Chapter 7
Jadzia lifted her weapon and took her stance, waiting for Worf to approach her. He just stood and stared at her. She growled at him.
"What are you waiting for?"
"I do not think this is a good idea. Dr. Bashier warned us all that you needed to rest."
"He isn't here. And if he were I would tell him to butt out." She began to circle Worf, raising and lowering her bahtleth. Still Worf stood and watched, not raising his arms, letting his eyes follow her.
She stopped pacing and yelled, "Defend yourself!" as she lunged toward him, striking a downward blow to his body. Up came his defense as the blow glanced off his bahtleth. She came again and again and before long he found himself embroiled in battle.
The hollodeck, made to look like a room of interconnecting caverns, echoed with grunts and yells, feet sliding on dry earth, and metal striking metal. The sounds of a battalion fighting for it's life filled their ears. No one would have guessed that only two made such noise.
The fight continued for almost an half an hour, neither one speaking, locked in an intense battle. Jadzia felt the blood draining out of her limbs as her arms numbed and ached with each strike. She was beginning to trip over her own feet as she scuffled out of the way of another blow. Down came the sword, and as she raised her arms to block it away, her left leg cramped up under the weight and she fell to the floor, landing back with such force that she slid and hit her head on the cave wall. She felt the skin tear and her head swam as her ears began to buzz. The ache slowly crept it's way down her spine as she lay side ways in the dirt.
Worf dropped his weapon and ran to her side. "Are you all right?" His voice was filled with concern.
Jadzia raised her tear filled eyes to his. "No, dammit, I am not all right!" She pushed him away and tried to stand. Her leg gave out again and she landed back down in the dirt. "This lousy body. Didn't she ever even exercise?" She crawled to a sitting position and then gingerly stood, testing out her leg.
Worf protested. "It is not the body you are angry at. No one that has never fought in a Klingon battle before should fight for this long. You are simply tired."
She knew he was right, and that she had taken a foolish chance. At the same time, she was angry he was right and in her attempt to push him away again, slipped back and fell to the floor a third time. Her side began to cramp up from the pain in her leg. She cried out and Worf immediately put out his hand to comfort her.
"Here." He said as he pulled her boot off and began to carefully pull her leg out straight. She winced in pain and groaned as he applied more force. Finally the leg was straitened completely and he began to rub out the cramp.
"It is not getting any better. There is damage. We should go and see Dr. Bashier."
"I really don't want to see anymore doctors right now."
Worf continued to attempt to remove the cramp from the knotted muscle in her thigh.
"Ow!" She cried out and hit his arm.
"We are going." He said in his most decisive tone and stood, picking her up in his arms and carried her out against her will.