Jadzia Dax had just settled into her station in Ops when an upset looking Commander Sisko came off of the Turbolift.
"Dax. My office." She stood, worried about her friend, and concerned about what had caused him to look so distraught. A few brisk pace and she was right behind the Commander. stepping with him into his office.
"Benjamin, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." He leaned against his desk and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I just had the most disturbing conversation with our Mr. Garak." Dax smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Oh? What?.Did he confess to being a Cardassian spy?" She chuckled "Or better yet, did he reference his nefarious plots to single handedly over through DS9 and hand it back to the Cardassians?" Sisko smiled, but shook his head.
"First of all, it sounds like you've been spending too much time with Bashir. Second, no, it was nothing like that. He was simply far more confrontational and, well, I almost want to say moody."
"And that's disturbing because-"
"For the year that I have been on this station Garak had been nothing more than perfectly polite and professional in my presence. The only person I've ever seen, or heard tell of him being anywhere near casual with is Doctor Bashir. So his being so blatantly emotional-"
"Is cause for concern. Right." She took a second to think about the situation.
"Have you talked to Julian? I mean it's like you said, there really isn't anyone who knows Garak better." Sisko shrugged.
"I tried, but all I got was an, "He put on his best Bashir impression "'I'm working with our guests from the Gamma Quadrant Commander. I'll deal with Garak later.'" Dax laughed and shook her head.
"Hmm. So what can we do?"
"Nothing. It's not really our problem that Garak is in a bad mood. It just makes me-" He shivered dramatically and grinned. "- edgy."
"Well Odo is already watching him, and I'll check in on him after my shift, alright?" The Commander nodded.
"You always know what to do, Old Man." Dax laughed.
"Comes with being a mom, and a dad, and a mom again, and a -"
"I get it, I get it." Dax smiled and patted the captain's shoulder. She made her way out of the office, only to quickly poke her head back in.
"Oh, one last thing. Doctor Ka'tra is on her way up here to speak with you." She left before Sisko could respond.
No sooner did Sisko sit in his chair that the Vulcan scientist entered his office.
"Commander I demand to speak with your doctor."
"It's nice to see you too." The Vulcan woman took a deep breath and squared her shoulders."
"My apologies. Frivolous pleasantries are not at the top of my priority list."
"And interrupting Doctor Bashir is?"
"He has had Chrangularat and Falluntralaug sealed inside his clinic for nearly six hours."
"He has been performing the physicals that are required for them to travel uninhibited in federation space. You are the one who ordered them."
"I did, with the understanding that all of the tests were to be performed on the T'Pring." Sisko shrugged.
"If Doctor Bashir moved them to his clinic then he had a reason." He tapped his comm badge and called Bashir.
"Commander I'm sorry but if this is about Garak again I'm not-"
"No lieutenant, it's about our guests. Doctor Ka'tra is, umm, curious as to what's taking so long with their physicals."
"Well we actually finished those an hour ago. Glib and Fall have just been telling me about this trip they took to a crystal cavern on their planet's moon. It's really -"
"Alright Doctor Bashir. I think it's time that you send them back to the T'Pring." There was a pause with some distant mumbling coming from the background, and Siko nearly laughed at the nearly furious expression threatening to break through Ka'tra's Vulcan calm.
"Yes sir." The call ended and Sisko smiled warmly at the Vulcan.
"See? Nothing to it. They'll be safe on your ship before you get back to it." She nodded and strode quickly from the room. Sisko shook his head and looked over the reports that Kira had drafted from her debriefing of the T'Pring crew.