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They materialize inside a backroom within the hospital, exactly where Kira had intended them to, right next to a wall lined with shelves filled with various supplies she doesn’t know the use of and an abandoned mop bucket.
Next to her, Julian begins searching the shelves for what they’ll need, muttering to himself as he goes.
“Here, put this on,” he says, returning to her side and shoving a small bundle of cloth into her hands. "I'll just be over here, getting changed," he adds, quickly ducking out of sight between two shelving units. Kira does nothing but stand and watch for a moment before straightening up and changing into the clothing Julian’s found for her.
She's unable to suppress a brief nose scrunch at the apparel. This patient gown is a lot flimsier than the gowns used in DS9's Infirmary, and it's also quite…. open at the back too, which she wasn't expecting. She stifles her unease and nerves about the gown and what they're about to do and strips off her uniform, save her undergarments, and slips the flimsy cloth on. She's just finished tying the back closed with fumbling fingers when Julian reappears.
He's changed into some kind of unusual 21st century medical uniform consisting of a loose fitting short sleeve top that’s tucked into trousers in a matching shade of pale blue. "Ready?" he asks quietly, coming closer to stuff his clothing into the small bag of supplies they'd brought with them. At Kira's nod he heads over to the door leading into the rest of the hospital and presses his ear against it, listening. A moment later he nods once, meeting her eyes, and exits.
Alone in the small room, Kira can’t help but give in to the urge to pace while she waits, the disguise she’s wearing doing incredibly little to shield her from the chilly air of the hospital.
In what seems like too short a time, Julian’s soft double knock comes at the door. Kira rushes over as quietly as she can, checking the white bandage she’d applied earlier to cover her nose ridges is still in place, gathering up the bag with Julian’s clothes and their supplies, and opening the door.
The starkly white hallway seems deserted apart from Julian standing in front of a bed on wheels that looks vaguely like some low-tech anti-grav carrier. “I don’t know how much time we’ll have before we’re spotted,” Julian says in an undertone, holding the bed steady while she quickly clambers up. Kira struggles to get relatively comfortable, placing their bag between her legs, and getting her feet tangled up the sheet covering the bed. Julian rushes to help, efficiently smoothing the sheet and covering her with another up to her chin once she’s lying flat.
Julian moves to the foot of the bed and begins pushing her down the hallway and around a corner. Kira brings up the map of the hospital in her mind as best she can, attempting to keep tabs on where they currently are, and where they think the signal beacon is located. Using what leftover components she could salvage from her tricorder, they’d been able to build a tracker, and at Julian’s suggestion, conceal it in a device he called a “watch” a portable device for keeping time used in this time period, or so he thought. Kira’s gaze moves from Julian’s determinedly casual expression to the watch on his wrist. She can see from her angle the arrows are both pointing at the tiny number 9 on the watch face. A small light in the center is blinking green. The signal still seems to be leading them to one of the operating rooms on the floor above the one they’re currently on, so that’s where they’re heading.
Kira feels herself tense when the sounds of voices and footsteps reach them at last the further down the hallway they go. The first few people pass them by without stopping, intent on their own work. Kira catches flashes of uniforms the same pale blue as Julian’s and brief glimpses of faces before they’re gone. By Kira’s estimations, they should be nearing a turbolift.
Seconds later, Julian slows the bed down alongside a smooth metal panel in the wall, pressing a button set into the wall next to it. He looks down at her briefly, confirming wordlessly that they’re headed in the right direction. As unobtrusively as possible, she nods back. A few moments later the metal panel slides open, revealing the inside of the turbolift. The very occupied turbolift.
“Coming through,” a stocky gray haired man says, ushering Julian and Kira out of the way of another bed. The man and another scrub-clad woman push the occupied bed out of the lift and down the hall past Julian and Kira. In their wake, Julian pushes Kira's bed inside the turbolift, the automatic door sliding shut behind them. Julian reaches out and presses the button for the floor above.
"We should be getting close," Julian says, breathing a short sigh of relief and running a hand through his curls.
"According to the map the operating rooms are in the northwest corner," Kira says, resisting the urge to sit up fully. The lift will be opening again any second.
