K-Pax (31 page)
The
n
I
wok
e
u
p
an
d
couldn'
t
g
o
bac
k
t
o
sleep
.
I
recalle
d
a
n
inciden
t
a
fe
w
day
s
earlie
r
whe
n
I
was
runnin
g
acros
s
th
e
hospita
l
law
n
o
n
m
y
wa
y
t
o
a
consultatio
n
wit
h
th
e
famil
y
o
f
on
e
o
f
m
y
patients
.
prot
wa
s
sittin
g
i
n
th
e
gras
s
clutching
,
i
t
appeared
,
a
batc
h
o
f
worms
.
I
wa
s
lat
e
fo
r
th
e
appointmen
t
an
d
didn't
dwel
l
o
n
i
t
then
.
Late
r
o
n
I
realize
d
tha
t
I
ha
d
neve
r
see
n
an
y
o
f
th
e
patient
s
playin
g
wit
h
a
handfu
l
of
worm
s
before
,
an
d
wher
e
di
d
h
e
ge
t
them
?
I
puzzle
d
ove
r
thi
s
a
s
I
la
y
i
n
be
d
awake
,
unti
l
I
remembered
hi
s
saying
,
i
n
sessio
n
two
,
tha
t
o
n
K-PA
X
everythin
g
ha
d
evolve
d
fro
m
wormlik
e
creatures
.
Wa
s
he
studyin
g
the
m
a
s
w
e
migh
t
scrutiniz
e
ou
r
ow
n
cousins
,
th
e
fishes
,
whos
e
gill
s
stil
l
manifes
t
themselve
s
fo
r
a
tim
e
i
n
th
e
huma
n
embryo?
I
hadn'
t
ye
t
foun
d
a
n
opportunit
y
t
o
cal
l
Dr
.
Rappaport
,
ou
r
ophthalmologist
,
abou
t
th
e
result
s
o
f
the
visio
n
test
,
bu
t
I
di
d
s
o
th
e
followin
g
morning
.
I
t
i
s
"highl
y
unlikely,
"
h
e
tol
d
me
,
somewha
t
testily
,
I
thought
,
tha
t
a
huma
n
bein
g
woul
d
b
e
abl
e
t
o
detec
t
ligh
t
a
t
a
wavelengt
h
o
f
thre
e
hundre
d
angstroms.
Suc
h
a
person
,
h
e
pointe
d
out
,
woul
d
b
e
abl
e
t
o
se
e
thing
s
onl
y
certai
n
insect
s
ca
n
see
.
Thoug
h
he
seeme
d
extremel
y
dubious
,
a
s
i
f
I
wer
e
tryin
g
t
o
mak
e
hi
m
th
e
victi
m
o
f
a
practica
l
joke
,
h
e
wouldn'
t
go
s
o
fa
r
a
s
t
o
den
y
ou
r
examinatio
n
results.
Onc
e
agai
n
I
reflecte
d
o
n
ho
w
remarkabl
y
comple
x
th
e
huma
n
brai
n
reall
y
is
.
Ho
w
ca
n
a
sic
k
mind
lik
e
prot'
s
possibl
y
trai
n
itsel
f
t
o
se
e
U
V
light
,
an
d
figur
e
ou
t
ho
w
t
o
diagra
m
th
e
sk
y
fro
m
seve
n
thousand
light-year
s
away
?
Th
e
latte
r
wa
s
no
t
completel
y
outsid
e
th
e
real
m
o
f
possibility
,
bu
t
wha
t
a
n
astonishing
talent
!
Furthermore
,
i
f
h
e
wa
s
a
savant
,
h
e
wa
s
a
n
intelligent
,
amnesiacal
,
delusiona
l
one
.
Thi
s
was
absolutel
y
extraordinary
,
a
n
entirel
y
ne
w
phenomenon
.
An
d
I
suddenl
y
realized
:
I'v
e
go
t
m
y
book!
SAVAN
T
syndrom
e
i
s
on
e
o
f
th
e
mos
t
amazin
g
an
d
leas
t
understoo
d
pathologie
s
i
n
th
e
real
m
of
psychiatry
.
Th
e
afflictio
n
take
s
man
y
forms
.
