrist as he glanced around the room whilst avoiding the looks of his brothers who were all paying close attention. Clay frowned and finally released his bottom lip from its toothy prison as his eyes settled on Cerb, and his blood stained hands instinctively reached out to pat him. "You won't leave me though?" The insecurity flooded him even as he was angry at himself for asking the question but the words slipped from his aching mouth before he could stop them.
"You can't get rid of us Spence. We would be Cerb's newest chew toy." Brock answered hating the insecurity that Clay was showing him, not because he was showing them it but because he had it and they all silently were aware that it most likely stemmed from his childhood and from the abandonment by Ash Spenser. There was no way to separate Cerb from Clay which was a fact Brock was well aware of but he saw no need to either. Bravo had a code, not just a code that all Seals lived by, that meant if they could then they would always be there for one another, always find one another, and never ever leave a man behind.
Clay sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth once more, not even registering the pain that it caused, before he released it. "Sedation… I don't… I can't… not nice… to uh… umm… wake up alone from it." Clay struggled with the words as he recalled how hard it was to wake up alone after being sedated the few times that he had been, and how he did not react well to being sedated. Cerb let out a bark once he stopped speaking and Clay reacted by scratching behind his ears.
"We are not going anywhere goldilocks. Immovable objects is the term, I think." Sonny chewed on his toothpick that he had just slid between his teeth not missing the disgruntled look that the dentist sent his way but wisely chose not to comment on for doing so. He had read between the lines of what their youngest brother had managed to stutter out and that was that being sedated left him disorientated and unwell, and used that to respond in the firmest yet softest way he could. "Ole' Sonny ain't going to let the dentist do anything more than what he needs to do to get rid of that problem tooth." He tacked on for the dentist's purpose more so than for Clay's security, sending a silent warning that if he did anything more than what was required then he would have one Texas sized problem to deal with.
"It will be a very mild sedation Clay so that will help when you wake up, and we will give you another dose of pain meds in the I.V. line to help as well." Trent added knowing that balancing his awareness with his pain was crucial so that it did not add to the fear that he had about the dentist. If they could get it right this time then maybe next time it would not be so hard on Clay.
"It will stop the pain? No lasting effects?" Clay spoke to the dentist for the first time, only glimpsing his way before he returned his attention to Cerb who was enjoying the firm and repetitive pats that Clay was coordinating, and the fingers that were diligently scratching at his favourite spot behind his ears.
"As soon as the infection is resolved and the tooth removed you will feel better, and there will be no chance of a reoccurrence. There will be no lasting effects as long as we act quickly and you do the follow up work of brushing, flossing and rinsing." The dentist answered calmly knowing that he would be extracting the tooth just as he wanted while successfully hiding his surprise at the young man's fear and panic of him and his chosen profession and at the other Seals that had accompanied him and were supporting him; Bravo was definitely a close knit Tier One team which was evident in the care that they were showing to Clay.
"Not leaving here with the tooth, am I?" Clay asked with the last bit of hope that he would diminishing fairly quickly as all of his Bravo brothers shook their heads resolutely. What Jason had said was right, Clay knew he was right, and felt that he was being selfish for not wanting to get it sorted as he prepared himself mentally to be sedated and for waking up without his aching tooth but he still was struggling with having the dentist working on him. "Okay, do what you have to do." Clay hated to give permission to have his tooth removed but he understood the risks if he left it to himself and to his team, and he knew that he would not be alone as they would all stay with him because Bravo men were men of their word.
"Alright young man, lets get you laying back down and get started." The dentist was not surprised to see the sedative already being drawn up to be injected into the cannula by the doctor who somehow had just what was required on hand.
Clay reluctantly laid back down and tried to relax as much as he could as he picked a spot to keep his attention on as he stared up at the ceiling. Trent took the syringe from the doctor and pushed the quick acting sedative into the cannula knowing that it had to be done before he changed his mind. "Just close your eyes Clay. We're right here." Brock instructed and then reaffirmed that they were with him as he instinctively reached out and took the closest hand of Clay's back into his seeing the tension that remained. Clay blew out a harsh almost ragged breath as he was reluctant to close his eyes but the sedative entering his blood stream was making it hard to fight the lull of Brock's calm tone and keep his eyelids open. "You'll feel better soon brother." Trent couldn't help but reach out and push the sweat drenched and matted curls from Clay's forehead once he finally gave in and closed his eyes, letting the sedation take over.
