By: Kristen Jones <rkjones@ipass.net>
Red Alert
“Red alert!” Ben Sisko screamed at the people in Ops. “O’Brien, get those
shields back up, now. We can’t take anymore of a beating.”
“Aye, sir,” Miles O’Brien said, with pain lacing his voice. An exploding console
had left him with second degree burns on his face, as well as one useless arm at the
moment.
“Where the hell is Bashir?” Sisko questioned. “Somebody find a medic for these
people!”
Miles sighed and thought back to how it had all happened.
Everyone had been in Quark’s taking a well deserved break from the day’s work.
All, that is, except Julian Bashir. He had been stuck in the infirmary treating an outbreak
of Andarian flu among the Bolian people. He finally staggered into the bar and plopped
down in a seat about ten p.m.
“Oh, gods, why does this always happen to me?” he moaned, head in hands.
“What do you mean?” Jadzia had asked.
“Do you want to know what I’ve had to put up with today? A hysterical mother
and a kid with a fractured arm, a pregnant woman going into false labor, two engineering
workers falling off the Promenade rail in a drunk stupor, plus I’ve had to treat all these
cases of Andarian flu and I’m very quickly running out of compatible medicine for the
Bolians.” He sighed and put his head in his arms.
Jadzia looked at him in sympathy. “What you need is a stiff drink.
Unfortunately, you’re a doctor so no can do. But I’ll buy you a synthale anyway.” He
looked at her gratefully.
“Miles, come on. We’ve got to get to Ops,” she said after awhile.
“All right. See you, Julian.” Julian smiled tiredly and stood up to go back to the
infirmary. It was at that moment that they were attacked.
“What the-?” Miles wondered and stood up, racing to ops with Jadzia. “Sir,
what’s wrong?” he yelled when he reached Sisko.
“The Klingons have hit us. They decloaked off port side of upper pylon three.
Then they hit us. Miles, I want you to get to the console and see if you can get us some
more power to the shields. Dax, start helping Kira get those weapons back on line.
Bashir-where is Doctor Bashir?” They all looked around, but he was not there.
“He must be in the infirmary,” Miles said. “Julian, can you hear me? Julian,
where are you? Computer, locate Doctor Bashir.”
“Doctor Bashir is in the infirmary.”
“Dax, you get a team to find him. There are going to be dead people here soon if
we don’t have a doctor here,” Sisko commanded.
“Aye, sir. Rogers, Johnson, Smith, you’re with me.” They raced out of ops in the
direction of the turbolift. “Promenade,” she commanded.
Miles sighed and worked at getting the weapons systems back online. The blast
from the console had given him the burns that were making every movement feel like
agony.
“O’Brien, how are you coming along?” Sisko asked, his voice strained.
“Just a few more seconds, sir.” He punched the last command in. “There, do it!
It’s up!”
The commbadge chirped. “Benjamin, we can’t find Julian. His communicator’s
here, but he’s not.”
“What happened?” Sisko asked.
“We’re assuming when the Klingons boarded, they must have taken him. The
nurses and several patients are gone as well.”
“Well, dammit, don’t just stand there. Find them!” He slammed his hand down
on the table. “O’Brien, get your people up here. You’ve just become nurses.”
Miles sighed. This was not something he wanted to be doing right now. “But sir,
I’m the only person here who can keep these weapons system online. I can get my
people here, but otherwise, the weapons will fail and the station will be taken over.”
“All right! Just do something.”
Julian Bashir awoke with a blistering headache. At first, all he could see were
fuzzy images. Then he recognized Nurse Jabara kneeling down beside him.
“Doctor, are you all right?”
“I think so. What happened?”
“We were attacked by the Klingons. You and the rest of us managed to get some
of the people out of the infirmary when the computer exploded. We’re in Quark’s right
now.”
“Well, what am I doing lying on the floor, for goodness sake?” He cried.
“One of the ensigns panicked and when you tried to calm him down, he hit you
over the head with a flask of Earth brandy.”
Julian smiled at this and then winced. “Where is everyone else?”
“They’re all trying to fight off the Klingon attack. Sisko’s been screaming for
you for awhile now.”
“Oh, well I’d better-hey! Where’s my combadge?”
“You must have dropped on the way out of the infirmary,” Jabara replied.
“Julian!” came a relieved call from the doorway. Julian looked over and saw
Jadzia standing there with a couple of engineering technicians from ops.
“I’m fine, Jadzia, just a sore head. Where is everyone, anyway?”
“Either in ops or in surrounding parts of the station. Benjamin needs you up there
right away. They’ve got the engineering crew on skeleton detail to try to fix everything
before the next attack.”
