K-Pax (87 page)
"H
e
sai
d
h
e
woul
d
wai
t
i
f
h
e
coul
d
kee
p
th
e
kitten."
"Bu
t
-
"
"Don'
t
worry
.
H
e
won'
t
hur
t
her
.
An
d
h
e
won'
t
caus
e
yo
u
an
y
mor
e
trouble
,
either."
"Ho
w
ca
n
yo
u
b
e
s
o
sur
e
o
f
that?"
"Becaus
e
h
e
think
s
tha
t
i
f
h
e
does
,
I
won'
t
com
e
bac
k
fo
r
him
.
I
woul
d
anyway
,
bu
t
h
e
doesn'
t
know
that.
"
"Yo
u
would
?
Why?"
"Becaus
e
I
tol
d
hi
m
I
would
.
B
y
th
e
way
,
h
e
sai
d
a
s
w
e
wer
e
walkin
g
ou
t
together
,
"you'l
l
nee
d
to
fin
d
a
fe
w
mor
e
furr
y
being
s
fo
r
th
e
othe
r
wards."
HER
E
wa
s
Howie'
s
fina
l
task
:
t
o
b
e
read
y
fo
r
anything
.
T
o
respon
d
a
t
a
moment'
s
notic
e
t
o
whatever
prot
,
withou
t
warning
,
migh
t
challeng
e
hi
m
with.
Fo
r
a
da
y
o
r
tw
o
h
e
race
d
a
t
tachyo
n
spee
d
fro
m
th
e
librar
y
t
o
hi
s
roo
m
an
d
bac
k
t
o
the
library-sam
e
ol
d
Howie
.
H
e
didn'
t
slee
p
fo
r
forty-eigh
t
hours
.
H
e
wa
s
readin
g
Cervantes
,
Schopenhauer,
th
e
Bible
.
Bu
t
suddenly
,
a
s
h
e
wa
s
dartin
g
pas
t
th
e
loung
e
windo
w
wher
e
h
e
ha
d
spotte
d
th
e
bluebird
,
he
stoppe
d
an
d
too
k
hi
s
ol
d
sea
t
o
n
th
e
ledge
.
H
e
bega
n
t
o
chuckle
,
the
n
t
o
roar
.
Prett
y
soo
n
th
e
whole
ward
,
excep
t
perhap
s
fo
r
Bess
,
wa
s
giggling
,
the
n
th
e
whol
e
hospital
,
staf
f
an
d
all
.
Th
e
absurdit
y
o
f
prot's
charge
,
tha
t
h
e
b
e
read
y
fo
r
anythin
g
tha
t
migh
t
possibl
y
happen
,
ha
d
sun
k
in.
"It'
s
stupi
d
t
o
tr
y
t
o
prepar
e
fo
r
life,
"
Howi
e
tol
d
m
e
later
,
o
n
th
e
lawn
.
"I
t
happens
,
an
d
ther
e
isn'
t
a
dam
n
thin
g
yo
u
ca
n
d
o
abou
t
it.
"
pro
t
wa
s
ove
r
b
y
th
e
sid
e
wal
l
examinin
g
a
sunflower
.
I
wondere
d
what
h
e
sa
w
i
n
i
t
tha
t
w
e
didn't.
"Wha
t
abou
t
you
r
task?
"
I
aske
d
him.
"Qu
e
sera
,
sera,
”
h
e
whistled
,
leanin
g
bac
k
t
o
soa
k
u
p
th
e
war
m
sunshine
.
"
I
thin
k
I'l
l
tak
e
a
nap."
I
suggeste
d
h
e
thin
k
abou
t
th
e
possibilit
y
o
f
movin
g
t
o
War
d
One
.
"I'l
l
wai
t
unti
l
Ernie'
s
ready,
"
he
said.
Th
e
proble
m
wa
s
tha
t
Erni
e
didn'
t
wan
t
t
o
leave
.
I
ha
d
alread
y
proposed
,
a
t
th
e
las
t
staf
f
meeting,
tha
t
Erni
e
b
e
transferre
d
t
o
On
e
a
s
well
.
H
e
ha
d
show
n
n
o
sig
n
o
f
th
e
debilitatin
g
phobi
a
sinc
e
his
"cure"-n
o
mask
,
n
o
complaint
s
abou
t
th
e
food
,
n
o
hog-tyin
g
himsel
f
a
t
nigh
t
o
r
sleepin
g
o
n
th
e
floor
.
He
was
,
i
n
fact
,
spendin
g
mos
t
o
f
hi
s
tim
e
wit
h
th
e
othe
r
patients
,
particularl
y
Bes
s
an
d
Maria
.
H
e
had
alread
y
becom
e
quit
e
adep
t
a
t
recognizin
g
th
e
Tatter'
s
variou
s
alters
,
learnin
g
al
l
thei
r
name
s
and characteristics
,
waitin
g
patientl
y
fo
r
th
e
"real
"
Mari
a
t
o
mak
e
a
n
appearance
,
the
n
goin
g
ou
t
o
f
hi
s
wa
y
to
kee
p
he
r
around
,
gentl
y
encouragin
g
he
r
interest
s
i
n
needlepoin
t
an
d
macrame
.
I
t
wa
s
obviou
s
tha
t
Ernie
ha
d
a
talen
t
fo
r
helpin
g
others
,
an
d
I
encourage
d
hi
m
t
o
conside
r
goin
g
int
o
on
e
o
f
th
e
healt
h
o
r
social
professions
.
Hi
s
repl
y
was
,
"Bu
t
there'
s
s
o
muc
h
tha
t
need
s
t
o
b
e
don
e
here."
