h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have had some weird ones happen to me, but the weirdest has to have been about 6/7 years ago. It was August Bank Holiday weekend (I remember it distinctly) and I had the most awful toothache. I hadn't eaten anything other than painkillers all weekend, and they were starting to stop working, I hadn't slept, and my face had swollen up... pleasant, I think not.

Anyway, I decided to face my fears (bite the bullet, so to speak!!) and actually go to the Dentist (being a big old feartie when it comes to all things dental). So I phoned them - by now it was the Monday morning and they were closed, so all I got was their answering machine, telling me to contact an emergency number.... I called the emergency number, left a message, and sat there, hot water bottle stuck to side of face (trying to alieviate pain), waiting on the phone to ring....

Thankfully they phoned me back, and after a quick over-the-phone diagnosis (Me: I can't eat or sleep, I've got a LOT of pain.... Dentist: OK, you've got toothache), it was arranged that the dentist would be at the surgery at 2pm, as he had another emergency patient to see. "OK, see you at 2pm," he finished, "and bring someone with you in case you're woozy from the anasthetic...".

Panic.... boyfriend at work, parents on holiday.... only person left is my elder (by 4 years) brother, who stays 2 miles away, close to the surgery. Promptly phoned Brother dearest - "What are you doing at 2pm? I've got to go to the dentists, meet me there!". "OK", he says, kind of slowly, and puzzled, "I'll see you outside".

Time drags on, but at least I can see light at the end of this rather painful tunnel now....

2pm rolls around, I've dragged my poor wee pain-riddled self down to the dentist's to find my brother there, looking equally pain-riddled. Odd, I think. "OK", he says, "what are you getting pulled?". I point to my left hand lower jaw, telling him its the molar, 2 in front of my wisdom tooth. He smiles - which is difficult for someone with toothache. Yep, you guessed it, big bruv had same toothache as me!!

End result: 2 identically placed teeth pulled from 2 siblings, 1 slightly bemused dentist ("Well, I did think it was a bit odd that you had the same surname" - especially as our surname is quite unusual).

This is either a coincidence or a statement of the fact that my brother and I both fail to take proper care of our teeth!!

I prefer the coincidence theory myself....