Disclaimer: Dragonball Z and related characters are copyrighted by Bird Studios/Shueisha, Toei Animation. Licensed by FUNimation Productions, Inc.

Author's Note:

There, it's done.
Here you go.
I know I post
far too slow.
There's just too much
to do so quickly.
So thanks for reading
and having patience with me. ^_^;

On Pins and Needles

Chapter 2: Let the Poking and Prodding Begin

It did not take long to reach the dentist's office, and before Goku could protest, he was sitting in the waiting room with Vegeta, who was quickly becoming bored. Grrrr, Vegeta thought. Can't screw around with Kakarot's head . . . can't spar . . . don't know how humans manage to work in this environment; it reeks of latex and sterilization . . . He expelled the air out of his nose, trying to rid himself of the scent. Tapping his fingers on his arm and looking for something to occupy his time, he randomly picked up a Highlights magazine from a rack next to him and flipped it open. He stopped at a page dominated by a large black and white image and looked at it in confusion. Hidden pictures? he thought with a frown. I don't see anything but a human child riding a bicycle. And the artist claims there is a whole list of items in it? Idiot. I may not be native to this planet, but I know what a spoon is, and I certainly don't see one in here. Grumbling at the frustrating picture game, he put the magazine down on his lap and switched his focus to Goku, who was looking through some of the information booklets on the table. Goku cautiously opened one on the treatment of periodontal disease and visibly paled.

"Give that to me!" Vegeta said, yanking the pamphlet out of Goku's shaking hands. "These things will just upset you, and then Bulma will blame it on me."

Goku could not get over what he had just seen. "T-that . . . what if . . . are they g-going to do that to me?"

Vegeta opened the booklet and pointed to one of the pictures. "Do your teeth look like this?"

"N-no . . ."

"Then don't worry about it!" Vegeta pitched the pamphlet across the room. Fortunately, no one else was in the room except the two Saiyans or Vegeta probably would have knocked someone unconscious. "Now, stop working yourself up and just relax. Those pills you took should be kicking in soon enough." Though not soon enough, it seems.

Goku took a few deep breaths and sat back, glancing around the room. "How can you be so calm, Vegeta?" he asked anxiously, wincing when he heard the whine of a drill emanate from another room. "Have you come here before?"

"Numerous times," Vegeta replied. "When you train like I do, you have a tendency to accidentally knock your teeth out and then discover that your son ate the last senzu bean. I can assure you that human dental practices are quite gentle. Now, back on our homeworld, on the other hand, Saiyan dentists did not believe in using Novocain." He smiled a bit and looked back down at the Highlights magazine. Well, damn it all, he thought in surprise. One of the tree limbs looks like a spoon. The human camouflaged it. Clever.

In shock from what Vegeta had said, Goku moved his mouth a few times, then managed to find his voice. "Um . . . I think I'm really starting to appreciate that I grew up on earth."

Vegeta chuckled in amusement and looked back over at Goku, smirking. "I'm sure you do. Would you like me to tell you what they did to Nappa when he had a toothache?"

Goku cringed away from Vegeta. "Uh . . . I, uh . . ." At that moment, a hygienist enter the room and said, "Goku?"

Goku looked up at the woman and smiled shakily. "Y-yes?"

"You're next." She turned away and started to walk down the hall. "Just follow me."

"Vegeta, please come with me!" Goku begged, grabbing Vegeta's arm. "They're gonna have needles and sharp things and they're gonna stick me and hurt me and— "

Vegeta had foreseen this and was not surprised by Goku's plea. "Get a grip, Kakarot. I will accompany you." He stood up and not so much escorted as dragged Goku down the hall to the room the hygienist had entered. Pushing Goku into the dentist chair in the middle of the room, he took a place off to Goku's side and leaned against the wall.

"Would you like a chair?" the hygienist asked Vegeta.

Vegeta crossed his arms. "I'm fine."

