At one meeting, a community representative named Mr. Ellis asked how many families had been displaced by Hamilton Properties redevelopment projects. The question changed the mood of the room. Hamilton began to recite the company's statistics about investment and new housing, but Mr. Ellis stopped him and asked how many of the original residents could still afford to live nearby.
Hamilton looked at the faces around the table. He realized that the new clinic could not erase questions about the economic effects of his older projects. He promised an independent review of the company's housing commitments and agreed to meet with tenant organizations separately. It was uncomfortable work, slower than opening a beautiful building, and much less likely to produce applause.
"I don't want Miles to grow up learning that charity gives rich people permission to avoid accountability," Victoria told Hamilton afterward.
He nodded. "Neither do I."
Thomas Reed became the clinic's volunteer legal adviser after consulting with the administrators about potential conflicts of interest. His shoulder still hurt, though a specialist had confirmed adhesive capsulitis with associated inflammation and prescribed a carefully supervised treatment plan. The diagnosis Miles had considered at the restaurant turned out to overlap with the specialist's findings, but the recovery required months of guided therapy and patience. Thomas told Miles about the progress whenever they met.
"I can finally reach the top shelf again," he announced one afternoon, demonstrating with exaggerated pride. "Apparently healing isn't always dramatic. Sometimes it's doing boring exercises correctly for a long time."
Miles laughed. "Dr. Moore says that a lot."
"Then I'm beginning to think Dr. Moore and my physical therapist might be conspiring to make me sensible."
Richard Bolton had a less comfortable journey. His video of the restaurant incident was among the first to go viral, and his original caption had celebrated the spectacle without mentioning that Hamilton had threatened the child. When strangers criticized the footage, he defended himself by saying he had simply recorded an extraordinary event. Victoria pointed out that recording and describing were different responsibilities.
Richard later agreed to allow the full footage, including the insults, to be preserved for an accurate record. He also offered professional support to the clinic's legal team, though he was asked to work without using the child as a promotional figure. At first he resented those restrictions. Then he watched Miles abandon a science demonstration because another boy had asked him to prove his memory in front of a crowd, and he understood something about what constant attention could do to a child.
The public wanted Miles to be a miracle every day. People sent requests for him to evaluate their relatives' illnesses, identify conditions from photographs, and explain symptoms that required medical care. A few strangers offered money in exchange for private consultations with a nine-year-old. Alicia and Mrs. Alvarez intercepted those requests and explained repeatedly that Miles was a student, not a clinician.