“ Hey, Dee- Dee!” Kenny called as he pushed the front door open and stepped into their little cabin. “ I’m home!”

Dawn appeared, wiping her hands in a towel. “ Hey, Kenny!” she said, her voice congested. “ How was the clinic?”

Kenny raised a brow. “ The clinic is fine. But you don't look so great.”

Dawn tried to wave it off. “ No need to wor- COUGH COUGH!”

Kenny dropped his bag and ran to her side, gently rubbing her back. “ Easy Dee Dee, easy… come on Dawn calm down….. Hold it in…. Good… now keep it in…”

Dawn managed to stop her coughing, and she sighed. “ Thanks, Kenny.” She croaked.

“ You need to get to bed. Now.”

Dawn blinked at Kenny. “ Bed? Now?”

Kenny gently took the towel, setting it on the dining table and guiding her to the bedroom. “ Yes, Dee Dee. Bed.”

“ But why?”

“ Because you’re coughing, Dee Dee. Why else?”

“ No need to worry! I’ll just pull through.”

But then she started a coughing fit again.

Kenny raised a brow. “ Your coughing says otherwise.”

He grabbed Dawn her night clothes, handed them to her and pushed her into the bathroom. “ Change.” He said with that tone that left no room for argument.

When Dawn came out of the bathroom, holding her day clothes, Kenny was leaning on the wall, arms crossed. He turned to Dawn, grabbing her clothes, and helped her to bed, sitting her down and lifting the covers on her before gently sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“ Okay, Dee Dee,” He said, taking a thermometer out of his pocket. “ Let’s see what you’ve done to yourself.”

Dawn glared at him but reluctantly opened her mouth, and Kenny gently inserted it under her tongue.

“ Good girl.” He muttered, reaching into his bag and pulled out a stethoscope. “ Okay, Dee Dee. Breathe like it’s any other day and you’re not in bed because you overworked yourself and now you’re sick.”

Dawn glared at him. “ Not helping.” She said, her voice muffled by the thermometer.

Kenny threw his head back and laughed, then gently inserted the disc to Dawn’s neckhole, pressing the metal to Dawn’s chest. “ Breathe.”

“ Good. Again.”

“ One more…… there. That’s my girl.”

Kenny took the stethoscope off and pulled the thermometer out of Dawn’s mouth and grimmanced. “ That’s bad.”

Dawn’s eyes widened. “ What? What happened?”

Kenny didn’t reply immediately.

He pulled some gloves on and took an ophthalmoscope ( yes it’s a thing), gently flicking it on and using his thumb to open Dawn’s eyes a little more. The gloves were cold, and Dawn flinched a bit.

Kenny smiled apologetically. “ Sorry. Is it cold?”

Dawn glared at her. “ What do YOU think?”

Kenny scratched his head. “ Right. Sorry….”

He brought the light up to Dawn’s eyes and looked into them. “ Good… a bit cloudy but that’s expected…..” He muttered something, jotting it down on a notepad before removing his gloves and setting the tools back in his bag. “ Okay, you have a little fever, but it’s not as bad as the thermometer claims. Some rest and love can fix it.”

Dawn sighed, sniffling. "This sucks."

Kenny chuckled softly. "I know it does,

Dee Dee. But you’ll be up and at it in no time."

Dawn looked up at him, her expression curious. "Is it okay if I ask a question?"

"Anything," Kenny replied, giving her a warm smile.

Dawn tilted her head. "Why do we get sick, Kenny?"

Kenny blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the question. "Huh, well… that’s a good question."

He rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. "Okay, so... sickness is kinda like when your body gets into a fight."

"A fight?" Dawn repeated, her voice scratchy.

"Yeah. Your body has these tiny soldiers called white blood cells, right? And their job is to protect you from germs—little bad guys that try to mess things up inside you."

Dawn frowned. "Like Team Rocket?"

Kenny laughed. "Yeah, exactly like Team Rocket. So when germs sneak in, your body goes into battle mode. That’s why you get a fever—it’s like raising the heat to make the bad guys uncomfortable."

Dawn blinked. "So my body is basically a battlefield right now?"

"Pretty much," Kenny said with a grin. "But don’t worry, Dee Dee. Your soldiers are tough. They just need you to rest so they can win the fight."

Dawn seemed to process this for a moment before another question popped into her head. "But why do germs even exist? Can't they just not?"

Kenny scratched his head. "That’s a deep one. Germs have been around forever. Some are actually good for you—like the ones in your stomach that help you digest food."

"Wait, I have germs in my stomach?" Dawn’s eyes widened. "Gross."

Kenny laughed. "It’s not gross. Think of them like friendly Pokémon living inside you, helping out."

Dawn made a face but didn’t argue. "Okay, but why do some germs turn evil? Like what makes them decide to attack?"

Kenny shrugged. "I guess it’s just their nature. Some germs are harmless until they find a chance to cause trouble. Kinda like that sneaky Meowth from Team Rocket."

Dawn nodded slowly. "So what do you do as a dentist when germs attack people’s teeth?"

Kenny smiled. "Ah, that’s my job! I’m like a Gym Leader for your mouth. I clean out the bad guys, make sure your teeth are strong, and give your gums some backup when they need it."