“Next attack? You mean they’ve stopped?”
“Yes, we succeeded in driving them away from the station to regroup. Starfleet
reinforcements should arrive in a few hours.”
They raced to ops with Nurse Jabara on their heels.
“Bashir, where have you been?” Sisko yelled as the turbolift stopped and they
entered ops.
“It’s a long story, sir, one we really don’t have time for at the present.” He
replied.
“All right, just start treating some of these people,” Sisko said, voice softening.
Bashir nodded, and went over to Miles. “Hello, what have we here?” he
muttered.
“Stop it, Julian, just fix my arm,” he snapped.
“Well, if you’re going to be that way about it,” he stood and started to walk off.
“All right! I’m sorry, now will you please fix my arm so I can do my job?” Miles
cried.
“Sure,” he replied and the job was done in a matter of minutes.
O’Brien stood and walked over to the console. “The Klingons are headed around
to the starboard side of the habitat ring. They’re going to try to take out the weapons
array from their point.” He looked at Sisko.
“All right, we need someone to be there when the weapons go down to manually
restart them.” O’Brien started to answer but was stopped by Sisko. “I need you here,
Chief.”
Julian jumped up and started toward the turbolift. Sisko caught his arm as he ran
by. “Sir,” he whispered, “if I’m going to die today, at least let me die feeling like I did
something to help.” He said nothing more, only waited.
Sisko stared into his eyes. From experience, he knew when a man was serious or
when he wanted glory. Bashir, he decided, just wanted to help. “All right. But don’t get
killed. We need you here. Take Jadzia along with you to restart the weapons. It takes
two people.”
Jadzia nodded, and she and Julian turned and ran out of ops. Sisko sighed and
turned his attention back to the main view screen, bracing for the attack. When it came,
he was flung to the side and everything went black.
Bashir and Dax were running along the habitat ring, desperately trying to beat the
Klingons to the weapons array. They didn’t make it. Julian was flung against a wall and
lay there stunned. Jadzia managed to keep her footing when thrown beside him.
“Julian, are you all right?” came the voice through fuzzy thoughts. He groaned.
“I think so. We have to get to the weapons array.” He started to get up and
gasped as a horrific pain ripped through his side.
Jadzia pushed him back. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re probably bleeding
internally with broken ribs.”
“It doesn’t matter. We have to do this or we’ll all die here.”
Jadzia looked at him. She finally nodded and helped him up. They hurried as
fast as they could and reached the weapons array.
“On three,” Julian said. “One, two, three!”
They heaved and pushed the flat paneling off the wall area that housed the central
weapons fixtures. “All right, we need to, um, realign the phasers and push this chord to
connect with the torpedoes.” Jadzia nodded and this was accomplished in very short
order.
“Benjamin,” she called through her combadge. There was no answer. “Chief
O’Brien.” No answer again, either. She looked at Bashir. They both raced to the
turbolift to ops.
“Oh my-,” Julian muttered when they were able to survey the damage. He ran
over to Sisko. “He’s breathing, but he’s definitely got a concussion and possible brain
hemorhaging,” he muttered.
Jadzia ran over to Miles. “He’s alive, just unconscious from what I can tell.”
They hurridly check out everyone in ops, relieved to find only a few fatalities and
relatively minor injuries. A beeping system caused Jadzia to run over to the
communications console. “They’re hailing us. Patching it through.”
Bashir and Dax turned to the main viewscreen. Gowron’s face appeared in front
of them. “Ah, so I see we have accomplished our mission.”
Julian spoke up. “What would you like us to do? I’m sure we all want this to end
as peacefully as possible.”
“Ah, now you are blunt about these things, aren’t you, human. No beating around
the bush I see. All right, I will tell you. What we want is for Federation forces to move
out of newly acquired Klingon territory. We want you to clear out within the next ten
days or you will all be destroyed.”
“Let me talk to my superiors on Ritlik 7. We may be able to nego-,” he began.
“NO Negotiations! Anyway, your superiors on Ritlik 7 have all been destroyed.”
Bashir paled visibly and started. Gowron smiled at this, an evil, cunning smile that made
you hate him immediately. It reminded Bashir of how much he hated the Klingons.
“What if we can negotiate some sort of exchange or extended time limit? The
Starfleet command will need time to organize transports in this part of space.”
Gowron thought. Even he knew that Bashir was right. It would take several more
days than he had originally thought to evacuate all people from DS9 and surrounding
stations. Also, he being an honorable man, he was not willing to kill these people for
being willing to comply. He nodded. “Done. You and another crew member will meet
me on my ship in six hours. Six hours. Do not be late.” He cut the transmission.