"I'll step out and call Naima and get her to pick some things up for tonight including some ice cream and Jell-O. We will take Clay back to my house and he can rest, even join in later with the barbeque if he feels up to it." Ray knew that none of them wanted Clay to be alone and that Clay did not want to be alone so the best thing was to have a barbeque and let Clay lounge on the couch or sleep or do whatever he wanted under their watchful eyes. Ray saw Jason nod in confirmation at his suggestion and stepped out to make the phone call knowing that none of them were moving except for Sonny who returned to his position against the wall as the dental assistant needed to help the dentist who had gotten underway quickly now that his patient was sedated.
SEAL TEAM
Naima smiled fondly as she watched from the kitchen as Ray tucked the thick duvet over Clay once more who was curled up asleep on their couch as he passed through on his way to the fridge for another round of beers for the rest of Bravo who were all sitting outside and keeping careful watch on him. Naima had been surprised at how bad Clay had looked when Brock and Sonny had walked him in and then settled him on the couch with Cerb quickly tucking himself into his side over top of the blanket as all Ray had told her was that he had to have a tooth removed but after she had learned more about what had been going on she understood why the young blonde was ashen, barely coherent, his face and neck swollen, and he had dark circles under his eyes from a lack of sleep.
"Do you think it might be time to wake him up and get him to have something to eat? It will help the sedation wear off better." Naima kept his voice low as she asked Ray what was best even though she was a trained nurse he was the one who knew Clay better.
"Trent said it was best to let him sleep especially with how settled he is, we doubt the kid has slept well in weeks or has had any sleep at all in the past seventy two hours or so given the level of pain he was in and tried to hide plus all of the panicking at the dentist's exhausted him." Ray answered as he closed the fridge door as gently as he could after having used his hip to nudge it closed.
"Go back to the guys before they come looking for those beers or complaining that they are warm." Naima smiled as she ordered her husband out so that Clay would not be disturbed.
"I love you." Ray told her once he had stolen a kiss as he left the kitchen with his hands full of fresh bottles of beer.
Ray handed out the beers as soon as he returned to the table and took his seat. "Clay's still out to it, I don't think he's actually moved since he laid down and curled up." He knew they were waiting for an update even though they could see their youngest through the glass pane of the door.
Sonny nodded distractedly as he picked and peeled at the label on the bottle of beer in his hand that was still half full before his eyes glanced towards Clay again and his brow furrowed enough that it was picked up on. "What are you thinking about Sonny?" Jason had noticed the change of demeanour in the man and how quiet he had been as well as the short stolen glances through the glass at Clay.
"Just thinking of what could have made blondie so damn terrified of a dentist that he would rather feel like complete crap and be in unmanageable pain then go and get it sorted." A part of Sonny wanted to strangle whoever had made the kid so terrified of dentists while the bigger and well-hidden side wanted to assure that the kid never found himself so sick and so pain ridden or went through a trip to the dentists alone ever again.
"It's kind of surreal to think that the kid will walk through a hail of bullets and not even flinch but the mere mention of going to the dentist causes the meltdown of the century. It doesn't make sense but then again it might never." The irony of Trent's words were not lost on any of them as he shrugged and exchanged his empty beer bottle for his fresh one.
"But something had to happen right? For him to be so terrified?" Sonny pressed as his eyes once again found their way over to the kid and Cerb as they were tucked up together on the couch.
"He's okay Sonny. He probably won't feel to flash for the next few days but as soon as the infection is clear he will." Trent could see the worry in the man's eyes and normally he would make a comment about how the tough shell of a man had a gooey soft centre but they were all just as concerned so the time for jokes and jabs was not now.
"I don't think he should be left alone until he does, and he can't stay curled up on Ray's couch either." Jason knew that Ray and Naima would not make Clay move if he was as content as he appeared but with two young children it just was not fair, and he was sure that eventually Clay would want his own bed although Brock might have a hard time convincing Cerb to be away from Clay.
"At least just until the fever breaks and he isn't so out of it with the sedation still in his system." Trent clarified knowing that the large dose of potent antibiotics that Clay had already had would help to remedy the infection quicker but the fever was yet to break although it had reduced significantly as the kid did not feel like a radiating furnace any longer.
