The sun shining through the glassed-in windows of atrium was warming and made Will sleepy. Seated at one of the small white wrought iron tables which occupied the center portion of the plant-filled area Will relaxed as he read the paper with his coffee. There was an article in the paper about the possibility of a lawsuit linked to the use of robots in the hospital.

"Hey, there, Sonny. Mind if we sit with you?" An elderly woman was speaking. "There are no free tables. This is my husband Marvin and I'm Laura Mae Goode."

"Of course, Mrs. Goode." Will was on his feet. "Let me help."

"Nice manners. But you just sit down, Sonny. We've been managing here for a long time." Deftly, she maneuvered her husband's wheelchair under the table. Turning, she signaled the young candy striper who was hovering nearby with a tray of food. "Told you he looked nice, Honey" said Mrs. Goode to the girl.

The highschooler smiled shyly at Will. Mrs. Goode patted her on the arm. "You see?" she addressed Will, " they are all wrong about these young people. Wanda here's a perfect doll.. She's been real good to us. Now you go, girl. Go find that handsome young doctor you've been mooning over. We'll be just fine."

The girl shot Will a glance and, smiling, rolled her eyes. Then she made for the door.

Mrs.Goode reached over and took the hand of her husband, sitting silent and expressionless in his chair. "Marvin always makes a fool of himself around pretty women, don't you, Deary?" Then she looked apologetically at Will. "Well, he used to before the stroke. How many fights we had about his flirting." There was a wistfulness in her voice. Then squaring her shoulders, she smiled at Will. "So how are you doing, young man? You a doctor?"

"Actually, yes," said Will. "But not a medical doctor."

"Well, that's a mercy, anyhow." Mrs. Goode looked relieved. She leaned over to read Will's name tag. "Brubaker...You any kin to Toby Brubaker? Over in Laurelville?"

Will shook his head, as Mrs. Goode continued without waiting for an answer.

"I see you are reading that nonsense about the robots. Some people just have no sense."

Will was interested. "Tell me what do you think of the robots, Mrs. Goode."

"Call me Laura Mae, Honey," smiled Mrs. Goode. "All these young smart-alecky doctors around here call me and Marvin by our first names. They treat us like children and we're old enough to be their grandparents. Don't even ask us. They've got no manners. Makes me so mad I could just spit tacks! But I'd like it if you 'd call me Laura Mae."

Beginning to appreciate this tough dignified woman, Will nodded.

"Now, the robots...." Laura Mae threw back her head and laughed. "They're a hoot, aren't they? Trust them more than any of them durn doctors."

"I take it you don't think much of doctors," said Will.

"'Not much' is right. You wouldn't believe what they put Marvin through. Don't even know what they're doing. Tests, and more tests. Sometimes I think they're just experimenting on Marvin. At least the machines have made it better."

"How better?" asked Will.

"This is our second time here. Marvin had a stroke three years ago. They gave him every kind of test. Took blood over and over. Always something else. This time they got some kind of machine that does all the blood tests right on his floor. I guess maybe that helps them get their act together a little better. They haven't been back so many times to bother him and take his blood. He needs all he has."

"Of course he got better after the first stroke. I'm not...." Laura Mae faltered and then shrugging her shoulders, continued. "You know we were always modern, Marvin and me. I drove a Model-T when I was ten years old and worked in an aircraft factory in World War II. Marvin was a mechanic. We aren't afraid of modern machines. The world has changed so much since I was a child. So many things different. Robots and computers are just one more thing. I mean vacuum cleaners and washing machines are just robots when you think of it."