“Why did he ask for you?” Jadzia questioned.
“Well, as you know, my father was a diplomat. It’s not written in history, but
there was a period of about a year when my father was about thirty five or so and I was
eight, when the Klingon peace treaty with the Federation got a little-strained. He was
the lead negotiator of the revised treaty. You learn to remember things like that. I
suppose Gowron knew of my diplomatic training. That’s why he chose me.”
Jadzia looked at him. “Well, have you noticed that you have blood running down
your face? That’s why I asked why he chose you. You look terrible.”
He felt along his cheeks until he came to the source of the cut. “Huh, must have
hit my head when I fell.” He started back to the turbolift and winced. “Guess I forgot
about those ribs, too.”
Jadzia nodded and took him by the arm. He leaned heavily on her as they made
their way to the infirmary. As they walked, she couldn’t help but be aware of his
presence. He smelled good, like a mild cologne, not too heavy. She breathed it in and
resisted the urge to run her fingers through his thick dark hair. Suddenly, she was
mortified. What are you thinking? He’s a human, you’re a Trill. Stop it!, the symbiont
hissed in her mind. She closed her eyes and kept walking.
They finally reached the infirmary. She lead Julian to a bed and made him lie
down. “I’m going to run a tricorder over you,” she said. He nodded. His injuries aren’t
that bad, she realized.
“Okay, I’m going to give you a bone regenerator pill,” she said. Julian opened his
mouth and took the pill. She helped him to sit up. “All right, now stand up. We have
work to do.”
He swung his legs over the bed and she helped him off. As he stepped down, he
stumbled and fell into her arms. They stood there like that, Julian wrapped in her
embrace, for almost a full minute until he finally coughed and backed off.
“Well, let’s see what we have to do with Starfleet to prepare this,” and strode off.
She stood still, her mind in a turmoil. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She was
a joined Trill. She couldn’t have feelings for a non joined, especially a human. But she
did and it scared her. “I’ll just have to keep my distance while we’re on the ship,” she
decided.
Julian and Jadzia walked toward the runabout docked in the shuttle bay.
“Jadzia,” he said, “There’s something we need to discuss.” He paused, looking at
here face and continued. “I’m prepared to offer the Klingons honorable combat to take
back the station.”
Jadzia stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him. “Are you insane?! You
can’t fight Klingons. And if you could, these aren’t simulations, Julian. You could get
killed.”
Julian grinned and asked, “What do you think I do in the holosuites with the
safeties off all the time?” and left it at that.
She looked at him incredulously then shook her head and walked on. “I just hope
you know what you’re doing.” She couldn’t quell the sudden fear that had arisen in her
mind. “He can’t die,” she thought. “This shouldn’t be happening. It’s not like him to do
something this bold. I’ll try to stop him.”
“Julian,” she said as they sat down in the runabout. “Why don’t you just go home
and let someone else handle the negotiations? I mean if DS9 were lost, you’d have
someplace to go.”
He looked at her and said quietly, “Deep Space Nine is my home, Jadzia. I left
my parents when I was fifteen. I can’t go back to Earth. That’s why I’m doing this. My
entire life was nearly destroyed once and I’m not going to let that happen again.” He
hadn’t told her about the genetic enhancement. Sisko had vowed to keep it quiet and he
wasn’t about to say anything that would jeopardize it now.
She looked at him. “What did Starfleet say?”
“Do whatever you have to just don’t lose that station.”
“Does that include killing the highest respected member of the Klingon high
counsel?”
“It includes everything.” They walked on in silence until they reached the
runabout Rio Grande. Julian stowed his gear in the back and reached to take Jadzia’s
belongings. Their hands met and an electric charge went through him. He looked into
her eyes and quickly turned away. “Well, let’s head out,” he said brightly.
She turned her head downward for a moment, willing herself not to cry. She
hadn’t felt this way about anyone for a long time. She took a deep breath and followed
him into the heart of the small ship.
“Ah, so I see you have brought your pretty little Trill friend along, Doctor,”
Gowron sneered as they boarded the Rak’Tah, Gowron’s ship.
“Yes. Now, where can we begin negotiations?” he asked brightly, being careful
not to step over the bounds of protocol.
“Right this way, Doctor.” They entered a formal room, obviously Gowron’s
personal ready room on the ship. Three other Klingons were seated and so was a
translator for those without communicators.
Bashir and Dax sat down beside each other. Julian paid no attention to Jadzia but
instead focused on each member around him. “Well, old boy, if there’s one thing dad
taught you it was keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer,” he muttered to
himself. He surveyed each member of the Klingon high counsel seated before him as
each was introduced.
