Dr. Park and Dr. Whites

6.

The rest of the week was mostly lectures, though something felt a bit different. Maybe Dr. Woods had suddenly gotten much more interesting, but for the first time in her education, Sophie wasn't tempted to stare at her phone once in class. She even took notes!

The braces were starting to bother her a bit less. The pain had begun to subside, and she grew accustomed to the odd hum, even if she could still hear it. Part of her wasn't sure why she was so embarrassed at first, the idea of people seeing her smiling with braces was starting to grow on her. Who cares if they stared! They were her favorite color, after all.

---

Friday finally came. Sophie wasn't sure how she felt as she left class. Her stomach tied up in knots as she drove to the office. Though she felt a little... different than last time. Less fear, and a bit of... anticipation, perhaps? Like the feeling you get on a first date...

She parked her car at the same time as Abby, who waved at her as she stepped out. Sophie sighed, and awkwardly waved back.

"So, how's the braces life treating you so far?" Abby grinned, showing her own cotton candy railroad tracks.

Sophie shrugged. "I'm... not sure yet. Kind of a pain..." She'd been avoiding Abby in class, but now that she was standing in front of her, it was hard to take her eyes off her. The braces seemed to compliment her face perfectly, but even besides that, Abby seemed to have changed a bit.

She was wearing makeup, not just to cover her acne, but seemingly putting in an effort to look a bit more feminine. She clearly didn't have much experience with the application, but it was still an interesting change. She seemed to be standing a bit straighter too, and speaking with a slightly higher pitch. She even painted her nails pink!

"You okay there, Sophie?" Abby asked, smirking.

Sophie blushed and looked away. "Let's just go inside..." She mumbled.

---

Quinn was once again sitting at the front desk. "Good afternoon, girls!" She grinned, showing off her own pink brackets. "The doctors should be ready for you any moment now..."

Like clockwork, Dr. Whites stepped out of the hallway, escorting out young redhead dressed in lime green scrubs, clutching her jaw and sporting yet another set of pink braces. After sending her on her way, she turned to the girls, gesturing for them to follow her.

Sophie caught herself staring at the doctor's headgear a bit more than she did last week. Obviously, she didn't envy her, but she couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to be forced to wear something like that...

As Dr. Whites lead the pair to the treatment area, she turned around. "Tho, how hath the firtht week been?"

"Fine..." Sophie mumbled.

"Amazing!" Abby exclaimed. "I still can't believe this is happening!"

Dr. Whites smiled. "That'th good to hear. Not many patienth enjoy the exthperienthe at firtht, but everyone geth uthed to them eventually, I promithe."

The trio entered the final door, the girls once again facing the ominous pink chairs, Charlotte giving them a little wave as she polished some instruments. Sophie and Abby each sat down in the same chair as last time, and Charlotte and Dr. Whites began to apply the restraints.

Sophie's heart pounded as she felt Dr. Whites wrap the straps around her body. The doctor was careful but firm, occasionally nudging Sophie in the correct position.

Abby spoke up. "Oh, Dr. W, who was that other woman with the green scrubs? Did she have the same braces as us?"

The doctor smirked at the nickname. "That wath Zoey, she'th a hygienitht at a nearby family dental offithe. They were interethted in our thtudy, and approached uth to offer their thtaff as subjecth. One of the perkth of working in the dental field!"

Sophie watched her mouth move as she spoke. The view was mesmerizing up close, the way her rubber bands stretched in so many peculiar ways, the mysterious glimpses of bits of metal deeper in her mouth, her minty breath practically on Sophie's face... She gripped the armrests, her palms starting to feel sweaty.

The final strap went over her forehead, and the straps tightened, making Sophie wince.

Just as Dr. Whites finished, Dr. Park stepped in the room, giving the girls a smile and a wave. "Hello~!" She said in a singsong voice. "So, how we doing today?"

"Fine..." Sophie replied, while Dr. Park looked down at her, clipping the bib on.

"And how do you feel about the braces so far, Sophie? I noticed you didn't seem too excited last week, has anything changed?" She cocked her head a little, and gave a cute little smirk. For some reason Sophie felt like she didn't want to disappoint her...

"I mean, I don't like them, but they're not quite as bad as I thought they'd be. They look a little cute, I guess..." Sophie mumbled, looking up at the peculiar woman.

