Warning for gambling games and conversations about atheism.
Book canon is not present. This is the last chapter.
Summary: Bashir is summoned to treat a patient before the Dominion War breaks out. He inadvertently discovers a lot about Garak's past.
It was a beautiful planet. The sky was vibrant with color and the ground was covered by red grassy plants. Large hills stood off to the horizon, intersected by valleys and streams. The air was pleasantly warm and the oxygen level was slightly higher than that of Earth's atmosphere. The natural wildlife flourished. There were large glittering insects, fragrant plants, and fat rodents. Julian's human vision immediately focused on the red haze of the scenery. He observed how the color range greatly differed from Earth's terrain.
"Well, this is nice."
The figure that had materialized beside the doctor hummed in agreement. A many-legged glimmering insect zipped by them as Julian watched. His eyes were alight with curiosity that made the older man smile.
"Right, it's a quarter of a mile south east." Julian started off and the tailor followed.
Elim had insisted on carrying the bulk of the medical equipment. The doctor had reluctantly allowed him to bear the heavier machinery, knowing that Garak liked to make himself useful.
Together, the two friends hiked through fields and muddy stream banks. The land was relatively flat. Old glacial boulders and mountains were to the north. As they tracked through the crimson grass, Bashir voiced his curiosity aloud.
"You still don't know who asked us here?"
The Cardassian sighed. "The record keeping on Eglan III is mediocre at best and unintelligible at worst. Any one of my old cohorts could have requested our presence here. We might be walking into a trap. Remain vigilant, doctor."
"But the transmission said that a Federation ambassador was involved. Is there any chance that one of your old cohorts could have worked their way into the Federation?"
Julian's foot suddenly sank into a muddy stream bank. His long arms wind milled about for balance. Elim doubled back and grabbed Julian's flailing wrist. He pulled the doctor out of the muddy indention in the soil.
"Careful. Indeed, I wouldn't put it past any of my old acquaintances to worm their way into an organization like the Federation."
"It sounds like you either have a lot of faith in your old friends or you're uncertain about Federation security."
Garak smiled in response. He refrained from commenting, careful about offending the doctor. They traveled slowly through the scenic valley while the sun continued on its course over the horizon. They kept up a pleasant conversation as they lugged the equipment. Quite suddenly, the Cardassian stopped walking.
The tailor stiffened, going very still as if catching a scent.
"What is it?"
"It can't be…" Elim's breath hissed out.
The tailor started walking more swiftly in the lead. His pace quickened until he was jogging.
"Garak, what's going on?"
Elim ran and Julian was forced to pelt after him. Slowly, a dwelling place came into view. It was large and low to the ground, made of metal support beams and wooden siding. The architecture was vaguely Cardassian, as if someone had constructed it from distant memories of Cardassian art. The trees and vegetation completely surrounded it. The tailor surged forward as if hounds were at his heels. He ran up to the door and flung it open with no compunctions.
"Garak, what-!"
He did not seem to hear him. He went inside, throwing caution to the winds. Julian followed shortly, ready to apologize on Garak's behalf. The house did not look abandoned. The floorboards creaked under their feet as they tramped heedlessly through the structure. The Cardassian stepped through what looked like a small sitting room and his hand hovered over a door handle to the next room. His breathing stuttered as he threw open the door. They were met with sight of the being that dwelled there.
The room was covered with cushions that supported an enormous figure wrapped in blankets. The body was similar to that of a Terran lizard, but with some distinct differences. It had long and willowy limbs covered by crinkly skin. The snout and shoulders had a tree bark-like texture.
"Elim?"
The doctor glanced over at his friend. Garak had gone very still. The Byzallian held up a withered hand, reaching towards the Cardassian. The tailor's lips had pursed outward in shock. His blue eyes became very wide and he ceased to breathe for a moment.
"Elder." Elim walked towards the being and knelt by their side. He took their hand in his and bowed his head in respect.
The incredibly long fingers of the Byzallian reached out and tenderly stroked the Cardassian's hair. Garak leaned into the touch like man starved for affection. The light brown and scaled hand combed through the raven colored hair and tucked it behind the tailor's ear ridges.
"Elim, I have missed you."
