Author Topic: Tara’s Misaligned Jaw (or TMJ for short) (Read 54433 times)

mr_90proof · « **Reply #210 on:** 08. July 2024, 05:28:51 AM »

This chapter ended a little differently than I thought, but I think it provides a little insight into Raphael and Olivia.

Chapter Seventy-nine:

The night was not just a time of reflection for Becky. After helping Olivia change into a stunning black evening dress Raphael knelt down and tenderly slipped Olivia’s feet into a pair of matching 4” heels. Afterwards he kissed each of her feet. After standing, he took Olivia’s casted arms, he had released them in order to help her dress, and helped her to a standing position from the edge of the bed where she sat. This was the first time that Olivia had worn heels since being fitted with her brace. He stepped back and admired his doll. He said “you look stunning. And to celebrate, I am not going to lock your casts. You will have enough trouble I fear walking as it is.”

Olivia’s mouth was still locked open. She struggled to say “thank you sir.” She thought a moment and asked “what are we celebrating?”

Raphael stepped over and ran his finger along her cheek. He said “we are celebrating you darling. And we are celebrating us. Today is the twenty year anniversary of the day my life changed. It was the day I walked into Centro Feminil Social Readapticion Center and met you. I was a young, struggling doctor who was under contract with the government to provide care for their female prisoners. I had just recently developed the idea of casting as a solution to the violence epidemic plaguing the prison. The authorities were desperate and willing to try anything. Luckily for me, it seemed to be a good solution. It was effective. And most importantly it was cheap. All I knew as I was escorted to the infirmary by two guards that day was that two prisoners had gotten into a fight. I had no idea my life was about to change.”

He pressed against her. The mention of how they had met brought back a flood of memories for Olivia. He reached around her and caressed her bottom, one of the only parts of her body now not encased by fiberglass, plastic or metal. He continued “I never believed in true love. But when I saw you strapped to that bed my heart fluttered. You were beautiful. Make no mistake you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. But there was more. As I looked into your eyes I saw the feral rage. Do you remember you spit at me? And oh the cursing. You would have made the saltiest of sailors blush. The guards went to put their hands on you and I told them to stop. The truth is by then I was used to being spit and cursed at. And normally I took pleasure in seeing the guards get revenge. But not that day. Not on you.

Do you remember? I leaned in closer and looked you in the eyes. I told you I was not going to hurt you. You calmed some but still struggled against your restraints. As I looked into your eyes I saw past the rage of the 21 year old prisoner and saw the fear and hurt of the girl inside. A girl who had drawn a bad hand in life and had been reduced to just trying to survive. If I had thought about it at the time I couldn’t have explained it. But there was something about you that was magnetic. I was drawn to you as surely as iron is drawn to a magnet. As I looked in your eyes I was transfixed. Then one of the guards barked ‘stop bitch. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I actually prefer the hard way. But you won’t. You will really need the casts if we do it my way.’

I don’t know why, but instead of stepping back and letting them do what they normally did, I turned and asked them what your name was. I still remember the way the guard snarled Olivia Perez. I remember l told you ‘Olivia, I am not here to hurt you. I am here to help you. Let me help you.’ You quit struggling against your restraints. I was there to place you in the customary restraint casts. But first I had to examine you. You had been in a fight after all. The bruises you wore were proof. As one of the guards released your restraints the other stood by with a baton cocked over his shoulder. I remember I gently stroked your shoulder and told you it was going to be ok.

As I examined you I felt something out of place. There were no x-ray machines in the prison. But I could feel it. The other inmate had broken your arm. I was surprised you had struggled so hard against the restraints. It must have been excruciating. I told the guards about this and said because of this complication I would not be putting you in the standard straight jacket cast. I remember how docile you were as I applied that long arm cast on your right arm. I could feel you trembling. It broke my heart. By then I had become callous towards the prisoners. Cynical and jaded. But not you.

As I wrapped your upper body in plaster, securing your left arm against your body and your casted right arm at your side, I felt such sympathy for you. As I wrapped the plaster around your head I saw the tear roll down your cheek. I told you it would be ok. I would make sure of it. I had no idea how, but I somehow knew I would. Once I was finished with that cast I hugged you. This surprised the guards. Do you remember what one said? It revolted me and was indicative of what a horrible place the prison was. He said “for 50 pesos I can take you somewhere private. You can have a go with the girl.’ I adamantly told him no. Further I said it was imperative that, due to your injuries, no one did. He had simply laughed. I resolved myself then and there to get you out of there before it destroyed you. As I applied your cylinder leg casts you were so well behaved. This was always what scared me the most. It was easy for a patient to lash out and kick me. And several had. The bloody noses were just an occupational hazard. But you didn’t. Once I was done, the guard had brusquely asked ‘you done? I will take her to her cell. You still have one more.’ I told him to wait a moment. I didn’t have much in my medical bag besides casting supplies. But I did have a clean towel. And a bottle of Tylenol. I knew both were valuable in the prison. I gave them to you. And I told you I would see you the next day. Do you remember?”

How could Olivia have forgotten. She had not realized that this was the twentieth anniversary of that day. But it was one she could never forget. It was the day Raphael Morales had saved her life.

He continued “do you remember the next day? I was at the prison every day. And normally once I was finished casting an inmate I didn’t see them again until it was time to remove their casts. But that next day, after I was done with my scheduled patients, I asked to follow up with you. The guards were not happy about it, but they begrudgingly brought you to the infirmary. Your eyes were red. I knew you had been crying. I wrapped you in a hug. I then told you I had some presents for you. I don’t know why, I wasn’t trying to curry your favor. But I had no choice in the matter. I had my larger medical bag that day and I had brought a backpack. The guards had already searched my bags as they did everyday. They were surprised by what I had, but nothing was contraband so they let me bring it in. I first pulled out the candy. I saw a look of excitement in your eyes. Next I pulled out what took up the most room in the bag, a new pillow and set of bedding. The look on your face was one of astonishment. But also confusion. I sensed it had been a long time since someone had done something kind for you. I then pulled out the teddy bear. Do you remember? I placed him in the crook of your casted right arm. I told you he could keep you company at night. I then took everything and put it back in the bag. I slung the whole bag over your cast. I told you I hoped this made you happy. I remember you leaned into me and tried to wrap your right arm around me even though it was held solidly against your side. I think you were trying to hug me. I could feel the guards’ eyes boring into us. I quickly hugged you back. You began to cry. You might not could have felt it, but I was rubbing your back as I told you it would be ok.”

Olivia looked into his eyes. Just like on that day, she burst into tears. This time her arms weren’t secured at her sides. She awkwardly wrapped them around him and said “you saved my life.”

Just like on that day, she couldn’t feel him rubbing her back. He said “no doll, we saved each other.”

napacaster · « **Reply #211 on:** 08. July 2024, 06:06:11 AM »

You sure are full of twists and turns, mr_90proof!

I don't know it comes naturally, or you really plan things out, but you an an excellent author.

mr_90proof · « **Reply #212 on:** 08. July 2024, 06:51:39 AM »

Thank you. That last chapter just kind of happened. It was not planned out. Actually, it was going to go another direction until I got to around the end of the first paragraph. I do have a few future landmarks in the story, but I don’t have a plan on how to get there.

annasun251 · « **Reply #213 on:** 08. July 2024, 14:14:25 PM »

I might be in the minority here but I do enjoy the lispy-speech written out.
Either way, thanks for sharing!

mr_90proof · « **Reply #214 on:** 08. July 2024, 17:30:55 PM »

Chapter Eighty:

Saturday morning Dr. Miller woke up and rolled over gently, hoping not to wake Megan. He saw that he had not. He just lay there a minute watching her, thinking how beautiful she was. And how lucky he was.

He got out of bed and made his way to their bathroom. There, he removed his facemask and brushed his teeth. He then took his waterflosser and rinsed his mouth out. After he got out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around himself and went back into the bedroom. He saw Megan was still sleeping. He stood over her, again watching her slumber. He thought again how beautiful she was, even with no makeup on. He reached down and gently shook her. As she woke he said "good morning kitten." She pulled her eye mask up, revealing her eyes. She smiled at him and through her clenched jaw said "goo morning sir."

As Megan got ready for the day, Brad helped their boys get ready. He and Megan were going into the office that morning. It wasn't his scheduled day, but he had a few things he wanted to do. He wanted to bring Megan along to train her on how to help fill in for Becky. Plus he had an idea on how to improve her treatment. He had just gotten their oldest settled at the table with a bowl of cereal when he heard the doorbell ring. That must be Mom he thought, she was going to pick the boys up and watch them.

When he opened the door, his Mom said "oh Brad honey, is that new?"

He knew she must be talking about the facemask he was wearing. It was the first time she had seen him in it. He smiled and said "yes, I had some shifting occur. And with Dr. Andi now a part of the practice, I figured there was no time like the present to address it."

His mother said "oh honey, I know how much you hated your facemask when your Dad made you wear one." She thought a moment and said "I hated mine too."

Brad looked at his mom's teeth and said "Mom, have you considered letting me take a look at your teeth?"

His mom laughed and said "oh honey, I'm too old now. Plus I don't think I could handle it again. You know I loved your father with all my heart, god bless his soul. I still love him. And I miss him every day. But I certainly don't miss my braces. And springs. And expanders. And bite plate. And most of all the different headgears he had me wear. Honey, you know your father kept me in treatment for 16 years. I am done with braces forever. I'd rather get dentures than braces again. But I am so proud of you for doing it again."

Brad let it go. He said "I understand. Please come in. I know the boys have missed their Grammy."

As they parked in front of the office, Brad noticed Dr. Andi and Maggie's vehicles were already there. Walking towards his office, he ran into Andi. She said "good morning Brad! And Megan, you look good this morning! To what do we owe the honor?"

Brad smiled and said "I am spying on you." He laughed and continued "no, really, I have an idea I want to try with Megan's appliances. Plus, I want to teach Megan all about how scheduling and reception work. Becky is going to have a tough time for the next month, I plan to give her all the support I can."

Andi said "oh no, what is wrong with Becky?"

Brad realized that Andi was not aware of what had happened. He spent five minutes explaining everything. As he described everything, Andi's eyes had gotten wider and wider.

Once he was done, she exclaimed "oh that poor girl. We have to do everything we can. A bodycast? In the summer in Texas? I can't even imagine." Again she said "oh that poor girl."

Dr. Brad said "it will be tough. But she has people that care about her. Anyway, what do you have on tap this morning?"

Andi said "well, it is a light day. Or it was. We only had two patients scheduled this morning, a 9 and a 9:30. Just routine adjustments, they will be quick. So, I text Dr. Tim yesterday and let him know we had plenty of openings after 10 this morning if he wanted to come in. I told him any of his staff that wanted to come were welcome too. He text me back yesterday afternoon that he would love to. And his hygienist Sharon will be joining him. They are supposed to be here at 10. I don't know why, but I am really excited about possibly starting treatment on other dental professionals. I think because they understand and appreciate it more than the average patient. Plus, think about what good advertising it will be if we have a pediatric dentist and his staff in treatment. I bet we will get a ton of referrals from them."

Brad scratched his chin and said "you know, I bet you are right. I wonder if it would be worth it if we offered complimentary treatment for all dental professionals in the area? It would increase our workload. But I bet it would lead to a ton more referral business." He thought a moment before he answered his own question "Nah, we are already busy enough."

