Scardy-Cat Gage

Whooboy! Here's where we have some fun. Try to picture this in your mind. Please read and review to let me know what you think of it. Picture if you will, Ranger Francis Gage telling you about this.

It was one of those typical days at Ranger Company B Headquarters in Dallas. The weather wasn't making me, Texas Ranger Francis Gage feel any better than I already was. Myself, along with my partner Sydney Cooke and the two senior Texas Rangers, Cordell Walker and Jimmy Trivette were all over at CD's Bar and Grill for lunch when Sydney notice that I wasn't my usual self.

"Hey, what's wrong partner?" Syd asked in a concerned voice. I just shook my head as I tried to eat my lunch. Cordell could sense that there was something bothering me. "You feeling okay Gage?" Walker asked me. I just shook my head as I continued to try and eat. "I'm not Walker and I don't want to talk about it." I grumbled.

Just then, CD Parker, Walker's old partner and owner of the establishment came over to us. "Well, how's your lunch?" CD asked us. All of us told him how it was, except for me. "Is my cooken' that bad Gage?" CD asked me. "It's not your cooking CD. I'm just having a hard time eating anything today. Been this was for the past couple of weeks." I told him.

This concerned Walker. "Has your stomach been a bit on the touchy side?" Walker asked me. I shook my head as Walker saw my hand come up and touched the right side of my jaw. "Ah...Walker?" Trivette started. Walker turned his head and looked at Trivette. "I think I may know what the problem is." Trivette replied.

"Okay, what do you think it is Dr. Trivette?" I grumbled. "When was the last time you went to the dentist? I maybe wrong, but I think you've got a toothache." Trivette replied with a grin. Walker nodded his head. "I think you maybe right Trivette. Gage?" When we get back to Ranger Headquarters, I'm going to call the dentist that Alex and I go to and see if he can see you this afternoon." Walker said as he got up and left before I could say anything more.

When the rest of us got back to Ranger Headquarters, I saw Walker and Alex standing there waiting for me. "Well? What time do I go?" I asked. "I got you a 2:30 appointment." Walker told me. I nodded my head as I walked over to my desk and sat down. Alex gave Walker a surprised look. "Well, he took that fairly well." Alex replied.

Walker nodded his head. "Yeah, better than I thought he would." Walker replied as he went into his office. Alex walked over to me as she put her hand on my shoulder. "You okay Gage?" Alex asked. I looked up as I shook my head. "It's been bothering me pretty bad. I just didn't want to say anything to Walker. It's been a long time since I went to the dentist. I've got a fear of them." I told her in a low voice.

Syd walked over to me as she sat down at her desk across from me. "Would you like me to go with you Gage?" Syd asked me. I nodded my head. "Yeah, I would Shorty. Sort of a moral support." I replied with my usual cocky grin. Syd laughed as she sat there. "Okay, I'll be sure to be in the room with you and hold your hand." Syd replied as she finished the reports that were sitting on her desk.

It was about 2:00 when I noticed the time. "Well, it's about time to head over there Shorty." I said as I got up from my desk. Syd nodded her head as she put her pen away. Walker came out of his office just as his two Junior Rangers were ready to leave. "Good luck Gage. Let me know how it turns out." Walker said. I raised my hand in acknowledgment as the two of us left.

When we got to the dentist office, Syd could tell that I was a bit nervous about going inside. She reached over as she took a hold of my arm. "Come on Gage. Don't be such a scardy-cat. Can you just hear Walker and the others when I tell them that you were a scardy-cat?" Syd told me. I gave her a surprised look. "You wouldn't. Would you?" I asked her. Syd grinned as the two of us went inside. "If you don't go in, I will." Syd replied with a grin.

The receptionist saw us and smiled. "Well, right on time Ranger Gage. The dentist is ready to see you now." She said as she motioned to a nearby door. I looked back at Syd. "I'm right behind you partner." Syd told me as she gave me a slight nudge towards the door. When we got into the room, I was told to sit in the chair. Syd found a nearby stool and sat next to me as she kept a hold of my hand.

About 5 minutes later, the dentist came in looking at the paperwork that I had filled out. "Well, what seems to be the problem Ranger Gage?" The dentist asked as he leaned my chair back and turned the light on above the chair. "I've been having this toothache for the past several weeks." I told him. "Well, let's open up and have a look see." The dentist told me. I slowly opened my mouth as the dentist poked and prodded with various instruments.

"Now, does this hurt?" The dentist asked as he touched something in my mouth. I nearly leaped out of the chair. "Yikes! I think you found it!" I replied with a gasp. Syd jumped a little bit also. "I think you hit the nail right on the head." Syd replied. The dentist nodded his head. "Yes, and from the looks of it, we're going to have to have that cavity filled." The dentist said as she got up and left the room.

I looked up at Syd. "Did he said it has to be filled?" I asked in a worried voice. Syd nodded her head as she patted me on the shoulder. "He did and it's going to be. No arguments, or you know what'll happen." Syd replied with a sly grin. I knew what Syd meant by the remark. Just then, the dentist came back into the room with his assistant who was carrying a small try. "You'll have to wait out in the other room Ranger Cooke." The dentist told her.

