K-Pax (52 page)
I
coul
d
se
e
wha
t
h
e
wa
s
gettin
g
a
t
wit
h
hi
s
"program
"
fo
r
Howie
,
an
d
perhap
s
I
,
a
s
hi
s
staf
f
doctor,
shoul
d
hav
e
though
t
o
f
i
t
myself
.
B
y
encouragin
g
hi
m
t
o
focu
s
o
n
a
singl
e
project
,
hi
s
attentio
n
wa
s
drawn
awa
y
fro
m
th
e
awesom
e
multiplicit
y
o
f
life'
s
possibilities
.
I
stil
l
ha
d
mixe
d
feeling
s
abou
t
prot'
s
assigning
"tasks
"
t
o
hi
s
fello
w
patients
,
bu
t
a
s
lon
g
a
s
n
o
har
m
cam
e
fro
m
thes
e
endeavors
,
I
continue
d
t
o
allo
w
it. Howi
e
approache
d
th
e
proble
m
i
n
a
typicall
y
methodica
l
manner
.
Afte
r
scrutinizin
g
hi
s
roommat
e
for
hour
s
o
n
end
,
t
o
th
e
poin
t
tha
t
Erni
e
finall
y
ra
n
screamin
g
fro
m
th
e
room
,
h
e
aske
d
m
e
fo
r
text
s
o
n
human
anatom
y
an
d
physiology
,
specificall
y
o
n
th
e
subjec
t
o
f
respiration
.
I
assume
d
h
e
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
tr
y
t
o
prove
t
o
hi
m
ho
w
unusua
l
i
t
i
s
fo
r
someon
e
t
o
chok
e
t
o
death
,
o
r
perhap
s
construc
t
som
e
sor
t
o
f
breathing
apparatu
s
fo
r
Ernie'
s
us
e
i
n
cas
e
th
e
wors
t
happened
.
I
coul
d
se
e
n
o
reaso
n
t
o
refus
e
hi
m
o
n
thi
s
an
d
I allowe
d
hi
m
acces
s
t
o
th
e
fourth-floo
r
library
.
I
n
retrospec
t
I
shoul
d
hav
e
realize
d
tha
t
thes
e
solutions
woul
d
hav
e
bee
n
to
o
simplisti
c
fo
r
someon
e
a
s
brillian
t
a
s
Howie
.
Perhap
s
m
y
judgmen
t
wa
s
cloude
d
by
th
e
unconsciou
s
hop
e
tha
t
h
e
migh
t
someho
w
succee
d
wher
e
I
ha
d
failed
,
an
d
tha
t
bot
h
migh
t
fin
d
a
little
peac
e
a
t
lon
g
last.
Ernie
,
i
n
th
e
meantime
,
wa
s
doin
g
muc
h
th
e
sam
e
thin
g
fo
r
som
e
o
f
th
e
othe
r
patients
;
tha
t
is
,
h
e
was
beginnin
g
t
o
tak
e
a
n
interes
t
i
n
thei
r
problem
s
a
s
wel
l
a
s
hi
s
own
.
Fo
r
example
,
h
e
wa
s
readin
g
poetr
y
to
blin
d
ol
d
Mrs
.
Weathers
,
wh
o
cocke
d
he
r
snow
y
hea
d
wit
h
ever
y
wor
d
lik
e
a
rap
t
chicken
.
H
e
had
alway
s
spen
t
quit
e
a
bi
t
o
f
tim
e
wit
h
Russell
,
seekin
g
solac
e
primarily
,
bu
t
no
w
h
e
wa
s
chattin
g
wit
h
the latte
r
abou
t
a
variet
y
o
f
secula
r
matters-suggestin
g
h
e
ge
t
som
e
exercise
,
fo
r
example.
H
e
wa
s
spendin
g
a
lo
t
o
f
tim
e
wit
h
pro
t
also
,
a
s
wer
e
mos
t
o
f
hi
s
fello
w
patients
,
askin
g
hi
m
about
K-PA
X
an
d
othe
r
supposedl
y
inhabite
d
region
s
o
f
th
e
galaxy
.
Thes
e
talk
s
seeme
d
t
o
rais
e
thei
r
spirits
enormously
,
o
r
s
o
I
wa
s
informe
d
b
y
severa
l
o
f
th
e
nurses
.
I
finall
y
aske
d
Erni
e
point-blan
k
wha
t
i
t
was abou
t
hi
s
discussion
s
wit
h
pro
t
tha
t
seeme
d
t
o
chee
r
hi
m
u
p
s
o
dramatically
.
Hi
s
eyebrow
s
lifte
d
a
mile
hig
h
behin
d
hi
s
surgica
l
mas
k
an
d
h
e
tol
d
m
e
exactl
y
wha
t
Whack
y
ha
d
sai
d
earlier
,
"I'
m
hopin
g
he'l
l
take
m
e
wit
h
hi
m
whe
n
h
e
goe
s
back!
"
I
realize
d
the
n
wha
t
wa
s
drawin
g
th
e
other
s
t
o
ou
r
"alien
"
visitor
:
the promis
e
o
f
salvation
.
No
t
jus
t
i
n
th
e
hereafter
,
bu
t
i
n
thi
s
life
,
an
d
i
n
th
e
relativel
y
nea
r
future
.
I
mad
e
a
not
e
t
o
tal
k
t
o
pro
t
abou
t
thi
s
a
s
soo
n
a
s
possible
.
I
t
wa
s
on
e
thin
g
t
o
mak
e
a
sic
k
perso
n
fee
l
better
.
It
wa
s
quit
e
anothe
r
t
o
pro
p
hi
m
u
p
temporaril
y
wit
h
fals
e
hopes
,
a
s
h
e
himsel
f
ha
d
asserted
.
Bu
t
fo
r
the
nex
t
fe
w
day
s
I
wa
s
unabl
e
t
o
as
k
hi
m
anything
.
H
e
ha
d
disappeared!
