Kenny’s brows furrowed as he crouched to meet Dawn’s tearful gaze. "Hey, hey," he murmured, squeezing her hand gently. "Talk to me, Dee Dee. Why does it always hurt? Can you tell me?"

Dawn sniffled, her fingers clutching the hem of her dress so tightly her knuckles turned white. "I don’t know," she whispered. "It just… it feels like my arm’s about to explode every time. Like… like I can’t control it."

Kenny’s eyes softened in understanding. "Okay," he said gently, his voice soothing. "Let’s figure this out together. But first, I need you to trust me, okay? We’ll take this slow."

Dawn nodded hesitantly, her bottom lip trembling.

Kenny sat beside her on the examination table, taking her hand in his. He turned it palm-up and ran his gloved fingers lightly over her wrist, feeling the tension. Her fingers were stiff, curled inward like a spring ready to snap.

"Dee Dee," he said softly, "your hand’s so tense. That might be why it hurts so much."

Dawn blinked, her watery eyes meeting his. "What do you mean?"

Kenny held up her hand gently, cradling it like something fragile. "When your muscles are this tight, it makes the needle push through stiff tissue. That’s why it feels like it’s worse than it actually is."

Her brows knit together in confusion. "So... it’s because I’m not relaxing?"

He nodded. "Exactly. It’s like trying to stab a needle into a rock versus a pillow. If you relax, it’ll feel more like a little pinch than anything else."

Dawn frowned, skeptical. "But what if I can’t relax? It’s not that easy."

"I know," Kenny said, his tone patient and calm. "That’s why I’m here. We’ll do this together. Trust me, okay?"

She hesitated but gave a small nod.

"Good," Kenny said, smiling warmly. He reached for the tray and picked up the syringe, careful to keep it out of her line of sight for now. "First, let’s get you to breathe with me. Can you do that?"

Dawn nodded again, though her hands were still trembling.

"Okay, close your eyes," Kenny instructed, his voice soft and steady. "Take a deep breath in through your nose... hold it... and out through your mouth."

Dawn followed his lead, though her breaths were shaky at first.

"Good," Kenny encouraged. "Again. In... hold... and out. Keep going, Dee Dee."

As she breathed, Kenny gently massaged her hand, his fingers working to ease the stiffness. "See? Just let your hand go limp, like jelly. No need to hold onto any tension."

Dawn peeked at him through one eye. "Jelly?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, jelly. Go on, let it flop."

A small smile tugged at her lips despite herself, and she relaxed her hand slightly.

"That’s it," Kenny said, his grin widening. "You’re doing amazing. Now, I’m going to clean the spot, okay? You’ll feel a little cold, but that’s it."

Dawn tensed briefly but nodded, trusting his calm demeanor.

Kenny swabbed her arm with an alcohol pad, speaking to her the entire time. "Remember, keep breathing. You’ve got this, Dee Dee. It’s just me and you."

She focused on his voice, her breathing steadying further.

Finally, Kenny held the syringe up, positioning it expertly. "Okay, here comes the pinch. Keep your hand relaxed. I’ll count to three, but I’ll actually do it on two so you don’t expect it. Deal?"

"Deal," she whispered, her eyes squeezing shut.

"One… two."

The needle slid in smoothly, and Dawn barely flinched.

"All done," Kenny announced, pressing a small cotton ball to the site and taping it down. "See? You survived."

Dawn opened one eye cautiously. "That was it?"

"That was it," Kenny confirmed, his grin triumphant.

She blinked at him, her mouth agape. "That didn’t even hurt."

"Because you let yourself relax," he said, patting her hand. "Your body was working with me this time, not against me."

Dawn stared at him, then broke into a sheepish laugh. "You’re kind of a genius, you know that?"

Kenny smirked. "Of course I am. But you’re the brave one, Dee Dee. I’m proud of you."

Her cheeks flushed as she looked down at her arm, now sporting a tiny blue bandage. "Thanks, Kenny. I think I can handle this now… as long as you’re the one doing it."

"Always," he promised, pulling her into a warm hug. "You’ll never face this alone."

And for the first time, Dawn felt like maybe needles weren’t so scary after all.