Julian watched the shockingly sweet scene with a jaw that threatened to drop. His first thought was that the two were former lovers, despite the wide age gap, but then he observed the almost worshipful respect. It was similar to a child reunited with a guardian. The Byzallian's voice was thin and raspy, like the rattling breeze through a grove of trees. The being was not quite humanoid. Julian had seen a Byzallian before, but never one of this size. Like many Terran reptiles, they grew larger as they aged.
"Who is your friend?" The individual's eyes twinkled with amusement.
"Oh, excuse my lack of manners. This is Doctor Julian Bashir. He's come here to help you."
The wrinkled mouth stretched into an attempted smile. "Ah, you're the doctor. I'm afraid my time here is coming to a close, but your presence might ease the process."
Julian nodded in understanding. "I'll help in any way I can."
He observed the way Garak was sitting contentedly beside them. The hand was tracing along the nerve cluster behind the tailor's ear while Elim stroked their withered arm. Julian knew that was a surefire way to calm a Cardassian, but he had never used the method before. It worked like a mild sedative if done repeatedly. Julian had always thought that touching that area might infringe on Garak's trust. What he did not know was that Cardassians clearly enjoyed it. Elim blinked lazily at them, tilting his head like a cat searching for a scratch behind the ears.
"Elder, you're going to send me to sleep." The warning was gentle and faintly amused.
"Surely there is time for rest."
Elim hummed. "I suppose there is, but the doctor needs to examine you now."
Garak slowly pulled away. The Byzallian watched Julian as he started setting up his scanning equipment. The patient stayed immobile while he took multiple biological scans of their body. Bashir calculated up a dose of painkiller for them. They were entirely stable for the time being. The light dose managed to make the being drowsy and they looked close to slumbering. Elim did not leave their side for nearly an hour until the Byzallian told him to attend to Bashir's hunger in the kitchen.
The doctor started, having no recollection of voicing a request for a meal. It was true that he was feeling insistent hunger pangs. He accepted the thoughtful gesture and followed Garak into the adjacent dining area. He had rigged up a monitor of the Byzallian's vitals to let him know if they were in danger.
Garak bustled about in the kitchen with familiarity. There was Cardassian food in the house. He served himself and Bashir. It took a matter of seconds to locate, heat up, and serve. Bashir had offered to help but the tailor told him that the matter was easily handled. The table and appliances were simple and low to the ground. Julian perched on a cushion as he sat at the table.
"The Elder is sleeping," Elim informed him.
"How do you know?"
"Our minds were bonded a long time ago."
Julian hummed as he sipped the red leaf tea. The dishware was comically large and the two tall men were dwarfed by the enormous furniture in the cramped space. Julian cupped the bowl-like beverage cup in his hands. Garak's usual guarded posture fell away to something more relaxed.
"What is your relationship to the Elder?"
The tailor shrugged casually. "There isn't a name for it in your language, doctor. The closest terms that resemble our connection would be that of a close friendship or a mentor and a scholar."
Bashir watched him with a furrow in his brow. "How did that happen? Did you meet on Cardassia? You never mentioned the Elder to me before."
Elim smiled with a secret gleam in his eyes. "Yes, we met on Cardassia, but our second meeting was of greater significance."
Julian waited, watching him closely. Garak had never spoken so openly before.
"Doctor, Cardassian families bond to each other in indefinable ways. Tain and I never formed a true connection. My exile was the crux of the event that led to my relationship with the Elder."
"Would you tell me about it? That is…if we don't wake the Elder up."
"Byzallians sleep deeply. I suppose I should divulge the nature of our meeting. The Elder has been urging me to tell you ever since we arrived."
It was clear that the Elder held a powerful emotional hold over the tailor, so that their mere suggestions were taken as orders. Garak cleared his throat and shifted his hands agitatedly. After a long look at Bashir, he began the tale.
"Our first meeting was at a ceremonial event when I was a young man in Tain's service. The Elder was a representative of his people. Among the Cardassians there, he sought me out. We discussed politics and philosophy. The Elder had interesting views and they were uncommonly generous. Their species is mildly telepathic. They don't invade minds or plant suggestions. They seek to form emotional connections and they sense discomfort or pain."
Julian had the answer to how the Elder knew he was hungry.
