Kenny sighed softly, pulling a stool closer to sit at her level. He gently took both of Dawn's trembling hands in his gloved ones, rubbing soothing circles with his thumbs.

"Dawn," he began, his voice calm and steady. "Look at me."

She hesitated but finally raised her watery eyes to meet his. Kenny gave her an encouraging smile.

"I know it always feels like it hurts," he said softly. "But I think I know why, Dee Dee. And I promise, we can fix it."

Dawn blinked, her tears threatening to spill. "How?"

Kenny released one of her hands to reach for a tissue, dabbing gently at her cheeks. "It’s all about how you hold your hand. When you get scared, you probably clench your muscles really tight. That makes it harder for the needle to go in smoothly, and yeah... it can hurt more."

Dawn frowned, processing his words. "So... it’s my fault?"

"Not your fault," Kenny corrected quickly, squeezing her hand. "It’s your body’s natural response to fear. But if you can relax your hand, just a little, it’ll make a big difference. I’ll help you, okay?"

Dawn looked down at their joined hands. "How do I do that?"

Kenny smiled, his tone turning playful. "That’s the easy part. Just pretend you’re holding something super soft and squishy. Like... uh, a marshmallow!"

Dawn’s lips twitched into a faint smile despite herself. "A marshmallow?"

"Yep. Imagine it’s the fluffiest marshmallow in the world," Kenny said, pretending to puff his cheeks like one. "You don’t want to crush it, right? Just hold it gently."

Dawn giggled weakly, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. "You’re ridiculous."

"But effective," Kenny teased, reaching for her hand again. "Alright, Dee Dee, let’s try it. Relax your fingers, just like we talked about."

She took a shaky breath, letting her fingers uncurl and her hand fall limp in his. Kenny nodded approvingly.

"That’s perfect," he said, his voice gentle. "Now, keep breathing nice and slow. I’ll count to three, and it’ll be over before you know it."

Dawn tensed slightly but nodded. "Okay."

Kenny kept his eyes on her, his thumb brushing reassuringly over her knuckles. "One... two..."

She barely felt the pinch, her body too focused on Kenny’s calming presence to register anything else.

"Three," he said softly, setting the needle down. "All done."

Dawn blinked, looking at him in surprise. "Wait... that’s it?"

"That’s it," Kenny confirmed with a grin, peeling off his gloves. "See? Relaxing your hand really does help."

Dawn stared at her arm, then at him. "It didn’t hurt. Not even a little."

"Exactly," Kenny said, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead. "You were so brave, Dee Dee. I’m proud of you."

Her cheeks flushed, and she managed a small smile. "Thanks, Kenny."

"Anytime," he said, standing to grab the blue band-aid from the tray. "Now, let’s get this bad boy on, and then we’re out of here."

As he gently placed the band-aid over the injection site, Dawn couldn’t help but feel a wave of gratitude. Kenny wasn’t just her doctor or her boyfriend—he was her safe place.