K-Pax (9 page)
DA
D
wa
s
a
n
overworke
d
small-tow
n
doctor
.
Th
e
onl
y
tim
e
h
e
eve
r
relaxed-excep
t
fo
r
Saturday
afternoons
,
whe
n
h
e
la
y
o
n
th
e
sof
a
wit
h
hi
s
eye
s
close
d
listenin
g
t
o
th
e
Metropolita
n
Opera broadcasts-wa
s
a
t
dinnertime
,
whe
n
h
e
woul
d
hav
e
exactl
y
on
e
glas
s
o
f
win
e
an
d
relat
e
t
o
m
y
mother
an
d
me
,
i
n
hi
s
offhan
d
way
,
mor
e
tha
n
w
e
wante
d
t
o
kno
w
abou
t
th
e
ringworm
s
an
d
infarction
s
o
f
his
day
.
Afterward
s
h
e
woul
d
hea
d
bac
k
t
o
th
e
hospita
l
o
r
mak
e
a
fe
w
hous
e
calls
.
Unles
s
I
coul
d
thin
k
u
p
a
goo
d
excus
e
h
e
woul
d
tak
e
m
e
wit
h
him
,
assuming
,
erroneously
,
tha
t
I
enjoye
d
th
e
noxiou
s
sound
s
and
smells
,
th
e
bleedin
g
an
d
vomitin
g
a
s
muc
h
a
s
h
e
did
.
I
t
wa
s
tha
t
insensitivit
y
an
d
arrogance
,
whic
h
I
hated
i
n
m
y
father
,
tha
t
ha
d
annoye
d
m
e
s
o
muc
h
durin
g
m
y
firs
t
encounte
r
wit
h
thi
s
ma
n
wh
o
calle
d
himself
"prot."
I
resolved
,
a
s
alway
s
whe
n
somethin
g
lik
e
thi
s
happens
,
t
o
kee
p
m
y
persona
l
lif
e
ou
t
o
f
th
e
examining
room.
O
N
th
e
trai
n
hom
e
tha
t
evenin
g
I
go
t
t
o
thinking
,
a
s
I
ofte
n
d
o
afte
r
beginnin
g
a
difficul
t
o
r
unusual
case
,
abou
t
th
e
huma
n
min
d
an
d
reality
.
M
y
ne
w
patient
,
fo
r
example
,
an
d
Russell
,
ou
r
resident
Christ
,
an
d
thousand
s
-lik
e
the
m
liv
e
i
n
world
s
o
f
thei
r
own
,
realm
s
jus
t
a
s
rea
l
t
o
the
m
a
s
your
s
an
d
mine
ar
e
t
o
us
.
Tha
t
seem
s
difficul
t
t
o
understand
,
bu
t
i
s
i
t
really
?
Surel
y
th
e
reade
r
o
f
thi
s
accoun
t
has
become
,
a
t
on
e
tim
e
o
r
another
,
thoroughl
y
involve
d
i
n
a
fil
m
o
r
absorbe
d
i
n
a
novel
,
utterl
y
"lost
"
i
n
the
experience
.
Dreams
,
eve
n
daydreams
,
ofte
n
see
m
ver
y
rea
l
a
t
th
e
time
,
a
s
d
o
event
s
recalle
d
during
hypnosis
.
O
n
suc
h
occasions
,
wh
o
i
s
t
o
sa
y
wha
t
realit
y
is?
I
t
i
s
quit
e
remarkabl
e
wha
t
som
e
o
f
thos
e
wit
h
sever
e
menta
l
disorder
s
ar
e
abl
e
t
o
d
o
withi
n
the
boundarie
s
o
f
thei
r
illusor
y
worlds
.
Th
e
"idiot
"
savant
s
ar
e
a
cas
e
i
n
point
.
Unabl
e
t
o
functio
n
i
n
our society
,
the
y
withdra
w
int
o
recesse
s
o
f
th
e
min
d
whic
h
mos
t
o
f
u
s
ca
n
neve
r
enter
.
The
y
ar
e
capabl
e
of
feats-wit
h
numbers
,
fo
r
example
,
o
r
music-tha
t
other
s
canno
t
begi
n
t
o
duplicate
.
W
e
ar
e
stil
l
i
n
th
e
Dark
Age
s
a
s
fa
r
a
s
understandin
g
th
e
huma
n
min
d
i
s
concerned-ho
w
i
t
learns
,
ho
w
i
t
remembers
,
ho
w
it
thinks
.
I
f
Einstein'
s
brai
n
wer
e
transplante
d
int
o
Wagner'
s
skull
,
woul
d
thi
s
individua
l
stil
l
b
e
Einstein?
Better
:
Switc
h
hal
f
o
f
Einstein'
s
brai
n
wit
h
hal
f
o
f
Wagner's-whic
h
perso
n
woul
d
b
e
Einstei
n
an
d
which
Wagner
?
O
r
woul
d
eac
h
b
e
someon
e
i
n
between
?
Similarly
,
i
n
th
e
cas
e
o
f
multipl
e
personalit
y
syndrome,
whic
h
o
f
th
e
distinc
t
"identities
"
i
s
reall
y
th
e
perso
n
i
n
question
,
o
r
i
s
he/sh
e
a
differen
t
perso
n
a
t
different
times
?
Ar
e
w
e
al
l
differen
t
peopl
e
a
t
differen
t
times
?
Coul
d
thi
s
explai
n
ou
r
changin
g
"moods"
?
Whe
n
we
se
e
someon
e
talkin
g
t
o
himself-t
o
who
m
i
s
h
e
speaking
?
Hav
e
yo
u
eve
r
hear
d
someon
e
say
,
"
I
haven't bee
n
mysel
f
lately."
?
O
r
"You'r
e
no
t
th
e
ma
n
I
married!"
?
An
d
ho
w
d
o
w
e
accoun
t
fo
r
th
e
fundamentalist
preache
r
an
d
hi
s
clandestin
e
se
x
life
?
Ar
e
w
e
al
l
Drs
.
Jekyl
l
an
d
Messrs
.
Hyde?