"I found the Elder's charitable attitude initially disconcerting. I was taught to conquer and claim all other species. Here was a being that offered all their knowledge and resources freely. I had turned away, calling them a fool. I never forgot the exchange." Garak paused to take a long draught of tea before he continued.
"To understand the rest of tale, doctor, you must first grasp that the Obsidian Order doesn't permit their operatives to leave. The penalty is death and even the closest associates of Tain were not immune. I was officially exiled and left for dead at a space port in orbit of Cardassia. Tain thought it was more suitable than a swift execution."
"Left for dead?" Julian felt that something important was being omitted from the story.
"I was ill at the time. The Elder was visiting the port and I sought them out, hoping that they were charitable enough to provide sustenance so I wouldn't die from starvation. After being cast out, I knew that death would soon follow. At least it would be by my own hand and not from an insignificant biological function."
Julian had fallen silent, listening to the sobering tale. There was pain in Garak's voice.
"The Elder took me to their home planet in the Alpha Quadrant and treated my injuries-"
"Injuries?"
"I…had been penalized, doctor…without my cranial implant being activated. There was internal bleeding and I was not expected to survive. The Elder saw me through the fevers and confusion. At first I fought back against them. I wasn't lucid. The Elder created a mind bond with me to ensure my survival. It's difficult to loathe one's perceived enemy when one understands them implicitly. When I knew that they didn't seek to dominate me, I put my wellbeing in their hands. As I healed and my body recovered, the connection developed into a buffer from past events. Exile no longer meant a death sentence.
After a time, I knew that I must seek a life away from Cardassia, but close enough to return as soon as it became possible. I came to Terok Nor. Shortly after starting a tailoring business, the station was taken by the Bajorans and the Federation. It was then that I met a certain young doctor. You know the rest of this tale, I think."
Bashir was uncharacteristically silent. His brow furrowed and he bit his lip.
"Why are you telling me all of this? It took over a year to learn your first name and now you're telling me nearly all of your personal history within a few minutes."
"Doctor, you've seen the Elder. There is not much time for obfuscation if I wish to fulfill their wishes within their lifetime."
"I suppose. The Elder still has about a week…maybe two."
Elim hastily stood. "Let's not dwell on such matters. I suppose I should show you to the guest room the Elder revealed to me. The climate is suitable for sleeping outside, but the local vermin can be a trifle irksome. Step this way."
Bashir and Garak stayed with the Elder for several days. The Byzallian treated Elim like the prodigal child returned. While Elim was clucked over, Julian was left to the business of easing the Elder's pain.
After a time, the two friends did not mind the skittish furry rodents and they slept outside. Whenever the sun started to set, they brought their blankets outdoors and gazed upon the stars. The Elder was too weak to join them. The Byzallian remained connected to Elim's mind and they were able to survey the scenery through Elim's eyes.
As the two stared up at the night sky, the doctor voiced a question. "What do you think happens after we die?"
Elim blinked over at his companion, gauging his expression. Bashir's muscles were limber, relaxed. It was not his usual posture for debate.
"Why do you ask? You know that I'm not a religious man, doctor."
"Hmmm. But Cardassians used to believe in gods, at least before the reformation. I suppose I'm asking you personally. What do you think happens to us when we die?"
Elim rolled over, propping himself up on his elbow and surveying the human.
"My dear doctor, your motivations for asking such a question is an important element in continuing the conversation."
Bashir's fingers twitched agitatedly. "I'm asking out of pure curiosity."
"Ah, I see." Elim slid back down and interlocked his fingers over his stomach. He gave a thoughtful hum. "I suppose I believe what your so called 'atheists' theorize in the grand scope of things. Once the body breaks down, that is the end of the conscious state."
Bashir was silent, reveling in the peace of the night. The bugs chittered and the smell of the tall grass swept around them.
"And you, doctor? You've managed to procure an honest answer from me, now it is only right that I know your thoughts on the matter."
The Starfleet officer cleared his throat and shifted to get comfortable on the hard ground. Staring up at the stars that were light years away, along with dark energy, black holes, and ion storms, the thought became rather petty. Who were they to wonder if their matter and cells remained intact in some fashion?
There were billions of lives out there traveling and exploring. There were people being born and facing death. He had thought this over many times, but here with Garak the question seemed brand new. His relatives were primarily Muslim, but he had taken on Starfleet's agnostic views.
