[Yeah, that's about what Nick figured.

He doesn't reply to the first part, because he's assuming it's rhetorical, just waits for Monroe to answer his question. Then he nods.]

Okay. So, we've got that. You can obviously still hear me, so do the ear plugs take you back down to what you had before? Or at least close to it?

[He very careful doesn't say 'normal,' because, well. From what he's read around the network, this might be Monroe's new normal now.]