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Tara’s Misaligned Jaw (or TMJ for short)

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mr_90proof:
Chapter One.

Tara sat nervously tapping her foot as she filled out the paperwork stacked on the little table in front of her.  As she filled out and signed form after form, she couldn’t help but think about the smile of the perky blond receptionist, Becky, who she had obtained the stack of new patient forms from.  There was just SO much metal in the poor girl’s mouth.  And her lisp was so severe.  Tara hoped she didn’t have the same in store for herself.  But, Tara was desperate.

Tara was a tall, athletically built 31 year old accountant employed by a large multinational firm.  Despite her good looks, she had always been introverted and somewhat socially awkward.  In fact, Tara had always considered herself a nerd.  But not in a negative connotation.  She took pride in her ability with numbers.  She had been a star student in school and now she was a rising star in the firm she worked at.  Or had been at least until recently, when she began having to take so much medical leave. 

And while she was attracted to men, very attracted to them in fact, and they were attracted to her looks, she found relationships difficult.  No, she understood numbers much better than men. And while she knew she was athletic, she had never been drawn to sports.  Even in high school, she had rejected the idea of playing volleyball or basketball, despite the coaches at her small high school practically begging her to.  All except running.  She loved to run.  Never competitively; beyond one annual local half marathon and a couple of charity fun runs; but it was something she loved.  Until recently, which is one of the reasons she now found herself sitting in the waiting area of “TMJ and Sleep Plus”.

She was here because of a referral from the second ENT she had seen.  Her symptoms had begun a little over a year earlier.  At first it had just been some occasional popping in her jaw, stuffiness in one of her ears and the occasional headache.  But things had deteriorated.  After six months, she found herself having headaches more days than not.  She self treated with over the counter pain killers.  But the headaches got worse, more frequent and more intense so that Advil and Tylenol didn’t touch them.  At times they were debilitating.  And then two months ago, the vertigo began.  She finally made an appointment with her general practitioner.  He had run a battery of tests and could find nothing wrong.  He had prescribed her a pair of blue light glasses to wear while at her computer, suspecting this might help.  They hadn’t.  So he had then referred her to see an ENT.  He gave her two offices to contact, her choice.

She had made an appointment with the one closest to her.  But, she zoned out halfway through the appointment.  The man had just been so pompous and arrogant.  His tone and demeanor were condescending.  Tara thought he was just a nasty human being.  She had gotten out of there as quickly as possible and she had set up an appointment with the second on her list

She had found this ENT, Dr. Alicia as she asked to be called, warm and caring.  And with an infectious smile covered in metal braces.  Tara realized how young the braces made Dr. Alicia look.  Dr. Alicia had examined Tara and administered a battery of tests.  Dr. Alicia had noted after the hearing text that Tara did have some issues with hearing high frequency noises and picking out noises amongst background noise. 

At the end of the appointment, Dr. Alicia had sat down with Tara and delivered her assessment.  She had recommended Tara schedule a follow up to get fitted for hearing aids, an idea that terrified Tara.  She was only 31.  And she already wore glasses, she just hated contacts.  Glasses AND hearing aids Tara thought. Nonetheless, Tara had agreed to schedule the followup appointment.

Dr. Alicia next brought up the subject of TMJ.  She explained she herself suffered from TMJ and completely understood what Tara was going through.  She explained that is why she had braces herself.  She explained that while they were an adjustment getting used to, they had helped her so much.  She recommended Tara schedule an appointment with her orthodontist who specialized in TMJ and sleep medicine.  Tara was in a daze.  Hearing aids?  Maybe braces?  How had things gotten so sideways?  But she was desperate.  She couldn’t live like this.  So she reluctantly agreed.  Dr. Alicia lit up enthusiastically and told her that she would have her receptionist schedule the appointment.  When she had stood to leave, Dr. Alicia had hugged Tara and told her she would be so glad she did this.  Which had brought Tara to sitting here.

The hearing aids she had gotten the week before had been an adjustment.  Not because they were uncomfortable.  Or really even noticeable.  But because she was now inundated with so many more sounds than she was used to.  She had just finished signing the last piece of paperwork when she heard the jingle of the bell on the front door.  As Tara turned her head, she realized she would have never noticed the door opening just a week earlier.  She watched as a woman she pegged at around 40 years old entered the office.  But what caused Tara’s jaw to drop open, audibly popping as it did, was the complicated looking plastic and metal mask the woman wore on her face.

kelly-Marie:
Good start  I look forward to another chapter

TrainTrack:
I really like what you did with the title, the little orthodontic pun. I also like the first chapter and can see this going a number of different ways. I’m looking forwards to what is next.

napacaster:
Great start!!! Looking forward to another of your stories.

mr_90proof:
Chapter Two.

Tara tried to be discreet as she watched the woman, dressed professionally in a black pants suit with white blouse, a matching bag slung over her shoulder, confidently marching towards the reception desk, her heels clicking on the tile.  To Tara, it appeared she was oblivious to the device she wore on her face.  As Tara snuck another look at her face, she took a snap shot in her head.  On the woman’s face was a clear plexiglas or acrylic mask.  On each side of the mask were two stainless steel looking rods that appeared molded into the mask.  Out of the woman’s mouth several white elastics protruded, attached to two small silver posts that angled up and out about an inch from just below the woman’s mouth.  She noticed there was an oval hole in the mask so that it didn’t cover her eyes, nose or mouth.  Instead it circled around her face, covering the sides of her face and prominent sculpted cheekbones, her forehead, and her lower cheeks and chin.  It appeared molded to her face.  She wondered if she could even take it off or if it was permanent.  The thought of wearing something like that herself made Tara involuntarily shiver.

