Kenny smiled softly, brushing his thumb over Dawn’s knuckles. "A clutcher. Someone who tenses up or clenches their muscles when they're nervous."

Dawn blinked at him, her lips parting in surprise. "So... that's why it hurts?"

"Exactly," Kenny said, his voice warm and reassuring. "Your muscles aren't relaxed when they need to be, so the needle feels a lot worse than it actually is."

Dawn nodded slowly, processing his words, but her grip on his arm didn’t loosen. "So… what do I do?"

Kenny grinned, setting the syringe on the tray beside him. "I’ll help you with that. First, we’ll take it slow. Second, you need to trust me. And third..." He took her other hand in his. "If you get scared, just hold on to me, okay?"

She bit her lip, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I’m already holding on to you…"

"And you’re doing great," he said, his tone full of encouragement. "Now, let’s practice relaxing your arm. Watch me."

He placed his hand on her forearm, guiding her to lay it flat on her lap. With gentle pressure, he began massaging the tense muscles, his touch firm but soothing.

"See? Just like this," he said softly. "Deep breaths, Dee Dee. In through your nose, out through your mouth."

Dawn tried to mimic his breathing, but her heart was still racing.

"It’s not working," she muttered, her voice shaky.

Kenny leaned closer, his tone patient. "That’s okay. Let’s try something else." He slid his hand under hers, giving it a supportive squeeze. "Close your eyes for a second. Think about something happy—like that time you beat me in the Hearthome contest."

Dawn’s lips twitched into the faintest smile. "You mean the time you tripped on stage?"

"Exactly!" Kenny laughed, the sound light and comforting. "I made a complete fool of myself, and you still won fair and square. You were amazing."

Her grip on his arm eased slightly. "I guess it was pretty funny."

"See? You’ve got this," he said, setting the syringe back in his hand. "Now, let’s try again."

But the moment the needle came into view, Dawn froze. Her breaths quickened, and her eyes widened in sheer panic.

"No, no, no!" she cried, grabbing Kenny’s arm with both hands. "I can’t! I can’t do it!"

Kenny immediately set the syringe down and turned his full attention to her, his voice calm but firm. "Dawn, look at me."

She shook her head, her tears falling freely now. "Kenny, please don’t make me! It’s going to hurt! I don’t want to!"

He reached out, cupping her cheeks gently. "Dawn, I need you to breathe for me, okay? In through your nose, out through your mouth. Come on, Dee Dee, you can do this."

"I c-can’t," she stammered, her body trembling.

"Yes, you can," he said, his tone unwavering. "I’m right here. I won’t let anything hurt you. Just hold on to me if you need to."

Dawn clung to his arm like a lifeline, her sobs muffled as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Hey, hey," Kenny murmured, rubbing her back soothingly. "It’s okay to be scared. But you’re braver than you think, Dawn. And I promise, this’ll be over before you even realize it."

After a few moments, her sobs began to subside, and she hesitantly lifted her head to look at him. "Y-you promise?"

Kenny nodded, his smile reassuring. "Cross my heart. Ready to try again?"

Dawn sniffled, her grip on his arm loosening just a fraction. "O-okay… but don’t let go of me."

"Never," Kenny said firmly.

He picked up the syringe again, his movements slow and deliberate. With one hand, he continued to massage her arm, and with the other, he prepared the injection.

"Deep breath, Dee Dee," he instructed gently. "In… and out."

Dawn squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers gripping his sleeve tightly.

"There we go," Kenny said softly. "All done."

Her eyes snapped open in disbelief. "Wait… that’s it?"

"That’s it," he confirmed, placing a blue bandaid over the injection site. "You were amazing, Dawn. I’m so proud of you."

Dawn stared at him, her tears drying as a wave of relief washed over her. "I… I didn’t even feel it."

"See? Told you it wasn’t so bad," Kenny said, his grin widening.

She let out a shaky laugh, finally releasing his arm. "I feel so silly now."

"Hey," Kenny said, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze. "Don’t. You faced your fear, and that’s not silly—it’s brave."

Dawn smiled through her remaining tears. "Thanks, Kenny. For everything."

"Always," he replied, hopping off the table and extending a hand to her. "Now, how about some celebratory ice cream?"

Dawn laughed, taking his hand. "Doctor’s orders?"

"You bet."