K-Pax (98 page)

"prot
?
I
s
tha
t
you?"

"Yo
u
ha
d
t
o
d
o
it
,
didn'
t
you
?
Jus
t
whe
n
h
e
starte
d
t
o
trus
t
you
,
yo
u
wen
t
fo
r
th
e
jugular."

"prot
,
I
woul
d
lik
e
t
o
hav
e
take
n
i
t
mor
e
slowly
,
bu
t
 
yo
u
 
ar
e
 
plannin
g
 
t
o
 
leav
e
 
u
s
 
o
n
 
th
e
 
seventeenth.
Ou
r
tim
e
i
s
almos
t
up!"

"
I
tol
d
yo
u
-
I
hav
e
n
o
choic
e
i
n
th
e
matter
.
I
f
w
e
don'
t
leav
e
the
n
we'l
l
neve
r
b
e
abl
e
t
o
ge
t
back."

"Yo
u
an
d
Robert?"

"Yes
.
Excep
t
..."

"Excep
t
what?"

"Excep
t
he'
s
gon
e
now."

"Gone
?
Gon
e
where?"

"
I
don'
t
know."

"Loo
k
hard
,
prot
.
H
e
mus
t
b
e
ther
e
wit
h
yo
u
somewhere."

"No
t
anymore
.
He'
s
no
t
her
e
anymore
.
Yo
u
hav
e
drive
n
hi
m
away."

"Okay
,
 
I'
m
 
goin
g
 
t
o
 
coun
t
 
bac
k
 
fro
m
 
fiv
e
 
t
o
 
on
e
 
now
.
 
A
s
 
th
e
 
number
s
 
decreas
e
 
yo
u
 
wil
l
 
begi
n
 
to
wak
e
up
.
 
O
n
th
e
coun
t
o
f
on
e
yo
u
wil
l
b
e
full
y
aler
t
an
d
feelin
g
fine
.
Ready
?
Fiv
e
..
.
one."

"Hello."

"Ho
w
d
o
yo
u
feel?"

"
I
thin
k
I
ha
d
to
o
muc
h
fruit
.
Hav
e
yo
u
go
t
an
y
antacid?"

"Bett
y
wil
l
ge
t
som
e
fo
r
yo
u
later
.
Righ
t
no
w
w
e
nee
d
t
o
talk."

"Wha
t
els
e
hav
e
w
e
bee
n
doin
g
fo
r
th
e
pas
t
thre
e
months?"

"Wher
e
i
s
you
r
frien
d
Rober
t
righ
t
now?"

"N
o
idea
,
coach."

"Bu
t
yo
u
tol
d
m
e
earlie
r
h
e
wa
s
i
n
`
a
saf
e
place.'"

"H
e
wa
s
then
,
bu
t
he'
s
gon
e
now."

"Bu
t
yo
u
coul
d
contac
t
hi
m
i
f
yo
u
wante
d
to."

"Maybe
.
Mayb
e
not."

"Al
l
right
.
 
Let'
s
 
revie
w
 
a
 
fe
w
 
things
.
 
Whe
n
 
yo
u
 
cam
e
 
t
o
 
Eart
h
 
fiv
e
 
year
s
 
ago
,
 
Rober
t
 
wa
s
 
tryin
g
 
to
drow
n
himself
.
Remember?"

"Ho
w
coul
d
I
forget?"

"Bu
t
yo
u
don'
t
kno
w
why?"

"
I
thin
k
it'
s
becaus
e
h
e
didn'
t
wan
t
t
o
liv
e
anymore."

"
I
mean
,
yo
u
hav
e
n
o
ide
a
wha
t
cause
d
hi
m
t
o
b
e
s
o
upset
?
S
o
desperate?"

"Haven'
t
w
e
bee
n
ove
r
this?"

"
I
thin
k
h
e
ma
y
hav
e
kille
d
someone."

"Robert
?
Nah
.
H
e
lose
s
hi
s
tempe
r
sometimes
,
but-"

"
I
don'
t
 
thin
k
 
h
e
 
mean
t
 
t
o
 
kil
l
anyone
.
 
I
 
thin
k
 
h
e
 
caugh
t
 
someon
e
 
i
n
 
hi
s
 
house
.
 
Someon
e
 
wh
o
 
may
hav
e
harme
d
hi
s
wif
e
an
d
daughte
r
i
n
som
e
way
.
H
e
i
s
onl
y
human
,
prot
.
H
e
reacte
d
withou
t
thinking."

"I'
m
no
t
surprised."

"prot
,
 
liste
n
 
t
o
 
me
.
 
Yo
u
 
helpe
d
 
Howi
e
 
t
o
 
cur
e
 
Erni
e
 
o
f
 
hi
s
 
phobia
.
 
I'
m
 
goin
g
 
t
o
 
as
k
 
yo
u
 
t
o
 
do
somethin
g
fo
r
me
.
I'
m
goin
g
t
o
as
k
yo
u
t
o
cur
e
Robert
.
Let'
s
cal
l
 
i
t
 
a
 
`task.
'
 
I'
m
 
assignin
g
 
yo
u
 
th
e
 
tas
k
 
of
curin
g
Robert
.
D
o
yo
u
accep
t
th
e
assignment?"

"Sorry
,
I
can't."

"Wh
y
th
e
hel
l
not?"

"Erni
e
wante
d
 
t
o
 
ge
t
 
well
.
 
Rober
t
 
doesn't
.
 
H
e
 
jus
t
 
want
s
 
t
o
 
b
e
 
lef
t
 
alone
.
 
H
e
 
doesn'
t
 
eve
n
 
wan
t
 
to
tal
k
t
o
m
e
anymore."

