K-Pax (115 page)
THA
T
wa
s
nearl
y
fiv
e
year
s
ago
.
Ho
w
I
wis
h
I
coul
d
tel
l
yo
u
tha
t
Rober
t
sa
t
u
p
on
e
fin
e
da
y
during
tha
t
tim
e
an
d
said
,
"I'
m
hungr
y
-
-
go
t
an
y
fruit?
"
But
,
despit
e
ou
r
bes
t
effort
s
an
d
constan
t
attention
,
he
remain
s
t
o
thi
s
da
y
i
n
a
dee
p
catatoni
c
state
.
Lik
e
mos
t
catatonic
s
h
e
probabl
y
hear
s
ever
y
wor
d
w
e
say,
bu
t
refuses
,
o
r
i
s
unable
,
t
o
respond.
Perhap
s
wit
h
patienc
e
an
d
kindnes
s
o
n
ou
r
par
t
h
e
wil
l
recover
,
i
n
time
,
fro
m
thi
s
tragi
c
condition.
Strange
r
thing
s
hav
e
happened
.
I
hav
e
know
n
patient
s
wh
o
hav
e
returne
d
t
o
u
s
afte
r
twent
y
year
s
of
"sleep.
"
I
n
th
e
meantime
,
w
e
ca
n
d
o
littl
e
mor
e
tha
n
wait.
Gisell
e
visit
s
hi
m
almos
t
ever
y
week
,
an
d
w
e
usuall
y
hav
e
lunc
h
an
d
tal
k
abou
t
ou
r
lives
.
Sh
e
is
currentl
y
researchin
g
a
boo
k
abou
t
th
e
deplorabl
e
infan
t
mortalit
y
rat
e
i
n
America
.
He
r
articl
e
o
n
mental
illnes
s
featurin
g
pro
t
an
d
som
e
o
f
th
e
othe
r
patient
s
appeare
d
i
n
a
specia
l
healthoriente
d
issu
e
of
Conundrum
.
A
s
a
resul
t
o
f
tha
t
piec
e
w
e
hav
e
receive
d
thousand
s
o
f
letter
s
fro
m
peopl
e
askin
g
fo
r
more
informatio
n
abou
t
K-PAX
,
man
y
o
f
the
m
wantin
g
t
o
kno
w
ho
w
the
y
ca
n
ge
t
there
.
An
d
a
fil
m
versio
n
of
Robert'
s
lif
e
i
s
i
n
th
e
works
.
I
don'
t
kno
w
ho
w
tha
t
wil
l
tur
n
out
,
but
,
thank
s
t
o
Giselle'
s
tireles
s
efforts,
th
e
informatio
n
w
e
receive
d
fro
m
Robert'
s
mother
,
th
e
hour
s
o
f
conversation
s
I
ha
d
wit
h
prot
,
an
d
the
cooperatio
n
o
f
th
e
authoritie
s
i
n
Montana
,
w
e
no
w
hav
e
a
reasonabl
y
clea
r
pictur
e
o
f
wha
t
happene
d
on
tha
t
terribl
e
afternoo
n
o
f
Augus
t
sixteent
h
throug
h
th
e
earl
y
mornin
g
hour
s
o
f
Augus
t
seventeenth
,
1985.
First
,
som
e
biographica
l
details.
Rober
t
Porte
r
wa
s
bor
n
i
n
Guelph
,
Montan
a
i
n
1957
,
th
e
so
n
o
f
a
slaughterhous
e
worker
.
A
few
year
s
afte
r
Robert'
s
birt
h
hi
s
fathe
r
wa
s
disable
d
whe
n
a
convulsin
g
stee
r
becam
e
unshackle
d
an
d
fel
l
on
to
p
o
f
him
.
I
n
terribl
e
pai
n
fo
r
th
e
res
t
o
f
hi
s
life
,
unabl
e
eve
n
t
o
tolerat
e
brigh
t
light
,
h
e
spen
t
man
y
o
f
his
wakin
g
hour
s
wit
h
hi
s
youn
g
son
,
a
n
energetic
,
happ
y
bo
y
wh
o
like
d
book
s
an
d
puzzle
s
an
d
animals
.
He
neve
r
recovere
d
fro
m
hi
s
injurie
s
an
d
succumbe
d
whe
n
Rober
t
wa
s
si
x
year
s
old.
Hi
s
fathe
r
ha
d
ofte
n
speculate
d
o
n
th
e
possibilit
y
o
f
remarkabl
e
lif
e
form
s
livin
g
amon
g
th
e
star
s
i
n
the
sk
y
an
d
Rober
t
calle
d
int
o
bein
g
a
ne
w
frien
d
fro
m
a
farawa
y
plane
t
wher
e
peopl
e
didn'
t
di
e
s
o
readily.
Fo
r
th
e
nex
t
severa
l
year
s
Rober
t
suffere
d
brie
f
bout
s
o
f
depression
,
a
t
whic
h
time
s
h
e
usuall
y
calle
d
on
