Chapter Four
Kyren walked across the Promenade, a thin-necked
bottle of holy water concealed inside of his cloak. He
walked as swiftly as he could without drawing attention
to himself, hoping to find the doctor alone in his
sanctuary. He could feel the eyes of his people on him,
counting on him to carry out his task.
He paused just outside the Infirmary, his heart
beating a mile a minute. This was it. He was about to
see his savior up close for the first time, and he was
nervous.
Taking a deep breath, Kyren stepped into the holy
sanctuary.
The Infirmary was empty, and filled with beds and
cabinets of medical supplies. A closed door was on the
far wall.
"Can I help you?"
Kyren jumped, startled. He turned to see a kind
Bajoran female smiling at him. Worry tinted her
features.
Kyren opened his mouth, but no sounds came out.
Finally, he said, "I wish to see your doctor."
The nurse nodded. "What should I tell him?"
"I wish to see your doctor," Kyren repeated.
The nurse frowned, but complied. Kyren watched her
go to the door, knock, and enter. Within seconds, she
reemerged with the doctor.
Bashir smiled kindly at Kyren. "Hello. What can I
do for you?"
Kyren was at a loss for words. His covert
observations over the last few weeks were thorough, but
they hardly revealed the intensity of his aura that
closer contact had.
Bashir frowned and waved some sort of scanning
device over him. "What's your name?"
"K-Kyren," Kyren stammered. "Forgive me, Doctor,
but I came because I wanted to speak with you."
Bashir examined his tricorder, and then looked at
Kyren. "Well, from what I can tell, you're perfectly
healthy. What is it you wish to speak with me about?"
Kyren organized his thoughts. He had planned what
he would say and do once he had reached the doctor. "I-I
. . . that is, I want to become a healer, but my planet
does not provide the training that I desire. Do you
suppose that, maybe, you could speak with me about
training to be a Federation doctor?"
Bashir gave him a delighted smile, which Kyren
couldn't help but return. "Certainly. Come with me to
my office, and I'll tell you all you want to know."
Kyren followed the young doctor to his office. Out
of the corner of his eye, he saw the Bajoran nurse
smiling at him. Kyren flushed, embarrassed, and hurried
into the office.
"Tell me, Kyren, why do you want to be a healer?"
Bashir asked once they were both seated comfortably.
"I have always admired healers and their dedication
to saving the injured and sick," Kyren replied
truthfully. He had wanted to be a healer, but he'd been
given a higher calling.
As Bashir launched into explanations of joining
medical school and Starfleet, Kyren listened raptly. The
doctor's light accent was soothing to his ears as his
excitement slowly took hold of the conversation. Kyren
waited patiently for him to finish.
Nearly an hour passed when the two had finally
finished. There was a lightness in the young doctor's
eyes that hadn't been there when Kyren had arrived. As
they stood, Kyren faced Bashir.
"I have a request to make, Doctor," Kyren said.
Bashir's expressive face revealed puzzlement.
Kyren removed the flask containing the holy water.
"It is customary of my people to anoint those who have
gone out of their way to help us. I wish to do this
ritual for you."
Bashir was shocked. "I'm flattered, Kyren, but I
didn't go out of my way."
"You are a busy man, the only healer here on such a
large station," Kyren pointed out. "You took time to
help me. It was out of your way, and I am grateful.
Please?"
Bashir blushed, embarrassed. "All right, if you
wish. But it was nothing I wouldn't do for anyone."
Kyren nodded and removed the cork. Tipping some
water onto his fingertips, he pressed them to Bashir's
forehead and muttered a prayer in his own language.
Bashir stood still and silent, waiting patiently for
Kyren to finish.
Kyren stepped back and corked the flask. "Thank
you, Doctor. I hope to see you around before I leave."
Bashir nodded and smiled faintly. When Kyren left,
Bashir bounced back into the Infirmary, feeling much like
his old self again.
"I'm going to OPS, Jabarra," Bashir announced
cheerfully. "Call if you need me."
"Yes, Doctor." Jabarra smiled at Bashir's
retreating back. His talk with someone genuinely
interested in his field of expertise always cheered him
up. Jabarra was grateful to the stranger who had been so
nervous. He had done more for Bashir than he would ever
know.
~~*~~
Bashir strode from the turbolift onto OPS, grinning
at those who had turned to see who had arrived.
"Hello, everyone," he greeted.
From the operations console, he heard O'Brien mutter
something about gracing them with his presence, and that
deflated him somewhat. Apparently, O'Brien was still
upset with him.