Ma’Tok was a large brute of a man, darker skinned than most with a cold gleam
in his eye. K’Kas was a bit smaller but no less thin. When Bashir looked at him, he
grinned evilly. Finally, there was She’tek. Of the three, he frightened Bashir. There was
nothing in his eyes but blood lust and Bashir knew that if he ever had a chance to kill
him, he would.
Jadzia looked at him. “Well, we’re here, now what do you suggest?”
“First, we’re going to reason an evacuation limit. Then I’ll give him my
proposal.”
Gowron looked at him. “Well, Doctor, it seems as though we have some
important business to discuss. Let’s start. I’m prepared to allow fifteen days for an
evacuation of the station and I-”
“That’s not good enough,” Julian interrupted. “We need at least twenty three
before Starfleet can send enough ships to the area to pull out all forces in the system.”
He waited. This was only a buy for time. The station could be evacuated within eighteen
days. He just needed time.
Gowron scowled. “Seventeen.”
“Twenty two.”
“Eighteen.”
“Twenty one.”
“Well, we’ll haggle at this one until it reaches twenty. I will agree to give you
that.” Julian nodded. “All right, then, get off my ship before I-”
Again, Julian interrupted. “I have a proposal for you, Gowron. What if you gave
me the chance to win the station back in honorable combat? Would you leave the station
and the system?”
“No, human, that is unacceptable.”
“Are you afraid to challenge me, Gowron? Now, I don’t think you with your
distinguished war record would be afraid to challenge a human half your size?”
Gowron seethed with anger. Now he would have to fight the human. His honor
depended on it. “Yes, but let me choose a fighter for me. I am older now, and not in as
good of shape as I used to be.” Bashir nodded. “I choose She’tek to fight for me.”
Jadzia gasped and pulled Julian closer to her. “Not even I could fight that,” she
whispered to him.
He pulled back. “We don’t have a choice.”
Jadzia looked at him and sighed. She figured now was the chance to tell him how
she felt. “I may never see him alive again,” she thought.
They walked onto a circular ring in the center of the ship. Jadzia opened her
mouth to start talking, but Gowron lifted his voice over hers and began to speak.
“A fight to the death,” he said. That was all. The Klingons began to yell
enthusiastically and stomped their feet. He turned to Bashir. “Your weapon of choice,”
and threw off a blue curtain covering a table of Klingon Bat’leths.
Julian paused, his eyes searching for which to fight with. Then he smiled and
walked over to the duffel bag he had brought with him onboard ship. He reached in and
pulled out a long, beautiful English broadsword. “I prefer my own weapon,” he
answered, turning the hilt in his hand.
Jadzia gawked. “How did you get that?” she asked him.
“One of my ancestors fought in one of the crusades for King Richard of England.
It’s been in my family ever since.”
“He must have been a noble to carry a sword like that around.”
Indeed, it was a beautiful sword. The hilt was of pure gold and ornately carved to
resemble a cross. The blade itself was most remarkable, though. “That’s emerald,”
Jadzia muttered, studying it. A long streak of emerald stone was set in the center of the
blade, giving it an ethereal quality.
“Yes,” Julian said, “Thomas of Gaston had this crafted for his son, the crusader.
His name was Daniel, and he died fighting. A loyal friend, however, returned it to the
family because the body couldn’t be recovered.”
“Get on with it!” Gowron yelled, quickly becoming impatient.
Julian nodded and proceeded to swing the sword around, testing the weight,
getting a feel for it. He hadn’t used it in a long time. It felt good.
“On my mark, you will enter the ring. When my hand falls, you will begin,”
Gowron said, eyeing Julian with hate. He nodded. “Good. Then on my mark…Go!”
Julian and She’tek entered the ring, circling each other. The Klingon had put on a
ceremonial fighting outfit while Julian had taken off the top of his tunic for freedom of
movement.
“Julian wait!” Jadzia cried and he backed out of the ring. She ran up to him and
threw her arms around his neck. “Don’t you dare die on me out there, lieutenant, that’s
an order.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he whispered and without warning, gave her a long kiss. She
stood back gasping. “What was that for?”
“I’ll tell you later.” He turned to Gowron and nodded.
“Let the match begin!” he yelled to the crowd.
Julian and She’tek circled each other warily, each studying the other, hoping to
find a weakness. Without warning, She’tek charged. “Die!” he snarled at Bashir.
