Chapter 35: Teeth (1)

The strong and healthy little girl, Everly, had been troubled recently.

Last month, while playfully wrestling with her dog Buddy, she accidentally chipped her upper left canine on a rock. It was a baby tooth that fell out, so Everly didn’t think much of it. But ever since then, her gums had been completely silent, and her new adult canine showed no sign of coming in.

The spot where her canine should have been was now a small, dark hole. Whether she spoke or smiled widely, the hole was extremely noticeable—and, in a way, kind of funny.

This gap was seriously affecting Everly’s looks. She was very satisfied with her appearance in this life. Learning all sorts of survival skills didn’t conflict at all with the fact that she was a girl who cared about beauty. After staring at herself in the mirror for several days, Everly finally couldn’t hold it in any longer—she wanted to see a doctor. If the new tooth not appearing was normal, that was fine. But what if it was something else?

She absolutely didn’t want to go from being a cool girl to a girl missing a tooth!

When Everly shared her thoughts, Old John immediately grew nervous as well. He took out a thick old phone directory from the cabinet, flipping through it until he found a long-established dental clinic in the Micano city area called “Pope Dental,” and called to make an appointment.

The call did go through—but the receptionist on the other end introduced herself as from “Megan Clinic,” not “Pope Dental.”

Old John froze for a moment. “I’m trying to reach Pope Dental. Did I dial the wrong number?”

“No, you didn’t. Pope Dental is the predecessor of Megan Clinic. Due to some financial reasons, Mr. Pope transferred ownership of his dental clinic to the Megan Medical Group. Our company was founded in 1893 and is a private, non-profit comprehensive medical group with the core philosophy of ‘technology transforms healthcare.’ We have three branch clinics located in Dwight, Sanlia, and Dalifu…”

Apparently, the receptionist had been asked this question many times before. Without waiting for Old John to follow up, she rattled off the full background and credentials of the Megan Clinic’s parent medical group, like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.

At that time, the internet wasn’t very widespread, and at least Everly’s household didn’t have a home computer yet. With no other sources of information, Old John could only learn about Megan Clinic through the receptionist’s introduction. He figured that a dental clinic backed by a large medical group should have solid technology—at least enough to handle Everly’s teeth.

So, after a brief hesitation, he scheduled an appointment with the receptionist for two weeks later. They were fairly lucky; perhaps because the clinic had recently reopened under a new sign, there weren’t many people in line.

When Everly returned home from walking the dog, Old John shared the good news with her.

…

Half a month later, bright and early, the two of them got ready, said their goodbyes to Buddy one by one, and drove off toward Micano City.

The journey was long. By the time they reached the clinic, it had already been two and a half hours. The clinic was located on a rather quiet, old street. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary two-story building. If not for the small tooth-shaped decorative statues at the entrance, no one would have guessed it was a dental clinic.

Inside, along the wall near the entrance, was the registration and payment window. After registering, one walked further in to find a small, curved reception hall furnished with comfortable sofa chairs. Green plants surrounded the chairs, creating a serene environment. Patients and their families who arrived early could wait here. For those who got bored, the shelves nearby offered newspapers, magazines, and some children’s toys.

Everly and Old John were invited to take a seat in the waiting area. Besides them, there was already a chubby man with a beer belly, leaning sideways on a sofa, holding a small cosmetic mirror and examining his teeth. Seeing the newcomers, he put the mirror away, raised a hand, and greeted them: “Hi, hello.”

“Hello,” Old John replied, guiding Everly to sit down on the sofa a space away. They were just about to pick up some magazines to pass the time when the chubby man suddenly stood from his spot and moved to sit on the sofa right next to them.

“What brings you here…” he began, then cleared his throat, perhaps realizing his approach was a bit abrupt. He awkwardly scratched his slightly balding head. “I mean, my family and I have all been treated at this new clinic. If you want to know anything, feel free to ask me.”

Old John was good at reading people and realized the man was just bored from waiting and looking for someone to chat with. He replied kindly, “I’m John, and this is my little granddaughter. She’s at the stage of losing baby teeth, but one tooth hasn’t come in yet. I’m a bit worried, so I brought her here… Since you’ve been treated here, how do you feel about this new clinic?”

“Oh, I have to say, the technology here is amazing! I’m Robert. My family has hereditary cavities—my teeth and my son’s teeth aren’t in great shape. Look here, here, and here—see how obvious the cavities are?” The chubby man spoke while prying open his mouth, brazenly inviting them to take a look. Everly, curious as always, leaned over. Sure enough, the cavities were pitted and ugly.

“Later, someone recommended this new clinic, saying they were really good at fillings and implants. So I brought my son to try it. My son got a filling, and I got an implant… Just a week ago, I had a tooth implanted, and today I came for a check-up. I have to say, this tooth feels completely natural. After the implant, there’s no foreign feeling at all—it’s just like my own tooth. I’ve never encountered a doctor with skills this high…” Robert was extremely talkative, going on and on without a pause.

