Can I safely stay near the scalar field while running a remote session for my friend in chemo? How far should I be from the field if I place their photo and nails between the boxes?

If you're using a photo or nail sample for remote Scalar or Rife Scalar sessions, and your friend is the intended recipient, you don’t need to stay far away from the setup. To be safe, you can simply stay outside the area between the two Scalar boxes—that is, outside the scalar field itself.
Being near the system or in the same room is completely fine. Staying just outside the field ensures you're not directly receiving the session meant for someone else, which is what we recommend in this case.