Disclaimer: While the attempt has been made to be medically accurate, some artistic license has been taken, and statements made by Dr Bashir are not to be regarded as authoritative. Recognizable characters and plotlines are the property of Paramount and Viacom; all original characters and story © 2020 FemaleChauvinist.
Cover drawing of syhop © 2020 FemaleChauvinist
Do not post without permission. Do not copy/print without including the above disclaimer in its entirety.
A/N: This story takes place about seven years post-show, in my alternate history in which everyone stays on the station. Bashir and Jadzia Dax are married, and have twin girls named Jade Zia and Julie Ann. Sisko and Kasidy's baby was also a girl, whom they named Jenny. See my profile for more on my alternate history. Barbie
"So the Gallibran dignitary is expected to arrive a week from today," Sisko confirmed. "How are the plans for the reception coming?"
"Everything's moving smoothly," Dax assured him.
"You know more about the species than I do; are there any cultural conventions we need to be aware of?"
Dax glanced at her PADD. "I see he's bringing his wife?"
"Yes."
"Well, I'm afraid it would be considered an insult to him for you or any other male to greet her, or for her to be invited to the reception."
Sisko scowled. "One of those backward cultures? I hope that doesn't mean he's going to treat the female members of my staff as servants."
"No, sir," Dax replied. "They're tolerant of the fact that other cultures feel differently, and afford women the same respect as do the males of their species."
"Hmm. So if I see him treating our women less than respectfully, I should take it as reflecting badly on me?"
Dax grinned. "That won't be a problem here, sir," she assured him, then glanced again at her PADD before continuing. "He needs separate quarters from his wife and daughter."
Sisko scowled.
"I've heard the males can be quite loving and affectionate in private," Dax offered.
Sisko sighed. "As long as there's no evidence of actual abuse going on, I suppose it's not my place to say anything. I'm not comfortable ignoring her completely, though; would it be appropriate for you and Kira to greet her?"
"Just one of us," Dax amended. "We can't be seen to be giving her more respect than him, and it might better show you feel women are your equal if you have one of us greet him."
Sisko nodded. "All right, as long as you're sure it isn't an insult. And what about his daughter?"
"Just a child, I think."
"Then what about bringing the twins along?"
Dax smiled at the thought of her and Julian's seven-year-old daughters. "They'd be thrilled," she agreed.
"That's settled, then. We can go over the plans again later in the week and make sure we haven't missed anything."
oOo
"Now, remember how I told you to behave," Jadzia warned, putting the finishing touches on the twins' hair. "It's a very important honor to be part of the reception committee, and you need to make sure the girl feels welcome."
Two identical heads nodded, though Julie looked a little hesitant.
"It's all right; I'll do the talking," Jade assured her.
"That's fine," Jadzia agreed. "Julie, you just have to smile nicely and not hide behind your sister."
She paused to adjust the collar of her partial dress uniform, then took the twins by the hand. "Let's go; Daddy should already be up there waiting."
The girls skipped eagerly at Jadzia's sides, though Julie hung back a bit when they neared the docking bay, a place they normally were not permitted to go. But her timidity was forgotten the instant she caught sight of her father. "Daddy!" she cried, dropping Jadzia's hand and running toward him as if she hadn't seen him in weeks, closely followed by her sister.
Julian grinned and squatted to catch them in his arms, holding them tight for a moment before Jade wiggled free. Not ready to leave him yet, Julie sat on his knee and leaned back against him, and Julian stood with her in his arms. "You girls know what to do?"
Jade gave a long-suffering sigh. "Yes, Daddy. Mummy told us…three times."
Julian reached out and tweaked her nose. "Then I'm sure I can trust you to behave appropriately." He kissed Julie and set her down beside her sister. "Come on, we need to join the others; the ship has docked and it's almost time for the doors to open."
"We're not late, Julian?" Jadzia questioned, following him to where Sisko and Kira already stood waiting.
Julian shook his head. "I think they arrived a couple minutes early, but as long as we're all here it doesn't matter."
They took their prearranged positions, Julian joining Sisko and Kira on what the Gillibrans considered the side of honor, Jadzia on the other side with the twins in front of her.
