Warnings: A brief mention of assisted suicide. Nothing happens though. Promise. PG13.
The gardens are cool in the evening breeze. The sky is on fire with bright orange and red colors, flaring out from two setting suns. The smell of salt and fish waft up from the shoreline, not a hundred meters from their house. Elim leans back farther in his chair and send Julian a fond look. The human is sitting cross-legged on the grassy floor, sculpting something out of brown clay. His white shirt is fluttering in the light wind and his feet are bare.
"And to think that all those rumors are true," a voice says to Elim's right.
Elim tenses at the, somewhat, unexpected visitor. He'd masked his trail well, or so he thought. He used only the bare minimum of contacts. Changed ships five times, and "borrowed" two shuttlecrafts. He'd even changed Julian's name. But then, Tain was – is – the Obsidian Order. Elim should've known better than to think he could run far enough away to escape his former mentor's reach.
Elim glances over. "Not all of them."
"The best ones then." Tain says as he steps forward and sits down in the seat across from Elim. He picks up a tea cup from the table and sips the steaming liquid with unhurried ease. Elim watches him as he might do an armed phasor.
Julian continues to ignore their guest and pokes a hole into his creation.
Tain watches the human for a moment before putting his tea cup down on the table. "Such fragile things, minds."
Elim assesses the level of threat in that one sentence. Is his former mentor implying that he will take them back to Cardassia with him? There to live out their lives at the whim of Dukat and his men. Perhaps that Tain will eliminate them here and now? Their bodies forever lost on this backwater planet.
Or is Tain merely stating that the Vorta did their job well when they ripped Julian's enhancements from him?
/0/0/0/0/0
"Garak…" Julian's call is no more than a whisper, but Elim hears it nonetheless. Their cell is a cramped thing that had Elim panicking during their first days here. Now though, he has far more important tasks to focus on then his comfort. Such as a pale, human doctor lying on a stained cot.
The 'tailor' moves to the human's side and lifts his sweaty head, careful of the incision at the base of his skull. The Vorta were most persistent today. Elim places a metal cup against his friend's chapped lips, letting the warm water tease against the skin.
"Come, doctor, drink. Our hosts have been most generous to us today." He tips the cup up a bit more. "It would be a pity to waste their good efforts."
"It's all leaving, Garak," Julian says after he chokes down a sip. Tired, frightened eyes gaze up into his. "I can feel it leaking out."
Elim makes him drink another sip. "I'm afraid there wasn't much in there to begin with, doctor."
A spark of humor flashes through Julian's dark eyes, before it's replaced by despair again. "I'm not going to make it."
"Of course you are."
"Not intact, I won't." Julian wheezes. "I can't even do a simple quantum equation now. And yesterday…I forgot what a spoon was."
The unshed tears in that last admission are palpable.
/0/0/0/0/0
"Why are you here, Tain?" Elim asks, sitting forward and calculating the distance from himself to the other Cardassian. He doesn't delude himself into thinking he'll succeed in getting to Tain, the Cardassian is probably guarded by no more than three agents, at best. But he refuses to let Julian be taken back alive. He owes his human friend that much, at least.
"Now, now, Kovat." A taut smile stretches Tain's lips as he uses Elim's falsified name. "One would think you were nervous."
"Of course not," Elim replies smoothly. "Merely, hoping to be a good host for our guests."
Tain smirks. "Good to know you haven't lost everything I taught you."
Elim says nothing. He'll let Tain carry the conversation for now. Tain doesn't disappoint. The older Cardassian sighs and places something on the table between them. Elim glares at the syringe and its purple contents.
"No."
"It would be a kindness," Tain says, glancing over at Julian again. A shadow detaches itself from a nearby tree and a young, Cardassian agent glides over to hover above Julian. The human looks up when his light is blocked, a slight frown crossing his brow, and then grins.
"Hello!" Julian chirps.
The agent raises a ridged eyebrow.
Elim shifts his weight. "Call him off."
"Don't delude yourself, Elim," Tain states, dropping his façade suddenly. "I've consulted with various doctors and seen the reports myself. The good doctor wouldn't survive another treatment of enhancements."
"I know."
"His mind will never return!" Tain snaps.
"I didn't expect it to!" Elim barks, half standing. The agent next to Julian places a hand on the young human's shoulder. A small warning of what will happen should Elim harm, or attempt to harm, Tain. Julian stares at the alien hand on his body and then goes back to his clay. Elim slides back into his chair. "I saw the records as well, Tain."
