*Sweat* I wrote this whole thing down before I typed it...*sigh* Hope you like it!"

Chapter Four: Month One

Purple slumped onto the table on which the heart monitor resided, closing his confusion-filled eyes, shutting out the chaos swarming around him. He listened to his gentile heartbeat, noting that there was a considerable break in the steady pattern when his throat constricted and pain reared up. He looked at his hand to see himself shaking. From fear? Hell no.

He heard the hollering and rushing momentarily die down, and whispers snaked themselves around the room.

"Where is he."

It was a command, not a question. Purple raised his head and tenderly flicked his antennae upward. "They're using me for a lab test, Red. No problem."

Red stormed over. "While you were playing hospital down here, I guess you were psychically controlling Communications?"

Purple's antennae dropped, numbing. Not good. "I'm sorry, Red. I was asked to come by an aspiring--damn!!" He clutched his stomach.

Red's eyes widened. "I'll have to see this aspiring damn."

Purple's antennae convulsed and lay limp. "Nn...ever...mind..."

He closed his mouth, tasting blood. He prayed that Red wasn't listening to the heart monitor.

"Tallest Red? Excuse me."

Peprik saluted both of the Tallest and moved over to Purple.

"Sorry, my Tallest," she whispered to him, "But can you please cooperate?"

Red rolled his eyes. Purple nodded. Peprik took his arm and slid a needle into the vein, drawing blood. As it filled the container, her yellow eyes narrowed. Withdrawing the needle, she held up the container.

The blood was filled with white blobs, and it looked almost distiled in the fact that the stuff sticking to the sides was leaky and watery. "I'll go have this checked."

Red's jaw dropped. "Are those supposed to be in there?" he asked, pointing to the white substances.

Peprik looked uneasily at Purple, then hurried away. Red turned back to Purple, who was bent in half on the chair. "Looks like you picked something up."

"N...no...kidding..."

"But back to the more important stuff. The Crystalline guy-- Z...something...denied any knowledge of knowing about the Galactic Search."

"That's not possible," Purple countered. "We informed all of the conquered planets of the GS. Even the planets we haven't conquered--which are few-- have been informed."

"He obviously forgot. Of course, you didn't record it..."

Purple ignored him and watched his displayed heart pattern. "I couldn't be there...You have witnesses."

"You're right...but the Galactic Search is important. They're responsibility--"

"--I know, Red! Look, I'll wait until they give me a serum to halt this, then I'll help deal with it. 'Kay?" Purple's eyes dimmed.

Red half-closed his eyes. "Okay. As soon as Peprik comes back, get up to Treansmissions. I'll be waiting."

Purple raised his hand, then dropped it and looked the other way. Red turned around and glided towards the door. Purple was acting weird. Maybe the sickness had gotten to his head...Red paused as he passed the Testing Area. Peprik was consulting a fat, short doctor, holding the test sample of Purple's blood and gesturing towards the computer behind her. Her eyes were full of worry. Red's stomach dropped. As he turned to go, Peprik caught sight of him and raced towards the door. Red, ignoring her, continued on.

"My Tallest!"

"Yes, yes, very amusing," Red called back. "All hail us."

"Sir, I...have news." Peprik was rushing after him.

"I don't need to know. Just cure Purple and send him up."

Peprik stopped. "I would've thought you cared for Almighty Tallest Purple's well-being."

Red halted. "Can't he take care of himself?"

Peprik turned the test tube over and over. "Really?"

Red glared at her. "Are you implying anything?"

"Am I?"

"Don't get smart with me," he hissed, snatching the little doctor off of the ground. "Tell me what's wrong with him."

"Do you really need to know?"

Red's eye twitched. "Yes."

Peprik shuddered. "We...don't know what it is..."

Red dropped her. "So...you don't have a serum."

Peprik bit her lip.

"You don't, do you."

"...No. Not yet."

"Damn."

"But we still need to run a few more tests, sir. Then we can find out what it is and how to reverse the effects of it..."

"How quickly can you do that?"

Peprik shook her head. "It cannot be rushed, sir. First we need to identify it, then classify, then locate where in his system it is, then create a serum because we've never seen it before."

"Give me an estimate."

"Identification and classification: a week. Location: three days. Creation of a serum: unpredictable."

"Are you psychic?"

"No," Peprik examined Purple's blood sample. "I told you it takes time."

"Even with our advanced medical technology?"

"Affirmative, my Tallest."

Red folded his arms. "Could you at least show me how his blood reacts?"

"I guess so, sir." Peprik held the door open for his as he floated in. "But we can't tell what it is."

She inserted the cartridge into a metal box and ran her palm over a blue sphere. The screen that came up had a large view of the sample and three insets. She made a vertical slashing movement over the sphere, and the middle inset was brought up. It showed Purple's watery blood being sucked into the white blobs and spat back out, diluted and dimmer. "It looks like his blood's being changed."

"You're right. It also looks like his blood is becoming watery. Which means that his blood pressure would be dropping. But we have the blood pressure monitored, and it is normal."

Red's heart dropped. "Well, what is your solution?"

Peprik sighed. "We...we want to keep him in the Examination Tube. For further tests..."

"Waitaminnit, you're shoving him in a tube like he's waiting to be put on an autopsy table? You can't do that!"

"It's the only way!!" Peprik exploded, whirling around. "If that's the best for Purple, then I'll have to do it!"

"He is a leader! He rules with me! He can't do his part jammed in a freakin' test tube!"

"If you keep shielding him from our help, then there won't be any hope for recovery!"

Red closed his mouth.

"Do you think that--" Peprik gestured towards the screen, "--is something that can be shaken off?!"

"No," Red growled. "But he can beat it without being in a test tube."

"I doubt it."

"Never doubt a Tallest's word."

"I do."

Red scratched his antennae. Peprik kept pondering over the screen. "I don't think you should leave him, Red."

"Why? Do I have to hold his hand?"

Suddenly, an alarm began to wail over the intercom. "All Medical Personnel to the Medic Room C immediately. All Medical Personnel to the Medic Room C immediately."

Peprik's eyes filled with fear. As she rushed past him, she whispered back, "You have to hold on to his soul."

O.o Purple watched with pain-filled eyes as the preserving fluid splashed around his new hospital gown. Two electrodes were connected to his numb antennae, and every aspect of his nervous and respiratory systems were displayed on monitors all around the room. Needles stuck into him in so many places that his skin looked raw.

Doctors swarmed around the room, controlling the level of fluid flowing into the tube where he now half-floated, partially being held up by two wires coming out of his pak and connected to the outer computer.

A screen folded out in front of his view. A doctor was typing instructions to him. He would be able to breathe in this stuff, and once it was done filling he would be able to hear them without the use of monitors for communication.

He took a deep breath, which was cut off by a stab of pain. He looked around, then up at the observing area. Red was standing there, flanked by Peprik. Purple stared back up at Red's unforgiving eyes.

Purple raised his clawed hand and pressed his two fingers up to the glass.

O.o Insanity! Praise me!! Praise ME!!

Pur:...*glare*

Nne: Awww...poor Pur...