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Ranch introduced to me to Corporal Hudson, who looked about fifty years old but was probably only about thirty. Hudson took me on a tour of the unit and introduced me to the other staff. He then informed me that I would be assisting the boss of the dental unit. My heart sank. I was just a private and really didn’t know that much about dentistry. Sure, I could perform basic procedures, but there were about a hundred more complex ones that I didn’t know a thing about. I couldn’t believe they would pair the most junior dental assistant with the most senior dentist.
    Sure enough, all my fears were realised. It was absolutely horrible working for the head dentist. He expected me to know much more than I did, and would embarrass me in front of patients if I didn’t know the answers to his questions. My days were full and demanding. In the mornings, I would get into work really early to set up the surgery for the day. I’d then have to rush off to smash out a session with the PTIs. When that was over, I’d have to be showered and changed in time to see the first patient at 9 a.m. There was normally just enough time to do this, but I was stuffed if PT went on even a few minutes longer than usual. I’d hear the dentist yelling from outside the bathroom for me to hurry up. The dentists never did PT with our unit, so they were always ready to begin before us.
    Then, from the moment I saw the first patient, I would not get a break until the day was over. The scheduled morning-tea break was for everyone except dental assistants. In that time I was expected to have cleaned the dental instruments, sterilised the surgery and prepared for the next patient. I was also expected to catch up on the surgery’s paperwork: filling in the patients’ medical documents and filing them away at reception.
    Even lunchtime was no break. Once again, I was expected to have completed all cleaning before I was allowed to leave. At four in the afternoon, when everyone else had knocked off for the day, I was left there, cleaning instruments, sterilising the surgery and locking up the building. I hated it. It sucked not knowing enough about dentistry. Not being offered more training made it even worse. I spent that six months feeling unsure about my work and terrified of saying the wrong thing to my boss. And there was nothing I could do about it.
    My social life helped to get me through. All my girlfriends used to go out clubbing on Thursday and Friday nights. Thursday was ladies’ night at The Pit, so my friends used to get free drinks and free entry. I couldn’t go with them. I had to be stone-cold sober when I worked. I just couldn’t afford to be hung-over in that stressful surgery environment. But every Friday night I partied with them till the wee hours.
    I did a lot of growing up and experienced a lot that year. I’m glad I shared that time with a group of such close friends. It is important to have good friends to make mistakes with. Ranch was my best friend and I could tell her anything. We talked about boys, sex, our futures and clothes. That year would have been a hell of a lot worse if she hadn’t been there.
    It was nearing the end of the year, and shortly I would leave for Cairns to have Christmas with my family. Before that, I had my first bush trip with the dental unit. I had no idea what to expect. The only bush experience I’d had was in those few short days during recruit training, so another dental assistant named Charlie took me under her wing. She showed me how to pack and store the medical supplies, and what quantities were needed for the duration of the exercise. It was going to be a two-week trip in a place called Shoalwater Bay, on the Capricorn Coast in Queensland.
    We left early in the morning after bundling into the back of a Unimog. It was squashy, cold and not very comfortable, but I can sleep anywhere. I made myself at home on the packs that were scattered around the floor. I slept until we arrived – a full