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22 “For your eyes. Protection from the strong light.” I felt pleased with that explanation. “Oh, goody. Goggles. Like an airplane pilot.” I lifted the dark green, slightly sticky, stretchy material and stared through the heavy yellow green lenses set in the darker rubber. Hands lifted the goggles and placed them around my head to snap them into place. “Now, you can stand in the center, on the mat.” “Can’t I sit down?” “Yes. In a moment. For about ten minutes we want you to stand up on the mat. For the rest of the treatment you may sit if you like.” I traced my foot across the soft whiteness of the mat. “Feels just like a warm blanket.” Ce ee 8 nD ec Os eR ee The presence of the strangers and their thoughts slowly receded from the place where I was standing. “Hey, where’re youall going? Don’t leave me here by myself.” “Don’t worry, little Barbara. We will be just beyond the lights. We don’t need the treatment but you do, so we’ll leave but you must stay.” “T don’t feel sick.” “Oh, you aren’t sick. This is to keep you from getting sick. We have found something lacking in your body. The lights will replace the essential elements which are missing.” I reached up to feel the goggles once again. Maybe they’d give them to me when the treatment was over. My regular doctor always let me take the tongue depressors home after he’d examined me. “Well, okay.” I took the light bath but then they wouldn’t let me take the goggles home with me. I closed my eyes to stop the tears but I was even more unhappy when I opened my eyes to see that I was in the attic again. My mother was leaning over me. Barbara Bartholic as told to Peggy Fielding