I truly did not know what to say for a time, and so focused on smoothing and kneading the flesh beneath my hands. The scars felt cooler than the rest of him, and I could feel where the muscles had once tensed beneath the skin. "Is it normal for doctors in your world to do that, to... to disbelieve what a patient says? Well, I suppose I should be asking if it is common for patients to lie about their symptoms to get drugs," I amended, my eyes dropping to my hands and my hair slipping over my shoulder to curtain my face. I was struck keenly by the sadness he tried to keep out of his voice, by wondering what he had done in the past to deserve such a dose of my lord Kushiel's cruel justice. A lump curled in my throat, and I swallowed around it, taking an unsteady breath.