Пролетая над гнездом кукушки

           "Comenow,McMurphy,quitactinglikeafool;there’snomancanliftthatthing."

           "Standback,sissies,you’reusingmyoxygen."

           McMurphyshiftshisfeetafewtimestogetagoodstance,andwipeshishandsonhisthighsagain,thenleansdownandgetsholdoftheleversoneachsideofthepanel.Whenhegoestostraining,theguysgotohootingandkiddinghim.Heturnslooseandstraightensupandshiftshisfeetaroundagain.

           "Givingup?"Fredricksongrins.

           "Justlimberingup.Heregoestherealeffort"—andgrabsthoseleversagain.

           Andsuddenlynobody’shootingathimanymore.Hisarmscommencetoswell,andtheveinssqueezeuptothesurface.Heclincheshiseyes,andhislipsdrawawayfromhisteeth.Hisheadleansback,andtendonsstandoutlikecoiledropesrunningfromhisheavingneckdownbotharmstohishands.Hiswholebodyshakeswiththestrainashetriestoliftsomethingheknowshecan’tlift,somethingeverybodyknowshecan’tlift.

           But,forjustasecond,whenwehearthecementgrindatourfeet,wethink,bygolly,hemightdoit.

           Thenhisbreathexplodesoutofhim,andhefallsbacklimpagainstthewall.There’sbloodontheleverswherehetorehishands.Hepantsforaminuteagainstthewallwithhiseyesshut.There’snosoundbuthisscrapingbreath;nobody’ssayingathing.

           Heopenshiseyesandlooksaroundatus.Onebyonehelooksattheguys—evenatme—thenhefishesinhispocketsforalltheIOUshewonthelastfewdaysatpoker