Emergency Medical Dad

VIII - 5:45 pm, present

JESSIE

I make it through the whole day without a nervous breakdown which is amazing but the fact that I make it through the whole day without getting a call from the school about Connor is even better.

Then it's five forty five and I watch the last appointment leave and the door click shut. I told Jorgen six. He's showing up to get me at six.

I shut down my computer and stand up, packing up my bag and looking over at Lana, the other receptionist.

"He's not late yet, I guess," she starts, "I know you're anxious, I swear it'll be alright, there's only uphill to go from where you are."

"I know, it's just," I breathe in, "I feel indebted to everyone."

"It'll be alright, Jess."

I just nod, stacking up some papers and slipping them into the filing rack. The bell rings and I look up, a dark head of hair slipping inside.

"Did we have-" Inaya pops her head out of the back room, "a 5:45? I don't remember having a last appointment today."

"No," Jorgen clears his throat, "I'm just here to get Jess."

"Oh," Inaya seems taken aback. "Jess, who..."

"This is Jorgen," I mumble, "Connor's dad."

"Oh!" Inaya claps her hands together, "I have questions!"

Jorgen glances at me for a moment before laughing quietly, "go for it?"

"Did you have late six year molars? Jessie didn't and Connor does so I'm interested."

He pauses, mulling it over, "I guess I did? I don't really remember, but a lot of my growth and development was rather delayed so maybe."

"Oh, awesome, because his are just starting to show and he'll be eight in late summer so I was wondering if his dad had delayed teeth. Anything else I should know? History of cavities? Anything?"

"Inaya," I go to interrupt her to tell her that maybe drilling Jorgen on his dental health is not what she should do upon first meeting him.

"I've never had a cavity," he shrugs, "and I've got all of my wisdom teeth still if that's important."

"You do?"

"Yep, I also have extras on the top, six instead of four wisdom teeth."

"You have all your wisdom teeth and extras?" Inaya looks to me like she's in disbelief. "So Connor might have the genetic tag for extra wisdom teeth?"

"Maybe," he responds, "I don't know a lot about genetics."

"Hold on, actually," she holds up a finger to him, telling him to wait there, "if you don't mind me going to get gloves?"

"Uh," he looks at me like he's holding in a laugh, I'm mortified. "Sure, go for it."

The second she's out the door I open my mouth, "you don't have to if you don't want to, she just really likes-"

"It's alright," he reassures me, "I do the same to people with fun injuries."

"Seriously, if you don't-"

Inaya reappears, pulling on a pair of gloves and marching her little 5'1 frame right over to Jorgen, standing in the waiting area, towering over her. He smiles at this little interaction and sits down on one of the waiting room chairs.

"Was not expecting to get my mouth inspected today but hey, I guess," he drops his head back and lets Inaya look into his mouth.

"See, this is cool, hold on," she runs her finger across the back of his upper arc, "these two," she waves me over and I oblige, stepping out from behind the desk and walking over. "See these, here? His canines are sharper than yours and that I notice in Connor's baby teeth, who knows if he's going to have that in his adult teeth, but he got that much from Jorgen."