*****117:

He was at dinner with a member family who had invited a non-member family over to share in their family home evening and get acquainted. It'd been a long day and he was tired, even a little weary, but exhilarated at the same time. The food was good, the kids were cute, and the family seemed interested. His companion nudged him and leaned over to whisper.

"Your emergency phone.... It's buzzing."

As soon as Elder Greene said it, he felt it and heard it vibrate. Richard reached in his pocket and pulled it out knowing at the same time who it was. His heart raced and he immediately excused himself and raced out the front door of the house, his companion followed him in concern.

"This is Richard." He said into the phone as soon as he got outside. Elder Greene leaned against the hot stucco wall, flicked a lizard off the wrought iron light fixture and stared out at the hazy Sidney evening. It was still sweaty hot, and they both longed to be back inside where it was air conditioned, but Elder Mann had explained to his companion that it was possible that someday that emergency phone might ring, and if it did, he would just have to excuse himself.

"I- I'm on—a--- shit.... I'm---"

"Where are you?" he glanced at his watch calculating the time difference. It was close to two am.

"At—at--- I'm going to be sick...." He heard her gagging, tried to picture her, from her letters, he thought she could be at the studio across the street from her place. That was very close to the beach, if she could get out to the sand.

"Tracy...." He called into the phone trying to get her attention. He saw Elder Greene's eyes widen, as he figured out which Tracy it must be, and a grin split his face.

"R-Richard..."

"You need to get out to the beach. Is there anyone there who can help you? Open doors or something at least? Where's Jimmy and Greg?"

"Right... the beach." She said.

"Can you get outside?"

"I'm going to be sick again."

He heard her gagging. She was on a build.... One touch... he thought wildly, if only he could touch her through the phone. "Listen honey, you have to get outside.... Go out on the beach."

"I c-can't walk right now, Richard." She managed, and he knew then how serious it was.

"Hang up, I'm calling someone who can help you." He didn't wait to hear her reply, but immediately dialed Michael's number. A groggy but coherent Michael answered after just one ring. Richard yelled into the phone. "It's Richard... Tracy's on a build. You've gotta get to her, get her outside to the beach, it's not a for sure cure, but it's better than nothing."

"Did she go home?" Michael's voice was indistinct. "Crap, I should have seen this one coming after what she pulled tonight, I should have known... Richard? She called you?"

"Are you getting up, Michael? Where are you? You've got to get to her fast."

"I'm up! I'm up! Security, locate Tracy McCaffrey." He said, obviously into an intercom, and Richard had to wonder where he was again.

"Are you at Rocks?" he deduced.

"Yes, I'm at Rocks, we're working pretty heavily these days. I live here when I work." He sounded disgruntled, but Michael always sounded disgruntled. "Why did she call you?"

"Who else would she call?" Richard sighed, exasperated. Right, who else? When real issues came up....

He glanced at his companion and then put his hand over the receiver. "My friend, Tracy, has a medical condition."

"And they have to get her out to the beach?" Elder Greene was skeptical. "What condition is that?"

Michael's voice came back on the line. "She's in her office. Richard.... Is there any way we can move her? She's passed out. I think I should just call an ambulance."

"I don't think an ambulance is going to help. But Doctor Armani... you're going to have to call Jules. He would know." He sighed. "Yeah, you could wrap her in blankets or something. Treat her as you might a live wire.... Are you kidding, blankets won't do it...." He was pacing in circles, running a hand frantically through his hair, his eyes searching, searching for an outlet to his frustration. How can I help her from thousands of miles away?

He could hear Michael yelling instructions, they did call an ambulance. He heard him talking to Doctor Armani, was that up at UCLA?

Michael came back on. "I'm up here, Richard, she's out cold and sparking blue. How did this happen? What do I do?"

"Is she—is she breathing? Don't touch her..."

"I can't tell, if she is.... She's doing it pretty shallowly.... Yeah, up here, yeah, come on guys... get up here!" he could hear noises of people trying to help.

"Michael, Michael, you need to go with her. You have to take care of her. Please just call me when you know something."

"Richard, this is serious. I don't know what to tell them about her condition and one of the paramedics just tried to touch her...."

