Chapter 17
Quia natura mutari non potest idcirco verae amicitiae sempiternae sunt. Since nature
cannot change, true friendships are eternal. (Horace)
Vicki Ann knew she would be in trouble. She had no idea where Julian was, except for the
nagging feeling she had in her head. She didn't know what she would encounter when she
arrived. She just knew that she had to repay Julian for helping her get out of Section 31,
even if she died trying.
Julian Bashir was chastising himself for trying to get himself rescued. But, then again, he
needed to get out of there before he lost his sanity. That is, if he hadn't already. He'd
been in the prison cell for three days already and it didn't look like they were going to let
him out anytime soon. Sid had mumbled something about, "When you've learned your
lesson." and then laughing at the reference to Julian being a child. He felt like one, though.
He remembered that Garak had said that his father used to lock him in dark closets as a
child. Julian was beginning to know how he must have felt. He hoped that Vicki Ann had
received the message and would either convince Kira to look for him or come look for him
herself. Until then, he had keep his head and stay out of trouble.
Vicki Ann checked the sensors. She had landed on a planet that had just felt right. There
was not building ahead, but the sensor readings were strange and that could indicate
some kind of cloaking device. She grabbed her med kit, which she had outfitted with a
tricorder and a phaser in addition to the usual components. She beamed herself to a
deserted part of what she perceived to be the building where Section 31 had Julian. She
had been right. It was a station. She hid in a corner and opened her tricorder. She was
picking up human life signs straight ahead. She modified the tricorder to scan for Starfleet
uniform fibers. Same place, directly ahead. There were two other life signs nearby. She
could take care of that. She'd programmed two hyposprays for sedatives. Taking a deep
breath, she followed the signal and hoped it was Julian.
Vicki Ann was at the doorway to the room where she thought Julian was. She was about
to key in the doorway code when she heard movement behind her. She spun around and
before she could face her attacker, a phaser blast hit her square in the chest.
"What are you doing here, Dr. Troi? How did you find us?" Sid asked.
"My shuttle was damaged and everything but the transporters were down, so I decided to
beam aboard the planet to get help."
"How did you know we were here?"
"Lucky guess."
"Try again."
"The sensor readings."
"Oh, I guess it's a result of your genetic engineering."
"Guess so."
Sid began to pace. "Well, doctor. You shouldn't have done that. And now you're going to
be punished."
Julian looked up. The door had opened and Sid's 'friend's' where carrying someone in. The
person was wearing a Starfleet doctor's uniform with two and a half pips. She had long,
golden-brown curly hair. It was Vicki Ann. By the looks of it, she was barely conscious.
"We brought you a friend, doctor. It appears that she was here to rescue you. It's too bad
she got caught herself." Sid's friends tossed her in and she immediately fell to the floor.
"Sweet dreams, Dr. Troi,"
Sid said, shutting the door behind him.
Julian had managed to talk one of the guards outside into getting him some water. He took
off Vicki Ann's uniform jacket and turtleneck, leaving her in her pants and tank top. He
hoped it was enough to help cool her down. By the extent of her injuries, it looked like
she'd been tortured for information. She was running a fever and if it didn't go down soon,
she'd be dead. He tore off a piece of her turtleneck and dipped it in the water. He ran it
across her forehead, wiping the blood and sweat off her face. Vicki Ann stirred slightly.
Julian heaved a sigh of relief. If she was beginning to wake up, that was a good sign.
A soft moan escaped from Vicki Ann's lips. She was dreaming, probably about her
interrogation. "Vicki Ann, it's alright. You're fine. No one's going to hurt you now," Julian
said as he tore off a new piece of cloth. The previous one was soaked with sweat and
blood. "Vicki Ann, can you hear me?" If she was awake and able to talk, he would be
better able to assess her condition. "Wake up."
