The Dentist: Chapter Eight.

"What about her?" Nail asked, pointing at a woman jogging along the path with a large Labrador. Piccolo shook his head and frowned. The woman was at least the twelfth one that Piccolo had easily rejected, though all the candidates had been young and good looking. Nail often voiced how picky he was, but Piccolo merely ignored him.

"I hate dogs." He took off his glasses and cleaned them, wondering how he had allowed himself to be drug into this. He rubbed his hands together after he put his lenses back on, shivering from the frigid air. "Look, this is ridiculous. Can't I just go home?" Piccolo complained, but got a firm punch in the arm from his brother.

"No. You need to prove that you still have the nerve to talk to a woman. Right kid?" Nail turned to Sarah, obviously looking for back-up.

"Right. A retired samurai can lose his skills if they are not practiced regularly." She stated philosophically, taking a bite of her ice cream. She smiled and watched her dangling feet above the concrete, the rest her small form on the park bench. Piccolo scowled at her and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"What do you know? You're eating freakin' ice cream when there's snow on the ground." He groused. Nail rolled his eyes and looked at the girl hopelessly.

"He gets so touchy when he's on his period."

"Shut UP!" Piccolo growled, slapping his brother's bare head. "Quit saying that!"

"Quit acting like it! Geez, this is high school all over again." Nail muttered, covering his eyes. Sarah raised an eyebrow quizzically at the pair.

"What do you mean?" She ventured, poking Nail in the side. He snorted and looked at her, with what Piccolo liked to call his 'story telling' face.

"Well, this one time back when Pic and I were about, what, seventeen or so? Anyway…"

A large, green skinned man in a suit walked in the room, a look of worry on his face.

"You boys sure you'll be all right while I'm away?" He checked his watch and headed towards the door.

"Sure, Pop. Everything will be fine. Damn." A younger Nail grinned and held up his father's luggage. "Piccolo and I will probably just go to the game tonight and sleep in tomorrow. Nothing big." He said smoothly as his father accepted his suitcase.

"I want the house in one piece when I get home, Nail." Piccolo Senior said darkly, giving his son a look that could melt steel. "I'm not here to talk to Sikes…"

"Pop, you worry too much about nothing." Nail said in exasperation.

"No, I worry from experience." His sire glowered, opening the door. "Tell your brother to call me later."

"Fine." Nail said, rolling his eyes as his father randomly pulled opened his son's mouth and stared down his throat, checking for signs on inflammation.

"I just remembered that there's something going around. If you get it-"

"I know, Piccolo is sure to follow." Nail rehearsed, closing his mouth with a snap, nearly catching his father's fingers in the process. "Pop, we're not damn five year-olds…"

"Really now?" Piccolo Senior scoffed, walking to his car. "Prove it. When I get back Sunday, have the house in this condition. I mean it, Nail. I don't want calls from the damn police at three o'clock in the morning asking me to come bail you out."

Nail rubbed his ear and smiled. "Now I see where Piccolo gets the drama act. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Nail watched as his father stared at him with doubt, finally getting in his car afterwards. He smiled largely as his sire rolled down his window and glared at him.

"ONE piece, boy."

Nail ran upstairs as soon as Piccolo Senior had pulled out of the drive way. He practically flew into his brother's room, grinning largely, once again. Piccolo gave him a wary look that seemed to say 'keep me out of it.'

"Piccy, can I borrow your car?" Nail asked sweetly, hugging his brother tightly around the waist. "It's an emergency."

Piccolo snorted and pushed his sibling away. "No. We both know why the old man took your keys in the first place."

Nail smiled innocently. "Accidents happen. Besides, you can't refuse your baby brother when he's in need," he said in a whiny voice, making Piccolo wince.

"You're a few seconds younger than me, moron." He put down the magazine he was reading and glared at his twin. "How long will you be?" He asked in an annoyed, defeated tone. Nail waved his arms around happily.

"Under half an hour, promise." Piccolo glared at him suspiciously before reaching in his pocket and pulling out a set of keys.

"If anything…ANYTHING happens to that car, I'll personally kill you. Actually, I'll just wait for Pop to get home."

"You always act like such a PMS-ing female." Nail remarked as he quickly took the keys and leapt to the door, followed by Piccolo's shoe.