The dignitary in his flowing robes was the first to leave the ship, and Sisko stepped forward to greet him, briefly including Dax as he introduced himself and his senior staff. As the men moved off into the station, Dax stepped forward to greet the man's wife.
Next the twins were to greet the little girl, but at the sight of the furry bundle she carried, all of their carefully planned speeches fled from their minds.
"Ooo!" Jade exclaimed. "What is that? It's so cute!"
The girl giggled. "This is my syhop; you can pet it if you want." *
Jade reached out eagerly. "Oh, it's so soft — feel it, Julie!"
"We're Julie and Jade Bashir," Julie said shyly, belatedly remembering the introduction as she stroked the syhop's rabbit-like ears.
"An' we want to welcome you to Deep Space Nine," Jade added, not to be outdone by her sister.
"Thank you," the girl replied, for a moment adopting the stiff formality of an adult. "I am Emazalialda — but you can call me Emzy," she added, sounding like a little girl again. She looked back and forth between the twins, both now cooing over the syhop. "How do I tell you apart?"
"No one can," Jade admitted. "Only Mummy and Daddy. I'm Jade, but it's okay if you get it wrong."
"Emzy," her mother called, "come along; Mrs Dax is going to show us to our room."
Jade wrinkled her nose. "'Mrs Dax'?"
"Isn't that right?" the woman asked, turning back to Dax with a look almost of alarm.
Dax paused for a slightly scolding look at Jade before smiling in reassurance. "It doesn't matter."
"But it's not correct?"
"No…properly I'm either Commander Dax, or Mrs Bashir — being a joined Trill married to a human makes it a little complicated."
"Which do you prefer?"
"Usually I go by Dax, but if you're more comfortable with Mrs Bashir, that's fine — I'm sure Julian thinks he doesn't hear it enough anyway."
The woman nodded regally. "Mrs Bashir, then. Come along, Emzy," she added again.
Fast friends already, the three little girls chattered eagerly as they followed Dax and Emzy's mother through the station to the habitat ring and the quarters that had been arranged beside the dignitary's own.
"Mummy, can we stay and play with Emzy and her syhop?" Jade asked.
Jadzia smiled, grateful Jade had remembered to include Emzy in her request even if it was the syhop she was most fascinated with. "Not today; we need to let Emzy and her mother get settled in. Say goodbye, and maybe tomorrow we can invite Emzy to bring her syhop to our quarters to play."
Emzy eagerly accepted the invitation, but when she arrived the syhop in her arms seemed sleepy and not alert as it had the day before. The girls tried to play with it for a while, until finally Jadzia suggested letting it sleep and playing with some of the twins' toys instead. "Probably it's tired from the trip here," she suggested. "Play for another hour, and then we'll drop the syhop at your quarters and pick up your mother to go to the replimat for lunch."
"All right," Emzy agreed, and soon the twins were busy showing her their games.
oOo
That evening a formal reception was being held to welcome the dignitary, and he stopped to visit his family before getting ready.
"What's wrong, pet?" he questioned, observing his daughter's sober face.
"My syhop's sick," Emzy said, looking up at him with huge, worried eyes. "Can we get the doctor?"
The dignitary gently stroked his daughter's hair. "He's a doctor, not a veterinarian, Emzy; he won't treat animals."
Emzy lowered her gaze, not arguing her father's decision. "Goodbye, Papa," she said soberly.
He stroked her hair one last time. "Goodbye, pet." Leaving her sitting alone stroking her syhop's soft fur, he moved into the other room for a few minutes of privacy with his wife.
oOo
"Whoever designs these dress uniforms must never have to wear them," Bashir grumbled, running a finger around his collar; "they always make the neck about half an inch too tight."
"Why don't you have Garak alter it?" Jadzia suggested from the other part of their quarters where she was also dressing for the reception.
"I don't wear it often enough to remember," Bashir explained. "It's too late when I'm dressing for an event, and afterward I put the uniform away and don't think about it again until next time." He ran his finger inside the collar again, tilting his head back in an effort to get rid of the vague feeling of being throttled.
"I thought you claimed to have a photographic memory," Jadzia teased.
"I do," Julian protested. "That doesn't mean I'm constantly thinking about everything I remember."
"Fair enough," Jadzia admitted. "Fasten my bracelet for me?"
