Random Dental Stories

Ethan Continued

Credit for this idea goes to @seastarberry1225

Thank you for letting me use the idea from your book "Dental Scenarios". To anyone who hasn't read it, I highly recommend it. Their writing style is so lovely and light to read with exquisite imagery. My best internet friend and such a good hype person. Thank you to them, for basically sponsoring this chapter of "Random Dental Stories".

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So, the last time I spoke to you was about 3 weeks ago after the appointment with Dad. Since then, I've been guarding my secret quite close to me. I'm really interested in what Dad does. I haven't told him yet because otherwise, he will completely blow it out of proportion. But I have decided to tell him today.

I walk nervously down the stairs to find him lounging on the living room sofa, watching Grey's Anatomy. God, he's such a doctor! The office is closed today, so he's dressed in his casual clothes: his favourite Superdry swim shorts, a white t-shirt with little penguins on and some navy blue flip-flops. He's clearly very warm.

I'm now on summer break, so I don't have school for six weeks. That's plenty of time to learn the trade tricks and see if that's what I want to do.

I throw myself onto the couch next to him, as usual, so as not to raise any suspicion. My dad nods his head over to me, greeting me as I sit down. I wait for a minute, watching two doctors doing an operation.

"Hey, Dad?" I say, somewhat precariously. He pauses the show and looks over at me. It's him giving me his full attention, and I feel a warm little bubble in my chest. "So, you know how I had an appointment with you about a month ago?"

"Mhm, yeah. Is something wrong? Are you in pain?" He starts bombarding me with questions before I can get a word in edgewise. I bring my hands up to calm him down.

"No no no, it's nothing like that. I was just thinking..." I trail off, trying to think of how to say it. "Remember how my appointment was later than I actually came to the office, so you had me help you out?"

"Yes, I remember that. You seemed to hate me for doing that to you, but then you seemed to relax. Is this about that?"

"Yes. Well, after I 'relaxed', I realised that I really enjoyed working with you. I think what you do is really interesting." I fidget with my hands in my lap, just like when I'm in my dad's dentist chair.

"Right, just so I don't jump to anything too fast, explain what you mean by this." My dad says slowly. I can tell he's trying now to jump for joy.

I chuckle a little at his blatantly obvious excitement. "What I'm trying to say is that I think I want to be a dentist when I'm older." I watch as my father's face lights up like a Christmas tree at the idea of working with his boy. "I don't know for sure, but I think that's what I want to do."

"Oh, that's so excellent, Ethan. I'll tell you what, if you like while you're on summer break, you can come down to work and shadow me. Of course, you don't have to, just an offer."

"That would be great. Thanks, Dad." I pull him into a tight embrace, before pulling away, beaming at him. "One more thing." He hums in response. "I'm still kind of afraid of being the patient. How can you help me with that?"

My dad gives me his signature 'sympathy head tilt'. I give him my sarcastic one, with eyebrows raised, saying to him that I'm completely serious.

"Well, exposure might work. Yeah, good idea Roger." He mumbles to himself under his breath. I smirk a little bit at his goofiness. "Come with me, I have an idea." He says to me, pushing himself off the sofa and going to the front door to put proper shoes on. I follow suit.