Gary smiled softly, squeezing Ash's hand reassuringly. "Yeah, Ashy Boy?"

Ash's fingers twitched around his wrist, his fevered eyes unfocused but full of trust. "I don' like this..." he murmured.

Gary exhaled, rubbing soothing circles onto the back of Ash's hand with his thumb. "I know, bud. You've got a fever, and your throat's all red and inflamed. No wonder you're miserable."

Ash groaned dramatically and burrowed further into his blanket cocoon. "I feel like a fainting Oddish..."

Gary chuckled, shaking his head. "You look like one too. All sweaty and pathetic."

Ash let out a weak, whiny noise, scrunching his nose. "Meanie..."

Gary grinned. "Yeah, yeah. Look, you're burning up, buddy. I'm gonna check a few more things, okay?"

Ash blinked blearily. "Mmmh... No more poking..."

Gary smirked. "I have to poke, bud. It's the law."

Ash let out a long, suffering groan as Gary gently pressed his fingers against his swollen lymph nodes, feeling the heat radiating off him. The poor guy was so out of it—he barely even protested this time, just gripping Gary's wrist like a lifeline.

"Yeah, definitely fighting off some kind of infection," Gary murmured. His free hand moved to Ash's forehead, brushing aside his damp bangs. "Way too warm."

Ash whined and nudged into his touch like a heat-seeking Growlithe. "M'cold..."

Gary scoffed. "Yeah, that's the fever talking, kid." He quickly pulled his bag closer and grabbed a thermometer. "Alright, under the tongue, bud."

Ash gave him a bleary side-eye but reluctantly let Gary slip the thermometer in his mouth. He immediately made a face, clearly hating every second of it.

Gary smirked. "Don't bite down, doofus."

Ash huffed weakly through his nose, eyelids fluttering as exhaustion tugged at him. By the time the thermometer beeped, his grip on Gary's wrist had loosened.

Gary checked the reading and frowned. "102.7. Yikes, bud. No wonder you feel like a fainting Oddish."

Ash whimpered. "No mooooore medical stuff...."

Gary softened. "Alright, alright. No more poking for now." He gently re-wrapped Ash in his blankets and smoothed his hair back. "Just rest, buddy. I'll take care of you."

Ash blinked up at him, his tired gaze full of unspoken gratitude. His lips curled into the smallest, sleepiest smile. "Gary... s'best...."

Gary felt his chest tighten. He gave Ash's forehead one last, gentle pat. "Yeah, yeah. Now shut up and go to sleep, buddy."

Ash let out a sleepy, content hum and finally drifted off, still loosely clutching Gary's wrist.

Gary just sighed, shaking his head with a fond smile. "You're impossible, Ashy Boy..."