Lol have another chapter. I don't know what I'm doing. But I suddenly randomly have time to write this. Use it wisely and fanficiton.

Chapter 18: Frontier

"This facility simply isn't equipped to handle a medical emergency of this type, Major!" It didn't matter, though. She wasn't listening. Could he blame her—after all, Julian had only just called her home the "frontier." Practicing real frontier medicine, he'd said. A wilderness. Untamed.

Well, perhaps that last part was true.

"I don't care—Commander, he's going to die unless we do something!"

"Major Kira…" Even Commander Sisko couldn't get a word in edgewise? Julian marveled. This woman was a wonder. If all Bajorans were even a fraction as hot-headed as this red-haired Major Kira, it was little wonder how the Bajorans won their independence.

"Commander."

"Major," Julian broke in again. "You have seen the condition of this station; I assure you, the infirmary is…" He hesitated, looked to Commander Sisko for some support but found none. So he looked to the major again. "I assure you, the infirmary is no different. Complex surgery is, for the moment, out of the question."

"Call back the Enterprise," Major Kira suggested. "Their ship isn't torn to shreds; I'm sure the doctor could…"

When Major Kira's voice trailed away helplessly, more than any moment previous, Julian desperately wanted to help her. Never mind that a life was at stake. But he didn't understand that life. Did any of them, really? Julian had only heard of the "incident" in passing a few years ago, but…

"It is our best chance, Commander," Julian pointed out. "But we aren't exactly sure what he is and no one has any clue at all what that is." With that, Julian pointed at the snake-like creature in the container on the desk. It was the only thing in the room not broken, for one thing.

Teal'c, the other alien entity that insisted the snake was dangerous, was now unconscious, down in the infirmary. Such as it was, anyway… Julian crossed over to the desk and leaned down to look at the snake and wondered just how dangerous it could possibly be. He didn't want to take the chance, of course. But dangerous as it was, Teal'c apparently couldn't live without it.

"Can you just—I don't know." Major Kira spread her hands apart before clasping them back together again. Julian could tell she wasn't used to asking for things. "Just until we can figure something else out, Doctor?"

"I suppose…" Julian sighed. "I am already doing all I can to keep him alive, Major. If he gets much worse, there will be nothing I can do."

"Do the best you can," the commander ordered before addressing Major Kira. "I will request that the Enterprise return, Major, but I can't promise anything."

"That's all I ask, Commander," Major Kira agreed.

When Julian made to leave ops, Kira was on his heels—again. As though her hounding him would do any good? Julian hadn't come up with anything to say yet, though. After all, his inaugural conversation with her had been something of a disaster. They stood side by side in the lift, silently for several minutes until Julian decided he was probably thinking too much about it. He took a breath to speak.

"Let's be clear, Doctor, very clear," Major Kira interrupted. "As far as I can tell, you are the only Starfleet officer positively thrilled with being here. Even Commander Sisko barely tolerates being here. Now, I don't see any Bajorans that share your sentiment, do you?"

She paused and, since he thought he was supposed to, he answered. "Um… no. No, I don't. Not right now, anyway…" he mumbled, looking at the wall. Funny how interesting a wall could become in times like this. He didn't realize it, but he smiled. There was nothing hysterical in the slightest about the wall as it slid to a slow stop, but he almost laughed.

"You think that's funny?"

"No, you know what I think is funny, Major?" Julian asked, turning away from the wall and towards her. He pointed a finger up at her and said, "The fact that I'm going to help you—that all we're all trying to do is help you, all of you—and all you can think about is getting me to shut up."

Suddenly light-headed, as though everything he'd pent up to say against the major had flooded out and left some massive hole in his brain, Julian rushed toward the infirmary where his patient waited. Hopefully, Major Kira wouldn't follow so quickly. What did he think he was saying—all those things! What was he thinking? Did he think? He paused at the entrance to the infirmary and leaned in, looking at the floor, all the scattered debris everywhere. He smiled. Maybe he thought too much too often.

