'They went where?' Veronica would have raced out if Assai hadn't been
holding on to her arm.
'They've left to get Ned,' Assai tried to placate her and steered her to the chair. Veronica sat down reluctantly, before she jumped up again.
'They went off without me?' her tone hardened.
'They had to. You were asleep, and they couldn't afford to waste any more time.'
'They didn't bother waking me up, did they?'
Assai grimaced. 'You know you're in no condition to go with them.'
Veronica was about to retort when she heard a shout from outside the tent that sounded very familiar.
'Marguerite?' She was out of the tent in a flash.
'Marguerite!' she yelled again.
'Veronica,' the dark haired woman pushed through the throng of villagers before she got to her friend. Veronica saw Challenger and Roxton coming up behind her, a stretcher between them. She felt a hand grip her shoulder.
'He's going to be alright, George will know what to do,' Marguerite told her, trying to reassure herself too in the process.
Veronica was too shocked to register her words. She watched as the men carried the stretcher into the tent, their eyes fixed on the ground before them. They wouldn't meet her eyes, but even if they had tried, they would realize that her whole attention was riveted on Malone.
The two women entered the tent, neither willing to say a word to anyone in the room. Challenger and Roxton had lifted Malone onto the bed and were taking this opportunity to have a better look at his wounds. Challenger examined him with professional precision, his voice taking on a lecturer's monotone. When Assai brought the Zanga's medical supplies, Challenger set to work, Roxton hovering around to see if he could help in any way.
'Challenger,' Roxton bent down and examined Malone's left arm. 'Does this look like a puncture wound to you?'
'It is a needle-mark.' Realization dawned upon him. 'They must have injected a hallucinogenic of some sort, that would explain his fever and his confusion.'
Suddenly, Malone stirred. Veronica immediately reached out to him, but was stopped by Challenger.
'His hallucinations might cause him to act irrationally, we shouldn't provoke him.'
Malone came to rather quickly. His teeth were clenched and his breathing strained. Then, he rolled onto the floor and started to retch, though nothing came up. Roxton quickly supported him.
'I should have thought of the side-effects before using chloroform,' Challenger wanted to kick himself. He could only watch as Malone's body was wracked with dry heaves.
After what seemed like eternity, the retching stopped. Roxton gathered the young man in his arms and lay him down on the bed. Malone did not violently resist like the last time, but once he was on the bed, he drew back into the far corner, curling up against the wall, his arms held protectively over his head.
'What's wrong with him?' Veronica asked.
'He doesn't recognize us,' Roxton stepped away from the bed, not wanting to cause further panic.
'He's momentarily lost the ability to discern who's who. His confusion, anxiety and paranoia may be the side-effects of the hallucinogen.'
With that, Challenger abruptly stood up and left the tent.
'They've left to get Ned,' Assai tried to placate her and steered her to the chair. Veronica sat down reluctantly, before she jumped up again.
'They went off without me?' her tone hardened.
'They had to. You were asleep, and they couldn't afford to waste any more time.'
'They didn't bother waking me up, did they?'
Assai grimaced. 'You know you're in no condition to go with them.'
Veronica was about to retort when she heard a shout from outside the tent that sounded very familiar.
'Marguerite?' She was out of the tent in a flash.
'Marguerite!' she yelled again.
'Veronica,' the dark haired woman pushed through the throng of villagers before she got to her friend. Veronica saw Challenger and Roxton coming up behind her, a stretcher between them. She felt a hand grip her shoulder.
'He's going to be alright, George will know what to do,' Marguerite told her, trying to reassure herself too in the process.
Veronica was too shocked to register her words. She watched as the men carried the stretcher into the tent, their eyes fixed on the ground before them. They wouldn't meet her eyes, but even if they had tried, they would realize that her whole attention was riveted on Malone.
The two women entered the tent, neither willing to say a word to anyone in the room. Challenger and Roxton had lifted Malone onto the bed and were taking this opportunity to have a better look at his wounds. Challenger examined him with professional precision, his voice taking on a lecturer's monotone. When Assai brought the Zanga's medical supplies, Challenger set to work, Roxton hovering around to see if he could help in any way.
'Challenger,' Roxton bent down and examined Malone's left arm. 'Does this look like a puncture wound to you?'
'It is a needle-mark.' Realization dawned upon him. 'They must have injected a hallucinogenic of some sort, that would explain his fever and his confusion.'
Suddenly, Malone stirred. Veronica immediately reached out to him, but was stopped by Challenger.
'His hallucinations might cause him to act irrationally, we shouldn't provoke him.'
Malone came to rather quickly. His teeth were clenched and his breathing strained. Then, he rolled onto the floor and started to retch, though nothing came up. Roxton quickly supported him.
'I should have thought of the side-effects before using chloroform,' Challenger wanted to kick himself. He could only watch as Malone's body was wracked with dry heaves.
After what seemed like eternity, the retching stopped. Roxton gathered the young man in his arms and lay him down on the bed. Malone did not violently resist like the last time, but once he was on the bed, he drew back into the far corner, curling up against the wall, his arms held protectively over his head.
'What's wrong with him?' Veronica asked.
'He doesn't recognize us,' Roxton stepped away from the bed, not wanting to cause further panic.
'He's momentarily lost the ability to discern who's who. His confusion, anxiety and paranoia may be the side-effects of the hallucinogen.'
With that, Challenger abruptly stood up and left the tent.