14.“So what does this mean?” asked Paul, cautiously approaching the English doctor after Helen had gone down to the beach to have a swim in the ocean. “That I need an operation?”
“It means that there’s nothing serious wrong with you. A lump has formed on your vocal chords as a consequence of laryngitis. If the hoarseness bothers you, you may choose to have surgery to remove it. It’s a routine procedure, nothing to be afraid of.”
“So… it’s not cancer? I don’t have throat cancer?”
The doctor laughed and tossed an inflatable life preserver into the water for his splashing children.
“No. There’s nothing serious the matter with you. You don’t even really need the surgery, only if you want a clear voice. Or if it hinders your singing career.”
Paul started laughing too, then walked down to t
