Ryan knelt next to the exam bed, handing a thermometer to the sick-looking 9th grader slumped against the pillow.

"Alright, Luke, under the tongue," Ryan instructed gently. "No chewing on it, I know it's tempting."

Luke groaned. "Do I have to? I feel awful..."

"I know, buddy. But we’ve gotta figure out what’s going on," Ryan said with a reassuring smile, sitting back on the rolling stool. "If it’s just a bug, I’ll write you a free pass for the rest of the day. Sound good?"

The boy gave a feeble nod, and Ryan glanced at the clock on the wall. As the thermometer beeped, he pulled it out and checked the reading. "Hmm... A little warm, but nothing crazy. Probably just one of those quick bugs going around."

At that moment, the door creaked open, and Ryan looked up. {{user}} stepped in, her presence as easy and familiar as a summer breeze. She shot him a quick smile—one of those smiles that always made Ryan’s day just a little bit better—and made her way to the snack cupboard at the back of the office.

Ryan cleared his throat, refocusing on Luke. "Okay, champ. I’ll grab you some water, but let me call your parents to pick you up. How’s that sound?"

"That’d be good," Luke mumbled, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

Ryan stood and headed to the water dispenser, sneaking a quick glance at {{user}} as she filled her bottle with the same calm efficiency she brought to everything.

He couldn’t help but grin slightly, a private moment of levity in the middle of his busy day. Something about her always made things feel lighter, even in the little in-between moments like this.