K-Pax

Read K-Pax Online

Authors: Gene Brewer

Tags: #Fiction, #Science Fiction, #General

BOOK: K-Pax
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K-PAX

 

 

Gen
e
Brewer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whe
n
 
w
e
 
successfull
y
 
trea
t
 
a
 
patien
t
 
..
.
 
w
e
 
experienc
e
 
a
 
burs
t
 
o
f
 
jo
y
 
becaus
e
 
w
e
 
hav
e
 
helpe
d
 
a
sufferin
g
perso
n
wh
o
i
s
happ
y
t
o
hav
e
know
n
us
.
Bu
t
w
e
als
o
fee
l
a
secre
t
joy
,
becaus
e
w
e
hav
e
com
e
to
kno
w
him
,
an
d
i
n
knowin
g
hi
m
w
e
kno
w
mor
e
o
f
ourselves.

 

 

SYLVAN
O
ARIETI

Prologue

 

 

 

 

I
N
April
,
1990
,
I
receive
d
a
cal
l
fro
m
Dr
.
Willia
m
Siege
l
a
t
 
th
e
 
Lon
g
 
Islan
d
 
Psychiatri
c
 
Hospital
.
 
Bill
i
s
 
a
n
 
ol
d
 
frien
d
 
o
f
 
mine
,
 
an
d
 
a
 
distinguishe
d
 
colleague
.
 
O
n
 
thi
s
 
particula
r
 
occasio
n
 
th
e
 
cal
l
 
wa
s
 
a
professiona
l
one.

 

Bil
l wa
s
treatin
g
a
patien
t
wh
o
ha
d
bee
n
a
t
th
e
 
hospita
l
 
fo
r
 
severa
l
 
months
.
 
Th
e
 
patient
,
 
a
 
whit
e
 
male
i
n
hi
s
earl
y
thirties
,
 
ha
d
 
bee
n
 
picke
d
 
u
p
 
b
y
 
th
e
 
Ne
w
 
Yor
k
 
City
;
 
polic
e
 
afte
r
 
bein
g
 
foun
d
 
bendin
g
 
ove
r
 
a
muggin
g
victi
m
 
i
n
th
e
 
Por
t
 
Authorit
y
 
Bu
s
 
Termina
l
 
i
n
midtow
n
 
Manhattan
.
 
Accordin
g
 
t
o
 
thei
r
 
repor
t
 
his
answer
s
t
o
routin
e
question
s
wer
e
"daffy
"
and
,
afte
r
the
y
booke
d
him
,
h
e
 
wa
s
 
take
n
 
t
o
 
Bellevu
e
 
Hospital
fo
r
evaluation.

 

Althoug
h
 
h
e
 
wa
s
 
somewha
t
 
emaciated
,
 
medica
l
 
examinatio
n
 
reveale
d
 
n
o
 
organi
c
 
abnormality
,
 
nor
wa
s
 
ther
e
 
evidenc
e
 
o
f
 
forma
l
 
though
t
 
disorder
,
 
aphasia
,
 
o
r
 
auditor
y
 
hallucination
,
 
an
d
 
h
e
 
presente
d
 
a near-norma
l
affect
.
However
,
h
e
di
d
harbo
r
a
rathe
r
bizarr
e
delusion
:
 
H
e
 
believe
d
 
h
e
 
cam
e
 
fro
m
 
another
planet
.
Afte
r
a
fe
w
days
'
observatio
n
h
e
wa
s
 
transferre
d
 
t
o
 
Lon
g
 
Island
,
 
wher
e
 
h
e
 
remaine
d
 
fo
r
 
th
e
 
next
fou
r
months.

 

Bil
l
 
wa
s
 
unabl
e
 
t
o
 
d
o
 
muc
h
 
fo
r
 
him
.
 
Althoug
h
 
h
e
 
remaine
d
 
aler
t
 
an
d
 
cooperativ
e
 
throughou
t
 
the
variou
s
course
s
o
f
treatment
,
th
e
patien
t
wa
s
completel
y
unresponsiv
e
t
o
th
e
 
mos
t
 
powerfu
l
 
antipsychotic drugs
.
 
A
t
th
e
en
d
o
f
i
t
al
l
h
e
 
remaine
d
 
firml
y
convince
d
 
tha
t
 
h
e
 
wa
s
 
a
 
visito
r
 
fro
m
 
"K-PAX.
"
 
Wha
t
 
was
worse
,
 
h
e
 
wa
s
 
abl
e
 
t
o
 
enlis
t
 
man
y
 
o
f
 
hi
s
 
fello
w
 
patient
s
 
t
o
 
thi
s
 
fantasy
.
 
Eve
n
 
som
e
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
staf
f
 
were
beginnin
g
t
o
liste
n
t
o
him
!
Knowin
g
tha
t
th
e
phenomenolog
y
o
f
delusio
n
ha
s
lon
g
bee
n
a
n
interes
t
o
f
 
mine,
Bil
l
aske
d
m
e
t
o
tak
e
a
crac
k
a
t
him.

 

I
t
couldn'
t
hav
e
com
e
a
t
a
wors
e
time
.
A
s
actin
g
directo
r
o
f
th
e
Manhatta
n
 
Psychiatri
c
 
Institut
e
 
I
 
was
alread
y
 
swampe
d
 
wit
h
 
mor
e
 
wor
k
 
tha
n
 
I
 
coul
d
 
handl
e
 
and
,
 
indeed
,
 
ha
d
 
bee
n
 
phasin
g
 
ou
t
 
patient
interactio
n
 
sinc
e
 
Januar
y
 
o
f
 
tha
t
 
year
.
 
However
,
 
th
e
 
cas
e
 
sounde
d
 
bot
h
 
interestin
g
 
an
d
 
unusual
,
 
an
d
 
I
owe
d
Bil
l
a
coupl
e
o
f
favors
.
I
aske
d
hi
m
t
o
sen
d
m
e
a
cop
y
o
f
th
e
man'
s
file.

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