Julian counterd the blow with a parry from the sword. “All right, old boy, what
did he say about these situations? Ah, yes, attack!” He thought to himself and did exactly
what the advice suggested. He ran toward the Klingon, attempting to thrust the sword at
him, but at the last minute, he twisted the blade around and connected with She’tek’s
arm.
“A mortally wounded animal can still fight, so disarm him before he can.” Julian
remembered a wise friend saying that to him as a boy of eight. The blade sliced through
the Klingon’s arm, cutting to the bone. She’tek went down long enough for Bashir to
connect with his head by means of the hilt of the sword.
She’tek howled, “I will see you dead, human!” and launched himself at Julian.
He had only the power of one arm, but it was enough. The two exchanged blow after
blow, neither gaining the upper hand until She’tek used his bat’leth to slam it into
Julian’s side, leaving a long, bloody trail.
Julian went down, never crying out. In that split second, She’tek swung the
Klingon sword down, but a last ditch effort by Bashir sent the sword away from its mark,
hurtling back and away. He staggered to his feet, threw his sword down, and charged.
The Klingon and the human collided in the center ring, each fighting for his life.
Bloody noses, bruised and broken cheekbones, and smashed ribs were sustained by both.
Finally, though, Julian sent one last hard punch that forced She’tek out of the ring and
into an unconscious heap on the floor.
He staggered over to Gowron. “Sir, with your permission, I will take my ship and
reclaim DS9 from the Klingon Empire. By your own words, you have promised this.”
Gowron could not deny it. He turned his head toward an advisor and barked
something in his own language. “The next time, Doctor, you will not live through the
experience,” he hissed at Julian.
“Until then,” he replied. He picked up the sword and he and Jadzia walked
slowly back to the runabout. She did now know it, but it was only stubborn pride that
was keeping him on his feet.
“Julian,” she said, “That was probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen a man do
in my life.” She paused, and then hurried on, “But also the bravest.”
He nodded, his eyes closing. They were seated quickly on the runabout and
Jadzia pulled them away from the ship and toward home. “Julian, how did you know
that he would take your offer-Julian? Julian? Computer, open a channel to the Station.”
She paused, looking at the officer slumped over in his seat.
“Yes, Dax, what is it?” Sisko inquired when he answered.
“Benjamin, Julian’s injured. Have a medical team meet us at docking bay 5 when
we arrive.” He nodded and cut communication.
“Come on, Julian, just hang on,” she muttered as she quickly turned the runabout
toward the docking ring. “Just hold on.”
“How is he?” Jadzia asked quietly to one of the nurses as she came out of the
operating room.
“Alive. When he took that hit to the ribs, three were broken, one of which
punctured his left lung. It collapsed completely and filled with fluid during surgery.
He’s on a respirator right now. He also has a severe concussion. Where the bat’leth hit
him, it sliced open part of his intestine, releasing the bacteria inside. He has a severe
infection from it in almost every area of his body.” She looked at Jadzia. “Even the
Federation doesn’t have the kind of medicine that would save his life.”
“Who does?” Jadzia asked, hoping, praying that they could find the people and
negotiate a trade.
“No one does. Right now, it’s up to him. But if he doesn’t wake up in a few days
from the coma, he never will. I’m sorry.” The nurse turned and walked away, leaving
room for Nurse Jabara to come over.
“Jadzia, I’m sorry. If it’s any comfort at all, he won’t suffer.” She knew it
wouldn’t help her feel any better, but it might console her a little.
“Thank you,” she whispered, and without another word, turned on her heel and
fled from the room.
How did I ever end up like this? Jadzia wondered as she walked along the
Promenade. Suddenly, she found herself at Quark’s Bar. She sighed. This was his
favorite hangout. I hope the Chief’s not taking it too badly.
She walked in and saw him, idly throwing a round of darts by himself. When she
got closer, she saw the tears in his eyes.
“Hi, Chief,” she said quietly.
“Hi, Dax,” he replied. “Say, do you know how Julian’s doing?” The question was
asked eagerly, as if hoping against all hope that he would be okay.
“Not well. The nurse said if he doesn’t wake up soon, he won’t wake up at all.”
Suddenly, she burst into tears and O’Brien hugged her close.
“There, there. It’ll all turn out fine. Julian Bashir is not a quitter. He won’t give
up on himself.”
I just wish I could believe you, she thought.
Julian Bashir turned around. The last thing he remembered was being in the
runabout with Jadzia. “Where am I?” he wondered.
“Here,” came a voice out of the blue.
“That doesn’t answer my question,” he blurted out.
“It doesn’t have to,” a voice said to his left.
