Kenny leaned closer to Dawn, his expression softening. "A clutcher," he repeated gently, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "It means whenever you're nervous, you clench your fists or grab onto something. It makes your muscles tense, which is why it hurts more than it should. But don’t worry, we’ll fix that."

Dawn blinked at him, still clutching his arm like her life depended on it. "How? I… I don’t think I can stop."

Kenny smiled reassuringly. "That's what I’m here for. We’ll take it slow, okay? No rush."

Dawn nodded weakly, her gaze flickering to the syringe on the tray. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest. She could feel the panic rising again, making her breathing shallow.

"Hey, Dee Dee," Kenny said softly, snapping her attention back to him. "Look at me, not the tray. Just me."

She tried, but her eyes kept darting back to the needle. "Kenny… I don’t know if I can do this," she whispered, her voice breaking.

"You can," he assured her, his tone calm and steady. "I’m right here. You trust me, right?"

Dawn hesitated but eventually nodded. "I do… but… what if it hurts? What if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing’s going to go wrong," Kenny said firmly. "And if it hurts, I’ll be here to make it better. You’re not alone, Dee Dee. I promise."

Dawn took a deep, shaky breath. Kenny grabbed a stress ball from the counter and held it out to her. "Here, squeeze this instead of my arm. It'll help keep your muscles loose."

She reluctantly let go of his sleeve, taking the stress ball in both hands. "Okay," she murmured, trying to focus on his face instead of the growing lump of anxiety in her stomach.

Kenny smiled and gently massaged her arm again, tracing the vein with his thumb. "See? You're doing great already. Now, just keep breathing—nice and slow."

He prepped the syringe, working with smooth, practiced movements. Dawn’s grip on the stress ball tightened as he approached. "Kenny," she whimpered, tears pooling in her eyes. "I can’t—"

"Shh, you can," Kenny interrupted gently, his free hand cupping her cheek. "I’ve got you, Dawn. Just keep looking at me."

The moment he pressed the needle to her skin, everything else faded from Dawn’s mind. Panic surged through her, and she completely forgot the stress ball. Her hands shot out, grabbing Kenny’s arm and squeezing tightly as sobs burst from her throat.

"K-Kenny!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "I can’t! I can’t do it!"

Kenny froze, quickly setting the syringe aside before wrapping his arms around her trembling form. "Hey, hey, it’s okay," he said, his voice a soothing murmur. "You’re okay, Dee Dee. Breathe for me. In… and out."

Dawn buried her face in his chest, shaking her head. "I’m sorry," she sobbed. "I’m so sorry, Kenny. I just—"

"Shh, no need to apologize," he whispered, rubbing her back in slow, comforting circles. "You’re scared, and that’s okay. We’ll take a break."

"But I ruined it," Dawn choked out, clutching his shirt tightly.

Kenny leaned back slightly, tilting her chin up so she could see the warmth in his eyes. "You didn’t ruin anything. This isn’t about getting it perfect. It’s about you feeling safe. That’s all that matters to me."

Her sobs began to subside as his words sank in. She sniffled, her grip on his arm loosening. "You really mean that?"

"Every word," Kenny said, brushing a tear from her cheek. "We’ll try again when you’re ready. No pressure, okay?"

Dawn hesitated but eventually nodded. "Okay… I’ll try."

"That’s my girl," he said with a soft smile. "Let’s just sit for a minute. Breathe with me."

They sat in silence for a moment, Kenny’s calm breathing guiding her. When she finally felt steady enough, she looked up at him.

"Ready?" he asked gently.

Dawn took a deep breath, her fingers still clutching his arm, but not as tightly as before. "Ready."

This time, she kept her eyes on Kenny, trusting him completely. And when the needle finally slipped in, she barely felt a thing.