K-Pax
K-PAX
Gen
e
Brewer
Whe
n
w
e
successfull
y
trea
t
a
patien
t
..
.
w
e
experienc
e
a
burs
t
o
f
jo
y
becaus
e
w
e
hav
e
helpe
d
a
sufferin
g
perso
n
wh
o
i
s
happ
y
t
o
hav
e
know
n
us
.
Bu
t
w
e
als
o
fee
l
a
secre
t
joy
,
becaus
e
w
e
hav
e
com
e
to
kno
w
him
,
an
d
i
n
knowin
g
hi
m
w
e
kno
w
mor
e
o
f
ourselves.
SYLVAN
O
ARIETI
Prologue
I
N
April
,
1990
,
I
receive
d
a
cal
l
fro
m
Dr
.
Willia
m
Siege
l
a
t
th
e
Lon
g
Islan
d
Psychiatri
c
Hospital
.
Bill
i
s
a
n
ol
d
frien
d
o
f
mine
,
an
d
a
distinguishe
d
colleague
.
O
n
thi
s
particula
r
occasio
n
th
e
cal
l
wa
s
a
professiona
l
one.
Bil
l wa
s
treatin
g
a
patien
t
wh
o
ha
d
bee
n
a
t
th
e
hospita
l
fo
r
severa
l
months
.
Th
e
patient
,
a
whit
e
male
i
n
hi
s
earl
y
thirties
,
ha
d
bee
n
picke
d
u
p
b
y
th
e
Ne
w
Yor
k
City
;
polic
e
afte
r
bein
g
foun
d
bendin
g
ove
r
a
muggin
g
victi
m
i
n
th
e
Por
t
Authorit
y
Bu
s
Termina
l
i
n
midtow
n
Manhattan
.
Accordin
g
t
o
thei
r
repor
t
his
answer
s
t
o
routin
e
question
s
wer
e
"daffy
"
and
,
afte
r
the
y
booke
d
him
,
h
e
wa
s
take
n
t
o
Bellevu
e
Hospital
fo
r
evaluation.
Althoug
h
h
e
wa
s
somewha
t
emaciated
,
medica
l
examinatio
n
reveale
d
n
o
organi
c
abnormality
,
nor
wa
s
ther
e
evidenc
e
o
f
forma
l
though
t
disorder
,
aphasia
,
o
r
auditor
y
hallucination
,
an
d
h
e
presente
d
a near-norma
l
affect
.
However
,
h
e
di
d
harbo
r
a
rathe
r
bizarr
e
delusion
:
H
e
believe
d
h
e
cam
e
fro
m
another
planet
.
Afte
r
a
fe
w
days
'
observatio
n
h
e
wa
s
transferre
d
t
o
Lon
g
Island
,
wher
e
h
e
remaine
d
fo
r
th
e
next
fou
r
months.
Bil
l
wa
s
unabl
e
t
o
d
o
muc
h
fo
r
him
.
Althoug
h
h
e
remaine
d
aler
t
an
d
cooperativ
e
throughou
t
the
variou
s
course
s
o
f
treatment
,
th
e
patien
t
wa
s
completel
y
unresponsiv
e
t
o
th
e
mos
t
powerfu
l
antipsychotic drugs
.
A
t
th
e
en
d
o
f
i
t
al
l
h
e
remaine
d
firml
y
convince
d
tha
t
h
e
wa
s
a
visito
r
fro
m
"K-PAX.
"
Wha
t
was
worse
,
h
e
wa
s
abl
e
t
o
enlis
t
man
y
o
f
hi
s
fello
w
patient
s
t
o
thi
s
fantasy
.
Eve
n
som
e
o
f
th
e
staf
f
were
beginnin
g
t
o
liste
n
t
o
him
!
Knowin
g
tha
t
th
e
phenomenolog
y
o
f
delusio
n
ha
s
lon
g
bee
n
a
n
interes
t
o
f
mine,
Bil
l
aske
d
m
e
t
o
tak
e
a
crac
k
a
t
him.
I
t
couldn'
t
hav
e
com
e
a
t
a
wors
e
time
.
A
s
actin
g
directo
r
o
f
th
e
Manhatta
n
Psychiatri
c
Institut
e
I
was
alread
y
swampe
d
wit
h
mor
e
wor
k
tha
n
I
coul
d
handl
e
and
,
indeed
,
ha
d
bee
n
phasin
g
ou
t
patient
interactio
n
sinc
e
Januar
y
o
f
tha
t
year
.
However
,
th
e
cas
e
sounde
d
bot
h
interestin
g
an
d
unusual
,
an
d
I
owe
d
Bil
l
a
coupl
e
o
f
favors
.
I
aske
d
hi
m
t
o
sen
d
m
e
a
cop
y
o
f
th
e
man'
s
file.