He turned around and there stood a girl of about thirteen standing and looking at
him. She saw him and smiled. Then she spoke up. “You know the place when you’re
half awake, and you can just remember the dream you just had?” He nodded. “That’s
Here. You’re in a coma, Dr. Bashir.”
“So I’m here to make a choice,” he said slowly, the simple logic not escaping
him.
She nodded. “You have little time, Dr. Bashir. It is very simple. You must
choose to live, or you must choose to leave life. A decision must be made. If not, then
you will spend all eternity wandering as a lost soul with no place to go.”
He turned his head sharply toward her at this, but she only looked at him. Odd,
he thought, she almost makes it seem peaceful. He shook his head. “Why should I
choose to go back? I’m practically dead, aren’t I?”
“Normally, we don’t give people this choice. In your case, however, you have
been. You are not a quitter, Julian Bashir. Because of this, you may decide.”
“What should I call you? You obviously know all about me.”
“Call me what you will, only do not spend time thinking about it. We have work
to do.”
“What kind of work, Diana?” The name was thought of in short work; it was his
mother’s middle name.
“Why, examining your life, my good doctor. What else?”
“What good will that do?”
She paused. “It will help you to see why you have a second chance at life, Julian
Bashir.”
“I’ll look after him for awhile. Get some rest,” Jadzia told O’Brien. They had
been trading off looking after Julian for two days now. They were his only close friends;
they felt that they should be with him in his moment of need.
The Chief nodded. “Thanks. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
Jadzia quietly slipped into the vacated seat. She took hold of Julian’s limp right
hand. “Julian,” she began, “Julian, I know you probably can’t hear me, but let me talk.”
She drew in a quick breath, forcing herself not to cry. “There’s no easy way to say this,
so I’ll come right out with it.” She put her mouth close to his ear. “I love you.”
Julian looked at Diana. “What are you, exactly?”
“Why do you ask? As I said, we have more important things to do than this,” she
replied.
“Yes, I understand that. I also know what you aren’t. You’re not alive, you’re
not dead, you’re not an entity or anomaly, so what, then, are you?”
She sighed. “Your human mind, advanced as it is, will not be able to comprehend
what I am so I will tell you what I represent.” She paused, then continued. “I represent
Time itself.” She turned and looked at him, waiting for his reaction.
One eyebrow lifted slightly, as he took in her words. “I had always heard that
Time was an old man, constantly circling, taking his victims.”
“What you heard is so far from the truth, I think I should laugh. Time is forever
and so therefore ageless. Time is young, yet untouched by anything in the universe and
beyond. I am the perfect representation for what you call Time. Your wormhole beings
are like me. Neither is linear. We cannot exist as mortals do. We are older and more
than the Q, though they come closest to our level.”
He nodded, satisfied with the answer, though not fully understanding it. “All
right, I get it. Now we can finish whatever it is we need to do.”
She finally smiled at him. “That’s the spirit. Come on, let’s go.” She took his
hand and led him into the deepening mist that surrounded them.
Jadzia Dax sighed, and silently prayed about how to approach this assignment.
She was in charge of writing Julian’s parents to tell them what had happened. Julian had
especially requested that if such circumstances ever occurred, that his parents would hear
about it through letter, not through a subspace channel. He said he didn’t want them
around to cry when it was his time to go.
Ambassador Bashir,
Your son has been gravely injured following an attack by the Klingons. He
requested that you be contacted by letter in this case. He protected this part of space and
so fell doing his duty. He kept the station and the Bajoran system from Klingon forces.
He is receiving a special commondation as well as his promotion to Lieutenant
Commander. In the event of his death before this reaches you, you will be notified by
Captain Sisko.
Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax
“Why do I have to be the one to do this?” she questioned herself. There was no
answer. Suddenly, her door chime sounded. “Enter,” she said.
The doors whooshed open to reveal Chief O’Brien. “Hello, Dax.” He paused,
looking uncomfortable. “There’s something we have to do.”
“He named us the executors of his will,” O’Brien explained.
Jadzia nodded. She and O’Brien had been the witness to the will. It had been a
long time since she had signed it; almost five years. It had probably been updated since.
O’Brien escorted her to Julian’s quarters and showed her in. They walked over to
a small wall panel beside a chair in his bedroom. Jadzia quickly opened it, revealing the
PADD that contained the information.
“We’d better read it first,” he said quietly.
She nodded and began reading the one thing she hoped she’d never have to.
I, Julian Bashir, being of sound mind and body, do hereby write my last will and
testament. For my family, there being only my father and mother, I give to them all
childhood belongings save the small bear, Kuchalachara.
To Chief Miles O’Brien, I give the English broadsword of my family.