Dr. Park smiled, showing her own pink, white, and blue braces. "That's good to hear! I'll be asking you again next week, so let's see if your feelings change any more by then!" She wagged her finger as as she spoke.

She turned around to face the other chair. "And Abby, how are you feeling? Is it just me, or does something seem a little different about you this week?"

Sophie couldn't see Abby, but she sounded a bit embarrassed. "I'm fine, I really love the braces so far! And, erm, I've been trying a new look! I've been looking at makeup tutorials online, but I don't think I'm very good yet..."

"Well, I think you look adorable! I'm sure Sophie could give you some tips!" She clapped her hands. "Now, are we ready to get started?"

Abby replied with an excited "Mm-hm!" while Sophie quietly clenched her sweaty palms.

"Sophie, would you like us to use the gas again?" Dr. Park asked softly.

"Yes please, doctor." Sophie mumbled.

The doctor nodded and stepped out of view, immediately followed by the chair reclining. Sophie squirmed as the straps moved against her body once again. She saw a gloved hand adjust the examination light and flick it on, and heard the clinking of metal instruments.

Dr. Park's masked face entered into view, and Sophie felt the tube be pressed on her nose.

"Now, just close your eyes, and we'll be done before you know it..."

The last thing Sophie felt was the cheek retractor gently be pushed into place.

---

Her eyes slowly began to flutter open, and Sophie immediately moaned. Her mouth felt even more sore than it did last time, and her lips didn't seem to sit right over her appliances.

She shifted her mouth around, only to find that no matter what, there was always some metal pinched between her lips. Her eyes opened to see a glint of silver just out of the corner of her eye.

This couldn't be happening.

She looked up to see the two doctors looming over her, their masks, hanging under their chins.

"Tho, how do you feel?" Asked Dr. Whites.

Sophie stammered, and looked across the room at Abby, confirming her worst fears.

Abby joined the doctors, smiling as she tapped her new high-pull headgear.

Sophie just squirmed in the chair, before Dr. Park spoke up. "Starting today, you two are encouraged to wear your headgear as often as possible. Within your appliances are devices designed to record wear-time, so we'll be able to check your compliance next week."

She reached down and carefully unclipped the facebow from Sophie's mouth. "I would recommend only removing it for eating, bathing, and playing sports." As it was put back in place, Sophie noticed the hum slightly raise to an irritating buzz, only subsiding when it was fully reattached.

"How long do I have to wear thith?" Sophie choked out, trying to maneuver her speech across the new labyrinth of metal in her mouth.

Dr. Park smiled softly. "Well, it depends on how often you wear it in the coming weeks. If everything goes well... I'd say about a month or two."

Sophie felt like she was melting into the chair as the straps were undone. Dr. Whites helped her to her feet, and began leading her out the office.

---

Sophie looked up at Abby as they sipped their iced coffee. "How are you enjoying thith?" She was trying to keep her head down, she felt like the whole coffeeshop was stealing quick glances and snickering.

Abby blushed, pinching her facebow. "I'm thorry, it'th hard to exthplain, but this kind of thing hath alwayth been a bit of a fantathy for me..." She paused for a moment. "Now that it'th actually on, it ith a lot bulkier than I imagined, I don't know how I'm going to feel about it going forward, but... it'th really fathinating, don't you think?"

Sophie shrugged, looking at the young woman across from her. Her odd hair, her sloppy makeup, the way the sunlight bounced off her facebow.

Abby took a sip of coffee before speaking again. "I wath thinking, we have the day off on Wednethday, would you want to come over and thtudy? We have that extham coming up after all..."

Sophie felt butterflies in her stomach.

7.

Sophie stood outside Abby's house, stalling for time before she stepped in. She was wearing a pale tube top and pink leggings, Abby's first time seeing her out of her scrubs. Classes had been light since finals were coming up, and they hadn't quite gotten a chance to see each other at school.

Abby's family lived in quite a fancy house, probably just short of being a McMansion. As Sophie approached the front door, she nervously tapped her facebow. Sophie had already become accustomed to her new appliance, despite having worn it for less than a week. Honestly, it was beginning to feel a bit like a security blanket... She only took it off when absolutely necessary, and would try to reattach it as quickly as possible. Not only did the strange buzz become more grating the longer it was removed, she was starting to feel naked without it...

Finally, she rang the doorbell, waiting for what felt like an eternity for the door to swing open. There stood Abby, showing off her adorable grin. "What took you tho long?"