“Right, that’s where we’re headed,” Julian replies, pushing her and the bed out of the lift once the door opens again. They follow the signs that read “Surgery Department” down several halls and around a few more corners, Kira keeping an eye on the tracker. According to it, they’re still headed in the right direction when Julian stops pushing suddenly. Kira looks over to see a high counter behind which a gray-haired woman is standing up to greet them.
"Nurse, is this our 11 oclock procedure?" she asks.
"I-- yes, that’s right," Julian says, looking from the woman to Kira and back again before answering. Kira tenses up under the sheet covering her.
"I can take it from here then, she says, coming over to the side of the bed and giving what Kira must assume is a reassuring smile. Kira weakly smiles back.
"Ah no, that's not necessary,” Julian interjects, moving to grab the head of the bed and push it forward through the double doors himself.
"Really, it's not--” the woman begins, looking a little puzzled, her hands grasping the bed railing.
"The thing is," Julian says in a confidential tone to the nurse, leaning across the bed toward her. "This patient has been diagnosed with medical anxiety and I promised I'd be with her until she goes in. I'm the only one she seems to trust,” he says, fixing his big green eyes on her.
The nurse blinks in surprise before backing away a step and removing her hands.
"Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't realize,” she says, fixing Kira with a sympathetic look. “Let me just get you set up in the ward, though. I have other patients to check on,” the nurse adds, ushering them through the double doors and into a large ward sectioned off with curtains into cubicles. They pass a few before parking Kira’s bed. The nurse only adjusts the curtains around them before making a quiet exit.
The second she’s gone Julian’s shoulders slump.
“That was close,” he says under his breath. “Now how do you suppose we sneak inside the operating rooms?” She wishes for the hundredth time they’d had more time to plan since detecting the beacon.
“I’m working on it,” Kira mutters, throwing the covers off herself. “Hopefully, we can wait until no one’s looking and get inside.”
“Let me check to see if anyone’s coming,” Julian says, going to the edge of the closed off curtain and looking. A second later he pops his head back around and rushes over to her, eyes wide.
“Lay back down, quickly,” he says, covering her back up. A spike of fear runs through Kira as she does as he says, planting her head on the pillow. Julian rushes around the bed to poke at the buttons on a monitor. A second or two later a second unfamiliar figure in blue scrubs enters, a friendly smile on her face.
“Hi there, I just thought I’d check to make sure you’re getting settled,” the young perky nurse says. “Elaine said you’re in charge of that nurse….” she trails off, looking at Julian expectantly. Julian turns away from the monitor.
“Bashir,” he says calmly. “And yes, everything’s fine, thank you for checking.”
“Alright, well, I’m around if you need anything, just ask for Laura,” she continues, her gaze sweeping over Kira and Julian for an agonizing moment before she makes a startled noise in her throat.
“Oh but you don’t have a blanket yet, you must be freezing! I’ll be right back with one,” Laura tells Kira before hurrying from the cubicle.
“We’ve got to get her to go away,” Kira whispers, panic beginning to rise in her chest. Every second they spend in this hospital is another second they risk being discovered, or worse, not locating the beacon in time.
“We’re going to have to play along,” Julian says, pressing a button on a monitor with one hand and tucking the sheet around her with the other.
“This is a terrible plan,” Kira says from the corner of her mouth a moment before Laura reenters holding a thicker looking woven blanket.
“Here we go,” she says, spreading it over Kira and tucking the ends in tightly so it feels like Kira’s legs are now trapped. Kira shifts a little, on edge.
“Don’t worry, you’ll feel more relaxed once nurse Bashir gets your IV started,” Laura says, patting Kira’s hand in an attempt to be reassuring. Laura aims an expectant look at Julian.
“Oh yes, of course,” Julian says, nodding and going over to a small rolling cart and opening several drawers. Kira and Laura watch as he does several things with equipment Kira’s never seen before, including donning a pair of gloves.
“Now, you might feel a pinch as I insert the needle,” Julian says, coming close and bending over Kira’s arm. Kira watches, forehead crinkled in confusion until she catches the glint of metal in Julian’s hand.
