Braces
Chapter 4 of Penitatas Diana
Diana sat as still as possible in the waiting room of the Dentist's office, her Mommy next to her reading one of the magazines.
It was difficult to sit still since her Mommy had spanked her with the hairbrush on the way over since she had complained about going to the Dentist, and her bottom was still sore from it.
Worst part was that her Mommy had told her to wait sitting down quietly, instead of letting her play with the different toys set up in the waiting room, as a continuation of her punishment.
However, she knew she had to see the Dentist.
She remembered when she had been little the first time. Diana had been diagnosed that she had needed dental correction, or her teeth would grow incorrectly.
This was easily fixed with a little laser reconfiguration of the mouth and jaw, a procedure that lasted no more than a few minutes with today's technology.
However, being rejuved to the age of six meant that Diana needed to have the procedure done again. And would have to repeat it every time she gets rejuved for the rest of her sentence as Penitatas.
"Dr. Lisi will see you now." Said the young receptionist to Diana and her Mommy.
Ruth grabbed Diana's hand, and lead the little Penitatas to the Dentist office, in there, they saw a man in his late thirties, wearing a lime green medical ensemble.
"Why, you must be little Diana. Take a seat so we can begin."
Ruth leaded Diana onto the Dentist Chair, and sat her little Penitatas daughter on it.
Dr. Lisi read the dental records of little Diana with a portable chip reader, then looked at the Penitatas girl laying face up on her medical chair.
"Hmm, it says here that you are to undergo dental correction treatment. Well, I guess that you are expecting a one time, short laser reconfiguration, but that will not be the case." Said the dentist. "As Penitatas, you will get an alternative procedure."
Diana's eyes opened wide, a look of worry on her six-year-old face.
She did know that when it came to medicine, Penitatas got a treatment different than others. She knew that, because she had treated a few Penitatas when she worked at the hospital.
When getting shots, Penitatas got them with old fashioned needles, and the injection was designed so it hurt and itched as much as possible.
When taking their temperature, Penitatas got a thermometer up their butt.
When taking medicine, Penitatas got special medicines that were designed to taste bad, and for the bad taste to linger in the mouth for a longer time.
It was designed to make it a very harsh childhood for them. Which, of course, was the whole point.
But she didn't know that it extended to other things as well!
What Diana didn't know is that if a Penitatas needed some kind of medical correction, then that too would be in a Penitatas version.
For example, if a person was short sighted, then a quick eye correction surgery with nanotechnology would fix it right up.
But a Penitatas didn't get that. Instead, they were made to wear old fashioned, Twentieth Century style glasses! And not only that, but the glasses were made with thick embarrassing frames, especially designed to make the Penitatas look like a bookworm. Plus they were also made so they would slip down the nose very often, so the Penitatas wearing them would have to slip them up several times a day, somethig that was very annoying.
If a Penitatas needed dental correction, then they would get
Diana's eyes opened wide and she started to cry quietly as she saw what Dr. Lisi was reaching for into one of the cabinets.
She had seen pictures of those things in old history books that showed how life was like in the Twentieth Century.
Braces!
Not the normal type, but big permanent ones!
Shiny, Metallic, BIG Braces!
Diana could do nothing as Dr. Lisi turned on the delta inducer on the head of the dentist chair, making the little Penitatas fall into a dreamless sleep, so he could begin the procedure.
.oOo.
Diana didn't know how long she had been asleep, but when she woke up, she was in the backseat of the hovercar, as her Mommy was driving her back home.
"Oh, Diana, you finally woke up." Said Ruth, as she saw Diana sitting up on the seat trough the rear view mirror.
As Diana sat up on the rear seat, she could feel something in her mouth, something painful.
Her new braces, she realized.
It felt as if something was pulling on all of her teeth at the same time, hard. Not only that, but Diana felt like her mouth was producing spit all the time, which bothered her since she had to swallow all the time.
Diana realized that she needed to see just how bad it was. She dreaded it, but she needed to know.
"Mommy, could I have a mirror please?" asked the little Penitatas girl, her new braces causing her voice to sound really funny. Which only embarrassed her even more.
"Sure dear, here you go." Ruth reached into her purse, which was on the passenger seat next to her, and reached for a small make-up kit with a mirror.
Diana took the make-up kit in her hands, and opened it. Then, with some hesitation, Diana opened her mouth and looked at it in the mirror.
The braces looked just awful! They felt as bad as they looked!
The wires were thick, and the screws were big!
It looked as if two heavy wires had been placed over her small white teeth, and fastened with industrial type screws!
The Braces were metallic, and shiny, and would be impossible to hide if she opened her mouth, or even talked.
And they hurt so much!
"So, how does your new braces feel like?" asked Ruth on the front seat.
"They really hurt Mommy." Replied Diana, the braces in her mouth causing her to sound funny, as many of the words she said seemed to slip.
"Well, Dr. Lisi said that it would take you a while for you to get used to them. But I have to take you back next week to have them refastened." Replied Ruth.
That little piece of information didn't put Diana at ease. Not a little bit. Suddenly, a scary thought crossed the mind of the six-year-old Penitatas.
"Mommy? How long do I have to have this braces?" asked Diana.
"Well, since you are growing up, you'll have to wear them till you turn fourteen." replied Ruth.
Oh no! Diana cried in her head.
Her sentence was from six to twelve! She would NEVER reach the age of fourteen while she was Penitatas!
That meant that she had to wear this big, embarrassing and painful braces for the rest of her sentence as Penitatas, since she was sentenced to serve all her rejuvenations as a hard timer!
That was sixty years! She had to wear braces for sixty years!
Diana sat on the seat, sobbing silently all the way back home.
