"Of course I'd be able to tell," Tony replied, grave but for a distinct glint of humor in his eyes. "Lobotomy patients don't talk nearly as much. Mostly they just drool and shamble." Or so he assumed. He hadn't actually ever encountered one to make the observation in person.

He arched an eyebrow in mock skepticism, leaning further back in his chair, 'til the front two legs tipped up a half-inch off of the ground. "I don't know. It can't be that much more exciting than watching the wallpaper peel, and since that's what they've got us beginners doing these days..."

Tony hesitated, then shook his head. "Nothing important. It just gave me something to think about." Because he hadn't spent nearly enough time thinking in the usual run of things, of course. "What about you? Don't tell me someone really did run over your puppy."