"Hi, Julian," Dax greeted warmly. "I was wondering
when you were going to show up."
"I figured it would be too soon," Kira stated
bitingly. "You never can seem to stay away."
Dax watched Bashir closely as he seemed to withdraw
into himself a little more. Was it what Kira had said
that caused him to go silent? But Kira always treated
Bashir that way. And she had caught some of what O'Brien
had said. Was this the reason Jabarra wanted Dax to
know? More importantly, did they always treat the young
doctor this way?
Bashir caught Dax's thoughtful gaze and knew that
she knew. His face suddenly flaming in humiliation,
Bashir backed away. "Well, I just . . . wanted to say
hello . . . I have a patient I need to tend to. I'll see
you all later."
With that, Bashir turned and all but fled to the
turbolift, and safety. Once Bashir was gone, Dax turned
her attention to the conversation that was occurring in
OPS.
" . . . no patients," O'Brien was saying. "I
overheard Nurse Iliana saying she was bored because there
seemed to be a rash of good health going around."
"He probably just realized he was in the way up here
and decided to leave," Kira replied.
Dax felt anger swell up inside of her.
"Unbelievable," she muttered, standing.
Kira and O'Brien turned their eyes on her.
"Something wrong, Jadzia?" Kira asked.
"You could say that." Dax brushed by them and
disappeared into Sisko's office, uninvited. Sisko
glanced up in surprise at her abrupt entrance.
"What is it, Old man?" Sisko asked, concerned.
Dax began to pace in the small office. "I was
called down to the Infirmary yesterday afternoon by
Jabarra. She told me she was concerned, that Julian was
hurt, but she couldn't say for sure why."
"He's hurt?" Sisko echoed, his concern doubling.
"Emotionally," Dax explained. "She wouldn't tell
me, but she thinks she knows why. I talked to Julian,
but he told me was fine. I knew he wasn't, but he wasn't
about to tell me what the problem was. I had just about
forgotten when he came up to OPS."
"Doctor Bashir is in OPS?" Sisko asked.
"Was," Dax corrected. "I didn't know why he seemed
so withdrawn lately, but I do now."
Whatever it was, it had gotten Dax upset. Sisko
knew that Dax was usually calm and rational. He had
hardly ever seen her or Dax's last host Curzon lose their
tempers. It looked like Dax was on the verge of doing
just that now.
"Spit it out, Old man," Sisko said.
Dax came to a halt in front of his desk and leaned
over it. Fire flashed in her eyes. "Julian is hurt
because we keep disregarding his feelings."
Sisko's brow furrowed in confusion.
"He came to OPS not five minutes ago, in a very
cheerful mood," Dax told him. "He looked like he was
back to his old self. Then he heard Miles when he made a
rude and hurtful comment. Kira didn't help when she said
it would be too soon before she saw Julian in OPS again.
After he left, they were still making rude comments."
Sisko was doubtful. "Are you sure you aren't just
being a little overprotective?" he asked gently.
Dax's blue eyes flashed. "You didn't see him,
Benjamin. With every comment, he seemed to close in on
himself a little more. When he saw me looking at him, he
knew that I knew. Benjamin, he was so hurt, and
embarrassed that I knew that."
Suddenly, she seemed to deflate, and she pulled
back. "What's worse is, I think we've been doing this
since he arrived on the station." She turned an
imploring gaze on the captain. "We have to do something
about this, Benjamin."
Sisko leaned back in his chair. "What would you
suggest?"
"We should talk to him first," Dax said decisively.
"He needs to know that we didn't intend to hurt him, and
that we want to make it up to him."
Sisko frowned. "'We'?"
Dax looked at him incredulously. "Yes, 'we'.
Benjamin, he looks up to you. He's always looking for
your praise. You mean to tell me you don't see him
working so hard to give you what you need from him?"
Sisko looked as if he wanted to say something, then
shrugged.
Dax shook her head in disbelief. "This is what I
mean! We never take his feelings into consideration! Or
even notice how hard he's trying to get our approval!
This is what we need to fix!"
"All right," Sisko said soothingly. He stood. "If
you're that concerned, then let's go see him."
Dax gave him a heartfelt look of gratitude. "Thank
you, Benjamin."
Sisko nodded. "And if it turns out you're right,
we'll have a little chat with some of our staff
individually. The last thing I need is to have a doctor
with low morale."
Together, the two left the office in search of
Bashir.