To Major Kira Nerys, I give the small, handcrafted Bajoran earring made from
melanite.
Captain Sisko shall receive the small dagger in the wall panel given to me by
Curzon Dax.
Jadzia stopped reading. “I have no idea,” she said to Miles, and they continued
reading.
Finally, to Jadiza Dax, I give the teddy bear, Persian rug, and all my love and
thanks for what she has given me in my life.
Julian Bashir
Miles O’Brien, witness
Jadzia Dax, witness
When she finished reading, Jadzia realized she was crying. “I don’t know what
he meant, Chief,” she sobbed onto his shoulder.
“Don’t worry. Didn’t I say that Julian isn’t a quitter?”
She nodded. I just wish I could believe you now, Miles.
“Do you recognize this place?” Diana asked him.
“Yes,” Julian breathed and stared around him. A birthday party, no doubt for
him.
“Can they see us?”
“No, as I said, this is why you have been given your chance. This is but a
memory, a distant element from your past.”
He turned back and saw himself as a six year old boy, surrounded by friends. He
realized that it was before the enhancement.
“I’d forgotten this,” he said.
“I know. Julian, you need to remember your life before and after that time.
Look, there you are in the races. You tried so hard and still lost.”
He nodded as the scene changed to one from his school, a field day event. He had
pushed himself to the limit then, and had come in a distant third.
“I remember being dejected, but not really hurt,” he muttered. “Why?”
“Because you were too young to know why you didn’t win.”
The scenes changed again, this time to a hospital. Julian looked on at the
proceedings with pain in his eyes, reliving the experience.
“Mommy, mommy, what’s wrong, where am I going?” his young counterpart
cried, lying on a stretcher.
“Shh, Julian, it will be all right, just lie still until you’re better,” came his
mother’s voice.
“It wasn’t fair,” the older Julian said. “Why did they do that to me?”
“I don’t know,” Diana answered truthfully. As I said, I am only a representation
of Time. You thought me up. I don’t know what you don’t know. I am your mind
reliving your life for you.”
They went forward to more of the genetic treatments. Finally, Julian couldn’t
stand it any longer. “Please,” he whispered, and suddenly, they were standing on a lawn
area.
“I graduated from this high school before I went to the academy,” he
remembered, happier memories gradually coming around.
Diana cocked her head. “These were the best times of your life, Julian. You
often forget that, don’t you?”
He nodded, watching as he said his valedictorian speech in front of his classmates
and parents. “This was one of the greatest times of my life.”
“Yet you struggled so much for this, Julian. Why?” She wasn’t stupid; he would
have to remember this on his own.
“I was too smart for the others. I put up with ridicule all those years.”
“And look where it got you. You’re a starfleet lieutenant, a doctor, a listener, and
a friend.” She paused. “You also have someone who loves you just as much as you love
her.”
Miles O’Brien walked to the infirmary with Jadzia. Julian still hadn’t recovered
from the coma, and they were beginning to give up all hope for him.
“If he doesn’t come around in the next day, we’ll have to take him off life
support,” Nurse Jabara said to them. “It’s going to take a miracle for him to come out of
it.”
“But Julian himself has worked miracles, Jabara,” Miles said. “There’s still a
chance, right?”
“Yes, a slim one. He’s got about a 20% chance of coming out of it.
Unfortunately, that number decreases every hour he’s in the coma.”
Jadzia didn’t listen. She walked over to Julian and sat beside him. “Can I have
some time please?” She didn’t have to turn around to know that Miles and Jabara had
left.
“Julian,” she whispered, “I need to finish this. I know you probably can’t hear
me, but I have to chance this. Ever since I first saw you, I knew you were special. Not as
Curzon, because I don’t remember you then. But I know that I do love you. I love your
looks, your personality, your charm, your grace, and I even love the way you kept chasing
after me when I first came on board. So, Julian, I have to ask one favor of you.” She
mentally checked herself and continued. “Julian, this is not an order. As a friend, all I
ask of you is to do this.” She realized she was crying and hurried up. “Please wake up.”
Julian found himself staring at himself graduating from Starfleet Academy. He
saw the respect of his classmates and his parents as they all looked at him receive his
diploma.
“Why did you miss that question on your exam, Julian?” Diana asked.
“You’re my mind, you tell me.”
“You never answered that question in life. Why not now, while you still have that
chance.”
He looked at her and realized that she was right. He thought for a minute. Of all
the times he was glad he’d done something, he was glad he had missed that question.
