To bring him back to full usefulness--that was admitting that his
interest was as much for the benefit of science as for the man. Science
in Carroll's case meant years and years of intense study of that one
particular field.
He was rationalizing, he knew, and he went further by admitting that
bringing Carroll back to full intelligence again meant that, unless the
man regained his ability to remember and work on the Lawson Radiation,
his return was incomplete. Would he bring Carroll back--only to have
the man return to this rare state of amnesia at the first touch of
something--and who knew what?
Pollard closed his mind and returned to the hospital.
But the days passed with no hope. Carroll was forced to admit his
identity and that was all. His mind meticulously avoided any contact
with the Lawson Radiation. In fact, any minor gains Pollard made were
lost instantly when any phase of Carroll's former studies was mentioned.
Eventually James Carroll went home. Pollard could keep him there no
longer. The former physicist returned daily, and Pollard helped the man
to make plans for the future. That hurt deeply, for Pollard had to sit
there, helpless to do anything about the man's lack of intellect.
Things that a normal man would take for granted in his daily life
Pollard had to outline in detail as planning. Luckily Carroll had
financial independence--or unluckily, perhaps, for maybe a job of some
sort might have been good therapy.
The trouble was that Pollard could not make his own mental adjustment
to see the former, very brilliant James Forrest Carroll working for a
pittance by digging ditches or slogging away his life in a menial job.
As the days grew into weeks the pattern of Carroll's new life became
fixed in the man's mind and he found it unnecessary to return daily to
the hospital for advice.
And Dr. Pollard gave up, himself a fine case of frustration.
CHAPTER II
_Double Trouble_
James Forrest Carroll was lazily happy with himself. His needs were
quite simple and the apartment he lived in was far beyond them. He
had a gnawing doubt that he could keep it forever, because there was
something about money that did not jibe.
He could not make enough money to maintain it--and he did not need it
anyway. But it was very nice and he viewed it as any normal man might
view living in his own ideal home, complete with everything that he
ever hoped to have.
He awoke in the morning by physical habit, dressed by instinct and
his breakfast was served by the housekeeper. Then he left the place
and roamed. He saw the parks and enjoyed with primitive pleasure the
greenery and the natural settings of tree, grass and sky. The park
squirrels knew no fear of him and he found them interesting. Perhaps he
subconsciously envied their obvious adjustment to their environment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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