"Don't wreck it, dumb ass!" He shouted, wondering how he let his brother con him into doing whatever he wanted.

Nail's head popped in a moment later, smiling wickedly. "Thanks, Piccy. You'll always be my favorite bitch." He ducked as a book was chucked at him and waved good-bye. Piccolo sighed and collapsed on his bed.

"I hate him."

"So Piccolo just let you take the car?" Sarah asked, eyes wide.

"Yup. See what I mean? He's not assertive at all, and just whines about his predicament. It's always been like that." Nail shrugged and leaned against the back of the bench. "It's time to stop that crap right here and now. This shit is getting ridiculous."

"Yeah!" The kid agreed, throwing a fist in the air. "You'll thank us one of these days, Picster."

"Whatever." Piccolo muttered as Nail and Sarah talked avidly of Piccolo's social problems.

"He depresses people, for one thing. I think that's a major problem. All he wears is black! Although I know he shouldn't wear red… It looks bad on him." Nail said, looking at his own crimson tie. Piccolo stared at his brother, dumb-struck.

"What the hell? We're TWINS, stupid. It looks the same on both of us!" He said loudly, receiving several stares from die-hard joggers. Piccolo never could understand how people could exercise in such weather. Nail insisted that this was the place to find athletic women who could put up with him, though.

Piccolo spoke in a lower tone, glowering at his double. "Besides, black is just a general color. It goes with everything, so I never mismatch."

"I knew it, you are SO gay." Nail taunted, getting an elbow from Sarah.

"Leave him alone, Nail. Black's cool. I personally like to mismatch, though…" She gestured to her feet, which held flame-adorned Converse high tops, and pants, which were short, baggy jeans. "I get dressed in the dark, most days."

"Do you EVER wear full length pants?" Piccolo asked, looking at her bare calves. He could see the tiny goose bumps on her pale skin and shivered. "I'm getting cold just looking at you."

"Then quit staring, ya perv. Besides, you're the one who keeps your office at a comfortable 55 degrees!" She sneered, getting a chuckle from Nail. "Seriously, I get a little panicked in long pants… When I can't see my legs I feel claustrophobic."

"…" Piccolo just stared at her, his eyes semi-closed. His expression said it all.

"Shut up! You're the one who's afraid of color!" She yelled, slapped Piccolo's arm. "It's not easy always feeling anxious, you know. My friends taunt me, making things all uneven, after I PURPOSEFULLY made them in a straight line…" Her left eye began twitching convulsively. "Natalie just HAD to knock my napkins off the table, onto the dirty floor, where billions of bacteria lay, harboring plans for world domination…"

"Ahem." Nail coughed, bringing the girl back into the present.

"So anyway, colors shouldn't breed headaches. Just wear darker things." Sarah said simply, clearly amongst the living again.

Piccolo sighed and stood up. "In any case, it's getting dark. You better get home." He said sternly to the girl in his best parental voice.

"Fine, fine." She stood up and ate the last part of her ice cream cone. "But Nail is going to keep me posted." She stood still for a moment, though, looking perplexed.

"Is Nail short for something?" She finally asked, appearing baffled. "It just seems a bit odd for a name."

"Nope. My old man was going through a weird time, I guess." Nail shrugged, sticking his hands in his jacket. "Oh well. Could be worse."

"Yeah, he could've named you Pinkus." She grinned and waved at the brothers. "See you guys later!" She skipped down a path, singing a song with incoherent words. Piccolo sighed and covered his eyes with his hands.

"I wonder about her sometimes… No, all the time." He said, freeing his optics. "But I guess I'm a little touched."

"HA! Oh, sorry." Nail said, looking away. "I just thought of a joke, but it's not very nice, so never mind." Piccolo raised a brow at his twin.

"I'm not even going to ask."

Piccolo had taken off his glasses when he got home, noticing he had something on them. He walked into the kitchen and got a cloth out. He put some lens cleaner on it and walked back into the den, sitting on his recliner by a lamp. Nail walk in, talking on his cell phone. Piccolo tried to block out the conversation, but couldn't help but overhear the words spoken by his brother.

