Dawn hesitated, her fingers clutching the edge of the cabinet she was crouched in. Her wide, teary eyes searched Kenny's face, looking for any trace of dishonesty. But his warm smile and steady gaze didn’t waver.

"Promise?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Kenny nodded earnestly, holding up his pinky. "I promise, Dee Dee. Pinky swear."

Dawn stared at his outstretched pinky for a moment before slowly hooking hers around it. The small gesture made her feel just a tiny bit braver, but her heart still thudded heavily in her chest.

"Come on," Kenny said softly, offering his hand to help her out of the cabinet. "Let’s do this together. I’ll be with you the whole time."

Reluctantly, Dawn took his hand and let him guide her to the exam table. She perched on the edge, her legs dangling nervously as Kenny grabbed the tray with the supplies.

"Okay, step one," Kenny said cheerfully, grabbing the alcohol wipe. "Let’s clean your hand. Nothing scary about that, right?"

Dawn nodded stiffly, watching as he gently took her hand and wiped the back of it with the cool, slightly stinging wipe. Her fingers twitched, but she managed not to pull away.

"See? Easy peasy," Kenny said, flashing her a grin as he tossed the wipe into the bin.

Dawn tried to smile back, but her gaze flicked nervously to the syringe on the tray. Her breathing quickened, and her fingers began to curl into fists again.

"Hey, hey," Kenny said, noticing her tension. He set the syringe down and knelt in front of her, resting his hands on her knees. "Dee Dee, remember what we talked about? No clenching. Just relax, okay? Breathe with me."

She met his eyes, tears already threatening to spill over. "I’m scared, Kenny. What if it hurts? What if you miss? What if—"

Kenny gently placed his hands on hers, holding them still. "It’s okay to be scared," he said softly. "But I’m not going to miss, and I’ll go slow. And if it hurts, I promise it’ll only be for a second. You’re braver than you think, Dawn."

Dawn sniffled, nodding slightly as she tried to focus on his calm voice.

"Let’s count, okay?" Kenny suggested. "We’ll go one step at a time. One... two... three..."

On "three," he picked up the syringe again, but he kept his focus on Dawn’s face.

"Do you trust me?" he asked gently.

Dawn’s lip trembled, but she nodded. "I trust you, Kenny."

"Good. Now close your eyes if it helps, and keep breathing. You’re doing great."

Dawn squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers trembling in his grip. She felt the tiniest pinch on the back of her hand, and she instinctively yelped, clutching Kenny’s arm with her free hand.

"Ow! Ow! Kenny, it hurts!"

"It’s already done," Kenny said with a chuckle, removing the needle and placing a blue bandaid over the spot.

Dawn opened her eyes, blinking in confusion. "Wait... it’s done?"

"All done," Kenny said, holding up the used syringe as proof before disposing of it.

Dawn stared at her hand, flexing her fingers. "That was it? That was... nothing!"

Kenny grinned, ruffling her hair. "Told you it’d be easy, Dee Dee. You were amazing."

Dawn felt a blush creep onto her cheeks, but she smiled shyly. "Thanks, Kenny. I... I couldn’t have done it without you."

Kenny stood and extended a hand to help her down. "Anytime. Now, how about we celebrate with some ice cream? My treat."

Dawn’s face lit up, and she grabbed his hand. "You’re the best, Kenny!"

As they left the room, her heart felt lighter. Maybe needles weren’t so scary after all—not when Kenny was by her side.