When she was ten years old, Veronica Gray disobeyed her father and talked back when she knew she shouldn't have. Her punishment came in the form of "Taps." Fifty years later, Dr. Veronica Gray may seem like a harmless old lady, but with her partner Dr. Mark Ivy, the pain machine was born-a device that can transfer pain from one person to another. Angela, suffering from fibromyalgia, has trouble finding anyone who believes her. She needs them to measure her pain as much as they need her to test the machine. 20th Anniversary Edition This text has been edited and revised. It contains a bonus short story, "Dance at My Funeral."