"It's different when you're the one on the table, Miss LeBlanc," It's different when it's your own skin, your own meat, and there's no shame in that. "And I think you'll agree I need you to lie with your head flat so that tilting you chin up doesn't tear your stitches later."

John does want to concentrate - she's absolutely right. And when he's moving aside the gauze and stitching up the wound, he's silent, focusing on doing the work as quickly and cleanly as possible while occasionally having to suction blood out of the way.

He does speak, however, when the first line of stitches is done and tied off, because he has to clean the affected area again and apply another treatment against infection.

"Is it Miss or Doctor? Just a surgeon is a 'Miss' in England." And you said you were divorced, so he assumes it's not Missus.