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Pediatrician Seth and Chaplain Mary were not depressing people, though. They were, in fact, generally upbeat - just rarely contentious. Between the two of them "an etiquette book for hyenas could be written," as Belachnik put it. After Seth spoke, Mary often made a subtle eyebrow crinkle and a rapid slight head bobbling affirmation. Peter Belachnik mocked that Popper was a weenie, softening it with, "But I forgive you. You can't help it." But even Mary was of little help to Frank Sumner. Doctor Macaluso often unconsciously seated himself to be across or diagonal to Doctor Sumner. They had been very tight for so long, sharing so much professionally and philosophically. Though Frank was a pediatric general surgeon with chest surgery credentials and Marcus a kiddy muscles and bones tweaker, their clinical talents were often required in combination for trauma, reconstruction of birth defects and severe spine deformities which required working inside the chest, abdomen, and pelvis while moving kidneys, liver, and intestines and taking apart and repairing the diaphragm. Like a good jazz trio with the anesthesiologist keeping the beat, they clicked. But nowadays, Marcus was at social arm's length from Frank. He had tried, as had the others, to connect with the elusive Frank Sumner, failing miserably. Doctor Sumner was physically present but spiritually absent. Morgan once whispered to Macaluso, noticing Mac's deep stare boring into Frank Sumner's bleakness, "Shit, at least the dead grimace." But Frank wasn't dead, not devoid of feeling nor pain. He was just unable to share pain and thus unable to heal. Nathan Ivory flipped his napkin and plastic implements onto his tray with one hand but nudged Macaluso with the other, "Mac, don't miss 3M tomorrow..." Without loosing his fix on Sumner, Macaluso cut in, "I've got one of my own to present."