Kenny’s heart ached as he looked at Dawn, tears threatening to spill from her wide, terrified eyes. He crouched down in front of her so they were eye level, gently taking both of her trembling hands in his gloved ones.

"Dawn," he said softly, his voice low and steady, "I need you to tell me why you think it always hurts. Can you do that for me?"

She sniffled, shaking her head. "It just… it just does, Kenny. No matter what anyone says, no matter how careful they are, it always hurts."

Kenny frowned, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand. "Okay. Then let’s figure this out together. I promise, we’ll make it better this time."

Dawn hesitated, searching his face for any hint of insincerity. There was none—just the warm, patient expression she knew so well. Slowly, she nodded.

"Good girl," Kenny murmured, standing up and moving to the tray. He picked up the syringe, holding it carefully so she could see. "It’s not the needle itself that causes pain most of the time. It’s usually the way your muscles react. You’re tense, right?"

Dawn blinked at him, then gave a small nod.

"Okay," Kenny said, setting the syringe back down for a moment. "When you’re tense, the muscles in your arm tighten up, and that makes the needle pinch more when it goes in. If you can relax, it’ll hurt a lot less—maybe not even at all."

Dawn’s brow furrowed. "Relax? But how am I supposed to do that when I’m so scared?"

Kenny gave her a reassuring smile. "That’s where I come in. We’ll take it one step at a time. First, I want you to shake out your hand. Like this." He demonstrated, wiggling his fingers in the air.

Feeling a bit silly, Dawn mimicked his motion, her hand moving tentatively at first, then more freely.

"Good," Kenny praised, his tone encouraging. "Now, rest your hand on your thigh and let it go completely limp, like a noodle."

Dawn tried, her fingers twitching slightly before they settled.

Kenny crouched again, placing his gloved hand lightly over hers. "Perfect. Now, I’m going to hold your arm like this, nice and steady. You don’t have to do anything but sit here and breathe with me. Can you do that?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she nodded.

"Okay. Deep breath in through your nose." Kenny inhaled exaggeratedly, demonstrating.

Dawn followed suit, her breath shaky but steadying.

"And out through your mouth," he continued, exhaling slowly.

They repeated the pattern a few more times until the tension in her shoulders eased.

"That’s it," Kenny murmured, picking up the syringe again. He positioned himself beside her, holding her arm securely. "Keep breathing, Dee Dee. You’re doing so well."

Dawn closed her eyes, focusing on the rhythm of her breaths. She barely noticed when Kenny swabbed her arm with alcohol.

"Almost done," Kenny said softly, his movements smooth and quick as he administered the shot. Before Dawn could even react, he was pressing a cotton ball to her skin and securing the blue band-aid over it.

"Wait… that’s it?" Dawn opened her eyes, blinking in surprise.

Kenny grinned, leaning back to look at her. "That’s it. You did it, Dee Dee. And look—no tears, no pain."

Dawn stared at her arm, then back at Kenny, her expression one of disbelief. "But… it didn’t hurt at all. How?"

"You relaxed," Kenny explained, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "When your muscles aren’t fighting the needle, it goes in smoothly. That’s why it always hurt before—you were too tense."

A small, shaky laugh escaped her. "That’s all it took?"

"That’s all," Kenny confirmed, brushing a tear from her cheek. "And you were amazing, Dee Dee. I’m so proud of you."

Dawn smiled, her cheeks flushing as she threw her arms around him. "Thank you, Kenny. For everything."

He hugged her back tightly, his voice warm in her ear. "Always, Dee Dee. Always."