Dr. Andi said "well, we could always bring on a third orthodontist. I have a girlfriend who was, well is, a year behind me in school. She will be entering the field this summer. She is looking for a job now. We could bring her on. And as a newly minted ortho, she would be willing to work her way up. Like I am doing. I bet she would be willing to start for a lot less than a more established ortho. Maybe you would like her to come in and interview?"

Brad wasn't looking to expand anymore. But he wanted to at least be polite and keep Andi happy. He responded "sure, tell her to come on by when it is convenient for her." He then joked and said "but you know if she does, she will have to start treatment too." He laughed to show he was only joking.

He thought the look on Andi's face was serious when she responded "oh, she knows. I already told her that."

Dr. Brad asked "really? You told her that? What was her response?"

Andi said "yes, I did. I absolutely told her she would have to consider it. And she is all for it. She told me that my appliances are amazing." She laughed and said "us ortho girls are weird aren't we? I mean, who would want to wear this?" as she pointed to her Miller headgear.

Megan interjected "I would love to be able to wear my Miller headgear again. Instead of this halo."

Brad said "honey, it won't be for too much longer. And I have an idea on how to shorten your treatment time even more. Let me show you how reception and scheduling work. And then I will show you what I have in mind."

At 10:12, Brad entered the treatment area with Megan. He could see Dr. Andi was bent over a reclined man. Dr. Brad realized that must be Dr. Tim. He had never met him, but even from two chairs over Brad could see he had a narrow upper palate. In a chair along the wall sat a trim, pretty blond who appeared to be in her mid to late thirties. She was not paying Brad or Megan any attention, instead her focus was on Tim and Andi. Brad thought that must be Tim's hygienist Sharon.

Brad got Megan seated and explained "honey, I am not going to recline you. I just want to replace your springs. But, I am not going to replace them with springs. No, the linkages, for lack of a better word, that Dr. Olivia has on her halo gave me an idea. Why couldn't I use something similar, but obviously smaller, in place of your springs? Something I could attach from the hooks in your mouth to your protraction module that could be turned, tightening them and placing a precise amount of force on your maxilla. That way we could exert more force resulting in faster movement, thus reducing treatment time. And your time in your dreaded halo. First, let me get your springs off." Once he had them off, he said "hang on". As he got up, he noticed that Dr. Tim and Maggie were gone. He knew they were probably doing imaging. In the chair was the pretty blond hygienist, reclined back with a lip retractor holding her mouth open. To Brad's trained eye he saw she too had a narrow palate. But unlike Tim who had a Class III underbite, she suffered from a severe class II overbite. He quickly dismissed the thought, that was Andi's concern. They were her patients, not his.

Returning to Megan's side, he proudly held up his latest invention. He said "see honey, look". He rotated the rod counterclockwise and it expanded in length. He then asked her to hold one end of it while he held the other. With his free hand he picked up the same torx style driver used to lock the scopes on a Miller appliance. He inserted it into a recess in the middle of the divided rod. He made one complete clockwise rotation on the device. As he did, it screwed together and became slightly shorter. He beamed as he said "see, one complete turn equals a quarter of a millimeter. Kitten, I am going to install these between your appliance and module. We will be able to control the force much better. And exert even more force than your springs. Plus, because this is smooth, it should not irritate your lips like the springs did." Megan noticed how excited her husband looked. She was not. To her, more force meant more pain. The fact that he had already had her take a dose of ibuprofen was also a bad sign she thought.

Brad held the rod up to Megan's mouth and roughly estimated how long it should be. He unscrewed both rods to the length he thought they should be and then placed the eyes of each over the hooks in Megan's mouth. They hung from her mouth like broken shock absorbers under a car. He gently placed his hand on one and held it up to her protraction module. He made three turns on it and said to himself "perfect." He placed it over one of the outside hooks on her protraction module. He repeated the process with the other one. He said proudly "kitten, this is going to work so well. I just know it. And I won't need to crimp them in place because their is no flex on these. Once I tighten them, they will be permanent unless they are loosened with the tool." Megan saw how excited he was. She was happy for him. And more than willing to be his guinea pig.

He said "ok babe, let me tighten them and remove the slack." He made four turns to snug them up. He felt them to confirm that had equal force. He looked into Megan's face and said "ok kitten, I am going to make some turns." She took a deep breath. As he made the first complete turn, she could feel the pressure in her mouth. He made a corresponding turn to the other rod. The pressure increased. He asked her "how is that, do you feel it, is it manageable?"

She said "yesh sir. I can feel it, but it is manageable."

He smiled and said "good kitten. One more." On the second set of turns Megan squirmed a little in the chair. He noticed and said "you are doing good." He made one more set of turns. Halfway through, she let out an involuntary whimper. He patted her arm and said "that is good for now dear. How are you? Are you in pain?"

Megan said "yes sir, I am."

Brad said "that means it is working. But if it is too much, I can turn them back a turn."

Megan stuck her tongue out and ran them along the rods. The pressure in her face was enormous. But, in a way she liked it despite the pain. Plus, she didn't want to disappoint her husband. She said "I will manage".

He hugged her and whispered in her ear "you are such a good kitten. I think since you are being such a good girl, and mom has the boys, I will let you out to play this afternoon." He released her and straightened up. Becoming professional once again, he said "I really do think this will cut your time in the halo down tremendously. Let's go take some imaging. I want to have a baseline to compare before and after."

He had to wait a few minutes for Maggie to finish taking x-rays and cbct scans for Dr. Tim's hygienist Sharon. As she walked by he gave her a big smile and said "hi, good morning! You are in excellent hands!" She didn't smile back. Here only response was to look at him. She looked to be in shock.

After completing the imaging, Brad and Megan returned to the treatment room. As they walked in, hand in hand, Brad said "kitten, we are about done. I know your mouth is sore. I need to get you home and nurse you back to health. But first, let's meet Dr. Tim."

As they approached Tim, who was sitting in a chair along the wall adjacent to the treatment chair now occupied by Sharon, Brad saw that Tim was holding up a mirror. He had his mouth open peering into the mirror. Brad could see the blue spacers in Tim's mouth. In the chair, Brad could see that Andi was installing spacers in Sharon's mouth as well.

Brad walked up with a big smile on his face and exclaimed "starting treatment is SO exciting! We love it here. We love it here so much, we all are doing it. Hello, I am Dr. Brad Miller. This is my amazing wife Megan. And you must be Dr. Tim!"

Tim put the mirror down and looked up. Tim said "yes, I am." He stuck out his hand.

After making introductions, Dr. Brad asked "so, what was Dr. Andi's assessment?"

Tim replied "for me, a narrow upper and lower palate, a crossbite, and a mild class III underbite. My airway is also constricted. For Sharon there, a narrow upper palate, crowding and tipping of the lowers, protruding canines, and a severe class II overjet caused by her tongue thrust. She too has a constricted airway."

Brad smiled and said "it really is an epidemic. I am glad you both came in. You will be so glad you did. So, how is Dr. Andi going to fix everything?"

Tim said "both of us are getting Miller appliances. Sharon's will have a tongue crib and rake integrated into it. I will get Miller headgear set up for simple protraction. Sharon's will be a bit different. Instead of using a standard headgear to retract her upper jaw and constrict her airway more, like most orthos would do, Andi is going to set up her up with a facebow on top to hold her maxilla in place and use springs on her mandible, in conjunction with her scopes, to pull her lower jaw forward to the desired occlusion. Both of us are looking at roughly two years I think."

Brad smiled and said "the time will fly by. And again, you will be so glad you did it." He looked over at Sharon and noticed the look on her face. He didn't think she would agree with him at the moment. Dr. Brad said "the spacers may make you a little sore, alternate with acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Speaking of sore, my Megan here had an adjustment just now and is a little sore herself. It was a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to watching your journey."

As he watched Dr. Brad and Megan depart, Tim wondered if he would be able to wear his headgear in the office as confidently as Brad appeared to. He reminded himself he was lucky, Andi had told him he would only need to wear his for 16 hours a day. She added that he probably would not need it for the entire duration of his treatment. He looked at Sharon. He wondered how she would manage wearing hers 24 hours a day for the duration of her treatment.

mr_90proof · « **Reply #215 on:** 10. July 2024, 06:05:44 AM »

Chapter Eighty-one:

When the door opened Saturday evening, Tim said “oh goodness, don’t you just look incredible. Good enough to eat.” He winked at Aubrey, who was standing in the doorway with a big smile on her face despite having her appliances in. Tim had noticed she was much less self-conscious about them, at least with him, than she had been when they met.

She replied “I would like that you know.” He gave a little laugh as she arched her eyebrows at him.

He said “maybe for dessert? But first at least let me take you to dinner.”

She stepped out into the breezeway and closed her door. After locking it, she slid her arm through his and asked “who could turn down such an offer?”

Dinner went incredibly well. The food was great. Aubrey and Tim each thought the company was even better. After dinner, they strolled hand in hand along the river walk. After a bit, they sat on a bench holding hands, simply watching others pass by. Aubrey said “thank you for dinner. It was incredible.”

Tim smiled at her and said “it was incredible. But not because of the food. But because of you.” He leaned in and they kissed.

Aubrey ended the kiss and looked him in the eyes and said “so, what do you say we go back to my place for dessert?”

They lay in bed afterwards cuddling and talking. Aubrey said “I hope you are staying.”

Tim said “I hope so too.” He tickled her, causing her to squeal “stoppppp!!!” Tim laughed, because he knew she liked it. He said “don’t you need to put on your headgear though?” Tim saw Aubrey’s demeanor change. This surprised him. He asked “what is it baby? Your headgear is cute. You are so sexy in it.”

Aubrey said “I got new headgear yesterday. It is worse than before. I bet you won’t find it cute. Not at all.”

Tim threw his arm over her and asked “Miller headgear? Is that what you got?”

Aubrey said “yes. It is awful. The frame goes around my face. And it has straps that wrap around my head and neck to hold it in place. And now not only do I have the elastics I have to wear, I have two j-hooks too. It is horrible.”

Tim said “I know you will look incredible in it. Put it on for me. Please?”

Aubrey said “no.”

Tim surprised her when he asked “what would you think if I had Miller headgear? What if I got up right now and went to the bathroom? And when I returned I was wearing Miller headgear? What would you think? Would you suddenly find me revolting? Would you no longer be attracted to me?”

Aubrey was caught off guard. Her immediate response was “no, of course not.” She thought a moment and continued “you would still be so sexy. I would still want you.” She rubbed her hand on his chest and said “this may sound weird. And don’t judge me. And I don’t know why. But I might find you even more attractive. Because you shared it with me. Or maybe it is because it means that I am important enough to you that you want to be with me even if you are wearing headgear. I don’t know. But I do know I would still be attracted to you. And want you. And this talking about it is making me a little hot and bothered.”

Tim said “baby, that is the way I feel about you and your headgear. I admit, I am glad to know you feel that way too. I have been a little worried about it. I was a little afraid you might find me hideous when I get mine.”

Aubrey looked at him. She said “wait, what? You don’t have your consultation until next week.”

Tim turned the bedside lamp on and opened wide. Aubrey saw the blue spacers in his mouth. Now she really was confused. She asked “what is going on here?”

Tim closed his mouth and said “surprise! Dr. Andi text me Thursday and said she could squeeze me in this morning if I wanted. And you see what I did. Baby, we are going to do this together.”

Aubrey’s face lit up. She leaned over and kissed him. She said “oh baby, that is so exciting. Thank you!” She didn’t know why she was suddenly so excited, but she was. She asked “so, what is your treatment plan?”

