Fools Rush In by Teal

Chapter Twenty Two

Doctor Bashir wandered out into the waiting room. He had an unsettling sense of déjà vu as he scanned the room about him. Jadzia's friends all looking up at him, waiting expectedly for the news he would deliver. He smiled grimly and then looked directly at Worf. Julian realized he deserved the news first.

"She's stabilized. She lost a great deal of blood. It was touch and go there for a while."

"Will she recover?" He asked, looking and feeling much more anxious than he felt comfortable with.

"I don't know yet. It's a wait and see situation. I'm sorry I can't be more positive than that." He frowned. "Despite everything else, she was already in a weakened state. There's just no way of knowing."

Ezri went over and sat down next to Worf. "Is there anything you need?" She couldn't believe he was going through this again. How much more could he stand? At least this time, there was a chance.

He frowned. "No. May I go in, Doctor?"

"Of course." He replied, not sure who it would help more, Worf or Jadzia.

Worf entered the recovery room. There she lay, pale and gaunt. An altogether too familiar sight. He exhaled and sat down next to her, the start of what would become a three day vigil.

On day four, Jadzia awoke, sharp stabbing pains met her as she attempted to sit up, so she lay back quickly. Alive, she thought, somehow, amazingly alive. It was then she heard snoring next to her, and recognizing the sound, grinned. Worf. He sat at the side of her bed, head tilted back against the wall and feet propped up onto another chair. He must have sensed her watching him. He awakened and sat up quickly.

"Hi," she said cheerily.

He smiled back at her. "Good morning." He pulled her hand into his carefully. "How are you feeling?"

"Uncomfortable," she said, trying to twist herself into another position without using her stomach muscles. Not an easy task. "You know," she began, looking intently into his eyes," a girl could get used to this."

"Being nearly killed?"

She laughed at him. "No, That I can do without. The being rescued part." She squeezed his hand. "It's romantic."

"I will soon have to begin charging you a fee." He deadpanned, his eyes holding a slight twinkle. She responded by hitting him with her free hand, and the smile in her eyes spoke volumes to him.

Just then, Doctor Bashir entered. Jadzia half expected Worf to remove his hand, but his grip only grew tighter.

"I thought I heard you. Welcome back." Julian greeted her.

"Thanks Julian." She smiled kindly at him and then, growing more serious. "How's my mental state?" She sounded nervous.

"If you mean, are you insane, you're not."
"Why did I run then? It was about the most horrible experience I can remember, Julian, and I know none of it was real." She felt Worf's fingers tighten again around hers, attempting to comfort her.

"You're right and wrong about that. It was very real in many ways. Maybe not what you were experiencing, I don't know what it was you saw or heard that frightened you so much. But, what you were feeling was extremely real. And it wasn't at all your fault." He held out a glass tube which was encasing a tiny speck that rattled around as he held it out to her.

"What's this?" Jadzia examined it carefully. "A computer chip?"

"Not just a simple chip, I'm afraid. It holds a series of synthetic hallucinogens, which were time released."

"And that was in me?"

"In your brain, to be more specific."

"My brain?" She shivered, realizing she didn't remember anything about having them done anything technical to her head, and wondering what else she couldn't remember.

"Yes, located near the hypothalamus. It was triggered naturally by chemicals your body produces during a normal reaction to fear."

"When I saw Jorath's face, I felt intense fear, even though I didn't ever remember seeing him before."

"That was probably psychologically induced. Purposefully. This is a very sophisticated device, years of research and programming went into this."

"I was brain washed?" She asked incredulously.

"In a manor of speaking, yes. I've deduced from my own research that the chemicals housed in this one chip would be enough to drive ten of the largest, most muscular and healthy people temporarily insane. I have a feeling if this was used on someone in a weakened desperate state they would be overcome in minutes. You basically didn't have a choice. You were "programmed" to run right back to them. It's rather ingenious, if you think of it. Cruel and inhumane, but very practical in a frightening sort of way."

"You sound as if you admire them, Doctor." Worf said disgustedly.

Julian looked surprised. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I don't admire them, rather the opposite. And, I intend to take my findings directly to Star Fleet. This would go a long way to explaining the low escape, high mortality rates that Cardassian penal colonies currently have, and to why there was so little security at the site where Jadzia was being held."

"So, will I ever have an episode again?"

"If you're asking me if you're cured, yes, physically you don't have anything to fear."

"But mentally?"

"To be honest, I don't know what the long standing consequences will be. I am recommending you should see a counselor as soon as possible, to help you through your experience." He could see that she looked very nervous. "Wait here, and I will go and get you a list of names that may be helpful." Julian excused himself.

"What about speaking to Ezri?" Worf suggested.

"I don't think that will work. For one thing, she's a little to close to me to see my problems objectively. And for another, "she paused looking for the right words, "I'm not going to be staying on the station."

"Where would you go?" He asked tentatively, his face void of emotion.

"I really hadn't thought about it yet. I just know I can't stay here. One Dax on this station is plenty. Besides, I need to go some place and make it my own. I don't really belong here, and I've known that for a while." She thought back, remembering the loneliness she felt once Worf had left the station, realizing that she didn't fit in here at all with out him. The Jadzia that belonged here was gone, and she couldn't step back into those shoes, even it she had wanted to.

