Doug actually smiled a little at her comment. "I don't know... the news seems to indicate you've turned over a new leaf. Not that it's any of my business."
Doug placed his left hand gently on her arm, the cut between his thumb and the rest of his fingers. "Okay, here we go," he said quietly, focus on his voice. The needle quickly but deliberately pushed into her skin at a sharp angle, and he pulled the thread taut, not wasting his time. He pressed his lips together in concentration as she winced, what little body signals she was giving indicating pain. At times like this, it was not fun being able to read another's body language so clearly.
"And again," he said, in that calming voice he'd heard Leslie use with patients, pulling the needle back through.