Gary smiled softly and pulled back, ruffling Ash's hair. "All right, Ashy-boy. Let’s get this done so you can stop worrying."

Ash nodded hesitantly. Gary turned and grabbed a tongue depressor from the counter. "Okay, open wide. I need to check your throat."

Ash stared at the wooden stick like it was a weapon of doom. "What are you going to do with that?"

Gary chuckled. "Relax, kiddo. I’m just going to look at your throat. It won’t hurt, I promise."

Ash reluctantly opened his mouth, and Gary carefully used the depressor to press down Ash’s tongue. "Say ‘ahh.’"

"Ahh..." Ash’s voice trembled, and Gary peeked inside.

"Looks good. No redness, no swelling. See? That wasn’t so bad," Gary said, tossing the stick into the trash.

Ash wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, muttering, "It wasn’t great either."

Gary smirked. "Next, let’s check your height." He motioned to the height chart on the wall.

Ash walked over, dragging his feet. Gary grabbed a clipboard and stood beside him, adjusting the slider to rest gently on Ash’s head. "Okay, stand up straight, Ash. No slouching."

Ash obeyed, his nervous energy making him fidgety. Gary stepped back to check the measurement and jotted it down. "You’ve grown an inch since last time. Pretty soon, you’ll be taller than me."

Ash perked up a little at that. "Really?"

Gary grinned. "Well, maybe not that soon."

Next, Gary led Ash to the scale. "All right, hop on. Let’s see if you’re still sneaking too many sweets."

Ash glared at him. "I don’t eat that many sweets."

Gary crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Sure, Ashy-boy. Whatever you say."

Ash stepped onto the scale, avoiding eye contact. Gary adjusted the weights and noted the number, his expression thoughtful.

"What? Am I, like, overweight or something?" Ash asked, his voice tinged with panic.

Gary smirked and reached out to squeeze Ash’s hand reassuringly. "Relax. You’re perfectly healthy. But maybe lay off the donuts a bit."

Ash groaned, hopping off the scale. "You’re the worst, Gary."

Gary laughed. "You love me, admit it."

Ash rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth twitched upward.

"All right, Ash," Gary said, grabbing a syringe from the counter and carefully filling it with a small vial of vaccine. "One last thing. You need a shot."

Ash’s face turned as white as a sheet. "A shot?!"

Gary set the syringe on the tray and walked over, putting both hands on Ash’s shoulders. "It’s not a big deal. It’ll be over in a second."

Ash shook his head rapidly. "No way, Gary! What if it hurts? What if—"

"Hey, hey," Gary interrupted, his tone calm but firm. He guided Ash to sit back on the examination table and sat beside him. Wrapping an arm around Ash’s shoulders, he gently pulled Ash’s arm over his own. "Look at me."

Ash hesitated, his wide eyes meeting Gary’s steady gaze.

"You trust me, right?" Gary asked softly.

Ash nodded, though his lip quivered slightly.

"Good. Then just relax. If you don’t tense up, it’ll barely feel like a pinch."

Ash tried to take deep breaths, but his hands were still shaking. Gary squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "Close your eyes if you want. I’ll count to three, okay?"

Ash nodded again, squeezing his eyes shut.

"One..." Gary said, his voice soothing as he prepped Ash’s arm with an alcohol swab.

"Two..." He gently positioned the syringe.

Before Ash could brace himself for "three," it was already done.

"All finished," Gary said, capping the needle and tossing it in the sharps container.

Ash blinked in surprise. "Wait... that’s it?"

Gary chuckled. "Told you it wasn’t a big deal."

Ash rubbed his arm, giving Gary a sheepish grin. "I guess it wasn’t that bad."

Gary stood up and ruffled Ash’s hair. "You did great, kiddo. Proud of you."

Ash felt a warmth spread through his chest. "Thanks, Gary."

Gary smiled. "Anytime. Now let’s grab a snack to celebrate your bravery—just not donuts."

"Aw, come on, Gary!" Ash groaned, but he couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up as he followed his best friend out the door.