Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome back to "The Winter Child!" =D I just recently realized that I'll be going on hiatus this upcoming Friday, so this is the last chapter that you guys will see from me until mid-April. =') I'm hoping to get a lot of writing done over my hiatus, as well as further progress in the original fantasy series that I'm planning, but do not fret! I shall return as promised. =D I'd never forgive myself if I left a story unfinished knowing that so many people want to know what happens next. XD
Before I head off, I'd like to give some shout-outs to some of my awesome reviewers! =3
Guest (Chapter 43, March 19): Wawa will return...eventually! XD
Guest (Chapter 50, March 19): Some of my favorite video games are The Legend of Zelda, Breath of the Wild, Minecraft, Mariokart 8 Deluxe, Disney Infinity, and (even though I'm still working to convince my parents to let me play =')), Genshin Impact. XD I'm a total Venti enthusiast. =')
Quentin: YAS, THE POWER OF FANDOM IS ALMIGHTYYYYY! ASKLDJASLKDJALSJA, THE FBI AND SWAT TEAM? YES PLEASE BRING THEM ALL, AHAHAHA! XD NO ONE MESSES WITH JACKIE BOY AND GETS AWAY WITH IT! Also, welcome to the chaos-er, I mean story! =D I'm glad you're enjoying it thus far, and I hope stick around until the end. ^u^
May: Alajkdfkljasklasdfasfa, I did manage to finish that AP Bio assignment, thank you so muchhhhh. QwQ And yes, I love how Jack has many nicknames as well. XD I love giving each of the Guardians a special name to call him. =3 I should probably give Jack names to call the Guardians as well just to make things even fluffier. XD
Guest (Chapter 47, March 20): Yas, Bunny enforces the act of eating your vegetables. *Bunny's voice* Eat yer greens, ya ankle-biters. XD I have "The Winter Child" already outlined, but I love the idea of Bunny sneaking veggies in Jack's food to get him to eat them. I'd give anything to see that animated. ='3 Looks like I've got another animation idea to add to mah list. XD
Guest (Chapter 51, March 20): I've heard of Once Upon a Time before, but I've never seen it. =') My family just recently got Disney+, so I may check it out! I love fantasy to an unhealthy degree, HAHA. XD
Guest (Chapter 49, March 20): Aw, thank you so much! =D I try to put as much thought as I can in my poems, but even I sometimes struggle with rhymes. XD I'm glad that one was enjoyable for ya. =3
Thank you guys so much for kind words and support. =') With that, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! ^u^
~ LII ~
The Cavity
He was shocked
Horrified even
To discover that morning
A hole
Black as night
In the middle of a tooth
A cavity
Jack had a cavity
...
It was a regular Monday morning in Santoff Claussen, and Jack would've slept in if North hadn't woken him up.
For Jack, weekends flew faster than the Wind, No matter what he did could make them go any slower. Life in Santoff Claussen was exhilarating and filled with adventure. Jack had joined his friends on a min expedition through the woods. Though all the children knew the area well, they enjoyed pretending as if they had found something new. And the games they played with the other forest creatures were without a doubt fun. The children even had a picnic in the woods, and Jack ate until he was sure he'd burst. They were outside until late, and the parents had to go and bring their children home so they wouldn't be exhausted for school the next day.
Jack didn't realize how tired he was until he crashed into bed, falling asleep almost instantly. North had warned him not to stay out for too long, but Jack was confident that he wouldn't sleep in. He was playful, but he took his studies seriously. But it was almost seven, and Jack was still in bed.
The snow sprite was aware that he had to get up, but sleep was just too tempting. He continued to drift in and out of consciousness, knowing that he had to start getting ready for school that day, but his sleepiness weighed him down. Jack snored away, and time passed on. Soon, North entered his bedroom to pull him out of bed.
The ex-Cossack shook the sleeping snow sprite. "Jack, you need to get up. School starts soon."