Tim said “a Miller appliance and matching Miller headgear for 16 hours a day. Luckily, I don’t need a tongue crib. Dr. Andi said my appliance should be ready in about 10 days. I admit I am nervous. But also excited. The excitement is mainly because we get to do this together.”

Aubrey leaned in and kissed him again. She said simply “oh baby…. That is so sweet.”

He smiled at her and said “my main concern about all of this was what you would think. I hoped you would be ok with it. I wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t for you. But I was worried about what you would think about me in appliances, headgear and eventually braces.”

Aubrey looked at him and said “awwww…”. She said “let me show you what I think. I do want dessert.” She pulled the covers down.

Afterwards she giggled and said “you made a mess. Let me go clean up.”

As she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom Tim followed behind her. She turned and looked at him questioningly. He smiled sheepishly and said “my mom always told me to clean up after myself.”

After cleaning her face, Tim stood behind her looking at the two of them in the mirror. He asked “your headgear?”

She gave him a playful pout and asked “do I have to?” She opened the small closet door beside the vanity and pulled out the mass of plastic and metal, all connected by the intricate collection of straps. She looked into the mirror as she placed the frame against her face. Holding it against her face with one hand, she maneuvered the headstraps over the top of her head with her other hand. With the straps in place and the frame held loosely against her face she removed her hand from the mask. With both hands she reached behind her neck to connect and tighten the neck strap. He reached up and grabbed her hand stopping her. He softly said “let me.”

She watched in the mirror as he delicately and carefully threaded the strap through the buckle and pulled it tight. He asked tenderly “does that feel about right?”

She was almost breathless. This was all so intimate. And so sexy. She said “yes baby.” He buckled the strap. She picked up the first j-hook. Using the mirror she looped it over the archwire as she had been instructed and then connected it to the headgear module attached to the frame. She repeated the process with the other j-hook on the other side. She then looked into the mirror to see what Tim’s reaction was. She thought she would surely see, despite what he had said, a look of revulsion on his face. Instead she saw a look of lust in his eyes.

He asked softly “can I put your elastics on for you?” She handed him the bag of elastics with out a word. She watched him concentrate on attaching her elastics. He was being so delicate. She imagined he too was wearing Miller headgear. And she realized she had never been as turned on as she was at that moment. Once he was done attaching her elastics he asked “did I do it ok?”

She replied “you did it more than ok, you did it perfect.” She wanted him again. But she thought there was no way he would be able to, not right then. Then she felt something brush against her. She looked down in amazement. Apparently she wasn’t the only one who was having a reaction to her headgear. When she looked up she found Tim looking in her eyes. She said “maybe I was wrong. Maybe wearing headgear isn’t going to be too bad after all.”

He said “no, not too bad at all.” He took her hand and led her back to bed.

mr_90proof · « **Reply #216 on:** 12. July 2024, 19:35:53 PM »

Chapter Eighty-two:

Alex pleaded "pleash Behee? Come weh ush."

Becky was sitting on the couch. Mona was close beside her with her arm wrapped around her shoulders. Becky replied "you girlsh hah fun. Buh eh nah ready to fasch tha worl yet."

Tara tried this time. She said "Becky, it ish a pretty Sunday afternoon. Too pretty to shtay cooped up inshide. Pleash come with ush? Shome retail therapy ish jusht what we all need."

Becky sat facing straight ahead, trapped in her cast. She protested "nah, really, yah all hah fun."

Mona chimed in "Behee ish shtill getting ushed to her casht. You guysh have fun, we will hold down thish couch."

Alex said "aww boo. You two are no fun. If you think of anything yah nee while we are out, let ush know."

Three hours later, Jim pulled back into his drive. Marc helped the two ladies out of the back seat. Then, Jim and Marc collected the bags of cloths the girls had purchased. Jim was smiling. Despite the looks, and the one very inquisitive cashier at Belk that told them all about her braces and had all kinds of questions about Alex' and Tara's, the girls had a great afternoon. Tara had laughed and smiled several times. Jim had missed this. Marc held the front door as the ladies entered the house.

Alex and Tara went to the living room, figuring that is where they would find Mona and Becky. They weren't there. Alex "hewwooo! We are back." She didn't get a response.

Tara asked "where could they be?"

She walked down the hallway and saw the door to Mona and Becky's bedroom closed. She gently opened it. Sticking her head inside the door, she saw Becky laying flat on her back. Her eyes were closed, but they were red and the area under her eyes was moist. Mona was turned on her side with her arm draped across Becky's casted torso. Despite the pillows around and under her, Mona looked awkward. She had to be uncomfortable Tara thought.

Mona was not asleep, and upon seeing the door open cut her eyes in that direction. She made eye contact with Tara and carefully pulled her arm off of Becky. Mona put her finger up to her lips. Tara watched as Mona very carefully and delicately squirmed out of bed. As soon as she was standing, she looked down at Becky to make sure she had not disturbed her. She hadn't, Becky was still sound asleep. Tara looked at Mona as she gazed at Becky. Tara thought she saw love in Mona's eyes. After a moment, Mona turned and tiptoed towards the door. Tara got out of the way as Mona entered the hallway and silently shut the door.

Before Tara could even ask what was going on Mona said "Becky hash had a bad day. Come on, I'll exsplain."

As soon as Mona entered the living room, Alex said "hey! Where'sh Behee. We got her a few dresses. I want her to try them on."

Mona pursed her lips sadly. Tara returned over beside Jim as Mona said "Behee ish sleeping. I when ahead and gave her a shleeping pill. It wash da only thing I cuh think of to shtop her crying. She had an accident not long after you left which upset her a lot. But that ish not the real problem. Dillon sent her a text about an hour ago. He broke up with her."

Tara's mouth dropped open. Alex' face took on a look of rage as she said "that bastard. That son of a bitch. I am going to beat hish assh." She took a deep breath and said "he did it by texsht? He dehen even have the courage to do it in pershon? What a chicken shit."

Tara seemed to be speaking to no one in particular when she said "poor Behee. That poor thing."

Mona said "yesh, he did it by text. He said thingsh weren't working out. He shaid it washn't her it wash him. He wished her well. And that wash pretty musch it."

Alex turned to head down the hall. Mona said "she is sound ashleep. Justht let her shleep."

Jim hated this had happened. Not just for Becky, but also because it had soured the mood for everyone. He shook his head, just when Tara seemed to be getting back to a happy place this happened. He said "sleep is probably the best thing for her. Tomorrow will be a new day."

The next morning, Alex burst into Mona and Becky's bedroom. Without a word, she squeezed in beside Becky and wrapped her in a hug. As Becky opened her eyes Alex said "rise and shine bae".

Becky asked "wah time ish it?"

Alex let go of Becky and said "time to get ready. Everyone at the offish wantsh to see you. If you feel like going in of course." Alex hoped she would, they had all discussed it last night and everyone agreed the best thing for Becky was to get back to work to try to take her mind off of everything. Plus, Alex had made calls to both Dr. Miller and Dr. Andi. The had a surprise for Becky.

Becky said "eh doh know."

By now Mona was awake. She said "I will help you get ready boo."

Alex asked "ish there anything I cah do?"

Mona instinctively replied "no." She thought a moment and said "yesh actually."

In the bathroom, Alex watched at Mona hugged Becky. Mona said "boo, remember thish is nothing at all to be embarrasshed or ashamed of." Despite the reassuring words, Becky looked ashamed.

Mona first helped Becky out of her pajamas. Alex saw that Becky seemed to try to shrink down as she stood before the two in nothing but her cast and diaper. Mona said "boo, I am going to show Alex how to change your brief." Alex noticed she avoided the word diaper. Mona explained what she was doing as she removed the tabs from each side of the diaper and gently pulled it away from Becky. Alex noticed she hid it from view, Alex assumed to hide the dull yellow stain from Becky. After wiping Becky clean, Mona grabbed a fresh brief from the closet. She explained what she was doing as she placed the fresh one on Becky. Once done, Mona hugged Becky and said "I know you don't need it boo. But just as a precaution. Like insurance."

Alex said "thatsh right Becky. And bae, we got you a few dresshes yeshterday. Would you wear one for me today? It would make me happy."

Becky said "yesh."

A moment later Alex returned holding two different sun dresses on hangers, one in each hand. She held each up to Becky and exclaimed "the yellow one will look great on you!"

She slipped it over Becky's head and pulled it down over her. Alex looked at her and said "oh bae, you look great!"

Mona echoed her thoughts with "you look sho beautiful."

Becky didn't smile. But she did say "thah yah. Thish is shweet of you."

Alex gave her a smile and said "of coursh bae. And it wasn't jusht me. Thish is from all of ush. Now, let me help you brush and floss."

Thirty minutes later, Marc opened the front door. Normally, Marc took Alex to work and Jim took Mona. But Mona had asked Marc if he would let her ride with him to accompany Alex and Becky to work before he dropped her off at her office. Of course he had agreed. As the four made their way to the door Jim shouted out "you kids have fun at school!"

Marc pulled up directly in front of TMJ and Sleep Plus and parked in the "employee of the month" parking spot almost directly in front of the entrance. Alex happened to be the employee of the month currently, Dr. Miller rotated it around so all the girls would get it periodically. But he already knew that Becky was getting the award the following month. And maybe a few months to follow. It was still about thirty minutes before they began seeing patients, so while the rest of the staff was there, no patients were parked in the lot yet. After Marc helped Alex and Mona out of the vehicle, Mona helped Becky out. Mona took her hand once Becky was standing outside the car.

Mona said "you are going to do great." Marc and Alex followed along behind them as they made the short walk to the entrance.

As soon as Mona and Becky entered the lobby, they were greeted with a thunderous "surprise!" Becky stopped in her tracks. Everyone in the office; Dr. Miller and Dr. Andi, Aubrey, Lisa, Mandy, Maggie, Katie, and Megan were assembled around the reception desk, which was decorated with balloons, flowers and a handmade sign that said "WE LOVE YOU BECKY!" Becky was stunned. Mona let go of Becky's hand and hugged her. As she did she said softly "I love you too Becky."

As Alex watched, she wondered what kind of love Mona was referring too. Alex thought she knew. She wondered if Becky felt it too. Or was even able to have those feelings towards Mona. As long as she'd known Becky, she had only seen Becky with a boyfriend and only heard Becky talk about boys. Alex didn't ponder long. She watched as the whole office descending upon Becky, jockeying for position to hug her, offering words of encouragement and telling her how incredible she looked. Once everyone had a chance to hug and talk to Becky, Dr. Andi stepped over towards the reception desk and held up a pack of markers. She said "Becky! Can I sign your cast?"

Becky was still in a daze. She said "uhh, yesh I guessh."

Aubrey shouted "I'm next!"

As the dress Becky was wearing was cut low and had narrow shoulders, much of her cast was visible offering a large canvas. Everyone took turns signing her cast. Alex was the last in the office to sign in. Becky said "thah you all so musch."

Dr. Miller replied "of course dear. And if there is anything at all you need today just let us know. Aubrey and Megan are going to be here helping you man the desk. And take as many and as long a breaks as you need." He looked around the room and said "ok gang, we have patients to help!"

Becky waited as everyone dispersed. She then thought of something. With a disappointed look she turned to Mona and asked "do yah not wahn to shign my casht?"