“The pressure,” he said and Diana nodded. “Everyone expected me to graduate first. My
family was planning my graduation celebration, the professors were lining up to give me
recommendations for stations, hospitals, etc., and Palis’ father was all ready to make me
his son in law. I couldn’t stand it. I messed up on purpose.” There, it was out. For some
reason, he didn’t care, either.
“But you didn’t quit from the pressure, did you? Why not?”
“Because I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to help people. I just didn’t want to
graduate first in my class.”
Diana nodded, and the scene disappeared, revealing next the station. “This is the
present, Julian. This is what your friends think of your impending death.”
Julian saw an image of Kira sitting Quark’s, talking to the little bartender. “I
can’t believe he’s going to die. I hated him at first, but he’s got that look that makes you
go all to pieces.” She wasn’t crying, but Julian thought this was the closest he’d ever
seen her come.
Quark was also talking. “I know. He was a good customer. Always had
something to drink and always used my holosuites. I’m going to miss the money.”
Despite the uncaring demeanor, Julian knew Quark cared. He smiled and
suddenly, he saw Captain Sisko and Odo talking together.
“That doctor has done so much,” Sisko was saying. “Every time I thought a
person was going to die here, he always managed to save their life. I’ve never seen
anything like it. He just doesn’t give up.”
“He’s too stubborn to give up, Captain,” Odo said. “That’s a good thing for a
person to have, though. I admired him for that trait.”
Julian was surprised. He’d never heard Odo give a compliment about anything
before. He didn’t have time to dwell on it. His image was replaced quickly by Jadzia
and Miles.
Jadzia and Miles were sitting beside his body in the infirmary. Jadzia was asleep
and Miles was reading to himself. “How long have they been here?” he asked.
“Long enough,” Diana replied. “At least one of them has been by your side since
you were injured.” He looked on for a few more seconds and realized why he had a
second chance.
“It’s because I don’t give up, isn’t it?” Diana just raised an eyebrow. “This was
set up so I wouldn’t give up on myself because no one else had given up on me.”
For the first time, Diana grinned and hugged him. “I knew you would
understand.” Then she backed off. “It’s time.”
He nodded. “What will happen to me when I wake up?”
“That’s just it, I don’t know. Time may be neverending, but no one ever writes it
out. You choose your own destiny, Doctor Bashir.” She started to walk off. “I hope the
next time I see you that you will be old and it will be your time.” Then she was gone and
Julian found himself spiraling into blackness.
“Jadzia, it’s time to let go,” Jabara said. It had been two days with no change.
They were going to take him off life support.
She nodded. “I know, but that still doesn’t make it any easier. Can I have a
minute, just to say goodbye?”
Jabara nodded. She left and quietly closed to infirmary doors.
Jadzia put her head in her hands and cried like she had never done so before.
After all the times they had shared, after all the times Julian had helped her, saved her
life, she couldn’t believe it was going to end like this. The infection had spread to the
most crucial areas of his body. There wasn’t much chance of recovery now.
She took his hand and held it. At least, she promised herself, he’s not going to die
alone. Suddenly, she felt a slight pressure on her fingers. Lifting her head, she saw his
eyes open slightly and focus on her. Then he smiled and dropped back into a sleep.
“Nurse!” Jadzia yelled. Jabara came running.
“What is it?”
“He woke up!” she cried. They raced over to his side. Jabara picked up a
tricorder.
“Vitals stabilizing, delta waves minimizing, beta and theta waves up, alpha waves
dominant.” She looked up. “He’s asleep. He’s going to be okay!”
Jadzia slumped into the chair. “When will he wake up?”
“I don’t know. Go get some rest. I’ll call you when he does.”
“No,” she replied. “I’ll stay here.” Privately, she thought, We’re going to face
this thing together, Julian Bashir. I knew you weren’t a quitter.
Epilogue
“All right, Julian, it’s your moment,” Miles said to his friend. Julian had woken
up from the coma and promptly proposed to Jadzia. She had said yes immediately. It
was six months later, Julian was a lieutenant commander, and he had finally told Jadzia
about the genetic enhancement. Then he had told her about the kiss.
“I did it because of all you’d done for me. And because I realized that I loved
you,” he said after he had woken up.
“What did I ever do for you?” she had asked.
“At the Klingon Peace treaty when I was eight, my father got very drunk and tried
to beat me. Curzon intervened and caused my father to lose his ambassadorship to the
Federation for a year. I just wanted to thank you and tell you I love you.”
She nodded, finally remembering. “And I love you, too, Julian.”
So here they were, Jadzia walking down the marriage aisle with Miles giving her
away. Julian stood there and looked at her, finally sure that for the first time in his life,
he belonged.
The End