Kenny’s gentle chuckle didn’t ease Dawn’s nerves. Her grip on his arm tightened, and her trembling only seemed to grow worse.

"A clutcher," Kenny explained again patiently, his eyes meeting hers. "It’s when you tense up or squeeze something—like my arm—when you’re nervous. And it makes the muscles in your arm tighter, which can make things like shots hurt more. That’s all."

Dawn stared at him, her eyes wide and filled with a mix of fear and disbelief. "S-So it’s my fault it always hurts?"

"Hey, hey," Kenny said quickly, his free hand moving to rest lightly on hers. "It’s not your fault, Dee Dee. It’s just how your body reacts when you’re scared. Totally normal. But we can fix it, okay?"

She didn’t seem convinced, her breathing coming out faster. "How do I fix it? Kenny, I don’t think I can do this. I don’t—"

"Dawn," Kenny interrupted gently, his voice calm but firm. "Deep breaths. Look at me."

She blinked at him, struggling to focus on his face.

"In through your nose," Kenny coached, demonstrating with an exaggerated inhale. "Hold it for a second… and out through your mouth."

Dawn hesitated but mimicked his breathing. It helped a little, though her heart was still hammering against her ribs.

"Good," Kenny praised, his tone soothing. "We’re going to take this one step at a time. First, we’ll make sure you’re as relaxed as possible. Can I help you with that?"

She gave the smallest nod.

"Alright." Kenny shifted closer, his fingers tracing gentle, soothing circles on the inside of her wrist. "Loosen your grip on my arm, Dee Dee. Just a little. Trust me."

Dawn reluctantly loosened her hold, though her hand still clung to him like a lifeline.

"There we go," Kenny said with a smile. "Now, let’s focus on keeping this arm nice and relaxed. No clenching, okay?"

"I’ll try," Dawn murmured, her voice shaky.

"That’s all I ask," Kenny said warmly.

He reached for the tray, grabbing the syringe and turning back to her. But the moment she saw the needle, her breath hitched, and panic flared in her eyes.

"Kenny!" she gasped, her free hand shooting out to grab his arm again.

"Whoa, whoa, Dee Dee," Kenny said, setting the syringe back down and placing both hands over hers. "It’s okay. You’re okay."

"I can’t do this!" Dawn sobbed, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Kenny’s heart clenched at the sight of her. He set the tray aside completely and wrapped his arms around her trembling form, pulling her into a gentle hug.

"You’re safe, Dawn," he murmured, his chin resting lightly on her head. "I’ve got you. You don’t have to be scared."

"But what if it hurts?" she whimpered, clutching his scrub shirt as though letting go would make the fear consume her.

Kenny rubbed her back soothingly. "If it hurts, we’ll stop, okay? I won’t push you to do anything you’re not ready for."

"You… you promise?" she sniffled.

"I promise," he said, pulling back just enough to look her in the eye. "This is about you, Dee Dee. Your comfort, your safety. We’ll take this as slow as you need."

Dawn’s breathing began to even out, though her hands still trembled.

"Do you want to try again?" Kenny asked gently.

After a long pause, she nodded, though her grip on his arm remained firm.

"Alright." Kenny gave her a reassuring smile. "This time, keep holding my arm if you need to. But remember, no clenching this arm, okay?"

She nodded again, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Kenny picked up the syringe once more, his movements slow and deliberate. "You’re doing great, Dee Dee. Just keep breathing with me."

Dawn squeezed her eyes shut, her nails digging into his arm.

The needle barely grazed her skin before she let out a choked sob, burying her face into Kenny’s shoulder.

"Kenny, I can’t!" she cried, her voice muffled.

"Shh, shh," Kenny soothed, setting the syringe aside again and holding her tightly. "It’s okay. We can stop. You’re not in trouble."

"But I’m being such a baby!" she wailed.

"Hey, none of that," Kenny said firmly, pulling back to cup her face in his hands. "You’re not a baby. You’re brave for even trying, Dawn. Do you hear me? Brave."

She sniffled, her gaze flickering to his, searching for reassurance.

"You don’t have to do this today," Kenny said softly. "We can try again another time. Or we can keep going if you feel ready. It’s your choice."

Dawn hesitated, her fingers still clutching his shirt. "You’ll stay with me the whole time?"

"Always," Kenny promised.

Taking a shaky breath, she nodded. "Okay… one more try."

Kenny smiled, his pride in her shining through. "That’s my Dee Dee."

This time, she kept her eyes on him, focusing on his calm presence instead of the needle. When it was over, she barely felt it.

"All done," Kenny announced, securing the blue bandaid on her arm. "You did it, Dee Dee."

Dawn blinked in surprise, then let out a shaky laugh. "I… I did it?"

"You sure did," Kenny said, pulling her into another hug. "And I couldn’t be prouder."

Dawn leaned into him, a small, genuine smile forming on her lips. "Thanks, Kenny. For everything."

"Anytime," he replied, brushing a kiss to her forehead. "Now, how about we grab that ice cream I promised?"

Her laugh came a little easier this time, and for the first time in a while, the fear didn’t seem so big.