Gary's brow furrowed. He shut his notebook and stood up, stepping closer. "Hurts how?"

Ash whimpered, clutching his stomach tighter. "I dunno... it's all crampy, and it won't go away."

Gary frowned. He had no clue what could be wrong, but something about the way Ash was hunched over, his face pale and pinched, made his stomach twist uncomfortably.

"Sit down," Gary ordered, pointing to the bed.

Ash hesitated before shuffling over and perching on the edge, his arms wrapped around his middle.

Gary pressed his lips together. "Stay there. I'll figure this out."

Ash blinked up at him. "H-How?"

Gary didn't answer. Instead, he darted over to the bookshelf where his grandfather had kept a stash of medical books. He dragged a heavy one off the shelf, flipping through the pages with frantic fingers.

"Stomach pain... stomach pain..." he muttered. "What kinda stomach pain? Sharp? Dull? Achy?"

Ash made a weak noise. "All of them?"

Gary groaned, flipping more pages. His eyes scanned over symptoms, comparing them to what Ash was saying. It could be a lot of things, but one thing stood out—a condition that required immediate treatment.

His stomach dropped.

"... Ash," he said slowly, eyes flicking up from the book. "Where exactly does it hurt the most?"

Ash pointed just below his belly button, slightly to the right.

Gary's heart pounded. That spot. That was exactly where the book said it would be.

"Ash," he said, a little too serious for an eight-year-old. "I think it's your appendix."

Ash blinked, confused. "My what?"

Gary shoved the book toward him, pointing. "Your appendix! If it bursts, it's bad—like, really bad."

Ash's face paled. "B-Burst?"

Gary swallowed. He needed to act fast. The book mentioned an injection—a medication that could help reduce inflammation before it got worse.

His palms were sweaty as he looked toward his little first-aid kit. There was an emergency-use needle inside. He'd never used it before.

But Ash needed him.

He grabbed the kit and yanked it open, his fingers shaking as he pulled out a sealed syringe. The snap of the plastic case echoed in the quiet room.

Ash's eyes widened. "W-Wait, what are you doing?"

Gary exhaled, trying to steady himself. "You need this shot, Ash. I-I have to give it to you."

Ash recoiled. "N-No way!"

Gary clenched his jaw. "Ash, if we don't do this now, it's gonna get worse. You trust me, don't you?"

Ash hesitated. His lip trembled.

Gary softened. He reached out, resting a hand on Ash's shoulder. "I promise I'll be careful."

Ash bit his lip before slowly, reluctantly nodding.

Gary exhaled, then pulled out an alcohol wipe. He ripped the packet open with a sharp tear, the scent of antiseptic filling the air.

"Okay," he murmured. "I gotta do this in your stomach. It's the best place for this kind of shot."

Ash whined but didn't protest.

Gary rolled up Ash's pajama top, exposing his small, tense belly. His fingers traced over Ash's skin, feeling for the right spot.

"This'll be cold," he warned before pressing the alcohol wipe against Ash's skin in slow, firm circles.

Ash flinched. "Gnnn...."

Gary tossed the wipe aside and picked up the syringe. He flicked the side of it lightly, watching the small bubble rise to the top before pushing a tiny amount of liquid out. Just like the doctors did.

His hands were shaking. But he had to do this.

"Ash," he said softly. "Take a deep breath."

Ash barely managed one before—

Prick.

The needle slipped into Ash's skin in one quick motion.

Ash yelped, his hands clenching into fists. "G-Gary—!"

"I know, buddy," Gary murmured, his other hand rubbing Ash's arm comfortingly. "Almost done, okay? Just stay still."

He pressed the plunger down. The soft click of the syringe emptying filled the air.

Ash whimpered, his body trembling. His tiny hands clutched at the bedsheets.

And then—

It was over.

Gary quickly pulled the needle out and grabbed a bandaid, ripping the wrapper with another sharp tear before pressing it firmly over the injection site.

"Done," he breathed, relief washing over him.

Ash sniffled, his whole body shuddering from the ordeal. He weakly leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Gary's shoulder.

"I h-hate shots..." he mumbled.

Gary sighed, wrapping his arms around his best friend. "I know, Ashy Boy. But you did good."

Ash clung to him. "No one's gonna know about this, right?"

Gary smirked. "Nah. Just you, me, and the bandaid."

Ash sniffled again but gave a weak giggle. "Good."

Gary just hugged him tighter, silently praying he had done the right thing.

Gary narrowed his eyes, shutting his notebook with a snap as he stood from his chair. Ash was clutching his stomach tightly, his small frame trembling slightly.

Something was wrong.

"Ash, what's going on?" Gary demanded, stepping closer.

Ash winced and took a half-step back, biting his lip. "N-Nothing. It just hurts a little... That's all."

Gary wasn't convinced. "That's not nothing. Sit down."

Ash hesitated.

