Alice sat behind the reception desk. She sifted through a stack of paperwork to ensure that it had been properly signitured before closing the file folder once more and placing it into the filing cabinet in its alphabetically predetermined place. Suddenly, the door to the dentistry swung open, and Alice rose from her desk to greet the man who had entered. "Hello and welcome! How can we help you today?" Alice noticed that the man was peculiarly dressed. In theory, a man in a tophat and suit would not be impossibly conspicuous, but the style of the man's suit was much removed from anything that Alice had ever seen. It seemed to be made of deep maroon velvet with black embroidery along the length of it. Beyond his appearance, Alice also noticed that the man seemed incredibly nervous. He wrung his hands together and fidgeted like a frightened child, his eyes darting about the room as though he expected a monster to appear at any moment. Presently, the man cleared his throat. "Yes, I was wondering if, perhaps by any chance, the Dentist was in today?" His voice seemed oddly strained, and Alice smiled at the man to alleviate his worry. Perhaps some children never grow out of their fear of the dentist. She thought. It was no fault of the man if he was afraid. "He is." She answered. " Do you happen to have an appointment?" The man shook his head sheepishly, "No, I do not.... can I still see him?" Alice smiled again at the poor man and gestured to the seats on either end of the waiting room. It had been a particularly slow day, and there were no other patrons. Assuming the old man was not too terribly busy, which he most likely was not, the man in the velvet suit would be seen immediately. "Please have a seat, sir. I will check the dentist's availability; I will be right back!" The man sighed profoundly but returned her smile. Alice walked down the narrow hallway and knocked on the main office door. All the while, thinking that although she was sure she had never seen the man in the velvet suit before, he seemed strangely familiar. Alice shrugged the thought away as the dentist bid her to enter from the other side of the door. If the old man tended to his needs, she would file away his paperwork and know his name soon enough. Then she would know how exactly she knew him, and the mystery would be solved. "Yes, Alice?" The old man asked without looking up from the stack of opened folders stacked on his desk. "There is a man here to see you. He doesn't have an appointment but would like to be seen if you are available." The old man sighed deeply. He took off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. "Yes, I suppose you can have the young man complete the necessary paperwork and send him back. Thank you, Alice." Alice stared at the old man. "How did you know he was young?" she asked. To which the old man replied with a rare smile that was dry and sarcastic but a smile nonetheless. "Because young men never feel the need to call ahead and make an appointment." The two shared a chuckle at the truth of that fact, and Alice left the office, closing the door behind her. She stepped out from the narrow hallway and saw the young man in his strange velvet suit pacing the waiting room floor. He stopped as she approached and stared at her with an expression that seemed to be equal parts hope and dread. Alice smiled at him, the poor man. "The dentist is available to see you as soon as you fill out the necessary paperwork, but there's no need to worry! I will be here to help you if you have any questions!" Alice grabbed a blank file set and handed it to the man along with a pen. He opened it and signed his signature on all of the necessary lines. With shaking hands, handing it back to her when he had finished. Alice took the folder from him and laid it down on her desk, she would file it when she returned, but this poor man would not know peace until he got it over with. "Thank you. I'll take you to him; follow me, please." Alice led the scared young man in the velvet suit down the narrow hallway, and he cowered behind her like a small child. Alice walked past the framed newspapers and noticed the man stopping as he saw them. "What?" The man whispered as though he was in awe of the framed clippings, although they had started to yellow with age. Alice shrugged and tried to explain as best she could. "He collects them, the dentist. I suppose he doesn't allow his hatred for sweets to stop him from appreciating a savvy businessman. He takes great pride in Wonka's success. He was quite put out when the factory closed." The man blinked at her. As though he couldn't believe or fully comprehend what she was saying. "Really?" he whispered. "Really." Alice laughed at the interaction's strangeness and continued walking down the narrow hallway, leading the man behind her. He sniffled, and Alice thought for a moment that he might be crying. The poor man must have had an awful past experience with dentists, Alice thought; he seems to be medically traumatized. Alice opened the door to the office and ushered the man inside, then turned and closed the door behind him. Leaving the two of them to their appointment. She never stayed in the office whenever the dentist did his work unless there were small children present. The old man always asked her to stay and aide the children. Something about her being present calmed them. Never for adult patients, although Alice felt a small twinge of guilt for leaving the terrified young man in the velvet suit alone and thought that her presence might have helped him as well; he would have to manage n his own. Besides, as she returned to her desk, she thought, I have paperwork to file.
