K-Pax (102 page)
"Yo
u
can'
t
hel
p
the
m
i
f
you'r
e
starving
,
too."
"
I
don'
t
deserv
e
t
o
eat."
W
e
ha
d
bee
n
aroun
d
thi
s
circl
e
man
y
time
s
before
.
Bess'
s
battl
e
wit
h
realit
y
ha
d
no
t
responde
d
well
t
o
treatment
.
He
r
period
s
o
f
depressio
n
ha
d
bee
n
barel
y
manage
d
wit
h
EC
T
an
d
Clozari
l
and
,
more
recently
,
b
y
th
e
presenc
e
o
f
L
a
Bell
e
Chatte
.
Sh
e
perke
d
u
p
a
littl
e
whe
n
I
tol
d
he
r
tha
t
Bett
y
was
plannin
g
t
o
brin
g
i
n
anothe
r
hal
f
doze
n
cat
s
fro
m
th
e
anima
l
shelter
.
Unti
l
furthe
r
progres
s
wa
s
mad
e
i
n
the treatmen
t
o
f
paranoi
d
schizophreni
a
an
d
psychoti
c
depressio
n
ther
e
wasn'
t
muc
h
mor
e
w
e
coul
d
d
o
for her
.
I
almos
t
wishe
d
sh
e
ha
d
bee
n
amon
g
thos
e
wh
o
ha
d
submitte
d
a
n
applicatio
n
fo
r
passag
e
to
K-PAX.
Th
e
kitten
,
incidentally
,
wa
s
doin
g
fin
e
wit
h
Ed
.
Th
e
onl
y
proble
m
wa
s
tha
t
everyon
e
i
n
the
psychopathi
c
war
d
no
w
wante
d
a
n
animal
.
On
e
patien
t
demande
d
w
e
ge
t
hi
m
a
horse!
O
N
Tuesday
,
Augus
t
fourteenth
,
pro
t
calle
d
everyon
e
t
o
th
e
lounge
.
I
t
wa
s
generall
y
assume
d
he
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
mak
e
som
e
kin
d
o
f
farewel
l
speec
h
an
d
announc
e
th
e
result
s
o
f
th
e
essa
y
contes
t
Chuck
ha
d
organized
.
Whe
n
al
l
o
f
Ward
s
On
e
an
d
Tw
o
an
d
som
e
o
f
Thre
e
an
d
Four
,
includin
g
Whack
y
and
E
d
an
d
L
a
Belle
,
ha
d
gathere
d
around
,
alon
g
wit
h
mos
t
o
f
th
e
professiona
l
an
d
suppor
t
staff
,
prot
disappeare
d
fo
r
a
minut
e
an
d
cam
e
bac
k
with-
a
violin
!
H
e
hande
d
i
t
t
o
Howi
e
an
d
said
,
"Play something."
Howi
e
froze
.
"
I
can'
t
remembe
r
how,
"
h
e
said
.
"I'v
e
forgotte
n
everything."
"I
t
wil
l
com
e
back,
"
pro
t
assure
d
him.
Howi
e
looke
d
a
t
th
e
violi
n
fo
r
a
lon
g
time
.
Finall
y
h
e
place
d
i
t
unde
r
hi
s
chin
,
ra
n
th
e
bo
w
acros
s
the
strings
,
reache
d
fo
r
th
e
rosi
n
tha
t
pro
t
ha
d
thoughtfull
y
provided
,
an
d
immediatel
y
brok
e
int
o
a
Fritz
Kreisle
r
etude
.
H
e
stoppe
d
a
fe
w
times
,
bu
t
didn'
t
star
t
ove
r
an
d
tr
y
t
o
ge
t
i
t
perfect
.
Grinnin
g
lik
e
a
monke
y
h
e
wen
t
righ
t
int
o
a
Mozar
t
sonata
.
H
e
playe
d
i
t
prett
y
badly
,
but
,
afte
r
th
e
las
t
not
e
ha
d
faded
int
o
perfec
t
silence
,
th
e
roo
m
brok
e
int
o
thunderou
s
applause
.
I
t
ha
d
bee
n
th
e
greates
t
performanc
e
of
hi
s career.
Wit
h
on
e
o
r
tw
o
exception
s
th
e
patient
s
wer
e
i
n
a
fin
e
moo
d
al
l
tha
t
day
.
I
suppos
e
everyon
e
wa
s
on
hi
s
bes
t
behavio
r
s
o
a
s
no
t
t
o
jeopardiz
e
hi
s
chance
s
fo
r
a
n
all-expense-paid-tri
p
t
o
paradise
.
Bu
t
prot
mad
e
n
o
speech
,
n
o
decisio
n
o
n
a
spac
e
companion
.
Apparentl
y
h
e
wa
s
stil
l
hopin
g
t
o
tal
k
Rober
t
into
goin
g
wit
h
him.
