Star Trek The Next Generation

24

When I woke up there was a hand holding mine. I turned my head and saw Odo beside me. He sent me a gentle smile and I moved my hand to his face.

"You worried me." He said softly.

"Sorry." I whispered as he covered my hand with his.

"When you passed out.... if I had a heart I would say you gave me a heart attack."

I let out a light laugh and he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it.

"The thing we brought back is missing." He said softly.

"That quick? How long have I been out?"

"I'd say about.. a couple hours." He said softly.

"I need to get u-"

"You need to rest." He said softly.

"But-"

"But nothing. Rest... for me?"

"Fine.. lay beside me?" I asked softly.

He nodded his head and I scooted over to allow him space. He put an arm around me and I smiled as I laid my head on his chest and closed my eyes. I felt his hands comb through my hair and I let out a sigh.

"I love you." I whispered.

He kissed the top of my head and I slowly fell back to sleep. When I woke up Odo was gone and I was alone. I walked out of the infirmity and saw them talking to Julian.

"It happened so quickly. I'm sorry I can't tell you any more about it. It was behind me, and then it was gone. But it was big, very big." Julian said softly.

"How badly did you injure it?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if I injured it at all. I just hit it once with a laser scalpel on the arm, or the leg, or the tentacle, or whatever it was, and then it went up the wall and was gone."

"It appears as though our lifeform has survived and grown into something interesting." Mora said calmly.

"Did you notice anything else when you entered the room, Doctor? Anything out of place, anything unusual. Was it unusually warm, perhaps?" Odo asked as he looked at Mora.

"Now that you come to mention it, it was a bit warm in here."

"Another thermal distortion. Did you try the lights, Doctor?"

"No, I didn't want to disturb the patients." Julian said with a frown.

"Commander, I suggest we check the RF energy flow to the Infirmary. We might find a power interruption as we did in the lab." Odo said calmly.

"No blood or any fluid traces, but I am picking up a very slight trail of something we didn't see last time. An organic residue." Dax said with a frown.

"Enough to test?" I asked as I walked up to them.

"We'll see." Dax said as she turned and walked away.

"Sisko to Ops." Sisko said with a frown.

"Go ahead." Kira said calmly.

"Restrict all nonessential personnel to their quarters and go to Red alert, Major."

"Understood."

"Keep in touch with Dax's progress. She might give us a way to track this thing."

"Until we can, I suggest we close down the Promenade." Odo said calmly.

"I'll give the order, Constable." Sisko said as he walked away.

"Constable?" Mora asked calmly.