Chapter Text
"Damn it, Garth! Don't tell me you've fallen asleep again!"
Garth jumped as Debbie's voice hissed over the intercom, waking him up. Startled he rubbed his eyes and grabbed his patient list.
Shit, now I have to work late again.
Garth only had two patients left before the end of the day, but he wasn't sure he could remain awake enough to finish them. Sleep wasn't something that came easily to Garth. Hadn't for years. It had started when he was a teenager and hand't improved. Something to do with stress the Doctor always mumbled before fobbing him off with more tablets that never worked.
Splashing some water onto his face from the tap in his dental surgery, he pressed the buzzer to allow reception to send the Millers through.
Okay just two more. Then sleep.
Garth's thoughts were interrupted by Mr Miller knocking and opening the door to the surgery. Plastering on a smile Garth greeted him and his 6-year-old daughter Melissa.
"Nice to see you both again, and am I right in thinking I will be checking both of your teeth today?"
Mr Miller nodded. He was a handsome looking man with fuzzy brown hair and a ready smile. His daughter took after him, all dimples and curls. Melissa's mother had died a few years before of cancer, leaving Melissa with no memories of her mother. Garth's heart broke whenever he thought of their story, but neither of them ever seemed disheartened about their lives, being some of the nicest people Garth had met.
After a routine check of of Mr Miller's teeth, Garth pulled out his puppet Mr Fizzles to put Melissa at ease.
"Mr Fizzles wants to know if you've been brushing your teeth properly." Garth asked sternly in his best Mr Fizzles voice.
Grinning up from where she sat in the chair Melissa nodded showing off a toothy grin.
"Oh no!" Mr Fizzles gasped, "Where's your tooth gone?"
"It was wobbly and daddy took it." Melissa turned her face to her father awaiting his input.
"Daddy did." He smiled at Garth. "It fell out yesterday and I thought you would need to look at it before the tooth fairy comes to take it away."
"Thanks" Garth took the pot in which the tooth had been stored, opened it and checked it over.
"It looks fine, no cavities at all. Well done Melissa!" Garth handed the tooth back to Mr Miller.
"Yay!" Mr Fizzles shouted. "When teeth are pretty and clean the tooth fairy pays more money. Just put it under your pillow, Melissa and when you wake up the tooth fairy will have taken it away."
Excited at the prospect of a fairy in her bedroom, Melissa jumped up and grabbed her father's hand to pull him out of the door. Mr Miller gathered their coats and said goodbye to Garth before allowing himself to be dragged from the room.
"Don't forget about the tooth fairy!" Garth called after them.
Smiling as he left work, Garth went home to get some much needed sleep.