Forwarded by the ASC-VSO Posted: Sat, 31 Jan 2004 07:12:09 GMT In: alt.startrek.creative From: Gabrielle Lawson inheildi@earthlink.net Title: Faith, Part III: Peace Author: Gabrielle Lawson (inheildi@earthlink.net) Series: DS9 Part: NEW 17/17 Rating: [PG-13] Codes: Epilogue Bashir welcome Data on board as well and thanked Picard for offering to tractor the *Freedom* back to Starbase 186. But otherwise he let them with Riker to coordinate the transfer of wounded to the surrounding Federation and Romulan ships. "How many?" he asked Captain Sisko when the found a moment of quiet. "The main body of the fleet dispersed," Sisko told him. "Only two hundred six stayed with us to chase the Dominion back." "Then it was lucky for you we happened along," Bashir said. "There were three hundred in the convoy when we turned this ship around. Only fifty or so broke off to chase us." Sisko smirked at that, then he blew out his breath. "I still don't understand how this ship is still in one piece." Bashir knew, but he still didn't quite understand. He looked for Ezri and found her talking with Jordan. "Captain," he said, turning back to Sisko, "would you walk with me?" Sisko seemed unsure but nodded. Bashir led the way but stopped just before the door. "Oh, you have the Bridge, Mr. Riker." Riker looked up and waved with a smile. "Aye, Captain." "I thought you had resigned," Sisko said as they stepped into the corridor. "Commander Riker thought I was safer in uniform than out," Bashir admitted. "Besides, I've been thinking I might like to stay in Starfleet a bit longer." They passed the corridor where Crusher and several nurses were tending the remaining wounded. She was busy with her work and paid the two captains no attention. Bashir was finding it rather enjoyable being captain of his own ship, even if only for a day. But he really wanted to get back to doing what she was doing. "A transfer then?" Sisko asked. Bashir shook his head as they walked to the next door and stopped. "I don't think I'll need one," he answered. He touched the panel beside the door. It opened and he faced his own failure once again. He stepped aside so Sisko could see and took a deep breath. "I killed them," he said finally. "I could only think of one thing: no more pain. They were causing me pain, or threatening it, so I killed them." "I don't understand," Sisko said stepping back so the door would close. He turned to face Bashir. "But I'm glad they're dead and not you." Bashir watched his face, his eyes, to see if that was true. "Was the *Defiant* ordered to D'Nexi?" he asked. "No," Sisko replied, shaking his head. "We were ordered to find the *Dnieper*, Riker's runabout. We found it with your clothes aboard. We came to D'Nexi looking for you. We just happened to run into a battle." Bashir could find no trace of insincerity in his eyes. Sisko really had taken the *Defiant* into the battle to find him. "I told the senior staff," Sisko went on. "Except for Odo. You can talk to Ezri now." Bashir had mixed feelings about that. A weight lifted off his shoulders just knowing he didn't have to hide Sisko's secret anymore, but now Ezri and the others were accessories like him. "What you did," he said, "is still wrong, but so is this. They were the enemy but that wasn't a battle. I could have taken a rifle from the first one to fall. But I wanted to use the knife. I wanted them to bleed and hurt like they'd hurt me. But more than anything, I just wanted them to stop hurting me." He took another breath and Sisko waited for him to continue. "I can understand why you may have done what you did. Anyway, you asked how we managed," he told his captain. "They broke my hand in that room. Then a dead man healed it and said I had to believe or we'd all die." Sisko dropped his eyebrows at that ludicrous explanation and Bashir wanted to laugh with him. But Sisko didn't laugh. "You almost did anyway" he said instead. Bashir nodded. "Except that you showed up with such impeccable timing. So you see, Captain, you managed it after all. You restored my faith." Sisko was quiet for a moment. Then he let out his own breath and relaxed his shoulders. "Let's go home then. You can get cleaned up on the *Defiant*." Bashir smiled and let the dream of a shower and a soft bunk wash through him for a minute. He was suddenly very tired and quite hungry. But he started back for the Bridge. "No, thank you, sir," he said, smiling through a yawn. "This is my ship and I'll see her home. Besides, I dare say it will be quite awhile before I captain a ship again." Sisko smiled too and clapped a hand gently on his shoulder. "Maybe not as long as you think." "Eline?" Her eyes shifted but they couldn't see, not even the blurry shapes they had made out before. It was Pfenner's voice though, and she wondered if she had died, too. She felt no pain, so that fit her theory, but she wondered why she could hear and not see. "Eline, it's Wilhelm. Try not to move to much. We're going to help you." Help? Move? Maybe she wasn't dead after all. She flexed the fingers of her right hand experimentally. Pain shot through her fingers and sped up her arm. Without meaning to, she let out a cry. She heard a slight splash and felt a hand on her arm. Maybe Bashir had returned. "I think I'm delirious," she told him. "No," Pfenner's voice replied. "Try this." Cool, soft liquid dripped onto her right eye and then her left. She wanted to blink but she could not get her eyes to close. After a few seconds, though, her vision began to clear. She saw a ceiling and Pfenner's face above her. The ceiling was fuzzy to her eyes, but Pfenner was clear enough though the room they were in was not well-lit. She looked down and saw her own body covered in a milky liquid. "It dulls the pain," Pfenner said "and keeps you from infection. Lie still and let it soothe you." It was already doing that. Her hands didn't burn if she didn't move them. "You see? You're going to be fine. Then there was another voice, "Ah, I see our patient has woken up." A woman's voice, one Formenos thought she had heard before. A dark head appeared opposite Pfenner's. "Dayton!" Formenos whispered in her surprise. "How nice of you to remember me," Dayton said. "Eline, would you like to have a face again? The End Copyright 2004 Gabrielle Lawson -- --Gabrielle I'd much rather be writing! http://www.stormpages.com/gabrielle/trek/ The Edge of the Frontier http://www.stormpages.com/gabrielle/doyle/ This Side of the Nether Blog: http://www.gabriellewrites.blogspot.com -- Stephen Ratliff ASC Stories Only Forwarding In the Pattern Buffer at: http//trekiverse.crosswinds.net/feed/ Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCL/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:ASCL-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. From ???@??? 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