" H- Hey, Gary....?"

" Mhm?"

" ... Can you... check my leg... and make sure... there's no clot in here?"

Gary froze, his book slipping from his hands as his gaze snapped to Ash, who was sitting on the bed, looking far too nervous for Gary's liking.

"...What?"

Ash swallowed, shifting uncomfortably. "M-my leg... it feels weird. Like-like it's kinda tight and achy, and I don't know, I just-" He broke off, looking almost embarrassed. "I just wanna make sure there's nothing... bad in there."

Gary was already up, gloves snapped on before Ash could even finish his sentence. "Lie down. Now."

Ash flinched but obeyed, stretching his leg out stiffly. Gary's heart pounded as he gently rolled up the fabric of Ash's pants, fingers pressing carefully along the limb. He knew what to look for-swelling, warmth, tenderness.

"...Ash," Gary said slowly, feeling a distinct tightness in a certain spot. "How long has it been like this?"

Ash's hands gripped the blanket. "Uhh... maybe... a couple days?"

"A couple days?!"

Ash winced. "I-I didn't think it was that bad!"

Gary sucked in a breath, forcing himself to stay calm. "Alright. Okay. Good news: you were right to tell me. Bad news: there is a clot."

Ash's breath hitched. "Oh." His voice was small.

Gary looked at him firmly. "I can handle it. But you need to trust me, okay?"

Ash nodded shakily. "O-okay..."

Gary gave him a reassuring squeeze on the arm before focusing back on the leg. He had two choices: dissolve it or-and he really didn't wanna go this route-put Ash under and remove it more aggressively.

Gary pressed his lips together. "Alright, buddy. I'm gonna try to break it down manually. It's gonna hurt, but I'll be as gentle as I can."

Ash exhaled through his nose, gripping Gary's wrist without hesitation. "O-okay..."

Gary carefully began applying pressure around the clot, methodically massaging the area to encourage blood flow and help it dissolve. Ash whimpered, gripping tighter.

"Breathe, Ashy-boy," Gary murmured. "I got you."

Ash bit his lip, but he listened, sucking in shaky breaths as Gary worked.

Minutes passed, and finally, the tension under Gary's fingers eased. The clot was breaking down.

Gary sighed in relief. "There we go..."

Ash blinked blearily. "I-Is it...?"

Gary smiled, brushing sweaty hair from Ash's forehead. "You're good, bud. You're safe."

Ash exhaled shakily, clinging to Gary's wrist like it was a lifeline. "...I really thought I was gonna die for a sec."

Gary snorted, giving his forehead a light flick. "Not on my watch, dummy."

Ash smiled sleepily. "Knew you'd fix it..."

Gary chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Always, Ashy-boy. Always."

Gary blinked at Ash, his stomach twisting at the hesitant, almost fearful tone in his friend's voice. He immediately put his book down and turned his full attention to Ash, who was sitting stiffly on the couch, gripping his thigh with one hand.

"Ashy-boy, what's going on?" Gary asked, scooting closer.

Ash swallowed, his fingers tightening on his leg. "I-It just feels... weird. Like... I dunno, kinda heavy? And sometimes there's this dull ache, and I got scared and thought maybe-" He exhaled shakily. "Maybe there's a clot or something."

Gary's heart stuttered in his chest, but he forced himself to stay calm. Ash was worried enough for the both of them. He wouldn't freak out. He couldn't freak out.

"Alright, bud. Let me take a look, yeah?" Gary said gently, already reaching for his bag.

Ash hesitated, his face pink with discomfort. "...You think I'm being dumb, don't you?"

Gary shook his head. "Never. It's good you told me. Now let's figure out what's going on, okay?"

Ash nodded hesitantly.

Gary snapped on his gloves, then carefully guided Ash to lie back. "Alright, buddy, just relax. I'm gonna check your circulation first, okay?"

Ash nodded again, biting his lip. He hated these kinds of things. But if there was something wrong, he'd rather Gary be the one to find it.