Jack groaned and rolled over. "Five more minutes…"
"No, you need to get up now," said North. He pulled the covers off the boy and Jack whined. "This is what happens when you stay up too late."
Jack sat up and rubbed his hands over his drowsy face. He winced as he felt pain jolt into his mouth. He brought a hand up to his cheek and winced.
"Are you alright?" asked North. Jack turned to the ex-Cossack, who had noticed the pained expression on his face.
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Jack. He stifled a yawn. "I'll go start getting ready now."
Jack slipped out of bed and entered the bathroom. He was still groggy as he pulled out his toothbrush so he could brush his teeth. The boy placed his toothpaste upon it and shoved the toothbrush into his mouth, making sure to be thorough as he cleaned. When he moved the brush to the other side of his mouth, the same pain he had felt earlier burst from near his teeth. Jack yelped and quickly held a hand to his cheek. What was going on?
The boy rinsed out his toothbrush and wiped his mouth. He pulled himself closer to the mirror and Jack opened his mouth. He gasped.
No.
This couldn't be possible.
His lower left molar had a black spot on it.
He had…a cavity!
Jack had always prided himself on taking good care of his teeth, and Tooth supported him in this. If it weren't for her, Jack's teeth wouldn't be as white as they were. The mini fairies had even formed a Jack Tooth Fan Club, where they fawned over and gazed over how perfect Jack's teeth were. The snow sprite found this group strange, but he was flattered nonetheless.
Jack brushed three times a day and flossed after every meal. Tooth's oral hygiene lectures had affected him in his youth. For as long as Jack could remember, Tooth was always making sure he didn't eat too many sweets or reminding him to brush when he forgot. Jack did everything he could to keep his teeth white and sparkly, so discovering that he had acquired a cavity that morning left him…shocked.
Jack closed his mouth and rubbed his aching cheek. He decided not to tell North, for he'd tell Tooth. Jack didn't want Tooth to be upset with him for having a cavity; the last thing he wanted was her panicking over him. Besides, the tooth wasn't that painful anyway.
I have a feeling that'll change soon, thought Jack. He sighed and picked up his toothbrush again. Jack finished brushing the best he could, bathed, dressed up, and headed downstairs for breakfast, ignoring the toothaches as he went down.
North had made toast, eggs, and a cup of hot chocolate for breakfast. Jack would've normally enjoyed the meal, but with his cavity, hard foods and heat were sensitive for his tooth. He nibbled on his toast slices and only spooned in small amounts of eggs. He lifted the mug of hot chocolate to drink, taking the smallest sips he could, but he couldn't help but wince as pain sparked from his tooth.
North watched him curiously. "Are you sure you're alright, moy mal'chik?" he asked.
Jack nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." He lifted another forkful of eggs and shoved it into his mouth. The boy's eyes widened, and he set down his fork, swallowing the steaming eggs before they could cause his tooth any more pain.
"You seem like you're in pain," remarked North.
Jack shook his head. "No, no, I'm fine. Really." The snow sprite slipped out of his seat and carried his plate, which was still full of food, to the counter. "Um…I'm not feeling that hungry this morning. I think I'll just head over to Ombric's."
North didn't prod any further, which Jack was grateful for, but he knew that he was suspicious. The boy flashed him a smile as he walked out the door. Once he stepped into the cool winter air, he let out a sigh.
The Wind swept around him and brushed the fallen leaves around his bare feet. Jack smiled lightly. "Hey, Wind. I'm going to walk to school today."
The Wind whistled quietly as if she was disappointed. Jack chuckled.
"Yeah, I know, but…don't tell anyone, but I have a cavity. And it really hurts. I don't want to jostle it any further with high-speed flying."
The Wind fluted and she wrapped around the boy, silently promising that she wouldn't reveal anything. Though, as one of his closest friends, the Wind believed that it would be best if Jack told North (or Tooth, who was an expert in this area) of his infected tooth. She watched Jack as he began to walk down the path to Big Root, rubbing his pale hand against his lower cheek, wishing that he would do so.
