Gary smirked as Ash stammered something incoherent, his hands fidgeting with the edge of his shirt. “Come on, Ashy-boy,” Gary said, his voice teasing but soft. “You’re acting like this is your first check-up.”

Ash’s leg started bouncing up and down, his nerves getting the better of him. “It’s not that, Gary,” he muttered, his voice barely audible. “I just don’t like… you know, all this stuff. The poking, prodding, the questions.”

Gary sighed, walking over to Ash and placing a hand on his shoulder. “Hey. Look at me.”

Ash hesitated, his eyes darting around the room, but finally met Gary’s gaze. Gary’s expression was different now—calm, reassuring, even a little bit protective. “You’re gonna be okay,” Gary said, squeezing Ash’s shoulder gently. “It’s me, Ashy. You know I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

Ash tried to laugh it off, but the sound came out strained. “Yeah, sure. Easy for you to say. You’re the one holding the stethoscope.”

Gary chuckled and stepped back, pulling on a pair of gloves. “Alright, let’s just get started. The sooner we’re done, the sooner you can go back to pretending this never happened.”

Ash groaned but nodded. “Fine. Just… don’t do anything weird, okay?”

Gary rolled his eyes but smirked. “Weird? Ashy-boy, this is me. I’d never do anything to you… that you’d notice.”

Ash’s eyes widened, and Gary burst out laughing. “Relax, buddy! It’s a joke.”

“Not funny,” Ash grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Gary pulled out a small flashlight and leaned closer to Ash. “Alright, first up—eyes. Just follow the light, Ash.”

Ash blinked nervously as Gary turned on the flashlight and waved it slowly in front of his face. “Left,” Gary instructed. “Right. Good. Now up. Down. Perfect.”

Ash squirmed slightly under Gary’s scrutiny. “How am I doing?” he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Gary tilted his head, pretending to study Ash’s face seriously. “Well, you’ve got two eyes. That’s a good start.”

Ash groaned again, but there was a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Gary noticed and grinned. “See? Not so bad.”

Next, Gary adjusted his gloves and leaned in again. “Alright, ears now. Don’t move.”

Ash sat stiff as a board while Gary carefully checked each ear, tilting Ash’s head gently to get a better look. “No wax buildup. Guess you’re not as gross as I thought,” Gary teased.

Ash shot him a look. “Seriously?”

Gary smirked. “What? You expect me to just say you’re perfect?”

Ash rolled his eyes, but his nerves were easing slightly. That was until Gary pulled out a tongue depressor.

“Mouth next,” Gary announced. “Open wide.”

Ash hesitated. “Do I have to?”

“Unless you want me to get Brock in here to do it instead.”

Ash immediately opened his mouth, and Gary laughed. “That’s what I thought. Say ‘ahh.’”

“Ahh,” Ash mumbled as Gary checked his throat and teeth.

“Looks good,” Gary said, tossing the depressor aside. “No cavities. Guess your mom’s been on you about brushing.”

Ash made a face but didn’t argue.

Gary moved to the stethoscope next, the cool metal dangling from his neck as he gestured for Ash to sit up straight. “Okay, this part might feel a little cold. Just take deep breaths for me.”

Ash shivered as the stethoscope touched his chest. “Cold? More like freezing!”

Gary chuckled. “Stop being such a baby. Deep breath in… and out. Again.”

Ash followed the instructions, his heart thundering so loudly in his chest he was sure Gary could hear it. “Your heart’s racing, Ashy,” Gary said, frowning slightly. “You nervous?”

Ash fumbled for an answer, but Gary held up a hand. “Don’t worry. It’s probably just all that stressing you’re doing. Let’s check your blood pressure.”

Ash sat still as Gary wrapped the cuff around his arm and began pumping. The machine beeped, and Gary’s brow furrowed as he read the numbers. “Uh, Ash? This is really high.”

“How high?” Ash asked, his voice shaking.

“Like… 400s high.”

Ash’s eyes widened in panic, and his leg started bouncing again. “That’s bad, right? That’s really bad! Gary, what if—”

“Hey, hey!” Gary interrupted, stepping closer and grabbing Ash’s hand. “Calm down, buddy. Breathe. You’re fine. It’s just nerves.”

Ash’s heart was pounding so fast now he thought it might leap out of his chest. “I-I don’t know, Gary—”

Gary sighed and did something unexpected. He sat behind Ash on the examination table, wrapping his arms around his friend in a protective hug. “You’re okay, Ashy,” he said softly, his voice steady and calm. “I’ve got you. Just breathe, okay? In and out, like we practiced.”

Ash froze for a moment, startled by the closeness, but slowly relaxed as Gary’s steady breathing helped him calm down. “There you go,” Gary murmured. “That’s it. Just like that.”

Ash leaned back slightly, still trembling but no longer on the verge of a full-blown meltdown. “Thanks,” he whispered.

Gary smiled. “What are best friends for?” He gave Ash’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze before hopping down. “Now, let’s finish this up. Reflexes next.”

Ash nodded, feeling a bit steadier as Gary grabbed the reflex hammer. The rest of the check-up went smoothly, with Gary’s calm presence making all the difference. By the time they were done, Ash felt like he could finally breathe again.

“See?” Gary said with a grin as he packed up. “Not so bad, huh?”

Ash gave him a small smile. “Yeah. Not bad… thanks, Gary.”

Gary slung an arm around Ash’s shoulders as they left the room. “Anytime, Ashy-boy. Anytime.”