K-Pax (33 page)
On
e
o
f
thes
e
wa
s
a
twenty-seven-year-ol
d
woma
n
who
m
I
shal
l
cal
l
Bess
.
Homeles
s
an
d
emaciated
whe
n
sh
e
wa
s
brough
t
t
o
th
e
hospital
,
sh
e
ha
d
neve
r
-
-
no
t
eve
n
onc
e
-
-
smiled
,
a
s
fa
r
a
s
I
a
m
aware.
Fro
m
th
e
tim
e
sh
e
wa
s
a
child
,
Bes
s
ha
d
bee
n
treate
d
lik
e
a
slav
e
b
y
he
r
ow
n
family
.
Sh
e
di
d
al
l
the
cleanin
g
an
d
cookin
g
an
d
laundering
.
He
r
Christma
s
presents
,
whe
n
sh
e
go
t
anythin
g
a
t
all
,
consiste
d
of
utensil
s
an
d
appliances
,
a
ne
w
ironin
g
board
.
Sh
e
fel
t
i
t
shoul
d
hav
e
bee
n
sh
e
wh
o
perishe
d
i
n
th
e
fir
e
that
devastate
d
th
e
family'
s
tenemen
t
apartment
,
rathe
r
tha
n
he
r
brother
s
an
d
sisters
.
I
t
wa
s
shortl
y
thereafter
tha
t
sh
e
wa
s
brough
t
t
o
us
,
nearl
y
froze
n
becaus
e
sh
e
wouldn'
t
g
o
t
o
on
e
o
f
th
e
shelter
s
th
e
cit
y
provides
fo
r
th
e
homeless.
Fro
m
th
e
beginnin
g
i
t
wa
s
difficul
t
t
o
ge
t
he
r
t
o
eat
.
Not
,
lik
e
Ernie
,
becaus
e
sh
e
wa
s
afrai
d
to
,
o
r
like
Howie
,
wa
s
to
o
busy
,
bu
t
becaus
e
sh
e
didn'
t
thin
k
sh
e
deserve
d
to
:
"Wh
y
d
o
I
ge
t
t
o
ea
t
whe
n
s
o
many
ar
e
hungry?
"
Sh
e
wa
s
certai
n
i
t
wa
s
rainin
g
o
n
th
e
sunnies
t
days
.
Everythin
g
tha
t
happene
d
seeme
d
to
remin
d
he
r
o
f
som
e
tragedy
,
som
e
terribl
e
inciden
t
fro
m
he
r
past
.
Neithe
r
electroconvulsiv
e
therap
y
no
r
a
variet
y
o
f
neurolepti
c
drug
s
ha
d
prove
n
effective
.
Sh
e
wa
s
th
e
saddes
t
perso
n
I
ha
d
eve
r
met.
Bu
t
o
n
on
e
o
f
m
y
decreasingl
y
frequen
t
travel
s
throug
h
th
e
ward
s
I
notice
d
tha
t
sh
e
wa
s
sittin
g
with
he
r
knee
s
u
p
an
d
he
r
arm
s
wrappe
d
aroun
d
them
,
payin
g
rap
t
attentio
n
t
o
whateve
r
pro
t
migh
t
choos
e
to
say
.
No
t
smiling
,
bu
t
no
t
crying
,
either.
An
d
seventy-year-ol
d
Mrs
.
Archer
,
ex-wif
e
o
f
on
e
o
f
America'
s
foremos
t
industrialists
,
cease
d
her
constan
t
mutterin
g
wheneve
r
pro
t
wa
s
around
.
Know
n
i
n
War
d
Tw
o
a
s
"th
e
Duchess,
"
Mrs
.
Archer
take
s
he
r
meal
s
o
n
fin
e
chin
a
i
n
th
e
privac
y
o
f
he
r
ow
n
room
.
Traine
d
sinc
e
birt
h
fo
r
a
lif
e
o
f
luxury
,
she
complain
s
constantl
y
abou
t
th
e
servic
e
sh
e
receives
,
an
d
abou
t
everyone'
s
deportmen
t
i
n
general.
Amazingly
,
th
e
Duchess
,
wh
o
onc
e
ra
n
nake
d
fo
r
a
mil
e
dow
n
Fift
h
Avenu
e
whe
n
he
r
husban
d
lef
t
her
fo
r
a
muc
h
younge
r
woman
,
becam
e
a
lam
b
i
n
th
e
presenc
e
o
f
m
y
ne
w
patient.
Th
e
onl
y
perso
n
wh
o
seeme
d
t
o
resen
t
prot'
s
proximit
y
wa
s
Russell
,
wh
o
decide
d
tha
t
pro
t
was
scoutin
g
th
e
Eart
h
fo
r
th
e
devil
.
"Ge
t
the
e
behin
d
me
,
Satan!
"
h
e
exclaime
d
periodically
,
t
o
n
o
on
e
in
particular
.
Althoug
h
man
y
o
f
th
e
patient
s
continue
d
t
o
floc
k
t
o
hi
m
fo
r
sympath
y
an
d
advice
,
hi
s
coterie
wa
s
shrinkin
g
almos
t
dail
y
an
d
gravitatin
g
towar
d
pro
t
instead.