“What’re you do--,” she begins.
“Trust me,” Julian mouths out of Laura’s sight. Kira gulps.
“Take a deep breath, that’s it,” Laura says, coming up to Kira’s other side and taking her free hand. Julian positions himself so neither Kira nor Laura can see exactly what he’s doing with his hands. Kira waits for something to happen. She feels Julian take her hand in his warm one, but all she feels next is something hard and narrow pressed against the back of her hand, then something sticky. A few long moments later Julian turns back to face them both.
“There we are, that wasn’t so bad, right?” he asks, addressing Kira.
“You were really brave honey,” Laura says, patting Kira’s hand again. Kira nods at them both dumbly.
“I think I can take it from here, Laura,” Julian says, oozing reassurance at Laura and looking busy by sorting through the same instrument cart.
“Sure thing, I’ll be around,” Laura chirps, patting Kira’s hand one final time before exiting.
“What did you do to me?” Kira hisses under her breath as soon as she’s certain Laura’s footsteps have faded away.
“Absolutely nothing, not to worry,” Julian says quietly, looking up from what he’s doing to meet her eyes. “I had to make it convincing is all.” Kira glares at him, lifting her hand to her face to see what he’s done to it. There’s some kind of clear tube affixed to the back of it, secured by a length of tape, but that’s all. She wonders where the needle would normally go for a moment, but decides not to ask.
“I think our best chance of locating the beacon is by continuing this ruse,” Julian says, bustling around the small area like he knows exactly what he’s doing. “That way we both have a pretext for being in the operating rooms.” As much as Kira is growing to hate playing Bashir’s patient, his plan does make sense. The longer they can play along, the longer they’ll have to find the beacon and activate it.
“Feeling nervous?” Laura asks with another toothy smile that’s clearly meant to be reassuring but which makes Kira’s teeth clench imperceptibly. She’s busy unlocking the brakes on Kira’s bed. In what seems to be simultaneously an eternity and no time at all, she’d ducked her head around the curtain to inform “nurse Bashir” they we’re ready for them in the OR.
“Maybe a little,” she replies, the corners of her mouth turning up feebly. She’s hardly acting anymore.
“That’s pretty normal, but you’re going to be just fine,” Laura replies.
Kira’s heart seems to clench in her chest. Things are not going according to plan. She’d been hoping for an empty room and time to search for the beacon, but not anymore. Normally a change in plans wouldn’t faze her, but not here not now, in the distant past and surrounded by humans who’ve never seen a Bajoran before.
Meanwhile, Laura and Julian have each taken one side of the bed and are wheeling her out of the cubicle and through a set of automatic doors which lead into a brightly lit hallway lined with more double doors. She catches Julian unobtrusively looking around and cataloging where all the doors are, and she does her best to do the same, trying to resist the disorienting pull of the lights shining down into her face.
They enter a set of doors into a large room almost completely tiled in small light blue squares and filled with all sorts of primitive medical equipment that makes a cacophony of whooshing, beeping, and buzzing noises. There are three humans inside, all wearing light blue smocks and caps, which remind Kira briefly of Julian’s shockingly red surgical uniform. Two of them immediately come over to help Laura and Julian transfer her onto the hard-looking table in the center of the room.
“I’m just going to stick these on you dear,” a female voice says, leaning over her and showing her a small round circle. Kira can only see her eyes, as the rest of her is covered by a cap and mask. Kira nods her assent anyway, not understanding what she means. She’s not sure what’s happened to Laura as Julian the remaining three people bustle around the room, sticking strange things to her and pushing buttons on equipment.
“Are we ready to begin,” a taller man who must be the doctor asks, coming up to her side for the first time and looking at Julian, who’s tried to stay at her side through everything. Kira can see the hands of Julian’s watch pointing straight ahead at 12 o’clock. The light in the center of the face is now solid green. Kira breaths out. They’re in the right place anyway. The tracker only has to triangulate the signal now.
“We’re ready to put her under, doctor,” one of the nurses replies before Julian can say a word.