Shrugging, the hygienist took a seat on Goku's other side and gave the taller Saiyan a friendly smile. "So I heard this your first time to the dentist?" When Goku nodded, she continued, "Well, there's nothing to worry about. I'll explain everything, and you can stop me to ask questions whenever you want to, all right?"

Goku attempted a smile. "Okay."

The hygienist stood back up and started to take a few things out of the cabinets and set them up, including an array of wicked-looking tools. Goku widened his eyes and clutched the armrests of the chair.

"Darn," the hygienist said, "I'm out of gloves. Hold on, I'll be back in a second." She left the room. Goku started to get up, but Vegeta put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Don't even think about it," Vegeta warned, "or I'll beat you unconscious."

"Could you?" Goku asked, chuckling nervously. His eyes flicked back to the instruments that the hygienist had laid out. "Those look really sharp . . ."

Vegeta sighed. "Relax, Kakarot. She won't even use half of those things when she examines you and besides, they're not as sharp as you think. Now those pins they put in my jaw the one time are another story— "

"Pins?" Goku squeaked.

Hn, I suppose that wasn't the best thing to say. "Nevermind, Kakarot." Vegeta leaned across Goku and picked up one of the instruments from the tray. "Now, touch this. Does it hurt?"

Goku tentatively touched one of the points with his fingertip. "A little."

"How about this?" In a flash, Vegeta slammed his fist into Goku's gut.

"AAGH!" Goku exclaimed, doubling over and clutching his midsection. "Vegeta, that really hurt!"

"My point exactly," Vegeta said, placing the instrument back on the tray. "Whatever these humans do to you will never hurt as much as what I can do to you." He smirked at Goku and gave him a pat on the shoulder, then leaned back against the wall as the hygienist re-entered the room. "Just relax."

The hygienist put a new box of rubber gloves on the counter, washed her hands, and pulled on a pair. "Sorry about that," she said, sitting back down. "Everything still okay here?"

"Never better," Vegeta replied with a smile. Goku nodded uncertainly.

"Good." The hygienist fastened a paper napkin around Goku's neck and pulled her tray of tools closer to her. Picking up two of them, she explained, "Okay, Goku, these are the two main tools I'm going to examine your teeth with. This little guy has a mirror so I can see behind your teeth and this other one has points so I can scrape any plaque off your teeth— "

— and this is the needle I'm going to use to inject you with Novocain, Vegeta thought, remembering a previous appointment of his, and these are the pins that we're going to imbed in your jaw to hold the rest of your tooth in. Can't go around with only half a tooth, can we, Mr. Briefs? Vegeta rolled his eyes. The procedure would have taken half the time had the dentist talked less and worked more. And this hygienist seemed even more talkative. Vegeta had the feeling that this appointment would last well over an hour. Maybe he should have accepted the chair the human had offered him earlier.

Without warning, a pair of hands yanked Vegeta down and crushed him against a broad chest. The hygienist made a startled sound, and Vegeta shouted angrily, "Kakarot, what the hell's wrong with you!?"

Goku smiled sheepishly. "Uh, mind if I hold you, Vedge?"

"As a matter of fact, I do!" Vegeta squirmed out of Goku's grasp and backed up, brushing himself off and scowling.

"B-but she's gonna poke me now," Goku said, reaching again for Vegeta, who pushed his hand away. "Please?"

"It's okay, Goku," the hygienist said patiently. "This isn't going to hurt. Why don't we just try it for a little bit?"

Goku fidgeted, looking between the hygienist's friendly face and the instruments in her hands that looked so much like the hybrid offspring of needles and wood-working tools. "Uhhh . . ."

Dammit, we're never going to get out of here! Vegeta thought angrily. Maybe I could just knock the big lunk out cold, but the human will probably be upset by that, and then I'll have to answer to Bulma . . . He fumed at his situation. I guess I have no choice . . . Reluctantly, Vegeta extended his hand to Goku. "Here," he said, trying maintain a sense of dignity, "you may hold my hand if you so desire. Baka," he added.