End Chapter Four
Kyren walked across the Promenade, a thin-necked
bottle of holy water concealed inside of his cloak. He
walked as swiftly as he could without drawing attention
to himself, hoping to find the doctor alone in his
sanctuary. He could feel the eyes of his people on him,
counting on him to carry out his task.
He paused just outside the Infirmary, his heart
beating a mile a minute. This was it. He was about to
see his savior up close for the first time, and he was
nervous.
Taking a deep breath, Kyren stepped into the holy
sanctuary.
The Infirmary was empty, and filled with beds and
cabinets of medical supplies. A closed door was on the
far wall.
"Can I help you?"
Kyren jumped, startled. He turned to see a kind
Bajoran female smiling at him. Worry tinted her
features.
Kyren opened his mouth, but no sounds came out.
Finally, he said, "I wish to see your doctor."
The nurse nodded. "What should I tell him?"
"I wish to see your doctor," Kyren repeated.
The nurse frowned, but complied. Kyren watched her
go to the door, knock, and enter. Within seconds, she
reemerged with the doctor.
Bashir smiled kindly at Kyren. "Hello. What can I
do for you?"
Kyren was at a loss for words. His covert
observations over the last few weeks were thorough, but
they hardly revealed the intensity of his aura that
closer contact had.
Bashir frowned and waved some sort of scanning
device over him. "What's your name?"
"K-Kyren," Kyren stammered. "Forgive me, Doctor,
but I came because I wanted to speak with you."
Bashir examined his tricorder, and then looked at
Kyren. "Well, from what I can tell, you're perfectly
healthy. What is it you wish to speak with me about?"
Kyren organized his thoughts. He had planned what
he would say and do once he had reached the doctor. "I-I
. . . that is, I want to become a healer, but my planet
does not provide the training that I desire. Do you
suppose that, maybe, you could speak with me about
training to be a Federation doctor?"
Bashir gave him a delighted smile, which Kyren
couldn't help but return. "Certainly. Come with me to
my office, and I'll tell you all you want to know."
Kyren followed the young doctor to his office. Out
of the corner of his eye, he saw the Bajoran nurse
smiling at him. Kyren flushed, embarrassed, and hurried
into the office.
"Tell me, Kyren, why do you want to be a healer?"
Bashir asked once they were both seated comfortably.
"I have always admired healers and their dedication
to saving the injured and sick," Kyren replied
truthfully. He had wanted to be a healer, but he'd been
given a higher calling.
As Bashir launched into explanations of joining
medical school and Starfleet, Kyren listened raptly. The
doctor's light accent was soothing to his ears as his
excitement slowly took hold of the conversation. Kyren
waited patiently for him to finish.
Nearly an hour passed when the two had finally
finished. There was a lightness in the young doctor's
eyes that hadn't been there when Kyren had arrived. As
they stood, Kyren faced Bashir.
"I have a request to make, Doctor," Kyren said.
Bashir's expressive face revealed puzzlement.
Kyren removed the flask containing the holy water.
"It is customary of my people to anoint those who have
gone out of their way to help us. I wish to do this
ritual for you."
Bashir was shocked. "I'm flattered, Kyren, but I
didn't go out of my way."
"You are a busy man, the only healer here on such a
large station," Kyren pointed out. "You took time to
help me. It was out of your way, and I am grateful.
Please?"
Bashir blushed, embarrassed. "All right, if you
wish. But it was nothing I wouldn't do for anyone."
Kyren nodded and removed the cork. Tipping some
water onto his fingertips, he pressed them to Bashir's
forehead and muttered a prayer in his own language.
Bashir stood still and silent, waiting patiently for
Kyren to finish.
Kyren stepped back and corked the flask. "Thank
you, Doctor. I hope to see you around before I leave."
Bashir nodded and smiled faintly. When Kyren left,
Bashir bounced back into the Infirmary, feeling much like
his old self again.
"I'm going to OPS, Jabarra," Bashir announced
cheerfully. "Call if you need me."
"Yes, Doctor." Jabarra smiled at Bashir's
retreating back. His talk with someone genuinely
interested in his field of expertise always cheered him
up. Jabarra was grateful to the stranger who had been so
nervous. He had done more for Bashir than he would ever
know.
~~*~~
Bashir strode from the turbolift onto OPS, grinning
at those who had turned to see who had arrived.
"Hello, everyone," he greeted.
From the operations console, he heard O'Brien mutter
something about gracing them with his presence, and that
deflated him somewhat. Apparently, O'Brien was still
upset with him.