"We'll figure it out – have him on base with us during the day as an observer until he's ready to train again, and between all of us we can cover him at home… The kid was right about him not reacting to well to being sedated." Brock shrugged slightly as he began to speak knowing that Clay could observe and see things that they might not see during a training exercise before he softened his voice as he spoke of Clay's reaction to the sedation or rather waking up from the sedation. "I mean, should he have been as groggy as he was?" Brock picked up on Sonny's worried as soon as Clay had startled awake with a look of sheer panic for the first time after his tooth was pulled which had been tough to watch even though none of them were squeamish as he directed his question to Trent who knew more about the type of sedation that was used than any of them.
"It's hard to say but he did forewarn us that he did not react well to being sedated although I suspect having us with him meant he came out of it better than he has previously. It could just be the type of sedation, and there are other types to try to see which works best for him if he needs to be sedated again, or it could just be that he does not react well to any sedation." Trent paused knowing that his answer was not what any of them wanted to hear but it was hard to know without a baseline to determine if the type of or length of sedation made a difference to how Clay reacted to it. "He also had a large amount of high dose antibiotics and I near enough maxed him out on pain medication as well so that could all interact with the sedation and account for the grogginess in part." He finished easily giving his best guess.
"If that was good then I'd hate to know how he is when he wakes from being sedated and finds out he is alone." Ray bristled heavily with a frown knowing that Clay had been completely unsettled and extremely panicked, and that had been unnerving to even the toughest of Seals. He glanced once more at Clay seeing that Cerb had risen to his paws and had begun to nudge his cold wet nose into the crux of Clay's shoulder insistently as the duvet had slipped from his shoulders and left the skin exposed. "Something's not right." Ray rose to his feet but Brock was already through the door into the lounge having picked up on Cerb's change of behaviour immediately.
"Down Cerb." Brock ordered with a click of his fingers but the only response he got was a sharp drawn out whine as he was half way to the couch knowing that his brothers had followed after him. Brock withheld the smile at his stubborn dog and the reprimand that he should give to Cerb for disobeying his order as he knew that the hair missile was just doing what they all wanted to do which was help Clay to feel better. Brock reached Clay first and saw his dull blue eyes were half lidded even though he was trying to press the non-swollen side of his face into the pillow and pull the duvet over his head which Cerb would not allow hence the nudging.
"You're alright Clay. We are here." Brock kept his voice soft as he stepped to the side so that Trent could check on him while Cerb remained unmoved although he would not let the duvet be moved at all as he stood firm. Clay's eyes opened fully as he became more aware of his surroundings which only made him confused but he felt himself calm as his brothers were close by. "Owww." Clay groaned and pouted although he was relieved that Cerb had finally stopped nudging at him but slightly annoyed that he still could not pull the duvet over his head as he wanted too.
"Yeah, you're going to be sore for a little bit but everything went well." Trent had knelt down on the floor next to the couch and in Clay's line of sight before he spoke quietly knowing that the pain medication would be wearing off but he was hesitant to give him anymore for a few more hours at least.
"No tooth, gone?" Clay mumbled slowly as he felt completely spacey and the pain was still present although it felt different as his tongue ran over his gum and dipped into the empty cavity that he now had where his tooth was extracted from. He still felt cold yet sticky which just added to the yucky feeling that he despised but had become all too familiar to him as of late.
"The tooth is gone kid, and it all went to plan." Jason answered somewhat surprised at how groggy Clay still was considering the amount of time that had passed since he had been sedated but as they had already figured out Clay and sedatives did not mix well together.
Clay did not recall closing his eyes but he managed to open them enough to peer at his brothers who were crowded around him as he took in and slowly processed Jason's words. With a feeble nod and another tug at the duvet to pull it over his shoulders he closed his eyes again and let himself drift back to sleep.
Brock reached out and scratched Cerb's head as the dog resettled at Clay's side after Trent had stood up and stepped back from his side. "Let's go back out and finish our beers, leave Spenser to sleep." Ray tipped his head back towards the outdoor table knowing that none of them would be going anywhere tonight nor would they be getting any sleep despite how content and comfortable Clay was curled up on his couch. One by one the men returned to the table with the exception of Sonny who stood at the end of the couch nearest Clay's head.
"Night little brother." Sonny whispered delicately with a fond smile making its way to his lips as he reached out and gently tucked the duvet in around their youngest brother's shoulders before he re-joined his brothers at the table to remain close by to make sure that he was really okay.