K-Pax (99 page)
A
s
w
e
wer
e
walkin
g
dow
n
th
e
corrido
r
sh
e
suggeste
d
tha
t
I
sto
p
i
n
an
d
se
e
Maria
.
Sh
e
wouldn'
t
tell
m
e
why
.
I
glance
d
a
t
m
y
watch
.
I
ha
d
abou
t
fiv
e
minute
s
befor
e
I
ha
d
t
o
leav
e
fo
r
a
fund-raisin
g
dinne
r
at
th
e
Plaza
.
Sensin
g
m
y
impatience
,
sh
e
patte
d
m
y
arm
.
"It'l
l
b
e
wort
h
it."
I
foun
d
Mari
a
i
n
th
e
quie
t
roo
m
talkin
g
wit
h
Erni
e
an
d
Russell
.
Sh
e
seeme
d
uncharacteristically
happy
,
s
o
I
though
t
i
t
wa
s
a
ne
w
alte
r
I
ha
d
encountered
.
Bu
t
i
t
wa
s
Mari
a
herself
!
Althoug
h
th
e
answer
wa
s
obvious
,
I
aske
d
he
r
ho
w
sh
e
wa
s
feeling.
"Oh
,
Docto
r
Brewer
,
I
hav
e
neve
r
fel
t
s
o
good
.
Al
l
th
e
other
s
ar
e
wit
h
m
e
o
n
this
.
I
kno
w
it."
"Wit
h
yo
u
o
n
what
?
Wha
t
happened?"
"I'v
e
decide
d
t
o
becom
e
a
nun
!
Isn'
t
i
t
wonderful?
"
I
foun
d
mysel
f
smilin
g
broadly
.
Th
e
ide
a
wa
s
so
simpl
e
I
wondere
d
wh
y
I
hadn'
t
though
t
o
f
i
t
myself
.
Perhap
s
becaus
e
i
t
wa
s
to
o
simple
.
Perhap
s
we
psychiatrist
s
hav
e
a
tendenc
y
t
o
mak
e
thing
s
mor
e
complicate
d
tha
n
the
y
reall
y
are
.
I
n
an
y
case
,
there
sh
e
was
,
nearl
y
besid
e
hersel
f
wit
h
joy.
I
wa
s
beginnin
g
t
o
fee
l
bette
r
myself
.
"Wha
t
mad
e
yo
u
decid
e
t
o
d
o
that?"
"Erni
e
showe
d
m
e
ho
w
importan
t
i
t
wa
s
t
o
forgiv
e
m
y
fathe
r
an
d
m
y
brother
s
fo
r
wha
t
the
y
did
.
After
that
,
everythin
g
wa
s
different."
I
congratulate
d
Erni
e
o
n
hi
s
help
.
"I
t
wasn'
t
m
y
idea,
"
h
e
said
.
"I
t
wa
s
prot's."
Russel
l
seeme
d
unsur
e
abou
t
wha
t
t
o
mak
e
o
f
al
l
this
.
"I
t
i
s
onl
y
b
y
Beelzebub
,
th
e
princ
e
o
f
demons,
tha
t
thi
s
ma
n
castet
h
ou
t
demons,
"
h
e
mumble
d
uncertainly
,
an
d
shuffle
d
away.
Mari
a
watche
d
hi
m
leave
.
"O
f
cours
e
it'
s
onl
y
fo
r
a
littl
e
while."
"Wh
y
onl
y
fo
r
a
while?
"
I
aske
d
her.
"Whe
n
pro
t
come
s
bac
k
he'
s
goin
g
t
o
tak
e
m
e
wit
h
him!"
Sessio
n
Fifteen
KARE
N
an
d
Shast
a
lef
t
fo
r
th
e
Adirondack
s
lat
e
Sunda
y
morning
.
Sha
z
wa
s
a
s
joyou
s
a
s
Mari
a
had
bee
n
tw
o
day
s
earlier-sh
e
kne
w
exactl
y
wher
e
sh
e
wa
s
going
.
I
promise
d
t
o
joi
n
the
m
i
n
a
wee
k
o
r
so.
Chip
,
bus
y
wit
h
hi
s
lifeguar
d
duties
,
ha
d
decide
d
no
t
t
o
spen
d
hi
s
tim
e
wit
h
hi
s
fuddy-dudd
y
parents
afte
r
all
,
bu
t
move
d
i
n
wit
h
a
frien
d
whos
e
fathe
r
an
d
mothe
r
wer
e
als
o
o
n
vacation
.
Wit
h
n
o
on
e
i
n
the hous
e
bu
t
me
,
I
decide
d
t
o
chec
k
int
o
th
e
gues
t
roo
m
a
t
th
e
hospita
l
fo
r
th
e
duration.
I
mad
e
i
t
t
o
m
y
offic
e
tha
t
afternoo
n
jus
t
i
n
tim
e
fo
r
m
y
sessio
n
wit
h
prot
.
I
wa
s
alread
y
sweating profusely
.
I
t
wa
s
a
ver
y
ho
t
da
y
an
d
th
e
ai
r
conditionin
g
syste
m
wasn'
t
working
.
I
t
didn'
t
see
m
t
o
bother
prot
,
wh
o
ha
d
strippe
d
dow
n
t
o
hi
s
polka-do
t
boxe
r
shorts
.
"Jus
t
lik
e
home,
"
h
e
chirped
.
I
turne
d
o
n
the
littl
e
electri
c
fa
n
I
kee
p
fo
r
suc
h
emergencies
,
an
d
w
e
go
t
o
n
wit
h
it.