"Hi, Julian," Dax greeted warmly. "I was wondering
when you were going to show up."
"I figured it would be too soon," Kira stated
bitingly. "You never can seem to stay away."
Dax watched Bashir closely as he seemed to withdraw
into himself a little more. Was it what Kira had said
that caused him to go silent? But Kira always treated
Bashir that way. And she had caught some of what O'Brien
had said. Was this the reason Jabarra wanted Dax to
know? More importantly, did they always treat the young
doctor this way?
Bashir caught Dax's thoughtful gaze and knew that
she knew. His face suddenly flaming in humiliation,
Bashir backed away. "Well, I just . . . wanted to say
hello . . . I have a patient I need to tend to. I'll see
you all later."
With that, Bashir turned and all but fled to the
turbolift, and safety. Once Bashir was gone, Dax turned
her attention to the conversation that was occurring in
OPS.
" . . . no patients," O'Brien was saying. "I
overheard Nurse Iliana saying she was bored because there
seemed to be a rash of good health going around."
"He probably just realized he was in the way up here
and decided to leave," Kira replied.
Dax felt anger swell up inside of her.
"Unbelievable," she muttered, standing.
Kira and O'Brien turned their eyes on her.
"Something wrong, Jadzia?" Kira asked.
"You could say that." Dax brushed by them and
disappeared into Sisko's office, uninvited. Sisko
glanced up in surprise at her abrupt entrance.
"What is it, Old man?" Sisko asked, concerned.
Dax began to pace in the small office. "I was
called down to the Infirmary yesterday afternoon by
Jabarra. She told me she was concerned, that Julian was
hurt, but she couldn't say for sure why."
"He's hurt?" Sisko echoed, his concern doubling.
"Emotionally," Dax explained. "She wouldn't tell
me, but she thinks she knows why. I talked to Julian,
but he told me was fine. I knew he wasn't, but he wasn't
about to tell me what the problem was. I had just about
forgotten when he came up to OPS."
"Doctor Bashir is in OPS?" Sisko asked.
"Was," Dax corrected. "I didn't know why he seemed
so withdrawn lately, but I do now."
Whatever it was, it had gotten Dax upset. Sisko
knew that Dax was usually calm and rational. He had
hardly ever seen her or Dax's last host Curzon lose their
tempers. It looked like Dax was on the verge of doing
just that now.
"Spit it out, Old man," Sisko said.
Dax came to a halt in front of his desk and leaned
over it. Fire flashed in her eyes. "Julian is hurt
because we keep disregarding his feelings."
Sisko's brow furrowed in confusion.
"He came to OPS not five minutes ago, in a very
cheerful mood," Dax told him. "He looked like he was
back to his old self. Then he heard Miles when he made a
rude and hurtful comment. Kira didn't help when she said
it would be too soon before she saw Julian in OPS again.
After he left, they were still making rude comments."
Sisko was doubtful. "Are you sure you aren't just
being a little overprotective?" he asked gently.
Dax's blue eyes flashed. "You didn't see him,
Benjamin. With every comment, he seemed to close in on
himself a little more. When he saw me looking at him, he
knew that I knew. Benjamin, he was so hurt, and
embarrassed that I knew that."
Suddenly, she seemed to deflate, and she pulled
back. "What's worse is, I think we've been doing this
since he arrived on the station." She turned an
imploring gaze on the captain. "We have to do something
about this, Benjamin."
Sisko leaned back in his chair. "What would you
suggest?"
"We should talk to him first," Dax said decisively.
"He needs to know that we didn't intend to hurt him, and
that we want to make it up to him."
Sisko frowned. "'We'?"
Dax looked at him incredulously. "Yes, 'we'.
Benjamin, he looks up to you. He's always looking for
your praise. You mean to tell me you don't see him
working so hard to give you what you need from him?"
Sisko looked as if he wanted to say something, then
shrugged.
Dax shook her head in disbelief. "This is what I
mean! We never take his feelings into consideration! Or
even notice how hard he's trying to get our approval!
This is what we need to fix!"
"All right," Sisko said soothingly. He stood. "If
you're that concerned, then let's go see him."
Dax gave him a heartfelt look of gratitude. "Thank
you, Benjamin."
Sisko nodded. "And if it turns out you're right,
we'll have a little chat with some of our staff
individually. The last thing I need is to have a doctor
with low morale."
Together, the two left the office in search of
Bashir.
End Chapter Four