K-Pax (69 page)
"O
f
course
.
M
y
being
s
didn'
t
rais
e
n
o
dummies."
"Okay
,
let'
s
begi
n
now
.
One..."
pro
t
wa
s
a
textboo
k
subject
,
on
e
o
f
th
e
bes
t
I
eve
r
had
.
B
y
th
e
coun
t
o
f
thre
e
hi
s
eye
s
wer
e
tightly
closed
.
O
n
fou
r
hi
s
breathin
g
ha
d
slowe
d
an
d
hi
s
facia
l
expressio
n
ha
d
becom
e
completel
y
blank
.
O
n
five
hi
s
puls
e
rat
e
wa
s
fort
y
bp
m
(
I
wa
s
beginnin
g
t
o
b
e
concerned-sixty-fiv
e
wa
s
norma
l
fo
r
him-thoug
h
he
looke
d
okay
)
an
d
h
e
mad
e
n
o
respons
e
whe
n
I
coughe
d
loudly.
"Ca
n
yo
u
hea
r
me?"
"Yes."
"Rais
e
you
r
arm
s
ove
r
you
r
head.
"
H
e
complie
d
wit
h
thi
s
request
.
"No
w
lowe
r
them.
"
Hi
s
hands
droppe
d
int
o
hi
s
lap
.
"Good
.
No
w
I'
m
goin
g
t
o
as
k
yo
u
t
o
ope
n
you
r
eyes
.
Yo
u
wil
l
remai
n
i
n
a
deep
sleep
,
bu
t
yo
u
wil
l
b
e
abl
e
t
o
se
e
me
.
Now-ope
n
you
r
eyes!
"
prot'
s
eye
s
blinke
d
open
.
"Ho
w
d
o
you
feel?"
"Lik
e
nothing."
"Good
.
That'
s
exactl
y
ho
w
yo
u
shoul
d
feel
.
Al
l
right
.
W
e
ar
e
goin
g
bac
k
i
n
tim
e
now
;
i
t
i
s
n
o
longer
th
e
present
.
Yo
u
ar
e
becomin
g
younger
.
Younge
r
an
d
younger
.
Yo
u
ar
e
a
youn
g
man
,
younge
r
still
,
now
a
n
adolescent
,
an
d
stil
l
yo
u
ar
e
becomin
g
younger
.
No
w
yo
u
ar
e
a
child
.
I
wan
t
yo
u
t
o
recal
l
th
e
earliest
experienc
e
yo
u
ca
n
remember
.
Thin
k
hard
.
Wha
t
d
o
yo
u
see?"
Withou
t
hesitation
:
"
I
se
e
a
casket
.
A
silve
r
caske
t
wit
h
a
blu
e
lining." M
y
ow
n
hear
t
bega
n
t
o
bea
t
faster
.
"Whos
e
caske
t
i
s
it?"
"
A
man's."
"Wh
o
i
s
th
e
man?
"
Th
e
patien
t
hesitate
d
fo
r
a
moment.
"Don'
t
b
e
afraid
.
Yo
u
ca
n
tel
l
me."
"I
t
i
s
th
e
fathe
r
o
f
someon
e
I
know."
"
A friend'
s
father?"
"Yes.
"
prot'
s
word
s
cam
e
ou
t
rathe
r
slowl
y
an
d
sing-songy
,
a
s
thoug
h
h
e
wer
e
fiv
e
o
r
si
x
year
s
old.
"I
s
you
r
frien
d
a
bo
y
o
r
girl?"
pro
t
squirme
d
aroun
d
i
n
hi
s
chair
.
"
A
boy."
"Wha
t
i
s
hi
s
name?"
N
o
response
.
"Ho
w
ol
d
i
s
he?"
"Six."
"Ho
w
ol
d
ar
e
you?
"
N
o
response.
"Wha
t
i
s
you
r
name?
"
N
o
response.
"D
o
yo
u
liv
e
i
n
th
e
sam
e
tow
n
a
s
th
e
othe
r
boy?"
pro
t
rubbe
d
hi
s
nos
e
wit
h
th
e
bac
k
o
f
hi
s
hand
.
"No."
"Yo
u
ar
e
visitin
g
him?"
"Uh-huh."
"Ar
e
yo
u
a
relative?"
"No."
"Wher
e
d
o
yo
u
live?
"
N
o
response.
"D
o
yo
u
hav
e
an
y
brother
s
o
r
sisters?"
"No."
"Doe
s
you
r
frien
d
hav
e
an
y
brother
s
o
r
sisters?"
"Yes."
"Ho
w
many?"
"Two."
"Brother
s
o
r
sisters?"
"Sisters."
"Olde
r
o
r
younger?"
"Older."
"Wha
t
happene
d
t
o
thei
r
father?"
"H
e
died."
"Wa
s
h
e
sick?"
"No."
"Di
d
h
e
hav
e
a
n
accident?"
"Yes."
"H
e
wa
s
kille
d
i
n
a
n
accident?"
"No."
"H
e
wa
s
hur
t
an
d
die
d
later?"
"Yes."
"Wa
s
i
t
a
ca
r
accident?"
"No."
"Wa
s
h
e
injure
d
a
t
work?"
"Yes."
"Wher
e
di
d
h
e
work?"
"A
t
a
plac
e
wher
e
the
y
mak
e
meat."
"
A
slaughterhouse?"
"TA-huh."
"D
o
yo
u
kno
w
th
e
nam
e
o
f
th
e
slaughterhouse?"
