Looking at the record, his worst fears confirmed—that something impossible had happened—George determined to face the impossible with determination, vigor, and a sense of humor. His pragmatism made him face the fact of … a most unusual event! That’s what it amounted to, he decided, just as Gregory asked, in a worried tone, “What are you going to do?”

“Do?” George repeated. “Hell, what’s to do? It’s done. I might like a little talk with that custodian though. Or then again, maybe not. Give me a bit of time to think about it. I’d like to see those gums of yours tomorrow, anyhow….”

“You won’t get Window in any trouble, will you?” Gregory asked, sounding more worried than before. “I mean, well, his abilities challenge the authorities, don’t they?”

“They sure as hell do,” George answered. He was caught, because though he was nominally a member of the establishment, his sympathies were usually with the underdog—which was one of the reasons he helped out at the center to begin with. But … his conventional knowledge of medicine and dentistry made him scandalized at the apparent healing—it flew in the face of all common sense knowledge. Moreover, he was beginning to remember his own encounter with the Christ patient. This made him more nervous than before. “Look, I’ve got three patients lined up for this morning,” he said. “I’ll think about this and I’ll get in touch with you. We’ll put this thing in some kind of perspective….” Gregory didn’t want to budge, but Seven gave him a friendly shove, and led him to the door.

“I’ll be in touch. I promise,” George assured him. After Gregory left, George did two extractions and a filling without saying another word to Seven except for, “Just hand me that thing-a-majig,” pointing to an instrument for which Seven had learned the proper name but not George’s pet designation. So Seven was kept hopping, anticipating what George would want next, and following the gesture of George’s arm as his fingers pointed generally to the area in which the instrument could be found.

“Now, the digger,” he said, and when Seven promptly handed him the tool, he murmured, “Super,” but in a distracted, automatic way. Even his reminders to the patients to open wider were made without his usual accompanying smile.

When the last patient left, George looked at Seven and shook his head. “I am truly mystified. For the first time in my life, I just do not know how to react. What’s your opinion on all of this… ?”

This time Seven forgot himself in his desire to help, so he said, “What’s the problem? The boy’s gums were definitely healed. Miracles are nature, unimpeded.”