Commander Benjamin Sisko shivered as a sharp gust of wind woke him from his dozing. Instead of his quarters on Deep Space Nine, he found himself lying in a small alley in the Sanctuary District that he and Doctor Julian Bashir had been sent to when they arrived in the 2020's. They were separated from Dax and stuck in an overpopulated ghetto for the homeless.
Sisko breathed onto his hands, attempting to generate some warmth. Although their alley was unclaimed and defensible, it was nowhere near any of the fires spread sporadically throughout the District. The nights were frigid, and their clothing didn't supply the heat they needed.
Julian moaned slightly in his sleep, drawing Sisko's attention to him. The young doctor was propped up against the wall across from Sisko. It seemed from Julian's blue tinged lips and shivers that he was also feeling the effects of the cold, but it hadn't roused him from his slumber yet.
Sleeping, he appeared to be not much older than Jake. In the midst of a crisis or even during every day goings-on, it was easy to forget just how young the doctor was. DS9 was Julian's first Starfleet assignment and he had yet to turn thirty.
Taking care not to wake his CMO, Sisko scooted forward, turning around so he was seated next to Julian. He gently put an arm around him and drew him close to ward off the cold. However, at the movement Julian began twitching and whimpering, in the throes of a nightmare. Sisko caressed his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, like he did for Jake when he had trouble sleeping. He softly began to shush the young man, trying to make him sense that he was okay. Eventually the dream ceased and Julian was huddled against him like a child.
The next morning, Sisko was awakened by the scuffle of feet on the pavement above them. Julian was still sound asleep; he considered waking him up to get breakfast, but decided against it. The alley was pretty secluded and he wouldn't be gone long. With one last glance back at Julian, Sisko headed off in search of food.
XXX
After a lengthy wait in the food lines, Sisko finally returned to the alley where he'd left Julian. The doctor was still asleep. Sisko knelt down and awakened him with a light touch on the arm.
"Here you go, Julian."
Bashir coughed as he straightened up. "Oh. If we ever get home, I promise to never complain about the station's Cardassian beds ever again." Julian said, rubbing the back of his neck. They shared a chuckle.
"Where is everybody?" Julian inquired, he sounded oddly cheerful. Listening to him now, Sisko found it hard to believe that not that long ago, he had been whimpering in his sleep.
"In the food lines, waiting for breakfast," Sisko handed Bashir a plate of scrambled eggs with a small piece of bread. "It's not much to look at, but it's better than nothing. I'm sorry; they ran out of utensils… and napkins."
"Why am I not surprised?" Julian responded sarcastically. He tore off a bit of the bread and used it to scoop up some eggs. The food was just the bare minimum, but he was ravenous and was already half way through finishing the entire plate in no time at all.
"When you're finished eating, I think we should get up on the roof of one of these buildings. I want to get a better look at the place." Sisko suggested.
"Do you think there's a way outta here?" Julian asked through a mouthful of eggs.
"If there is, we'll find it." Sisko assured him.
XXX
They had been walking the better part of the morning, trying to get into one of the district's buildings. However, every time they tried, they were stopped from entering by the Sanctuary denizens, who were extremely territorial and untrusting. Sisko supposed he couldn't blame them. He glanced over at the doctor, who was uncharacteristically quiet.
"Something wrong?" Sisko asked.
"No, sir. It's just…" Julian looked at his commander; a question on his tongue. "Um, well, sir… Last night I remember you leaning on the wall across from me, but I had a dream where you… weren't…" He trailed off awkwardly, hoping Sisko would infer his question.
"It got to be freezing during the night, it woke me up. I saw you shivering and was trying to keep you warm." Sisko said simply.
Julian visibly struggled for a moment, trying to put his thoughts into words. "But why?"
Sisko frowned. Out of all the reactions, he hadn't suspected confusion. "You were cold, our clothes aren't all that warm and…"
"That's not what I meant. Why did you feel obligated to keep me warm?" He interrupted.
"You're under my command; it's my job to take care of you," Sisko tried again.
Julian still looked puzzled, but he accepted this answer with a shot nod.
As they approached the next building, Sisko wondered how lonely and neglected Julian must have been growing up that he would question a simple act of kindness and protection.
Julian never spoke of family or gave any indication he missed his life on Earth, which Sisko thought strange. Shaking his head slightly, he gave a small smile, that didn't matter now. Julian had a new family.