The Three C's

“Nicky, if your tooth hurts, then why don’t you go see the dentist?!” I asked and Nick just waved me off and I sighed, “It’s just going to hurt more!”

“I don’t want to go!” he yelled and I growled.

“Why? Are you afraid?”

It was Christmas Eve and my parents, were out shopping with Patrick for Christmas gifts while Nick and I were home cooking. Well, I was cooking, he was complaining about his hurting tooth.

“I never liked to go,” he said and I sighed.

“If you go, your tooth won’t hurt anymore,” I said and looked at him, “Where does it hurt?”

“Towards the back.”

“Did you ever get your wisdom teeth out?” I asked and he looked at me and shook his head, “There’s where your problem might be, “Mine were taken out.”

“Oh yeah, I remember when you came home and yours were taken out,” Nick started to laugh, but then stopped and leaned his head against the counter, holding the side of his face in pain.

“How ‘bout I make an appointment for you?”

“When?” he asked, “It’s Christmas Eve, there’s no place going to be open!”

“Well, I am Maggie Marshall,” I giggled, “I can ask.”

“Will you come with me?” he asked and I smirked.

“Sure baby brother,” I said and then grabbed my phone and went into contacts, towards my favorite defensemen.

It rang a few times, “Yellow!”

“Dunkin’ Donuts!” I smiled brightly, “Merry Christmas! I need a favor!”

He chuckled and I looked at Nick, he grabbed an ice pack out of the fridge and placed it on his jaw, “What’s up, Mags?”

“It’s really easy, I just need a phone number to the dentist that you saw, my baby brother is have some tooth pain and I was hoping that your dentist could take him today, if not then after the holidays.”

“Um, I can’t tell you that he’ll take him today, most I can give you is the number,” he said.

“That’s all I need,” I said and Duncan chuckled.

“Sure, give me a second, it’s somewhere in my office- You’re lucky I’m home, it is Christmas Eve.”

“Don’t remind me,” I giggled, “Get all your shopping done?”

“Yup, Internet is a God!” he said and I laughed, “You?”

“I am going to have to second that motion,” I said and we laughed.

“Ah, here it is, let me know when you’re ready, Mags.”

“I’m ready,” I said and grabbed a pen and paper.

“Dr. Tronoski,” Duncan gave me the number, we wished each other a happy holiday and then hung up.

I immediately dialed the number and a woman answered the phone, “Dr. Tronoski’s office, Amy speaking.”

“Amy, hi, my name is Maggie Marshall, I know ya’ll are probably going to close soon, but-“

“The office will be closing in about two hours and won’t open until the day after,” she said and I sighed.

“I understand that, is there any way I can speak with the Dr.,” I looked at Nick and sighed, “Please, my brother is in pain here.”

“He’s on lunch-“

“I hate for you to bother him, but can you get him, I promise it’ll be worth it,” I said and she sighed.

“One moment,” she said and then placed me on hold. I waited for what felt like forever and then a man answered the phone, I was hoping it was the doctor.

“Dr. Tronoski?”

“Yes.”

“Hi, my name is Maggie Marshall, my teammate, Duncan Keith went to you not to long ago-“

“Maggie Marshall?!” he asked surprised.

“Um, yeah, I need-“

“Former Penguin- Chicago Blackhawk?!”

‘…I’m guessing he’s a hockey fan…’ I giggled and listened to him.

“Oh, what can I do for you? Happy holidays!”

“Same to you,” I smiled, “Um, I’d hate to be a pain, since I know ya’ll want to get home to your families. But my little brother is having some major tooth pain and I was wondering if you could take a quick look at him, I’ll pay whatever.”

“Um, sure, can you come now?”

“Yeah, we’ll leave now- Thank you!” I said and then we shared a few words and I hung up, gathered my brother, left a note for the others, and headed out the door just in time to run into Jon, “Tazer, what’s up?”

“Where are you going?” he asked confused, “I need to ask you something!”

“Ask me in the car, we have to go!”

“What?” he asked confused as I opened my door and Nick jumped into the passenger seat.

“Did I stutter?! Get in the car!” I yelled and Jon sighed and jumped into the back of my car as I pulled out and headed towards the dentist.

“Where are we going?” Jon asked and then looked at Nick, “You’re not lookin’ too good, buddy.”

“His tooth is bothering him and I got a dentist to take a look at him last second- Literally just got off the phone with him,” I said and pulled onto the holiday, “So what’s your question?”

“I got Emma some presents, but I don’t know if I got the right ones!”

“What did you get her?”

“Um, well, I got her a necklace-“

“Good, jewelry, ok, what’s next?”

“Some circus freak tickets.”

“Circus frea- Oh, you mean, Cirque du soleil,” I snickered, “Ok, um, was that on a whim, she’s kind of afraid of clowns!”

“Shit, I didn’t know that! Why didn’t I know that?!” he said and then growled.

“Ok, ok, don’t panic! What else?!”

“Um, um, shit, what did I get her?” he asked and I sighed, “Um necklace, tickets, some clothing gift cards, books I knew she wanted, I got Troy some toys.”

“That’s not bad, why are you freaking out?!”

“And I may or may not have bought her a puppy,” he muttered nervously and I looked back at him and he just looked at him surprised.

“A puppy?!”

“May or may not- Eyes on the road!” he yelled and I looked ahead.

“May or may not?! It’s either you did or you didn’t, Jon!”

“I sort of, did,” he said and I rolled my eyes and then just laughed a little, “You’re laughing- Of course you’re laughing.”

“No, no, Jonny, it’s adorable!” I said, “She’s goings to love it, you’re nervous for nothing,” I said and he looked at me and sighed, “She’s going to be happy.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

I made it to the doctor’s office and rushed inside to see a woman at the desk, I was going to take a guess and say that she was Amy. The doctor came out, he was really excited, even more to see Jon with us. The girl at the desk, Amy, flirted with him apparently when Nick and I went into the back so that the doctor could look at his teeth.

“Well, it looks like your wisdom teeth are coming in,” the doctor said and I looked at Nick, “It’s probably painful, huh?”

“Very,” Nick said and the doctor sighed.

“I can take them out, it’ll probably be an hour, but-“

“I’ll pay whatever,” I said looking at the doctor, “Give extra for your people for staying longer too.”

“I’ll have to talk to them and ask if they would, I only need two, not all,” he said and I nodded my head. The doctor was gone a few minutes, but then came back in with three women, “They’ve agreed to stay.”

“Thank you,” I said and they nodded their heads.

“We’re going to take all of your wisdom teeth out just so they don’t cause future problems for you. I’m going to have to put you under, there are some forms I need you to sign, Ms. Marshall,” he said and I nodded my head.

“Whoa, wait, under?!” Nick asked and I sighed and patted his shoulder.

“You’ll be fine, Nicky, I’ll be right here with you,” I said and Nick nodded his head.

“Right this way,” the doctor said and I nodded my head, “Um, I can’t have you stay in the room during the procedure.”

“Is there any way I can stay until he’s under?” I asked and the doctor nodded his head, “Thank you. Now, where do I need to sign?”

I read and signed everything I needed to and then stayed with Nick until he was under. As soon as he was out, I was in the waiting room with Jon, collapsing onto the couch and pulling out my phone.

“How’d you get this done so fast?” Jon asked and I smirked.

“It’s nice to have a known name,” I said and he snorted, “And money- Money helps a lot.”