All in One - Milady

Ch. 3: Doctor Doctor

They missed it.

The potentially free dinner.

They missed it.

Nneka and Natalie sat in the dentist's office waiting for Nneka's name to be called, as she held the side of her jaw.

Right at the very end of their trip, there was a basket labeled free sweets. And the one thing Nneka could never pass was free stuff. But to her surprise, it was marble. A brown marble in a basket dedicated to free bread.

Some child had ruined her perfect record.

Nneka sat there anxious, as Natalie aimlessly strolled through the magazines on the table. "Relax," she began, "It could have been worse. You could have swallowed it."

"Swallowed what...it was a very hard piece of bread."

Nneka was in denial. More like, she didn't want to admit she almost swallowed a choking hazard. And if her doctor found out that at the age of 27, she almost broke her perfectly good teeth over a rock.

"This is embarrassing, it was just a really hard piece of bread."

"Almost rock-like, if you asked me."

"Well, good thing I didn't."

Natalie chuckled, putting the magazine down. "I can't believe you thought that was a good idea."

Nneka sank into her chair as the brown hair nurse in blue scrubs and white tennis shoes walked over to them. The nurse examined her chart. When she was finished, she called after her. "Okay, Miss Andama, you're all set."

Nneka struggled to stand up, pulling Natalie along with her, but she didn't budge.

"Oh, and one more quick thing before we start. Your primary doctor, Dr. Jenkin is out for the week. You'll be seeing Dr. Cho. Is that fine?"

"Dr. Cho," Nneka repeated, a little taken aback. A new stranger was about to get all friendly in her mouth.

"I assure you, you're in great hands." the nurse reassured her.

"Be strong," Natalie said.

Nneka gave the nurse an unnoticeable side eye, "could she come with me?"

"Is she your guardian?" the nurse asked, slightly confused.

"She is at this very moment," Nneka said, finally pulling Natalie to her feet. She had drugged her fingers into her brown skin, and it jolted her up.

"Okay, follow me."

Nneka smiled, "Absolutely."

They followed with barely any room to whisper behind the nurse's back, but they managed anyway.

Natalie leaned towards Nneka. "One day you won't be a big baby and face the dentist by yourself."

"I don't want to."

"It's the dentist. Do you want to eat?"

Nneka silenced herself.

"I thought so."

Nneka walked face down, while Natalie looked around as they passed a small break room. She stopped abruptly at a man taking off his mask, and washing his face. She couldn't see his face all too well, but she knew by his sleeveless arms that he worked out. And honestly, that's all that mattered.

She rushed back up to Nneka, elbowing her.

"What?"

"What if you met a really cute potential hot doctor dentist?" Natalie turned back, only to see that same doctor coming out.