She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, with an anime character Sophie didn't recognize. She was wearing makeup, and seemed to have gotten better since the last time they saw each other. Most striking, however, was her hair. She changed the color, from blue to blonde, finally getting rid of her eccentric alternative look.

Sophie stammered for a few moments. "Oh, wow, you look... great!"

Abby blushed slightly. "Thankth! Come on in, I'll take you to my room, my parenth aren't home..."

Sophie's face went red.

---

Sophie sat down her backpack while she looked around Abby's room. Pastel pink walls, with stuffed animals on just about every surface. The walls were decorated with posters of both alternative bands and oral hygiene tips. A small collection of dental instruments and model teeth were neatly arranged on her desk. Overall, it was much more organized than Sophie expected, especially compared to her own grungey room.

Abby plopped down on her bed, gesturing for Sophie to join her. As she gingerly sat down, Abby took out her laptop and flashcards.

"Tho, wath there anything you think you were having trouble with? I know the chemithtry part can be pretty hard, but I think I'll be able to help you with whatever you need..."

Sophie interrupted. "Actually, I've been feeling really confident about thith lately. I've been athing all the practithe tethth, and I don't think there'th anything I'm having trouble with, for the firtht time."

Abby smiled. "Well, let'th go over thethe flashcardth jutht to be sure..."

---

A half hour passed, and Sophie got every answer correct.

"Wow, you really were thtudying! I don't think I could've gotten all of thothe!" Abby grinned, showing off her pink brackets.

Sophie shrugged. "I don't know, it'th like, ever thinthe I got the bratheth, everything'th jutht thtuck in my head."

"That'th amazing! Maybe you unlocked thome thecret pathion for dentithtry?"

Sophie shrugged again. "I gueth tho? It'th tho weird, a few weekth ago I wouldn't have cared about any of thith..."

Abby smirked, and Sophie felt something flutter inside her. "Tho what now?" She asked.

Sophie didn't answer, she just leaned in...

---

The facebows clicked together, and the girls both blushed, pausing for a second. Abby giggled, before positioning herself just right so she could meet Sophie's lips.

The kiss was awkward, Sophie felt Abby's cold metal appliance press into her cheeks. With a bit of effort, they managed to push their lips a bit closer, their tongues intertwining. Sophie fell back on the bed as Abby climbed on top of her.

Sophie was on another plane. She'd known she liked girls for years, but this was her first experience like this. She'd had brief flings with a few guys, but this was on another level than anything she had with them. She closed her eyes as she tasted Abby's minty lip balm. She didn't notice her facebow being ever so slightly bent, and it took her a few moments before she realized the buzz had returned, becoming stronger and stronger...

8.

Sophie winced. "Wait, thomething'th not right..." She tried to say. Abby tried to pull away, and they both noticed another problem.

Both of their braces were hooked together, causing them both to yelp in pain when they tried to separate. Also, Sophie's buzz was getting louder, and Abby was beginning to feel it as well.

Thinking quickly, Abby stood up, carefully guiding Sophie with her. They awkwardly made their way across the bedroom, lips still pressed together, with Abby leaning forward due to their height difference.

After rooting around in a drawer, Abby retrieved a pair of orthodontic wire cutters, and with a bit of effort, managed to separate herself from Sophie.

---

Abby took a quick sigh of relief, before looking back at Sophie. She'd sat back down on the bed, clutching her mouth, looking somewhat pained.

"Here, let me thee..." Abby rushed over, gently prying Sophie's fingers apart to get a closer look.

She had cut one of Sophie's front brackets, and the facebow had become severely bent during the struggle. Abby could ever so slightly hear the buzz coming from the expander, and could feel the vibrations when she touched Sophie's braces.

"Jutht lie down, I'll thee what I can do in jutht a thecond."

Sophie laid flat on the bed, wincing as she watched Abby get prepared. She placed a collection of dental instruments in a neat line on the bedsheet, then climbed on the bed, maneuvering Sophie's head on her lap.

"Okay, I need you to open really big for me..." She ordered calmly, snapping on a pair of exam gloves.

Sophie complied, allowing Abby to start by removing the headgear, before moving on to removing the expander.

The further she got, the stronger the buzz became. The procedure took almost a full hour, and despite her obsessive study of orthodontic appliances, Dr. Park's work was like nothing she'd seen before. Removing the device felt like solving a Rubik's Cube. It seemed like it was designed so that only the doctor herself would be able to take it out...