Tara watched as the woman stopped at the reception desk and smiled broadly.  With her newly enhanced hearing Tara was able to hear the woman say “Good Afternoon Becky!  You look nice!  I am here to get signed in and see how Dr. Brad plans to torture me today” and then gave a laugh.  As Tara had been watching, she had noticed that the mask seemed to move independently, the portion that ran across her forehead and wrapped around her face covering her cheekbones did not move as she spoke.  However, the bottom portion that covered her lower cheeks and chin moved up and down.  Tara realized that must be what the steel rods molded into the mask were for, they allowed for the lower portion of the mask to slide up and down as she spoke.

She couldn’t hear Becky’s reply, there was still a plexiglass divider up.  Tara guessed this was a holdover from Covid.  But she heard the woman’s response.  She said “well, I was in court all day arguing a case.  By the time we recessed at 3, my jaw was just killing me.  I rushed straight to my car and put it on.  I hate the way it looks, but I love the way it feels.  But you know this first hand I know.”  She could hear a long murmur from behind the glass but again couldn’t hear what Becky was saying.  But once she was finished the woman shook her head up and down and said “oh, it is definitely worth it.  I don’t know what I would have done if I had not found you all.”  Another murmur from behind the glass was met by the woman saying “wonderful!  That is great news.  Hey, put in a good word with Dr. Brad and tell him to go easy on me.”  She again laughed and turned towards the reception area.

There were a handful of other patients in the room, and the woman seemed to be headed to an unoccupied corner.  Her path was going to take her in front of Tara, who didn’t even realize she was staring.  As the woman approached she turned her head and made eye contact with Tara.  Embarrassed, Tara quickly averted her eyes down towards the table.  Despite trying to shrink and completely ignore the woman, she couldn’t help but hear the clicking of the woman’s heels approach.  A pit formed in her stomach when she heard the clicking stop directly in front of her.

Tara sheepishly looked up, avoiding the woman’s face.  She was embarrassed and was trying to figure out what to say, how to apologize, when the woman said “Good Afternoon!  I am Beverly Willingham.  That looks like a whole stack of paperwork, are you a new patient?”

Tara responded “yes, and I am so sorry.  I didn’t…”

Beverly cut her off and said “no need to apologize.  I know I look like a cyborg.  And you aren’t the first, and won’t be the last, who’s eyes have lingered.  Heck, I find myself staring at it in the mirror, and I wear it every night and some every day.  But while I look like a cyborg wearing it, I am not a hurting cyborg.”  She noticed Tara’s leg nervously bouncing up and down.  She gestured to the row of seats and asked “are these seats taken?”

Tara shook her head back and forth and said simply “no.”

Beverly said “would you mind a little company?  I just hate waiting in doctor’s offices.  Time just seems to stand still.  And you look nervous.  I totally get that.”

Beverly sat down, leaving a seat between them where she sat her purse, and said “I was so nervous at my first appointment.  The whole idea of getting braces.  At 42. As an active attorney.  I didn’t think I could do it.  But I had such agonizing headaches most days.  And they were getting worse.  I knew if I didn’t do something, I wouldn’t be an active anything for much longer.  It was so nerve wracking.  But coming here, it has been one of the best decisions of my life.  I am mostly pain free now, cyborg mask and all.  And Dr. Brad and his whole staff here are just amazing.”

As she had been talking, Tara had slowly turned her eyes to face her.  She had noticed that this woman Beverly had clear braces on her top and bottom teeth.  Tara realized she even had a clear wire running through the brackets.  There was a little silver visible in the corners of her mouth, but from a distance, and without the obvious mask on, Tara would have never realized she had braces.

Despite her introverted nature, Tara realized how rude it would be to not respond.  Beverly obviously wanted to chat.  Tara replied “I am terrified.  But I am in so much pain too.  The headaches.  And now vertigo.  I was referred here by my ENT.  I hope they can help.  But I don’t know if I can wear braces.  I don’t know if I am brave enough.”

Beverly laughed.  She cheerily responded “honey, I totally get it.  My gosh, the first time I opened my mouth in the courtroom after getting my expander and lower braces I thought I might die.  But I didn’t.  You won’t either.  If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do?”

Tara responded by saying “I am an accountant.  I specialize in corporate accounting, specifically auditing, at Wise-Pricehouse.”

Beverly excitedly said “Hello Miss Client!  Nice to meet you!  I have actually been involved in a few cases with your firm.  Don’t worry, you weren’t the bad guys.”  When she laughed she titled her head back and opened widely.  Tara could see something silver in the top of her mouth reflect light back.  Beverly stuck her hand out and said “it is a pleasure to officially meet you.  Again, I am Beverly Willingham.  And you are?”

Tara said “oh, I’m sorry.”  She stuck her hand out and meekly shook Beverly’s hand, noticing how firm Beverly’s grip was, and replied “It is a pleasure to meet you.  I am Tara Reynolds.  And I am terrified.”

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