Som
e
savant
s
ar
e
"calenda
r
calculators,
"
meanin
g
tha
t
they
ca
n
tel
l
yo
u
immediatel
y
wha
t
da
y
o
f
th
e
wee
k
Jul
y
4
,
299
0
fall
s
on
,
thoug
h
-the
y
ar
e
ofte
n
unabl
e
to
lear
n
t
o
ti
e
thei
r
shoes
.
Other
s
ca
n
perfor
m
incredibl
e
arithmetica
l
feats
,
suc
h
a
s
t
o
ad
d
lon
g
column
s
of
numbers
,
mentall
y
calculat
e
larg
e
squar
e
roots
,
etc
.
Stil
l
other
s
ar
e
wonderfull
y
musicall
y
gifte
d
an
d
can
sin
g
o
r
pla
y
bac
k
a
song
,
o
r
eve
n
th
e
variou
s
part
s
o
f
a
symphon
y
o
r
opera
,
afte
r
a
singl
e
firs
t
hearing.
Mos
t
savant
s
ar
e
autistic
.
Som
e
hav
e
suffere
d
clinicall
y
detectabl
e
brai
n
damage
,
whil
e
other
s
show
n
o
suc
h
obviou
s
abnormality
.
Bu
t
nearl
y
al
l
hav
e
IQ
s
wel
l
belo
w
average
,
usuall
y
i
n
th
e
fift
y
to
seventy-fiv
e
range
.
Rarel
y
ha
s
a
savan
t
bee
n
foun
d
t
o
exhibi
t
a
norma
l
o
r
greate
r
intelligenc
e
quotient.
I
a
m
privilege
d
t
o
hav
e
know
n
on
e
o
f
thes
e
remarkabl
e
individuals
.
Sh
e
wa
s
a
woma
n
i
n
he
r
sixties
wh
o
ha
d
bee
n
diagnose
d
wit
h
a
slow-growin
g
brai
n
tumo
r
centere
d
i
n
th
e
lef
t
occipita
l
lobe
.
Becaus
e
of
thi
s
malignanc
y
sh
e
wa
s
almos
t
totall
y
unabl
e
t
o
speak
,
read
,
o
r
write
.
Sh
e
wa
s
furthe
r
plague
d
b
y
a
nearl
y
constan
t
chore
a
an
d
barel
y
abl
e
t
o
fee
d
herself
.
A
s
i
f
tha
t
weren'
t
enough
,
sh
e
wa
s
on
e
o
f
the
most-unattractiv
e
wome
n
I
hav
e
eve
r
seen
.
Th
e
staf
f
calle
d
her
,
affectionately
,
"Catherin
e
Deneuve,
"
after
th
e
lovel
y
Frenc
h
fil
m star
,
wh
o
wa
s
ver
y
popula
r
a
t
tha
t
time.
Bu
t
wha
t
a
n
artist
!
Whe
n
provide
d
wit
h
suitabl
e
materials
,
he
r
hea
d
an
d
hand
s
stoppe
d
shakin
g
and
sh
e
bega
n
t
o
create
,
fro
m
memory
,
near-perfec
t
reproduction
s
o
f
work
s
b
y
man
y
o
f
th
e
greates
t
artist
s
in
history
.
Thoug
h
the
y
ordinaril
y
too
k
onl
y
a
fe
w
hour
s
t
o
complete
,
he
r
painting
s
ar
e
virtually
indistinguishabl
e
fro
m
th
e
originals
.
Amazingly
,
whil
e
sh
e
worke
d
sh
e
eve
n
seeme
d
t
o
becom
e
beautiful!
Som
e
o
f
he
r
canvase
s
no
w
resid
e
i
n
variou
s
museum
s
an
d
privat
e
collection
s
al
l
ove
r
th
e
country.
Whe
n
sh
e
died
,
th
e
famil
y
generousl
y
donate
d
on
e
o
f
he
r
picture
s
t
o
th
e
hospital
,
wher
e
i
t
grace
s
th
e
wall
o
f
th
e
facult
y
conferenc
e
room
.
I
t
i
s
a
perfec
t
cop
y
o
f
va
n
Gogh'
s
"Sunflowers,
"
th
e
origina
l
o
f
which hang
s
i
n
th
e
Metropolita
n
Museu
m
o
f
Art
,
an
d
on
e
i
s
jus
t
a
s
awestruc
k
b
y
he
r
talen
t
a
s
b
y
th
e
geniu
s
of
