"I always told her the antennae never suited her." Eska entered the room gingerly, hands clasped respectfully behind her back. "It seems you've been able to get her back to her own self again.
Julian eyed the two Bajoran security guards that took their places by the entrance. He didn't like having them crowding up his infirmary, but he had to admit it was better than the alternative. It had been two days, but he still felt uneasy knowing there were people on the station who wanted him dead. "I could use your input on the details. I've had to guess in a few places."
"A little lighter," Eska instructed, indicating N'ivryn's hair. Her gaze lingered on the peaceful, sleeping face and the slow rise and fall of her chest encased in regenerative bio-wrap. She ever so lightly grazed her fingertips over N'ivryn's bare shoulder. "These markings," she added, "Just a bit higher."
Julian nodded gratefully and set to making the adjustments.
"How is she?" Eska finally asked.
"She's stable, but her injuries were extensive. It's possible it could still be some time before she regains consciousness."
"She is strong. And stubborn. She will recover."
"I'm inclined to agree."
Julian turned the conversation toward the matter that had been weighing most heavily on his mind. If he was going to be required to socialize with his attempted assassins, he'd like to at least get some answers out of the ordeal. "Has there been any update in regards to our offer to bring the cure I developed for Kallim to the other affected children?"
"Veylin and Jerith have agreed that we will present your proposal to the other Alar when we return," Eska said calmly. "But I should warn you, you shouldn't have high expectations that they will accept."
"But the illness is not some divine act. We can prove that now," he countered, careful to keep his voice steady and diplomatic. "It's an explainable, observable side effect of the evolutionary process. The evidence is clear, the data undeniable."
"Doctor, we are well aware of what evolution is and how it works." She paced a few steps to the foot of N'ivryn's bio-bed. "But you must understand that in our beliefs, evolution is just one of many tools used by the spirit of Alaris to guide and shape our species."
Julian took a moment to process. "So you're saying that the very evidence I'm proposing, the scientific proof, will be the very thing that convinces your people all the further that they cannot interfere."
"Exactly," Eska confirmed. Julian couldn't be sure, but it sounded like a hint of regret in her voice. "To us, the natural course of events, even when it leads to suffering, is part of a greater design. It's not our place to alter what has been set in motion by forces beyond our comprehension."
Julian studied her. "And what about you? If your people decide against allowing me to bring the cure to your planet, will you agree with that decision?"
"It doesn't matter if I agree, Doctor. I will have to accept and support their decision, whatever it may be."
Julian's gaze wandered back to N'ivryn's unconscious form, the medical equipment humming softly around her. A thoughtful expression crossed his face as he began to speak again, his voice softer now. "You know, when I first figured out what N'ivryn had done, my instinct was to judge her. To label her actions as reckless and impulsive."
Eska turned her attention to him, probing, curious where he was going with this.
"But the more I've learned," Julian continued, "the more I've come to respect it. She knew what she was up against. She knew she would be risking not only her own safety, but her entire way of life, her standing with her people, everything. And yet she did it anyway."
He watched Eska shift uncomfortably. "I have to commend her for having the courage to go against the consensus when she knew that consensus was ethically wrong. It takes great strength to stand alone against cruelty and heartlessness, especially when the stakes are so high."
"Not everyone fights for change the same way, Doctor. I pursued a career in civil government precisely because I believe that real, lasting change requires structure, consistency, and order. If everyone ran around breaking rules and endangering lives in the pursuit of what they thought was right, society wouldn't be the better for it."
Julian weighed his words, remembering Sisko's warnings to avoid any further conflicts with the Alar. "And how many minds have been changed through your strategy? How many lives have you saved?" He paused, letting the question sink in before continuing. "So far, I know of at least one child that N'ivryn has saved. And she saved my life as well, when she pushed me out of the way of that blast."
"And how many lives were endangered by her actions? How many could have been lost? You cannot simply look at the outcome and judge the rightness of an action."
"Can't I?" Julian countered, his voice steady. "When the outcome is a life saved, a life that would have been lost without intervention, isn't that worth something? Isn't that worth recognizing and celebrating, rather than condemning?"
Eska shook her head. "Those lives can still be saved. I will share what has happened here, help our people see and understand that there is room to widen our perspectives when it comes to our beliefs. But these things take time, Doctor. Change cannot happen overnight. For it to last, it must have a foundation to stand on, not the unstable sands of civil upheaval."
Now it was Julian's turn to shake his head in disagreement. "And how many lives will be lost in the waiting? The kind of change you speak of will come far too late for far too many."
Eska lowered her face, a brief flash of doubt casting a shadow across it. "N'iv told me the same thing." She sighed. "I'm not bold, or fearless, or decisive like her. I wouldn't have had the guts to do what she did in a million years. Maybe that makes me a coward in your eyes. But I don't do what I do because it's the safe or easy option. We all fight for what we believe in, but we don't all fight the same way."
Eska looked to Ni'vryn one last time before turning towards the door. It was clear she wasn't interested in hearing any more of Julian's rebuttals. Respectfully, he honored that and didn't offer any. As she began to step away, though, N'ivryn stirred. The slight movement gave Eska pause, her expression instantly softening. Reflexively grabbing his tricorder, Julian scanned her vitals.
