Ted remained in the middle of the road, standing still as if in shock. Joey, too, felt stunned at what he witnessed. He knew that some - a lot - of steam had been taken out of Chuckles Unlimited when the newer Laughter Infinity had opened across the street. But he couldn't and didn't want to believe that Ted would resort to setting his own club on fire for the insurance money. Ted had created Chuckles Unlimited; he had given famous comedians their start there; he had achieved his dream of owning a comedy club.
Joey continued to watch a slumped Ted in the silent streets. As the night rapidly aged and the streetlights faintly glowed, Joey noticed for the first time that the bear looked worse for wear. Deep creases stretched across Ted's forehead and darkness settled underneath his eyes; clearly Chuckles Unlimited's declining business was putting a toll on him. Reluctantly, Joey let himself ponder the plausibility of Ted putting his club out of its misery.