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"Who does?" I agreed, my voice full of sympathy. "I heard the needles are really long, like the length of a ruler."
Mike gasped, his face the perfect picture of horror. "A ruler?!"
Meanwhile, Uncle Joe watched us with a hint of amusement in his eyes. I could see his lips twitching, clearly struggling to suppress a laugh at our expense.
"Wow! You two really know how to scare yourselves," Joe said, chuckling. "Dr. Luke's tools aren't nearly as horrifying as you're imagining. Now, let's focus on staying calm, okay?"
The door to the waiting room suddenly opened and in walked Hank. My heart skipped a beat at his sight, the confident swagger in his stride and the mischievous twinkle in his eye.
"Hank, what are you doing here?" I demanded, my voice rising in surprise. "Are you obsessed with me or something?"
Hank chuckled at my accusation, shaking his head as he gave me a playful look. "Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart," he retorted, taking a seat across from us. "I'm here to see Dr. Luke for our movie outing after his shift. Joe's coming too."
Before I could digest this new piece of information, Hank's gaze fell on the two of us – two scared Littles holding onto each other as if our lives depended on it.
"You two," he began, shaking his head as he let out a chuckle, "are being silly. It's just a dental visit."
"Hssst," I hissed back at him, sticking out my tongue for good measure. Mike, still clinging to his Daddy, shot Hank a glare, his brows furrowed in a frown.
"Easy for you to say, Uncle Hank," Mike retorted, his voice muffled against Uncle Joe's shirt. "You're not the one sitting in the chair ready to be tortured."
Hank didn't retort. Instead, he took on a more serious tone. His voice dropped to a stern register, resonating with the echo of a firm yet caring Daddy.
"Listen up, you two," he began, his gaze steady on us. "You are Littles, and Littles are brave. You are not supposed to cower in the face of challenges. You are supposed to laugh at them, show them who's boss."
Hank's words, as gruff and unyielding as they were, stirred something within me. I found myself drawn to this dominant side of him, the firm command in his voice causing my heart to flutter. But I refused to let it show. Instead, I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest in defiance.
But even as I put up a front, I could feel a tiny voice in my head agreeing with Hank's words. Perhaps we were being silly, blowing our fears out of proportion. As the thought crossed my mind, I couldn't help but glance back at Hank, my heart beating a little faster at his commanding presence.
"Alright, Littles," the dental assistant chirped, her voice a soothing balm against the chaos of our nervous jitters. "Dr. Luke will see you now."
The pit of dread in my stomach deepened as we were ushered into Dr. Luke's office, a pristine space that reeked of antiseptic and mint.
Mike, attempting a brave front, quickly launched into a barrage of absurd questions. "Will it hurt?" "Are you going to use the big needle?" "Can I keep any teeth you pull out?"
Dr. Luke, ever the professional, merely chuckled at Mike's questions, shooting Uncle Joe an amused glance.
"So...Dr. Luke," Mike began hesitantly. "I've got a couple more questions."
Dr. Luke nodded as he prepared his tools. "Sure, Mike. What do you want to know?"
Mike took a deep breath, his eyes wide and curious. "Is it true that you pull teeth out with pliers? Like, just yank 'em out?"
Dr. Luke chuckled, shaking his head. "No. We don't use pliers. And I promise you, we won't be yanking any teeth out today."
Undeterred, Mike pressed on. "And the needles... are they really as long as a ruler?"
Dr. Luke chuckled again. "No, the needles aren't that long. They're small, and we use them to ensure you don't feel any pain."
"But what if the tooth doesn't want to come out?" Mike questioned, a terrified look on his face. "Do you have to wrestle with it? Like...like an alligator?"
By now, I was laughing so hard that I had to lean on the wall for support. Dr. Luke, bless him, was struggling to keep a straight face. "Mike," he said, trying to suppress his amusement, "teeth don't act like alligators. If a tooth has to come out, we have safe and controlled procedures to handle it. But today, we're just doing a routine check-up and cleaning. No tooth wrestling, I promise."
Mike seemed somewhat mollified by this, but his inventive imagination was clearly far from exhausted. "And the...the drills..." he stuttered, "do they really sound like a chainsaw?"
Even Dr. Luke couldn't contain his laughter this time. He chuckled heartily, patting Mike on the shoulder. "You've got quite the imagination! But no, our tools are designed to be as quiet and non-threatening as possible. Why don't we get started, and you'll see there's nothing to be afraid of?"
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Mike's fears were palpable. His voice trembled as he clung onto Uncle Joe, his bravado failing to mask his terror. I wasn't any better off. My hands clung tightly onto the armrests, my knuckles white with fear.