Vicki Ann heard someone calling her name. She recognized the voice. Her brain wasn't
functioning enough for her to put a name or face with the rich accent that had made its
way through the fog she was in. But, deep in the back of her mind, she knew that this
was a nice voice. The person who had that voice wasn't going to hurt her. That voice was
a friend. She managed to gather up enough strength to open her eyes.
Julian smiled when Vicki Ann opened her eyes. "Good morning,"
he teased.
Vicki Ann looked up and was greeted with a smiling face that looked as bad as she felt. His
dark face was thin and pale. He had cuts and bruises all over his face. Finally, her brain
gave her a name.
"Julian, is that you?" she whispered.
He nodded and his smile widened. "Yes, it's me."
It all sunk in. Vicki Ann felt five hundred different emotions tugging at her. She was in
pain, but at the same time, she was absolutely ecstatic that Julian was alive. She smiled
and touched her hand to the side of Julian's face. "I feel like I'm dreaming. Is that really
you?"
Julian laughed. "I'm not a ghost, Vicki Ann."
Vicki Ann squinted. "Come closer. I want to tell you something."
Julian shrugged and leaned toward her. "What is it Vicki Ann? Are you alright?"
She grinned. "I missed you," she said, wrapping her arms around him as tightly as she
could.
Julian smiled. "Thanks, Vicki Ann. I missed you, too." He was relieved when she let him go.
"I know what happened with my clone. How's Ezri?" he asked, his forehead creased with
worry.
Vicki Ann frowned. "Not good, Julian. That's why I came looking for you."
Julian raised his eyebrow. "Liar. You came looking for me because you feel you have to
repay me for helping you with Section 31."
Vicki Ann made a face. "Are you sure you're not telepathic?"
"Vicki Ann-"
"I know what you're going to say, Julian. You're going to say that I don't have to repay
you for what you did. Okay, maybe I don't have to, but I wanted to. Besides, you're my
friend and I wanted to help you."
Julian gave her a skeptical look. "Okay, whatever you say, Vicki Ann."
Colonel Kira sat at her desk, waiting for Ezri to show up for their meeting. She had finally
decided to tell her about Julian. She had spoken to Counselor Troi, who had felt that it
would be good to tell her instead of letting her continue with her delusion. The door hissed
open and Kira looked up. Ezri was standing there, waiting for Kira to see her. Kira smiled.
"Hello, Ezri. Would you sit down?"
Ezri obeyed. "What did you want to see me about?"
Kira sighed. "Well, you know that Dr. Crusher is working in the infirmary."
Ezri nodded. "Yes, she's helping Vicki Ann."
"No, she's not. Vicki Ann has gone AWOL and Dr. Crusher is filling in for her."
"Vicki Ann went AWOL? Why?"
"She uncovered evidence that indicated that the Julian Bashir that died on the way home
from Cardassia was a clone. She believes that Section 31 is behind it. She went looking for
him."
"You mean Julian's missing?"
"Yes, and right now, so is Vicki Ann. Now, Ezri, I want you to continue meeting with
Counselor Troi. And I want you to promise me that you will not do the same thing as Vicki
Ann. I don't want to lose you too."
Julian kept an eye on Vicki Ann long after she fell asleep. Her fever had gone down, but
fevers usually had a tendency of hitting their peak at night. So, he periodically felt her
forehead and if needed, ran the wet cloth across her forehead. Eventually, his own
exhaustion overcame him and he was able to escape the prison in his dreams.
He dreamt of Ezri. He dreamt of coming home to her and never leaving again. He could
picture her, sitting at Quark's or in her quarters, worrying about him like he had worried
about her. He wanted to scoop her into his arms, wipe away her tears, and make her
forget everything bad that had ever happened to her. His mind decided that it would be
best not to dwell on these things and instead, attempted to cheer him up by reminiscing of
his time with her before he had left. If anyone had been in that prison cell, they would
have seen a small smile creep on Julian's face as he imagined himself back in his beloved
Ezri's arms.