…
Despite sleeping in, Jack arrived at Big Root in good time. Everyone was placing their cloaks and coats on the racks in the back of the classroom and settling into their seats. Some children spoke of the fun they had in the woods over the weekend. Others who had stayed home chronicled helping their parents build, bake, or create something new. The classroom was lively with chatter, and Ombric was preparing the board in the front. Jack slipped into his usual seat next to Katherine, wishing he had something to relieve his toothache from the pain.
Katherine turned from her conversation with Sascha and smiled in Jack's direction. While she had been pushed ahead in academic level, she still attended classes with everyone else. "Hi, Jack! Doesn't it look wonderful outside today? The snow looks like stardust in the sunlight."
Katherine was a natural-born bookworm and storyteller. Most of her musings and statements always had a narrative—or perhaps even poetic—tone to them. Jack liked listening to her speak; she always sounded so passionate and kind. He recalled how she'd read him stories back when the classroom still did story groups. Her voice always soothed him.
Jack smiled. "It does," he agreed. "If only it looked like this over the weekend. We're almost halfway through December, but we haven't received much snow."
"I for one don't have a problem with it," Sascha drawled playfully. "I can test out my outdoor inventions without worrying about ice freezing the gears."
"And it isn't too cold that we can't play outside," the second oldest William stated.
"You can always bundle up if it's cold," prompted Katherine.
"True…but gloves and scarfs are so stuffy," Fog said.
"And so are boots and coats," said Petter.
"Then you guys should all dress like me," jested Jack. He gestured to his lightly dressed self. "The no shoes look and light cloak are a fashion statement themselves."
Katherine smirked. "If only all of us were immune to the cold."
"We should be," said Sascha. "We do live in the second coldest region."
"And yet here we are with coats, gloves, mittens, and hats," said Tall William.
"Everyone except me," Jack quipped. "Seriously, you guys should consider dropping the winter gear. The cold does wonders."
"But alas, we are not all resistant to the cold," said Sascha dramatically. "If only we were all Jack Frost."
"Nah…I think one is enough," Petter said with a smirk.
The group of students laughed, and for a moment, Jack completely forgot about the cavity in his mouth. But when Ombric called the class together, the pain was tangible again. Jack tried to focus on his math assignment, but his tooth distracted him from the various equations on his worksheet.
Katherine glanced his way. To any other person, Jack would've looked like he was struggling with his assignment. But she knew her best friend well and knew the look when Jack was in pain.
"Jack, are you okay?" she asked, catching Jack's attention. The twelve-year-old snow sprite looked at her.
"I'm okay," said Jack, but Katherine knew that he wasn't. He frequently brought a hand to his lower jaw, wincing as he rubbed a specific spot there.
"If there's something wrong, you know you can tell me, Jack," Katherine said.
"I know," said Jack. "But I'm alright. Just a little tired."
Katherine was still suspicious of her friend, but before she could prod any further, lunch was announced. Jack sat with his friends, as he usually did, but he ate little to avoid bringing more pain to his tooth. It ached more and more by the moment, so much so to the point where Jack had difficulty hiding it. He was glad that he wasn't called on to read the book that the class was reading together, or asked to explain how to solve one of the mathematic formulas that they were given. Jack grabbed his cloak, staff, and bag from the back of the room and slipped out as fast as he could.
When Jack returned home, he wasn't himself, and North took notice of this. He was in a lot of pain, but Jack refused to tell him what was wrong. When dinner arrived, Jack turned it down. He went to bed hungry and near tears since the pain was so great.
The next morning, Jack was tired and cranky. Oatmeal was sitting on the table for breakfast, but Jack turned it down.
"Jack, you need to eat," said North.
"I'm not hungry," stated Jack.
