The limo faded and we stood in Piedmont Park. At least, Farley stood. I was in my wheelchair. My legs ached, but they always do. Farley makes me forget about a lot of stuff. So glad he wants to be here with me.

A friend’s nephew came from the field where a bunch of fellas played football. “Hey, Farl! Catch!”

I opened my mouth to say, Not now! Too late!

Farley pulled my wheelchair over the curb with a smooth motion and looked up. The football bounced off his head, and he fell in my lap! I grabbed his head, and struggled to get him balanced so the wheelchair didn’t fall over!

“Oh, I’m sorry! You didn’t feel that, didja? DS men are tough—“

I glared at him and held my gasping friend. “Tom, stuff it, willya?” His blonde curls felt soft against my hands. Gently, I pulled his head against my chest.

“Okay—oh, my ball’s in the street!” He ran off and squealing tires confirmed, Tom’s at it again. Maintenance truck.

Farley got up. His skin looked white, but he smiled at me. “Nae harm. Did I cause you pain, when I fell on your legs? Ejis!” He looked down, at my ankles, and sat abruptly on the grass. “Ejis nae!” One hand touched my tennis shoe.

“Farley, don’t look—“

“Ejis nae! Did you see a healer, Ella?”

“Five of ‘em. On Alb Seer. I—“

“Hey, are you okay, Farl? I didn’t mean to ring your bell!” Tom came back, football under his arm, a blur of Blue Devils shirt and blonde curls, lighter than Farley’s.

“I am well, I worry for Ella—“

Tom’s laughter drowned out the rest. “Hey, you made a rhyme again! Make another!”

Farley shook his head, and his eyes wobbled a bit. “I must take Ella to healers. Excuse me, Tom. I will play later, after Ella has healing.” With a wave, a green swirl dropped on us.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

My wheelchair floated up with me in it, and Farley picked me up. The wheelchair slipped out of the portal, high above Atlanta, then vanished. Elshars used to drop things on people. Now Earth runs progs to vaporize anything dropped. My cheap insurance won’t cover another one this soon--

“Ejis! I will make another for you, Ella.” Farley’s heart pounded under my ear. His grip on the portal above us loosened.

I reached up and held his twin-fingered hand on it. “Where are we? Oh, south. There’s the Spaceport.” I steered us towards Molly’s ship, the big red one. There aren’t many huge red ships in the Spaceport like that! We dropped through the top of the dome and two healers caught us.

“Healer, my maiden.” Farley’s head dropped onto the old Zheien’s shoulder.

“Ejis nae! Are you injured? Maiden, see you this? Had he a fall?” As he sat on the floor holding Farley, he reached a hand up to sweep blonde curls back from my friend’s left temple. Maroon swelling showed at his hairline. He laid there trembling. Stared at me with the black marble eyes. He’s got blue eyes that change with his moods, like Elshars.

I told them what I saw. Felt awful!

The healer holding me noticed my twisted ankles and wept. “How happened this?”

“Can you heal her?” Farley blinked, then his eyes closed.

“Nae! Did you try?” My healer sobbed as he waited for Farley’s answer.

I sighed. “A long time ago, Healer. Nae today.”

Farley’s healer didn’t try to sing for him. Instead, he stared across the ship and an older healer came. I got scared.

That healer didn’t sing, either, but looked at me with brown eyes wide. Both of them had yellow skin, and looked alike. Maiden, I fear for my son. This injury was nae enough to cause such damage! Where came you?

I pictured the HamFest, and all the people with handheld radios—

Ejis! Did nae warn him of this danger?

I tried to explain that the most danger of radio frequency energy is heating, if somebody is too close to an antenna when it’s transmitting.

Then, this healer explained to me that Zheien brain tissue is resonant at lower frequencies than ours. Just as microwaving baby bottles isn’t a good idea because the formula can feel just right to Mom’s wrist and contain hot spots dangerous to Baby, handheld radios create hot spots in a Zheien’s brain at 2 meters.

Two meters is the most popular Ham radio frequency. I cringed. The old healer waved up a chart of just how far away Zheien are affected by this. Arm’s length is enough to cause subtle damage, and he might just have a headache or feel tired until damage accumulates enough. The warmth actually feels good at first, so he might move closer to the source! Zheien are cold when we might be just right or too hot.

Farley shuddered, then shook harder. Regen. I didn’t say anything, just held his rolled-up hand, for hours.

I gasped, and grabbed for his hand! Memories kept coming! “We need to be careful! I have a brother and sisters at home--”