Quia natura mutari non potest idcirco verae amicitiae sempiternae sunt. Since nature
cannot change, true friendships are eternal. (Horace)
Vicki Ann knew she would be in trouble. She had no idea where Julian was, except for the
nagging feeling she had in her head. She didn't know what she would encounter when she
arrived. She just knew that she had to repay Julian for helping her get out of Section 31,
even if she died trying.
Julian Bashir was chastising himself for trying to get himself rescued. But, then again, he
needed to get out of there before he lost his sanity. That is, if he hadn't already. He'd
been in the prison cell for three days already and it didn't look like they were going to let
him out anytime soon. Sid had mumbled something about, "When you've learned your
lesson." and then laughing at the reference to Julian being a child. He felt like one, though.
He remembered that Garak had said that his father used to lock him in dark closets as a
child. Julian was beginning to know how he must have felt. He hoped that Vicki Ann had
received the message and would either convince Kira to look for him or come look for him
herself. Until then, he had keep his head and stay out of trouble.
Vicki Ann checked the sensors. She had landed on a planet that had just felt right. There
was not building ahead, but the sensor readings were strange and that could indicate
some kind of cloaking device. She grabbed her med kit, which she had outfitted with a
tricorder and a phaser in addition to the usual components. She beamed herself to a
deserted part of what she perceived to be the building where Section 31 had Julian. She
had been right. It was a station. She hid in a corner and opened her tricorder. She was
picking up human life signs straight ahead. She modified the tricorder to scan for Starfleet
uniform fibers. Same place, directly ahead. There were two other life signs nearby. She
could take care of that. She'd programmed two hyposprays for sedatives. Taking a deep
breath, she followed the signal and hoped it was Julian.
Vicki Ann was at the doorway to the room where she thought Julian was. She was about
to key in the doorway code when she heard movement behind her. She spun around and
before she could face her attacker, a phaser blast hit her square in the chest.
"What are you doing here, Dr. Troi? How did you find us?" Sid asked.
"My shuttle was damaged and everything but the transporters were down, so I decided to
beam aboard the planet to get help."
"How did you know we were here?"
"Lucky guess."
"Try again."
"The sensor readings."
"Oh, I guess it's a result of your genetic engineering."
"Guess so."
Sid began to pace. "Well, doctor. You shouldn't have done that. And now you're going to
be punished."
Julian looked up. The door had opened and Sid's 'friend's' where carrying someone in. The
person was wearing a Starfleet doctor's uniform with two and a half pips. She had long,
golden-brown curly hair. It was Vicki Ann. By the looks of it, she was barely conscious.
"We brought you a friend, doctor. It appears that she was here to rescue you. It's too bad
she got caught herself." Sid's friends tossed her in and she immediately fell to the floor.
"Sweet dreams, Dr. Troi,"
Sid said, shutting the door behind him.
Julian had managed to talk one of the guards outside into getting him some water. He took
off Vicki Ann's uniform jacket and turtleneck, leaving her in her pants and tank top. He
hoped it was enough to help cool her down. By the extent of her injuries, it looked like
she'd been tortured for information. She was running a fever and if it didn't go down soon,
she'd be dead. He tore off a piece of her turtleneck and dipped it in the water. He ran it
across her forehead, wiping the blood and sweat off her face. Vicki Ann stirred slightly.
Julian heaved a sigh of relief. If she was beginning to wake up, that was a good sign.
A soft moan escaped from Vicki Ann's lips. She was dreaming, probably about her
interrogation. "Vicki Ann, it's alright. You're fine. No one's going to hurt you now," Julian
said as he tore off a new piece of cloth. The previous one was soaked with sweat and
blood. "Vicki Ann, can you hear me?" If she was awake and able to talk, he would be
better able to assess her condition. "Wake up."
