K-Pax (119 page)
Bu
t
thi
s
tim
e
pro
t
wa
s
unabl
e
t
o
hea
l
th
e
wounds
,
a
t
leas
t
no
t
anywher
e
o
n
Earth
,
wher
e
rap
e
and
murde
r
ar
e
o
f
n
o
mor
e
consequenc
e
tha
n
las
t
night'
s
televisio
n
shows
.
I
n
prot'
s
min
d
th
e
onl
y
place
wher
e
on
e
coul
d
den
y
suc
h
horribl
e
crime
s
wa
s
th
e
imaginar
y
worl
d
h
e
ha
d
created
,
where
.
violenc
e
and deat
h
ar
e
no
t
a
wa
y
o
f
life
.
A
beautifu
l
plane
t
calle
d
K-PAX
,
wher
e
lif
e
i
s
virtuall
y
fre
e
o
f
pai
n
and
sorrow.
H
e
spen
t
th
e
nex
t
fiv
e
year
s
tryin
g
t
o
convinc
e
Rober
t
t
o
g
o
ther
e
wit
h
him
.
Instead
,
devastate
d
by
grie
f
an
d
guilt
,
h
e
retreate
d
farthe
r
an
d
farthe
r
int
o
hi
s
ow
n
inne
r
world
,
wher
e
eve
n
pro
t
coul
d
no
t
follow.
Wh
y
pro
t
chos
e
t
o
"return
"
afte
r
exactl
y
tha
t
perio
d
o
f
tim
e
i
s
unclear
,
particularl
y
i
n
vie
w
o
f
th
e
fact
tha
t
hi
s
earlie
r
visit
s
wer
e
o
f
muc
h
shorte
r
duration
.
H
e
ma
y
hav
e
realize
d
tha
t
i
t
woul
d
tak
e
considerable
tim
e
t
o
convinc
e
Rober
t
t
o
accompan
y
hi
m
o
n
hi
s
return
,
discoverin
g
finall
y
tha
t
eve
n
th
e
allotte
d
five
year
s
wouldn'
t
b
e
enough
.
I
n
an
y
cas
e
pro
t
did
,
indeed
,
depar
t
thi
s
Eart
h
(fo
r
al
l
practica
l
purposes
)
at
th
e
appointe
d
time
,
an
d
Rober
t
i
s
stil
l
wit
h
u
s
i
n
War
d
3B.
Th
e
staf
f
an
d
patient
s
brin
g
hi
m
frui
t
ever
y
day
,
an
d
recentl
y
I
brough
t
i
n
a
Dalmatia
n
puppy
,
who
neve
r
leave
s
hi
s
sid
e
excep
t
fo
r
romp
s
o
n
th
e
bac
k
forty
,
al
l
o
f
whic
h
h
e
ignores
.
Hopin
g
t
o
stimulat
e
his
curiosit
y
I
tel
l
hi
m
abou
t
al
l
th
e
ne
w
patient
s
wh
o
hav
e
arrive
d
ove
r
th
e
pas
t
fe
w
years
,
includin
g
a
brand-ne
w
Jesu
s
Christ
,
who
m
Russel
l
welcome
d
t
o
War
d
Tw
o
with
,
"
I
wa
s
you
,
once.
"
Upo
n
arriva
l
all
o
f
the
m
ar
e
tol
d
"th
e
legen
d
o
f
K-PAX,
"
which
,
alon
g
wit
h
th
e
gossame
r
thread
,
bring
s
smile
s
an
d
hope
an
d
make
s
ou
r
jo
b
a
littl
e
easier.
I
als
o
kee
p
Rober
t
u
p
t
o
dat
e
o
n
th
e
activitie
s
o
f
Erni
e
an
d
Howie
,
bot
h
o
f
who
m
hav
e
bee
n
released
an
d
ar
e
leadin
g
highl
y
productiv
e
lives
,
Erni
e
a
s
a
city-employe
d
counselo
r
fo
r
th
e
homeles
s
an
d
Howie a
s
a
violinis
t
wit
h
a
Ne
w
York-base
d
chambe
r
ensemble
.
Th
e
former
,
wh
o
unti
l
recentl
y
ha
d
neve
r
even
kisse
d
a
woma
n
fo
r
fea
r
o
f
contamination
,
i
s
no
w
engage
d
t
o
b
e
married
.
Bot
h
sto
p
b
y
MP
I
frequentl
y
to
sa
y
hell
o
t
o
m
e
an
d
t
o
Rober
t
an
d
th
e
othe
r
patients
,
an
d
Howi
e
ha
s
performe
d
fo
r
al
l
o
f
u
s
o
n
a
number
o
f
occasions.
I'v
e
tol
d
hi
m
als
o
abou
t
th
e
weddin
g
o
f
Chuc
k
an
d
Mrs
.
Archer
,
wh
o
ar
e
happil
y
sharin
g
a
roo
m
in
War
d
Two
,
no
t
becaus
e
the
y
hav
e
t
o
remai
n
o
n
tha
t
floo
r
bu
t
becaus
e
the
y
choos
e
t
o
wai
t
ther
e
for
prot'
s
return
.
Mrs
.
A
,
wh
o
i
s
n
o
longe
r
calle
d
"th
e
Duchess,
"
look
s
muc
h
younge
r
now
,
bu
t
I'
m
no
t
sure
whethe
r
it'
s
becaus
e
o
f
th
e
marriag
e
o
r
he
r
givin
g
u
p
smoking
.
An
d
abou
t
thei
r
"adopting
"
Maria
,
who
ha
s
move
d
int
o
a
conven
t
i
n
Queen
s
an
d
i
s
th
e
happies
t
novic
e
ou
t
there
.
Sh
e
i
s
totall
y
fre
e
o
f
headaches
an
d
insomnia
,
an
d
non
e
o
f
he
r
secondar
y
identitie
s
ha
s
pu
t
i
n
a
n
appearanc
e
sinc
e
sh
e
lef
t
th
e
hospital.
