Kenny smiled warmly, shaking his head. "A clutcher, Dee Dee. It means you tense up and ball your fists when you’re nervous. That’s why it hurts more than it should."

Dawn blinked, looking at her hands. "Oh… I didn’t know."

He continued massaging her hand, his touch firm but comforting. "That’s okay. We’ll work on keeping you relaxed, alright? You trust me, don’t you?"

Dawn hesitated but nodded. "I… I do."

"Good," Kenny said, setting her hand gently on the table. "Now, I’ll get everything ready. Just keep breathing nice and steady."

Dawn watched nervously as Kenny turned to prepare the syringe. Her heart was already pounding, and her breathing grew shallow despite her best efforts.

She stared at the needle in his hands, her stomach flipping. It’s so sharp…

Kenny turned back to her, noticing her eyes fixed on the syringe. He stepped closer, crouching slightly to meet her gaze. "Hey," he said softly, his voice cutting through her spiraling thoughts. "Dee Dee, look at me. Not at the needle."

Dawn tore her eyes away reluctantly, meeting his. "It’s just… it looks so…"

"Big? Scary? Like it’s going to hurt a lot?" Kenny filled in, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.

She nodded, her eyes wide and watery.

"Okay, here’s the deal," Kenny said, setting the needle down for a moment. "We’re going to do this together. You can hold my arm, my hand, whatever you need. And if it’s too much, just say ‘stop,’ and we’ll pause. Deal?"

Dawn nodded again, her fingers gripping the edge of the table.

"Alright," Kenny said, picking up the syringe once more. "I’m going to disinfect your arm first. It might feel a little cold, but that’s all."

As he swabbed her arm, Dawn flinched slightly, her nails digging into the table.

"You’re doing great," Kenny reassured her. "Now, remember what I said. Relax your muscles."

Dawn tried, but the second he moved closer with the needle, she panicked.

"Kenny, wait! Wait!" she cried, grabbing his arm with both hands.

"Whoa, whoa, okay," Kenny said, immediately pulling back. "It’s alright, Dee Dee. Take a breath. We’re not in a rush."

Tears started to spill down her cheeks as she clung to his arm. "I can’t do it. It’s too scary. I don’t want to."

"Hey, hey," Kenny said softly, setting the syringe back down. He sat beside her on the table, wrapping an arm around her trembling shoulders. "It’s okay to feel scared. You don’t have to be brave right away. I’m here, remember?"

Dawn nodded, her face buried in his chest.

"Tell you what," Kenny said after a moment, his voice calm and patient. "We’ll try again, but this time, I want you to close your eyes. Hold onto me as tight as you want, and I’ll count down from three. By the time I say ‘one,’ it’ll be over. How does that sound?"

Dawn sniffled, peeking up at him. "Promise it won’t hurt too much?"

"I promise," Kenny said, his voice steady.

Reluctantly, Dawn nodded. "Okay… but don’t let go of me, okay?"

"Never," Kenny assured her, pulling her into a comforting hug with one arm while positioning the syringe with the other.

"Alright, Dee Dee. Close your eyes," he instructed.

Dawn squeezed her eyes shut, her hands clutching his arm tightly.

"Three," Kenny began, his voice soft and steady.

Dawn’s breathing hitched.

"Two," he continued, the needle just about to break the skin.

Her grip on his arm tightened further, her nails pressing into his scrubs.

"One," Kenny said as the needle slipped in smoothly.

Dawn gasped, her tears falling freely. "Is… is it done?"

Kenny chuckled softly, withdrawing the needle and pressing a cotton ball to the spot. "All done, Dee Dee. You did amazing."

She opened her eyes, blinking in disbelief. "That’s it? Really?"

"Really," Kenny said, peeling the backing off the blue bandaid and placing it gently on her arm.

Dawn stared at her arm, then at Kenny. "I… I didn’t even feel it."

Kenny grinned, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "Told you I’d take care of you."

Dawn let out a watery laugh, her grip on his arm finally loosening. "Thanks, Kenny. I don’t think I could’ve done it without you."

"That’s what I’m here for," he said, brushing a kiss to her forehead. "Now, how about we get you a treat for being so brave?"

Dawn smiled, the fear finally melting away. "Ice cream?"

Kenny laughed, helping her off the table. "Doctor’s orders."