Ash sat stiffly on the examination table, his hands clutching the edge like it was the only thing grounding him. His breaths were shallow and quick, and his heart raced as if it were trying to escape his chest. Despite Gary's earlier reassurances, the nervousness bubbling inside him refused to subside. In fact, it seemed to grow louder with each passing second.

Gary had been working through the check-up methodically-starting with Ash's eyes. "Follow my finger," Gary instructed, moving his hand from side to side. Ash complied, his eyes tracking the movement without a word.

"Good," Gary said, jotting down notes on the clipboard. "Now your ears. Let's see if you're actually listening for once."

Ash didn't react to the joke, which immediately caught Gary's attention. Normally, Ash would've fired back with a sarcastic comment or rolled his eyes. But this time? Nothing.

Gary leaned in, holding a small light to Ash's ear. "You hear me okay when I talk, Ash?"

"...Yeah," Ash muttered quietly.

Gary's brows furrowed as he moved to the next task. "Alright, open your mouth. Say 'ah.'"

Ash complied without hesitation, but the mechanical way he did it set off alarm bells in Gary's head. His usual fiery, stubborn attitude was completely absent.

"Heart and lungs next," Gary said, reaching for the stethoscope. He placed it gently on Ash's chest. "Deep breath in."

Ash inhaled, but it was shaky and shallow.

"Now out."

The exhale was just as unsteady, and Gary's frown deepened. He shifted the stethoscope to Ash's back, repeating the process. "Inhale. Exhale."

Gary couldn't miss it-Ash's heart was hammering in his chest, and his breathing was all over the place. He set the stethoscope down and looked at Ash, who was staring at the floor with an intensity that made it seem like he was trying to burn a hole through it.

"Ash, your heart and lungs are working overtime," Gary said, his voice softer now. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Ash mumbled. His hands tightened on the edge of the table, his knuckles white.

Gary sighed, setting the clipboard aside. He knelt down on the floor so he was eye-level with Ash, resting a hand gently on Ash's knee. "What's going on, kiddo? You're scaring me."

Ash's eyes flickered to Gary's for a moment before darting away again. He bit his lip, his shoulders hunched like he was trying to fold into himself.

Gary's voice softened even further. "Hey, it's me. You can talk to me, Ash. Whatever's going on, I'm not going anywhere."

Ash hesitated, his grip loosening slightly. "...I just..." He trailed off, struggling to put his thoughts into words.

Gary waited patiently, his gaze steady and reassuring.

"I'm just nervous, okay?" Ash finally blurted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't like all this... doctor stuff. And you-you're always teasing me, so I thought maybe... maybe you were gonna mess with me or something."

Gary blinked in surprise, then let out a soft laugh. "Mess with you? Ash, come on. This is serious stuff. I wouldn't joke about your health."

Ash glanced at him, the tension in his posture easing just a little.

Gary gave his knee a reassuring pat. "Look, I get it. This isn't exactly fun, and yeah, I tease you a lot, but I'd never do anything to hurt you. You know that, right?"

Ash nodded slowly, his breathing starting to steady. "Yeah... I know."

"Good," Gary said with a small smile. He stood up, grabbing a reflex hammer. "Now, let's check those reflexes of yours. I need to make sure you can still dodge all those crazy moves in battle."

Ash managed a small smile at that, and for the first time since the check-up started, he felt a little less on edge.