"Wow, Vegeta, thanks!" Goku responded, taking the prince's hand and holding it tight. "I'm happy you came with me."

"I'm not sure if I can say the same about you," Vegeta muttered too low to be overheard. Addressing the hygienist, he said, "Do your work before he changes his mind."

The hygienist gave Vegeta a thankful smile and looked back at Goku. "Okay, are we ready now?"

Goku squeezed Vegeta's hand and swallowed. "I think so."

"Great. Now just open up . . ." Goku obeyed, and the hygienist started to examine him. "Good," she said as she worked. "You're doing great, Goku."

Off to the side, Vegeta rolled his eyes and attempted to stand in a comfortable position. The pressure steadily increased on his hand, but he did his best to ignore it. He had suffered far worse pain in the past, and besides, Goku was not even powered up right now and could do little damage to him. He was proved wrong the next moment when he suddenly heard a sharp crack and a bolt of pain shot up his arm. Before he could even verbalize his agony, he heard more cracking sounds and his hand suddenly felt like nothing but a mass of nerves stuck with pins. "Kaka-rot!" he cried, trying to pull himself out of Goku's grasp. "My hand! Oh Kami, you're crushing my hand!!"

"Just hang in there," the hygienist said soothingly.

"Who are you talking to!?" Vegeta asked incredulously. "Him or me!?"

* * *

Forty-five agonizing minutes later, the hygienist was finished with Goku. Vegeta lay on the floor beside the dentist chair, blind and half-unconscious with pain. The dentist entered the room the next moment to do his cursory check on Goku and raised an eyebrow in confusion when he saw Vegeta's prone form. "Is he all right?"

Goku smiled. "Oh, yeah. Veggie's just taking a nap; he got tired." He gave Vegeta's crushed hand a squeeze, and Vegeta whimpered in response.

Nodding somewhat uncertainly, the dentist turned to the hygienist. "So, how is our new patient?" he asked, walking over to the sink to wash his hands.

The hygienist handed him the instruments when he walked back. "He looks just fine. There's a small recess in one of his molars, though, that looks a little deep. You should probably check it out."

"Will do." The dentist poked around in Goku's mouth, which Goku had opened with little hesitation, feeling calmed by Vegeta's presence and undoubtedly also by the tranquilizer in the sleeping pills. "Hmm." The dentist poked around some more and furrowed his eyebrows together. "Yeah, that's a 'D' cary but it's small." He pushed down on Goku's tooth with the point of the explorer. "Do you feel any pain there, Goku?"

Goku gave a slight shake of his head, as his speech was currently impaired.

"That's good." The dentist withdrew and set his instruments back on the tray. "Well, except for that cavity, everything looks fine."

Goku became confused and worried. "Um, cavity? What does that mean?"

The dentist went back to the sink to wash his hands. "It just means that there is a small decayed spot on your tooth. All you have to do is set up another appointment with the receptionist, and when you come back I'll fill it for you."

Goku did not like the sound of that at all, and a few more cracking sounds from Vegeta's hand testified his fear. "F-fill?"

"Don't worry," the hygienist said, switching the overhead light off and swinging it away from Goku's face. "It's just a small one. Your tooth will feel a little funny, but it won't hurt."

Goku looked unconvinced but said nothing as the hygienist took the paper napkin off from around his neck.

"See you in a month," the dentist said, smiling and giving Goku a wave as he walked out the door.

"Uh, bye." Goku stood up, lifting Vegeta up and setting him down in the dentist chair. "Hey, Vegeta, wake up, I'm done."

Vegeta swayed unsteadily. "My hand . . ." he moaned.

Goku looked confused. "What?"

"I think you should probably let go of his hand," the hygienist said.

"Oh!" Goku released his grip on Vegeta, who slumped back in the chair, groaning. Goku and the hygienist helped Vegeta to his feet and moved him around to wake him up. After a few moments, Vegeta regained his senses enough to stubbornly pull out of their grasps and walk on his own.