"Then why torment the doctor with this half-life?" Tain nudges the syringe closer.
Elim eyes it. "And then, I supposed, I shall be free to return? Serve the State again?"
"Have a care, Elim," Tain warns. "The State has done much for you and your family. You owe it your life, if not more."
"I have repaid my debt to the State a thousand times over," Elim says, pushing the syringe back toward Tain. "I shall live my life for myself now."
"You would give up such glory for this…human?"
Elim shrugs. He gave up so much more for me. But he keeps that thought to himself. Tain would not appreciate, and Elim cannot afford to show that kind of weakness here. Bad enough that Tain knows this much. Elim will keep his friendship secret, if only in words – his actions have spoken quite loudly, it seems.
"Living with the humans really has damaged you, Elim," Tain says. He flicks a wrist. "Perhaps I should dispose of the doctor and restore you to your rightful place?"
Julian whimpers as the agent tightens his grip on his shoulder, reaching over with one hand to Elim. "Kovat."
There's a plea and confidence in that one word. An asking for aid and fully expecting it. Julian knows no other line of thought. Simple, he may be now, but he recognizes Elim cares for him – in much the same way a small child knows their guardians care for them. A trust that transcends logic and goes straight into feelings.
"Do that," Elim says evenly, eyes never leaving Julian's. "And I'll personally see The Order burn."
"You will expose yourself too."
"Then so be it."
Tain nods and pushes up out of the chair. He takes the syringe and pockets it. "Of course. Come, Tekor, it's time we left."
The agent lets go of Julian and slinks back into the growing shadows. Elim motions for Julian to come over. He doesn't trust Tain to not give one last parting gift, and would rather have Julian close, should that happen. But nothing occurs, other than the suns disappearing in full and the sky blackening. Elim rises.
"Come, Dante, it's time we went home too."
Julian grabs onto Elim's shirt sleeve and follows meekly behind. "Home?"
"Yes. Joie has promised her famous Zabu stew for supper."
"With carrots?"
"Yes, with carrots. Very good, doctor."
"Doc-tar?" Julian stumbles over the word and looks to Elim for help.
"Never mind," Elim pats Julian's chilled hand. "A matter for another time. Would you care to show me what it is you are working on this time?"
Julian beams and shoves a glob of brown clay into his face as they walk. "Dog!"
"I see." Elim inspects the mess of lumps. "You missed his ears, but I do believe that might be an eye."
Julian's face falls a little, but he nods. "Better?"
"A little," Elim says truthfully. "But come, don't sulk. We've beaten the Obsidian Order today, Dante. It calls for smiles, not frowns."
"Ob…Obsed…" Julian bows his head and lets out a shaky sigh. He fiddles with Elim's sleeve, and Elim quickly leads him through the gate of their yard and into their house. The strong smell of spices fill the Cardassian's nose. Julian forgets all about his sorrow and rushes off into the kitchen with a 'Jo!', his clay dropping to the floor. Elim picks it up and dematerializes it in the replacator. Julian laughs from the other room, and Elim rolls his shoulders loose of their aches. He'd not expected Tain to let them go so easily.
Or care about the doctor that much.
Not many were given the option of death by the former agent.
It shows just how greatly the doctor had impressed Tain, all those years ago.
"Kovat!" Julian yells, head poking out of the kitchen. "Jo says come!"
"Of course." Elim moves forward. Tain was right about one thing. Julian would never reach the great mental heights of before. The Vorta and Dominion had seen to that. Smashed most of his brain and then smeared what was left. Elim had read the records. No, Julian wasn't coming back this time. Not like before. And he'd kept Elim's secret all the while. No one knew Elim as anyone other than a tailor, and gardener.
Only a human. Elim shakes his head. No Cardassian would dream of surrendering his mind for anything other than the State. But Julian had without a second thought. And for that maudlin gesture, Elim vowed to care for the doctor as long as needed.
Besides, it made Tain squirm to see Elim so…domesticated. And that alone was rewarding.
Man, people, I'm churning out another DS9 story! I wasn't expecting this one either. It literally came to me as I was reading an LOTR fanfic story on here. It's called 'The Bard' by Sixty-four K. Basically, Lindir (the minstrel) is mad and Erestor (the chief counsellor) is looking after him. It got me wondering what would happen to Garak and Bashir's friendship, should Julian ever really loose his mind. Thus, this was born. I hope they didn't come off as too OOC.
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