Joly's watching his work and doesn't see the grin, but he's already sort of assumed it. Whatever else Monmouth is, he's already clearly the sort of person to grin about this kind of situation.
Which is fine! So are many of Joly's friends! And Joly's smiling himself a little in recognition of it. "Well, I've idled in a few taverns myself. -- No, no, I think there were many brilliant scholars in your day, as there were in mine. But with medicine,of course, any of us would want to learn as quickly as we could."
And Joly sometimes thinks those past scholars would have been horrified, to learn how little the science had advanced in the centuries; that the difference between his time and theirs should have been greater, at least as far as the difference in the science a hundred years after his own life.
But that's not something to say to patients while the work's being done. It takes a few minutes longer; and then Joly has Harry open his jaw carefully enough to give him the mouth-guard, and hands him a small piece of bent plastic in return. "Keep this between your back teeth--yes, that's right-- for about ten minutes. But you can talk again, as long as you hold it there." And he should be able to talk; he'll have enough leeway for that. "And don't go poking at your jaw just yet!" That last comment is an afterthought, and Joly smiles as he says it, but...really, Harry. Don't.
Turning to Hal, he says "All right, I'm going to mend that wrist, and then I'll check you both to make sure there's nothing serious we're missing. So say something if it feels strange, but otherwise try to stay still. Here we go--!" The machine hums on again.
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Which is fine! So are many of Joly's friends! And Joly's smiling himself a little in recognition of it. "Well, I've idled in a few taverns myself. -- No, no, I think there were many brilliant scholars in your day, as there were in mine. But with medicine,of course, any of us would want to learn as quickly as we could."
And Joly sometimes thinks those past scholars would have been horrified, to learn how little the science had advanced in the centuries; that the difference between his time and theirs should have been greater, at least as far as the difference in the science a hundred years after his own life.
But that's not something to say to patients while the work's being done. It takes a few minutes longer; and then Joly has Harry open his jaw carefully enough to give him the mouth-guard, and hands him a small piece of bent plastic in return. "Keep this between your back teeth--yes, that's right-- for about ten minutes. But you can talk again, as long as you hold it there." And he should be able to talk; he'll have enough leeway for that. "And don't go poking at your jaw just yet!" That last comment is an afterthought, and Joly smiles as he says it, but...really, Harry. Don't.
Turning to Hal, he says "All right, I'm going to mend that wrist, and then I'll check you both to make sure there's nothing serious we're missing. So say something if it feels strange, but otherwise try to stay still. Here we go--!" The machine hums on again.