Alternative Medicine
Tanya Winters stared at the red light and then glanced at her watch. She was running late and was angry with herself, since it was her own fault. She was usually very punctual and, even with two kids, managed to get them both to wherever they needed to be on time. Band camp, football practice, recitals, swimming, school, boy scouts, she put more mileage on her minivan in the first year than the total that its five-year warranty allowed. She was almost never late, but here she was; still three miles from the dentist's office and already five minutes late.
She couldn't help it. She absolutely hated the dentist. She had a low tolerance for pain and dental work had scared her since she was a young child. The fear was unreasonable but unrelenting, and probably explained why this was her first visit in five years. Nothing short of the excruciating pain that her abscessed tooth was causing would have ever driven her to willingly go to a dentist. Even with the pain, she was dragging her feet.
She had chosen the dentist at random from the yellow pages. Dr. Kelly Taylor, DMD. Tanya had been drawn to the small ad with the words 'guaranteed pain-free dentistry'. She didn't believe it, but, then again, she didn't have anything to lose.
Dr. Taylor's office was located in a small complex in the old section of downtown. Tanya remembered reading somewhere that, since the renovation project had been approved, some politician or other had started a ruckus because the new area was being taken over by gays, but it seemed nice enough. As Tanya pulled into the parking lot, she noticed the variety of shops that made the strip mall: a tattoo parlor, a health food store, an adult bookstore, an ice-cream parlor.
She steeled herself and marched into the small office, fighting at every step the powerful inclination to just leave.
The reception area and waiting room were painted in a soothing pink, and the wood furniture was complemented by deep maroon upholstery. In the corner, a large television was quietly playing one of her favorite soaps. The receptionist was a dark-haired girl, whose body, despite her conservative attire, was shown off provocatively. Her brown eyes were what caught Tanya's attention, though, huge and expressive as a deer's.
"May I help you?" she inquired in a soft voice.
"Yes. Winters, a three o'clock appointment, I think?"
The girl opened the appointment book, and then went back to the bookcase filled with neatly stacked colored folders. Tanya noticed how short her skirt was, and when the girl bent over and her white lace stocking tops and the pretty pink garter clasps were revealed, she couldn't help but blushing. She wasn't in the habit of 'checking out' girls, but lately she had found herself appreciating feminine beauty more than in years past. The girl had some quality about her that was captivating.
"Is this your first visit?" she called over her shoulder.
"Yes," Tanya replied. The pain in her mouth flared up and she cradled her jaw in her hand.
"I'm sorry. You must be in real pain, but I need you to fill out these forms," she said, passing the redhead a clipboard. Tanya's hair was actually brown, but the summer sun had brought out so many highlights that it looked red. She pulled several stray strands back out of her face, and examined the clipboard.
They looked very much like standard fare, listing prior medical history and release forms. One thing did catch her eye, though: along with questions such as height, weight, etc., they had added a field for sexual orientation. She shrugged, finished the forms, and took them back to the window. The girl told her to have a seat and that the doctor would be right with her.
After a very short wait, she heard her name being called. She turned to the door behind her to find herself staring at a remarkable woman.
Dr. Kelly Taylor was tall and lean. Her lab coat was open, and she wore a blue, button-down men's oxford shirt and khaki slacks. Her face was chiseled and angular, but, behind her elegant glasses, the large blue eyes were soft and managed to give her a dreamy expression, framed by her blonde hair, pulled back in a ponytail.
"Right this way, please," she said, holding the door for Tanya.
Tanya had her face in her hand, and stumbled when she reached the threshold. The doctor immediately understood the urgency of the situation, and before the redhead knew it, she had a firm arm around her small waist and guided her into an examination room. Tanya practically collapsed into the dental couch as the dentist reached for a package of instruments.
"Open," she commanded, but Tanya was petrified and didn't respond.
The dentist's face was set and she looked ready to scold her, but then the expression dissolved into one of almost motherly concern.
"Is it hurting that bad? Or are you just scared of dentists?" she asked softly.
"It's killing me. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't," Tanya whimpered.
"It's all right, baby. I'm not going to do anything to hurt you, but you are going to have to open up and let me look," she said in a soothing tone.
Tanya didn't even resent the overly informal address; it was actually very comforting. Despite being Super-Mom, she really wanted nothing more than to be babied when she was in pain. Dr. Taylor seemed to know that instinctively.
The doctor held up a long, gleaming steel instrument. Tanya involuntarily cringed.
"It's just a dental mirror, baby, not an instrument of torture. I won't even touch your tooth; I'll just hold the mirror behind it so I can see all around. Now, be a good girl and open wide for me," she said in a soft, soothing tone.
Tanya opened her mouth as wide as she could, and closed her eyes. She felt the cold steel brush across her upper lip, but nothing touched her sore tooth. After a few seconds, the doctor removed the implement and reassuringly squeezed her shoulder.
"You can close now, baby. Momma's done," she said as she placed the mirror back on the tray and pulled a prescription pad from her breast pocket.
Tanya laid there with her eyes closed, steeling herself for the torment she just knew was coming.
"You've got a nasty abscess," the dentist began, her voice strong and professional again.
"Is it going to have to come out?" Tanya asked, tears welling in her eyes.
"No, but I'll have to do a root canal on it," the dentist replied.
Root canal. At the mention of the dreaded words, Tanya broke into a cold sweat and cringed.
"Don't worry. Dental science has come a long way, and it isn't as painful as you have always heard," the tall dentist said, her voice once again soothing.
"I can't," Tanya whispered.
"Yes you can. In fact, you don't have a choice. If you let it go much longer it'll require dental surgery, and that is far more painful to recover from. Now, I am giving you a prescription for a heavy-duty antibiotic. You'll need to take them all and schedule an appointment in two weeks."
"You mean you aren't going to do anything to it now?" Tanya asked in confusion.
