Tony was always busy.

Work. Meetings. Deadlines.
He told himself he didn’t have time for small problems.

One morning, while brushing his teeth, he noticed something strange.

Blood.

Just a little at first.

He rinsed.
It stopped.

“It’s nothing,” he said.

Days passed.

The bleeding became more frequent.
His gums felt tender.
Sometimes there was a metallic taste in his mouth.

Still, Tony avoided the dentist.

“I’m not in pain,” he told himself.
“It will go away.”