Alex had already headed back to the treatment area so she wasn't there to see it, but Marc was. He saw Mona look into Becky's eyes. He too thought he saw love. Real love. He watched as Mona responded "of course baby." She went over and picked up a pink marker. When she returned she pulled Becky's dress down slightly at the neck line. She drew a pink heart directly over Becky's actual heart. Under it she wrote 'Mona'. Becky couldn't see what she had written, she assumed Mona had just signed her name.

Mona went and put the marker back down on the counter and returned to Becky. She gave her a hug. Mona said softly "I know they will take great care of you today. But if you need anything, let me know and I will be here." She let go and turned her body towards Marc and said "I hate to, but I have to run."

Becky watched as Mona followed Marc out the front door. Before she took her seat at reception, Becky went back into the treatment area. She stepped in front of the mirror to see all of the new graffiti on her cast. It was certainly colorful she thought. And while she hated the cast, she thought it was at least a little cuter with all the signatures. If nothing else they were a reminder that people cared about her. She then noticed the heart peeking up above the edge of her dress. She pulled her dress down slightly so she saw the pink heart with 'Mona' written underneath it. Her emotions were still a wreck from Dillon. But as she stood staring at the pink heart she didn't understand the thoughts, or feelings, she had. She realized she did feel real affection towards Mona. And attraction. Physical attraction. She realized she was physical attracted to Mona.

Alex had noticed Becky staring into the mirror, just standing there as if in a trance. Alex walked over said "they loh sho cute." She then noticed the heart. It had not been there when she had left moments earlier. She measured her words as she said "Mona really cares for you."

Becky turned her body so she was facing Alex. She said "she does." She went silent a moment before she added "I care fah her too."

Alex could not only sense the confusion Becky was feeling, she could see it etched on her face. Alex reached over and placed her finger on the pink heart. With a caring look she said "just follow your heart."

Bracesx3 · « **Reply #217 on:** 14. July 2024, 04:24:04 AM »

I’ve enjoyed catching up on this story, I can’t wait for more. I love all the characters and their situations.

napacaster · « **Reply #218 on:** 14. July 2024, 06:13:25 AM »

Quote from: Bracesx3 on 14. July 2024, 04:24:04 AM

I’ve enjoyed catching up on this story, I can’t wait for more. I look be all the characters and their situations.

A lot has happened while you were on your travels...

mr_90proof · « **Reply #219 on:** 15. July 2024, 17:24:09 PM »

Chapter Eighty-three:

After finishing up with his last patient before lunch, Dr. Miller went to the front desk. There he found Megan talking on the phone. She looked at him and smiled before finishing up her conversation and placing the phone back in the cradle. He asked "how is Becky? And how are you?"

Megan replied "Becky has been ok. Not being able to talk clearly is bothering her. And obviously she has gotten questions from just about everyone about what happened. I don't expect that to change. She looked like she needed a break, so I finally convinced her to go get comfortable in the lounge about 20 minutes ago. Becky is also very hungry. She obviously hasn't been able to eat. Do you think you could unwire her jaw? At least so she can eat lunch."

Brad said "absolutely. That is a great idea. I am embarrassed I didn't think of it. Normally when I have to wire someone shut, it is for at least six weeks. That is a great idea. I can unwire her for lunch." He thought a moment and said "and I will show Alex how to do it as well, though she probably already knows. That way Becky can eat dinner too." Brad smiled at Megan and asked "and how are you kitten?"

Megan said "this is fun. I enjoy it. It is a lot to learn, but I really enjoy getting to interact with our patients." She laughed and said "and no matter what appliance they are dreading, I can always point to my halo and tell them no matter what it is it will be ok. You do have a very interesting message." She handed him a post-it note as she explained "a Mr. Williams from Orspco called. He wants to speak with you about the Miller appliance." Dr. Miller arched his eyebrows as Megan finished with "what is Orspco?"

Brad replied "they are only the largest orthodontic manufacturer and supplier in the world. Did he say what it was about?"

Megan said "just that he had heard about the Miller appliance and was interested in learning more about it."

Brad replied "interesting. Thank you kitten. You are doing a great job." He lowered his voice and said "I am so proud of you, you will get a treat this evening." He then raised his voice back to a normal level and asked "we are done with patient appointments until after lunch aren't we?"

Megan punched a few keys on the keyboard and looked at the computer screen. She said "yes sir, we are."

Brad said "well then, go ahead and put the 'out to lunch' message on, and let's go to the lounge. I will get Becky unwired."

Fifteen minutes later, Brad sat down at his desk smiling. Becky had been so happy to, at least temporarily, have her mouth back. She had hugged Brad so tight it hurt. He was glad to see her smile. He had already spoken with Alex, and after lunch he was going to show her how to wire and unwire Becky. But now, he had a message to return.

He picked up the phone and dialed the number on the note. On the third ring a woman answered "Orthodontic Specialty Corporation, how may I help you." After explaining who he was and that he was returning a message to a Mr. Thomas Williams, the receptionist replied "oh, of course, I will connect you with his personal secretary." After a few rings, a different woman answered "Hewoo, Orthodontic Specialty Corporation, Preshident Williamsh offish. How may I help you?" The first thing Brad noticed was her lisp. He thought it must be hard for her answering the phone with such an impediment. He didn't dwell on it though. He was used to hearing lisps in his line of work. Again he explained who he was and why he was calling. The woman replied cheerfully "Mr. Williamsh ish exspecting your call. I will connect you."

A moment later an older sounding gentleman answered "Dr. Brad Miller? Thank you for returning my call."

After Brad confirmed he was in fact Dr. Brad Miller he listened to Thomas Williams for over five minutes. Thomas Williams was the founder and president of Orspco. And he was interesting in purchasing the design patents for the Miller Appliance. Orspco was interesting in being the sole supplier of it in the industry. He didn't mention any specific dollar amounts, just that he thought it would be very fair. And certainly enough to get Brad's attention. He wanted to meet with Brad as soon as possible. All expenses paid for by Orspco of course.

Brad was flabbergasted. This was all new and exciting to him. He couldn't believe the largest supply company in the industry was interested in his invention. Brad told him he could be there Friday afternoon.

Mr. Williams responded "wonderful. I do have a couple of other requests. One, would it be possible for you to overnight a sample or two of a Miller appliance and Miller headgear today so my team can review it before Friday? Also, and this may be too tight on time, if I were to have our in-house orthodontist Dr. Rothstein email over some files for several cases do you think you could get treatment plans and appliance designs back to us by the end of the day? Again, I know it is tight, and if the timing doesn't work we can wait. But as is in the case in any acquisition, I like to cover all my bases. Part of that is actual patient experience. I would like a few people here to offer their first hand experience with your appliances before I write you a huge check."

Brad was flabbergasted. He replied "yes, of course. It may be later this afternoon, after 5, before I can get that done. I have a full schedule of patients today. But I certainly can do that before I leave. Will it be ok if it is later this evening?"

Mr. Williams replied "absolutely. Thank you. I will have Dr. Rothstein email you directly. I will also have Shirley, she is my personal secretary who you spoke with earlier, get all of your information and she can give you Dr. Rothstein's. You said you could make it this Friday?"

Brad replied "yes, it would be in the afternoon though, we see patients until noon and I don't want to reschedule on any on such short notice like this."

Mr. Williams replied "completely understandable and admirable. Before I have Shirley make travel arrangements for you, would you be able to stay Friday evening? I would like to have dinner to discuss potential opportunities. And if needed we can work out any details on Saturday. Plus, if we can get those treatment plans and designs over, we can have the appliances fabricated by Saturday. Would you be willing to install them on our patients before you leave? You can demonstrate and explain everything to Dr. Rothstein, I want his feedback on your products as well."

Brad was excited. He said "oh absolutely."

Mr. Williams said "wonderful. I will have Shirley make all arrangements and email them over to you. Are you married Dr. Miller? I only ask because if you would like your wife to accompany you that would be wonderful. I plan on having my wife accompany me to dinner Friday. Perhaps yours would like to attend as well?"

Brad thought a second. He thought Megan would love it and he was sure his mom would watch the boys. Brad responded "absolutely, she is my partner after all. She would love it. Mr. Williams, thank you very much."

Mr. Williams said "well now that we are past formalities, you can call me Tom. And I need to be the one thanking you. I appreciate you being so flexible. I look forward to our meeting. And be sure to get those treatment plans over to us. I look forward to seeing your designs in action."

It took Shirley and her lisp about five minutes to relay Dr. Rothstein's information and get Brad and Megan's travel information; where they would be flying from, any unusual needs related to travel, any dietary restrictions and such. As he hung up with her, Brad was beaming. Someone had heard of his inventions. And not just someone, the owner of the largest company in the country. He stood to go tell Megan and Dr. Andi the exciting news.

Friday at 2 p.m Brad helped Megan out of the black car that had parked in the VIP parking in front of the huge gleaming glass building. It had been four hours since Brad and Megan had departed from the office to the airport, but due to the time change they had gained two hours. Their driver hurried around in front of them and held the door open as he said "welcome to Orthodontic Specialties Corporation." Brad had thanked him. Once inside the lobby Brad had turned in a circle admiring the spacious, modern and obviously expensive architecture. After taking it all in, he turned and walked over to the reception desk. There were two young ladies sitting behind the desk matched in similar black business attire. Both appeared to be in their late twenties to early thirties. One had bob cut blond hair and the other shoulder length brunette hair. As Brad and Megan approached both smiled at him. He noticed that not only was their hair different, the braces they wore were as well. The blond had clear ceramic brackets while the brunette had traditional metal brackets. Brad assumed they had to be Orspco brackets.

The brunette cheerfully said "welcome to Orpsco, how may I help you?"

Brad explained "I am Dr. Brad Miller. This is my wife Megan. We are here to meet with Mr. Thomas Williams."

The brunette, her name badge said her name was Lezlie, smiled and said "welcome Dr. and Mrs. Miller! Mr. Williams is expecting you. Lauren here will escort you."

The blond stood and made her way around the large reception desk. She smiled again at Brad and Megan and said "pleash follow me." As she had spoken, Brad had caught a glimpse of metal towards the back of her mouth, clearly they were metal bands. As they followed along, the young lady asked "how wash your flight? Ish there anything you need? A drink perhapsh? Or to ush the reshtroom?" From the young woman's lisp, it was clear she had some type of appliance in her mouth. He suspected an expander.

Brad said "no, but thank you." After a few more steps Brad asked "not to pry, but are those Orpsco Clarion brackets? How comfortable are they?"

The woman turned her head and again smiled before she said "the bracketsh are comfortable. They may be a little larger than the metal bracketsh mosht here wear. But honesthly, I forget I am even wearing them mosht of the time. But after three yearsh with them I guess that ish normal. Now this new exspander? I can't forget it ish there."

Megan replied before Brad "honey, I totally get that. I have enough metal bonded to me, wrapped around me, and screwed into me to build a car."

The woman replied "I noticed the halo. Did you have an accident?"

Megan replied "no, it is to treat my posture and is a part of my orthodontic treatment. It replaced my facemask."

The woman, Lauren, stopped in her tracks. She turned fully towards Megan and said "it is part of your orthodontic treatment? It replaced your facemask? I have to wear one of those at night." She went silent a moment before she added "oh God, I hope they don't expect me to wear one of those." She caught what she had said as soon as the words came out of her mouth. She turned a bit red in the face as she frantically replied "no, I am sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Not at all. It's just... I apologize."

