I heard my name, and I realized I had been distracted and not listening to what the two other men were saying. I returned my focus to the here and now to hear Wagner saying, "Oh good, you're back! I thought for a moment that George's condition might be contagious. I was getting ready to run away before I caught it, too."
I smiled at his joke, "I'm sorry I was just having a word with Joe, telepathically. George, have you asked him how the ceiling fan works?"
"What? It's a ceiling fan," he looked up. His eyes widened as he realized. "It's cooling the air. Wait, don't tell me, let me figure it out."
Wagner looked up at the ceiling fan, a look of surprise and curiosity written on his face. Then he looked back at George and saw a familiar fire of discovery kindling in him. He looked back at me, catching my gaze. "I think he's cured. At long as he's working out a problem, he's a happy man."
