Cleaning Shop
Mark floats into the maintenance shop whistling a tune. He finds Bill sitting on a stool, pouring over a large number of PADDs at his desk.
"Someone's in a good mood today," Bill grumbles.
"Because it's a great day, Bill," Mark practically sings.
Bill turns and peeks over the rims of reading glasses which Mark has never seen on the old man's face before. "Oh, is it now? Then perhaps you're primed to help me straighten this place out, son. Everythin's a mess. Missin' tools, broken tools, junk everywhere… this shop is in sorry shape."
"Sure thing. Where do you want me to start?"
Bill squints with one eye, still looking over the rim of his glasses, taking a close look at Mark. "Did you go to that counselor like a told ya? I reckoned this would be one of those 'worse before it gets better' deals, and you sure as heck don't seem worse."
"I did, and I was petrified at first. I couldn't even make myself walk through the door."
Bill grunts with a hint of satisfaction as the description more closely fits his image of how the appointment would go.
"But then, we actually went on a date!" Mark beams. "Sort-of."
Bill's quick inhalation, due to surprise, causes a sudden coughing fit. "You what?!" Bill manages between coughs.
"Yeah, can you believe it? We sat in Quark's and talked over drinks for a couple of hours. It was wonderful!"
"Well, that's not exactly how I imagined that would go, son, but as long as you're not pinin' for that, that woman…"
"Ezri."
"Whatever. As long as it ain't that shady Trill, I reckon it's a step in the right direction. Though, I can't say I trust counselors that much neither. Worm-Trills are messed up in the head, and counselors will mess with yours sumthin' awful if you let 'em."
"Umm, Bill…" Mark fidgets with his hands and hesitates.
"Well, spit it out, son."
"Ezri… is the counselor."
"What?!" Bill almost falls off of his work stool. "That evil, manipulative… I oughta…" Bill's face turns red and he starts to grab his left arm. "You're gonna… be the… death of me… son…"
Bill loses consciousness as Mark frantically calls for medial support.
Bill wakes up in the infirmary. Everything is fuzzy at first, but he starts to hear voices.
"Mark, Julian, I think he's waking up," Bill hears an unfamiliar female voice.
His eyes start to focus and he sees blue eyes, short dark hair… and spots. "Oh Lord, I've gone to hell, and you're the devil here to torture my soul."
Ezri is taken aback by Bills comment, "You're right, Mark. He's not very happy to see me."
Julian rushes over to check Bill's vitals, and Mark quickly moves to Bill's side.
"You had me scared, Bill," Mark says. "I didn't mean to get you so flustered."
Ezri turns to the doctor, "How is he, Julian?"
"He'll be fine, but we'll need to keep an eye on him for a day or two."
"A day or two?!" Bill's blood pressure immediately spikes. "I've got work to do, a shop to clean, and an innocent boy to save from this… this demon!" Bill's face is warped as he points accusingly at Ezri.
Julian swiftly uses a hypo-spray on Bill.
"I'll make sure you… never get yer… filthy talons into…" Bill's words trail off as the sedative takes effect.
"How about next time, Ezri, you aren't the first person he sees when he wakes up," Julian suggests.
Mark and Ezri both nod.
"I think Bill's the one that really needs a counselor," Mark says, "but he'd more likely harm you than talk to you."
"Maybe we can try something… unconventional," Ezri ponders.
Bill comes-to again. Like before, everything starts a little fuzzy. When his eyes focus this time, he sees the face of a Klingon not far from his own.
"Dear God, now what?" Bill says as he rolls his eyes at his visitor.
"I am Worf, son of Mog. I am told your name is Bill."
"Yeah, that's me. What happened to that corruptin' woman that was just here? I'm afraid she's out to get my young buddy."
"The woman you speak of is Ezri Dax, and she is an honorable woman."
"Poppycock! What would you know? That woman's got…"
Worf growls, "Jadzia Dax was my mate."
"Oh… well… my condolences… wait…would that be her sister?" Bill's confusion is obvious.
"You do not understand joined Trills, do you?" Worf interrogates.
"Of course I do, son. They put that worm in 'em, and they start getting' strange ideas 'bout things and start talkin' about other things they have no natural business knowin'."
"I… am not your son. It is called a symbiont, and the 'strange ideas' are the experiences of previous hosts. Jadzia, my mate, was killed on this station by a coward. The Dax symbiont is now within Ezri."
Bill tries to follow. "So, does that make Ezri your wife? I should tell you, my buddy has his eye on her somethin' fierce."
"When the symbiont is placed in a new host, Trill are forbidden to continue past relationships."
"Then why are you and I even talkin'?" Bill asks bluntly.
"Because Dax is still my friend, and she requested that I speak to you as she knows she cannot. Your misguided beliefs threaten your friendship with… Buddy, and it is her wish to prevent that."
"My buddy's name is Mark, and I… I'm just trying to look out for the boy."
"That is an honorable pursuit, but to do so based on false ideas is foolish."
"Are you callin' me a fool?!"
Worf leans closer to Bill, "Yes."
"Well! I never…hrmph! If I didn't have a bad hip and a weak heart, we'd have to settle this proper!"
Worf snarls, "You are an ignorant fool. You must speak with Dax so that your misconceptions can be remedied! There is no honor in combat with an old fool, but if you threaten or dishonor Dax, I will be forced to kill you!"
After Bill is out of the infirmary, he, Mark, and Ezri are sitting in Ezri's office. Bill sourly stares at the floor, Mark dreamily stares at Ezri, and Ezri doesn't know what to do with either of them.
