(no subject)

[merryeccentricities]

Joly knocks on Feuilly's door at what seems like a reasonable hour for people to be up. He's carrying a small bag that looks almost embarrassingly professional, and another that only looks like it has dog treats, because it does.

Comments

[tu_vas_triompher]

Speaking of almost embarrassing, Feuilly isn't actually in his room at said reasonable time. But he comes hurrying down the corridor with the dog just a moment after Joly gets there, and unlocks the door with muttered apologies. "I was just--" Never mind. "No, Hector--"

Hector smells your treats, Joly. Hector is going to stand on your foot and snuffle intrusively all around for said treats, while Feuilly urges him into the room.

[merryeccentricities]

Joly is not asking! He's not even Not Asking.

He is laughing at Hector, though, and keeping the treats up high as he comes into the room. "--No, not yet, Hector. Is this all right, should I come back after he's settled back in?"

[tu_vas_triompher]

"No, this is fine--Hector!"

It may be the case that Feuilly is not a particularly stern and masterful figure with the dogs. But Hector is a well-brought-up old fellow and he soon settles down: plants his haunches on the floor with a sigh and turns mournful eyes in the general direction of the source of the dog-treat smell. (Mournful: and cloudy, white.)

[merryeccentricities]

"aaaaw, you're a good old fellow, aren't you?" Joly is rather out of practice with dogs, but Hector's easy company. "Here, I promised--"

He takes a treat out of the bag, and holds it in front of Hector, who perks right up. Joly moves the treat left...right...up... down...and Hector follows, always with a slight delay. Finally Joly tosses the little treat, very gently, right at Hector.

It bounces off his forehead and on to the carpet. Hector, unconcerned, snuffles after it. Joly smiles a little apologetically in Feuilly's direction. "It's part of the exam." It really is. Even when a look at those white eyes would be enough to know Hector's almost totally blind.

Not that Hector cares about his dignity. He's got a treat! Joly kneels down and opens up his little doctor's bag. Now the more technical bit.

[tu_vas_triompher]

Feuilly smiles back, ruefully. "It's all right. I've tried it myself, just--you know--to work out what he can see." Which, yes, isn't much. "Do you need me to--hold onto him--?"

(Probably not. Hector will happily let anyone poke and prod, as long as they go about it with a friendly tone of voice.)

[merryeccentricities]

Hector will! He's a good dog. Joly discusses this fact at length with Hector. A very good dog, and a good patient, letting Joly go over him with scanners and lights and things that go beep (and Hector starts at that, which is good; he's supposed to). Hector even forgives Joly for the definitely unpleasant puff of air in each eye, once an apology in the form of treats has been made.

Joly finally stands up, giving Hector a final scratch of the head as he does so. "Oh, you won't like me so much soon." He turns to Feuilly. "There's nothing wrong with his eyes besides the cataract, and he's definitely healthy enough for the surgery. If you'll let me have a few days to practice the procedure--it's really nothing invasive, not with the tools here, but I want to make sure I can work quickly, so he's not stuck in a strange room holding still for too long. And then I can set up an operating studio for him and he'll be in and out before you can eat a good dinner."

Joly can't help beaming a little. It's still so good to be able to say such things--this can be healed, without fear, without pain--to say it, and mean it, with as little doubt as a bricklayer might have in saying "I can mend this wall."