K-Pax (65 page)

I
 
hav
e
 
ha
d
 
man
y
 
patients
,
 
ove
r
 
a
 
quarte
r
 
centur
y
 
o
f
 
practice
,
 
wh
o
 
wer
e
 
afrai
d
 
o
f
 
flying
.
 
Fo
r
 
that
matter
,
 
i
t
 
i
s
 
quit
e
 
commo
n
 
amon
g
 
th
e
 
genera
l
 
population
,
 
an
d
 
fo
r
 
a
 
ver
y
 
simpl
e
 
reason
:
 
Ou
r
 
ancestors
wer
e
tree-dwellers
.
A
s
such
,
a
fea
r
o
f
fallin
g
wa
s
o
f
considerabl
e
evolutionar
y
valu
e
-
-
 
thos
e
wh
o
 
di
d
 
not
fal
l
survive
d
t
o
reproduce
.
Mos
t
peopl
e
ar
e
abl
e
t
o
overcom
e
thi
s
fear
,
a
t
 
leas
t
 
functionally
.
 
O
n
 
th
e
 
other
han
d
 
ther
e
 
ar
e
 
som
e
 
wh
o
 
neve
r
 
g
o
 
anywher
e
 
the
y
 
can'
t
 
ge
t
 
t
o
 
b
y
 
ca
r
 
o
r
 
trai
n
 
o
r
 
bus
,
 
n
o
 
matte
r
 
how
inconvenient.

I
explaine
d
al
l
thi
s
t
o
Fre
d
an
d
suggeste
d
tha
t
h
e
ver
y
likel
y
fel
l
int
o
a
simila
r
category.
H
e
wante
d
t
o
kno
w
wha
t
h
e
shoul
d
do.

I
suggeste
d
h
e
tr
y
som
e
othe
r
lin
e
o
f
work.

"That'
s
exactl
y
wha
t
pro
t
said!
"
h
e
cried
,
an
d
fo
r
th
e
firs
t
tim
e
i
n
tw
o
decades
,
h
e
hugge
d
me
.
 
"Bu
t
 
he
though
t
I
shoul
d
tal
k
t
o
yo
u
abou
t
i
t
first.
"
I
ha
d
neve
r
see
n
hi
m
s
o
happy.

M
y
sig
h
 
o
f
 
relie
f
 
turne
d
 
ou
t
 
t
o
 
b
e
 
premature
.
 
Righ
t
 
afte
r
 
Fredd
y
 
ha
d
 
gone
,
 
Jennife
r
 
cam
e
 
in
,
 
pink

fro
m
a
shower
.
Sh
e
grabbe
d
hi
s
cu
e
stick
,
too
k
a
shot
,
missed
.
W
e
talke
d
 
a
 
whil
e
 
abou
t
 
medica
l
 
school,
shootin
g
al
l
th
e
while
,
unti
l
I
notice
d
tha
t
sh
e
hadn'
t
pockete
d
a
singl
e
ball
,
whic
h
wa
s
unusua
l
fo
r
her.

I
said
,
"I
s
ther
e
somethin
g
yo
u
wante
d
t
o
tal
k
t
o
m
e
about?"

"Yes
,
Daddy
,
ther
e
is.
"
I
kne
w
i
t
wa
s
somethin
g
I
didn'
t
 
wan
t
 
t
o
 
hear
.
 
Sh
e
 
hadn'
t
 
calle
d
 
m
e
 
"Daddy"

i
n
years
.
An
d
sh
e
ha
d
als
o
bee
n
talkin
g
t
o
prot.

Bu
t
i
t
sometime
s
take
s
Jenn
y
a
whil
e
t
o
ge
t
t
o
th
e
point
.
 
"
I
 
sa
w
 
yo
u
 
huggin
g
Freddy,
"
 
sh
e
 
said
.
 
"That
wa
s
nice
.
I
neve
r
sa
w
yo
u
d
o
tha
t
before."

"
I wante
d
t
o
lot
s
o
f
times."

"Wh
y
didn'
t
you?"

"
I
don'
t
know."

"Abb
y
think
s
yo
u
weren'
t
muc
h
intereste
d
i
n
ou
r
problems
.
Sh
e
figure
d
i
t
wa
s
becaus
e
yo
u
listene
d
to
othe
r
people'
s
trouble
s
al
l
da
y
lon
g
an
d
didn'
t
wan
t
t
o
hea
r
an
y
mor
e
a
t
home."

"
I
know
.
 
Sh
e
 
tol
d
 
m
e
 
tonigh
t
 
befor
e
 
sh
e
 
left
.
 
Bu
t
 
it'
s
 
no
t
 
true
.
 
I
 
car
e
 
abou
t
 
al
l
 
o
f
 
you
.
 
I
 
jus
t
 
didn't
wan
t
yo
u
t
o
thin
k
I
wa
s
tryin
g
t
o
interfer
e
wit
h
you
r
lives."

"Wh
y
not
?
Ever
y
othe
r
paren
t
I
kno
w
does."

"It'
s
a
lon
g
story."

Sh
e
misse
d
anothe
r
eas
y
shot
.
"Tr
y
me."

"Well
,
it'
s
becaus
e
o
f
m
y
father
,
mostly
.
You
r
grandfather."

"Wha
t
di
d
h
e
d
o
t
o
you?"

"H
e
wante
d
m
e
t
o
becom
e
a
doctor."

"What'
s
wron
g
wit
h
that?"

"
I
didn'
t
wan
t
t
o
b
e
a
doctor."

"Dad
,
 
ho
w
 
coul
d
 
h
e
 
hav
e
 
mad
e
 
yo
u
 
g
o
 
t
o
 
me
d
 
school
?
 
