K-Pax (47 page)
TH
E
afternoo
n
tha
t
pro
t
stalke
d
ou
t
o
f
m
y
examinin
g
roo
m
I
go
t
a
cal
l
fro
m
a
freelanc
e
reporte
r
who wa
s
plannin
g
t
o
d
o
a
stor
y
o
n
menta
l
illnes
s
fo
r
a
nationa
l
magazine
.
Sh
e
wante
d
t
o
kno
w
whethe
r
she
migh
t
b
e
abl
e
t
o
"se
t
u
p
shop
"
a
t
MP
I
fo
r
a
fe
w
week
s
t
o
gathe
r
backgroun
d
materia
l
an
d
"pic
k
our
brains,
"
a
s
sh
e
pu
t
it
.
That'
s
a
phras
e
I'v
e
neve
r
like
d
much
,
alon
g
wit
h
"ea
t
you
r
hear
t
out
"
an
d
"chew
someon
e
out
"
-
I
thin
k
o
f
vultures
.
However
,
i
t
wa
s
hardl
y
a
basi
s
fo
r
rejectin
g
he
r
proposal
,
an
d
I
gave
he
r
tentativ
e
approva
l
t
o
d
o
th
e
article
,
hopin
g
tha
t
th
e
notoriet
y
migh
t
ge
t
u
s
som
e
additiona
l
dollars
.
I
transferre
d
he
r
cal
l
t
o
Mrs
.
Trexle
r
t
o
arrang
e
fo
r
a
n
appointmen
t
a
t
a
tim
e
convenien
t
fo
r
bot
h
o
f
us
.
I
laughe
d
righ
t
int
o
th
e
phon
e
whe
n
sh
e
sai
d
tha
t
"now
"
wa
s
convenien
t
fo
r
her.
A
ne
w
patien
t
o
f
Dr
.
Goldfarb'
s
arrive
d
ove
r
th
e
weekend
.
I'l
l
cal
l
hi
m
"Chuck
"
because
,
although tha
t
i
s
no
t
hi
s
name
,
tha
t
i
s
wha
t
h
e
wante
d
t
o
b
e
called
.
Chuc
k
wa
s
a
sixty-three-year-ol
d
Ne
w
York
Cit
y
doorman-o
r
doorperson
,
a
s
Abb
y
woul
d
hav
e
it-an
d
a
chroni
c
cynic
,
hopeles
s
pessimist
,
and
classi
c
curmudgeon
.
H
e
wa
s
brough
t
i
n
becaus
e
h
e
wa
s
beginnin
g
t
o
infor
m
everyon
e
wh
o
walke
d
into
hi
s
buildin
g
tha
t
h
e
o
r
sh
e
"stunk.
"
Everyon
e
withi
n
fift
y
mile
s
o
f
hi
m
"stunk.
"
Indeed
,
hi
s
firs
t
words
,
when
h
e
entere
d
th
e
hospital
,
were
,
"Thi
s
plac
e
stinks.
"
Bal
d
a
s
a
n
eightbal
l
an
d
somewha
t
cross-eyed
,
he
migh
t
hav
e
mad
e
a
n
almos
t
comi
c
figur
e
ha
d
no
t
hi
s
presenc
e
i
n
War
d
Tw
o
brough
t
terro
r
t
o
th
e
hear
t
of
Maria-h
e
reminde
d
he
r
o
f
he
r
father.
Mari
a
ha
d
bee
n
a
t
MP
I
fo
r
thre
e
year
s
and
,
i
n
al
l
tha
t
time
,
Russel
l
wa
s
th
e
onl
y
mal
e
wh
o
coul
d
get nea
r
her
.
A
t
firs
t
sh
e
ha
d
numerou
s
Sunda
y
visitors
,
a
s
befi
t
he
r
larg
e
family
,
includin
g
cousin
s
o
f
al
l
ages.
Bu
t
th
e
visitation
s
soo
n
dwindle
d
t
o
he
r
mothe
r
an
d
th
e
od
d
aun
t
o
r
uncl
e
ever
y
mont
h
o
r
tw
o
fo
r
the
simpl
e
reaso
n
tha
t
whe
n
the
y
cam
e
t
o
se
e
Mari
a
the
y
ofte
n
foun
d
someon
e
else-Mari
a
suffere
d
from
multipl
e
personalit
y
disorder.
MP
D
begin
s
t
o
manifes
t
itsel
f
i
n
earl
y
childhood
,
a
s
a
n
attemp
t
t
o
dea
l
wit
h
a
terribl
e
physica
l
or
menta
l
traum
a
fro
m
whic
h
ther
e
appear
s
t
o
b
e
n
o
escape
.
Mari
a
wasn'
t
beaten
,
Natali
e
was
;
Maria wasn'
t
molested
,
i
t
wa
s
Julia
;
Mari
a
can'
t
bea
r
thes
e
attack
s
bu
t
Debr
a
i
s
strong
.
Man
y
o
f
th
e
victims
harbo
r
score
s
o
f
distinc
t
personalities
,
dependin
g
o
n
th
e
numbe
r
an
d
severit
y
o
f
th
e
abuses
,
bu
t
the
averag
e
i
s
abou
t
a
dozen
,
eac
h
o
f
who
m
i
s
abl
e
t
o
"tak
e
over
"
unde
r
certai
n
circumstances
.
Fo
r
reasons
tha
t
ar
e
unclear
,
instance
s
o
f
a
singl
e
alte
r
eg
o
ar
e
relativel
y
rare.