"And how come you get to wear mufti?" Julian complained, his eyes sweeping appreciatively over her gown as he took the bracelet she held out.
"You're the one who doesn't like seeing me in my dress uniform," Jadzia pointed out; female crewmembers were allowed the choice between dress uniforms or formal attire.
"That's right," Julian agreed quickly, though he would never tell her the full reason why. Though considered unisex, the dress uniforms were still distinctly masculine in appearance; after seeing her wear it Julian had to force himself to make love to Jadzia as the reality of Dax's past male hosts was brought vividly to his mind. The everyday uniform did not inspire the same association and revulsion, perhaps merely because of long familiarity.
But he had never told her any of that; it was enough for her to know that he appreciated seeing her in feminine dress occasionally.
"You look gorgeous," he added, deftly fastening the bracelet and lifting her hand for a moment to his lips before tucking it in the crook of his arm.
"You don't look bad in full dress yourself."
Julian grimaced. "I just hope it doesn't last too long." He raised an eyebrow suggestively, and Jadzia laughed. "So you can get out of that collar…or to get me out of this dress?"
He grinned at his wife. "Maybe both. Ready?"
Jadzia smiled and nodded, and the two left their quarters; the twins were already at the O'Briens', where Molly was watching them and Sisko's daughter Jenny. They would stay there all night, and were thrilled at the prospect of a sleepover. They had begged to invite Emzy as well, but Jadzia had said Molly already had enough to handle until her parents got back from the reception.
Jadzia didn't remain on Julian's arm for long, as the staff drifted and mingled with the other reception attendees.
"Good evening, sir," Bashir greeted the dignitary as he found himself next to him, apparently by chance. "Enjoying the reception?"
"Oh, yes, it's quite nice," he replied distractedly, as if his mind was elsewhere. "You're the doctor, right?"
"Yes; Julian Bashir, at your service. Why; is something wrong?"
"I don't suppose you treat animals?"
"Not typically, no, but there's no particular reason why I couldn't. I'm a xenologist; sentience is about the only difference between animals and some of the species I have treated." He let his eyes drift over the dignitary, but didn't point out that he himself was at least as alien to Bashir as any animal could be.
"Except they can't tell you what feels bad," the dignitary pointed out.
Bashir shrugged. "Neither can infants, or patients brought to me unconscious. And there was that time the universal translator went down when I had an infirmary full of patients who didn't speak Federation Standard… What's all this about; is your little girl's pet sick?"
The dignitary appeared startled. "You know about it?"
Bashir chuckled. "My daughters have been talking about nothing else for two days; next thing they'll be begging for a syhop of their own. Come to think of it, they did mention it seemed a bit sleepy earlier."
The dignitary appeared slightly uncomfortable. "I'm sure it's fine, but Emazaleialda is worried about it…"
"Well, as long as I don't have any human patients in need of care, I don't mind taking a look at it." He glanced around the room. "They'd miss you, but I could probably slip out early; want me to go over now?"
"If you're sure nobody would object…?"
"They could hardly object to my doing a favor for the guest of honor. Let me just tell Jadzia where I'm going, and I'll head on over."
The dignitary nodded regally, slipping away to mingle with the other guests as Bashir scanned the faces for his wife. Catching her eye, he beckoned to her, and in a moment she had joined him. "Miss me already?"
Julian grinned. "Of course. Actually, I just wanted to let you know I'm leaving; the dignitary said his daughter's worried about her syhop, so I told him I'd run down and have a look at it."
"You just want to get out of that dress jacket," Jadzia teased.
Bashir chuckled, tugging at his collar again. "You got me," he admitted. Then he sobered, his eyes turning serious. "I'm not doing it just as a favor, Jadzia; I'm glad he decided to come for me, because I need to make sure whatever it has isn't communicable to humans — especially since my daughters were just playing with it. Anyway," he added more lightly, "that's what you can tell Benjamin if he asks what I'm doing leaving early for an animal."
Jadzia smiled. "Have you forgotten he has a daughter, too? If Jenny had a sick pet, he'd have you up in the middle of the night if necessary. However, he might be a little jealous that you found an excuse to get out of your tight collar…"
Julian grinned and pulled her close for a quick kiss before disappearing from the room.
