Mel went to bed with the uncomfortable knowledge that he had an 8:30 morning appointment with Dr. Bromberg. A dental visit is bad enough. But he would get up early and skip breakfast, as though a day without coffee might make his teeth more presentable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a while, he was gripped by massive pliers, yanked from side to side in a cheap motel room: that was his first dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, he was at sea, in a leaky lifeboat, watching a cruise ship sink beneath the green waves: his second dream was as unpleasant as the first, and left him sea-sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He didn’t want to chance a third, so at 3 AM he was up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Well, how’s she hanging, Mel?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was Dr. Bromberg, with his usual opening salvo, as Mel squeezed into the dental chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The office was brightly lit and antiseptic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I don’t suppose you’ve had any coffee this morning, Mel. But let’s see what kind of damage you’ve done anyway.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sam Bromberg began his customary inspection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Open a little wider, please\u2026”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“You know Mel, in the old days, we’d use pliers on a tooth like that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The white-coated dentist tapped with his probe on a lower right molar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later, when he stopped drilling for a moment, he mentioned to Mel that he’d just returned from an enjoyable Caribbean cruise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“After a little more dental work, you might want to try one of those cruises yourself.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, a follow-up visit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, the dental bills?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And a cruise?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was more than Mel could afford, or dream about\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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David Sydney is a physician who writes fiction in and out of the EHR (Electronic Health Record).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n