"You didn't eat anything last night, moy mal'chik."
Jack stiffened. "I just…don't feel like eating anything."
North studied the snow sprite. "Jack, tell me what is wrong. You are clearly in pain and I want to help you."
"I said I'm fine!" Jack insisted, but the sudden outburst shot pain through his tooth like a lightning bolt. Tears sprung in Jack's eyes, and he brought a hand up to his cheek, letting out a small whimper.
North was at his side instantly. "Jack, please tell me what is wrong."
"M-My tooth hurts…" Jack whimpered. Even though he spoke softly, he was still in pain.
"When did it start?" asked North.
"Y-Yesterday morning…" Jack replied.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"B-Because…" Jack sniffed. He looked at North. "I think it's a cavity. I didn't want you to tell Tooth."
North softened. "I'm sure she would understand, even if you told me then. I will take you to her place. She can help you."
"But what about school?" Jack asked.
"I'll explain to Ombric," reassured North. "Now go get changed."
Jack hadn't noticed that he was still in his pajamas, so he went upstairs and changed. He and North left the house and went straight to Tooth's. Jack kept a hand on his aching tooth until they arrived.
Tooth wasn't busy that morning, and she immediately answered the door when North knocked.
Tooth smiled warmly. "Hello, North! Hi, Jack!" Before North could reply, she noticed the tears in Jack's eyes. She gasped. "Oh no! Jack, what's wrong?"
North placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "He has been complaining about his tooth hurting," he said. "Could you perhaps—"
"Of course!" Tooth said. North didn't have to finish his sentence. Toothiana would do anything for Jack, especially when it came to his teeth. The Tooth Fairy led the boy to the dentist's chair and once he was settled, she asked for him to open his mouth. Jack opened it as wide as he could without his tooth hurting. Toothiana peeked into his mouth and gasped.
"Oh, Jack, you have a cavity!" she exclaimed. The mini fairies gasped in unison. One of them fainted. "But…what…how could this have happened?"
"I'm sorry, Tooth," said Jack, his gaze dropping. He felt terrible for disappointing her. So much so that he did everything he could to avoid telling her about his cavity. He had done everything he could to prevent himself from getting one, but in the end, one had developed, and he hadn't even noticed.
Tooth noticed Jack's guilty expression, and she softened. "It's alright, Jack. I should be the one apologizing. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have felt like you had to hide your cavity. These things just happen. But don't worry, I can fix it right up for you!"
"How?" asked Jack.
"A small filling will do the trick," Tooth explained, rummaging through her cabinets. "Now where did I put that drill?"
"Drill?!" exclaimed Jack.
"It's only a small one," reassured Tooth. She turned around, holding the small tool in her hand. "And you won't feel a thing. I'll give you a numbing solution so you don't feel the pain."
Though he would be numbed through the process, Jack still felt scared. North took his hand.
"I'll be here the whole time," said North. At this, Jack eased just a little.
As she had said, Tooth gave Jack the numbing solution that made the entire left side of his mouth numb. Once it was sure he couldn't feel a thing, Tooth came in with the drill. Jack squeezed North's hand as she proceeded. It took an hour, but to Jack, it felt like years. When Tooth finally announced that she was done, Jack still couldn't feel the left side of his cheek.
"The numbness will wear off eventually," said Tooth, putting her tools away. "But you should eat soft foods so you don't accidentally bite yourself when chewing."
North and Jack both thanked the Tooth Fairy for her help, and the two began to head home. Jack rubbed his numb cheek.
"I still can't feel anything," he said. "But I'm glad that my cavity's gone."
"Next time, tell me right away," said North. He squeezed the boy's shoulder. "I, or the other Guardians, won't hesitate to help you."
"I will," said Jack. And that was a promise he intended to keep.
Author's Note: ...I don't have anything else to say here, so I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all at the end of my hiatus! =D
Until the next chapter!
~BeyondTheMoon1203