"I have some good news. Kallim is doing much better. The newest treatment is working, and he's responding positively. He should be back on his feet in no time." Julian was still riding the high of having finally solved the medical mystery that had been plaguing him for days, and at least for the moment seemed to have put his past squabbles with N'ivryn behind him.

N'ivryn broke out into a wide smile, her relief evident. "That's wonderful to hear, Doctor."

"I'll need to keep him here another day or two for observation, just to be sure there are no unexpected side effects."

She looked to Kallim playing at the back of the infirmary with one of the nurses, brightly colored children's toys scattered around them. The low level containment field was still up–out of an abundance of caution–and it dulled the sounds of his happy babbles.

"Of course, that seems wise. I take it you were able to identify what was wrong?"

Bashir nodded. "Yes, it had me stumped for some time, at first I was sure it had to be some sort of infection, the inflammation didn't seem to make sense otherwise. But later I started wondering if it might actually be a genetic defect of some sort."

"...and that's when O'Brien and I realized during our racquetball game," Bashir continued, his eyes twinkling with the excitement of the discovery, "that the defect wasn't just an isolated mutation but a part of a broader genetic pattern, one that clearly evolved in response to a specific environmental factor."

N'iv's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You came to this conclusion while playing racquetball?"

Bashir laughed. "Well, yes. You'd be surprised at how much scientific brainstorming can happen on the court. O'Brien's not just an engineer; he has a knack for thinking outside the box. He suggested we look at the problem from a different angle, and that led to a breakthrough."

N'iv couldn't help but smile at Bashir's enthusiasm, though her internal panic continued to mount. "These environmental factors, do you have any details on what they might be?"

"The radiation signature we detected in Kallim's cells was, in fact, very familiar to his genetic structure. What we initially thought to be an illness was actually a gene mutation attempting to optimize for a completely different factor."

Her brows furrowed. "A different factor? What does that mean?"

"It seems Kallim's species has evolved in a high-radiation environment, and their genetic code can adapt to various changes. But in Kallim's case, this adaptive mutation started to target something unrelated to the radiation, something we haven't been able to fully map yet."

He looked at N'ivryn, his eyes bright with scientific curiosity. "And in doing so, it compromised his ability to survive in his natural, high-radiation environment. It's a trade-off; the gene optimization towards this new factor led to a vulnerability to the very radiation his species has adapted to."

N'ivryn's heart skipped a beat, her mind reeling with the implications. "So, you're saying his illness is an evolutionary misstep?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Bashir affirmed. "It's like his genes were trying to solve a different problem and, in the process, created a new one."

She tried to keep her voice steady, though she felt a knot of fear in her stomach. "And this radiation...you said it's linked to his home planet?"

Bashir nodded, oblivious to N'iv's growing concern. "Indeed. With Dax's assistance, we've narrowed down potential locations based on this new information." Something within restrained him from adding the part about cross-referencing Dax's estimations with the flight plan logs the Andorian delegates had managed to retrieve from deep within the Valiant Glory's navigation system. Somehow, bringing down the mood of such a celebratory moment with a heavy blanket of suspicion felt mean spirited.

N'iv forced a smile. "Really? That's quite impressive."

"Yes, the specific signature of the plasma radiation is actually fairly unique which has been a great help. The most likely source is somewhere in the Badlands, which would explain why you and I both had such difficulty tracking down any leads on it. Sisko, Dax, and O'Brien actually just left in a runabout early this morning to see if they're able to locate the planet."

N'ivryn's face fell. She couldn't help it, not now. "In the Badlands?" she asked tenuously, her throat suddenly feeling much too dry.

"I know, and believe me, they're well aware of the dangers of navigating the area. Sisko insisted it was worth the chance at reuniting Kallim with his people, not to mention making first contact with a new species. And Dax was confident she could triangulate the search with additional scans."

She looked again to Kallim, wishing she could run over and scoop him up, then run off somewhere safe. But where could she go? Her ship was still inoperable, and it wasn't like she'd be able to make it very far even if it were.

"This is good news," Julian assured, watching her face. "He's going to live, and he won't have to live the rest of his life isolated from his own kind."

"Yes, I suppose you're right." She tried to force an unaffected smile, but it came out pained. "I guess I was just starting to get a bit attached."

The doors to the infirmary slid open, and Odo walked in, followed by an extra security guard. His expression, as always, remained unreadable.

"Constable," Julian greeted. "I was just relating the good news regarding Kallim's improving condition."

"That is good to hear," Odo said tersely. "There's more news. Major Kira has just received word from Captain Sisko and the others."

N'ivryn's heart pounded in her chest, but she forced a curious smile. "Oh?"

"The runabout crew has located the planet and made contact with its people," Odo explained, watching her closely.

Julian's eyes widened. "Well that's great! So they've found Kallim's home?"

Odo's eyes narrowed slightly, and N'ivryn felt control slipping away. "Indeed. But it seems our understanding of the situation was incomplete. We've been informed that the boy was kidnapped from his planet."

The room seemed to freeze for a moment, the words hanging in the air. Julian's face fell, his joy replaced by confusion and concern. N'ivryn felt her stomach drop, her mind reeling. She had to maintain control, had to keep her composure.

"Kidnapped?" Julian stammered.

Odo's gaze was fixed on N'ivryn, his expression hardening. "It seems there's a few things our guest has neglected to tell us, namely, that she isn't Andorian at all."

Julian stammered to say something but he didn't know what words to use. N'ivryn swallowed hard. There wasn't anything she could say either. Not now.

Odo's lips thinned, and he gestured to the security guard. "N'ivryn, you are under arrest on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping of the child and for the continued deception relating to your identity. You will be taken to a holding cell where you will await further questioning."

Julian's shock was palpable, and he looked from Odo to N'ivryn, disbelief in his eyes. Her mind raced, but her face betrayed no emotion as she stood, her posture calm.

"If that's what you believe is necessary, Constable," she said quietly, her breath measured but shaky.

He turned to the security guard. "Escort her to the holding cell."