Kenny knelt in front of Dawn, his warm hazel eyes meeting hers. He gently cupped her trembling hands, his voice soft and soothing. "Dee Dee, listen to me. I know you're scared, but you have to trust me. I won't let it hurt more than it has to. I promise."

Dawn sniffled, her tears threatening to spill over as she clutched his hands tightly. "You don’t understand, Kenny. It always hurts. Every single time."

Kenny tilted his head, studying her tear-streaked face. "It shouldn't hurt that much, Dawn. Can you tell me what usually happens? Do you tense up?"

Dawn hesitated, looking down at her lap. "I—I always hold my hand really tight. They say it’ll help, but it doesn’t. It just hurts more."

Kenny frowned slightly, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand. "That’s it," he said softly, realization dawning in his expression. "Dawn, you’ve been holding your hand too tight. That’s why it hurts so much."

She blinked at him, confusion replacing some of her fear. "What do you mean?"

Kenny smiled gently, brushing a stray tear from her cheek. "When you tense up, your muscles contract, and it makes the injection harder to administer. That’s why it feels worse. If you relax your hand and let it stay loose, it’ll hurt a lot less. I promise."

Dawn stared at him, her lips quivering. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Kenny said with a reassuring nod. "I know it’s scary, but I’m right here with you. We’ll get through this together, okay?"

Dawn’s gaze wavered, but she nodded hesitantly. "O-okay. I’ll try."

"That’s my Dee Dee," Kenny said warmly, squeezing her hands before standing. He turned to the tray and picked up the syringe, making sure she could see his every move. "I’m going to explain everything I’m doing, alright? No surprises."

She gave him a small nod, her body still trembling.

"First, I’m going to clean your arm," Kenny said, grabbing an alcohol swab. He knelt beside her again, gently wiping the area on her upper arm. "See? Just like that. No pain."

Dawn winced slightly at the coldness but didn’t pull away.

"Good," Kenny murmured, his voice calm and steady. "Now, this is the needle. It’s small, I promise. Barely a pinch. But you have to keep your arm and hand loose for me, okay?"

Dawn nodded again, though her breath hitched nervously.

"Deep breath," Kenny coached, his hand resting lightly on her arm. "Let your hand go limp, like this." He demonstrated with his own hand, wiggling his fingers playfully.

Despite herself, Dawn let out a shaky laugh.

"There we go," Kenny said with a smile. "Now, keep breathing. In… and out. That’s it. I’m going to count to three, but I promise it’ll be over before you know it."

Dawn focused on his face, her trembling slowing slightly.

"One… two…" Kenny pressed the needle gently into her arm, his movements smooth and precise.

Dawn tensed for a moment but quickly realized it wasn’t as bad as she feared. By the time he reached "three," Kenny was already pulling the needle away.

"See?" he said, applying a small blue bandaid to the spot. "All done. And you were amazing, Dee Dee."

Dawn blinked, her eyes wide. "That… that didn’t hurt as much."

"Because you relaxed," Kenny said, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "You trusted me, and it made all the difference. I’m so proud of you."

Her lips wobbled, and she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Kenny."

Kenny chuckled, holding her close. "Anytime, Dee Dee. That’s what I’m here for."