Colors

Chance keeps his eyes and ears alert, continually scanning the crowd. Once Destiny goes to speak though, he focuses on her - maybe more than he should have. A strange pang hits his heart as he sees her tears and hears her voice quiver. The Agency ruined lives - it was that simple. Destiny was so gentle... innocent... yet her life had been ripped from her. It wasn't fair.

Seeing her falter, Chance almost steps forward, but he waits, knowing she needed this time. Standing beside the row of chairs, he catches her eye and gives a slight nod. She had done well.

Nearby, Jason feels a chill run down his spine. Looking around quickly, he sees nothing. He looks to where the gathering was. Nothing. He looks to Chance and Destiny. Nothing. But something felt very wrong.
I don't like this... I don't like this one bit. Something doesn't seem right. But I don't have a visual. I wish we had more eyes out here.


Ty manages a grin and shakes his head at Libby. "Well thanks for coming."


"Mmm..." Rick sighs, still thinking. "What about that one that he said was in a colored..." His voice trails off and he snaps his fingers. "Irlen's... that's got to be it. All the pieces fit, but we can't do any further testing here." He tries not to get too excited. "I can't think of anything else it could be... the symptoms are right... but there's only one way to find out for sure. Come on, let's talk to him."

Walking back over to the bed, Rick smiles at Libby and Ty both before directing his speech at Ty. "Have you ever heard of Irlen Syndrome?"

Ty swallows hard and sits up. Syndrome. That didn't sound good. "Uh... no. Is it... is it bad?"

Rick chuckles and sits down next to Ty on the bed. "Well, it's nothing to be afraid of. You've complained to me before about headaches... being tired... still bothering you?"

Ty didn't want to say yes, for fear those were symptoms of something, but he finally nods. "Yeah... I just figured I wasn't getting enough sleep."

"That might be." Rick smiles. "But I think it's something more."

Ty searches Rick's face, then Libby, then back to Rick. "You think I have this... this Irlen thing?"

"I think it's a good possibility." Rick nods. "What it is, is a problem with the brain's ability to process visual information. Your brain may process things differently than the average person, and that's why the letters you look at seem to all run together or get fuzzy. In severe cases, some people even see words move on the page or it's so blurred they can't even try to focus on it."

"How come numbers make sense to me?"

Rick shrugs. "I don't think you have a severe case of Irlen's, if that is what it is, and when you're looking at numbers, you're not trying to process what you're seeing into a language. Even though both are on paper, your brain may be processing them differently."

Ty's hand grips the bedsheets without even realizing it. "So what... what happens now? Is there a cure or... or something?"

"There isn't. However, there are helps. This certain syndrome actually involves color."

Ty blinks, confused. "Color?"

"Mm-hmm. I've done minimal research on this, and it's actually color that's key. Colors make a difference to how we see things. Even something as simple as a pair of sunglasses can change our depth perception. It's usually a small enough change though, that we either adjust or don't even notice. The key to Irlen Syndrome is finding a color that will assist the person's brain process visual information. I think that's why on that certain restaurant menu you were able to focus better - it may have been close to a color that helps your brain process what you're seeing."

Ty wasn't sure if this sounded like a good thing or a bad thing. He gives Libby another nervous glance before turning to Rick again. "How?"

"Well, after finding the specific color to match a person, they can create overlays to set over things that are read, or they make glasses too. It's all based on very precise tinting and everybody's color is different."

That didn't seem so scary. Ty nods a little. "How do they find out what color a person needs to see through?"

"They have testing centers." Rick cocks his head. He really did think there was something to this. Ty wasn't dyslexic, he wasn't simply distracted, and he wasn't stupid by any means. "There's one right in Las Vegas."

"You mean I can't just... just do it here or... or at the hospital or something?"

Rick shakes his head. "It takes some pretty special testing to first confirm that's what it is, and then to find what color you need. It would probably mean a few days in Las Vegas."

Ty swallows again, his nervousness returning. "I... I don't know... even if.... well even if I did go, I don't have the money."

"Oh, I think we can work something out. And I would probably go with you," Rick assures. "But you have to be willing, first. Are you?"

Ty bites his lip. How badly did he want to be able to read? Drive? Be more independent? He turns to Libby, the fear all over his face. "You wouldn't go with me... would you?"