K-Pax (67 page)

Read K-Pax Online

Authors: Gene Brewer

Tags: #Fiction, #Science Fiction, #General

BOOK: K-Pax
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Th
e
 
presenc
e
 
o
f
 
smal
l
 
animal
s
 
i
n
nursin
g
 
an
d
 
retiremen
t
 
home
s
 
ha
s
 
prove
n
 
t
o
 
b
e
 
o
f
 
grea
t
 
benefi
t
 
to
th
e
residents
,
providin
g
badl
y
neede
d
affectio
n
an
d
companionshi
p
an
d
generall
y
bolsterin
g
thei
r
 
spirit
s
 
to
suc
h
a
degre
e
tha
t
lif
e
span
s
ar
e
actuall
y
increase
d
significantly
.
Th
e
 
sam
e
 
ma
y
 
b
e
 
tru
e
 
fo
r
 
th
e
 
population
a
t
large
.
T
o
m
y
knowledge
,
however
,
suc
h
a
progra
m
ha
d
no
t
bee
n
introduce
d
i
n
menta
l
institutions.

Afte
r
du
e
consideration-w
e
ar
e
a
n
experimenta
l
hospital
,
afte
r
all-
I
aske
d
Bett
y
t
o
instruc
t
th
e
kitchen
staf
f
t
o
se
e
tha
t
th
e
kitte
n
wa
s
fe
d
properly
,
an
d
decide
d
t
o
le
t
i
t
roa
m
 
Ward
s
 
On
e
 
an
d
 
Tw
o
 
t
o
 
se
e
 
what
woul
d
happen.

I
t
heade
d
straigh
t
fo
r
prot.

A
shor
t
tim
e
later
,
afte
r
h
e
ha
d
nuzzle
d
i
t
fo
r
a
whil
e
an
d
 
"spoken
"
 
t
o
 
it
,
 
i
t
 
wen
t
 
ou
t
 
t
o
 
mee
t
 
th
e
 
other
inhabitant
s
o
f
it
s
ne
w
world.

On
e
 
o
r
 
tw
o
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
patients
,
 
notabl
y
 
Erni
e
 
an
d
 
severa
l
 
o
f
 
Maria'
s
 
alters
,
 
staye
d
 
awa
y
 
fro
m
 
it
,
 
for
reason
s
 
o
f
 
thei
r
 
own
.
 
Bu
t
 
mos
t
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
other
s
 
wer
e
 
delighte
d
 
wit
h
 
it
.
 
I
 
wa
s
 
especiall
y
 
surprise
d
 
and
gratifie
d
t
o
se
e
 
tha
t
 
Chuc
k
 
th
e
 
curmudgeo
n
 
too
k
 
t
o
 
i
t
 
immediately
.
 
"Doesn'
t
 
stin
k
 
a
 
bit,
"
 
h
e
 
averred
.
 
He spen
t
 
hour
s
 
temptin
g
 
i
t
 
wit
h
 
bit
s
 
o
f
 
strin
g
 
an
d
 
a
 
smal
l
 
rubbe
r
 
bal
l
 
someon
e
 
ha
d
 
foun
d
 
o
n
 
th
e
 
grounds.
Man
y
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
othe
r
 
patient
s
 
joine
d
 
in
.
 
On
e
 
o
f
 
these
,
 
t
o
 
m
y
 
amazement
,
 
wa
s
 
Mrs
.
 
Archer
,
 
who
,
 
I
discovered
,
ha
d
owne
d
numerou
s
cat
s
befor
e
comin
g
t
o
MPI.

Bu
t
 
th
e
 
mos
t
 
remarkabl
e
 
effec
t
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
kitte
n
 
wa
s
 
o
n
 
Bess
.
 
Unabl
e
 
t
o
 
sustai
n
 
a
 
relationshi
p
 
with
anothe
r
 
huma
n
 
being
,
 
sh
e
 
becam
e
 
totall
y
 
devote
d
 
t
o
 
"L
a
 
Bell
e
 
Chatte.
"
 
Sh
e
 
assume
d
 
th
e
 
responsibility

fo
r
 
feedin
g
 
he
r
 
an
d
 
emptyin
g
 
he
r
 
litte
r
 
bo
x
 
an
d
 
takin
g
 
he
r
 
fo
r
 
romp
s
 
o
n
 
th
e
 
grounds
.
 
I
f
 
anyon
e
 
else wante
d
 
t
o
 
pla
y
 
wit
h
 
th
e
 
kitten
,
 
Bes
s
 
immediatel
y
 
gav
e
 
he
r
 
up
,
 
o
f
 
course
,
 
wit
h
 
a
 
wise
,
 
sa
d
 
nod
,
 
a
s
 
i
f
 
to
say
,
"You'r
e
right-
I
don'
t
deserv
e
t
o
hav
e
 
he
r
 
anyway.
"
 
Bu
t
 
whe
n
 
nigh
t
 
came
,
 
L
a
 
Bell
e
 
invariabl
y
 
sought
ou
t
Bess
,
an
d
th
e
staf
f
woul
d
fin
d
the
m
i
n
th
e
morning
s
sharin
g
th
e
sam
e
pillow.

Afte
r
 
a
 
fe
w
 
day
s
 
o
f
 
thi
s
 
I
 
bega
n
 
t
o
 
wonde
r
 
whethe
r
 
anothe
r
 
kitte
n
 
o
r
 
tw
o
 
migh
t
 
no
t
 
hav
e
 
a
n
 
even
greate
r
salutar
y
effec
t
o
n
th
e
patients
.
I
decide
d
t
o
ge
t
a
tomca
t
late
r
o
n
an
d
le
t
natur
e
tak
e
it
s
course.

 

 

 

Sessio
n
Ten

 

THER
E
 
ar
e
 
tw
o
 
probe
s
 
availabl
e
 
fo
r
 
penetratin
g
 
th
e
 
carapac
e
 
o
f
 
hysterica
l
 
amnesia
;
 
eac
h
 
ha
s
 
its
proponents
,
eac
h
ha
s
it
s
place
.
Th
e
firs
t
i
s
sodiu
m
pentothal
,
als
o
 
calle
d
 
"trut
h
 
serum.
"
 
A
 
reasonabl
y
 
safe treatment
,
 
i
t
 
ha
s
 
me
t
 
wit
h
 
som
e
 
succes
s
 
i
n
 
difficul
t
 
cases
,
 
an
d
 
i
s
 
favore
d
 
b
y
 
man
y
 
o
f
 
ou
r
 
ow
n
 
staff,
includin
g
 
Dr
.
 
Villers
.
 
Hypnosis
,
 
i
n
 
experience
d
 
hands
,
 
offer
s
 
th
e
 
sam
e
 
possibilities
,
 
bu
t
 
withou
t
 
the
potentia
l
 
ris
k
 
o
f
 
sid
e
 
effects
.
 
Wit
h
 
eithe
r
 
metho
d
 
event
s
 
lon
g
 
forgotte
n
 
ar
e
 
ofte
n
 
recalle
d
 
wit
h
 
amazingly
vivi
d
clarity.

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