Rx

In Short

When two medics from Hospital Earth respond to a forbidden planetary emergency on Morua II, they find themselves held at gunpoint to cure an alien emperor dying of a mysterious plague. Trapped among suspicious native witch doctors who reject modern medicine, the doctors must navigate primitive rituals and bureaucratic laws. Using basic supportive care, an effective placebo performance, and patience, they pull the ruler through the illness. This earns them a coveted medical contract, proving that some remedies transcend interstellar boundaries.

The Story

Red Doctor Sam Jenkins and Green Doctor Wally Stone are relaxing aboard the General Practice Patrol ship Lancet when a crash-priority emergency call arrives from Morua II, a hostile Class VI planet. Five previous attempts to establish a medical contract with Morua II ended in violence, but patrol law demands immediate, unquestioning response to any distress call. The ship homes in on the dismal grey planet and is swiftly intercepted by eight fighter ships, which drop them onto the landing field. A dozen bearlike Moruans with heavy grey fur rush the vessel and haul the medics away at gunpoint.

A high-speed transit tunnel deposits them in a gilded hall leading to the seat of government. Their leader, Aguar, leads them past a glaring purple-hatted wizard named Kiz and into a dark, rank sickroom. On a central pallet lies the Lord High Emperor of All Morua—described as the Tenth Son of a Tenth Son who can never die—panting and groaning under a severe pox. Aguar demands that the earthmen cure him immediately or face execution. Jenkins examines the patient, finding a fast, thready pulse and loose, bagging skin, realizing the emperor is rapidly failing.

Back on the Lancet, Stone panics, warning that they lack a bio-survey and cannot risk introducing incompatible treatments. Jenkins, however, knows they must act to stay alive. They hastily gather basic data from local specimens and interrogate Kiz and his medical potentates. When Jenkins accuses Kiz of wanting the emperor to die so he can seize power, the wizard admits their spells and powders have failed against the resilient spirit of the pox. Jenkins strikes a bargain: he will demonstrate superior healing power if Morua II grants Hospital Earth a contract.

Returning to the royal chambers, Jenkins banishes the wailing mourners and removes the smoking death-braziers. To satisfy native expectations, he stages an elaborate ritual involving intravenous drips, boiling purple chemical flasks, a rubber tube administering white powder, and a rhythmic mortar-and-pestle tapped by Kiz. After hours of tense monitoring and frantic adjustments as the emperor's fever spikes and breaks, the patient finally begins snoring softly, cooled and stable. Jenkins smashes the mortar and declares the spirit defeated. As they leave, Jenkins secures the juiciest medical contract written in centuries. He explains to a stunned Stone that without a bio-survey, he relied on simple supportive therapy—sugar-water, aspirin, and the oldest healer of all: time.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Sam Jenkins and Wally Stone receive an impossible crash-priority emergency call from the hostile, primitive planet Morua II and immediately alter their course. The landing party Escorted by fighter ships, the Lancet is forcibly grounded, and armed bearlike Moruans hustle the medics through dark tunnels to the imperial palace. Meeting the emperor The guards present the doctors to the Lord High Emperor, a dying tenth son of a tenth son suffering from a severe, mysterious pox. Gathering data Under threat of execution, the medics scramble to examine native volunteers in their ship's lab while interrogating local wizards about the disease. The bargaining table Jenkins strikes a tactical deal with the chief wizard, Kiz, offering to drive out the pox in exchange for a formal Medical Service Contract. The ritual cure Jenkins sets up intravenous fluids, boiling chemical flasks, and a theatrical mortar-and-pestle routine to satisfy local superstitions while treating the fever. Victory and contract The emperor miraculously recovers under basic supportive care, allowing the doctors to claim a historic contract and depart victorious.

The People

Sam Jenkins is the resourceful Red Doctor who steers the ship into danger, thinks on his feet, and orchestrates the theatrical cure. He wants to keep his crew alive and secure a contract, but hostile guards and ignorant traditions stand in his way, leaving him triumphant and holding a historic agreement at the end.

Wally Stone is the cautious Green Doctor who questions their orders, worries about deadly biological incompatibilities, and doubts Jenkins's reckless plans. He wants to flee or file protests against impossible situations, but changing circumstances force him to support Jenkins, leaving him bewildered by the unorthodox success.

Aguar is the arrogant, gun-toting Moruan commander who herds the doctors into the city and threatens execution if they fail. He wants his emperor saved at all costs and distrusts outsiders, but ultimately bows to the success of the earthmen's methods.

Kiz is the suspicious purple-capped wizard who guards his magical trade and initially claims the pox cannot be beaten. He wants to maintain his power and see the outsiders fail, but he is manipulated into assisting Jenkins's theatrical treatment and ends up embracing the earth doctor's methods.

His Eminence is the Lord High Emperor of All Morua who lies incapacitated and dying in the palace. He wants relief from his agony, but his severe illness and traditional ignorance make him a helpless focal point for the political and medical struggle.

In Its Own Voice

Red Doctor Sam Jenkins took one look at the flashing blinker and slammed the controls into automatic; gyros hummed, bearings were computed and checked, and the General Practice Patrol ship Lancet spun in its tracks, so to speak, and began homing on the call-source like a hound on a fox.

This opening moment establishes the abrupt disruption of routine that launches the rescue mission.

At least a dozen Moruans poured into the control room--huge bearlike creatures with heavy grey fur ruffing out around their faces like thick hairy dog collars.

The aggressive arrival of the indigenous aliens sets an immediate tone of danger and physical intimidation.

"We call it Tincture of Time," he said.

Jenkins reflects on the timeless, non-technological foundation of true healing after securing the contract.

What It's Really About

The story explores the tension between advanced empirical science and deeply entrenched cultural superstition. It questions how a universal service organization can bridge the gap between civilizations operating at vastly different technological levels. Rather than relying solely on high-tech pharmacology, the narrative argues that effective medicine often depends on understanding human—or alien—psychology, patience, and the comforting rituals that patients expect. It satirizes bureaucratic duty while celebrating the pragmatism required to survive interstellar diplomacy.

Why Read It Today

Readers who love classic mid-century science fiction with a sharp, humorous edge will thoroughly enjoy this briskly paced tale. It feels like a clever medical procedural set against a colorful space-opera backdrop, capturing the snappy dialogue and resourceful ingenuity characteristic of classic pulp magazines. While modern readers might notice the swift, frictionless resolution of complex interstellar politics and period tropes regarding primitive societies, the brisk storytelling keeps the momentum moving. What stays with you is the wry realization that even among alien empires and mystical witch doctors, the most powerful medical tool is sometimes just basic care and waiting it out.