Ezri breaks the long, uncomfortable silence. "Bill, I'm glad you decided to meet with us today."
Bill's gaze remains directed at the patterns he is drawing into the carpet with his cane and scoffs. "Decided? I was threatened to be here by your Klingon, not-quite-ex feller." He looks up at her defiantly, "I'd like for that to be noted in your… whatever it is you got there." He points his cane at her PADD.
"I apologize for Worf's behavior, but I needed to find a way for us to talk."
"You better be careful, boy," Bills says to Mark, "she's manipulative and she's got hired muscle in case you cross her."
"That's not fair, Bill. You know you'd never have come here willingly," Mark says.
"Darn tootin'! And just what does it tell you that I'm here now? She gets what she wants, one way or another. She's evil, pure and simple."
"Bill, you watch it now. I can't let you talk about her like that."
"Oh? You gonna pop me again, eh? All for that Hell-bred bi…"
Before Bill can finish his sentence, Mark lunges from his chair towards him. Instantly afterwards, a phaser blast hits Mark's side, knocking him out cold. Bill turns to the source of the blast and finds a very disappointed Ezri holding the weapon.
"Holy Hell, woman! What'd you go and do that for?!"
"Don't worry, Bill, he's just stunned," Ezri says flatly.
"But… a phaser?"
Ezri shrugs.
"I know how much animosity you hold towards me, Bill, and I know you two have already been in at least one fight about this. I wanted to be prepared. I honestly thought I'd be using this on you if anyone, but… this gives us the opportunity to get some things straight."
"That boy worships you, you know. I'm not sure he'll take too kindly to what you just done."
"I thought you wanted him to have nothing to do with me?"
"Well, he's not really my boy, but I do treat him like family. Whatever foolishness he gets himself into, no offense," Bill says to the woman holding a phaser, "I'm gonna look out for him."
"I may not look it, Bill, but I'm over three times your age. I've had a few children of my own and right now you're acting like one."
"Well, I…" Bill starts to argue the point.
"How many Trill have you known, Bill?"
"Let's see, there's… hmm. Nope, that was a Vulcan. I reckon…"
"I'm guessing not a single one. Well, there's one right in front of you now, and counseling usually works the other way around, but you're going to shut up and listen."
About an hour later, Mark starts to come around. It takes him several seconds to remember where he is. He can't see anything yet, but he hears laughter. After a few more seconds, he musters the strength to roll over towards the voices. He sees Bill and Ezri almost in tears.
"And then, he turned the valve the wrong way and covered himself head-to-toe with markin' fluid. If you thought you saw a Benzite with hair on the station that day, it was prolly Mark there."
Ezri grabs her stomach and laughs hard as Bill finishes telling her about an event Mark would rather forget. He groans in embarrassment. Both of them turn to Mark at the sound.
"Now, son, I know she shot you, but before you say anything you're gonna regret, know that she brought that weapon on my account. She only did what she had to do."
"I'm really sorry I had to stun you, Mark," Ezri says, "but it gave Bill and me an opportunity to have it out. I think he's got a much better understanding of joined Trills now."
"Do you know that she's got nine lifetimes rolled up in that thing?" Bill points to Ezri's belly.
"I'm actually the ninth host, so let's say eight and a half," Ezri clarifies.
Mark finally comes around enough to speak. "You… you shot me?"
"Well, I surely wasn't going to sit here and watch the two of you fight," Ezri says. "You're young and strong; you'll be fine. And you were the aggressor there, though it's not like you gave me much time to think about it."
"Son, this gal is all right in my book. I'd heard stories of worm-Trill… sorry miss, I mean joined Trill, goin' crazy. She explained why those stories came to be. Can you imagine waking up one mornin' and havin' the memories of eight other people runnin' 'round your head?"
Bill leans over and half-whispers to Mark, "She's been a couple of men too. You just keep that in mind if you two ever…"
"Ahem!" Ezri clears her throat loudly.
Bill skips the thought and continues. "Son, if you want to pursue her, you have my blessing."
"That's sweet, Bill," Ezri says with a slightly nervous smile.
"You're not my father, Bill," Mark says, "but it means a lot to hear you say that. To be honest though, I haven't exactly displayed the best behavior lately, and her willingness to shoot me isn't exactly a good sign."
"I told you the boy'd take that poorly," Bill says.
"Mark, I am really sorry," Ezri says. "I can tell that you and Bill have a good friendship, and that was my first concern. We barely know each other, but I'd like to keep working on changing that if you're still interested."
"Of course I'm still interested. It's going to take more than a phaser stun to change how I feel about you, Ezri. I just thought, you know, some signals are more obvious than others. When some women want to give you a hint that they're not interested, they simply don't return your calls. I've never had one shoot me before."
"Let me make it up to you. Let's head to Quark's and I'll buy you a drink. I owe Worf for the favor of talking to BIll, so maybe we can all get to know each other a little better."
Bill suddenly looks disinterested. "I think I'll sit this one out. I should really have the doctor take another look at my ticker."
Ezri catches the change in Bill's attitude. "Bill, I don't know what was said between you and Worf, but I'm sure the two of you could share some excellent stories. I promise I won't let him intimidate you."
"I reckon neither one of us was overly kind to each other. A stiff drink might smooth things out. Lead the way!"
Bill smacks Mark on the shoulder as he follows Ezri out. "Sorry, son. I'm guessin' you'd prefer not to have an old geezer and a Klingon for chaperones. You're young and so is she. There'll be other times."
Mark just sighs and follows them out the door.
