Dubus has packed several twists and ironies into this six-page story. For one, he sends his doctor out without the trappings or tools of his profession. As a jogger, people still wave at Art as "the doctor"; however, when he encounters the accident, they expect him to "do something." With a name like Art, should we not expect cleverness or improvisation? With a specialty like obstetrics, wouldn't the snorkel as an idea come naturally to a man familiar with umbilical cords? At the end of the story, Art cuts a piece of garden hose and puts it into his car trunk with his first-aid kit, but it is not clear exactly what he has learned from the ordeal of the drowning. Does "the doctor" need more "art" or just more readily available tools?