Poison Survival

“Come on,” Val said, “we've got to make it as quick as we can. The poison works fast.”

They drove their sea beasts to the limit of their speed, but still it was an hour before they turned north. Five minutes later, Val led them into what seemed to be a wall of solid rock.

[...]

“Can't we do anything else for him?” Sarah pleaded. She was holding Reb's head in her lap and was frightened at the absolute stillness of his body.

“It's the poison,” Val said. “Most people die when they get hit by a ray that big.”

[...]

Val shifted nervously, locked his hands behind his back and said, “There is one sort of medicine, but it's very rare and hard to find.”

[...]

“Why not, Val? He's going to die if we don't get help.”

“He may die anyway. That was a huge ray that got him, and he took a big dose of the poison. I'm not sure that he would live even if we got help, even if we got the medicine.”

[...]

After Val left, the others tried to get some rest, but Wash stayed beside Reb, his eyes fixed constantly on his friend's face. For a long time Reb did not move at all, and the smallest of the Seven Sleepers grew more and more despondent. He closed his eyes and was saying a prayer to Goel when all of the sudden a faint voice said, “Hey, what you doin’ there, Wash?”

Wash's eyes flew open, and he saw that Reb was moving his head and watching him.

Wash leaned forward and took Reb's hand. “You're awake. Hey, it's good to see you come out of it.”

Reb blinked slowly, and the usual cheerful spirit was gone. “I guess … not out of it yet. Never felt so bad, not even when I had malaria.”

Wash squeezed the limp hand in his and worked up a smile. “You're gonna be all right. Mr. Valar, he's gone to get you some medicine that's gonna get you all well again.”

Reb smiled faintly. “Sure do hope so, Wash, sure do. I'd hate to know I'm gonna feel this bad the rest of my life.”

The two of them were silent for a long time. Occasionally Wash said a word to establish communication. Finally, Reb looked up out of hollow eyes, and a faint grin touched his lips. “This is funny, about you and me being friends, ain't it, Wash?”

Wash knew instantly what the boy meant. “You mean about us being different colors? I guess that's one good thing about coming to Nuworld—I found me one good friend.”

Reb grinned faintly at him. “Yep, good old … Wash …”

He faded off, and Wash leaned back and began again to ask Goel for help.

[...]

They all came to their feet and rushed down to meet Valar. The young man slipped off his sea beast, waded in to the shore, and grinned at them. Holding up a sack, he said, “I got it.”

Sarah ran and threw her arms around him. “Oh, Val, I knew you'd do it.”

Val hugged her and said, “Well, all we have to do is get some water boiling and dissolve this stuff in it. Come on, you girls, let's see some action!”

An hour later, they had cooked the coral down until it made a soupy pot full of liquid.

“What do you do with it? Does he swallow it?” Sarah asked.

“No, you put it on the puncture,” Val said, “and you keep it moist. I know that much.”

At once, Sarah bent over Reb and drew the cover off his leg. The leg was swollen, and around the puncture wound was a blackish, angry-looking area. Sarah dipped out some of the medicine and put it on her finger.

“We'll take turns. We'll keep that stuff on him at all times,” Josh said.

“Well, it worked,” Val said with satisfaction. He was sitting off to one side and looking over to where Reb was propped up, laughing and talking and eating. “Took twenty-four hours, but I guess that's pretty quick for medicine to work.”