Gary started at Ash's foot, pressing two fingers against his ankle, feeling for a pulse. He traced his way up, his touch firm but careful, watching Ash's reactions closely. He pressed against the calf, feeling for warmth, tightness-anything out of the ordinary. And then, as his fingers brushed the inside of Ash's thigh, just above the knee, he felt it.

A small, firm mass.

Gary's breath hitched, and his stomach sank.

Ash noticed. "Gary?" His voice wobbled. "W-what is it?"

Gary forced a reassuring smile. "Hang tight, buddy. I need to check a little more, okay?"

Ash's grip on his sleeve tightened. "J-just tell me, Gary."

Gary exhaled. "There's... a clot, Ash."

Ash's eyes widened, and for a second, he just stared at Gary like he couldn't quite process the words. Then-

"Gary-" His breath quickened. "Gary, I- What if- I mean-"

Gary instantly grabbed Ash's hands, grounding him. "Hey, hey, look at me."

Ash's glassy eyes darted to his.

"You are going to be okay," Gary said firmly. "I promise. I've got this."

Ash swallowed hard. "But-"

"No buts, Ashy-boy," Gary interrupted, squeezing his hands. "I'm going to fix this, alright? You trust me?"

Ash trembled for a moment but nodded, though his grip didn't loosen.

Gary exhaled in relief. "Good. Now, I need you to stay as still as possible. I'm gonna help dissolve it before it gets worse."

Ash gave a shaky nod. "...I won't die, right?"

Gary's heart clenched. He reached out, brushing Ash's sweaty bangs back. "Not on my watch."

Ash squeezed his eyes shut. "'Kay..."

Gary wasted no time. He adjusted Ash's position, keeping his leg elevated. He quickly prepped what he needed-a warm compress, blood thinners, everything to break down the clot before it could become dangerous.

Ash whimpered when Gary started, but Gary never let go of his hand. "You're doing so good, bud," he murmured. "Just hold on a little longer, okay?"

Ash barely nodded, his face twisted in discomfort. But he didn't fight it. Not this time.

Gary worked swiftly, carefully, his heart hammering with the weight of responsibility. But he knew-he knew-he could do this. He always could.

And as long as Ash was in his hands, he wouldn't let anything happen to him.

Gary froze. His book slipped from his hands, landing on the floor with a soft thud. His stomach twisted at the sheer fear in Ash's voice.

Slowly, he turned his head, eyes narrowing in concern. "What?"

Ash was sitting stiffly on the edge of Gary's bed, one hand gripping his thigh, the other clutching at his shirt. His face was pale, his breathing uneven.

Gary immediately sat up. "Ash. What's wrong with your leg?"

Ash swallowed hard. "It feels... weird. Like... tight. Like something's pressing inside, and it won't stop."

Gary's heart kicked into overdrive. He didn't waste a second before kneeling in front of his best friend, rolling up Ash's pant leg with swift, practiced movements. "How long has it felt like this?"

Ash shifted uncomfortably. "A while. I-I thought it'd go away, but then it got worse, and I started thinking about, y'know... blood clots, and then I panicked and-"

"Ash-" Gary grabbed his wrist, grounding him. "Deep breaths, okay? Let's just check before we assume the worst."

Ash nodded shakily, his fingers gripping onto Gary's sleeve.

Gary quickly pulled on a pair of gloves and ran his hands along Ash's leg, pressing carefully against the skin. He felt for heat, swelling, anything abnormal. Ash flinched when his fingers brushed against a particularly tight area.

"There?" Gary asked, his voice gentler now.

Ash bit his lip and nodded. "Y-yeah..."

Gary exhaled through his nose. There was swelling. The area was warmer than the rest. Shit.

"Alright, bud," Gary murmured, his hands never leaving Ash's leg. "It's a clot. But it's small-I can fix this."

Ash stiffened. "H-how?"

Gary squeezed his knee reassuringly. "We gotta break it up before it gets worse. But, Ashy-boy... it's gonna hurt."

