Hello everyone. I hope everyone's having a good 2022 so long.

I'm sorry I have left this story not updated for months. And I wish I had some good excuse of why I have barely done any writing lately. But I have nothing. Either way, Right at the end of 2021 I added another chapter to a light in the dark and finished that one, we're coming home and the moment I needed the most. And I also finished a oneshot for Austin and Ally.

Then just like after every New Year's I'm starting the year with updating all of my stories. Including this one. As of now, writing this I have finished a chapter for Game on!, when I returned and I won't go away. I also finished another oneshot. This one for the night shift.

Dad drove me to the dentist's office on his way to the health center the day after I had chewed a tooth broken. I was tired, after that tooth had kept me up for most of the night- what Cassie had done had only helped a bit, and would gladly have stayed in bed all day. Although it was a relief to get this done first thing in the morning so I didn't have to go all day with a toothache before getting help.

"That's it then…" When we came there dad pointed, there were two doors in different parts of the building. "…But I don't know which door is the right one."

"I guess I'll find out…" I unbuckled my belt and stepped out of the car while I looked to my wrist watch. There were a few minutes left until my booked time so there shouldn't be a problem. "…well… I can just choose one." I went through one door where there was a reception desk right inside.

"Hello…." I rang a bell on the desk and a woman came out from a hallway behind the desk. "….There's supposed to be a dental office here?"

"It's right over there…" She pointed towards the door and across the driveway. "Use that door and you'll find your way."

I didn't answer. I just turned, and hurried as if that would make anything go faster towards the second door of the building.

Health center

Dental office

Not until I was right outside I noticed what words it had on the door, and I winced for not even having checked it before I went inside.

My tooth was throwing badly and I could have screamed out loud- if I could only go back in time until yesterday and make sure I never broke the stupid tooth…

When I came to the top floor and another door that said dental office and health center a part of me was relieved I was finally here, while another part of me wanted to vomit at the thought alone of going to the dentist as I walked up to the reception desk and checked so I had come to the right place. Knowing my luck I probably hadn't.

"Nicholas Radford?" The receptionist pressed some buttons on her keyboard.

"Well, the bill for today's care will be sent by snail mail home to you. And right now you just sit here and wait and someone will be with you any minute."

Just as I sat down in one of the uncomfortable, plastic chairs of a usual waiting room my tooth ached worse than ever and I couldn't help but to whimper and put my hand to my cheek. A little girl, maybe six years old sat right nearby and was looking me up and down. In annoyance, I glared right back and kept my hand towards my face, just as a nurse came out into the waiting room and called for the next patient.

"Al?"

An old man on the other side of the room- I couldn't help the tears in pain that were burning behind my eyes. I lowered my vision for no one to see them- why couldn't these people get that I needed help right now and I was in worse pain than I could have ever imagined?

When another nurse came into the waiting room and looked around I was ready to get up- only I and one more was here right now so there must be a big chance she was here for me, right?

"Clara?"

I closed my eyes when the little girl on the other side of the waiting room got up with her mum and followed the one in the scrubs. And she looked towards me for just a couple of seconds before she said something that I just didn't need to hear.

"Someone should be with you soon."

I needed HELP! And that now! Why couldn't they give it to me?

After way too long another nurse came into the waiting room, and since I was the only one waiting there she looked straight at me.

"Nicholas?"

With my luck some other Nicholas was here today.

"Yes…"

"My name is Soraya." She shook my hand. "And you have Dr. Winter in here…." Thankfully she led me into the first room where there was a man and the regular dentist chair, and a metal table with all the metal equipment that made my stomach twist itself inside and out.

But still, I wasn't five years old. I did know that whatever had to be done, I needed it. And I sat in the chair and leaned back while it sunk backwards without any protests when Dr. Winter moved closer to me.

"So, Nicholas?"

"Nick."

"Nick…. While we still have the chance to talk to each other. Can you tell me what have happened? Something must have happened because I can see in your eyes that you're in pain."

"I broke a tooth yesterday, eating… and it hurts like f*ck."

"Hmm…" He hesitated some. "I've never broken a tooth and never had any cavities. But from what I've heard about it, every day of my work. Such strong words are the ones needed to describe it. Now…" I was lying down the whole way now. "If you just open your mouth some… Where did you break one…" I pointed. "Oh yes. I can see it. There really is a big whole here so I can see where and why it hurts so bad. Ouch! What were you eating, if I may ask?"

"Egg roll."

"Those egg rolls. I always knew there was something wrong with them. I'm going to need some X-ray pictures to start with and see what needs to be filled up. But I can give you some local anesthesia first and you won't have that pain anymore…. And…" He kept sorting out his metal instruments. "I can see already you have cavities in several teeth. Including in your wisdom teeth that will have to be taken out… You will have to come back here- several times."

My stomach twisted, I had pulled out several teeth before I had braces. And after the fourth and last one that had been taken out I always knew that was something I never wanted to do again.

"Please…" Every second it felt like a new wave of pain went through the tooth I had broken yesterday. "Just fix the one I broke. Please. It hurts so bad."

"Yeah…" He spoke slowly and it made me want to cry. "…There are wisdom teeth in all corners as well, coming from the sides, making it hard to brush properly. That isn't your fault and you couldn't have done anything about it."

Except contacting them before it hurt this bad…

"Please just fix it." I hadn't meant for my voice to sound so whiny and begging. "Please. Or put anesthesia or pull it out, I don't care as long as you fix it and make it stop hurting. It hurts so bad."

"Yes, of course." Finally it seemed he had the right equipment, and seeing the needle made me want to vomit. "You can at least comfort yourself a bit with the fact that there is no way this is going to hurt any worse than what you've already been through. Now, I'll just put some drops here…" I gripped hard in the handles of the chair when it tensed when he stuck the needle into my gum and couldn't help but wince slightly. "You're doing so well now. I only need to put some more here… We'll take some x ray pictures too so we can see more clearly what has to be done. We can pull it out too but I think it would be for the best if we at least try to fix it…"

"I don't care. Just do something! Rip it out if that's what it takes."

Honestly I wouldn't have minded that last. There would be no way that would have hurt any more than this anyhow.

"We could take it out…" Dr. Winter left the syringe lying on his metal table. "And there really is a big hole. But I think I'll be able to fix it. You'll have to come back in a six to eight months to fix it permanently. But it will fix it for now…. Can you feel this?" Dr. Winter hit his metal instrument towards my tooth.

"I can feel it. But it doesn't hurt."

"That's what we like." He put away a metal instrument I couldn't see and Soraya handed him another one. "Now, you just relax and breathe deeply and I will get to fix this. There will be some strange noises. But if it hurts then you just tell, and we'll put some more anesthesia."

It was going to hurt anyway. Everyone knew being at the dentist's hurt. And nonetheless, I hated that plastic item you had to have in your mouth when taking x-ray's. I could never bite on it properly and it always cut under my tongue.

"You just breathe and relax…."

I gripped harder in my jeans pockets harder than I ever had before.

Or at least not since I had braces and thought I would never have to return to a place like this…

Since I put the last chapter up I've been trying to remember some different things. So this story will actually be about something else than just dentists. And I actually think I have some things. When I started this story I just thought I'd have to fix that one tooth and it turned into a whole big mess, but I think I know how to do this. Bringing in, obviously the dental visits but something else as well.

Random fact

I don't have a dentist/ nurse named Soraya… I keep calling her that accidentally though.