Gary lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, jaw throbbing in a slow, rhythmic pulse that felt less like pain and more like a warning. Not a dramatic one. No flashing lights or dramatic countdown. Just a dull, insistent reminder that something in his mouth had gone badly wrong and was now determined to make that everyone’s problem—starting with his.

He shifted slightly, wincing as the movement sent another wave through his face. The room smelled faintly of stale beer and regret. On the bedside table sat a half-empty bottle of supermarket whisky, several blister packs of painkillers in various states of depletion, and his phone, face-up, glowing accusingly with the last thing he’d searched.

“Dentist near me.”

He’d closed the tab immediately after seeing the prices.

Gary wasn’t scared of dentists. That was the lie he told people. The truth was simpler and more embarrassing: he hated paying for things that reminded him he was an adult. Dentists, plumbers, and car repairs all lived in the same mental drawer labelled Things That Can Probably Wait.

The tooth had started as a mild annoyance days ago. A twinge when he drank something cold. A warning shot. Gary had responded the way he always did—with optimism, denial, and alcohol. Now it had escalated into something more organised. Something with intent.

He rolled onto his side and pressed a hand against his cheek. The pain dulled slightly, just enough to let his thoughts wander. That was when he remembered what Dave at the pub had said the night before, somewhere between the third pint and the argument about crisps.

“There’s this new girl been coming in,” Dave had slurred. “Proper fit. Dentist as well, apparently.”

Gary had laughed at the time. Now, lying in his flat with a tooth that felt like it was actively plotting against him, the idea resurfaced with dangerous clarity.

A hot dentist. A pub. A problem that needed solving.

It wasn’t a plan yet. Just a thought.

But Gary had always been good at turning bad ideas into commitments.

The pain throbbed again, as if urging him to decide.

Ignore the pain and self-medicate → Turn to Page 2

Look up DIY tooth fixes online → Turn to Page 3

Go to the pub to distract yourself → Turn to Page 6