"I don't know. Maybe reverse the current, use magnets... I think was the last thing I talked to Jules about. Call Jules...." Richard felt awful inside, how could this be happening? She was surfing every day, grounding out periodically throughout the day as well, in dirt or grass or water. She was handling it.... He thought she was handling it. What could have happened?

"I'll call you, Richard." Michael's voice came back on, but distracted.

They clicked off and Richard stared at his companion. "This is why...." He said with a meaningful glare. "This is why things from home are so crucially not to be brought out here. They are the biggest distraction!"

"But you knew this might happen, Elder." Said his companion. "You have permission to call if this comes up. President told me so."

"Yes, very extenuating circumstances, but I don't think I was completely prepared for how incapable of helping her I am."

"Well, it sounded like you knew where to call to get her help. What exactly happened if I may ask."

"She has a condition called a reverse magnetic current. It's like being a positive charge with no ground. When things trigger an overload of current in her, she goes on a build, and she needs to ground it, or else she'll over load, and we don't know exactly what kind of damage it can cause."

"I see." Elder Greene said, but it was clear he didn't see. "So, why did she call you?"

Richard was silent. The answer to that question was hypothetical at best, and not easy to describe. Could he tell another human soul how he felt about Tracy McCaffrey? Could he explain that she meant more to him than his life, that he planned to marry her and spend eternity with her? Could he tell another that he felt that God had worked a mysterious work in their lives to bring them together? That he did believe in the perfect mate, even a soul mate and that if you were obedient and faithful, eventually that person would be with you?

He'd kept the phone and swore never to use it, and he hadn't. No matter the longing or the loneliness, he had truly immersed himself in his mission as he had promised God he would. He had a very strong conviction that if he put God first that God would work mighty miracles in his life, and fix all the things he had erred in his youth. And that was a lot, and therefore it was paramount that those things get wiped clean.

But he had known right from the start that one of the tests or trials for them both was going to be Tracy's grief, coupled with the current that they barely even understood. Timing had always been off for them, and maybe that was the lesson.... These things would come in the Lord's time, not man's time. Richard had held onto that thought with all his heart and mind, patiently hoping and doing what the Lord asked him to do.

"Why did she call me?"

"Yeah, you're a half a planet away, what did she think you could do to help her?"

Richard chuckled. He bowed his head, picturing the Tracy he knew.... And that picture usually included sparkly night lights in her eyes, this time, it was a softly spoken image. Long curling tawny hair framed a perfectly sculpted pixie face, with a pert little nose, and expressive blue eyes, and hands curled for warmth around a cup of hot chocolate. Soft pajamas, a softer robe, and soft slippers, or socks, Tracy was a sock girl. His mind finished the picture, and even though he knew he'd never quite seen this picture.... It had to be a conglomerate. His minds eye gave him that clear view, and he smiled.

"It's not so much that I am the only person we know uniquely put together to help her.... Austin might be able to help her...." He opened his phone as the thought hit him and dialed Austin's number. Then he looked squarely at his companion of over four months, and let his eyes sink into the gray ones. "Because she knows I understand. People can usually handle their own problems, but knowing that someone else understands perfectly can get you through...."

"That sounds mental, and the problem you've described sounds physical." Elder Greene was shaking his head. "Who are you calling now?"

But Richard didn't answer. It was after two am. Austin wasn't answering. He dialed again, willing him to pick up and after three rings, his sleepy voice did come on.

"Richard?"

"Hey, buddy, how are you? Listen, I need you to find Tracy and go diffuse her. She's on a really nasty build, and she called me before she passed out. She was at Rocks and Michael is with her, but I think he's calling the ambulance, and that won't help her."

"Tracy?" he repeated dumbly.

"Yeah, our Tracy." Richard stated calmly, though his insides were turning to jelly at the amount of time elapsing.

"I'm on it, bro. Do you want me to call you back?" Thank God, Austin had grasped the significance of this call, the dire need placed at their feet.

"Om.... Technically that might be breaking mission rules."

"Spirit of the law, or letter of the law?" Austin laughed. "Richard you amaze me."

"Thanks, bro." he said and they clicked off. Now all he could do was wait.

*****