Luke got to a pay phone and diligently searched the phone books nearby it. He even called Information. Not one Joseph Samaritan. No one with the surname of Samaritan in the city. He went outside, into the bitter cold, and asked around with businesses and outreaches and shelters surrounding the hospital. No one had ever heard of Joseph Samaritan. It was almost as if...Luke dismissed the crazy thought. Of course Joseph Samaritan had been real. He had carried a seventeen-year-old boy three blocks through New York City to the hospital. He had been real.

Luke returned to the hospital. Jess was awaiting his news eagerly.

"Did you find him?" he asked.

"No." Luke shook his head. The thought couldn't be dislodged from his brain. "I couldn't find a trace of him. Not one shred of evidence that he lives here, or anything. It's like he doesn't...exist." he finished, looking to Jess.

"What if he doesn't?" Jess asked.

"What?"

"What if he doesn't exist?" Jess repeated.

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know." Jess admitted. "He didn't seem real. He carried me three blocks in below freezing weather with snow on the ground. I weigh one hundred forty pounds, Luke. He lifted me like I weighed a single ounce. Could you do that?"

"No, but you don't see me pumping iron. Jess, this is crazy!"

"Maybe so." Jess acknowledged.

"I'll be right back." Luke exited. He went down to the emergency room and asked the staff if they had seen the man who had brought Jess in. Fortunately, one nurse had been there for Jess's admittance.

"I saw him." she nodded. "He was tall, and it seemed like your nephew didn't weigh a thing in his arms." she remembered something more. "It was the strangest thing--he walked out of the automatic doors over there," she gestured, "and when they closed behind him, it looked like he had disappeared."

Luke's heart stumbled over her statement. It wasn't possible, he reasoned. "Do you have a chapel here?"

"Of course." she gave him directions and he went up immediately.

Upon reaching the chapel, Luke asked himself what he was looking for. To see if Joseph Samaritan was there? He wasn't, but the chaplain was. He greeted Luke quietly, and asked what he could do for him. "This will sound crazy," Luke said, "but I think my nephew was rescued by an angel."

"Ah." the chaplain nodded as if it were a natural occurrence. "Why don't we sit down?" They sat in an empty pew. "Why do you think it's crazy? Stranger things have happened, haven't they?"

"I guess, but I thought it was just stuff that Christians made up to make themselves sound better."

"Well, Mr...." the chaplain faltered.

"Luke Danes."

"Mr. Danes, I'm Pastor Steven." the chaplain introduced himself.

"Hi."

"Hi. Now, why do you think it's impossible that an angel rescued your nephew?"

"I don't know. Why would an angel give him a first and last name if he wasn't going to stick around and exist?"

"Maybe to prove that he didn't exist. What name did he give?"

"What does that matter?"

"What did he call himself?"

"Joseph Samaritan." Luke supplied the name that was now branded into his memory forever.

"Interesting." Pastor Steven nodded. "Mr. Danes, have you ever heard of the story of the Good Samaritan?" Luke shook his head. "It's a parable from the Bible, in the New Testament. Luke 10:30-37 describes it better than I can explain it." He opened a well-worn Bible that had been next to him on the pew. "Here. 'Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.' '' The priest did not take care of the man, nor did the Levite. The Levites were part of the Israelites, and were holy men of God. Neither holy man took care of him; their semantics and principles got in the way. However, the Samaritan, a half-Jew--despised by Israelites--not only rescued him, but went the extra mile to make sure he was okay."

"So you think Jess got a good Samaritan?"

"I do." Pastor Steven nodded.

"So the Bible's true?"

"Yes."

"Wow." Luke thought about what had just happened. He felt something stirring inside him. Ususally, he felt normal, and very Luke-like. Brusque, thorny, and such. He felt lighthearted and changed now.

"We have to go tell Jess about this." Luke decided.

After explaining the story of the good Samaritan to Jess, Pastor Steven stayed in Jess's room with him and Luke. He answered their questions for two hours, and then they both committed their hearts and lives to Jesus. Luke immediately called Lorelai.