Blinking back tears of pain, Vegeta turned towards Goku and the hygienist, carefully supporting his forearm with his good hand. "So, what's the verdict?"

"He did just fine," the hygienist said with a smile. "He just has a little cavity on his one tooth, so you should schedule another appointment for next month to get it treated."

Vegeta glanced over at Goku, who was wringing his hands nervously. Wonderful, Vegeta thought sarcastically. Nodding, he said, "All right." He turned to leave but the hygienist stopped him. "Is your hand okay?" she asked. "It looks swollen."

"It's fine." Vegeta tried wiggling his fingers and had to bite the inside of his cheek to hold back his cry of pain. He started tasting blood. "Just fine. Good day." Holding his head up proudly, he turned and walked out of the room, Goku following close behind. When they arrived at the receptionist's desk, Vegeta pulled out of his pocket the check that Chi-Chi had given Bulma earlier and handed it to the receptionist.

"Vegeta, they said I have to come back," Goku whined, fidgeting nervously next to the prince. "They said my tooth is decayed and they have to fill it."

"Let's see," the receptionist said, looking at her computer screen. "We have an opening on the twentieth at one-thirty in the afternoon."

"Vegeta . . ." Goku protested.

"Fine, sounds fine," Vegeta replied, ignoring Goku. He took the appointment card the receptionist handed him and walked towards the exit, Goku trailing behind him.

"Vegeta, did you hear what I said?" Goku asked frantically, almost tripping over a toddler that was walking around the waiting room. "Vegeta!"

Vegeta walked to his car and unlocked the door. "Kakarot, will you just relax? So you have a cavity. What do you want, a prize?"

Goku cringed at Vegeta's callous tone. "I'm sorry about your hand . . ."

Vegeta sat down and attempted to put on his seatbelt with his good hand. "Well, fortunately for you, I am ambidextrous." His hand slipped, and the seatbelt flew up and smacked him in the face. He began growling dangerously.

Goku reached over to help him. "Here, let me get that— "

Vegeta slapped him away and fastened the belt by himself. Goku waited quietly until Vegeta got the car started and out on the road before he spoke. "I don't understand what the dentist said. What is he going to do to me next month?"

Vegeta turned a corner. "He told you, you baka. He's going to fix your tooth."

"But how?" Goku said, becoming panicky. "Have you had one before? What do they do? Does it involve needles?"

Vegeta sighed in exasperation. "Dammit, Kakarot, you require more maintenance than a child! Yes, I've been treated for cavities a few times. It's not complicated. They give you a shot of Novocain, drill out the cavity, and then jam metal in the hole, all right!?"

If Goku had not been frightened before, he definitely was now. "WHAT?!? SHOT?!? They're going to give me a shot and d-d-drill— " He gripped his seat so hard that his fingers tore through the upholstery.

"Kakarot!" Vegeta shouted, glancing over at the damage. "Cut it out! These are leather seats!"

Goku shook his head frantically. "No, no, no!" he cried, his voice rising as he pictured his future situation in living, screaming color. "I'd rather fight Buu again! Or Frieza! Or Cell! Or all three at the same time!"

"Kakarot!" Vegeta threatened. "If you jump out of this car, I swear I'm going to run you over!"

"Nooo! Anything but a needle! Needles and drills and sharp pointy things— they're gonna hurt me, they're gonna, gonna— " His words became lost in rapid gasps for air. Soon enough, Goku was hyperventilating and unable to speak at all.

Vegeta glanced quickly over at Goku while he drove, sensing something wrong about the taller Saiyan. "Kakarot, calm down before you pass out!"

Goku leaned forward, hands on the dash, and started to swallow between breaths. "V-v-vegeta, I t-think I'm g-g-gonna throw up . . ."

Vegeta's eyes shot wide. "Not in the car, baka!" Quickly, he pulled a sharp left into the parking lot of a supermarket and parked next to one of the grass islands. Turning to Goku, he began to kick the other Saiyan with his foot as Goku fumbled with the door handle. "Out, get out!"