Syd shook her head. "I told my partner that I would stay with him. He's a bit of a scardy-cat." Syd replied with a grin. The dentist nodded his head as he reached over and placed a napkin across my chest and fastened it around my neck. "What's that for?" I asked in a curious voice. "It's to keep the water and other things from getting on your clothes." The dentist said as he reached over and picked up a long cotton swab with something on the end of it.

"Okay, what's that?" I asked. "I'm going to rub this on your gum just below your tooth. It'll numb the area so I can give you a novocaine shot to deaden the area while I'm working on the cavity." The dentist explained. I nearly came out of my seat. "Uh huh, you're not give me any no...whatever you call it. No way!" I protested. "Oh, come on Gage! Quit being such a baby about it. When he rubs that stuff on your gums, it'll numb the area so you won't feel the needle going in." Syd told me.

I still wasn't too sure about what my partner was telling me. "Tell you what Gage. I'll stand behind you and put my hands over your eyes so you won't see what's about to happen." Syd told me as she got up and gently placed her hands over my eyes. She nodded her head at the dentist. He reached over as he picked up the syringe and gave me the shot. "Are we done yet?" I asked.

"Only giving you the shot portion of it. You'll feel me using the drill. It'll only take about 15-20 minutes." The dentist said as he began. I kept my eyes closed the whole time and had nearly fell asleep, only to be awakened by the sound of the drill. About a half-hour later, the dentist sat me up in the chair. "Okay Ranger Gage. We're all finished." The dentist told me.

Syd removed her hands from my eyes as she sat in the chair next to me. "There. You see? It wasn't as bad as you thought it would be." Syd kidded me. "Easy for you to say. My bottom lip feels like it weighs a ton. Also, why am I talking so funny? I asked in a curious voice. "Where the dentist gave you the shot is all numb. That's why you're talking a bit funny." Syd told me with a laugh.

I nodded my head as if I understood what she had just said. "Now, you are not to eat or drink anything hot till that novocaine shot wears off. Also, I'd advise you to drink through a straw." The dentist instructed me as he took the napkin off. "How come?" I asked. "You'll dribble." Syd told me with a grin. "Oh...okay." I said as I got up from the chair and the two of us headed back to Ranger Headquarters.

Trivette and Walker, along with Alex were in the office when they saw the two of us coming through the door. "Well? How'd it go at the dentist?" Walker asked. "Had to have a cavity filled." I told him. Trivette looked up from what he was doing on his computer. "Man, you must have gotten a good size shot of novocaine." Trivette said with a laugh.

I nodded my head as I held up two fingers. Walker gave me a surprised look. "You got two shots of novocaine?" Walker asked with a whistle. I nodded my head as I sat at my desk and rested my head on my hand. Alex walked over to me as she put her arms around me and gave me a slight hug. "What's that for Alex?" I asked her. "Just something to make you feel better." Alex told me. Syd had left the room for a moment and came back with a small sack of chipped ice. "Here, put this on your jaw. It'll make it feel better. " Syd replied as she handed it to me.

"Thanks Shorty." I replied as I placed the sack against my jaw. Syd looked up at Walker and the others. "You should have seen him Walker. I never saw anyone so scared of going to the dentist. When he heard what the dentist was going to do, Gage nearly jumped out of the chair. He was even scared of getting the novocaine shot. I had to stand behind him and put my hands over his eyes so he couldn't see what was going on." Syd told them.

Trivette glanced over and noticed that I had my eyes closed. "I think someone is asleep." Trivette said in a low voice. Walker and the others quietly left the office, but not before Syd went into Walker's office and got a blanket and placed it around my shoulders and gently kissed me on the cheek. As they left, Walker reached over and turned the lights off in the office.

The next morning, I woke up and noticed that I was still at Ranger Headquarters. The small sack of chipped ice that Syd had gave me the night before was all melted. I flipped the blanket off my shoulders and stood up to stretch. Just then, I heard someone coming in the door. "Well, how are you feeling Gage?" Trivette asked. "A lot better than I did yesterday." I replied with a grin.

"Now, maybe next time you'll go to the dentist more often. Like every six months. That way, if there's a problem, he'll be able to fix it before it becomes a big problem." Trivette told me. I nodded my head as I walked over to Syd and gave her a big hug in front of everyone. This took her totally by surprise. "What was that for Gage?" Syd asked in a surprised voice.

"For being there for me as a moral support when I went to the dentist." I told her. Syd grinned as she returned the hug. "Anytime partner. Next time, don't be such a scardy-cat." Syd replied with a grin as she raised up on her tiptoes and gave me a light kiss on the cheek. Everyone around there grinned at each other. "Okay you two. Come on into my office. I've got an assignment for you." Walker replied as he turned and went into his office. The two of us followed him, hand in hand.

THE END