Gary snapped his gloves on in his office, picking his stethoscope and looping it around his neck. He grabbed his clipboard and sighed. " Okay, here we go."

He walked to the room, took a deep breath, and walked in.

He looked at the patient and gave the nervous kid a reassuring smile. " Don't worry Ashy Boy you'll be fine."



Ash's eye twitched. " Hello."

Gary rolled his eyes. " Ash you know who I am."

Ash nodded. " Yeah so?"

Gary groaned and lightly tapped the boy's head. " So if you remember use my name! And stop acting like you're a stranger."

" I am a stranger. I am a stranger."

Gary let out a deep sigh. " Okay look Ash. You know who I am. We've been friends and rivals since we were young. So stop freezing up in front of the one guy who's seen you since you were little."

" Mhm." Ash bit his lip.

Gary sighed deeply but pulled a flashlight out of his coat's pocket. " 'Kay, Ash. I'm gonna check your eyes first, " Kay?"

Ash nodded.

Gary closed his eyes wearily but didn't say anything, gently using his gloves finger to open Ash's eyes wider.

" Easy, easy.... Follow the light Ash."

" What light?"

Gary rubbed his temple, taking a slow breath. Patience, Gary, patience, he reminded himself as he held the small flashlight steady. "Ash, the light in my hand. Follow it with your eyes. Easy enough, right?"

Ash blinked rapidly, his face frozen in an awkward smile. "Uh... what light again?"

Gary leaned back, resting his hands on his hips. "The one I'm literally holding in front of your face."

"Oh... that light. Right. Yeah, sure, I see it," Ash mumbled, his words tumbling over each other.

Gary groaned under his breath but kept his tone calm. "Good. Now, just follow it, Ash. Move your eyes, not your head."

Ash tried to comply, but his gaze darted aimlessly. "Am I doing it? Is this working?"

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose. "Not quite. Look, just relax, okay? Breathe. In and out. You’re not battling a Legendary here."

"Right, breathing. I can do that. Totally," Ash muttered, inhaling sharply and exhaling in a loud whoosh.

"Not like you're hyperventilating," Gary corrected with a wry smile. "Normal breathing, Ashy-boy."

Ash nodded stiffly, his shoulders still tense. Gary waved the light gently from side to side. "Now, try again. Eyes on the light."

This time, Ash managed to follow it—barely. His movements were jerky and uncertain, but Gary decided it was good enough for now. "There we go. That’s better. See? You’re not hopeless."

"Gee, thanks," Ash muttered, his cheeks flushing slightly.

Gary smirked and clicked the flashlight off, tucking it back into his pocket. "Alright, moving on. Open your mouth and say 'ah.'"

Ash froze again, his mouth clamping shut. "Uh... why?"

"Because I need to check your throat," Gary said, raising an eyebrow. "It's standard. You’ve done this before."

Ash squirmed in his seat. "But, uh, what if I—uh—sneeze or something?"

Gary deadpanned. "If you sneeze, I’ll deal with it. Now open up."

Reluctantly, Ash opened his mouth, but it was barely wide enough for Gary to see anything. "Wider, Ash. I’m not trying to look through a keyhole."

Ash groaned but complied. Gary leaned in, using a tongue depressor to get a better view. "Say 'ah.'"

"Ahhhh," Ash mumbled weakly.

"Louder," Gary prompted.

"Ahhhhhh!" Ash practically shouted, causing Gary to flinch slightly.

"Okay, okay, that’s enough!" Gary said, pulling back and tossing the tongue depressor into a nearby bin. "Your throat looks fine. A little dramatic, but fine."

Ash huffed. "I’m not dramatic."

Gary arched an eyebrow. "Ash, you’ve been frozen like a Stantler in headlights this whole time. You’re lucky I haven’t called for backup."

Ash fidgeted, glancing down at his hands. "I just... don’t like this kind of stuff, okay?"

Gary’s expression softened as he set his clipboard down and crouched slightly to meet Ash's eye level. "I get it, Ash. Nobody loves being poked and prodded. But I’m here to help you, not hurt you. You trust me, right?"

Ash hesitated but eventually nodded. "Yeah... I trust you."

"Good." Gary straightened up, giving Ash a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Then let’s finish this up. Deep breaths again, in and out."

Ash complied, this time more naturally, as Gary placed the stethoscope on his chest. "Good. Now again. Deep breath."

Gary listened carefully, nodding in approval. "Lungs sound fine. Heart’s racing a little, but that’s just you being nervous."

Ash chuckled nervously. "Yeah, probably."

Gary set the stethoscope aside and gave him a faint smile. "See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?"

"I guess not," Ash admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

"Great. Now, for the last part..." Gary picked up his clipboard and jotted a few notes. "I just need you to stay still while I check your reflexes."

"Stay still? Got it," Ash said, immediately bouncing his leg anxiously.

Gary shot him a look but didn’t comment. He tapped Ash’s knee lightly with a reflex hammer, nodding as Ash's leg kicked slightly. "Perfect. Other side."

The second test went just as smoothly, and Gary stepped back, tossing the hammer into his kit. "Alright, Ashy-boy, you survived. Full bill of health."

Ash exhaled in relief, a small smile creeping onto his face. "Thanks, Gary."

Gary smirked, crossing his arms. "Anytime. But next time, maybe don’t act like you’ve never met me before, okay?"

Ash laughed sheepishly. "Yeah... sorry about that."

Gary rolled his eyes fondly. "You’re lucky I’m patient. Now go on, get out of here before I change my mind and make you run laps."

Ash hopped off the exam table, grinning. "See you around, Doc."

Gary shook his head with a chuckle. "Later, Ashy-boy."