X-RAYCHECK

Description: X-ray check dr. crown settles into the chair, her body still but her mind on high alert. tooth 47 throbs with unsettling regularity, a dull drumbeat deep in her jaw. her colleague speaks in a calm voice, giving simple instructions: bite on the holder, stay still, breathe normally. his words flow gently, lightly, but she hears them muffled, as if coming from another room. every movement is measured, familiar, and yet different now that she finds herself on the other side. the sensor is placed, the tube draws near. a metallic sound, a soft click, then a brief pause. only the beating of her heart—or is it the ticking of the drill in her mind? the image begins to appear on the monitor, gray and sharp. her colleague’s eyes scan it in silence, for a few seconds too long. then, in a composed and practical tone, he tells her the next appointment is set for tomorrow.she nods, asking no questions. but as she rises from the chair, the feeling that something is about to happen doesn’t leave her.