Chapter Text
“You wanted to see me, Commander?”
“Sit down, Doctor Bashir.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Everything except your head, apparently.”
“Sir?”
“You took a runabout into Cardassian space—unauthorized, unannounced—and came back with the information to replicate Cardassian leukocytes.”
“I needed it to—”
“To save the life of Garak the tailor. I’m aware. Tell me, Doctor: would you risk your own life to save any patient—any single patient?”
“I— I suppose it depends on the circumstances.”
“On whether you have a personal connection to the patient?”
“What? Of course not!”
“Then what circumstances of this case led you to take such a reckless risk to yourself, without the approval of your commanding officer?”
“I was… fairly confident that I would be successful.”
“Based on what?”
“On things that Garak told me.”
“I thought he didn’t tell you anything, and you had to deduce his meaning.”
“That’s… still mostly true.”
“So you risked your life based on what you deduced from things that Garak told you. A former agent of the Obsidian Order and a fluent liar.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I hope you have some grasp of how appallingly foolish your actions were.”
“If I may… Garak may not always tell the truth, but when he wants me to deduce something and act on that basis, he has never steered me wrong.”
“And he wanted you to deduce how you could obtain the information to save his life?”
“Maybe. He was being less obvious about it than usual, but… I think he was leaving a trail of breadcrumbs, so to speak.”
“Right to the witch’s house, if I understand exactly where you went.”
“I didn’t get eaten.”
“Do not take your very fortunate escape as encouragement to pull a stunt like this again. Dismissed, Doctor.”
“Of course not. Thank you, Sir.”