Part 13 (1/2)

”I think we all had a part in it,” she said. She put an arm around him and felt him lean against her. He wasn't a Carda.s.sian to her anymore. He was simply a fellow doctor who had given up hope and didn't know what to do now that hope had been restored.

”Edgar,” she said to Governo. ”Start injecting our Carda.s.sian patients. Dr. Narat will help you in a moment.”

Governo nodded. He took the hypospray out of Narat's shaking hands. Pulaski led him into the office and helped him to a chair.

”I should be helping,” he said. ”I should”

”You have enough to do,” she said. ”Edgar can handle things for the moment.”

Narat looked at her. ”What do you mean I have enough to do?”

”You need to reach Gul Dukat,” she said. ”We have to get this cure to Bajor.” It was time to explain one thing to him. Otherwise nothing would work. She crouched. ”Narat, I made a slightly different antidote for the Carda.s.sians than for the Bajorans. It had to take into account the differences in physiology. I was afraid the Bajoran cure would make the Carda.s.sians sick.”

”It worked,” he said, and she let out a small sigh of relief. He didn't ask any more questions.

”I'm going to continue to make up batches of the antidotes,” she said. ”The Carda.s.sian version will be in the blue vials.”

He nodded. Then he took a deep breath. ”I didn't expect to react this way. I've never reacted like this-”

”Have you ever been faced with something like this before?”

He shook his head.

”Then give yourself a moment,” she said. ”Doctors have feelings too, even though we pretend not to.”

She stood. Governo was injecting Carda.s.sians all over the medical section. It was nice to see two of them back to their normal gray. The other test case wasn't bright green either. His skin color was a greenish gray that she a.s.sumed would become gray in a short period of time.

Kellec was smiling as he worked his way through the Bajorans. She had forgotten how good-looking he was when he smiled.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Narat stand. He went to the console and pressed a section with his palm. Dukat appeared on the small screen. ”I have good news,” Narat said. ”We found a cure.” Dukat closed his eyes and turned his head. Pulaski moved so that she could watch the entire interaction without being seen. Dukat let out a breath and then seemed to regain control of himself. He again faced the screen.

”If we move quickly,” Narat said, ignoring Dukat's reaction, ”we can save every life.”

”Then what are you talking to me for?” Dukat said. ”Do it.” ”I don't just mean on the station,” Narat said.

Dukat sucked in his breath. Pulaski threaded her fingers together. This was the key point.

”We need to get the information to Bajor, and Carda.s.sia Prime, in case the plague gets there. The faster we do it, the better off we'll be.”

”Can they manufacture this antidote themselves or must we make it for them?” ”Both,” Narat said. ”Some areas may not have anyone with the skills. I figure we take care of Terok Nor first and then send supplies to the planet below. Before that, though, I'll need to send the information to both planets.”

”All right,” Dukat said. He looked visibly relieved. ”Is there anything else?”

Narat shook his head, but Pulaski stepped forward, and put her hand on his arm. ”If I might intrude, Gul,” she said.

Dukat looked surprised to see her. So, in truth, did Narat. He had apparently forgotten she was there. ”Did you find the antidote?” Dukat asked. ”All three of us did,” she said.

”We wouldn't have found it without her,” Narat said. ”She brought a fresh perspective to the work.”

Dukat tiered his fingers and rested the tips against his mouth. He was contemplating her through the screen. It made her as uncomfortable as he had when they first met.

”We have found the cure for the virus,” she said, ”but we don't know how long the virus incubates. People will still catch it, until we figure out a way to stop it before the symptoms appear.” ”But they won't die?” Dukat asked.

She nodded. ”They will no longer die.” ”Good. Then what do you need?”

”This is a designer virus,” she said. ”Someone made it. If we could find out where it first appeared, then we might be able to find who created it. Or at least, figure out how it is transmitted in its nonviral state.”

”I'm afraid I'm not a doctor,” Dukat said. ”I didn't follow that.”

”You see,” Pulaski started, but Narat put his hand on her arm.

”The virus has several stages,” Narat said. ”We've caught it in all but the first stage. We're looking for that one still. If we find that one, we can prevent this virus from ever infecting us again.” ”So what do you need from me?” Dukat asked.

”Permission to search for the source of the virus,” Pulaski said. ”And you believe that it's on Bajor?” Dukat asked.

”I believe nothing,” she said. ”It could easily be here. But we must cover all of our bases.”

”/believe it is on Bajor,” Dukat said. ”I believe the Bajorans infected themselves so that they could pa.s.s the disease onto us. They just didn't realize how lethal it would be.”

”In my experience of the Bajoran people,” Pulaski said, ”I have never seen such behavior. It violates all of their beliefs2'

”Forgive me, Doctor,” Dukat said, ”but your experience of the Bajoran people is of one rather eccentric Bajoran doctor.”

”It seems you haven't read my file as carefully as I thought you had,” Pulaski said.

Dukat shrugged. ”I will not give you or your a.s.sistants permission to go to Bajor.” ”If we find the source-”

”I said, I will not give your people permission to go to Bajor. I'm bending the rules to allow you here.”

She took a deep breath. ”It's important-”

”I understand that,” Dukat said. ”Narat will send a Carda.s.sian team to Bajor in the next day or two. That will suffice.”

No, it wouldn't. It wouldn't suffice at all. They would be looking for the wrong things. They would be looking for proof of Dukat's theory, that the Bajorans started this disease.

”I think an impartial observer would be best,” she said.

”And we have none, as you have just indicated, Doctor. You and your people seem closer to the Bajorans than I'm comfortable with.” He smiled at her. ”I am very pleased with your work so far. Don't spoil it.”

Narat's grip on her arm was firm. ”We'll do what you say, Gul Dukat,” Narat said. 'TII have a team ready.”

”Good. Prepare my announcement. I want to send those messages to Bajor and Carda.s.sia Prime within the hour,” Dukat said. Narat nodded.

”One more thing,” Dukat said. ”I don't mean to sound insensitive.” He paused and as he did, Kellec entered the room, but remained outside of Dukat's sight range. ”But I am getting pressure about the decreased ore production. When do you believe we can get our Bajorans back to work?”

The question was directed at Narat, but Pulaski felt herself start to answer. Narat's fingers dug so hard into her arm that she nearly cried out in pain. ”A few days,” Narat said.

”A few days is a long time, Narat,” Dukat said. ”We're already disastrously far behind.”