Megan chuckled before responding "it is ok. It was a shock to me too when I got it. I am ready to get it off for sure. But really, it isn't the end of the world. I am actually pretty used to it by now. These new rods though, they definitely hurt."

Lauren asked "rods?"

Megan stepped over and pointed at her mouth. She said "these rods are connected from my halo to hooks on my appliance. They replaced my elastics. They are supposed to pull my midface forward. It certainly feels like they are."

Brad wrapped his arm around Megan and said "you are doing so well. I am so proud of you. You will be done before you know it." He turned his attention to Lauren and asked "how long are you supposed to wear your facemask every day?'

Lauren said "I am supposed to wear it 12 hours. But don't tell anyone, I pretty much just wear it when I sleep."

Brad said "that seems pretty normal. But are you making any progress only wearing it 8 or so hours a day? I have found adults need to wear headgear at least 14 hours a day to see any real progress."

Lauren sheepishly said "no, not really. But Dr. Rothstein really hasn't said too much about it." She then changed the subject and said "again, I am sorry. We need to be on our way. Mr. Williams is expecting you."

After taking an elevator to the top floor of the building and going past a security kiosk, Lauren opened a large oak door for them. As Brad and Megan stepped through the door Brad noticed how ornate everything was. In front of him was a large oak desk. Behind it was seated a woman with curly grey streaked hair. Upon seeing them, the woman smiled displaying the metal braces adorning her mouth. But what really caught Brad's eye was the facebow protruding from her mouth and the bright pink combination headgear straps she had on holding it in place. She exclaimed "you musht be Dr. and Mrsh. Miller! Welcome" She turned to Lauren and said "thank you dear." Lauren exited as the older lady turned her attention back to Brad and Megan. She said "Hi! I am Shirley. We shpoke on the phone. It ish a pleashure to meet you. They are waiting for you in the boardroom. Come." As she had been speaking, Brad could see the tongue crib that was responsible for her speech impediment. It looked huge, filling her whole mouth. He was surprised she could speak as well as she could. He knew she must have had it quite a while to be so comfortable speaking with it.

Brad and Megan followed her as she opened another set of oak doors. Brad showed Megan through the door and then followed. Once in the room, he saw an older gentleman in a black suit stand and step his direction. He said "Dr. Miller! Mrs. Miller! Thank you for meeting. I hope you had pleasant travels. I am Thomas Williams." He stuck out his hand.

As they shook Brad replied "yes, smooth sailing. Everything was on time. And the driver you provided was excellent. Thank you."

Thomas Williams gave him a big, perfect white smile and said "wonderful. Now, let me have everyone introduce themselves."

Brad looked at the others gathered around the long boardroom table peering back at him. There was one grey haired gentleman in a white coat. Brad would have assumed this was Dr. Rothstein even if he had not had his name embroidered on his coat. But what really surprised Brad were the three women seated around the table. They appeared to range in age from their late thirties to late forties, perhaps early fifties. All were dressed impeccably in professional business attire. But that is not what seemed out of place. No, what was unusual was that all three were wearing extraoral appliances. One was wearing a white petit facemask, one was wearing cervical headgear, and one was wearing interlandi headgear with two facebows.

The woman in the interlandi headgear stood first. She smiled at Brad and Megan, displaying a mouth full of metal brackets and at least a half dozen elastics. She said "hello, I am Susan Johnston, head of North American operations." She turned her head and gestured towards the table in front of her. Brad noticed that in front of her was a plaster model of a Miller appliance. Beside it was a Miller facemask and two silver facebows. She turned back and said "thank you for getting this turned around so quickly. I look forward to having my new appliance installed tomorrow." She looked at the other two women and Brad noticed they too had Miller appliances and Miller headgear laying on the table in front of them. Susan continued "I think all of us, if not excited, are at least curious about experiencing your new appliances. They are certainly beasts."

Brad said "I am glad you are excited. They really are revolutionary in my opinion. Yes they may seem a little overwhelming at first. But they work. And they are so versatile. They take some getting used to, but patients are able to adapt. Once they have, they are very manageable. And for patients that have trouble, there are several optional compliance features that are designed into them."

Mr. Williams said "no doubt. I am very interested to see them in action. And you may be wondering about the fourth treatment plan and appliance design you sent over. Like your wife, my wife also has a Miller appliance and full-time headgear in her very near future."

mr_90proof · « **Reply #220 on:** 17. July 2024, 00:57:52 AM »

Chapter Eighty-four:

The other two women at the table introduced themselves. The youngest looking introduced herself as Elyse Stevens, vice president of marketing. The other was Kimberly Ragsdale, vice president of sales. The final person to speak was Dr. Elijah Rothstein. He was Orspco in house orthodontist. During his introduction he mentioned he had known Brad’s father. He said it didn’t look like the acorn had fallen far from the tree. Once introductions were made, Tom Williams said “Dr. Miller, I am going to put you on the spot. Pretend we are all potential customers, other orthodontists. Sell us on why we should purchase and use your appliances.”

Brad spent over ten minutes on his pitch. His main focus was on the challenges that expansion and protraction have always been without the use of surgery, especially in adults, and that his appliances were the most effective tools on the market to address a wide range of treatment needs. He finished his sales pitch by opening his mouth wide and tilting his head back. Looking back down he said “I believe in it so much I am wearing one. As is my wife here.” He gestured to Megan, who smiled and gave a little wave. He continued “in addition, Dr. Andrea Bender, the associate orthodontist in our office, and most of our staff are utilizing them in their own treatments. The bottomline is these appliances are the most effective AND most versatile appliances on the market.”

Tom Williams said “they are very impressive. And I am sold. But, I want my team here to be on board as well. They will be the ones that have to manufacture, market and sell them. So, I would like to open it up for questions.”

The next thirty minutes most of the questions were from the ladies. Brad knew most of the answers off the top of his head. Some he told them he would have to get back to them on. Finally as the questions wound down Dr. Rothstein spoke up. He said “I only have one concern really. And that is how patients accept these appliances. They are quite conspicuous. They no doubt impact patient’s lives. Have you found patients accept them? Or have you lost patients because of them?”

Brad said “maybe I am just lucky. But so far, all patients in treatment that have received a Miller have remained in treatment. I have not had one demand the device be taken out of their mouth. There is no doubt the Miller appliance takes time to get used too. Especially for those patients that need a tongue crib. And I have had some patients decline to pursue treatment after their initial consult, but no more so than before I started utilizing these devices. So no, I have not seen it. But it is something that I too was nervous about. Dr. Bender and I had the discussion when she was struggling with her appliance. She has both a tongue crib and tongue rake integrated into hers, and she has elected to wear her headgear full time. It was hard for her, but she soldiered through.” He looked around the table and noticed Elyse Stevens staring at her own appliance and the large tongue crib integrated into it. He continued “But, that may also be why our patients are so eager and so compliant. My staff is incredible. They set such a good example for our patients with their own appliance wear.” He turned and looked around the table again before saying “I will be truthful, I was surprised to see you ladies all wearing extraoral appliances. Kudos to you for being so dedicated. I thought I was the only one that asked my patients to do so. I regret I didn’t wear mine, I normally do in the office.”

Tom Williams said “we offer free complimentary orthodontic care here. Most employees take advantage of it. My managers and vice-presidents are proud of the products we provide and many utilize them in their own healthcare. If they aren’t proud of our products, this is probably not the place for them. I think this is a good place to wrap up. I want to discuss this with my team here. I will have your driver take you back to your hotel to freshen up. He will pick you up at 6:30. I do have one request for both of you. A personal request. Obviously my wife Thalia knows she is getting an appliance tomorrow. She did after all get spacers installed on Wednesday. But she doesn’t know what. I would like to surprise her tomorrow. Just in case she asks this evening, I would ask you to play dumb.”

That evening, Tom Williams introduced Brad and Megan to his wife. She was tall, Brad thought close to 6’ tall, and strikingly beautiful. And probably 20 years his junior. She looked familiar, but Brad couldn’t place her.

During dinner, Thalia was talkative. During the dinner conversation, Brad realized why she looked familiar. Thalia de Valle had been a supermodel. She had been featured on a number of magazine covers, even the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover. Brad vaguely remembered she had seemed to disappear not long after getting married to an older business mogul. This had all been ten years or so before. Brad realized that is why she had seemed so familiar.

In addition to being very curious about Brad and Megan, she was also very intrigued by Megan’s appliances and halo. At one point Thalia had commented to Megan “you are so brave. I have been wanting to fix a few things in my smile. But I don’t think I could do what you are doing. Tom here has told me I am going to get a small appliance tomorrow, I am so nervous. So nervous. He has told me it is no big deal, but I don’t think I could deal with something that fills my whole mouth. I am claustrophobic AND have the worst gag reflex. Plus, I love to talk too much.” She said “I have so much respect for those that can do it though..”

As Brad looked at her, he thought of her appliance. It would fill her mouth. Her Miller appliance had upper and lower expanders, the upper utilizing eight tads. In addition to the standard locking telescopes her appliance also had an upper tongue crib and lower tongue rake. Because of this, he also had included an acrylic bite plate in her treatment plan. The final indignity would be the Miller headgear. Her’s would utilize both j-hooks and elastics. And Tom Williams had already indicated he wanted her to wear it full time. He wondered what her reaction would be.

He watched as Tom Williams put his hand on his trophy wife’s. He said “dear, I know you have mentioned you were interested in clear aligners to fix a few things. You have the most incredible smile already. Tomorrow we will make it even more incredible. Go ahead and enjoy dinner tonight and don’t worry about it.”

Thalia asked “so I am just getting clear aligners then?”

Tom Williams smiled back at her and said “I’ve told you it is a surprise. But it will be ok. Go ahead and enjoy dinner.”

The next morning, Dr. Brad sat up and took a breath. He had just finished installing his second Miller appliance and Miller headgear of the morning. He had started with Kimberly Ragsdale who was now looking on trying to come to terms with her own mouthful of metal and Miller headgear. He had just finished with Elyse Stevens. He asked “how does it feel dear?”

She replied “eh fees uge.” She went silent before replying “Eh cah tahk. Hah am ah gon work lah thish?”

Dr. Rothstein replied “you will be fine. Lisps at Orspco are common. Plus, your speech will improve. However, with the expanders, tads and tongue crib your speech will be impacted through your treatment.” He looked over and said “Susan! Your turn!”

As she took Elyse’ place in the chair he said “Susan, I am going to install your appliance with Dr. Miller’s assistance.” Thirty minutes later he said “wow, that was intense.” He looked at Dr. Miller and asked “how did I do with the tad installation?”

Dr. Miller replied “just fine.” He looked at the patient. She looked to be in a daze. He asked her “Mrs. Johnston, why don’t we sit you up? Rest a minute.” Dr. Rothstein had his phone out texting Tom Williams that they were ready for Thalia.

A minute later Tom Williams marched into the treatment room of Orspco. He was excitedly dragging Thalia along behind him. Seeing his management team seated shoulder to shoulder, miserable looks on their sore faces, he exclaimed “ladies! You look great! That headgear is incredible! Would you smile for me so I can see all that wonderful metal?” They gave him pained, forced smiles. He said “incredible.” He looked at Dr. Rothstein and asked “so, how did it go? Do you think these appliances will work?”

Dr. Rothstein said “absolutely. If the patient will agree to wear them. I am still not sure if they will.”