Dawn giggled at the comparison. "Gym Leader Kenny. I like that."

"Glad to hear it," Kenny said with a playful nudge. "Got any other questions, Professor Dee Dee?"

Dawn tapped her chin. "Hmm... why do we sneeze when we’re sick?"

"Ah, that’s your body trying to kick out the bad guys hiding in your nose," Kenny explained. "It's like a sudden attack move."

Dawn laughed, though it quickly turned into a cough. Kenny rubbed her back gently until she settled down.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," Dawn croaked. "One last question."

"Hit me."

"Why do you always take care of me?"

Kenny blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

Dawn fidgeted with the edge of the blanket. "You’re always there when I’m sick or upset. Why?"

Kenny’s expression softened. "Because I care about you, Dee Dee. That’s what friends do. And you’d do the same for me, right?"

Dawn smiled, her eyes glimmering. "Yeah... I would."

"See?" Kenny grinned. "That’s what makes us a good team."

He leaned back against the headboard, letting Dawn rest her head on his shoulder again.

"Thanks, Kenny," Dawn murmured, her voice drowsy.

"Anytime, Dee Dee. Now rest up. Your soldiers need you strong."

When Dawn's eyes opened again, she was still leaning on Kenny's shoulder.

But now Kenny was reading a book.

Dawn gazed up at Kenny.

He looked so peaceful.

So she decided -

" Morning Dee Dee." Kenny said without looking up.

Dawn blinked. " How'd you know I was awake?"

Kenny grinned and set the book down. " Well, because I blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah bla-" he stopped talking when he noticed Dawn's confused expression.

" English?" Dawn squeaked.

Kenny laughed. " It's because I'm your boyfriend, Dee Dee."

" But what about that mumbo jumbo you were saying before?"

" That's just the medical way I knew."

" And how was that?"

Kenny smirked, leaning forward with a playful glint in his eyes. "You really wanna know the medical explanation, Dee Dee?"

Dawn nodded, curiosity sparkling despite her lingering fatigue. "Yeah, impress me, Doc."

"Alright," Kenny said, settling back against the headboard. "When you're asleep, your breathing is slow and steady, right? But the second you wake up, your breathing changes—gets a little faster. Plus, your body gets warmer because you're suddenly aware of your surroundings."

Dawn raised a brow. "So basically, I'm a living breathing alarm clock to you?"

Kenny laughed. "Pretty much. Plus, you always do this little nose wrinkle when you're waking up." He tapped the tip of her nose playfully. "It's adorable."

Dawn's face turned bright red. "I do not wrinkle my nose!"

"Yes, you do," Kenny teased. "It's my favorite part of seeing you wake up."

Dawn huffed, crossing her arms. "You're making that up."

Kenny gave her a mischievous look. "Wanna bet? Next time you wake up, I'll record it."

Dawn gasped, playfully swatting his arm. "Don't you dare, Kenny!"

He laughed, catching her hand and holding it gently. "Alright, alright, I'll spare you this time."

Dawn's giggle turned into a soft sigh as she relaxed. "You're weird... but thanks for taking care of me."

"Anytime, Dee Dee," Kenny said warmly. "Now, how about some snacks? Doctor's orders."

Dawn shook her head. " No thanks, Kenny. I'm not hungry."

Kenny's playful expression vanished. " Dee Dee, I know you're not hungry, but you gotta eat. If you don't, you won't get better."

Dawn groaned. " But.... But my stomach feels like it's gonna push all my breakfast up."

Kenny's eyes widened. " Seriously?"

Dawn nodded, closing her eyes and groaning.

The young doctor didn't waste any time.

" Okay Dee Dee just keep your eyes closed." Kenny said as he wiped her arm with something cool.

" Kenny? W... What was that?"

" Nothing, Dee Dee. Nothing."

" B... Bu-"

" Relax, Dawn. Take a deep breath."

Then there was a weird sensation on Dawn's arm, and she heard a click.

Then she felt a bandaid.

Suddenly it all made sense.

Dawn's eyes flew open in disbelief. "Wait... did you just give me a shot?!"

Kenny grinned sheepishly, peeling off his gloves. "Yup."

Her jaw dropped. "Without telling me?! Kenny!"

"You were panicking, Dee Dee," Kenny said calmly, holding his hands up in defense. "I figured it was better to just get it over with instead of making you freak out."

Dawn rubbed her arm, her expression torn between outrage and admiration. "But I didn't even notice it happening..."

"That's the point," Kenny said with a triumphant smile. "Smoothest shot you'll ever get."

Dawn narrowed her eyes. "You're way too sneaky for your own good."

"Hey, I'm a doctor—it's part of the job," Kenny teased. "And now that you've had your medicine, I promise you'll feel better soon."

Dawn let out a reluctant sigh. "Fine. But next time, warn me, okay?"

Kenny chuckled. "Deal. But only if you promise not to run."

Dawn gave him a teasing glare. "No promises, Doc."

Kenny laughed, ruffling her hair. "Fair enough, Dee Dee. But I always catch you anyway."