K-Pax (19 page)
Bu
t
that'
s
no
t
all
.
Afrai
d
h
e
wil
l
unconsciousl
y
strangl
e
himsel
f
a
t
nigh
t
h
e
sleep
s
wit
h
hi
s
hand
s
tie
d
to
hi
s
feet
,
an
d
bite
s
dow
n
o
n
a
woode
n
dowe
l
s
o
h
e
won'
t
swallo
w
hi
s
tongue
.
Fo
r
simila
r
reason
s
h
e
will
no
t
li
e
unde
r
sheet
s
o
r
blankets-h
e
fear
s
the
y
migh
t
wra
p
themselve
s
aroun
d
hi
s
throat-an
d
h
e
sleep
s
on
th
e
floo
r
s
o
a
s
no
t
t
o
fal
l
ou
t
o
f
be
d
an
d
brea
k
hi
s
neck
.
A
s
a
sor
t
o
f
compensation
,
perhaps
,
h
e
sleeps
quit
e
soundl
y
onc
e
hi
s
ritua
l
i
s
complete
,
thoug
h
h
e
awaken
s
earl
y
t
o
fitfull
y
chec
k
hi
s
parameter
s
and
accouterments
,
an
d
b
y
th
e
tim
e
h
e
ha
s
breakfas
t
i
s
hi
s
usua
l
nervou
s
wreck.
Ho
w
coul
d
a
perso
n
ge
t
s
o
screwe
d
up
?
Whe
n
Erni
e
wa
s
a
bo
y
o
f
nin
e
h
e
watche
d
hi
s
mother
chok
e
t
o
deat
h
o
n
a
piec
e
o
f
meat
.
Unabl
e
t
o
help
,
h
e
wa
s
condemne
d
t
o
witnes
s
he
r
las
t
agonizing
moment
s
whil
e
hi
s
olde
r
siste
r
ra
n
aroun
d
th
e
kitchen
,
screaming
.
Befor
e
h
e
coul
d
ge
t
ove
r
tha
t
horrible
experience
,
hi
s
fathe
r
du
g
a
bom
b
shelte
r
i
n
th
e
bac
k
yar
d
an
d
practice
d
usin
g
it
.
Here'
s
ho
w
i
t
worked:
A
t
an
y
momen
t
o
f
th
e
da
y
o
r
nigh
t
Ernie'
s
fathe
r
woul
d
suddenl
y
lea
p
a
t
hi
m
o
r
emi
t
a
blood-curdling
screec
h
o
r
dous
e
hi
m
wit
h
something
.
Tha
t
woul
d
b
e
th
e
signa
l
t
o
ru
n
fo
r
th
e
bom
b
shelter
.
B
y
th
e
time
h
e
wa
s
eleve
n
Erni
e
wa
s
unabl
e
t
o
spea
k
o
r
t
o
sto
p
shaking
.
Whe
n
h
e
wa
s
brough
t
t
o
MP
I
i
t
took
month
s
jus
t
t
o
ge
t
hi
m
no
t
t
o
jum
p
an
d
ru
n
wheneve
r
a
doo
r
opene
d
o
r
someon
e
sneezed
.
Tha
t
was
nearl
y
twent
y
year
s
ago
,
an
d
h
e
ha
s
bee
n
her
e
eve
r
since
.
Hi
s
father
,
incidentally
,
i
s
a
patien
t
a
t
another
institution
;
hi
s
siste
r
committe
d
suicid
e
i
n 1980.
Fortunately
,
debilitatin
g
phobia
s
lik
e
Ernie'
s
ar
e
rare
.
Thos
e
wh
o
ar
e
afrai
d
o
f
snakes
,
fo
r
example, nee
d
onl
y
sta
y
awa
y
fro
m
fores
t
an
d
field
.
Agoraphobic
s
an
d
claustrophobic
s
ca
n
usuall
y
avoi
d
crowds
an
d
elevator
s
and
,
i
n
an
y
case
,
ar
e
treatabl
e
wit
h
drug
s
o
r
b
y
slo
w
acclimatio
n
t
o
th
e
offendin
g
situation.
Bu
t
ho
w
doe
s
on
e
acclimat
e
th
e
necrophobic
?
Ho
w
t
o
avoi
d
th
e
Gri
m
Reaper?
Howi
e
i
s
forty-three
,
thoug
h
h
e
look
s
t
o
b
e
sixty
.
Bor
n
int
o
a
poo
r
Brookly
n
family
,
hi
s
musical abilitie
s
becam
e
eviden
t
earl
y
on
.
Hi
s
fathe
r
gav
e
hi
m
hi
s
unuse
d
violi
n
whe
n
h
e
wa
s
fou
r
year
s
ol
d
and
,
in
hi
s
earl
y
teens
,
h
e
playe
d
tha
t
instrumen
t
wit
h
a
numbe
r
o
f
well-respecte
d
regiona
l
orchestras
.
A
s
time
wen
t
on
,
however
,
h
e
performe
d
les
s
an
d
les
s
frequently
,
preferrin
g
instea
d
t
o
stud
y
scores
,
other
instruments
,
th
e
histor
y
o
f
music
.
Hi
s
father
,
a
bookseller
,
wa
s
no
t
particularl
y
concerne
d
wit
h
thi
s
tur
n
of
event
s
an
d
wen
t
abou
t
hi
s
tin
y
sho
p
braggin
g
tha
t
Howi
e
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
becom
e
a
famou
s
conductor,
anothe
r
Stokowski
.
Bu
t
b
y
th
e
tim
e
Howi
e
go
t
t
o
colleg
e
hi
s
interest
s
seeme
d
t
o
cove
r
th
e
entire
spectru
m
o
f
huma
n
endeavor
.
H
e
trie
d
t
o
maste
r
everythin
g
fro
m
algebr
a
t
o
Zen
.
H
e
studie
d
nigh
t
and
da
y
unti
l
h
e
finall
y
brok
e
dow
n
an
d
ende
d
u
p
wit
h
us.