It was a lazy afternoon when Ash suddenly collapsed onto the couch, clutching his chest in pain. His breath came out in quick, shallow gasps, and Pikachu immediately jumped onto his lap, nuzzling him as if sensing something was wrong.

"Ash? You okay?" Gary's voice came from the kitchen, where he was cleaning up from a light meal they had just finished. Ash didn't answer, and Gary, noticing the silence, walked over to the living room. He stopped short when he saw Ash curled up on the couch, holding his chest with a pained expression.

"Ash?" Gary repeated, this time with more concern in his tone. He stepped closer, kneeling beside him. "What's going on? You don't look so good."

Ash forced a grin, trying to push through the discomfort. "It's nothing, Gary... just... my chest hurts a little. I think I just overdid it earlier." His voice was shaky, but he quickly masked it with a cough, attempting to hide the pain. He was always good at hiding things—especially from Gary, the last person he wanted to worry.

Gary narrowed his eyes, already suspicious. Ash's usual stubbornness was flaring up, but this wasn't like him. Chest pain wasn't something you just brushed off. Gary gently pried Ash's hands off his chest, but Ash quickly recoiled, his eyes flicking up to Gary with a mixture of fear and embarrassment.

"I'm fine, Gary," Ash muttered, his voice almost a whisper now. "It'll pass."

Gary wasn't buying it. "Ash, let me see." He tried again to press gently on Ash's ribcage, but Ash flinched away, his eyes wide with anxiety.

"What's going on?" Gary asked, his voice soft but firm. "Why won't you let me look at you?"

Ash's eyes flickered briefly, a flash of something vulnerable passing through them. He swallowed, clearly unsure of how to explain. "It's... it's nothing, really." He was biting his lip, trying to keep calm. But the way his chest heaved with every breath told a different story.

Gary placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him. "Ash, I'm not gonna force you, but you need to tell me. You're really scaring me here." His voice softened, becoming quieter as he added, "Please, buddy."

Ash's eyes welled up, and for a brief moment, Gary saw just how much pain his best friend was in, how much he was holding back. "It's just... my ribs. I hurt them, but I didn't... I didn't want to bother you with it, Gary. I thought it would just go away."

Gary's eyes widened, and a chill ran down his spine as his mind pieced the puzzle together. "You hurt your ribs?" His voice lowered in disbelief. "How long has this been going on, Ash?"

Ash looked down, refusing to meet Gary's eyes. "A couple days... I thought I could just tough it out. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I didn't want to stop training." His voice cracked slightly, a clear sign that it was more than just physical pain weighing on him.

Gary's jaw tightened. He gently lifted Ash's chin, forcing him to look at him. "Ash, that's not how this works. You can't just ignore something like that." He softened his voice as he continued, "Tell me how you hurt it."

Ash hesitated for a long moment, then sighed deeply. "I don't really know... it was during training, I think. I was trying to do some new moves, and I just twisted wrong when I landed. It didn't hurt at first, but... now it feels like something's off." He winced, pressing a hand to his ribs again.

Gary's mind raced. This is bad. His experience as a doctor told him that Ash had probably dislocated or cracked a rib, and if left untreated, it could lead to serious internal damage. But it wasn't the injury itself that worried Gary so much—it was Ash's reluctance to admit just how serious the pain was.

"Ash," Gary said, his voice low and serious, "you need to let me fix this. You can't just walk around with a dislocated rib like this."

Ash shook his head vehemently. "No, I... I don't want you to. Please, Gary. I'll be fine. Just... just leave it alone."

Gary stepped back, his expression softening but still stern. "I'm not leaving this alone, Ash. Not when it comes to your health. I'm not going to let you make this worse by ignoring it."

Ash's hands clenched into fists, and for a moment, Gary saw the familiar fire in his eyes—the one that usually burned in their battles. But this time, it was filled with fear. "I don't want you to touch it. I don't want anyone to touch it," Ash whispered, almost too quietly for Gary to hear. "I'll handle it. I promise."

Gary stared at Ash for a long time, trying to understand. Why was he so protective of this injury? Then, it hit him. He's scared. Scared of someone else handling this pain for him... scared that someone might think less of him because of it.

Gary sighed deeply, sitting down next to him. "Okay," he said gently. "I get it. You don't want me to touch it, but we need to do something about it." He rubbed Ash's back soothingly, trying to reassure him. "If I promise to be as careful as possible, will you let me at least take a look at it?"

" .... Sorry, Gary."

Gary sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ash, I know this is gonna suck, but we have to fix it."

Ash grabbed Gary's hand, his fingers digging in slightly. "I know," he muttered. "I just... I don't want it to hurt."

Gary softened, watching his best friend tremble slightly. He wasn't used to seeing Ash this vulnerable, this scared. He always charged into things headfirst, never backing down, never letting anything stop him. But now, he was hesitating, clinging to Gary like he was the only thing keeping him steady.

Gary exhaled through his nose, his free hand gently squeezing Ash's knee. "Look, how about this? You can hold on to me, and I'll go as slow as I can. The second it gets too much, we stop. Deal?"

Ash hesitated, his grip tightening, but he nodded. "... Deal."

Gary gave a small smile. "Alright. Just focus on me, okay?"

Ash shut his eyes, his forehead pressing against Gary's shoulder. "Okay..."

Gary worked carefully, his movements slow and deliberate. "Alright, buddy, take a deep breath," he murmured.

Ash obeyed, inhaling shakily.

Gary felt the tension in his friend's body, the way Ash flinched before he even touched him. "I'm right here," he reassured. "You're doing great."

Ash just nodded against him, his fingers tightening their grip.

And then, with a carefully placed movement—

"Ack—!"

Ash's body tensed, a sharp gasp escaping his lips as he buried his face against Gary's sleeve. He was shaking.

"That's the worst of it," Gary said quickly, rubbing slow circles on Ash's back. "Breathe, Ashy-boy. Breathe."

Ash gasped again, his breaths coming in shaky waves, but he listened, inhaling deeply, then exhaling against Gary's shoulder.

"... Is it over?" Ash's voice was small.

Gary checked, gently running his fingers over the area. "Yeah. It's back in place. No more dislocated rib."

Ash sagged against him, completely exhausted. "... That sucked."

Gary chuckled softly. "Yeah, well, that's what happens when you ignore injuries, dummy."

Ash groaned but didn't bother arguing. "... Thanks, Gary."

Gary smiled, gently nudging Ash's head. "Anytime, Ashy-boy. But next time? Just tell me when you're hurt. I'll always be here to fix you up."

Ash closed his eyes, exhaustion finally winning over. "Yeah... I know."