WISDOM TOOTH

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Chapter 2: A visit to the Dentist

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The disclaimer I had forgotten in the excitement of the previous chapter: I do not own Kuroshitsuji, nor do I own any of the characters.

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True to his word, the butler set up an appointment for the next morning with the most reputed dentist in Harley Street. Only the best for the young master, or so the demon claimed; but his sinister smirk and glittering red eyes seemed to indicate that some mischief was afoot. No matter, Ciel already had too many things on his plate to worry about his butler's latest scheme.

Ciel protested vehemently against the long and drudging trip to London, but secretly he was rather relieved. His blasted new wisdom tooth was killing him, and he hoped the dentist would prescribe some medication to alleviate his distress, so that things could go back to normal once more. And in Ciel's mind, 'normal' meant gateau and parfait.

The downside of the whole strenuous trip was that the butler would undoubtedly prove right in his diagnosis, meaning that Ciel would have to endure Sebastian's taunts and disguised mockery for a very long time. The young earl sighed. It was a small price to pay for renewing his access to chocolate haven.

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Ciel was too young to recall his previous incidents with dentists, so he was justified in feeling a vague apprehension are he stared at the stark white walls and heavily sterilized tiled floor. The unease was further intensified by the various steely dentures showcased in alcoves, and the gruesome depictions of gums and cavities lining the walls.

"A morbid and gloomy place…." Ciel mused, slightly unsettled, trying to hide his discomfit with sarcastic humor. "Quite an inappropriate atmosphere for a hospital that is supposed to help recover health and save lives, is it not?" he murmured rhetorically, sporting a wry smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Indeed" the butler replied, never missing a beat. "Though hospitals are a place of healing, they also symbolize pain, suffering ….and death. The stench of blood, disease and decay permeates the halls of medical institutions; the nauseating smell of burned, injured and putrid flesh usually clings to the so-called sanatorium …though in many respects, this place has a somewhat more welcoming aura, at least in human terms."

Ciel shuddered. If this place was considered 'welcoming', with a reputation for being one of 'the best', then what condition would the worse places be in?

A straight-backed and stiff-faced nurse ushered them into the doctor's presence with a few terse words of greeting, adding to the somber and dismal atmosphere.

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The dentist was a short, obese, balding man whose only redeeming feature was his shiny white teeth, which were so well-polished they seemed to reflect the light from the sparkly tiles. He wore a long white doctor's coat (much too big for him), with thin white gloves. Everything in the doctor's room was white; the walls, the tables, the small collection of medical certificates hanging proudly beside the wooden shelf (the shelf being coated with alabaster paint), and the foreboding dentist chair that stood in the middle of the eerily antiseptic room like the centerpiece of an exhibition. Even the medical books on the shelf were bound in white-painted leather for uniformity. The only items that were of a different color were the steel dentist implements on the doctor's table, and the glass vials on the shelves, in which floated many murky brown …things. Ciel was not sure what they were, but he was pretty sure he didn't want to know.

The dentist was overly cheery, beckoning Ciel to the cushioned chair in the middle, while taking the seat next to it, immediately launching into an in-depth explanation of the beauty of enamel and the miracles that were teeth.

"You have come to the perfect place, my boy! This is the temple of sanctity in the world of dentistry, and I worship the tooth to the utmost. Your little pearly whites are in safe hands!"

Ciel did not appreciate the rotund gentleman's obnoxious serenade, and his infantile choice of words made the thirteen year old wince. (Pearly whites? What sort of baby-talk is that?). He also did not take lightly to being addressed as 'boy', after all, it was ridiculous that the Queen's watchdog should be coddled like a child.

"I have a small problem with my-" Ciel attempted to politely redirect the conversation, but his weak voice was quickly overcast by the medic's deep boisterous tones.

"I have conducted many seminars on the merits of brushing thrice a day, and of the importance of natural salts in toothpaste…"

Oblivious to Ciel's irate interruptions, the dentist continued his monologue; either he was oblivious, or (more likely) he was deliberately ignoring his patient's disinterest and barely-concealed irritation.

"Did you know that enamel is the hardest substance in the human body? That means your teeth are a lot more difficult to break than your bones. Teeth are also…" The physician prattled on, without a single pause for breath, eyes bright and shining in the pallid room.

Ciel assumed the beefy medic's bubbly attitude was a concerted effort to mask the dourness of his 'temple'. Frustrating as the doctor's enthusiasm was, it served to mellow down the forbidding aura that permeated his precious house of healing (?).

Sebastian merely stood demurely in a corner, silent and watchful, no doubt gathering ammunition for future taunts. His black outfit was a stark contrast to the white décor, making him stick out like a sore thumb. Ciel was unable to repress a smirk. The butler prided himself on being unobtrusive when the occasion called for it, to the point of almost-invisibility, so his current inability to blend in would certainly be an annoyance.

Ciel understood four things about the doctor from his lengthy discourse. One, he was an ardent admirer of all things enamel, teeth being his foremost preference. Two, he was a staunch advocate of a healthy diet to maintain said teeth. Three, his idea of a healthy diet effectively eliminated all of Ciel's favorite snacks. Four, the dentist sought to promote his (outrageous) dietary opinion by enforcing rigorous controls on all his patients, whether they suffered toothaches or not.

"Now, let's have a look at your teeth, shall we?" the dentist hummed the words as he fiddled around with his equipment, before exclaiming jovially, "Now give me a nice long Aaah."

