(Day 4)
Now that they were officially up for the day, Garak and Bashir had endeavoured to keep each other awake. The helmets and tanks they had to wear, while bulky and restrictive, were helping them feel more like themselves and had made a significant difference to their mood. However, they were still plagued by the ever-dropping temperature and were sat tightly huddled together under most of the available blankets. More aware than they had been previously, they could both now discern just how cold and desolate Garak's quarters had become and were shivering accordingly.
Julian was also somewhat on edge, trying to surreptitiously scan and keep an eye on Garak's current mental state. He needed to ensure they avoided inducing another panic attack as he may not be able to counteract the effects should it happen again. Garak had point blank refused to put on the pair of gloves which had been in the med kit, no matter how icy his fingers were. Apparently, having his hands covered was too much for him to bear on top of the mask. Julian had begrudgingly settled for placing the heated stones and himself as close to the Cardassian as possible to evenly share the warmth. He knew how much it had cost Garak to admit why he wouldn't wear the protective items and had greatly appreciated his uncharacteristic candour.
Thankfully, the warning alarms had stopped of their own accord which offered some minor sensory relief. Julian was quietly optimistic. Perhaps the Defiant's crew were making steady progress on the station? He could only hope their rescue would be soon, they were both in desperate need of a warm meal and some rest in more comfortable surroundings. Julian didn't think he could fully relax until he got Garak's temperature back up and was able to run a complete body scan to check for any lingering effects of their ordeal.
Garak was obviously aware of the Doctor's sly glances and attempts to disguise scanning him with the tricorder, the young man was like an open book. He found that, despite himself, he drew comfort from Bashir's vigilance and trusted him implicitly to keep him out of danger. Not that he would ever verbalise such a thought to his companion.
If the circumstances had been different, Garak would have normally delighted in telling Bashir off and offering up a couple of his own techniques for him to practise. Severely watered down, of course. The Doctor didn't need to know just how all-encompassing his training with the Order had been. At this point Garak wasn't entirely sure where his instincts ended, and his learned behaviours began. It was inevitable really, given that it had all started further back than he could remember.
Garak was jolted out of his introspection by an unexpected sound. He smirked as he felt Bashir violently flinch next to him in surprise and reassuringly nudged him with his shoulder.
"Sisko to Bashir. Doctor, I'm happy to report that we have transporters available. Are you and Mister Garak ready to be beamed over to the Defiant?"
Julian was relieved beyond measure; it was finally done with. After Garak's bright eyed confirmatory nod, he activated his comm badge and responded. "Captain Sisko? We are both more than ready to get out of here! Two to beam up."
- - -.
Several days later, Julian woke up in the familiar surroundings of his infirmary. He was pretty disorientated but managed to sit up and clamber shakily to his feet as soon as he was able. He couldn't see any other patients and had to check on Garak. Who knew how long he'd been in here, unable to offer his friend any medical assistance?
Nurse Jabara's stern voice stopped him in his tracks, making him feel like a child who'd been caught sneaking chocolate before dinner.
"Doctor Bashir! Get back into bed this instant, you need to rest."
Julian allowed himself to be forcibly encouraged back onto the bio bed. Once seated, he adjusted the incline so he wouldn't be lay flat on his back. There was no way he would be doing any more sleeping. He already felt like he'd been out of it for weeks. Before he had even consciously formed his next thought, Nurse Jabara held up her hand and answered his question without needing to hear it. Julian mused that the woman had some sort of telepathic gift. Or, he thought sheepishly, she simply knew him well enough to know what he was going to ask.
Nurse Jabara gave Bashir a full update. "Mr Garak has already discharged himself and left the infirmary earlier this morning. Not that anyone actually saw him leave. He somehow managed to slip out undetected during the night shift handover. You did well to keep his temperature up, by the looks of things to the detriment of yourself. He only required treatment for a case of Cardassian Chilblains in the end, which he repeatedly told us he could manage back in his quarters. Despite this, he stayed longer in the infirmary than I expected. If I had to guess I'd say he remained here, not because of medical advisement, but to keep a watchful eye on your progress."
Pausing, Nurse Jabara crossed her arms and frowned disapprovingly. "Considering how long you were stuck on the station without life support; you were both very lucky. By the time I was able to get back here and properly look the pair of you over, your condition was the more serious of the two of you. It has taken us three days to get your levels back to normal, you went into shock almost as soon as you boarded the Defiant. Frostbite and Hypothermia are not minor ailments to be taken lightly, Doctor. I would have expected you to have looked after yourself better! But, given your circumstances, I can see where your attentions were directed. Cardassians are a hardy species but like the Klingons and many others, they don't do well in the cold."
Julian noticed Jabara's face harden at the last statement. He was always acutely aware that she (like all the Bajorans) suffered during the Cardassian occupation and would therefore be aware of any exploitable weaknesses in the armour of their oppressors. Julian knew how much treating Garak in his absence would have grated on her nerves, not that he doubted her care and professionalism. Jabara was an integral part of his medical team and had been an invaluable asset since he'd first blundered onto the station. Her unwavering stoicism had been jarring at first, but over the years they had learned to appreciate each other and now worked very efficiently together.
Julian nodded. "Thank you Jabara, it sounds as though you had your hands full with both of us. I trust everything else is in order. How was the station once everyone was able to return?"
Nurse Jabara raised an eyebrow. "I think you'd be best discussing that with Captain Sisko and Lieutenant Dax. They both wanted to be notified when you woke up. From what I've heard, there were some irregularities with the spread of the system failures. The station's whole computer system did go down, but only a particular section of the habitat ring bore the brunt of the damage. The localisation could suggest that deliberate tampering caused the issue. Fortunately for you, the rest of us were able to get straight back in and quickly return to normal."
Julian raised an eyebrow of his own. "Hmm, deliberate tampering you say? How odd."
Meanwhile, Julian's mind was running on overdrive. Could this have been an attempt on Garak's life? If so, was the Tailor still in danger? He knew that Dukat could well be behind this, it seemed petty enough. Of course, on the other hand, it wouldn't surprise him at all to find that Garak himself somehow played a part in the whole thing. It was possible, the man was perpetually five steps ahead of him and had a flair for the dramatic. He was always running behind, trying his best to keep up. He eagerly followed Garak's twisting tales and riddles as though they were his very own breadcrumb trail. Julian lived in hope that one day he'd be allowed a glimpse inside the fabled gingerbread house and be given a chance to share in the secrets. Gosh, maybe he did need to get to bed. Even to his own frantic mind, he was making less and less sense.
- - -.
By the end of the afternoon, having been thoroughly checked over and debriefed, Julian made his way home. He was much more exhausted than he'd let on and couldn't wait to have a hot shower in the comfort of his own quarters. Also, he still had more than a few problems to puzzle out in his mind before he could rest properly. He fully intended to approach his gloriously unpredictable friend tomorrow to clarify a few things. One thing he could be certain of; it wouldn't be a dull conversation, or a simple one. It never was where Garak was concerned.
