Setting

The events described in the short story “At the Clinic” by Sally Rooney take place at the dental clinic where Connell takes Marianne to have her wisdom tooth removed:

On the way to the dental clinic they talk about going home for Christmas. It’s November and Marianne is having a wisdom tooth removed. Connell is driving her to the clinic because he’s her only friend with a car, and also the only person in whom she confides about distasteful medical conditions like impacted teeth.

The visit to the dentist’s office takes place on a “clear (…) cold and blue like an ice pop” November day. While Marianne is inside the office, under surgery, Connell is in the waiting room and thinks about their relationship:

He’s trying not to think about Marianne in...