"You'v
e
helpe
d
a
lo
t
o
f
th
e
patient
s
i
n
War
d
 
Two
.
 
I
 
hav
e
 
confidenc
e
 
tha
t
 
i
f
yo
u
 
reall
y
 
pu
t
 
you
r
 
mind
t
o
i
t
yo
u
coul
d
hel
p
Robert
,
too
.
Wil
l
yo
u
pleas
e
try?"

"Anythin
g
yo
u
sigh
,
mite
.
Bu
t
don'
t
hol
d
you
r
breath."

"Good
.
I
thin
k
that'
s
enoug
h
wor
k
fo
r
today
.
W
e
bot
h
nee
d
a
littl
e
 
tim
e
 
t
o
 
reflec
t
 
o
n
 
this
.
 
Bu
t
 
I'
d
 
like
t
o
schedul
e
a
n
extr
a
sessio
n
wit
h
yo
u
o
n
Sunday
.
It'
s
th
e
onl
y
 
da
y
 
I
 
have
.
 
Woul
d
 
yo
u
 
b
e
 
willin
g
t
o
 
come
bac
k
fo
r
a
Sunda
y
session?"

"Wha
t
abou
t
you
r
promis
e
t
o
you
r
wife?"

"Wha
t
promise?"

"Tha
t
yo
u
woul
d
tak
e
sunday
s
off
,
n
o
matte
r
what
.
Excep
t
tha
t
yo
u
chea
t
an
d
brin
g
wor
k
home."

"Ho
w
di
d
yo
u
kno
w
abou
t
that?"

"Everyon
e
know
s
abou
t
that."

"She'
s
goin
g
t
o
th
e
Adirondack
s
wit
h
Chi
p
fo
r
a
coupl
e
o
f
weeks
,
i
f
it'
s
an
y
o
f
you
r
business."

"I
n
tha
t
case
,
I
woul
d
b
e
delighte
d
t
o
accep
t
you
r
kin
d
invitation."

"Than
k
you."

"Don'
t
mentio
n
it
.
I
s
tha
t
all?"

"Fo
r
now."

"Toodle-oo."

I
switche
d
 
of
f
 
th
e
 
tap
e
 
recorde
r
 
an
d
 
slumpe
d
 
dow
n
 
i
n
 
m
y
 
chair
,
 
a
s
 
draine
d
 
o
f
 
emotio
n
 
a
s
 
Robert
mus
t
hav
e
been
.
I
fel
t
ver
y
ba
d
abou
t
thi
s
particula
r
 
session
.
 
I
 
ha
d
 
rushe
d
 
things
,
 
take
n
 
a
 
bi
g
 
chanc
e
 
and
failed
,
 
perhap
s
 
irreversibly
.
 
On
e
 
thin
g
 
yo
u
 
lear
n
 
i
n
psychiatry
:
 
Treatin
g
 
a
 
psychoti
c
 
patien
t
 
i
s
 
lik
e
 
singing
opera-i
t
seem
s
eas
y
enoug
h
t
o
th
e
spectator
,
bu
t
i
t
take
s
a
tremendou
s
amoun
t
o
f
 
wor
k
 
an
d
 
ther
e
 
ar
e
 
no
shortcuts.

O
n
th
e
othe
r
hand
,
perhap
s
I
ha
d
no
t
bee
n
bol
d
enough
.
Perhap
s
I
shoul
d
hav
e
force
d
hi
m
t
o
tel
l
 
me,

exactl
y
 
wha
t
 
h
e
 
sa
w
 
tha
t
 
Augus
t
 
afternoo
n
 
whe
n
 
h
e
 
go
t
 
hom
e
 
fro
m
 
work
.
 
I
 
kne
w
 
no
w
 
tha
t
 
h
e
 
had
stumble
d
 
ont
o
 
somethin
g
 
terrible
,
 
an
d
 
I
 
suspecte
d
 
wha
t
 
i
t
 
migh
t
 
hav
e
 
been
.
 
Bu
t
 
thi
s
 
hadn'
t
 
helpe
d
 
my
patien
t
on
e
iot
a
and
,
indeed
,
ma
y
hav
e
mad
e
thing
s
worse
.
Moreover
,
I
ha
d
misse
d
 
a
 
golde
n
 
opportunity
t
o
as
k
hi
m
hi
s
 
las
t
 
name
!
 
Th
e
 
positio
n
 
o
f
 
director
,
 
fre
e
 
o
f
 
patien
t
 
responsibility
,
 
suddenl
y
 
seeme
d
 
a
 
very
attractiv
e
idea.

JUS
T
befor
e
sh
e
lef
t
 
fo
r
 
th
e
 
weeken
d
 
Bett
y
 
tol
d
 
m
e
 
sh
e
 
ha
d
 
give
n
 
u
p
 
o
n
 
th
e
 
ide
a
 
o
f
 
motherhood
.
 
I
sai
d
 
I
 
wa
s
 
sorr
y
 
i
t
 
hadn'
t
 
worke
d
 
ou
t
 
fo
r
 
her
.
 
Sh
e
 
replie
d
 
tha
t
 
I
 
needn'
t
 
be
,
 
an
d
 
pointe
d
 
ou
t
 
tha
t
 
there wer
e
 
alread
y
 
mor
e
 
tha
n
 
fiv
e
 
billio
n
 
huma
n
 
being
s
 
o
n
 
Earth
,
 
an
d
 
mayb
e
 
tha
t
 
wa
s
 
enough
.
 
Sh
e
 
had
obviousl
y
bee
n
talkin
g
wit
h
prot.