Tom Williams looked at his management team and said “I know they will wear them.” He turned and looked at his wife. There was a look of anxiety on her face. He said “dear, let’s get you your appliance and headgear installed.”

She looked at the ladies that had just received their appliances. She thought of Megan. She looked at the treatment chair. Finally she turned and looked at her husband with pleading eyes. She asked “honey, what am I getting? I thought it would be some little appliance and aligners?”

Tom Williams said “Dr. Rothstein, will you show my dear bride her appliance?” When Dr. Rothstein held it up, Thalia’s eyes went wide.

She said “no, I can’t wear that. No, I can’t.”

Tom Williams wrapped his arm around her waist and moved her over beside the chair. He said “yes, you can. If Dr. Miller’s wife can, and my management team here can, you can.”

It took twenty-five minutes to install her Miller appliance. For much of that time, tears had slowly been running down Thalia’s face. When he was done, Tom Williams reached over and dabbed her eyes. He said “you did good honey. Now, let’s get your plate installed.” Once it was in place, he said “that should be more comfortable. To be sure, we will lock your mouth closed”. Thalia obediently allowed for her scopes to be locked shut. Tom Williams smiled at her and said “the only thing missing is your headgear.” It took ten minutes to fit her headgear. He said “you look incredible darling. And to make sure you aren’t tempted to take it off.” He pulled a small luggage lock out of his pocket and locked it through the main strap of her headgear. He finished with “and there we are. Just perfect.”

He stepped back and looked around the room. First he looked at his wife. Then he looked at his management team. All looked miserable. He said “just amazing. Dr. Miller, I am sold. Let’s go talk some numbers.”

He looked at Dr. Rothstein and asked “I trust you can go over care and wear instructions for the ladies here?” Dr. Rothstein assured him he could. He gave Dr. Miller a big smile and said “how about we pick Megan up from your hotel and the four of us have lunch. The ladies can talk appliances, and we can talk dollars. Come on dear.”

Thalia looked wounded. She asked “lah theesh?”

Tim Williams said “yes, of course dear. You can’t hide away for the next five years.”

Thalia asked “fah yehsh?”

Tom Williams said “maybe. Dear, you have a complex case. We hope you respond to headgear and don’t need more extreme treatment. We hope with full time wear you might can be out of headgear in five years. But by then you may be so used to it you find you want to wear it. Come darling.”

As they walked out, Tom Williams said “Dr. Miller, please tell me about this Dr. Morales that you collaborate with. You mentioned that Megan’s halo and leg braces are her handiwork. I think I may need to schedule my Thalia here an appointment with her.”

mr_90proof · « **Reply #221 on:** 17. July 2024, 21:25:14 PM »

Chapter Eighty-five:

As Megan accompanied Brad to the waiting limo, she continued to be blown away by how first class everything was. From the elegant and modern headquarters of Orspco, to the luxury hotel suite they were staying in, to the fine dining the evening before, to now a limousine. The driver held the rear door open as Brad helped Megan into the vehicle, making sure she did not bump her head. As soon as she got situated in her seat, she looked across to see Tom Williams and his wife Thalia Williams sitting side by side, Tom's arm wrapped around her lower back. Megan immediately noticed her Miller headgear. She also noticed how sad and miserable she looked. Before she could speak Tom Williams said "how was the spa? Thalia says it is excellent. I hope you enjoyed it."

Megan smiled and said "it was incredible. Thank you so much. This trip has just been amazing."

Tom smiled and replied "I am glad you have enjoyed it." He looked at Brad and said "I don't know what your schedule looks like. But perhaps you two would like to stay an extra evening? Brad, I would like to go ahead and finalize some things before you leave. It should only take an hour or two. And while we are meeting, perhaps Thalia and your wife could do a little shopping? And you will have this evening to yourself. I can get you into any restaurant you would like. And you could see some of the sites, Sunset Cliffs, Coranado Beach, La Jolla Cove. Or you could just relax."

Megan shifted her body toward her husband and squealed "could we? Would your mom be ok with keeping the boys an extra night.? I miss them so much. But when will we have an opportunity again like this?"

Brad smiled at her and said "I am sure she will be. If you want to stay, then I want to stay." He looked at Tom Williams and said "thank you."

Tom smiled and said "my pleasure. And I admit I have an ulterior motive." He squeezed Thalia and said "Megan, could you give my Thalia here some pointers on her Miller appliance. I think she is just incredible with it. And I think she will be so glad she is doing this once she gets accustomed to it. But I don't think she appreciates it right this moment."

Thalia said "eh hursth."

Megan noticed she didn't open her mouth. She suspected that she had her mouth locked. Megan smiled sympathetically and said "it takes a few days to get used to. But I promise it will get better. The pain will subside. You will get more used to the tads, expanders, and tongue crib. Even the headgear and having your scopes locked. In the beginning, Brad kept mine locked as well. He would lock them before he left for the day and I would stay locked until the evening. It took about a week or two, but I became accustomed to it. This halo was a big adjustment, but I have even gotten used to it. Now I am working on getting acclimated to these new rods that replaced my elastics. But I know I will. It is just part of the process. You wear your headgear well though. It suits you. You still look like a model."

Tom beamed and said "she is beautiful isn't she? And she is a model. In fact, I think she would be the perfect face for Orspco's new Miller appliance and Miller headgear. Assuming we can come to an agreement."

Thalia didn't say anything. But Megan noticed she looked even more dejected. Megan said "really Thalia, you look great."

Thalia made eyed contact, a sad look on her face, her lower lip quivering. She just said "thah yah." She then put her chin down on her chest, defeated and dejected.

Once seated at their table overlooking the Pacific, Tom asked "do you mind if I order for the table?" No one objected. When the waitress came by, Brad noticed her gaze lingered first on Megan and then on Thalia. But she did not comment on the devices they wore. Instead, she asked if they were ready to order. Tom Williams ordered three surf and turfs, fillets and lobster tails, and one bowl of lobster bisque. He looked at the waitress and asked "my wife here just began orthodontic treatment this morning, what else do you have that would be easy to eat?"

The waitress was caught a bit off guard, a look of sympathy on her face. She said "oh you poor thing, I remember how much my mouth hurt when I got braces." She thought a moment before she said "umm, our mashed potatoes should be easy. Or perhaps our creamed spinach." She said "I am not sure what else."

Tom said "that sounds wonderful. Please bring those as well. And if you think of anything else, go ahead and bring it as well."

The waitress smiled a straight white smile and said "I certainly will." She then looked at Thalia and said "it will be worth it."

As their server finished placing the plates of food on the table, the waitress asked "does everything look good? Is there anything else you need?"

Tom surveyed the table and looked at the waitress. He smiled and said "it looks wonderful. I think all I need to do is unlock my darling wife's mouth." The waitress cocked her head, a confused look on her face. Tom responded "darling, your mouth?" Thalia looked like she wanted to crawl under the table. But she obediently turned and presented her mouth towards her husband. He apologized "sorry if this isn't appropriate table etiquette, but my wife also has to wear a bite splint. It is very important to her treatment. I need to unlock her mouth so we can remove it, at least while she eats. Or tries to eat."

Brad noticed that Tom Williams seemed to be relishing showing off Thalia. And her new appliances. Thalia was not relishing it. He also noticed a look come over the waitress's face as he reached in with the tool and unlocked the scopes on either side of Thalia's mouth. Brad thought it was a mix of curiosity and shock. Tom Williams glanced up at her and said "my dear bride here has a complex case. But we are going to fix everything." As he pulled the pink acrylic and wire plate from her mouth, he apologized "sorry about this, but it has to be done." The waitress was staring at the plate as he placed it into its retainer case. Brad saw the waitress then look at Thalia. She uttered "wow..."

Tom said "wow is right! My dear bride's appliance is amazing isn't it? Dear, show this nice lady." Thalia looked up and gave her a very slight smile. Tom said "no dear, show her your appliance." Thalia opened her mouth as Tom explained "she has upper and lower expanders. The upper is screwed into her mouth. Along with an upper tongue crib and lower tongue rake. Locking telescopes on either side of her mouth to not just work on her occlusion but also to ensure her plate stays in place. And obviously her incredible headgear. Doesn't she look incredible?"

While the waitress said "yes, she does” the look on her face said something different. The waitress said "it is certainly a mouth full. But it will be worth it. We have a restroom if you need to remove your headgear."

Tom gave her a triumphant look as he said "no need! My Thalia here is going to wear her headgear full time. Even eating. Isn't that right dear?"

Brad noticed the waitress's eyes grew wide as Thalia responded "yesh shir."

The waitress said "wow..." She took a moment to regain her composure and said "so, if everything looks acceptable, I will leave you to your meal."

As Tom, Megan and Brad enjoyed their meal, Thalia struggled. Megan noticed and said "it will get easier. Eventually, you will be able to eat fairly normally. I have just about the same thing in my mouth you do. And while I do have to cut my bites up much smaller than before, I manage. You will too. The next week or two will be liquids. But you will be able to work your way up to eating most things."

Brad said "I can echo that. Don't forget, I have a Miller too. Granted, I don't have the lower expander or any habit or tongue thrust components included in mine. But you will become accustomed to eating with it. Though I will say, if you feel the need for some extra nutrition as you adapt to it, some of my patients and staff utilize a feeding tube."

Tom Williams asked "a feeding tube?"

Brad replied "yes, a feeding tube. Or NG tube. For nasogastric tube. It goes in the nose, down the throat, and into the stomach. Two of my staff and two of our outside patients utilize them."

Tom Williams rubbed Thalia shoulders as he said "well then, we will definitely need to get my Thalia one. Is that something they do at Dr. Morales? Perhaps I should just go ahead and fly Thalia out to Dr. Morales this week."

Brad replied "um, yes, actually they do. Mona, that is Dr. Morales' head nurse, is the one who came up with it. She is my patient as well. It was her idea and she utilizes one herself. They certainly could show her how to do it."

Tom smiled and said "well that settles it. I will call Dr. Morales on Monday and see if she can squeeze my Thalia in. Perhaps you could put in a good word for me? And maybe I should come as well. To accompany my Thalia, but also to discuss this protraction halo brace. I am intrigued by it. But for now, let's talk about the Miller appliance and Miller headgear. I have a number in mind."

Brad nearly choked on his bite of food when he heard the number. He managed to swallow it before he said "excuse me? Come again?"

Tom Williams said "I would like to write you a check for $2 million dollars. And we will include stock options based upon how the product sells." Tom Williams misread the look on Brad's face. He thought he was having second thoughts. He continued "but this is an open negotiation. What is your counter offer?"

Brad was flabbergasted and taken completely off guard. He stammered "umm, I don't know. I... what about my other products? The Sleep Well Mask. And the facemask pads that Dr. Andi came up with?" Brad assumed that he wanted it all for the money he was offering. And Brad would gladly let him have them for $2 million dollars.

Tom replied "for now, I am just interested in the Miller appliance and headgear. Perhaps down the road I can make an offer for those products. But for now, let's limit ourselves to the Miller appliance and Miller headgear. It doesn't look like you are sold. So, what if I also bring you on as a consulting orthodontist for Orspco. At a salary of $100,000 per year. It won't really change your business. It will just require that you host a couple of continuing education training courses, on your appliances, per year. And you will find yourself with a lot more patients. You may find you need to expand. Finally, depending on how the reception to your product goes, you may find yourself a bit of a celebrity in the field. The name Miller may become synonymous with an appliance just like Swartz, Carriere, Herbst, Hawley, Delaire and Petit are now. What do you say?"

