Tracy

037:

Finally, he set the clipboard aside. He rubbed his nose, leaning against the counter behind him, crossing his feet-- she now saw were clad in Nike tennis shoes-- and he held his other arm easily across his chest. "I study aura. I will tell you as far as I can in layman's terms what that means. Everything in the universe is related to and connected to an energy vibration. Every atom, every particle of an atom, every electron, every elementary particle, even our thoughts, and consciousness are just vibrations. Hence we may define aura as an electro-photonic vibration response of an object to some external excitation, such as an ambient light for example. This definition is sufficient for the purpose of reading auras providing that we can train ourselves to see aura vibration. If we are not able to see aura naturally, I have developed, with my colleagues here at the university, cameras that can capture the aura for all to see."

Tracy sagged, the headache coming back, and she automatically reached for Richard's hand. He softly traced her wrist with a finger and slipped her fingers next to his. The headache and its accompanying heat and shock simply exited. He shivered with the sudden tingle of it, and she sagged even further, and finally staggered to the bed-table and perched against it. Her eyes sought Richard's accusingly.

But she couldn't deny that he was somehow responsible for lessening her pain, as was the good doctor. Somebody had to know what they were talking about here.

She wished that Raine had been able to come.

"So, this isn't what Richard was originally talking about, some kind of sensitivity to electromagnetic fields." She put a hand to her head, and pulled at the heavy hair gathered there. Her blue eyes were clear but troubled.

She saw the doctor's eyes travel to her companion's. "Yes, actually the two are interconnected, we are finding."

"In what way?"

"In some people, Miss McCaffrey, the high-frequency electromagnetic fields around us interfere with the aura vibration of an individual." His eyes were earnest, but she could see that this was the crux of their research, and it wasn't a proven fact.

"So, you're saying that an aura vibration can be responsive to an outside stimulus?" Richard pointed out, his voice deep and reassuring in the whirring stillness between them.

"All aura reveals the life force, so to speak, of the recipient." The doctor's voice was completely confident and convinced of his theory.

"Life force, meaning an electric vibration?" Tracy was trying hard to understand the significance of what had happened to her, because right now, she felt very alone with the electric thing racing through her searching for a way out. It was a live thing, an extension of herself.

The doctor took his eyes off Richard and they softened as they sought Tracy. "I would like to photograph your aura, I can then show and explain this to you in a manner you can understand." He stood up, presumably to help Tracy to the imaging tube. "This will take several minutes fellas, and I would like to have her alone."

"Not possible." Tracy and Richard said at exactly the same time, both of them looking alarmed, with Tracy turning even paler than she already was.

Michael stood up as if to protest as well.

Tracy felt the swirling electricity seem to pause, hesitate as if trying to figure out what had upset her, and then race back to the spot Doctor Armani had last touched on her wrist. She felt dizzy. Michael's leap to her side belied his girth.

"No, don't!" The doctor commanded too late to stop Michael from getting the brunt of Tracy's current as he slumped to the ground in an unexpectedly graceful heap. Tracy slid off the table to help Michael up, stunned by his sudden feint, and Richard grabbed her and pulled her into his chest, her lithe little curves hot against him.