It was a week out from his second anniversary in Pra'dee. When he woke up, he was instantly aware that Kandi was in discomfort. Even Duchess whined from her pallet on the floor, feeling the undercurrents.
He sat upright and tried to listen harder. She was having some type of jaw pain; he sent her some comforting thoughts as he quickly ran through his morning routine.
"Dad, Dad! Something is wrong with Kandi!" His father emerged from his bedroom, rubbing his damp hair with a towel.
"What's wrong with her, can you tell?" he asked his young charge.
Kevin shook his head. "It's like her jaw hurts or something. She keeps rubbing her face against a tree, but it doesn't help much." He looked to the older man, who seemed unconcerned. "Do you know what's wrong with her?"
"It's a pretty good guess that she's teething. Elephants start to lose their baby teeth at around two years old. We'll go by and see her after breakfast."
A little over an hour later, they arrived at the building. Kevin immediately headed for the main elephant paddock, where he knew his friend was waiting for him. After climbing over the gate, he made a formal bow to Kwamsoo, who was in guard stance by her baby. She patted him on the head with her trunk in a gesture of fondness she reserved just for him, and turned to show poor Kandula, leaning against an acacia tree and looking miserable.
Kevin touched her cheek, which felt hot to the touch. "My poor girl," he murmured.
Khun Wit arrived with several handlers. "Khun Thadchai told us what was happening," he explained. "We need to see which teeth and how loose they are."
"Open your mouth wide, Kandi." He requested, and the young animal curled her trunk over her head and dropped her jaw. Wit quickly reached in and wiggled each tooth in turn.
"It appears she is going to lose at least one of her milk tusks and one of her molars. The tusk will fall out on its own, but we will need to pull the other. Will she promise not to clamp down on any of us?"
The elephant and the boy communicated silently. "Yes, Uncle Wit, she will hold still. What needs to be done?"
"First, we need to gather some supplies." One of the handlers hurried away and a short time later brought back several cloths and what appeared to be a small metal paint can and brush.
"We will use the cloth for leverage to remove the teeth, and then we will numb the areas. That should make her feel better." Kevin nodded.
Kandi was brought to a small pen to restrict her movement. The floor of the pen was textured to give her more purchase. Wit sawed the cloth between two teeth, then tied a knot, leaving about 2 meters of cloth. Several handlers grabbed ahold while Wit prepared to go back into the mouth.
Kevin stood on the side with one hand on the opposite jaw. "Okay Kandi, hold on." The elephant rolled her trunk onto his shoulder and braced her legs. The handler wrapped his hands on either side of the molar.
"1 – 2 – 3, pull!" Kandi gave a loud whine as the tooth popped free with a sickening snap.
Immediately, Wit examined the area for any debris before taking the paint brush from one of the assistants and dabbing on the reddened gums. It took only a few seconds for the anesthetic to work as the animal sighed and relaxed. Kevin rubbed the bristly skin under the jawline.
The tusk was much simpler. Wit just grabbed it, moved it in a small circle, and extracted it with no additional work. He applied the ointment to that gap as well, after showing Kevin the adult tusk peeking through the gums.
When the dentistry was completed Wit gave the elephant a good trunk rub and released her from the pen. Kandula backed out, shaking her head from side to side. "It's going to feel a little funny to her," the older man explained, "until the new molar erupts in the same place."
Kevin looked at the teeth, fascinated. The tusk was cone-shaped and about the size of a hand. The molar looked like a small gray wrinkly brick. He touched the surface, and felt the ridges and dips. It was one of the coolest things he had ever seen.
On impulse, he hugged the elephant. "I love you, Kandi." She leaned into him for a moment before puffing air on his neck, making him jump and giggle.