"I can't believe we're doing this.", Janet remarked with a worried voice for the seventh time that day, this time while sitting in the passenger seat of Reggie's Firebird in front of the dental clinic.
"I wish to god you'd stop saying that." Victoria assured her friend. "Really, it's not like we have a choice and there's no other way to do this than Buckner's way."
Victoria dug in her purse and removed the small bottle with 'the potion', as they'd come to call it. She opened the cap, which had a built in dropper, and drew a very small amount.
"What are you doing with that?"
"Having some." Victoria answered, now removing the cap from her
Perrier
water. "Just a little to make this bearable. Give me your water, you should have some, too. You'll probably need it more than me."
"Do you think that's wise? Maybe we should stay clear."
"Yeah, right. Gimmie your water, Mrs. Cleaver, you'll need all the help you can get for this."
"Oh, god, we could get into so much-"
"Janet!" Victoria snapped, hands trembling slightly with the dropper. "Shit, I don't need to hear that! Just try to stay focused, alright!? Try to be,... positive!"
"Oh, god."
Victoria finished spiking their bottles and put the potion away in her purse again before taking note of the time.
"We may as well just get up there, as sit here going crazy." Victoria said, the slight nervous tremble having found its way to her voice. "Besides, we'll have some time to,... you know, check the place out."
"What a good idea." Janet replied in a flat, miserable tone.
"Yeah, just grab your water and don't forget to lock the door."
----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Dr. Chris McNeer, an area Dentist with a small practice, as Buckner informed them, was one very rightfully minded person. Most people were, he observed, but most people could be reasoned with, especially when there was no reason for them to be involved with his business, other than to bugger it up with things like witness statements and courtroom testimonies.
Buckner put it in a nutshell for them, telling them that since Dr. McNeer couldn't be bought, then the Dentist would have to be convinced otherwise, one way or another, adding that he'd rather save a 'violent interaction' as a last resort. This, he explained, was where Janet and Victoria came in.
"I can't thank you enough for fitting me in.", Janet told the tall, thin, blonde receptionist in white who sat behind the desk.
She looked to be in her late twenties and her nametag announced her as 'Laura'. Despite a severe ponytail and glasses, one could easily see how attractive she was.
"I just can't believe how much it hurts!"
"I know." the receptionist said with an understanding smile. "There's no other appointments for today, though, so just please have a seat and Dr. McNeer will be right with you."
"Thank you again. Oh, is it alright if my friend comes in with me?" She asked, glancing to Victoria who suddenly threw a greeting smile the receptionist's way. "I have this thing about dental stuff and,..."
"It's no problem, Mrs. Randall, the Doctor will understand."
They sat in the small waiting room with two others, Janet wearing baggy, yellow shorts that stopped halfway to her knees and a white, short sleeve blouse. Victoria wore tight, faded blue jeans that cut off just above her knees and a black, short sleeved, low necked top that showed off her upper curves almost as well as her jeans did her lower ones. The other patients, one a male in his mid thirties, the other also male, probably in his late forties, both checked them out as they took their seats.
Neither spoke as Janet looked around, bug-eyed nervous and quite convincingly in pain, but a little more relaxed now than in the car, thanks to the potion. Victoria was feeling better as well, better than Janet, in fact, as she also observed her surroundings.
It wasn't much, just a small office with a decent coat of paint and sparse decorations, looking almost like a late night, fast food takeout joint. After a few minutes, a pretty woman with deep auburn hair, a little older than Janet, appeared at the hall to the left of the reception desk wearing light green 'healthcare wear'.
"June Randall?" she asked, looking at the two friends from out of town, both standing at the sound of Janet's temporary name.
"Hello.", the woman greeted with a warm smile. "I'm Dr. McNeer, please come with me."
Janet and Victoria glanced at one another as they followed the Doctor down the short hall, completely taken aback by this. A woman would be much more difficult to 'convince' than a man and this wasn't something they were prepared for at all, save for the potion Buckner had supplied them with.
"So, you're not having a good day." McNeer said as Janet got on the padded beige chair.
"No, we're on a little vacation here in Vegas and, all of a sudden last night, I got this horrible pain on my lower left jaw."
"Well, open up and let's have a look."
"I've looked with an LED light and I can't see anything wrong.", Victoria related, digging the supplied video camera out of her purse while McNeer's back was turned, setting it up on a shelf and quickly obscuring it with a fake plant that was there. "I think it's an impacted molar, or something."
The Dentist didn't answer as she poked around with her implement, asking 'June' where she thought the pain was coming from.
"The fourth one back from the front."
"Hm.", McNeer answered, taking a look.
"Um, do you mind if I run to the cooler in the lobby for a drink of water?" Victoria asked."
"No, not at all." McNeer answered.
"Would you like one, Doctor? It's so hot in Vegas."
"Oh, yes please. I know, I'm from Alaska, myself."
"Oh my, I can only imagine what you must go through." Victoria laughed. "Here, why don't you take this instead? I got an extra bottle at the store."
Victoria dug the pre-spiked bottle of
Perrier
out of her purse, the potion having been injected through the cap before the tiny puncture was resealed, the bottle shaken slightly in order to preserve the lower seal on the metal cap and re-create the bottle's inner pressure.
"Oh, really? I love that stuff. Are you sure?"
"Take it, you deserve it for getting her in here so she can stop whining, believe me.", Victoria assured, grinning encouragingly, grinning wider when the Doctor thanked her and then downed half the bottle.
Janet breathed a small sigh of relief at this, but she knew the game wasn't over yet as Victoria left the room, headed back to the lobby where the water cooler was.
With her back to the men and out of sight angle from the Receptionist, she measured out a somewhat strong dose to the little paper cone that held a drink of water. She straightened and brought it around to Laura.
"Here.", she said simply, passing it to her with a generous smile.
Laura took it more out of instinct than anything. Once it was in her hand, she could only thank her for it as the brunette from out of town moved away, giving the woman in white no choice but to drink it down, as it would have been rude to refuse at that point and she couldn't put the conical container down anyway. She frowned a little at the bitter taste, but thought nothing of it as Victoria returned to the cooler.
"Would you gentlemen like some too?" she asked the men with a sexy smile.
Of course they did. She poured and spiked two more cups and brought them over, still smiling and bending low so they could see down her shirt as she handed them their cups.
"I'd better check on my friend." she said to Laura afterward. "She may be about to have a nervous breakdown at this point."
Laura flashed her a warm, professional expression, thanking her again for the water.
Back in the exam room, she watched McNeer and Janet, waiting for the right time to get things under way. After a few minutes, she spoke, hoping she wasn't too soon.
"Dr., you still have half a bottle of
Perrier
left and it's so hot,..."
McNeer stopped her fiddling inside Janet's mouth and answered, "Yes, it is hot." before grabbing up the