---

At long last, the pesky appliance came loose. It was still vibrating as Abby sat it down on her bedside table. She clipped off the remaining broken ends of Sophie's braces, before stopping to admire her work.

"How do you feel?" She asked softly.

Sophie let out a relaxed sigh. "A lot better now, thank you." She sat up and looked at herself in the vanity mirror. Despite how used to it she had gotten, Sophie was surprised at the wave of relief she felt when the headgear was removed. She bared her teeth, looking at what remained of the braces. God, she looked like such a dork. Why had she gone along with this treatment for so long?

Abby interrupted her thoughts. "We need to call the offithe right away. I'm sure if we tell them what happened they'll underthtand. Maybe they can thet up and emergenthy appointment for you..."

Sophie bit her lip as she watched Abby pull out her phone, explaining the situation to Quinn. All of a sudden she had a very bad feeling about this.

"Good newth, they thay they can thqueethe you in tomorrow morning. I can go with you if you want!"

Sophie nodded, a mix of emotions stirring inside her.

---

The girls met up outside the office. Sophie felt oddly squeamish when she saw Abby's face. To see such pretty features marred by the cold metal headgear made her stomach turn. Just the day before, she felt herself being aroused by the headgear itself...

"I'll jutht thit in the waiting room, we can get ithed coffeeth when they're done with you!"

Hearing the lisp made Sophie even more disgusted. How could they do this to a girl as sweet as Abby?

As they stepped inside, Quinn gestured for Sophie to follow her down the hallway. She turned around, giving a forced smile back at Abby.

---

Sophie stared at the ceiling as Quinn prepped her for her treatment. The restraints felt a bit tighter than usual.

After a few moments, Dr. Park entered the room, a pink mask dangling under her chin.

"Sophie! It's nice to see you, even under circumstances like this!" She sat by Sophie's side, adjusting the examination light and snapping on a pair of gloves.

Sophie opened her mouth, allowing Dr. Park to take a look. "Wow, she really did take it all out by herself! That girl has a lot of promise, only Dr. Whites and I have access to the schematics!" She looked down at Sophie. "How are you feeling? Having the device removed so abruptly can cause some negative side effects... have you been feeling any confusion, paranoia, anhedonia...?"

Sophie narrowed her eyes. "Why would those be caused by taking out my braces?"

Dr. Park smirked. "Because of the cognitive influence, sweetie. This technology is still in its early stages, playing with it the way you and Abby have can be quite dangerous!"

Sophie began to break out in a cold sweat. "W-what do you mean by that?"

Sophie saw a brief spark in Dr. Park's eye. "Let's just say these braces straighten a bit more than just teeth. I've been spoken with hundreds of office coordinators, and I believe we've narrowed down the precise traits for an ideal dental team member. We have a waiting list of quite a few offices that would like their assistants and hygienists treated by us!"

Sophie squirmed under the restraints as the doctor continued. She held up an expander, identical to the one Abby had just removed. "This is the Park Neuro-Orthodontic Appliance, or PNOA. We've been working with Apollonia University's neuroscience center for the past few years to develop this. My adjusting the vibrations from this device, we can change just about any personality trait given enough time and trial-and-error. Heightened obedience, attentiveness, passion for dentistry..."

Sophie managed to get out part of a sentence. "So when Dr. Woods talked about saving my grade..."

Dr. Park smiled. "Willow sent me your transcripts, and you seemed like a perfect specimen. She tells me you've been improving quite a bit lately."

Sophie began to raise her voice. "What about Abby? She was a perfect student! She doesn't need any... any brainwashing!"

Dr. Park sighed, still with a slight smirk. "I wouldn't use such a crude term as that, but yes, Abby was a different case. While I'm a firm believer that young women should present themselves however they wish, we've found that many dentists would prefer their employees to... look a certain way. You don't need blonde hair and perfect makeup to be a good hygienist, but a specific type of professionalism can be everything when it comes to getting new patients through the door. It never hurts to look a bit more feminine!"

Sophie had heard enough. "And what if we refuse? You can't force us to wear these!"

Dr. Park sighed and gave her patient a sympathetic look. "Of course not sweetie. If you'd like, I can let you out of that chair right now, and you can forget about this whole thing. One question though, what number tooth is the 2nd premolar?"