"Hey, Dawn, wake up."

Dawn groaned as Kenny's voice pulled her out of a deep sleep. She yawned and turned over in bed, her blanket tugged tightly around her shoulders. "What happened, Kenny?"

Kenny was perched on her bed, kneeling like an excited child, his hands shaking her gently. His brown eyes sparkled with mischief, a grin plastered across his face. "We have to go, Dee Dee."

Dawn frowned, blinking at him groggily. "Wheeeeeeere?"

"The clinic, where else?"

Her heart stopped for a moment, and her eyes widened. "No," she said flatly, pulling the blanket up over her head.

Kenny laughed, reaching over to tug it down just enough to see her face. "Awwww, don’t worry, Dee Dee. Did ya forget yours truly is the doctor?"

Of course, she hadn’t forgotten. Kenny had been a doctor for years, a fact she was immensely proud of—but it didn’t mean she liked it. Doctors were the worst. They were serious, cold, and always left her feeling like she was a problem they were trying to solve without giving her all the pieces.

"Yeah, but..." Dawn started, then bit her lip. She hated this conversation.

Kenny's grin softened, his teasing tone melting away. "Ohhhh, so that's the problem, huh?" He nodded to himself as if he'd just solved the world’s greatest mystery. "Alright, stay here, Dee Dee. I’ll be right back."

"Kenny—"

"Stay," he said firmly, holding up a hand before hopping off the bed and disappearing out the door.

Dawn sighed, flopping back against the pillows. Moments later, Kenny returned, arms full of medical supplies.

"What are you doing?" she asked, sitting up.

"Bringing the clinic to you," Kenny replied cheerfully, plopping the supplies on her bedside table. "This way, you’ll feel safe, and I won’t have to drag you out of bed."

Her lips twitched, almost forming a smile. "You’re ridiculous."

"And you’re stubborn," he shot back, pulling on a pair of gloves. "But you love me for it."

Dawn rolled her eyes but didn’t protest. She did love him for it—for the way he always knew when to tease her and when to take her fears seriously. Kenny wasn’t like other doctors. He was hers.

Kenny pulled up a stool beside Dawn’s bed, snapping on a pair of gloves with an exaggerated flourish. "Alright, Dee Dee, let’s get this over with, shall we?"

Dawn folded her arms, narrowing her eyes. "Do you have to be so... Kenny about this?"

He smirked. "You love how Kenny I am. Now, first things first—eyes."

He leaned closer, holding up a small flashlight. Dawn flinched back instinctively, but he caught her with a soft smile. "Relax. It’s just me."

She sighed, finally holding still as he shone the light into her eyes. "Look up. Now down. Good. Left. Right. Perfect. You’ve got some gorgeous pupils, Dee Dee."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" she muttered.

"Absolutely," he said, grinning. "Next up—ears."

Kenny grabbed his otoscope and tilted her head gently to the side. "Hold still for me."

Dawn winced as the cold tip touched her ear. "Do you have to be so thorough?"

"Would you prefer I skip something and let you suffer later?"

"No," she admitted begrudgingly.

"Exactly. Now the other ear. Aaand… clear as a bell. You’re practically perfect," Kenny teased as he set the tool aside.

"Practically?" she shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"Nobody’s perfect, Dee Dee. Except me, obviously." He chuckled, then grabbed a tongue depressor. "Okay, open wide."

She hesitated. "Do I have to?"

"Unless you want me to guess how your throat looks," he quipped.

Dawn groaned but obeyed, opening her mouth. Kenny peered in, his expression focused now. "Say 'ahh.'"

"Ahh," she grumbled, her voice muffled.

"Throat looks good. No redness. No swelling. See? That wasn’t so bad," he said, pulling the stick away.

She mumbled something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like "I still hate this."

Ignoring her, Kenny placed the stethoscope around his neck and motioned for her to sit up straighter. "Alright, heart and lungs. Deep breaths for me."

Dawn obeyed, the cold stethoscope making her shiver. "Why is that thing always freezing?"

"It’s part of the doctor experience," he joked. "Breathe in… and out. Again. In… and out. Heart sounds great. Now lungs—deep breath. Aaand again. Perfect. You’re an overachiever, Dee Dee."

"Can we skip the rest?" she asked hopefully.

"Nope," he said, popping the "p." He grabbed a small reflex hammer. "Legs out."

With a sigh, she stretched her legs. Kenny tapped her knees lightly, watching as her feet jerked in response. "Reflexes are on point. You’re like a finely tuned machine."

"More like a very tired human," she muttered.

Kenny chuckled, setting the hammer aside. "Alright, all done. See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?"

Dawn gave him a flat look. "I hated every second of it."

"But you survived," he said, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "And I’ll take care of you if anything ever does go wrong. Deal?"

She softened at that, her lips twitching into a reluctant smile. "Deal."

Kenny grinned, standing up to pack away his tools. "Good, because I’m not going anywhere, Dee Dee. You’re stuck with me."

"Don’t remind me," she teased, but her voice was warm. Despite everything, she knew she was lucky to have him.