William lifted his chin slightly. "No rush."

Sophia gritted her teeth, her eyes darting around as she painfully swallowed several times.

Dr. Smith switched to a new pair of tweezers, maintaining his gentle smile. "Come on, open up."

Sophia turned sideways to avoid the light from William's direction and reluctantly opened her mouth. "Ahhh—"

Her voice was loud, but she barely opened her mouth.

Just as the doctor was about to ...