“Just take deep breaths in,” one of the women says, her upside down face coming into view over Kira’s head. She’s brandishing a clear plastic mask, which she presses over Kira’s nose and mouth. Kira’s eyes widen, her breath stutters in her chest. Any second now.
Whatever is being pumped through the mask works almost instantly, making everything a little clouded. She can still see everyone bustling around her and Julian nearby, but the outlines are hazy. A strange, distant calm settles over her like a thick blanket, and there’s nothing she can do about it. Does she want to do anything about it? She’s not sure suddenly.
Julian’s hand comes into view then, and despite her diminishing view of the room, she sees the moment the light turns blue on Julian’s watch. Julian sees it too.
“Now!” he says, bending over to say the word right into her ear. Kira’s eyes bolt open, and she’s pulling her phaser from under the sheet and firing it at the three hospital workers before her brain has caught up with the rest of her. Only one has time to call out in surprise before slumping to the floor, unconscious. The mask covering her face slides to the floor.
“Where is it?” Kira asks, arms flailing clumsily as she attempts to sit up. Focus, she needs to focus. Hard to do when the room’s tilting around her.
“It’s in the ventilation duct, over here,” Julian says, using the watch to guide him over to a vent set into the wall above his head. Kira lifts her phaser, taking aim and blasting the cover off. There’s no time for anything else. Julian’s already pushing a cart over to stand on and push himself up.
“Careful, Kira,” Julian chides, rushing over to help her off the metal table, disconnecting as many of the things attached to her as he can. “Easy does it now.” He snatches up the bag they brought with them and slides it on.
“No time, Julian,” Kira huffs, fighting against the urge to pass out and be sick, whichever comes first. “Just get us in the vent.” Julian supports her with an arm around her waist as he gets them both over to the cart. He climbs up first, crawling inside the narrow passage before turning around and leaning out to help lift Kira up.
“I can’t make it,” Kira says, looking from the cart to the vent to Julian and back again. The room swirls dizzily around her. The vent is too high up for her reach, even if she was able to climb the cart. Julian glances behind him.
“Maybe I can bring the beacon to us, hang on,” he says. Kira watches his shadow fade from the mouth of the vent. Keeping her head tilted up only makes her feel breathless, and she quickly bends at the waist, hands on her knees. Deep breaths.
Still catching her breath, Kira thinks she can hear voices out in the hall and footsteps getting closer. There’s no where for them to hide in the room, she thinks, staving off panic, and it would be incredibly stupid to take up a defense, they’re so outnumberd.
“Come on Julian,” she straightens up and calls into the vent.
“Almost got the code typed in,” Julian replies. He’s shuffling back toward her. At the same instant, soft groans begin sounding from the three people on the floor of the operating room. They’re beginning to come around.
“Julian,” Kira says, putting one foot at a time on the small cart and climbing it.
“Got it!” he calls down to her.
“What the hell’s happened in here?”
“Oh my word! Call security, get Dr. Parsons in here on the double!” Kira turns to see a pair of scrub-clad workers burst inside, their eyes zeroing in on her and the figures still laying on the floor.
“Take my hand,” Julian says, reaching out for her. Kira turns, feeling his warm fingers clutch hers a second before she sees him press the final button on the beacon. The operating room disappears around them both.
They slam back into their own time, landing hard on their backs on the transporter pad in Ops. Blinking, disoriented, Kira immediately gives in to the urge to be sick all over the pad, flopping over weakly onto her side as she coughs. Hazily she becomes aware of a familiar presence at her side, rubbing her back in soothing circles and a medical tricorder beeping in her ear.
“We did it,” Julian says, “we’re right where we’re supposed to be.”
“Thank the Prophets,” Kira gasps, coughing weakly and collapsing onto her back. Julian’s smiling down at her, tricorder still whirring. She thinks she’s never seen a more reassuring sight in all her days.
“You have quite good aim, even under sedation, Major,” Julian says, nothing but admiration and relief in his tone.
“Major, Doctor, are we ever glad to see you,” O’Brien says, stepping into view near Kira’s head.
“Us too, Chief. Us too,” Kira says, eyes drifting shut once more.