Coin Toss

On Saturday, little Johnny had a doctor's appointment. Johnny's best friend Leonard was going to tease him about being scared, until he found out that his mother made him an appointment for the same tetanus shot on Sunday. Leonard was at least happy that Johnny had to go first, so he could report back with details.

Dr. Rydell was new to the area, but he worked weekends, which was a lifesaver for the town's working mothers. That, combined with the fact that Dr. Rydell was young and incredibly handsome led more than one mom to schedule an appointment with the new doctor.

Saturday morning came around and Johnny nervously followed the doctor into an exam room while his mother remained in the waiting room. He nervously hopped up onto the table as Dr. Rydell assured him that everything would be okay. In fact, Dr. Rydell turned out to be the best doctor Johnny had ever seen. He was gentle and kind and told lots of funny jokes. When it was all over, Dr. Rydell gave him a blue neon band-aid and let him pick out three pieces of candy from the dish on his desk.

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Leonard was relieved to hear Johnny's account of what happened. He hated doctors, but it sounded like this one might actually be okay.

The next day, Leonard went confidently into the exam room, leaving his mother behind to wait.

"Go ahead and lay back," Dr. Rydell instructed.

Leonard complied, focusing mostly on the candy dish and trying to decide which ones he would select. Suddenly, Dr. Rydell looped a wide leather strap around his chest and arms, pulling it tight and securing Leonard to the table.

"What are you doing?" The boy yelled.

Dr. Rydell ignored him and secured Leonard's kicking legs with another strap across his shins.

"Help! HELP!" Leonard screamed.

"No one can hear you." Dr. Rydell asserted as he secured a third strap across Leonard's forehead, rendering the boy's head and neck immobile. "The walls are soundproofed. Your mother is just outside, and she won't hear a thing."

Dr. Rydell pulled a small metal wand out of one of the drawers. Leonard's eyes went wide as Dr. Rydell activated the wand, sending electrical current coursing through its tip.

"Do you know what pressure points are, Leonard? They're areas of the body that are particularly sensitive to pain. It's fascinating to watch people react when given a little shock."

He closed in on Leonard's immobilized form.

"Where should we start today? The inner thigh? Or kidneys? The groin is always a popular choice, but today, I think we'll start with temples."

Leonard body convulsed and a scream died in his throat as the wand made contact with his skin, sending electrical current racing through the synapses in his head. Dr. Rydell then moved the wand to the corner of Leonard's jawbone, jolting him once again.

"You know what the best part is, Leonard? None of this will leave the slightest mark on you. So when we're done and you're thinking of running to Mommy, just remember... you can't prove any of this ever happened."

With that, Dr. Rydell moved the insidious wand down to Leonard's defenseless abdomen.

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Just when Leonard's mother was about to ask what was taking so long, the door opened and Dr. Rydell escorted a wild-eyed, jumpy Leonard back out to the waiting room. Leonard's mother looked at Dr. Rydell with concern.

"Nothing to worry about, ma'am. Just a little scared of needles is all."

He rustled the boy's hair and knelt down to face him.

"That's okay... you were a trooper, weren't you Leonard?"

Leonard's mother thanked Dr. Rydell and took her son home.

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The next morning, Dr. Rydell woke up and got ready for work. Before heading out the door, he extracted a coin from his pocket and flipped it, eager for the result.

Would today bring the doctor... or the devil?



(666 words)