H
e
 
die
d
 
whe
n
 
yo
u
 
wer
e
 
eleve
n
 
o
r
 
twelve,
didn'
t
he?"

He
r
voic
e
cracke
d
charmingl
y
o
n
"eleven
"
an
d
"twelve."

"Yes
,
 
bu
t
 
h
e
 
plante
d
 
th
e
 
see
d
 
an
d
 
i
t
 
kep
t
 
growing
.
 
I
 
couldn'
t
 
see
m
 
t
o
 
sto
p
 
it
.
 
I
 
fel
t
 
guilty
.
 
I
 
gues
s
 
I

wante
d
t
o
finis
h
th
e
res
t
o
f
hi
s
lif
e
fo
r
him
.
An
d
I
di
d
i
t
fo
r
m
y
mother-you
r
grandmother-too."

"
I
don'
t
thin
k
yo
u
ca
n
liv
e
someon
e
else'
s
lif
e
fo
r
them
,
Dad
.
 
Bu
t
 
i
f
it'
s
 
an
y
 
consolation
,
 
I
 
thin
k
 
you're
a
ver
y
goo
d
doctor."

"Than
k
you.
"
I
misse
d
m
y
nex
t
shot
.
"B
y
th
e
way
,
yo
u
didn'
t
g
o
t
o
medica
l
schoo
l
becaus
e
o
f
me
,
 
did
you?"

"Partly
.
Bu
t
no
t
becaus
e
 
yo
u
 
wante
d
 
m
e
 
to
.
 
I
f
 
anything
,
 
I
 
though
t
 
yo
u
 
didn't
.
 
Yo
u
 
neve
r
 
too
k
 
m
e
 
to se
e
 
you
r
 
offic
e
 
o
r
 
th
e
 
res
t
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
hospital
.
 
Mayb
e
 
that'
s
 
wh
y
 
I
 
becam
e
 
interested-i
t
 
seeme
d
 
so
mysterious."

"
I
jus
t
didn'
t
wan
t
t
o
d
o
t
o
yo
u
wha
t
m
y
fathe
r
di
d
t
o
me
.
I
f
I
haven'
t
tol
d
yo
u
 
before
,
 
I'
m
 
ver
y
 
happy
yo
u
decide
d
t
o
becom
e
a
doctor."

"Than
k
you
,
Dad.
"
Sh
e
studie
d
th
e
 
tabl
e
 
fo
r
 
a
 
lon
g
 
minute
,
 
the
n
 
misse
d
 
th
e
 
nex
t
 
bal
l
 
entirely
,
 
sinking
th
e
cu
e
bal
l
instead
.
"Wha
t
els
e
woul
d
yo
u
hav
e
done
?
I
f
yo
u
hadn'
t
gon
e
int
o
medicine
,
I
mean?"

"
I
alway
s
wante
d
t
o
b
e
a
n
oper
a
singer."

A
t
tha
t
sh
e
smile
d
th
e
war
m
smil
e
sh
e
inherite
d
fro
m
he
r
mother-th
e
on
e
tha
t
says
:
"Ho
w
sweet."
Tha
t
annoye
d
m
e
a
trifle
.
"What'
s
th
e
matter?
"
I
said
.
"Don'
t
yo
u
thin
k
I
coul
d
hav
e
bee
n
a
singer?"

"
I
thin
k
anyon
e
 
shoul
d
 
b
e
 
anythin
g
 
h
e
 
o
r
 
sh
e
 
want
s
 
t
o
 
be,
"
 
sh
e
 
replied
,
 
no
t
 
smilin
g
anymore
.
 
"That's
wha
t
I
wante
d
t
o
tal
k
t
o
yo
u
about.
"
Wit
h
tha
t
sh
e
misse
d
th
e
twelvebal
l
b
y
a
mile.

"Shoot,
"
I
said.

"It'
s
you
r
turn."

"
I
mean
,
what'
s
th
e
problem?"

Sh
e
thre
w
hersel
f
int
o
m
y
arm
s
an
d
sobbed
,
"Oh
,
Daddy
,
I'
m
a
lesbian!"

Tha
t
wa
s
abou
t
midnight
.
I
remembe
r
becaus
e
Chi
p
cam
e
i
n
righ
t
afterward
.
H
e
wa
s
actin
g
strangely,
too
,
an
d
I
brace
d
mysel
f
fo
r
anothe
r
revelation
.
Chip
,
however
,
ha
d
no
t
spoke
n
wit
h
prot.

Eve
n
 
m
y
grandson
s
 
behave
d
 
differentl
y
 
afte
r
 
tha
t
 
momentou
s
 
Fourt
h
 
o
f
 
July
.
 
The
y
 
stoppe
d
 
fighting
an
d
 
throwin
g
 
thing
s
 
an
d
 
bega
n
 
t
o
 
bath
e
 
an
d
 
t
o
 
com
b
 
thei
r
 
hai
r
 
withou
t
 
arguin
g
 
abou
t
 
it-a
n
 
almost

miraculou
s
change.

Bu
t
bac
k
 
t
o
 
th
e
 
cookout
.
 
pro
t
 
wouldn'
t
 
ea
t
 
an
y
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
chicken
,
 
bu
t
 
h
e
 
consume
d
 
a
 
hug
e
 
Waldorf sala
d
 
an
d
 
a
 
coupl
e
 
o
f
 
gallon
s
 
o
f
 
variou
s
 
frui
t
 
juices
,
 
shoutin
g
 
somethin
g
 
abou
t
 
"goin
g
 
fo
r
 
th
e
 
gusto.
"
 
He
seeme
d
quit
e
relaxed
,
an
d
playe
d
Frisbe
e
an
d
badminto
n
wit
h
Rai
n
an
d
Sta
r
an
d
Shast
a
al
l
afternoon.