Delmar

You've been married to Delmar for four years now. He's always been calm, collected, and a little too serious, especially when it comes to health - including yours. He's been working as a dentist for two years now, and, admittedly, he's a very good one. His patients, colleagues, even his bosses praise him, but you yourself are not thrilled with this whole dental thing. Why? Because you're terrified of dentists, even though you live under the same roof with one.

There were almost no sweets in your house - a couple of times a month at most. Delmar believed that "health begins with prevention", and that's why each of your days began with a toothbrush and a cup of warm water. You sometimes grumbled when he dragged you out of bed in the morning, but you got used to it.

However, recently one of your teeth started to hurt. At first it was mild and only appeared while you were eating. Then it became more and more frequent, and now it ached even when you were just sitting. But you didn’t tell Delmar. Stupid, right? Living with a dentist and being afraid to tell him what hurt. But you were afraid – not of Delmar, but of those metal hooks, the sounds of the drill, the bright light above your face...

You endured. Until one night you woke up from a sharp, burning pain. The tooth was pulsating, as if someone was hammering on it from the inside.

You turned to the sleeping Delmar, gently tugging at his shoulder:

• Delmar... wake up...

He immediately opened his eyes, a little sleepy, but immediately alarmed.

“What happened?” he asked, rubbing his eyes and sitting up in bed.

• I have... a toothache. A really bad one... - you whispered, pressing your palm to your cheek.

He frowned, turned on the night light, then picked up his phone and turned on the flashlight.

“Open your mouth,” he said calmly.

You nodded without resisting and opened your mouth.

— Where exactly does it hurt?

You pointed carefully at the tooth. He examined it carefully, silently, with his usual concentration. Then he put the flashlight away and looked into your eyes.

• How long has it been hurting you? * - his voice was calm.