He stopped at his own quarters long enough to change his uniform and grab his medkit, and then went down to the guest quarters where the dignitary's wife and daughter were staying and rang the door chime.
The dignitary's wife answered it, appearing slightly surprised to see a uniformed male. "Yes?"
"I'm Dr Julian Bashir; your husband asked if I could come check on your daughter's syhop."
The woman's eyes softened with affection and gratitude for her husband. "Come in," she invited softly, gliding ahead of him with the Gillibrans' undulating three-limbed walk. "Emzy, your father asked the doctor to come see your syhop."
The little girl looked up from where she sat on the bed with her lower limbs coiled around her. "Oh, please, he's awful sick! I have to hold him, 'cause he can't breathe when I set him down." The rainbow-dyed appendages around her face drooped in concern, and her huge dark eyes looked at him with a pleading he would have found impossible to resist even had he wished to.
"Let's check it out, then," he agreed, crouching and touching the creature's soft fur as it huddled gasping in its mistress's arms. ** He had familiarized himself with the Gallibran race, as he always did with any new species that came to the station, but he had not thought to become equally familiar with their pets — though, he mused, he probably would have if he had known they were bringing one aboard. But he would do as he always did in such situations, comparing it with other species to which it was similar, and going by an instinct that seldom failed him.
"May I?" he questioned, reaching for the syhop.
As Emzy relinquished it into his arms, it emitted a harsh noise somewhere between a sneeze and a cough, and he noticed a white crystalline substance around its nose and mouth.
That seemed familiar, he mused, seating himself on the bed beside the girl. If the species was new to him, at least the disease might not be. Gently opening the little animal's mouth with two fingers, he saw that the crystals had also formed in its mouth and throat, leading him to believe there would be more coating its lungs as well.
"We can take care of this," he assured Emzy, expertly running his tricorder over the little creature. The numbers wouldn't tell him much without a baseline reading of normal, but the scan confirmed his suspicions about the lungs' involvement. Fortunately, he mused, the disease wasn't communicable to Terrans or Gallibrans; only lupine species would be affected, and to the best of his knowledge there were none on the station now. Making a mental note to tell Sisko that for the next month any incoming lupines would have to be vaccinated, Bashir opened his medkit and took out a hypospray and medicine vial.
He calculated the dose carefully as for an infant, then brushed his fingers through the animal's thick, soft fur. "Is there a spot where the fur's thinner?" he questioned.
"Under the base of his tail," Emzy replied.
Bashir gently turned the creature to access the area, finding it almost bald; certainly close enough to use the hypospray without shaving it first. It was an unorthodox location, of course, but it should be just as effective.
The syhop was already showing signs of distress, and Bashir quickly injected the medication and shifted it back to the position in which it seemed able to breathe the easiest.
"All right, little one," he soothed, stroking its head. "Let's see about getting those lungs cleared out." He took out the portable respirator and the smallest mask, adjusting it to fit the syhop's face as best he could. He fit a vial into the port, an inhaled medicine that would dissolve the crystals in the syhop's respiratory passages.
Bashir slipped his aural monitor into his ear, moving the listener over the syhop's chest and back. As the crystals dissolved, the rasp of its breathing changed to the thick sounds of congested lungs. "Cough," he urged the little creature; "you'll feel a lot better if you get all that out." Setting the monitor aside, he began rubbing and massaging its chest to stimulate the lungs, until at last it began coughing in short harsh barks. He alternated slapping its chest and back to loosen the dissolved secretions, until at last sputum began to appear at its mouth. Bashir wiped it away, then as the animal seemed to be chocking, suctioned out its throat.
Its breathing seemed easier after that; as Bashir adjusted the mask back over its face, it attempted to curl up in its accustomed sleeping position.
Bashir stroked its soft fur thoughtfully. "He's still pretty sick, but I don't think he's in any immediate danger right now."
"Thank you," she whispered.
Bashir smiled. "You're welcome." He continued petting the syhop almost absently. If it were human, he would have had it in intensive care, but he couldn't justify using a biobed for an animal, even if it was otherwise unoccupied.
"I'm going to take him back to my office to keep an eye on him," he decided. "He's going to need more chest treatment and medications, and I don't think I should spend the night here. You can come visit him in the morning," he promised with a smile.
