Ten
God, this place is freezing.
He attempted to thrust himself forward, but the movement brought on a sudden wave of nausea, and he fought desperately to fight the urge to vomit. Damn chloroform. I am not choking to death on my own sick; that is a pathetic way to go.
He sat silently for a long time, attempting to fight the rising anxiety. It had taken some time for him to remember everything that had happened before he woke up in his current predicament, but the main thing that stood out was the amount of blood that had poured out of Garak's chest.
Even a man like Garak couldn't survive a haemorrhage of that magnitude.
Unashamed, Julian allowed his tears to flow for quite some time. This is all my fault. If I hadn't got drunk at Quark's, maybe he'd still be alive.
He attempted to ignore the other voice rising in his head. It is technically Garak's fault, though. He agreed to come with you. Otherwise you'd be tied up here on your own.
But I am on my own! Garak's dead! Julian scrunched his eyes shut in a futile attempt to slow a fresh wave of tears.
Your father would be so ashamed of you, Julian. Look at you: you're supposed to be an officer, and yet here you are, blobbing your eyes out as if you're just finished watching the latest Betazoid soap opera!
Julian growled at the voice in his head. I thought I was managing quite well until this point. He fought against the restraints once more, straining his arms as far as they would move.
What's supposed to happen next in this program? Are they gonna let me starve to death down here? Is this the end of the program? Is Sisko or Odo meant to come rescue me? A million possibilities raced through his mind. I don't see how I'm supposed to be a hero-
"Mister Bashir."
Julian startled out of his thoughts. That voice! Alarm bells began ringing in his head. It can't be!
He tore his eyes away from the floor, only for them to nearly bulge out of his head in shock. Completely unharmed, with a repaired suit and no visible bleeding, Garak walked towards him proudly, a look of triumph across his face.
Am I hallucinating? "Mmpk!" Julian attempted to shout through the gag. But…I mean… he's dead! He's dead! I watched him die!
His first thought was that it was a shape shifter of some description, or another holographic illusion. It was a few seconds before the image of Garak flickered, disappearing to reveal the black-cladded humanoid walking directly behind him.
Julian raised his gaze, narrowing his eyes in frustration as a fresh wave of grief overcame him. You have a lot of nerve to do this, disrespecting a dead man's image in such a manner.
The humanoid pulled off its gloves, revealing pale white skinned hands with long, slender fingers. They clutched the leather accessories firmly, enough for Julian to observe that they possessed a small tremor. "I do hope you are feeling alright, Mister Bashir. Chloroform is never the favourite choice of kidnappers, but it certainly does the job."
Julian refused to react, instead continuing to glare at his captor. And how would you know that? Do you have experience in this area?
"Oh, doctor, I am not responsible for your kidnapping. The men responsible are actually well above us, enjoying a well-deserved glass of champagne," The humanoid slowly pointed to the ceiling of the cave. "I'm simply just the author of this little program. Though, I must admit, impressions are also a hobby of mine."
Bashir narrowed his eyes. Perhaps you should expand your impressionist skills to portray someone who is not a complete sociopath.
"But I digress. We have much to discuss," The figure's hands moved towards its face, fumbling to remove the covering. "Perhaps I had better reveal myself to make things a lot easier to explain."
If it hadn't been restrained, Julian's jaw would have fallen open. Of all the people in the galaxy, I can't believe it's him.
He had certainly aged since Julian last saw him, albeit not gracefully. The doctor had been middle-aged when they first met, but it seemed another twenty years had been added on top. Little remained of his luscious grey hair; what was left was carefully combed into a quiff.
He hated how he had once pictured this man as his father-in-law.
"Hello again, Julian. Disappointed you and Palis never got to organise the wedding."