"I don't know."
"You've never answered a question like that before."
"It's true that I don't know what to think. Our bodies change so much while we're alive. Our cells are replaced, photons rebound off our skin, and we leave biological traces everywhere. If we have an afterlife, would we go through similar changes? Would we be corporeal? It doesn't seem as far-fetched with some things nature has shown us so far, but it's something I'm uncertain about."
"Major Kira would be disconcerted to hear you say that."
"I suppose so," he murmured.
Garak scooted closer. The cool night air was blowing in.
"What has you so morose this evening? I thought you were glad to be off the station for a change. You even have another doctor filling in your post."
"I am!" Julian agreed emphatically. "I suppose it's just that the Dominion is looking to start a war and I lost two patients last week. There was nothing I could do. Now with the Elder..."
Elim found himself tongue tied, unsure whether to offer comfort or to express an opinion. Human culture was a mysterious thing to him at times like this. If he were speaking to a Cardassian, he would have assured him that Cardassian casualties were honored as having defended Cardassia's Union to the very last. Humans were more self-centered than the average species, but that was not to say they were particularly selfish. Their faiths and cultural practices focused on individuals rather than the populace as a whole.
"Don't mind me. It's just been a rough few weeks." Julian's tone was dismissive.
"Well doctor, should you ever need to speak of it…I would listen."
Silence fell along with the dark curtain of night.
The beginning of the dilemma was subtle. Sometimes Garak would be mentally conversing with the Elder and they would have a supporting arm around him. Julian would be passing by, rearranging a piece of medical equipment. The doctor glanced over at them with an inscrutable expression and both Garak and the Elder felt an emotional blip of discomfort.
It surprised the tailor and the source was difficult to trace. It was too personal to be prudishness. It happened several more times while the doctor tended his patient. The Elder was stable. Julian made himself useful by making them classic Cardassian meals he learned from the Elder's data books. He would sometimes clean the house though it hardly needed cleaning. Garak would try to help, but Julian shooed him away to keep the Byzallian company.
All the while, the doctor's emotions had the same spikes when he saw them together in displays of affection. One late afternoon, Bashir made them dinner and he came into the sickroom and brought dishes with him. Garak was lightly dozing, his head on the sickbed with his fingers intertwined with his mentor's. The sound of something shattering made them start. Bashir looked down with dismay at the bowl-like cup he had dropped. Adding oddity after oddity, the doctor swore angrily and he set down the other dish. He started picking up the shards of crockery.
Jealousy
The two aliens in the room had felt it clearly. There had also been a short wave of anger directed inward.
"Allow me to help." Garak slowly stood and went to assist with picking up the shards.
"I-It's fine, Garak. I'll go get something to clean this up."
As the doctor left the room, Elim followed him. He felt the Elder's warning and advisement of caution in addressing the issue.
"I have it handled Garak, thank you. I was just being clumsy."
"You're incapable of being clumsy, doctor."
The human shrugged and pulled open a cabinet to find the atom scatter cleaner.
"What was it that alarmed you?"
"Nothing alarmed me."
"Come doctor, I have always been tolerant or at least patient with your thoughts and views. Have I broken some code of conduct you would expect from me?"
"No, nothing like that! I'm pleased that you and the Elder are able to comfort each other," the doctor's voice caught for a moment.
"But there is something about the two of us that unsettles you."
"It's nothing, really."
The sharpness of the doctor's tone made the tailor pause and blink.
"Just-" Julan sighed heavily. "You shouldn't have to worry, not when you need to focus on helping the Elder."
"The Elder wishes to learn about what is troubling you as well, doctor. Your patient would be more at ease knowing how to assist you through your own discomfort."
Julian abandoned the atom scatterer and faced Garak.
"We're making an issue of a matter with no significance."
"Even so."
The doctor shrugged. "It's really nothing, Garak."
"So you keep saying."
Elim had an idea of what was bothering the doctor. He had felt something similar before he met the Elder. He remembered the jealousy, the slow simmer of envy whenever he saw happy Cardassian families together. Tain had never bestowed physical affection on him except for that one day in the country when they held hands.