He quickly removed his smile though, and went to the bedside. Teal'c's. He was the only person in the infirmary, and, even though the lights weren't working consistently, he could see the shine off the sweat beaded on his brow. That strange gold emblem in the center—was it unique to his species or was it a mark of societal stature? He was a large man—well, large if he was human. Perhaps all of his people were this way… Julian had no way of knowing.

"Doctor?" The major had caught up with him quickly, and then it seemed like he wasn't even there. She went to stand beside Teal'c and was silent for a long time. Julian collected some blood samples and went to the computer quietly, hoping that he could get the thing working long enough to save this man's life… if that was even possible.

"Major?" he said quietly after several minutes had gone by.

"You must think I'm a terrible person," she muttered, squaring her shoulders and staring straight ahead. She wandered to the side a bit and stepped on a piece of metal, but didn't flinch.

"No…" Julian assured her. "No, I don't think that at all; you're—you're worried about your friend." He smiled in her direction when he saw her look at him with that confused kink in her brow. Of course, Bajorans managed to look confused much of the time… maybe it was the nose-ridges. "How did you meet? You and—um…"

"Teal'c," the major helped. "To be honest, I have no idea where he came from. He said he was from…" She paused to laugh and then spread her hands apart in a gesture of bewilderment. "He said he was from another universe."

"That's what they say," Julian agreed and then mentally hushed himself. For once, he and Major Kira were conversing without it being a shouting match. He couldn't ruin this moment. Because, heaven knew, it would only be a moment.

"I heard that," she said quietly with a nod as she looked at Julian. "But that makes it even more remarkable, don't you think?" When all Julian offered was a confused shrug, she explained herself. "If he's not even from this universe, then… what was he doing on Bajor fighting the Cardassians? Why would he risk his life to help people that he doesn't even know?"

Julian did his best to hide a smile. It would be best not to draw parallels, not in his head and certainly not out loud. Now, that would lead to a shouting match… "It, um…" Julian offered with a nod, holding up a vial of a sample of blood. It was Teal'c's blood… but there was something familiar about it. Very familiar. An alien he had seen before, perhaps… "It sounds like he has a good heart," he went on, thinking all the while If these damn computers were working…

And he was so busy with that, he almost missed it. Major Kira looked at him, half a smile showed. She tried to make it go away, admittedly a half-hearted effort on her part, shook her head, and looked back at Teal'c.

"Doctor Bashir!" He looked up and smiled broadly at that voice. Jadzia Dax came into the infirmary and sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. "The com system has been going up and down. The Enterprise is on its way back."

"Oh, call me Julian," Julian said with a nod, trying to think of a way to get her to stay. Unfortunately, he couldn't. "And thank you. That's excellent news, Major. Jadzia—" Suddenly he stopped. That hole in his brain from saying too much to Kira… it was gone, now. Completely gone.

"My god! Jazdia, you're beautiful!" he exulted. Julian laughed and looked at his medical equipment and the debris everywhere. It was—beautiful! Everything! Everything was just beautiful! So that was where he had seen it before! He knew it'd been somewhere—but he might have never figured it out if not for Jadzia Dax.

"Julian." Jadzia didn't look particularly angry, but not pleased, either. Major Kira on the other hand…

"What has gotten into you, Doctor?" Major Kira demanded.

"Trill, Major!" Julian laughed, practically prancing over to Jadzia, around behind her, and then out onto the Promenade like an ecstatic dance… in which only he was involved. But he didn't care. "She's a Trill!" He bolted down the Promenade then to the lift. He had to talk to Commander Sisko! Possibly Starfleet Command. Definitely the Trill government and the Symbiosis Commission.

"Julian!" Jadzia called from the entrance to the infirmary. Major Kira joined her there and the both stared. "Where are you going?"

Declining to answer, he whirled around into the lift, put one hand on the bar and watched the Promenade disappear beneath him. Jadzia, the major, everyone was looking at him like he was insane—absolutely insane! Wasn't it wonderful? "Frontier medicine, Major!" he crowed. "Real frontier medicine!"