The final consultation

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

At six o'clock, Dr Fenwick drew a firm line beneath the final entry in his appointment book. His successor asked whether the book should be stored with the records. "Burn it; its work is done," Dr Fenwick replied. He then examined every bottle, retied the string around a bundle of instruments and turned each white label towards the front of the shelf. In the corridor, removal men dragged a cabinet towards the stairs. Dr Fenwick called after them to mind the paint.

When the room was bare, his successor reminded him that the cab had arrived. "Punctuality is the first courtesy of medicine," Dr Fenwick said, putting on his coat. At the doorway, his thumb passed once across the pale oblong where his brass nameplate had hung. He handed over the key and spoke about the likelihood of frost. Only when the cab had entered the next street did he draw the appointment book from beneath his coat and rest it, unopened, on his knees.

Analyse the writer's use of language and structure in presenting Dr Fenwick's controlled reaction to leaving his medical practice. Support your answer with references to the passage.