Part 12 (1/2)

”Is there a point to this, uncle?” Nog asked. He stared down at Quark's hand, which was wrapped around his wrist. ”A point to what?” Quark asked. ”This conversation about latinum?”

”Not really,” Quark said. ”Except that I was wondering where my brother was going to get the latinum to pay the good doctor.”

”Well, you said that we should make ourselves at home. I figured you wouldn't mind that I was going to take care of myself.”

”You figured. You figured. Just like you figured this boil on your ear would go away?”

”It's just an infection, brother, caused by the drinks.”

”It's an infection that your carelessness has spread. And we're going to stop it.” Quark dragged them down the hall. The stench coming from the medical area was stronger than he had expected. He had been smelling the rot for a week now and ignoring it, like he did in butcher shops on Ferenginar, but here it was nearly impossible to ignore.

”I don't think I'm going in there,” Rom said.

”Yeah,” Nog said. ”They probably won't have time for us.”

”They'll probably be happy to have something they can solve,” Quark said with more bravado than he felt. If his ear didn't itch so badly that he wanted to scratch it off the side of his head, he wouldn't go into that place either. But he couldn't stand itching, especially on as sensitive a place as his ear.

He shoved Rom and Nog ahead of him, and the door to the medical lab opened. The smell was even worse. A hundred voices moaned.

Rom shook his head. ”Brother, I-”

And Quark pushed him forward. Nog followed him in, and then Quark brought up the rear.

”Whatever it is,” Dr. Narat said as he pa.s.sed, ”it will have to wait.” ”It can't wait,” Quark said. ”Are you dying?” ”No.”

”Then it can wait.” And Narat disappeared through a door.

”See?” Rom said. ”We have to wait. Which means we should leave.”

Quark caught him by the sleeve. Quark wasn't too happy about being here either-he'd never been in a room filled with green Carda.s.sians before rebut he wasn't about to leave now. For one thing, he might never make it back. And then he'd have to scratch until his ear bled, and the infection would grow worse, and his lobes would.

He couldn't allow himself to follow that train of thought. He shuddered and headed toward the office.

”I wouldn't go in there,” a human woman said. She had long dark hair and beautiful eyes. ”Who are you?” Quark asked.

Alyssa Ogawa,” she said. ”I'm helping here.”

”We have a problem, and it needs some attention.”

”Let me see what I can do,” she said.

She slipped through the office door, and Rom turned to Quark. ”She's beautiful, brother.”

”She's hu-man, Brother,” Quark said. ”You can't trust a hu-man.”

”Ah, but you can look at them,” Rom said.

”Women are not your strong suit,” Quark said. ”Stop thinking about her.”

She came out the door with Kellec Ton. He looked exhausted. ”I don't have much time,” he said. ”What do you need?”

Quark leaned forward, pointing to his ear. ”Look at this. Look at this. My brother got-”

”Couldn't this have waited?” Kellec Ton asked. ”We have a real crisis here.”

”We know and we're sorry,” Rom said. ”We'll leave now?'

Quark pulled him closer. ”No, we won't.” He danced around the room. ”I admit, our problem is nothing like theirs-” and he shuddered a little at the very thought ”-but it is uncomfortable.”

”You can live with discomfort,” Kellec Ton said. ”Now, if you'll excuse me.”

”No,” Quark said. ”I won't. Don't you understand? This itches.”

”And I'm very sorry,” Kellec said. He was holding the door like it was a lifeline. ”But I don't have time-”

”These are our ears,” Quark said, his voice going up. ”It would be like you getting an infection on your-”

”Brother!” Rom said, breathless with shock. ”Re* member Nog.”

”I know about their-” Nog started to say, but Rom clapped a hand over his mourn ”I'm sure the good doctor will help us when he has time,” Rom said. ”Now let's go.”

Kellec Ton let out a small laugh and shook his head. ”All right,” he said. ”You made your point let me look at that.”

He bent down and turned on a small, handhold light. ”Its an infection all right,” he said, looking at Quark's ear. Then he examined Nog's and then Rom's. *'And it's deafly transmittable, probably through the pus. Let me give you some antibacterial cream that should ease the itching and clear this right up.” ”Thank you,” Quark said. ”Yes,” Rom said. ”Thank you very much.”

The doctor went into the office, and rummaged through a drawer. Rom heaved over to Quark. ”1 still think we shouldn't have bothered him.”

”Shut up,” Quark sat& ”We're getting help, aren't we?”

”Yes,” Rom said. ”But he's right. There are people dying here?

Quark nodded. He had to admit that he did agree with Rom, but for entirely different reasons. He wished they hadn't come here. Before it had seemed entirely personal. The Carda.s.sians got sick and no one came to the bar. But it wasn't personal. In fact, it was so impersonal that it hurt. No one came to the bar because everyone was afraid of this-turning green, scaly, and the stench! And then dying.

Quark shuddered. He would have to start planning his future, a future that didn't include Terok Nor. He wasn't sure what he'd do, because once the word got out that Terok Nor was the site of a plague, Quark wouldn't be able to work anywhere-at least not have a bar. Customers didn't like hearing about contagious diseases in their bartender's past.

”Here you go,” Kellec said, placing a tube in Quark's hand. ”Follow the instructions. Your problems should ease by the end of the day.”

”Thank you,” Quark said. ”We didn't mean to interrupt. If we had known-”

”No,” Kellec said. ”It's all right. You did me a favor. You reminded me that there's an entire universe out there. Even if things on Terok Nor and Bajor...” He shook his head. ”Anyway. I needed to remember that life does go on.”

”Yes, it does,” Rom said. ”And-”

Quark kicked him. He shut up.

”We do appreciate it,” Nog said. ”We won't bother you again.” He scurried for the door. Quark followed a bit more slowly, the tube cool against his right hand. He was staring at the Carda.s.sians on the beds and makes.h.i.+ft cots. He recognized a number of them, had served them drinks, listened to their problems. And they would all be gone soon, if something didn't change.

He sighed and slipped outside, where Rom and Nog were waiting for him.