"I know, I miss you too… No…No. He's having one of those times, and… Yeah, I know it's been a couple of days…" He chuckled at an unheard comment, but sent a glare at Piccolo when he realized he was listening. "That sounds tempting, but… Ok, I will…I…" He covered his mouth a little as he said the last part, though Piccolo knew what he said, and scoffed loudly.

"You lie."

"Shut up." Nail said, throwing a pillow from the couch at his brother. "She's going to make me eat those three words later, I know it." Nail carefully looked at his brother, trying to gauge the mood he was in. "Piccolo, have you really thought of the reason it didn't work out between you and Lila? I know this isn't the best time, but you've got to think about it some time. You know?"

Piccolo shrugged and went back to his glasses. He couldn't seem to get this piece of dirt off.

"But I've been thinking, Piccolo." Nail continued, despite his brother's lack of interest. "What if, and I know you don't want to hear this, but what if that kid wasn't yours? I mean, think about it. Lila had been wanting kids, right? Doesn't make sense that she-"

Piccolo was furiously rubbing his glasses with even more-glassy eyes. Nail continued, though, feeling the need to finish his thought.

"If the kid was Phil's, it was going on long before you knew about it, right? Then what she said shouldn't get to you at all. You had nothing to do with the problem. It's completely her fault, so-"

SNAP

Piccolo threw the broken pieces of glass to the floor, his fingers oozing purple blood.

"Shit! I don't CARE, Nail! It could've been Michael Jackson's kid. I still would've…" He bit his lip and shut his eyes tightly. "I still would've raised him as my own." He stood up and went into the bathroom, wrapping up his fingers in gauze bandages. He came back into the room a moment later, his eyes red.

"You think I hadn't THOUGHT about that possibility? Of course I have, you idiot! It didn't matter to me… I was ready then, and could have lived with the knowledge…" He slammed a fist into the wall, clearly close to a break-down. His voice cracked as he continued his rant. "I bought this house because Lila insisted we would need the space. 'The children', she said, 'would need room to grow.' BULLSHIT! It's become a damn prison to me! There's way too much space here for me, and it's like living in an empty hotel. Don't TELL me it's not my fault like I'm some damn child needing to be consoled. I would be a lot better if you and that damn kid just let things go, and let me suffer alone!" Piccolo bit his lip harshly as he sank into his couch beside Nail, who patted his back quietly.

"It's ok, Piccolo. We know it's hard… That's why we want to help you. We don't feel sorry for you, man. We like you, and are just trying to lift you out of this ditch." Piccolo rubbed the back of his hand against his eyes and let his head fall into his free hand, feeling defeated. Nail continued talking in the same soft tone, not wanting to agitate his brother again. "You're not alone, no matter how much you want to be. I've only known the kid for a couple of days, but I already know that she's not going to let you die like this. She's going to spend her waking hours trying to help a friend. You fall into that category now, bro."

"I guess." Piccolo sniffled, sitting up against the back of the couch. "Thanks, I think."

"Hey, no problem. What are little brothers for?" Nail teased, rubbing his sibling's bald head. "I'll tell you one thing… They drive their older, genius brother to the eye doctor to get another pair of glasses." Piccolo looked at the floor and smirked. The shards of glass seemed to wink at him through the light, making him chuckle slightly.

"I guess that would be a good idea." He admitted, getting up to fetch a broom. He halted after a few seconds, though, and turned to Nail. "I acted like such a little bitch, didn't I?" He asked in an embarrassed tone, rubbing the back of his neck. Nail shrugged it off, smiling.

"Nah, don't worry about it." Piccolo grinned and left the room, allowing Nail to sigh and mutter under his breath. "But I wouldn't be caught dead being such a damn pussy."

-

Piccolo woke up the next morning feeling groggy. Nail had some weird sleep habits, even when they were kids. One thing he had never stopped doing was sleep walking. Piccolo woke up about two o'clock in the morning to find his brother cuddled to him in the spoon position. He had, of course, kicked him out in disgust. Nail woke up soon afterwards on the floor, cold and confused. After Piccolo had explained the odd situation, Nail went back to his room and locked the door, adding a chair to the knob for extra precaution. Piccolo hadn't been able to sleep very well after that, needless to say. But the sun was pouring into his room, and it was high time he got up. He needed to get out quickly before his appointments started and buy some new specs. Nail had joked about him drilling a kid's teeth blindly. The image had left Piccolo in stitches for a few minutes.

