Hilarity Ensues Episode 8, part 3.

   "You are now entering Della Cruscan airspace.  Please state your ship's name and planet of origin."

   The message the Hilarity's computer received was greeted with relief.  It had seemed a very long and weary journey to get there, and those who were looking after the invalids had become increasingly worried, especially about Ruth.  And the others all felt guilty that they had suffered for their sakes, and knew that they would feel more guilty still if they were to die as a result.

   Will spoke to the Della Cruscan authorities and explained the situation.  They granted permission to enter orbit and promised to teleport medical help immediately.  Very shortly three people appeared out of thin air near the computer.  They were humanoid, although with skin of pale yellow, and with a variety of aesthetic shades of green hair.  Two of the Empyreans appeared to be female, although it was not easy to tell at first glance as all had long hair.  They wore long, loose dresses in pale colours, while the male was wearing a brown jacket of a velvety material, with breeches to match and white stockings and brown shoes.  All three wore garlands of flowers in their hair, in colours tastefully chosen to match or contrast pleasingly with their clothes.  The travellers were struck by their beauty and the natural simplicity of their clothes, compared to the highly technical spacesuits and worklike, manufactured fabrics they had become used to.

   The male stepped forward.  "Greetings," he said, in English but with an accent that the travellers took a moment to recognise.  It was sort of Scottish, but there was a hint of something else too.  Russian?  "My name is Grothorne, this is Angphir and Janella.  We understand you have crew members who are in need of medical attention?"

   "Yes- this way, please," Will said, leading the way towards the stairs, for gravity had returned once more.  "Thank you so much for coming to help."

   "We are always glad to be of service," Angphir replied, as they followed him up the stairs.  Tom and Adam, anxious for their friends, joined them as they entered the dressing room where Ruth and Patrick were.  Agnes was already there.  "We understand that they were bitten by the Pserpentese?"  

   "Yes," Will replied.

   "How did that happen?" said Grothorne.  "They usually keep out of other people's way?"

   Will glanced at the others.  To tell the truth would mean increasing the danger of either the Pserpentese or the astroninjas finding them, as well as possibly danger for the Empyreans who were helping them.  But to lie would risk upsetting the Empyreans, as well as being unfair to the patients.  

   "We were captured," Will said.  "Astroninjas captured us and took us to Pserpentia, where we were held captive.  Ruth and Patrick volunteered to be kept as hostages so the rest of us managed to escape.  We didn't know that the Pserpentese would do this to them.  By the time we were able to rescue them they'd been bitten twice."

   "Twice?" Janella said, exchanging swift glances with her colleagues.

   "That is grave news," Grothorne said.  "Let us examine them."  

   The poison had continued to do its work.  Ruth had been drifting in and out of consciousness and even when awake was only vaguely aware of most of what was going on around her.  Everything was secondary to the pain, the red mist which obscured everything.  It was constant now, no longer dying away for even a few seconds of remission and relief.  She was weak, and found it very difficult to speak and to think clearly about her answers to the questions the Empyreans asked her. Patrick, while more aware than Ruth of what was going on was also the more afraid, because he could see right next to him what the future held.  The arrival of the Empyreans had given him some hope, but their sombre faces as they examined the two patients almost destroyed it, and his voice stuttered and hesitated as he tried to answer their questions.  

   Their examinations complete, the three Empyreans consulted together in a language the travellers could not understand.  But from their faces it was easy to see that they were concerned.  Eventually the two females began to take things from the large bags they had brought with them.  They covered the table on one side of the room with a sterile cloth and Angphir began chopping up several different types of plant which Janella then crushed in a pestle and mortar and mixed with water and various powders.  Grothorne, who appeared to be the senior, turned back to the travellers.  

   "We have treatment for them," he said.  "An antidote to neutralise the venom, and other mixtures to help soothe and restore the damaged to the body.  You, sir," here he looked towards Patrick, who nodded nervously, "I believe you should make a good recovery.  You are still experiencing the second stage of the venom's effects, and your body is still fighting."  Patrick looked greatly relieved.  

   Grothorne turned to Ruth.  "I am afraid that the outlook for you is not so optimistic," he said gently.  "You have passed into the third stage, your body has been suffering for a long time and has all but given up the struggle."

   "So I will die?" Ruth asked quietly.

   "You have both been injected with enough venom to kill- yet not so much that it makes death inevitable.  You may yet be healed.  But you are weak. The antidote will mean more pain as your body fights off the venom's effects, and I do not know if you have enough strength left.  I do not know if you will be healed, but I do know you will suffer more.  There is an alternative.  I can give you a sedative, and let you sleep painlessly while the venom does its work, slipping gently from this life to the next.  It's your choice."

   Everyone looked at Ruth, including Patrick who suddenly felt guilty that he had escaped lightly compared to her.

   "I've never liked giving up," she said.  "I...don't know if I can stand much more pain but...I choose to try."

The story continues...