The man at the desk does not appear to acknowledge the doctor, and they do not exchange any words. Perhaps the man isn’t aware of the doctor’s presence. Or perhaps he is aware but has decided, on this day or some previous day, not to engage with him in any way that would be perceptible to a casual observer. Or perhaps the two of them have agreed to this manner of interaction — to the conditions of silence that seem to most characterize it — for reasons that have long been established, and to which we are not privy.