Piccolo got up and popped his back, starting the usual routine of his day. However, he remembered that Nail was not an early riser and tended to sleep until noon. He smiled as a picture of their adolescence popped into his mind.

"Nail, get out of bed right NOW! The tardy bell rings in ten minutes!" Piccolo Senior rumbled through the closed door of Nail's room, pounding on it for good measure. The man was quickly loosing his patience. He opened the door and found his son sleeping with a pillow over his head, oblivious to the rants of his father.

The older man yanked open the shades of his son's windows, and tore off the covers of the bed. Nail shivered and felt for the blankets. Finding none, he took off the pillow, only to be blinded by the morning sunlight.

"Damn it!" He yelled, shielding his eyes against the blare. "You could've knocked!"

Piccolo had been leaning against the frame of the door, smirking in amusement. "It's no good for your hangover, bro."

Nail stood there in his boxers shivering and glaring at his brother. "Shut up."

Piccolo's smile threatened to spread as he reached one of the never used guest bedrooms, knocking sharply on the wood paneling. After a few seconds he came in, finding his brother buttoning his shirt.

Nail looked at Piccolo and grinned, shaking his head. "I'm way ahead of you, bro. Get a shower and some clothes on! You've got some new glasses that need picking up." Piccolo turned around and exited the room in shock, heading back to the master bathroom. Had his brother been replaced with a cybernetic clone?

-

Nail hummed as he drove Piccolo to the eye doctor to get his prescription glasses. He approached a stop sign, and seeing no one around, easily coasted through it. Piccolo could see the red shape, though, and glared at his brother.

"Stop signs aren't a suggestion." He said, frowning. "Cops like suburban areas, you know."

"Not this early they don't." Nail smirked, looking at his brother. "Quit being such a back seat driver. Just because you drive like an old lady doesn't mean everyone has to." Piccolo attempted to see the MPH of the car, but only saw fuzzy shapes.

"Slow down." He said anyway, pretending he could see the numbers. "This is a residential area!" Nail rolled his eyes but decreased his speed a little, making Piccolo smirk this time.

'He isn't completely different.' He thought smugly, leaning back in his seat.

When they arrived at the clinic, Piccolo sighed in relief. He thought they wouldn't make it there alive. Nail had cut off two trucks and one Civic, nearly causing several collisions and receiving several more fingers. Nail had laughed it off, saying the people needed to get out more.

Piccolo unbuckled his seat belt and looked at Nail, who was leaning back in his seat, eyes closed.

"Aren't you coming in?" Piccolo asked, brow raised. Nail grinned and shook his head 'no', sliding open one obsidian eye to stare at his brother.

"You kidding me? It's boring as hell in these places. Might as well get a little sleep, since I had to wake up so damn early." Piccolo shrugged and looked at his watch. It was only eight thirty.

"Ok, I'll be out soon." He opened his door, only to hear the loud scraping of metal hitting metal. He groaned and covered his eyes, knowing he had just dented the crap out of someone's car. "Shit. Nail, how bad is it?" He asked weakly, not wanting to see the damage he had caused the other vehicle so early in the morning. Nail peered over his brother's shoulder, wide awake now.

"Oh damn… Uh, let's just say your morning ain't starting out too well."

After leaving his insurance information and phone number under the windshield wiper of the car, he and Nail (who no longer wished to be in the culprit car) went inside the new building. Piccolo went to the front desk and filled out some forms, and was told to wait in the reception area. He sighed, knowing how his patients felt now. When they had sat down in plushy chairs, Nail nudged him in the ribs.

"Why are you getting tested again? Don't they already have your prescription?" Piccolo nodded but frowned.

"I need a stronger one, I think. I've been getting a lot of headaches lately, and I think this might be why." Nail shrugged and opened a magazine left on one of the small tables.

"Could be." Was all he said, though, leaving his brother to himself.

