Dawn could feel her teeth chattering. Her fingers were playing with the helm of her dress, and her heart was thumping in her chest, ready to burst. Her nose took in the sharp smell on sanitizer, and she gulped.

" No need to worry, no need to worry." She kept muttering to herself.

But she couldn't stop worrying.

Because what was behind that door.... She dreaded.

She watched kids and adults go in and come out, alive.

But she couldn't bring herself to do that.

She didn't hear the chatter, everything warping in her brain.

" Miss Dawn Hikari?"

Dawn looked up from her lap to see a nurse. She caught Dawn's eyes and smiled.

" Don't worry," she said as she walked to Dawn. " The doctor's nice."

Dawn gulped and nodded. " I... I know."

The nurse ushered her into a green room with the walls green striped with white, the table striped green and white and... Well everything. There were pictures of her and a boy on the wall, her Piplup and his Primplup, and... The boy and her at contests.

" The doctor will be here shortly." The nurse said reassuringly.

Dawn smiled. " I'll be fine."

The door closed behind her, and she gulped.

All alone... In an examination room....

Then she heard footsteps approaching the room.

She gasped, and panicked.

Next thing she knew she was hidden inside a dark cabinet, praying he wouldn't find her.

The door opened. " Dawn?"

Dawn held her breath, her heart beating loudly.

" Dee Dee? Dawn, where are you?"

She heard the footsteps approach. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying.

Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. " There you are, Dee Dee."

Dawn didn't look up. " Hi Kenny."

Kenny chuckled softly. " Oh, Dawn. It's a small needle, and I'll be careful."

Dawn shook her head. " I... I don't want it."

Kenny gently kneeled down and rubbed her back. " Oh Dee Dee... Look at me."

Dawn hesitated, but eventually looked up to see Kenny's warm brown eyes. He gently booped her nose with his latex glove. " It's easy, Dawn. I just wipe your hand with an alcoholic wipe, then it's over in a second."

Dawn trembled as she looked at Kenny, his warm smile trying to reassure her, but the fear still clung to her like a heavy blanket. She hated feeling this way, hated how her body tensed at the mere thought of the needle.

"I know you're scared, Dee Dee," Kenny said gently, his hand still resting on her shoulder. "But I’m right here with you. I promise it won’t be as bad as you think. We can take it slow, alright?"

Dawn wiped her eyes, trying to steady her breath, but it was hard. Her chest tightened, her mind racing with the images of needles, of pain, of what could go wrong.

"I don’t want to, Kenny," she whispered, her voice trembling. "What if something goes wrong? What if it hurts? What if—"

Kenny interrupted her softly, kneeling beside her to catch her gaze. "What if it’s over before you even have time to worry about it? Look, you don’t have to do this alone. You have me here, okay? We’ll go through it together, step by step."

Dawn bit her lip, hesitating. She knew Kenny was right. She trusted him more than anyone else, but the thought of the needle still made her stomach churn.

"Do you remember the last time we were at a contest together?" Kenny asked, his voice light, trying to pull her focus elsewhere. "You were so nervous before your performance, but when you stepped out there, you were incredible. You were brave. I know you can do this, too."

Dawn let out a shaky breath, her fingers still gripping the edge of the cabinet. "But this is different," she muttered.

"I get it," Kenny said, his voice soft but firm. "But I believe in you, Dee Dee. You’ve got this. And when it’s all over, we can go get ice cream, just like we always do after a contest. How does that sound?"

Dawn felt a slight tug of warmth at the mention of ice cream, something so simple yet comforting. She sniffed, wiping her eyes again.

"Okay..." she said quietly, though her voice still quivered. "I’ll try."

"That’s all I ask," Kenny said with a smile. "Now, let’s get you back out of that hiding spot, alright?"

Slowly, Dawn crawled out from the cabinet, her heart still pounding in her chest, but the comforting presence of Kenny was enough to calm her a little. He helped her sit on the examination table, his hands gentle as he adjusted the paper sheet beneath her.

Kenny carefully reached for the alcohol wipe, his movements slow and steady, trying to keep her at ease. "Alright, just one quick wipe and we’ll be done, Dee Dee. Deep breath in... and out."

Dawn squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus on her breathing, just like Kenny had taught her in the past when she felt overwhelmed. She could feel the cold sensation of the wipe on her hand, but she forced herself to stay still.

"You’re doing great," Kenny said softly, his voice a constant presence of reassurance. "Now, just a little bit longer."

Dawn opened her eyes just in time to see Kenny preparing the needle, but this time, she didn’t hide. She watched him closely, her mind fighting against the rising panic, reminding herself that Kenny would take care of her.

She felt his hand gently touch hers, his warm fingers sending a sense of calm through her. "Remember, Dee Dee, just like we practiced. It’ll be over so quickly, you won’t even have time to blink."

Dawn nodded slowly, her grip tightening on his hand. Her heart still raced, but with Kenny by her side, she felt a little less alone in the fear.

"Okay," she whispered, taking a deep breath. "I’m ready."

Kenny smiled, his expression full of pride. "You’re already so brave, Dee Dee."

And with that, the moment came. Kenny’s hand was steady as he cleaned the area, and within seconds, the needle was in. Dawn barely had time to flinch before it was over, just like Kenny had promised.

Dawn let out a shaky breath, her eyes wide as she glanced down at her arm, where the tiny needle had been. "Is it... is it done?"

Kenny removed the needle with a gentle touch, placing a small bandage over the spot. "All done. See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?"

Dawn blinked, still processing the fact that it was over. She looked up at Kenny, her eyes filled with disbelief. "It didn’t hurt that much..."

Kenny chuckled softly, brushing her hair from her face. "I told you. I’m here to take care of you. And I’m proud of you for being so brave."

Dawn smiled, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders. "Thanks, Kenny."

"Anytime, Dee Dee. Anytime."