Ash's face drained of color. "D-do we have to-"

"Yes. No arguments.*" Gary's voice was firm, but not unkind. "If we don't, it could travel somewhere dangerous. I am not letting that happen to you, you hear me?"

Ash whimpered, clutching at Gary's wrist. "...You won't let go, right?"

Gary's gaze softened. "Never."

Ash squeezed his eyes shut. "O-okay..."

Gary wasted no time. He positioned his fingers over the affected area, pressing in slow, calculated movements to break up the clot before it could cause real damage.

Ash yelped and tried to jerk away, but Gary caught his hand, holding him steady. "I know, I know, just hang in there, bud. You're doing great."

"G-GARY-"

"Almost done, kiddo."

Tears pricked at Ash's eyes as Gary worked, his grip on Gary's wrist bruising at this point.

And then-

"Got it."

Gary let out a breath of relief, feeling the tightness beneath his fingers release. The clot had broken apart. The danger was gone.

Ash sagged, breathing hard. "Did... did it work...?"

Gary smiled tiredly and ran a hand through Ash's sweat-damp hair. "Yeah, buddy. You're good now."

Ash let out a half-laugh, half-sob, his whole body trembling. "You're... you're kinda amazing, y'know that?"

Gary chuckled, tugging Ash into a firm hug. "Yeah, yeah. Just try not to give me a heart attack next time, alright?"

Gary froze. His book slipped from his hands, landing on the bed with a soft thud. His gaze snapped up to Ash, who was sitting stiffly at the edge of the mattress, his hands gripping his thigh like it was the only thing tethering him to reality.

"Ash..." Gary's voice was quieter now, more serious. "What do you mean? What's wrong with your leg?"

Ash shifted uncomfortably, clearly trying to keep his breathing steady. "It feels... tight. Hot. A-and there's this weird ache, like deep inside." He hesitated before muttering, "Gary... it's scaring me."

Gary was already moving. He grabbed his gloves from the nightstand, snapping them on before kneeling in front of Ash. "Okay, buddy, I got you. Just lie back for me, alright?"

Ash swallowed hard but obeyed, his fingers digging into the bedsheets as he stretched out.

Gary's heart pounded as he gently rolled up Ash's pant leg, his trained hands moving with purpose as he carefully pressed along the limb, feeling for anything out of place. His fingers ghosted over the skin, searching-

And then he found it.

A firm, swollen spot near Ash's inner thigh.

Gary's stomach dropped.

"Ash," he said slowly, "I think you might have a clot."

Ash's eyes widened. "Wh-what? N-no, you can fix it, right? You always fix it-"

"I can." Gary's voice was firm, reassuring. "But you need to trust me, okay? I need to act fast."

Ash nodded frantically. "O-okay, okay, just-just don't let anything bad happen, please-"

Gary took a deep breath. He wouldn't. He couldn't. Not to Ash.

"Alright, buddy, this might hurt a bit."

Ash whimpered but gave a weak nod.

Gary set to work, his hands steady as he did what he had to. He manipulated the area carefully, working to dissolve the clot before it could become something worse. Ash jerked under his touch, gripping Gary's wrist hard.

"G-Gary-!"

"I know, I know," Gary soothed, his other hand coming up to squeeze Ash's tightly. "Almost done, kid. You're doing great."

Ash's breath came in shaky gasps, his body trembling. Gary kept talking, grounding him, keeping him present.

And then, finally-

"Got it," Gary murmured.

Ash blinked up at him, dazed. "Y-you did?"

Gary nodded, offering him a small, exhausted smile. "Yeah, bud. You're okay now."

Ash let out a shaky laugh, his grip on Gary loosening as relief flooded his face. "Th-thank Arceus..."

Gary sighed, rubbing a hand over his face before giving Ash a stern look. "You have to tell me sooner when something feels off, you hear me?"

Ash grinned weakly. "You'd worry too much."

Gary flicked his forehead. "I already worry too much, you idiot."

Ash chuckled before his expression softened. "Thanks, Gary."

Gary shook his head fondly and pulled the blanket over him. "Get some rest, kid."

And this time, Ash let himself.