Goku finally managed to open the door and fell to his hands and knees on the grass. Vegeta cut the ignition and sat, waiting. Goku's breathing started to slow after a few moments, and contrary to Vegeta's fears, he did not throw up.

Vegeta began to tap his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. "Well, are you finished now, Kakarot? Can I finally get home and return to my training?" When Goku did not respond, Vegeta lost his patience. "Damn you!" He got out of the car and stormed over to Goku. Bending down, he grabbed Goku by the back of the shirt and pulled him off the ground. Before he could rip into Goku's self-esteem, though, Goku looked up at him, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I'm sorry, Vegeta," Goku apologized. "I felt so sick . . . I . . . I feel stupid now . . ."

"And rightly so!" Vegeta said, dropping the other Saiyan back on the ground. "Look at you! The most powerful fighter in the universe rendered helpless by the mention of needles! Do you realize how pathetic that is!?"

Goku kept his face turned towards the ground and said nothing.

"There are only two of us left," Vegeta continued, "and you're making our entire race look like a bunch of idiots! All our foes have to do is show up dressed like nurses and you would go running in the opposite direction! And don't think that I'm the only one embarrassed by you— your sons, my son, Krillin, Bulma, and everyone else you consider to be friends and family are! And you— YOU— should be the most ashamed of this, and if you're not, then you're an IDIOT!" He was boiling over now; the feelings that he had repressed gushing forward. "Do you understand that!? Do you!? Are you even listening to me!?" Furious, he kicked Goku over onto his back and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him up to eye level. "Kakarot!"

Whimpering, Goku looked up at Vegeta with tears running down his face and an expression that took the Saiyan prince aback. It was so frighteningly familiar, it was—

Vegeta had floated in the air, looking down at Frieza, who just smiled mockingly at him. No, this isn't possible, Vegeta had thought. I gave Frieza everything I had . . . and nothing, nothing touched him. I don't understand . . . unless . . . maybe I'm not really a Super Saiyan . . . Despair and shame filled him, and he clenched his jaw, tears spilling out of his eyes and running down his face. He's been toying with me . . . I'm a goner . . .

"Are you ready, Vegeta?" Frieza called from the island, smiling cruelly. "Shall we begin?"

Vegeta blinked back to reality and dropped Goku, biting his bottom lip in pain at the memory. The humiliation, the shame, the despair, and the fear he had felt then had been overwhelming; even now he could remember how bad it had been. Especially the horrid feeling of helplessness. The knowledge, the terrible realization that he would suffer a long and painful death at Frieza's hands . . . that had shook him to the core. And now . . . now he saw the same expression on Goku's face. And he realized that it did not matter what Goku's fear was caused by, or how little Vegeta thought of it; the fear was present and very real.

Vegeta licked his lips and took a deep breath. "Kakarot, I— " he fidgeted a bit, then forced himself to come right out and say it: ". . . I'm sorry. Perhaps I was a bit overzealous in my description of dental treatment. Because the human said that your cavity was small, Novocain is not necessary in your case. You can undergo the procedure without it, and you still should feel nothing."

Goku sniffed and wiped his eyes. "You mean they won't give me a shot?"

"No."

Goku looked slightly relieved but still very far from relaxed. "B-but they're still going to d-drill, aren't they?"

Vegeta gave a small shrug. "It must be done, Kakarot. You have no choice." When fresh tears began to spill down Goku's cheeks, Vegeta continued, "But it won't take long. It will only be a small hole, and then the filling . . . they put in some sort of liquid composite that hardens in time. That's it."

Goku wiped his eyes again and looked up at Vegeta. "I still don't want to go, Vegeta. I don't . . . I'm scared."

Vegeta inwardly growled. Damn, now what am I going to— Getting an idea, Vegeta sat down in front of Goku and attempted a friendly smile. "Hey, Kakarot, let's say that right now, a foe ten times stronger than Buu just suddenly landed in this parking lot. What would be the first thing you'd think about?"