Piccolo nodded and looked ahead, taking in the appearance of the room. It was a starkly clean, well-managed room with tasteful color schemes of dark red and crème. Piccolo was surprised at the décor of the place, since it was, after all, merely a clinic. He glanced over at Nail, wondering if he had noticed the room at all. Nail turned the page of his magazine, his eyes heavy lidded with boredom. Piccolo took that as a no. He tapped his finger on the small table to his left, feeling anxious to get started. He had an appointment at ten fifteen, so he was in pretty good shape. Since he was terribly wearied, he mentally reviewed the procedures he needed to do for the canine extraction he would undergo. He couldn't concentrate, though, because of the incessant chatter of the secretary on the phone. Her gossipy tone reached his ears, making him glad his own secretary only did that while he was in his office, where he couldn't hear the entry going-ons.

His fingers tapped a little harder on the polished surface of the table, really wishing his appointment would come soon. He watched the hands of the clock tick by, mocking him with the tiny ticking sounds they made. His right eye twitched in annoyance. How everyone just LOVED to remind him his life was slowly ticking by as he watched helplessly. The receptionist grew louder as the conversation apparently grew increasingly interesting. Piccolo looked back to Nail, hoping to start conversation. Nail merely turned a page again, looking just as bored as he had when they came in. And so the cycle raged on: Secretary, clock, turning pages. Piccolo felt so frustrated that he nearly walked out of the room when a cheery voice pierced his ear drums.

"Mr. Damioh!"

He looked up to see a man adorned in bright purple beaming at him. He held a clip board in one hand, keeping the door open with the other.

"Mr. Damioh, right? The doctor will see you now." He chirped, smiling as Piccolo made his way uneasily through the door. Nail winked at Piccolo before he left, mouthing 'perfect match'.

Piccolo, now fully flustered, walking down the hall with the chipper young man. His eyes were happy behind his tortoise shell glasses, making them seem even larger and shinier than they were. He smiled encouragingly at Piccolo and pointed down the hall to an open room on the left.

"Good luck, sir!" He said in a sing-song tone, walking into another section of the hallway. Piccolo rolled his eyes and sighed in relief. That guy made him nervous.

He walked down the hall until he reached the doorway leading into the room. He stepped inside and sat down on a chair. He observed his surroundings for a moment before the door was pushed open further, bringing in the doctor.

Piccolo's jaw nearly dropped when he saw the doctor. Her hair was tied back loosely at the nape of her neck, though it was apparent it was done in a hurry. The color was a deep auburn shade, which looked untouched by highlights of artificial streaks. Her skin was an ivory tone with no visible flaws. What struck Piccolo the most, though, were her teeth. Perfect, spotless, shining teeth that were as even as a line. They were obviously flossed regularly, Piccolo noticed.

"Mr. Damioh, is it?" The woman asked, smiling. She tugged down at her light khaki skirt and straightened her white medical jacket. "Man, it's been some morning. Sorry for the little wait, things have been kind of crazy for me today." Piccolo nodded, saying nothing. She had left him speechless.

He instantly felt ridiculous and turned away from her, focusing in front of him. He looked at the eye chart, unable to decipher hardly any of the letters. The doctor shook her head as she watched him squint, her smile reaching her eyes. Now that she was closer, Piccolo got abetter look at her face. A faint spray of freckles showered her small nose, andher eyes were a deep verdant hue, with faint flecks of yellow thrown in, as if by last minute decision. They looked soft, somehow, and kind. Not at all sharp or challenging, the way Lila's had been.

"It's been quite a day for me too." Piccolo finally replied, making the woman giggle.

"I guess so, sir. You waited almost two minutes before saying that." She laughed, handing him an eye covering. "Let's get you set up here. It seems as though you are rather near-sighted, correct? And you think you may need a stronger lens prescription, right?"

"That's correct, Dr…"

"Taylor. Iris Taylor."

"You're kidding." Piccolo stated incredulously, smiling wide. "Iris?"

"I know, it's a running joke. But eyes have always fascinated me, what can I say? My name just happened to match my profession. Now, hold that up to your left eye…" She pointed to the covering Piccolo was holding, then indicated the chart. "And see what line you can read to." Piccolo complied and red off the firs three lines.

"E, Q, F, K, L, M, G, U…O? Or maybe another Q…" He removed the covering, smiling wryly. "I have no idea now. I'd just be guessing."