"Let's partake of your delicious meal first and we'll discuss it. Hmm? It's the least we can do with all the medical and cooking assistance you've provided us." As he was speaking, the Cardassian gave him a casual hair ruffle. It was not too brisk or too jarring. Bashir blinked dazedly at him, clearly shocked. Elim smirked and gathered up the remaining dishes.
Garak had always had physical relationships, even with his friends. Julian had tensed in response to his attentions. The tailor had thought it was discomfort. He had ceased his friendly arm pats and all other physical contact. At first he had thought it was a human response, but other humans had been more tolerant. In the end, he had accepted it as a personal quirk of the doctor's. It would appear that his initial analysis was insufficient. Like him, Bashir would squirm away from contact out of the foreignness of it.
As the Elder's time grew short, Bashir and Garak kept a vigil. This time, the doctor was included in all affectionate gestures. The results would have been amusing if they had been ignorant of what his responses meant. His yelps and occasional flinches bespoke of something darker, an element of the doctor's past that had gone unspoken.
Julian steadfastly looked after them and kept the Elder in a painless state. The doctor's plight was momentarily forgotten while the Byzallian started to doze more frequently. The Elder would pass away soon.
Elim slept by their bedside during the last few days. The Elder could no longer speak aloud. The Byzallian slipped into a deep, coma-like sleep. The Cardassian paced the sickroom often and he stopped eating. All the meals Bashir made were left untouched as Elim waited for his mentor to wake. The doctor chided him and bribed him to eat to no avail.
During the morning two days after the coma, the medical monitors started buzzing. The Elder's breathing had slowed along with their heartbeat. Seconds later, they were deceased. Elim stayed with the body for 15 minutes and then excused himself from the sickroom. He went outside. The doctor let him grieve in privacy for nearly an hour before he came running after him.
Several days after they had returned to the station, Chief O'Brien switched up his darts routine and brought several packs of cards and some chips with him to a table outside Quark's. Bashir had accepted the new games with eagerness. An engineer friend of Miles's joined them as they played Texas holdem and Poker. The young woman left when she needed to go on duty.
Garak was closing up his shop for the day when he heard a familiar bark of laughter from across the promenade. Elim was steadily coming out of mourning thanks to the efforts of the doctor. He was eating regular meals and keeping up a light work schedule.
Events left their mark on his young friend as well. Bashir tired easily after the long trip. Today he seemed lively enough…at least emotionally so. The tailor's curiosity was piqued by the sound of Bashir's hearty laughter. The Chief and the doctor seemed to be playing Terran card games. Elim had seen Terran gambling before, but he could not spot latinum on the table. They must be playing for enjoyment.
Garak stepped up and watched the game over the doctor's shoulder.
"May I join you?"
Miles shrugged and Julian smiled. The Cardassian brought a chair over and Julian dealt him a hand. The doctor dropped out of the card game. He sat quietly while he watched the tailor and the engineer play. The reason for his dropping out became apparent when he started nodding off. The doctor tilted precariously in Garak's direction. When Miles became irate about having to fold, Julian shifted even closer. The tailor's tunic looked comfy…
Elim frowned as he studied his new hand of cards, going over the rules in his eidetic memory. Sometime during the Chief's vocal complaints, the tailor felt a sudden warm weight press against his back. He froze. A small smile flitted across the tailor's features for a moment before he focused on the game. The Chief noticed the doctor slumped over the Cardassian.
"If you're so tired you should just go back to your quarters," Miles advised.
Julian gave a muffled mumble against the back of Garak's shoulder.
"He says that my scapula is more comfortable."
"Suit yourself."
They finished up their game of Poker and started Blackjack.
"I'll be dealer," Miles said as he picked up the deck. He eyed Julian's dozing form.
"He's been like that ever since you two got back…very friendly. What happened during your trip? The Captain's been keeping it all hushed up."
"He's trying to preserve the privacy of an old friend we visited. I believe that the friend in question had a significant influence over the doctor," the tailor said.
"I'm glad Julian met them. He seems a lot happier, more genuinely happy I mean…none of that fake stuff he playacted before."
"That he does," Garak agreed
Julian gave a sleepy huff against his back.
The End
This is the end of the series in interest of ensuring my continued health. Thank you all for reading these stories and leaving lovely reviews. May you live long and prosper!