Tyler appeared in the doorway at that moment, and a warm grin lit up his face. “Dr. Jay said our first patient is here. It’s Jonathan Wikes. Upper right molar pain, no medical alerts.”
“Perfect,” Macey said, then turned to me. “Easy start. You’ll do great.”
Easy?My stomach twisted into knots again. My brain was already conjuring up every horrible mistake I could make. It had only been a few weeks since I had worked in an office, but for some reason, it felt like a million years ago.
“Hey,” Tyler said, seeming to notice that my whole body had gone stiff. “Don’t worry. Jay’s really chill. And Mr. Wikes is super easy.”
“Just relax,” Macey added gently, laying a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll be with you all morning, and Tyler will take over after lunch.”
I nodded, trying to breathe normally, even as the familiar hum of the suction in the next room made my pulse spike. I could do this. I had to. No way was I going back home to admit defeat.
This was my last chance at starting fresh, and I had to give it my best shot.
CHAPTER 15
“Hello, my name is Hope. I’ll be taking care of you today.”
I had a routine: say hello, ask how their day had been, then get to the critical information. Has anything changed in your medical history? Are you allergic to anything, like latex? Is anything bothering you today? How is your home care? Do you floss once a day and brush twice a day?
Thankfully, it all came rushing back to me like riding a bike, and I breezed through the questions. Jonathan was a nice young guy who worked at the local marina. He loved fishing, and when I didn’t have an instrument in his mouth, he was talking about all the different species of trout he’d caught that summer.
The hour passed faster than I expected.
I had just finished cleaning and was removing my gloves when Jay stepped into the room to do the exam.
“Morning, Jonathan,” he said in that smooth, professional “dentist voice” that made my fingers start to gonumb. I had to remind myself that this was the same guy who went to the knitting club and made homemadeCocido. Humanizing him helped a little, and I managed to calm the numbness in my fingers.
He checked the chart, gave a quick nod of approval, and then turned his attention to the patient. “Let’s take a quick look here.”
My stomach tightened. The exam was the part where the doctor checked my work. It was always my least favorite. I busied myself pretending to tidy the tray while he leaned over the chair to inspect the patient’s mouth.
“Looks good,” Jay said after a moment, tapping the screen to add his notes. “You’re doing a great job keeping things clean, Jonathan.”
I inwardly sighed. He didn’t say my X-rays were horrible, he didn’t comment on my cleaning, and he didn’t critique my notes. Nothing.
“Great teamwork,” Jay added casually as he pulled off his gloves and smiled at me.
Macey popped her head in. “I can take him up front for you,” she said with her usual cheerful energy.
“Thanks, Macey.”
I felt extremely relieved to be done with the first patient and, with a little sigh, started toward the tray table to clean up my instruments when Jay’s voice suddenly startled me.
“Hope.”
I froze and turned. I thought Jay left to examine another patient, but maybe he’d come back to tell me something I’d missed.
He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, a faint smile playing at his mouth. “You can breathe now. You passed the test.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “I wasn’t holding my breath.”
“Sure you weren’t.” He smirked, taking a step closer. “You tensed up when I walked in the room.”
“I did not,” I said, but even I could hear the defensiveness in my tone.
He tilted his head, clearly enjoying himself. “Relájate, Amapolita,”he said softly. “I don’t bite.”
He called me little poppy again. And though I wasn’t usually one for nicknames, I couldn’t deny the way it made me feel. His accent was so smooth it sent my stomach into somersaults. It was a very different feeling from the anxiety that tied my stomach into knots. This feeling wasn’t all that undesirable. It sort of felt like I was on a rollercoaster.