Dr. Taylor smiled and nodded, bringing down the machine used for finding glasses matches. She pushed Piccolo's back, so he was leaning forward slightly into the contraption. Piccolo caught a faint whiff of her perfume as she walked around him again. It was a light fragrance, but very becoming. It reminded him of early Spring, for some reason. He shook himself mentally and looked ahead. He was thinking just the way Nail and Sarah wanted him to. They were probably the reason he was acting so stupid.

"Now, tell me which of these helps you see better." Dr. Taylor said, clicking the light on and adjusting the focus. "This," she clicked another set of lenses by, "or this?"

"The second one, I think." Piccolo said, trying to pay attention. Her voice was just as friendly as her appearance. It was not overly bright and cheery, but sincerely good-natured.

"The second one? Ok, how about now?" She clicked another round of lenses by.

"This one is clearer than the last one." Piccolo said. The doctor scribbled something down and continued the process of finding Piccolo's perfect match.

When they were all finished, and Piccolo's prescription had been given to the young man from earlier, Dr. Taylor and Piccolo continued talking. The dentist found himself disappointed. He and the doctor had started talking about their mornings while determining his new prescription, and had found that the young lady was as kind as she appeared. Piccolo finishing up his morning story, telling about Nail taking him there.

"That's nice that your brother would do that for you! It's good to see that some siblings keep in touch. Most people today seem to loose sight of what's really important."

"Uh, yeah! Too bad about that." Piccolo said nervously, chuckling. "Too bad he's a terrible driver."

"How so?" Dr. Taylor asked, smiling as she accompanied Piccolo to the get a new selection of glasses.

Piccolo picked out a pair that matched his previous ones and gave them to the young man, who winked and left in a flourish to bring him the exact prescription.

"Well, this morning when we were pulling in here, he got a little too close to another car, and since I couldn't really see too well, I didn't judge the distance very well."

"Oh no! Did you hit it with your door?" She asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah, unfortunately. I left my insurance and phone number under the wipers, though…" Piccolo said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I feel so bad about it. I probably just messed up someone's day, you know?"

"At least you were good enough to leave behind your information, though. Most people these days just leave the problem to the owner." Dr. Taylor said, shaking her head. "What kind of car was it, out of curiosity?" She asked as the assistant brought back frames for Piccolo. He tried them on and smiled. They were a perfect match. Piccolo scratched his head, a moment later, thinking about the question.

"I believe it was a Taurus. Um, blue, late model one." He glanced back at the doctor, who had covered her eyes with one hand.

"Oh man, this really isn't my morning." She said glumly, smiling sadly at Piccolo. The dentist felt all chances he had of getting to know her better fly out the window. He expected her to start yelling or something, but she merely shrugged and accompanied him to the front desk.

"I am SO sorry!" Piccolo exclaimed, putting a hand on his head. "Screw the insurance, I'll pay for it. Completely my fault. I am SO sorry." Dr. Taylor laughed, shaking her head.

"Mr. Damioh-"

"Piccolo, please." He blinked, unable to believe he had just said that.

"Piccolo. It's just a car. Nobody was hurt, and that's what is important."

Piccolo couldn't believe his ears. Nobody was that forgiving this early in the morning. No one!

"Still, I'd feel better if you let me get it fixed, doctor." He said, smiling weakly. "It's the least I can do."

The doctor sighed and conceded, returning Piccolo's smile. "You are very generous, Piccolo. And it's Iris." Piccolo mentally did a victory dance as Nail came up to the front desk, wide eyed. He mouthed a quick 'damn!' before Iris turned around, surprised.

"Oh! You didn't say he was your twin." She said, laughing. "I guess you're the driver that responsible for our dilemma."

Nail looked at Piccolo and grinned sheepishly. "Guilty."

"Well, like I told Piccolo, it's really no problem. Just be careful from now on." She said in a mock stern voice, making Piccolo laugh. Nail's eyes shot to his brother, unbelieving. They were on a first name basis already!

Piccolo grinned at his brother's confusion and turned back to Iris. "Don't worry, now that I can see again, there won't be any problems like this for a while, anyway."

"That's almost too bad." Iris said, writing her something on the back of her card. "It was nice meeting you, Piccolo."

Piccolo stared at the number given to him in shock. He nodded dumbly and grinned.

"You too." Was all he could say.