Gary grabbed his wrist and gently but firmly tugged him toward the bed. "I said sit."

Ash obeyed, sitting on the edge of the bed with a soft thump, still pressing both hands against his stomach. His face was a little pale, and his breathing was uneven.

Gary folded his arms. "Where does it hurt?"

Ash squirmed. "Kinda... everywhere?"

Gary frowned and reached out, gently pressing against Ash's stomach.

Ash flinched hard, yelping as he instinctively curled away. "G-Gary, don't!"

Gary's heart pounded. That wasn't normal. Something had to be wrong.

"Okay," Gary muttered, thinking fast. "I need to check something."

Ash whined. "No more poking..."

Gary rolled his eyes. "Stop being dramatic." He grabbed the thick medical book from his bedside table and plopped down next to Ash, flipping through the pages rapidly.

Ash peeked over his shoulder. "What're you doing?"

"Finding out what's wrong with you," Gary said, scanning the words as fast as he could.

Ash scrunched his nose. "Can't we just wait until it goes away?"

Gary shot him a glare. "Yeah, and what if it doesn't? What if something bad happens, huh?"

Ash blinked, his lips pressing together.

Gary sighed. "Exactly." He focused back on the book, flipping until he found something about abdominal pain. His finger traced the words as he read.

"Severe stomach pain... sensitivity to touch... possible inflammation... Aha!" Gary jabbed his finger against the page. "This could be peritonitis or something similar. And it says here that the best way to handle it—" He stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening slightly.

Ash frowned. "What? What does it say?"

Gary hesitated before slowly looking at his friend. "...You need an injection."

Ash's face drained of color. "No."

"Ash—"

"NO." Ash shot up from the bed, eyes wide with panic. "No way! Needles suck!"

Gary sighed, rubbing his temples. "You need this."

"Nope. No I don't. I think it's already getting better!" Ash insisted, though the way he winced when he straightened up said otherwise.

Gary stood up and crossed his arms. "You're such a bad liar."

Ash's face twisted in frustration, but before he could protest further, a sharp twinge of pain made him gasp and hunch over again.

Gary's heart clenched. "Ash—"

Ash squeezed his eyes shut, gripping his stomach tightly. "Fine," he bit out, breath shaky. "But I'm not gonna like it!"

Gary sighed in relief and quickly moved to grab the injection kit he had in his medical stash. He fished out a small, pre-filled syringe and held it up. "Okay. Lay down."

Ash hesitated. "Where are you gonna put it...?"

Gary pursed his lips. "Your stomach."

Ash looked betrayed. "GARY."

"I told you, I don't make the rules!" Gary snapped, exasperated. "Now stop fighting me and lie down before you keel over!"

Ash groaned but finally flopped onto the bed, throwing his arm over his face dramatically. "I hate this."

Gary huffed, rolling up Ash's shirt just enough to expose his lower stomach. Ash tensed immediately.

"Relax," Gary murmured. He reached for an alcohol wipe, ripping the packet open with a sharp tear before unfolding the cool, damp cloth. "This is gonna be a little cold, okay?"

Ash barely had time to react before Gary pressed the wipe against his skin, rubbing firm circles to disinfect the area.

Ash squeaked at the sudden chill. "H-hey! Warn me next time!"

Gary smirked. "I did."

Ash grumbled under his breath, eyes squeezed shut.

Gary tossed the used wipe aside and grabbed the syringe. He tapped the barrel lightly to make sure there were no air bubbles before angling it properly.

"Ash," Gary said softly.

Ash peeked at him through his fingers. "Mmm?"

"Take a deep breath for me."

Ash swallowed thickly but obeyed, sucking in a shaky breath.

Gary didn't give him time to second-guess it. In one smooth, practiced motion, he pressed the needle into Ash's skin.

Ash gasped, his whole body tensing hard. "GA—!!"

"Shhh, shhh, I know," Gary soothed, keeping his hand steady as he slowly pressed the plunger down. The soft click of the syringe emptying filled the room. "Almost done."

Ash whimpered, fingers gripping the sheets tightly.

Gary finished the injection and quickly pulled the needle out before pressing a small cotton ball to the area.

Ash let out a breathless whimper, his body trembling slightly.

Gary grabbed a bandaid, tearing it open swiftly before pressing it into place over the injection site. "There. All done, buddy."

Ash sniffled. "T-That sucked."

Gary smiled fondly and ruffled his hair. "Yeah, well, you survived."

Ash turned his head away, still sniffling. "Whatever..."

Gary chuckled and pulled the blanket over his friend, rubbing his arm soothingly. "Get some rest, Ashy Boy. You'll feel better soon."

Ash mumbled something incoherent before slowly curling up under the blanket, his breathing evening out.

Gary watched him for a moment before sitting beside the bed, flipping his medical book back open with a small, proud smile.

He might not have been a real doctor yet, but he was getting there.