IMAGINE: Adam Trying to Help You Get Over Your Fears

     You sit in the chair in the dentist’s office, your legs shaking. You keep cracking your knuckles, unable to sit still. A dental assistant pokes her head out of the door and looks into the waiting room. When she spots you, she smiles kindly. "Y/N, Doctor Driver will see you know." She states. You take a deep breath and stand up. You follow her into a back room. "If you'll just wait in here, Doctor Driver will be in in a minute." The assistant says. “Thank you." You give her a wobbly smile and then sit down in the chair. You haven't been to a dentist for years. You're absolutely petrified of dentists and had refused to see them until you started getting this terrible pain in your jaw. You tried to ignore the pain until you could bear it no longer. You took the plunge, made an appointment, and have had nightmares for a week straight. You shudder, the dental smells assaulting you. You haven't missed the smell or the sights of dental offices. “Y/N?" Doctor Driver asks, coming into the room. You turn your head and your eyebrows lift in surprise. Why did all of the doctors in your nightmares look like creepy old men ready to rip out your teeth with frightening looking instruments? Doctor Driver looks young and good looking. “Uh, yes." You smile. Smiling, he holds out his hand and you shake it. "I'm Doctor Driver, but you can just call me Adam. The doctor is a little too formal for me." He laughs softly, putting you at ease.      "Okay, Adam. It's nice to meet you." He claims a seat. "So what seems to be the problem, Y/N? You're experiencing some discomfort in your jaw?" You nod. "Yeah, it happened very suddenly and the pain has gotten increasingly worse over time." “Hmm, okay, and when was the last time you visited a dentist?" He asks curiously, flipping through your thin file. You shift in your seat and bite your lip. Adam looks up, an eyebrow raised. "Ummm, it has been a while." You murmur sheepishly. You lean forward. "The truth is, I'm terrified of dentists. I almost passed out making the phone call for this appointment. I almost canceled, like, twelve times." “Oh my." Adam chuckles. "Well, Y/N, that's nothing to be ashamed of. A lot of people are scared of the dentists. When they think of dentists, all they see is blood, creepy looking instruments, and pain. Don't worry, I'm used to people being a little terrified of me. It kind of comes with the job." He assures you, winking. You smile widely, which causes a sharp pain in your jaw. You wince. You lightly touch a hand to your jaw. “So what do you think could be causing this pain? I'm-I'm kind of scared. I-I-I knew this girl who had pain in her jaw just like me, and the doctors couldn't find out what was wrong with her. Nobody could help her. Before she knew it, her teeth started to fall out. You know, I don't want that to happen to me. I don't like dentists so I want the least amount of dental work as possible. If my teeth start falling out, that means I'll have to get fake teeth which means more dental work for me, which isn't what I want. No offense to you, but I'd rather not see you again. Not that I don't like you, I just don't like your profession." You blurt out in a string of words. Adam stares at you, his eyes wide. He blinks once in surprise and you flush deeply. “Sorry, that all just came flooding out." You clear your throat, embarrassed.      "Okay then." Adam laughs. "Well before you freak out completely on me, let's just take some x-rays and see what we can find, okay? There's a really good chance it's just something simple." “Really?" You ask hopefully. “Yes, of course. What happened to your friend isn't that common. I can assure you that your teeth probably won't start falling out at random. Since you're experiencing some discomfort, we'll figure out what it is and get it taken care of with as little dental work as possible, okay?" He smiles. “Okay." You sigh with relief. You don't realize your hands are shaking until Adam grabs your hand. “Y/N, it's going to be okay. I promise that you will be okay." He says, squeezing your hand. You take a deep breath and release it. "I know." You mutter. He smiles. "I'll go grab my assistant and then we'll get started. Sound good?" You nod and smile at him.      After the x-rays are taken, Adam sits back down with you. He examines the x-rays. He has been silent for a while, and you're one second away from ripping the x-rays out of his hands and looking at them for yourself. “So....am I going to lose my teeth?" You ask worriedly. “Four of them, I'm afraid." Adam replies, putting the x-rays down and staring at you. You practically fly out of the chair. "What?!" You gasp in horror, the blood draining from your face. Your heart starts pounding and you feel a panic attack starting. “Y/N, Y/N, calm down. Breathe. Breathe." Adam says, grabbing your arm. "Your teeth aren't going to fall out. You still have your wisdom teeth in and they need to come out. They're impacted and they're going to start shifting your other teeth. If you leave them in, your teeth are going to be very crooked and it will be very cramped in your mouth. For the health of your mouth, I'd suggest getting them removed." “So-so I have to have surgery?" You squeak out. “It would be for the best." You swallow. "And that's what's causing the pain in my jaw?" You ask, straightening. He nods. "Since your wisdom teeth are coming to the surface, they're moving all of your other teeth, which is why your jaw hurts." “So if I get them removed, the pain will go away?" He nods again. "You'll be in pain for a little bit after the surgery, but it's only short term, I promise." “If I get them removed, I never have to see a dentist again, right?" You ask wistfully. “Ideally, yes, but, as a dentist, I'd advise against that. Not taking proper care of your mouth leads to a whole boatload of other issues. Trust me, it's crazy." “Are you only saying that because you want my business?" You ask, narrowing your eyes curiously. “No, of course not! You don't even have to come to me. You can visit another dentist if you'd like." You smile. "No, it's okay. You're the only dentist I've actually liked." “Thanks." He laughs softly. "So...will you come back?" “As long as you don't harp on me for not flossing enough." You grin. “Deal." Adam laughs again. “So I can get you set up with an oral surgeon so that you can make an appointment for your surgery." You freeze, starting to panic again. "Wait...you're not doing the surgery?" You breathe. “Y/N, I'm a dentist, not an oral surgeon." “I-I-I don't want to see anyone else but you. I mean, I trust you. I don't want someone else working on my teeth." You stammer. He sighs and puts his hand on your arm. "Y/N, don't freak out. I'm going to recommend a really good doctor, one I trust. You'll be in good hands. Everything is going to be okay, I promise. You have nothing to worry about. The oral surgeon will take good care of you. She's the best in the business." He explains. You just stare at him. He sighs. "Y/N, I get that you're scared, really I do. But you can't let your fear control you. You can control fear. Don't let it stop you from doing something that needs to be done." He says softly. You take a deep breath and straighten your shoulders. "You should've been a motivational speaker." You grin. He laughs. "You better?" "Yep, now let's make that appointment before I change my mind." You say hurriedly. “Okay, that sounds good." Adam chuckles. “Oh, and, Adam?" You ask. He looks at you. "Thank you." You smile. “You're welcome, Y/N." He smiles back. [THE END] I hope you liked it!