Brad looked at Megan. Her eyes were wide. He asked "what do you think partner?"

Megan blurted out "yes".

Brad turned back towards Tom Williams and said "you heard her."

Tom Williams beamed as he said "wonderful. Obviously we still have a lot of details to work out. But I think this is an agreement. Is it?"

Brad said "yes, I think it is." He reached across the table and the two men shook hands.

Tom said "we can work out the details after lunch."

As they were finishing up lunch Megan noticed poor Thalia had still barely touched her food. She said "it will get better dear. But you know what is still easy to consume? Wine." She looked at Tom and asked "would it be ok if I order a bottle? To celebrate?"

Tom smiled and said "absolutely. What a wonderful idea." He flagged down their waitress and ordered not one but two bottles, one each of their finest chardonnay and cabernet Sauvignon. Once he had ordered he said "that should help my poor darlings mouth too."

As the waitress poured the glasses, Brad said "I just thought of something. I already have a booth at the AAO convention. It is in less than two months. How will that work? I already told all my staff I would bring them. Sort of a working vacation. Will that still be ok? They would be so disappointed not to go I'm afraid. Do you want to include my booth in the Orspco booth? Is that even possible? I will be honest, this is all still new to me."

Tom Williams said "no, you will still have your booth. It is too late to pull out now. And not only can your staff attend, I will have Orspco foot all the expenses. I will want to feature your designs in our booth. But you will still have your own booth. I will want it to be manned by your staff. They obviously know the product. Do you anticipate some of them will still be in Miller appliances then? And for the ones that wear Miller headgear, will they be wearing it while in the booth? I think it would help draw attention and get people to stop."

Brad responded "yes, I don't think anyone currently in a Miller will be finished with it before then. Especially if you don't want them to be. Do you want our people manning the booth to have Miller appliances? And I hadn't even thought about whether they would wear their extraoral appliances in the booth. Would you like for them to?"

Tom replied "yes, to both. Again, I think it is great marketing. It is why we encourage our employees to pursue orthodontic treatment. I think it would be great if your employees in the booth have both Miller appliances and are wearing Miller headgear. I will also have a couple of Orspco employees there to help you. I will make sure they too have Miller appliances and Miller headgear." He rubbed his chin and said "in fact, I think it might be a good idea for all of our staff, whether working your booth or ours, to have them. That would certainly create a buzz at the show I bet." Brad watched as Tom again rubbed his chin. He said "I don't know if you know this or not, but I am also the owner of the Chargers. I am just thinking out loud here, but what if I had the Charger Girls show up to work the booths too. Of course, they would all need to have Miller appliances and Miller headgear themselves." He seemed to be speaking to himself when he said "yes, I think that would be a great idea."

mr_90proof · « **Reply #222 on:** 18. July 2024, 17:26:44 PM »

Chapter Eighty-six:

Tom Williams looked across the desk at Brad and said "Dr. Miller, I look forward to working with you. I expect great things from you and from your designs. Get those signed contracts back to me as soon as you have your lawyer review them. I completely understand you wanting to have them reviewed, I would too. Heck, one of our lawyers is who drafted them. I would however love it if you could have them back by the first part of the week. That will allow us to move forward. As I mentioned, I will have our events coordinator Cori get in touch with you about the upcoming show. She will make your life so much easier. I know how much is involved in planning and coordinating a trade show. With that, I thank you so much for your time. This is exciting." He stood and extended his hand.

As Brad shook, he said "thank you. I will get those contracts to you ASAP. I will also check in with Dr. Rothstein to make sure he doesn't have any questions. And also to see how everyone is doing with their new appliances and headgear."

Tom released Brad's hand and said "thank you. I am sure they will adjust. Even my Thalia. That does lead me to another thought though. I remember your wife's comment about not having this opportunity again. She seems to be enjoying her time here. With you on board now, I would like it if she would accompany you on your subsequent visits. That is of course if you and she would like to. She is a lovely woman obviously. But also, I think it might help Thalia to have a friend that has gone through the same thing she will be going through. Please be sure to tell her how appreciative I am that she spent this afternoon with Thalia."

Brad said "of course. But, I think she might be the one who needs to thank you. She does enjoy shopping. And the fact you were generous enough to tell her to put anything she wanted on Thalia's card may be a case of 'don't throw me in the brier patch'. I will go ahead and apologize if she bought a new car." He laughed as this last part was a joke.

Tom Williams didn't realize it was a joke and responded with "well if she did, she did. It would not be the first time a five-figure charge showed up on the card after one of Thalia's shopping trips. She is totally worth it though. And if it makes Thalia happy, then I am all for it."

Brad said "no, I can assure you that Megan would not do such a thing. Instead, I bet she has been even more conservative and hesitant to spend money than if it were my card."

Tom smiled and said "well, it sounds like at least one of our spouses is fiscally conservative. But like I said, Thalia is worth it. And with her new appliance and headgear, I feel I will need to do a little extra pampering over the next few weeks. Speaking of pampering, why don't you go meet your wife? I think we are done here for now. I will call their driver and let them know we are done. I will have him take her back to your hotel. And if it is ok with you, I will just drop you off at your hotel. It will give us a chance to talk further and get to know each other more."

As they pulled up to the hotel, Brad wondered if the timing was just coincidence or if Tom Williams had planned it. Because as they came to a stop, Brad could see Megan getting out of the black Lincoln Towncar stopped directly in front of them. With it's dark tinted windows, Megan couldn't see who was in the Navigator that had pulled in behind her. Brad just watched her. He enjoyed watching her when she wasn't aware she was being observed. She had a big smile on her face. He couldn't hear what was said, but she saw her laugh just before a feminine arm stretched out through the door and handed her a small bag. Brad knew this must be Thalia. He watched as Thalia climbed out and gave her a hug. Once she released her, Thalia actually gave her a smile. Or an approximation of a smile. Brad could see how awkwardly she had to move her lips. Brad hadn't realized that Tom Williams had also been watching the pair with rapt attention until he said "it looks like they had fun." He tapped the driver on the shoulder and he exited the vehicle and opened the passenger side rear door.

Tom Williams stepped out and loudly exclaimed "it looks like you ladies had fun." As he began to make the short walk in their direction, he asked "how bad is the damage?"

At this time, the driver opened Brad's door and said "sir."

As Brad exited the vehicle he thanked the driver and then walked over toward the trio. As he approached he heard Thalia say "eh deh spen musch. An ah hah ta may Mehan buy shomethin." (I didn't spend much. And I had to make Megan buy something.)

Brad watched as Tom hugged his wife and said "honey, I don't care how much you spent. As long as it made you happy. Did you have fun despite your mouth bothering you?"

Thalia said "yesh shir."

Tom said "see honey, this isn't the end of the world." He let go of Thalia and looked at Megan and asked "and did you have fun?"

Megan said "yes sir, so much fun. Thank you."

Tom replied "first, I am Tom, not sir. And thank you. Thank you for accompanying Thalia. I know she appreciates it. I hope you can do it again in the future."

As Megan replied "I would love that. But really, you are too generous. This is all too much."

Tom glanced at Brad as Brad stepped beside Megan and wrapped his arm around her waist. While she had not worn or brought her belt on the trip due to airport security, she had packed her corset which she had gotten laced into as soon as they had arrived at the hotel. He liked feeling it under her clothing. He thought of it as a present that he would get to later unwrap. Tom said "you are welcome. But it is not too much." He took Megan's hand and gently kissed it. He looked at Brad and then her and said "you and Brad are such lovely people. I am so glad you came. And I hope you will again. I have taken enough of your time though. Please, enjoy the rest of your stay." He looked at Brad and said "and we will be in touch as soon as I get those contracts back." He turned towards the two drivers of the vehicles and asked "would you help my bride move her purchases to the Navigator?"

Brad watched for just a moment before turning to Megan and whispering "kitten, would you accompany your orthodontist to your room? He needs to do a thorough examination of the patient. All of the patient."

She turned her body in his direction and grasped his hand with her free hand. She whispered back "yes sir. But be gentle." She then gave him a devious smile and added "or don't."

Monday morning, Brad was on cloud nine. As soon as Dr. Andi entered the office she found him and asked "well, how did it go?"

Brad gave her a big smile, his Petit facemask shifting slightly on his face as he did. He said "I don't even know where to start. Let's go to my office and I will tell you all about it."

Ten minutes later Andi said "oh my gosh. Brad, congratulations. This is so exciting. Maybe I can ride the coattails of a soon to be celebrity in the orthodontic field?" She gave a laugh before continuing "a couple of things though. One, I have already been considering prescribing a Miller appliance for Aubrey. Her removable appliances haven't been doing exactly what I want anyway. I will tell her at the end of the day. Hopefully she isn't too distraught. Second, I guess we really will be needing some additional help. Can I call my friend Abby and set up an official interview?"

Brad replied "absolutely."

Andi beamed and said "she will be so excited. Finally, what about Becky? She has so much already going on. She is officially your patient. But goodness, I would be hesitant to prescribe her a Miller right now with everything else she has going on."

Brad reached up and absently placed his hand on the chincup of his facemask as he thought. He said "you are right. For now, let's not say anything about it. Let's give her some time and see how she deals with her scoliosis brace. I will get your input on whether we even mention it to her. She really doesn't need a Miller, she already has the expansion she needs. She just needs to have a few teeth slightly shifted back and have her bite stabilized. For now, let's just table the idea."

Andi said "I think that is a good idea." She stood up and said "again Brad, congratulations."

Brad said "I can't take all the credit. You have been a part of this too. And you will continue to be."

That afternoon after they were done with patients, Aubrey was wrapping up for the day. She didn't notice Dr. Andi until she heard "hey Aubs, how are you doing with your new headgear? It looks cute on you."

Aubrey looked up a bit startled. She said "you scared me." She placed her hand on the frame of her headgear that outlined her face. She said "honestly, it is better than I imagined. I mean, it still feels a bit strange. But I am managing."

Dr. Andi gestured towards the chair in front of Aubrey's desk and asked "do you mind?"

Dr. Andi was already sitting down before Aubrey even responded. Andi looked at Aubrey and said "I knew it wouldn't be a big deal. And neither will this. Don't be upset, but I want to move you into a Miller appliance. It will replace your current removeables." Andi braced herself for Aubrey's reply.

Andi was surprised when Aubrey simply replied "ok."

Andi cocked her head and said "really, you are ok with it?"

Aubrey responded "yes." She thought a moment and asked "when will I get it?"

Andi replied "as soon as we can get it back from the lab. Would it be ok if I go ahead and scan you and get spacers installed this afternoon before we leave?"

After receiving her spacers Aubrey sat up in the treatment chair and asked "so, you still want me to wear my removeable appliances and headgear until my new appliance is ready?"

Andi said "yes ma'am, just keep doing what you have been doing until your appliance comes in." Andi was so glad that Aubrey was taking this so well. She didn't know why until Aubrey responded.

Aubrey looked at Andi and asked "when is Tim getting his?"

Andi responded "the same as you, whenever his appliance comes in. And when his schedule allows him to get in."

Aubrey looked at Andi and said "I have a favor to ask of you. I was already considering asking you about a Miller appliance for myself. I know you mentioned I might need one. I think you know Tim and I are seeing each other. It has gotten pretty serious. I want to do this with him. Can we get our appliances installed together?"

Andi squealed "oh my goodness. Yes! That is so cute!"

