The Only One

S i x t e e n

A n t o n i o

Dr. Evans and I went to the first available exam room to bring up the scans on the computer.

It was silence as we looked at the scans.

Dr. Evans spoke up before I ever got the chance to.

"Sage has too much crowding. If she's going to get braces soon, two teeth need to be pulled for her treatment to go as planned."

I looked closer at the x-rays. He was right. And he is the expert.

"I mean you are the orthodontist. But I know Sage will not like to hear that. You should call her dad immediately, he'll want to hear this."

Dr. Evans immediately pulls out his phone and starts calling someone.

I didn't listen to the conversation, I just looked at everything that Dr. Evans had laid out on the counter.

Sage's scans were on the exam computer, he had his laptop out with images of Sage's teeth, he had her impressions laid out and some other stuff that I wasn't too familiar with.

I didn't hear anybody else on the other line, I just heard Dr. Evans say multiple "Yes sir, I understand" throughout the phone conversation. I guess he really does take orders from Dr. Gray.

Within a few minutes they were ending the conversation and Dr. Evans looked distraught.

"Well Dr. Gray is coming here in 15 minutes to attend Sage's teeth extraction."

"Oh Sage is going to love this."

S a g e

I sat on the edge of the dental chair talking to my uncle about my grandfather's crazy gala.

I love how I have to be pulled into everything.

My grandfather barely even talks to me and now I have to go to yet another event full of dentists.

When is this nightmare going to end?

The only good thing that can come out of this is spending time with Dr. Tony outside of the office.

Maybe we can have an actual decent conversation, that's not about teeth.

Uncle Collin even seemed bothered by his brother's motives to invite everybody he can to this gala.

I never remembered him having this many events when I was younger.

Uncle Collin was reading off specifics about his gala email when Dr. Evans walked in.

He didn't dare look at me, but he made a quick glance to Uncle Collin and then moved to the computer.

"Where's Dr. Perez?"

"He's just helping me with something real quick."

Dr. Evans didn't even look at me, he just put my x-rays onto the computer in the exam room and then walked out.

He gets more mysterious the more I talk to him.

I pull out my phone, not knowing what better to do with my time while I just sit and wait.

After a few minutes of scrolling, I hear a door open but I don't pay any mind to it.

Dr. Evans probably just need to talk to Uncle Collin.

I see Uncle Collin get up out of his seat and walk towards the door.

So I was right, they were just going to talk.

I focused back in on my phone.

"Noah, what are you doing here? I thought you couldn't come today?"

Noah?

I immediately snapped my head up, seeing my dad standing right behind the chair.

"Dad? What're you doing here?"

"I came to discuss your treatment with Dr. Evans, sugar plum. He just needed some advice, so I'll be right back."

As my dad left the room, he took Uncle Collins with him.

Now I'm all alone.

I do my usual routine and get out of the dental chair. I take a seat off to the side and concentrate back on my phone.

A n t o n i o

Sage is not going to like this at all.

Dr. Gray just showed up. So currently we have Dr. Evans, Dr. Collins, Dr. Gray and I all hovered around Sage's x-rays.

"The only option is extraction."

"You know Sage is never going to go for that."

"Well it's her only option."

"I'm not going to propose the idea to her."

There is no way I'm going to tell her, she's going to hate me.

"You have to. You're her dentist."