Goku seemed confused by the change in subject but answered anyway. "I would worry how much damage he'd do to the earth."

Vegeta held back a sigh of frustration. "No, what would you think, how would you feel, standing across him?"

Goku shrugged and smiled a bit. "I would feel excited."

"Of course!" Vegeta said, pleased. "Everyone else on this planet would be afraid, running for their lives, but you would be facing the enemy head-on, eager to fight, and I would be right beside you. And you know why?"

Goku furrowed his eyebrows, confused.

Vegeta continued without skipping a beat. "Because we're Saiyans! In our veins flows the blood of the ultimate warrior race! We thirst for battle, for the thrill of testing our strength against another opponent, for the rush of mortal combat, and ultimately, to ever become stronger! But, above all things, it is the challenge that we love! The pure, raw challenge! No Saiyan can resist one, no matter what it be, can he, Kakarot?"

Becoming excited, Goku shook his head in agreement.

"And that's how I want you to view your appointment next month!" Vegeta, standing up and grinning. "As a challenge!"

Goku became confused. "You want me to beat up the dentist?"

Vegeta's face fell, but he quickly recomposed it. "No, I want you to march into that office, endure the incessant whine of that stupid little drill, and come out all the stronger! It's a challenge, Kakarot! A test! A test of your nerves, your endurance, and your self-control! And just like in any other battle— " he gave a slight bow, "— I shall be right beside you."

Goku looked at him, smile widening, then leaped up, renewed and energized. "Yes! I'm gonna do it, Vegeta! I won't back down! Next month, I'm gonna go to the dentist!" He pumped a fist into the air, then froze. "Wait, what am I saying?"

Sighing, Vegeta grabbed the taller Saiyan's arm and steered him back into the car. "Remember the challenge, Kakarot. It's a challenge." And it's definitely going to be one for me, too. What have I just gotten myself into?

"Challenge . . . challenge," Goku repeated to himself. "It's a challenge . . . gonna be stronger for it . . ." He looked over at Vegeta as the prince got back in the driver's seat. "You really promise to come with me next month?"

Vegeta painfully refastened his seatbelt with one hand. "Yes, Kakarot, I promise."

"And you'll hold my hand?"

Vegeta looked at Goku incredulously, thinking that the other Saiyan had to be kidding, especially after what he had done to Vegeta today. However, Goku looked quite serious. Vegeta sighed. "We'll see."

Goku obviously interpreted Vegeta's reply as a "yes," because he smiled happily. "Wow, thanks, Vedge. Bulma's right; you are my best friend."

Vegeta shuddered, feeling his skin crawl as he drove towards the exit. He started to say something but heard his stomach unexpectedly rumble. An idea hit him. Hn, should I? he thought. Oh, what the hell. "Hey Kakarot, are you hungry? I saw an-all-you-can-eat buffet back along the road and— " he whipped a credit card out of his pocket, "— I swiped one of the woman's cards before we left."

Goku put his arms in the air gleefully, dentists, drills, and cavities forgotten. "Whee! Food!"

Vegeta smirked and pulled the car out onto the road. "Just make sure you leave room for your mate's dinner tonight."

Goku laughed and clapped Vegeta on the back. "Are you kidding? I never run out of room!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes in exasperation. It was a rhetorical statement, you idiot. He decided to hold his tongue, though, and just let the other Saiyan enjoy himself. Vegeta, too, wanted to enjoy the time he had left before next month. After all, although Goku would be the one in the dentist chair, if he held Vegeta's hand, Vegeta knew that he would need Novocain for himself.

Vegeta shook his head, sighing, and drove to the buffet.

* * *

Aw, wasn't that nice of Veggie? And if you think about it, considering this was the first time in his life that Goku went to the dentist, having only one little cavity is pretty damn good. Onto the epilogue, then! :)