Everly and Old John listened intermittently, occasionally responding here and there, just to pass the time.

After about five minutes of chatting, a blonde nurse appeared from down the hallway. She smiled warmly at the three of them and led the chubby man into the first examination room. Not long after, she came back out and approached Everly and Old John. She explained that the doctor was doing a check-up on Robert, and in the meantime, the doctor wanted her to take Everly for a preliminary examination.

“Patient: Everly Minas, 10 years old. One month ago, her upper left canine was lost due to an accident. Since then, the corresponding permanent tooth has shown no signs of growth…” The nurse walked alongside them, confirming Everly’s information with Old John.

Old John nodded and casually asked whether this kind of situation was common.

“Sorry, I’m not really sure—after all, I’m just a nurse, not a doctor… But I can promise that once this little angel receives treatment here, whatever is troubling her will definitely be resolved.” The nurse stopped in front of a door, curling her lips into a smile that seemed just a little too knowing.

Everly wasn’t sure if it was the ceiling lights, but she felt a strange shiver. The nurse’s perfectly straight white teeth, paired with bright red lipstick, made her smile look… oddly unsettling.

“All right, we’ve arrived. Please come in… There is ionizing radiation inside the room, so parents must wait outside.”

The nurse opened the tightly shut door. Everly stepped in, only to find—surprisingly—a corridor. The narrow passageway had no windows, and all four walls were painted a blindingly white color. At the far end of the hallway was another door.

When this door opened, Everly was met with a strange little room. It was tiny—less than five square meters—and completely white. In the center stood a single black chair with a very high back. On the wall directly facing the chair was a massive electronic screen. Aside from that, the room’s walls were bare—no decorations, no equipment she expected like an X-ray machine or dental instruments.

“This is…” From the moment she saw the screen, Everly’s breath hitched, her heart raced, and a familiar sense of unease and danger washed over her.

She tried to step back, but the nurse entered the room and locked the door before her.

“This isn’t where the check-up is! I want out!” Everly shouted, protesting loudly.

The nurse ignored her completely.

She walked up to Everly, her face stretched into an exaggerated grin that revealed every single tooth. Her eyes bulged unnaturally, wide and unblinking, and her voice quivered with uncontrollable excitement: “Come now, Everly, before the check-up, let’s watch a short promotional video… This is a film our company produced with care. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

Without another word, she grabbed Everly’s shoulders with a force impossible to resist and slammed the girl into the high-backed chair.

Everly had never encountered anyone with such strength.

Although the nurse looked slim and delicate, her grip was terrifyingly strong. Her hands were like iron clamps, like mechanical arms in a factory—once they clamped down on Everly, there was no escaping. With ease, she forced Everly into the chair, despite Everly being strong for her age.

“Click, click…” The moment Everly’s body hit the seat, several metal clasps sprang out from the sides of the chair, locking her neck, hands, and legs firmly in place.

“What an energetic little patient…” The nurse cooed mockingly. She leaned in close, cupping Everly’s chin with one hand, while her other hand fiddled with the back of the chair and pulled out two steel wires. The tops of the wires had symmetrical, curved metal pieces—somewhat like eyelash curlers, but subtly different, with inward-facing grooves in the center.

“It’s just a promotional video… why such resistance? I didn’t mean to be so rough…” The nurse murmured, extending her finger painted with bright red nail polish. The cold pad of her finger gently touched Everly’s eyelid through the skin.

The nurse’s suggestive gesture sent a chill down Everly’s spine.

“Wh-what are you doing… Please let me go, Sister. I’ll be good. Please don’t do this…” Resistance was futile. Everly softened her voice, trying to beg the nurse for mercy, but the nurse paid no heed.

Right before Everly’s eyes, the nurse maneuvered the strange “clamp” toward her face. Gripping the wire handle, she pressed the two metal plates together. With her other hand, she pried open Everly’s left eye. The plates descended, then slowly released.

Everly stared wide-eyed in terror. Restrained, she couldn’t struggle, forced to watch as the silver metal plates grew closer and larger until finally, the spring at the wire’s end snapped them outward. The cold foreign objects clamped onto her upper and lower eyelids, prying her left eye wide open with irresistible force.

Everly rolled her eyes, feeling the cool air wash over her, blowing freely across her fragile eyeballs, bringing an uncomfortable chill that made her spine tingle.

“Help… Help me! Grandpa, save me!”

Seeing the nurse pull another eyelid retractor from the chair’s back, Everly abandoned pleas for mercy and screamed for help. Yet the room was separated from the rest area by a corridor, its walls padded with thick soundproofing. No matter how loudly she cried out, her voice never reached beyond the room.

Thirty seconds later, as her voice grew hoarse, the second eyelid retractor clicked firmly into place over her other eye. With her head immobilized and eyes forcibly held open, she was compelled to watch Megan Medical Group’s so-called “promotional video.”