Ciel grimaced, but the dentist was unwilling to let it slide. With a sigh, Ciel mumbled a half-hearted 'Aah', opening his mouth partially. The dentist gave an admonishing shake of his head, and Ciel tried again, this time louder. Finally satisfied, the self-acclaimed tooth expert forced Ciel's mouth open wider, deftly inserting a shiny metal contraption into the gap, peering into the cavern of Ciel's mouth like an oversized, bald owl. Even so, the young Earl was relieved to be blessed with silence. He had feared that the dentist would never cease his inconsequential glorification of incisors, canines and molars.

The dentist was fairly bouncing with glee when he found the cause of Ciel's trouble. "Ooooh, how unusual! A wisdom tooth at such a young age! This, my boy, is something I have rarely seen before! Perhaps we should take some X-Rays to figure out why such an extraordinary phenomenon occurred, then we can-"

"Out of the question" Ciel snapped, whatever little patience he had now long gone. "I will not take any further tests. I merely want something to relieve me of the pain, so I can go about my business as usual. A simple pain-killer will do, and I shall take your leave." Ciel nimbly and abruptly got up from the padded chair, a sure sign that the matter had been closed. It was his swift checkmate, a clear dismissal which his underlings and associates were very familiar with.

However, the doctor, clearly unfamiliar with the earl's mannerisms, was not pleased. In a patronizing tone, he waggled a bloated and reproving finger. "Now now, sit down boy, I haven't finished yet. I must better examine his miracle, and for that-"

"I have no interest in your research, and I refuse to participate as your guinea-pig in any ridiculous experiments. And also, don't call me boy. I am Earl Ciel Phantomhive, and I expect to be treated with proper respect befitting my station."

"Really, young master… it's not wise to antagonize the one who you trust your health with."

Oh, the irony. The butler was secretly hinting that his master should actually show some respect and appreciation to his servants, or more specifically, to treat Sebastian better. Perhaps the demon was miffed with the extra workload Ciel dumped on him as punishment for the dessert ban. But perhaps there was some truth in his statement. After all, Ciel had taken advantage of his contract to work the demon to the death, if indeed demons could die. Flashing a brilliant smile at the approving medic, the butler drawled out his ace in the hole, "Besides, I'm sure the good doctor has only the best intentions."

As Sebastian had predicted, the dentist seized the opportunity like a drowning man. "Listen to him, that's my man! He's perfectly right, of course. I am putting your well-being as my utmost priority! You have nothing to worry, my dear boy. A few years of a balanced diet, and the appropriate pills, and I guarantee that you won't even want unhealthy, enamel-corroding, cavity-causing junk anymore! I shall cure you of the lust for such detrimental eating habits, so that your teeth and gums shall be strong and robust till the end of your days!"

Oh god! The dentist was going to make his starve, and give him questionable pills that would probably destroy his taste-buds, and maybe addle his brain in the process, all so that Ciel could never again enjoy the simply delight of cocoa and chocolate.

Thinking about chocolate was a bad idea. Ciel was instantly hungry, which only made him more tired and irritable.

"So here" the dentist continued, capitalizing on the Ciel's horrified silence and Sebastian's barely-concealed mirth, "This is a list of all the healthy food that you can eat. Stick to this diet, and your pain shall vanish in no time at all! Oh, and don't worry; you are always welcome back if your ache persists. I shall be glad to have another opportunity to examine you lovely new wisdom tooth, and perhaps I shall assist you with strengthening your teeth… I have some very good toothpaste and floss that come in all sorts of flavors, including chocolate and vanilla. Hopeless dessert addicts tend to brush their teeth many times to get a small taste of what they desire… the effects are quite astounding."

The dentist handed the pitifully small list to the dutiful Sebastian, who immediately pursued in with something akin to euphoria. Oh, how he was going to enjoy this.

Ciel was lost in thought, oblivious of the doctor's rather morbid fascination in his patients' suffering. It was clear that his fool-proof plan had backfired on him, and in the most disastrous manner possible. It might have been better if he had simply listened to Sebastian and played along with his two day ban, rather that his current unfortunate predicament of lifelong prohibition.

The butler's smirk made it clear that he mirrored the same thoughts. In a mocking tone, he chuckled, "I hope this trip to the doctor has been ….educational to the young master."

"Hmmph." Trying to regain some sense of dignity, the Earl stood up, gaining some smug satisfaction in the knowledge that he had interrupted the troublesome pestilence of a doctor in mid-tirade, and strode purposefully out of the dreary clinic, only pausing to call out to his butler, "Come, Sebastian."

The demon bowed, and followed obediently, already plotting the best ways to torment his master. "Yes, my lord."

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As you can clearly make out from this story, I hate hospitals and have no medical knowledge whatsoever. I apologize for any factual mistakes, and for any aspiring doctor I may have offended.

I haven't really said goodbye to my previous work 'As Usual' (Skip Beat fanfiction), so I tend to use that phrase a lot nowadays.

This is actually the first work that I have put so much effort into, which explains the time delay. Skip Beat is basically light humor and casual conversation, so choice of words doesn't really matter. However, kuroshitsuji requires careful thought to the wording and structure of sentences. I'm now using to find the right words to express myself in a manner befitting characters from the late nineteenth century. Hopefully I have succeeded in replicating the Phantomhive atmosphere.

As always, please read and review. This story has received a dishearteningly frugal response, only around a hundred people have actually read this. So please, if you like this, recommend to others. It would mean a lot to me.