Worf sat watching her, not really hearing her explanation. He couldn't let this happen. Before he could say anything, Julian came back in with a list of Star Fleet counselors with backgrounds that would be helpful to Jadzia. He was about to hand it over to her, when Worf interrupted him.

"She wont be needing that list, Doctor." Jadzia looked over at Worf obvisouly surprised.

"And why is that, Worf?" asked Julian, the sound of irritation clearly in his voice.

"The list you have compiled are of Counselors in the area. She won't be in this area while she recovers." Worf finished his sentence and locked his eyes onto Jadzia's. He could see that she was curious at his butting in, and suddenly wondered if he had made the right decision.

"And where will she be?" Julian asked, dismayed, looking back and forth between them. It dawned on him that they no longer seemed to even realize he was in the room.

Worf took a deep breath, steadying himself for battle and leapt ahead, not knowing if he would fail miserably or succeed, only knowing he had to try. His heart, beating with life for the first time in nearly two years, had led him to her, and he would not betray such a gift.

"She is going home," he said with an extreme confidence which in no way reflected the turmoil he felt inside.

Jadzia's eyebrows rose in question, clearly confused by the direction Worf was taking the conversation. Then the meaning slowly become clear as her gaze continued to meet his.

"Home?" Julian questioned.

"With me, to Kronos, where she belongs." He'd said it as clearly and honestly as he could, not leaving any detail to question. He wanted her. Jadzia's face immediately lit up, the smile in her eyes leaking out and spreading across her face as a sunrise creeps over the horizon.

Her smile, the look in her eyes, the squeeze of her fingers around his, was all the encouragement that Worf needed. He had won her heart again. He spoke sideways to Julian, not wanting to break their connection. "When can she leave?"

Julian, fully expecting Jadzia to balk at the idea was caught completely off guard when she did nothing but grin girlishly back at Worf.

"I, um, well, in a couple more days, I suppose."

"Fine, Doctor. Thank you."

"I'll check in on you later." He said, off handedly, and excused himself from their room.

The energy between them was tangible and at the same time, immeasurable. Worf was afraid to look away, fearing that it would break the bond between them. It was then that Jadzia decided to speak, and she chose the most perfect thing to say.

"Well, if we're moving off the station, you'd better get packing."

His eyebrows lifted. "You agreed you would pack my things."

"I just didn't get to it." She shrugged.

"You are always procrastinating. If you did not want to do it, you should have never agreed to it in the first place." He was growing irritated are her irresponsible manor.

"I've been busy, you know! I was brainwashed after all!"

Worf knew what she was doing, and it was the most fun he'd had in years. He would not allow her to win this time.

"I have grown tired of your excuses. My things should have been packed and sent off to me long before," he paused for effect, "your breakdown."

"Breakdown? Breakdown? You act as if that were my fault! Besides," she said, releasing his hand and crossing her arms over her chest triumphantly. "If you hadn't been so scared to stick around here in the first place, you could have done it yourself!"

"I am afraid of nothing!" He stood, towering over her, trying to get the upper hand.

"HUH!" She yelled back, sitting taller. "What about your first Targ?"

Now, that was a low blow, bringing up his first pet Klingon pig. His brow lowered at her and he gripped the table where she lay.

Out side the room, Ezri and Julian had been talking about Jadzia's impending departure. Ezri had felt saddened by the prospect of her leaving before they could get to know each other. Upon hearing Worf and Jadzia's argument, she beamed with pleasure. Everything was working out perfectly.

"I can't believe it, they are actually in there fighting! Well, I'll put a stop to that, right now."

"I wouldn't do that, Julian." Ezri tried to stop him.

"Look, she's in there, vulnerable and recuperating from what must have been an agonizing experience, and he's in there yelling at her."

"She's doing plenty of yelling back, Julian," she said, listening slightly to the on going battle being carried on in the next room. She thought she heard furniture being thrown. That was a good sign. She was about to explain it all to him, when he rushed off in a huff towards the voices, but halted when the fighting abruptly ended with a loud crash.

"That's it!" He said, stomping off before she could grab him.

"Julian, no!" She grappled after him, but he was out of reach.

Inside the other room Julian stood, jaw hanging open low enough for him to easily insert his foot. His face flushed at what was before him. Jadzia and Worf were locked in the most passionate embrace that Julian had ever had the misfortune to witness. The good part was they were too enraptured to notice him. The bad part was he couldn't seem to get the momentum he needed to back out of the room. Ezri came rushing in, blushed properly at what she saw, and yanked him thankfully out by the back of his uniform.

Once in the clear she admonished him. "I told you not to go in there!"

He just stood there shaking his head in complete bewilderment.

"What is it?" Ezri asked.

"I will never understand what either of you see in him!" He said, looking absently back at the room.

"Julian," she started, pulling him in closer to her, "It doesn't matter what I saw in him, it's what I see in you that counts!" She smiled broadly and kissed him soundly on the mouth. Julian's surprised face transformed into one full of wonder, her reaction expelling any doubts he still harbored about Ezri and Worf's relationship, and decided that the best plan of action would be to simply kiss her back.