Gary snapped his book shut and was off his bed in an instant. "Wait, wait, wait—no! You're not going anywhere, sit down."

Ash, wide-eyed, hesitated before slowly lowering himself onto the bed. His tiny hands fiddled with the hem of his shirt. "S-Sorry, I—"

Gary held up a hand. "No apologizing. You said your teeth hurt?"

Ash nodded hesitantly. "Y-Yeah... It's all achy and weird..."

Gary frowned. He wasted no time in grabbing his little first aid kit from under his bed—his grandpa always said it was better to be prepared for anything.

Ash watched nervously as Gary snapped on a pair of way too big gloves.

Gary flexed his fingers, grinning proudly. "Okay! Now, open up!"

Ash shrank back slightly. "Wh—now?"

Gary tilted his head. "Well, yeah, unless you like having sore teeth?"

Ash groaned, but he reluctantly parted his lips a little.

Gary huffed. "More."

Ash let out a tiny whine but obeyed.

"Good, good," Gary muttered, squinting as he leaned in closer. He gently placed a gloved hand under Ash's chin, tilting his head slightly. "Hmmmm..."

Ash blinked nervously. "Hhmmmm?"

"Shh, don't talk yet," Gary mumbled, reaching for a tiny flashlight.

Ash grumbled something unintelligible but stayed still as Gary carefully shined the light into his mouth.

Gary squinted, gently prodding Ash's gums with the pad of his finger. "Any of this hurt?"

Ash flinched slightly. "Mmhm."

Gary's frown deepened. He carefully ran his fingers along Ash's jaw, pressing lightly. Ash winced when he touched near the back.

"Aha!" Gary exclaimed. "Found the problem."

Ash whined, shifting uncomfortably. "D-Do I have a disease?! Am I dying?!"

Gary snorted. "No, dummy, you're not dying."

Ash huffed. "Then why does it hurt?"

Gary grinned. "Because..." He tapped Ash's cheek. "You're getting your first loose tooth, Ashy-boy."

Ash blinked. "H-Huh?"

Gary smirked, grabbing a small mirror and holding it up. "See that? It's wiggly."

Ash stared, his tiny fingers poking at the wobbly tooth. His eyes widened in horror. "G-Gary, my teeth are falling out?!"

Gary wheezed. "Dude! No! It's supposed to happen! It means you're getting your big-kid teeth."

Ash still looked doubtful. "... But what if they never grow back?"

Gary sighed dramatically, flopping next to him. "Then I guess I'll just have to make you the first eight-year-old to get dentures."

Ash gasped. "W-What are dentures?!"

Gary cackled. "Fake teeth!"

Ash wailed, grabbing Gary's arm. "NOOOOOOOO!"

Gary patted his head. "Relax, kiddo, you're fine. It'll fall out on its own, or you can wiggle it a little to help it."

Ash hesitated. "B-But it hurts..."

Gary softened. He gently rubbed Ash's back. "I know, buddy. It's gonna feel kinda weird, but it won't last forever. I promise."

Ash sniffled, nodding. "... You'll tell me if I'm dying, right?"

Gary chuckled. "You're not dying."

"... You'd tell me, though?"

Gary grinned. "Yeah, Ash. I'd tell you."

Ash finally smiled, albeit wobbly. "... Okay."

Gary patted his head. "Good. Now, let's see if my grandpa has any ice pops. Those help."

Ash lit up. "Ooooh!"

Gary smirked. Crisis averted.