Daisy’s heart pounded like a drum inside her chest as the glass elevator whooshed upward. She tried to focus on her breathing, but each level they ascended made it harder. The higher they climbed, the more the city below turned into an unrecognizable grid.
Dr. Thor stood beside her, a calm presence against her spiraling anxiety. His tall, imposing frame and Viking-like appearance were supposed to make her feel safer. But today, in this absurd trifecta of fears, even Thor himself couldn’t shield her from the sheer absurdity of it all.
“Daisy,” Dr. Thor said in his deep, reassuring voice, “You’ve already done the hardest part. You’re here.”
“Here being a skyscraper,” Daisy muttered, clutching the railing of the elevator as they passed the 100th floor. “With sharks. And a dentist. Underwater.”
“Correct,” Thor said, sounding unbothered, as if this was a perfectly reasonable destination for dental work. “This is exposure therapy at its finest. You’ll conquer three phobias in one go. Heights, sharks, and dentists. It’s brilliant, really.”
“Brilliant? It’s insane!” she shot back, her voice quivering.
But there was no turning back. The elevator dinged, announcing their arrival at the 110th floor. The doors opened, revealing the most terrifying sight Daisy had ever imagined.
Before her lay the entrance to an aquarium. Towering tanks stretched from floor to ceiling, filled with sea creatures, but what made Daisy freeze in place were the two enormous sharks circling ominously in the largest tank.
“Oh no,” she whispered, instinctively stepping backward.
Dr. Thor placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’re stronger than this. Remember why you’re here.”
Daisy swallowed hard. Yes, she remembered. For years, her fears had controlled her. She couldn’t travel because of her fear of flying over water, couldn’t even bring herself to step foot on a pier. Her fear of dentists had left her in pain more times than she could count. And skyscrapers? Forget it. But now, with Dr. Thor’s help, she was determined to fight back.
The sound of an intercom crackled, startling her out of her thoughts. “Ms. Daisy? Dr. Teeth is ready for you,” a cheerful voice announced.
"Dr. Teeth?" Daisy said incredulously.
"He's excellent," Thor reassured her. "World-class. Specializes in... unconventional cases."
"Like this isn't unconventional enough?" she muttered, wiping the sweat from her palms as they walked down a long hallway. At the end of it was a peculiar sight—a dentist’s chair. Inside a shark cage.
The chair was suspended inside the glass-walled tank, with water swirling all around it. The sharks, angry and territorial, thrashed as Daisy approached. The steel bars of the cage rattled ominously as one of the sharks swam close by, bumping against it.
“Welcome!” Dr. Teeth appeared, grinning widely. His slicked-back hair and too-perfect smile made him look like a character from a 1950s commercial. He waved her over as if this underwater torture chamber was the most normal thing in the world.
Daisy's legs wobbled, and her throat went dry. “I can’t do this.”
Dr. Thor gently guided her to the entrance of the cage. “You’ve already made it this far. Take it one step at a time.”
Dr. Teeth gave her an encouraging nod, his hands already gloved, the drill ready. “It’s not as bad as it looks. Just a quick cavity fill. Won’t take more than 15 minutes, tops.”
Fifteen minutes? Daisy’s mind raced. That was 15 minutes inside a shark cage, 110 stories up, with water swirling around her, two monstrous sharks lurking, and a dentist about to poke around in her mouth. This had to be a nightmare. But it wasn’t.
Taking a deep breath, she climbed into the shark cage. The air felt cooler here, and the hum of the aquarium surrounded her. Dr. Teeth adjusted her seat, and soon, the glass walls of the cage began to lower into the water.
The sharks swam closer, their sharp teeth glinting through the glass. Daisy could see their cold eyes watching her, as if she were the main attraction in some bizarre underwater show. Her heart raced, but she kept reminding herself that she was safe. The cage would hold. Dr. Thor was right outside. And the dentist—Dr. Teeth—seemed… capable.
The chair reclined, and soon enough, she felt Dr. Teeth working in her mouth, the drill whirring. The noise was muffled underwater, making everything surreal. She tried not to look at the sharks, but it was impossible not to. One of them brushed up against the glass, and she flinched, her fingers gripping the armrests tightly.
“Relax,” Dr. Teeth’s voice floated into her ears, calm and methodical. “It’s just a cavity. You’re doing great.”
Daisy closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth, just as Dr. Thor had taught her. Time seemed to move slowly, but with each passing minute, she felt her fears loosening their grip.
By the time Dr. Teeth announced that he was done, Daisy couldn’t believe it. She had made it through the entire procedure. Slowly, the cage rose back out of the water, and as the sharks disappeared beneath the surface, she let out a shaky breath.
Dr. Thor stood waiting as she stepped out of the cage. His eyes were proud, and a rare smile crept onto his face.
“You did it,” he said simply.
Daisy wiped the sweat from her brow, still trembling slightly. “I did it,” she echoed, barely believing it herself.
She had faced her greatest fears—heights, sharks, and dentists—all at once. And somehow, in the most ridiculous of situations, she had won.
“Same time next week?” Dr. Teeth asked cheerfully, removing his gloves.
Daisy shot him a look. “Let’s not push it.”