Vicki Ann heard someone calling her name. She recognized the voice. Her brain wasn't
functioning enough for her to put a name or face with the rich accent that had made its
way through the fog she was in. But, deep in the back of her mind, she knew that this
was a nice voice. The person who had that voice wasn't going to hurt her. That voice was
a friend. She managed to gather up enough strength to open her eyes.
Julian smiled when Vicki Ann opened her eyes. "Good morning,"
he teased.
Vicki Ann looked up and was greeted with a smiling face that looked as bad as she felt. His
dark face was thin and pale. He had cuts and bruises all over his face. Finally, her brain
gave her a name.
"Julian, is that you?" she whispered.
He nodded and his smile widened. "Yes, it's me."
It all sunk in. Vicki Ann felt five hundred different emotions tugging at her. She was in
pain, but at the same time, she was absolutely ecstatic that Julian was alive. She smiled
and touched her hand to the side of Julian's face. "I feel like I'm dreaming. Is that really
you?"
Julian laughed. "I'm not a ghost, Vicki Ann."
Vicki Ann squinted. "Come closer. I want to tell you something."
Julian shrugged and leaned toward her. "What is it Vicki Ann? Are you alright?"
She grinned. "I missed you," she said, wrapping her arms around him as tightly as she
could.
Julian smiled. "Thanks, Vicki Ann. I missed you, too." He was relieved when she let him go.
"I know what happened with my clone. How's Ezri?" he asked, his forehead creased with
worry.
Vicki Ann frowned. "Not good, Julian. That's why I came looking for you."
Julian raised his eyebrow. "Liar. You came looking for me because you feel you have to
repay me for helping you with Section 31."
Vicki Ann made a face. "Are you sure you're not telepathic?"
"Vicki Ann-"
"I know what you're going to say, Julian. You're going to say that I don't have to repay
you for what you did. Okay, maybe I don't have to, but I wanted to. Besides, you're my
friend and I wanted to help you."
Julian gave her a skeptical look. "Okay, whatever you say, Vicki Ann."
Colonel Kira sat at her desk, waiting for Ezri to show up for their meeting. She had finally
decided to tell her about Julian. She had spoken to Counselor Troi, who had felt that it
would be good to tell her instead of letting her continue with her delusion. The door hissed
open and Kira looked up. Ezri was standing there, waiting for Kira to see her. Kira smiled.
"Hello, Ezri. Would you sit down?"
Ezri obeyed. "What did you want to see me about?"
Kira sighed. "Well, you know that Dr. Crusher is working in the infirmary."
Ezri nodded. "Yes, she's helping Vicki Ann."
"No, she's not. Vicki Ann has gone AWOL and Dr. Crusher is filling in for her."
"Vicki Ann went AWOL? Why?"
"She uncovered evidence that indicated that the Julian Bashir that died on the way home
from Cardassia was a clone. She believes that Section 31 is behind it. She went looking for
him."
"You mean Julian's missing?"
"Yes, and right now, so is Vicki Ann. Now, Ezri, I want you to continue meeting with
Counselor Troi. And I want you to promise me that you will not do the same thing as Vicki
Ann. I don't want to lose you too."
Julian kept an eye on Vicki Ann long after she fell asleep. Her fever had gone down, but
fevers usually had a tendency of hitting their peak at night. So, he periodically felt her
forehead and if needed, ran the wet cloth across her forehead. Eventually, his own
exhaustion overcame him and he was able to escape the prison in his dreams.
He dreamt of Ezri. He dreamt of coming home to her and never leaving again. He could
picture her, sitting at Quark's or in her quarters, worrying about him like he had worried
about her. He wanted to scoop her into his arms, wipe away her tears, and make her
forget everything bad that had ever happened to her. His mind decided that it would be
best not to dwell on these things and instead, attempted to cheer him up by reminiscing of
his time with her before he had left. If anyone had been in that prison cell, they would
have seen a small smile creep on Julian's face as he imagined himself back in his beloved
Ezri's arms.