That night as Aubrey and Tim cuddled on the couch watching a movie, Aubrey said "my mouth hurts."

Tim squeezed her and said "I am sorry baby. Any particular reason why?"

She said "I got something new today." She turned her head and gave him a smile. Peering past the headgear on her face he didn't notice anything different. She then opened her mouth and pointed to her upper molars.

Tim saw the blue spacers and asked "oh baby, spacers suck. Why did you have to get them?"

Aubrey said "a Miller appliance. I am getting a Miller appliance. We are doing this together."

Tim looked into her eyes. He said "oh baby, that is so sweet. But you don't have to do it on my account."

Aubrey said "I want to do it. And that is not all I want to do together." She stood and took his hand. She gestured towards the hall that led to the bedroom and said simply "come."

That same evening at Jim's everyone had gone to bed. Mona and Becky had grown even closer over the previous week. However, Mona had been hesitant to push Becky or admit her feelings for her, despite the yearning that Mona felt for her. It had been hard on her sharing a bed with her, wanting to tell her how she really felt, but not doing it. But Mona cared more about helping Becky than she did indulging her own feelings. They were both turned on their sides facing each other, stiffly and awkwardly propped up on pillows.

Mona said "Becky, I am so proud of you. You have handled this all so well. I don't know if I have ever met anyone as brave or as strong as you."

Becky, who's speech had improved significantly, responded "I couldn't have done it without you." She went silent a moment just staring into Mona's blue eyes, becoming lost in them. She reached out and placed her delicate fingers on Mona's arm. She was scared, she didn't know if she had misread Mona. And she didn't want to ruin their friendship if that is all it really was. But she wanted to know if Mona was harboring the same feelings that were so confusing to Becky. Becky rubbed Mona's arm as she said softly "I just wish I could kiss you."

Mona blinked in surprise. She then exhaled. She reached over and gently placed her hand on Becky's cheek. She said "that is all I have wanted to do since we met." She gazed into Becky's eyes before saying "this stupid halo..."

Becky moved her hand off of Mona's arm and traced her finger around one of Mona's pins. Becky said "I am sorry you have to wear it. But it doesn't make you any less beautiful. Or any less desirable." She looked into Mona's eyes again and asked "will you touch me?"

mr_90proof · « **Reply #223 on:** 19. July 2024, 17:30:34 PM »

Chapter Eighty-seven:

After parking in one of the visitor parking spots of Willingham, Roberts and Bounds; Jim looked over at Tara. He knew she was nervous, this would be her first time showing her face in the office since she had started working from home. The trip was two-fold, she needed to pick up some files. And Beverly had asked her to come by to briefly meet with her.

Jim placed his hand on Tara's and said "it will be fine honey."

Tara stared straight ahead and replied "I know it will. I know that in my head. But that is not what I feel. I hate knowing the looks I am going to get. I can't blame them, I would stare too if I saw someone in the shape I am in."

Jim said "you mean the most beautiful woman in the world? You mean that kind of shape? I am lucky, I get to stare at you all the time."

Jim noticed a slight smile come to her face. She said "thank you baby. Let's get this over with."

After helping Tara out of the vehicle and onto her crutches, Jim shouldered Tara's bag and followed along behind her. He held the door for her as she entered the lobby. Tara was relieved to see the only people in sight were one of their security guards Harold and their front desk receptionist Julie. Upon seeing Tara, Julie's face lit up and she exclaimed "TARA! I've missed you." As Tara crutched in her direction, Julie stood and walked towards her. Upon meeting, Julie put her arms out and Tara stopped. Julie wrapped her in a friendly hug and said "it is so good to see you. I was excited when Mrs. Willingham told me you were stopping by. How are you doing?"

As Julie released her hold of Tara, Tara responded "I am doing a lot better. It's been hard though. And I have a ways to go."

Julie looked Tara up and down and said "well, I am sorry for that. But you look great. And we all can't wait for you to get back here. I don't know if Mrs. Willingham told you or not, but she did ask me to tell you that she wants to see you. I will let you get to it. But it is so good to see you."

After knocking on Beverly's door, Tara received a response of "who is it?"

Tara said "it's Tara ma'am." She could hear muffled speaking on the other side of the door. It sounded like Beverly was on the phone. Once it went quiet a moment, Tara heard a much louder "come on in."

As Tara entered the office, followed by Jim, Tara saw that Beverly was sitting behind her desk with her back to them. Beverly said "thank you for coming in." Beverly then spun in her chair to face Tara. Tara was a bit shocked. On Beverly's face was her Sleep Well mask, two white elastics stretching from it to her wide, bright white smile, only a thin silver wire running through the middle of her upper teeth. Beverly stood and made her way around her desk. Like their receptionist Julia, Beverly gave Tara a hug. She said "so good to see you dear. You look wonderful and it looks like you are getting around well. We have all been thinking of you. Please sit. If you need to prop your leg up, by all means use one of the chairs. I am sure your helper will be glad to help." She smiled at Jim and said "he looks like a very good helper."

Jim laughed and said "I try."

Once Tara was seated, her pink leg cast propped up in front of her, Beverly said "I need something from you today Tara. I need a balance sheet of where we stand financially on the campaign. And I would also like you to reach out to this list of donors, or potential donors, I have put together." Beverly slid a sheet of paper across the desk towards Tara. She continued "I don't expect you to be able to touch them all today, but I would like for you to speak with them and not their representatives if possible by the end of this week. I have put together a little spiel for you." She slid another piece of paper across. "You probably don't need it, but it helped me organize my thoughts as well. This won't be a problem will it?"

As she had been talking, Tara had been unable to resist staring at the Sleep Well mask on Beverly's face. Hearing the question, Tara said "no ma'am, not at all."

Beverly smiled and said "I knew it wouldn't." She then said "it looks like you have a question running through your mind. And I am guessing that question is why I am wearing my retainer and Sleep Well mask. Well, my TMJ joints have been a little stiff and achy lately, I blame it on all the stress from this campaign. My mask helps decompress my joints, so I have been wearing it some during the day when I am in my office behind closed doors. I am not embarrassed by it. Heck, you have seen me wearing it in public. I just don't want to give the press any red meat to distract voters from my message, The message of the next Governor of Texas."

Tara replied "Mrs. Willingham."

Beverly quickly corrected her "Beverly."

Tara started over "Beverly, you look beautiful. Elegant. Professional. Mask or no mask."

Beverly said "thank you. And the same is true for you as well. Speaking of which, and I don't want to put pressure on you, when do you think you will be returning to the office? I know you can work from home. But I also know it is more efficient to be in the office. Plus we miss seeing you. I miss seeing you."

Tara felt like she was put on the spot. And despite reassurances from Beverly that their wasn't pressure to return, Tara had felt it since the first day. Tara replied "um, can I have one more week at least."

Beverly said "you absolutely can. You can have as many as you need. But let me ask you, is it physical pain that would keep you from returning? Are you still in a lot of pain and on a prescription? Or is it something else?"

Tara realized that Beverly had read her like a book. Tara responded "no, I am not on pain medication anymore. Well, other than over the counter. And that is for my mouth, I am actively turning my expander morning and night. Well actually Jim is, but anyway. My leg doesn't hurt anymore. It just itches. And my halo pins aren't painful either. It's just..."

Beverly looked at her expectantly.

Tara said "it is just that I am afraid of all the looks and stares I know I will get. And the comments people will make."

Beverly said "Tara, people will be curious I am sure. But they won't stare. I promise. And people will not make comments. They certainly won't make them more than once. That too I promise."

Tara looked back at Beverly and read between the lines what she was implying. Tara said "thank you. But you don't have to protect me."

Beverly said "Tara, I do. I have to protect all of our employees. And soon I will have to protect all the people of this state. And I do it gladly."

Tara said impulsively "I will be back next week."

Beverly got up from her desk once again and made her way to Tara. She leaned down and hugged Tara. She said "that makes me so happy." Straightening back up, Beverly said "I can't wait. But until then, I am busy and you are busy. I will let you get what you need from your office. If you need help, let someone know. But it looks like your helper has strong shoulders." She smiled at Jim.

Jim said "thank you Mrs. Willing..."

Beverly corrected him "Beverly."

Jim said "thank you Beverly."

Beverly looked him in the eyes and said "no, thank you. Now you two git."

Tara put the phone down at 6 p.m. when Jim started rubbing her upper arms. He said "baby, you have put in a full day. We are about to eat. Why don't you call it a day and join us?"

As Tara entered the dining room she saw Mona and Becky sitting side by side. They were holding hands. Two days earlier, the pair had approached Jim and Tara privately. They had been very nervous as they explained that they had, as Mona put it, "grown very close over the last few days." She hadn't said that their sleeping together had moved beyond simply sleeping. But even without saying it, everyone in the house already assumed it simply from the way the couple spoke and acted around each other. Mona had continued, saying she didn't want to offend Jim or Tara, but if they were that they would move out. Mona said they could move back to Mona's, and she would figure out transportation.

Jim had assured her that neither he nor Tara were offended. He had added he would only be offended if they did move out, at least until Becky was out of her cast. Tara had hugged each of them. She had told them congratulations and how happy she was for them. And that had been that. Since that night, neither Becky nor Mona had been afraid to show affection towards the other in front of the rest of the group.

As Tara stiffly lowered herself into her chair, Marc placed a platter of baked flounder on the table. He was followed by Alex who set a bowl of sauteed spinach down beside the bowl of mashed potatoes that were already on the table. Marc then said very seriously "ladies and gentlemen, for dinner tonight we are offering peppercorn baked flounder with a butter sauce, accompanied by sauteed garlic spinach along with our homemade mashed potatoes."

Alex laughed and said "you are such a dork." As Alex took her seat she said "I apologize for him." It was a joke, and Marc laughed. He was the last to sit down. Once he was seated, Marc said "I would have never guessed I would end up being the cook for a hippy commune."

Alex rolled her eyes and said "see! See what I have to deal with."

Marc leaned over and nudged her. He said "I love you too baby."

As he looked around the table, Jim was happy. A few months ago he would have never guessed he would be living with five other people. He marveled at how strange life could be. But he also realized that sometimes life seemed to work out better than one planned it. He then looked at Tara, she had already gotten a plate of food. And while she wasn't able to eat like she was prior to getting her appliance and halo, she at least was now able to eat. All of the ladies were. He sat there looking at Tara.

She realized she was being watched and cut her eyes over at Jim, who was at the head of the table. She asked "what ish it?" She realized he hadn't even fixed a plate. She asked "what's wrong?"

He said "nothing is wrong. I just wanted everyone else to go first. Nothing is wrong. No, just the opposite."

she asked "are you sure?"

He replied "it is perfect."

She smiled back at him. He noticed she had a piece of spinach stuck in one of the hooks of her appliance. He thought it was adorable and he looked forward to helping her clean her appliance after dinner. He also realized something else. This was not perfect. Close, but not quite. He already knew that he loved Tara. But looking at her, her smiling back at him with a piece of spinach stuck in her teeth, he realized he wanted Tara to be his wife. Then and there he decided he was going to ask Tara for her hand in marriage.

mr_90proof · « **Reply #224 on:** 19. July 2024, 17:32:52 PM »

I know this story hops around all over the place. Really, there are three or four stories in one. I hope that is ok with everyone. It keeps me from getting bored with it like I have been apt to do with some previous stories.

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Author Topic: Tara’s Misaligned Jaw (or TMJ for short) (Read 54433 times)

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