"Can you take his bed?" Emzy asked anxiously.
"Of course," Bashir agreed. "I'm sure he'll be much more comfortable with something familiar."
Emzy jumped off the bed and glided to the corner of the room to pick up the soft, padded box. "Here," she said, watching anxiously as Bashir gently laid her pet inside. "How long until he's better?"
"Um. About a day or two, I should think, if I can keep his lungs clear so he doesn't develop pneumonia. If he does, it could be at least a week."
"We're only here another four days," Emzy said soberly.
Bashir smiled reassuringly at her. "Then I'll do my best to have him healthy in four days," he promised, closing the medkit and slinging it over one shoulder before hooking the respirator to his belt. "Want to tell him good night?"
Emzy nodded, fondling the syhop's ears and leaning close to whisper to it before kissing its head. Bashir winced mentally, grateful the illness wasn't communicable to Gallibrans.
When she had finished, he picked the bed up and once more adjusted the mask that had never been designed to fit a syhop's face. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, then."
"Okay," she answered, looking strangely alone and bereft as he carried her pet out the door.
Bashir sighed a little as he set the syhop's box on his desk and checked to make sure it was in no distress, thinking of Jadzia in that dress and the night alone they had planned together with the twins at the O'Briens'. "Would've been easier if she had gone with the uniform," he murmured, settling himself behind the desk with a medical journal on his datapadd.
He waited until he was sure the reception would be over before tapping his combadge to call her. "Sorry; I'm not going to be able to make it home tonight."
"That's all right," Jadzia assured him, unable to fully hide the disappointment in her own voice. "It's pretty sick, then?"
"Yes. I'm pretty sure I can pull it through, but it's going to be a little close; it should have seen a doctor about five hours sooner."
"Sorry, Julian; Emzy did say it was extra tired this morning, but I never thought of calling you."
"I'm not sure I want to be called in whenever anyone on the station needs a nap," Bashir commented dryly. "Anyone, I'll be sitting up with it in my office if you want to drop by…"
Jadzia chuckled. "No, thanks; at least one of us might as well get some sleep, and you claim you don't need it anyway."
"Fair enough. Good night, Jadzia."
"Good night."
oOo
Bashir kept a close eye on the syhop through the night, giving it additional medication and chest treatments as necessary. By morning, he was pleased to see that it had improved enough to show a bit more interest in its surroundings, nuzzling at his hand when he petted its nose. Bashir chuckled, brushing its ears down as they popped up with interest. "Well, little fellow, looks like we can let you go home this morning."
He got breakfast for himself from the replicator, along with a small dish of what he had read syhops ate. It showed little interest in the food yet, nibbling at a piece only when he offered it by hand. But then, maybe its doting mistress had accustomed it to being hand fed.
By the time Emzy arrived to check on her pet, he had changed into his everyday uniform, taking the time to freshen up in the little infirmary bathroom. He was especially grateful to have bothered when he saw to his surprise that it was Emzy's father who had escorted her to the infirmary. For a moment he almost wished he had kept on the dress pants, but quickly dismissed the thought; half and half looked sloppier and more informal than a plain uniform did.
"How is it doing, Doctor?"
Bashir smiled. "Much better," he assured him. "In fact, I think your daughter can take it home now." He lifted the creature and place it gently in Emzy's eager arms. "I'll stop in once or twice a day to check on it and give it its medication, but it should be almost completely recovered by the time you leave."
"Thank you, Doctor," the dignitary told him. "I appreciate your being willing to treat something out of your sphere."
Bashir smiled with a half shrug. "Well, some things are very much the same across all species." And as he watched the two of them leave with Emzy cuddling her pet and her father's arm wrapped around her shoulders, it wasn't medicine he was thinking of.
THE END
* Illustration for this scene can be found at deviantart . com [slash] femalechauvinist [slash] art [slash] Welcoming-Committee-862506748
** Illustration for this scene can be found at deviantart . com [slash] femalechauvinist [slash] art [slash] Sick-Syhop-862506864
I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!
Please note that I have only minimal internet access, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. (But they are much appreciated, even if you're reading this story long after I originally post it!) If you have questions regarding my Deep Space Nine alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie