Part 19 (2/2)

Pulaski did a quick medical scan of Dukat. The temporary cure was already attacking the virus. In fifteen minutes he'd be back to his normal, overbearing self. But that gave her fifteen minutes of time in which to work.

She turned to Governo. ”Okay, what were you going to show me with the Ferengi?”

On the lab table, the older Ferengi actually flinched,

Chapter Twenty-eight

PULASKI WATCHED THE MEDICAL MONITOR as if it might blow up at any moment. The Ferengi named Rom squirmed on the biobed, even though no one was actually touching him. She was instead looking at what was happening in his body. Governo had noticed an odd reaction just before Dukat had come in. But with the disruption of the now sleeping Dukat, they had missed the timing on whatever Governo had seen.

So they got the quivering Ferengi's permission to reinfect him and then heal him again. It had taken both the younger Ferengi and Governo a good twenty minutes to convince him it would be safe. It wasn't until the boy Ferengi offered to do it that the older one caved in. ”Dukat's starting to come around,” Ogawa said. ”Give him a light sedative,” Pulaski said. ”I want him resting for at least another thirty minutes.” Plus she wanted that long until she had to deal with him again.

”See it?” Governo said, his voice excited. He too was monitoring the ongoing prion activity in the Ferengi body.

”I did,” Pulaski said. But she wasn't sure exactly what she had seen. It had happened so fast. But this time it was recorded, visual and all other data.

They both continued to monitor the forming of the virus until it was at its full stage, then she said, ”Let's watch this on the screen in the office.” ”Um,” the Ferengi said.

Pulaski turned to him. She had learned in the last few moments that Rom was not very a.s.sertive. ”Um, would you mind curing me first?” he asked. ”Of course not,” Pulaski said.

She nodded toward Governo, who hyposprayed the Ferengi. ”There,” he said when he was done. ”ALL better.”

The Ferengi's hands immediately went to his ears. His grin was wide enough to split his face. ”Thanks.”

Pulaski glanced at Narat. He was standing beside Dukat, monitoring his sleeping commander. Narat's color had returned to its normal healthy gray, just as Dukat's had. But Narat's stage of the infection had been nowhere near as advanced as Dukat's. With the gul, she was going to be safe.

”Narat, are you up to seeing something?”

”I think I should remain here,” he said.

”All right.” She was a bit relieved that he wasn't coming. She had kept so much from him in this research that she didn't want to blurt it out at the last minute. Still, she had to offer.

She followed Governo into the office. Right now Pulaski wished that Kellec were here. This was just the kind of thing she could use his knowledge on. But at the moment she was going to have to go it alone.

She quickly set the screen to start right before the strange event in the Ferengi virus formation, then started it slowly forward. Nothing seemed different. Three different and harmless prions were drawn together, just as in the other two races.

”Coming up right about now,” Governo said.

As the prions started to join and alter their DNA, something different suddenly happened. The virus was formed, but also a fourth prion was formed and quickly expelled.

She froze the image on that prion, quickly isolated it and ran a computer diagnostic. The moment the data appeared, she glanced out the office window at the Carda.s.sian doctor. Thank heavens he hadn't accepted her invitation.

”Amazing,” Governo said, staring at the data. ”That means what I think it means, doesn't it?”

She nodded. ”That prion is the key prion in the Bajoran virus, which then mutates into the Carda.s.sian virus.”

”The Ferengi are carrying the catalyst priori that restores viral functioning even after it's cured.” Governo said.

”Don't say that too loud,” she said, glancing at where the nervous Ferengi and his calm son sat on the biobed, then at where Dukat still slept, with Narat standing beside him.

”Sorry,” Governo said, his face white at what she was suggesting by the warning.

She stared at the data again. Her hunch had been right about the Ferengi being critical elements in this. But that still didn't answer the question of how to stop the prions from forming the virus.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Dukat starting to stir.

”Ensign,” she said to Governo, ”I want you to remain in here going over this data again and again. We need to find a way to stop those prions from coming together in the first place. No one else is to see this unless I give permission. Understand?”

”Yes,” he said.

She headed out toward Dukat, who was now sitting up. ”Are we going to live or not?” the Ferengi asked.

”You're going to be fine,” she said. ”Just stay there and keep calm.”

Then she turned to Dukat. ”And how are you feeling, Gul?”

”I've been better,” he said. His voice was raspy and his eyes were bloodshot. Some of his scales were still flaking, but he didn't seem to notice. ”How's the research going?”

”We're making progress, but we haven't found a final cure yet.”

He dropped down off the biobed and stood up straight, towering over her. For a moment he tested his own balance, then took a deep breath and nodded. Finally he looked at her. ”Doctor, I need to talk with you for a moment. Alone.”

She nodded and indicated the door of the medical area leading out into the wide hallway beyond. Normally she'd have escorted him into the office, but Governo was working in there, and she didn't want to disturb the ensign.

Dukat glanced at Narat, then turned toward the main door, leaving the Carda.s.sian doctor looking puzzled.

Pulaski followed Dukat, watching his steps gain confidence with each stride.

In the corridor he turned to face her. Then with a quick glance around to make sure no one was close by, he said, ”Doctor, I'm not sure how much longer I can contain this situation.”

”I'm not sure I follow you,” Pulaski said.

”Before I fell ill I managed to hold off the Carda.s.sian fleet, saying we were on the verge of a final cure. They are expecting it soon.”

”And if we can't come up with it we die,” Pulaski said.

”I'm afraid so, Doctor,” he said. ”All of us. And more than likely all of Bajor.”

For an instant the corridor seemed to spin. She took a deep breath and it stopped. ”I had better get back to work and you had better try to buy me a little more time.”

He nodded and without another word turned and headed off down the corridor, his stride long and sure.

She watched him for a moment, doing her best to keep her entire body from shaking. She had known coming here that she and her team might not get back alive. She had accepted that. But she had never expected also to have to save an entire planet.

<script>