breathe// 5SOS

41

I dropped Ava off at the office and brought the fan over, making sure she was comfortable before heading to briefing. There wasn't much to talk about, but I had a meeting with a family who was trying to join the treatment plan. Since it was so much money off, there was a criteria, but chief was leaving it up to me.

"Before you go, can I run you down the patient?" Cal asked, taking me to our exam room. I sat down and he got a file out, then looked for x-rays.

"He is called Jason, he's eight. Dan has already seen him for some treatment but thinks he's be better suited to us. He doesn't have any learning difficulties or special needs, but he was adopted from an abusive home and the closeness of this all has been really tough,"

"Okay,"

"And look at his x-ray. Dan did a couple of fillings but that's all they could afford,"

It popped up on the screen and he moved out of the way, handing me the pen we used to make it out.

"Two cavities," I mumbled, "and that's an infection,"

"And that," Calum said, "apparently his cheek was all swollen. As I said, he fixed a couple of cavities but they haven't take X-rays since,"

"I had sedating kids though," I mumbled.

"Judge it when he's on the chair. If he's not kicking and screaming then we don't need to,"

"Yeah, I'll see you in a bit,"

I made it to the meeting rooms, opening the door to see two young parents and a small kid. I gave them a smile and sat down.

"Good morning, I'm Dr Irwin, but I prefer Ashton,"

At a closer glimpse, the two of them looked exhausted. Jason was curled into his dad's chest, watching me closely.

"You must be Jason," I smiled, "Can I get a high five?"

He held his hand out and I gently hit his, a small smile on his face.

"So we are here for the treatment plan, and I've heard some basic information, but tell me a bit more. Why this dentist?"

"No where else will take him,"

"Do you know why?"

"They don't want to do the work on a kid, and he can get nervous on the chair,"

"I get nervous too, it's okay bud," I said when I saw his cheeks go red.

"When we saw you specialised in situations like these, we were so relieved, but then we saw the price and we can't do that. Having just adopted, there's financial changes for us,"

"I mean I have seen the x-rays, and there is a lot, but I could do it. I tend to do it in one lot, if I can, but I do need to judge the situation closer,"

"Would he be put out?"

"Not if I can avoid it, I will use gas but not sedation,"

"How does that sound?" his mum said, "he can make your teeth not hurt,"

"B-but the others did,"

"They did?" I frowned.

"Some aren't the most gentle," his dad sighed, kissing his head, "Ashton is the best one in town,"

I blushed a little, looking at the paperwork to hide it. I filled out my parts, and they filled out their parts.

"Do you do it today?"

"We have time, but only if you'd like,"

"I think we should get it over with,"

They followed me to the exam room, where Calum was quietly humming to his paperwork.