Jake! Hi.
- Leanne. l thought you were on Bajor. - l came back early.
- l was just thinking about you. - Really?
Yeah. l passed the Klingon restaurant where we had dinner with Orak.
And you ordered the "gagh." How is Orak?
We stopped seeing each other a few weeks ago.
- Oh? - Yeah.
So, are you doing anything tomorrow night?
l'm supposed to play dom-jot with Nog.
Oh.
But they're not really firm plans. l was thinking of cancelling them.
Really? lf you cancel, would you be interested in dinner?
- Sure. - Great.
- 1 800 at the Klingon restaurant? - l'll be there.
- But this time we'll skip the "gagh." - Definitely.
- l'll see you then. - OK.
- Move aside! - Look out!
Move!
- What have we got? - Bajoran transport coming in.
- They had an accident. - They're docking.
We should have beamed them to the lnfirmary.
We couldn't beam through the radiation.
Docking clamps secure. l'm opening the airlock. Stand back.
Come on.
This way. This way.
- lt's all right. - l've got you.
lt's all right. Come along.
This way, Eminence.
- Kai Winn? - The Vedek. Take care of the Vedek.
Odo to Kira.
- Kira here. - You should meet us in the lnfirmary.
Vedek Bareil was on the transport. He's been injured.
- The report from the transport. - Give me the short version.
A plasma conduit was fractured.
lt gave way and the entire relay system exploded.
Was it sabotage?
l don't think so.
Why would you suspect that?
l would prefer to discuss that
with the Emissary in private.
Put a pressor field on that artery.
The arterial disruption is too severe.
The pressor can't stop the haemorrhaging.
Clamp off the artery
and increase the plasma level.
Cardiac arrest.
Clear.
Clear.
He can't take much more of that.
The arterial pressure is falling. So are the neurotransmitter levels.
- Two cc's cordrazine. - Doctor?
Do it.
Synaptic failure!
Neuro-stimulation to the brainstem.
Thank you.
Vedek Bareil and l were on our way
to a secret meeting with a member of the Cardassian Central Command.
l intended to open talks between Bajor and Cardassia
that would lead to a treaty and a final peace settlement.
You have been negotiating peace with Cardassia?
The Prophets teach us that while violence may keep an enemy at bay,
only peace can make him a friend.
How long has this been going on?
Vedek Bareil has worked to set up the meeting with Legate Turrel for months.
They've discussed issues ranging from war reparations
to the exchange of ambassadors.
There's even the possibility
that the Cardassians will issue a formal apology
for the pain and suffering
inflicted on the Bajoran people during the occupation.
l was on my way to our first meeting when we had the accident.
Please, don't take this the wrong way,
but l never would have guessed
that you would be the one to bring a vision of peace to Bajor.
A large share of the credit goes to Vedek Bareil.
Without him, the talks could have never come this far.
lt sounds like you've developed a deeper appreciation for Vedek Bareil.
He has been a loyal and trustworthy aide since the election.
l'm not sure l could have been as forgiving, had l been in his place.
These talks were Bareil's idea. He's guided me through them.
And without him in the future these talks may never resume.
l'm sorry. The radiation severely damaged his neural pathways.
l did everything l could.
l know you did. Did he ever regain consciousness?
No. l don't think he suffered.
Thank you, Doctor. l'm on duty in ops. Excuse me.
Kira. l think they can get along without you in ops today.
Maybe, but l need to be there.
l appreciate your concern,
but l'll grieve in my own way in my own time.
We're ready to begin the autopsy.
Release the stasis field.
Let's begin with a neural scan
so l can map his central axonal pathways,
find out where the breakdown began.
Shall l begin taking neural tissue samples?
The damage began in the parietal lobe,
spread through the rest of his brain in a retrograde manner.
Wait a minute. A neuron just fired in his cerebral cortex.
There it is again.
His nerves are still transmitting electrical impulses to his brain.
How can that be? His brain activity is zero.
His nervous system should be inactive.
His body is still capable of sending messages to the brain,
even though the brain can't process them.
The radiation might have fortified his peripheral cell membranes.
lf we can regenerate his pathways with his own neuron cells,
we might be able to revive him.
There's been no oxygen to his brain for almost 40 minutes.
He's been in stasis. lt might buy us enough time.
We'll have to direct a burst of electrical energy into his cerebral cortex.
lf the burst is the proper intensity,
it should create a cascade effect within the brain.
The neurons might resume their normal firing pattern.
OK. Let's close up the cranial cavity.
The neurogenic stimulator is in place. Let's try a 50 millivolt burst.
lncrease it to 60.
70.
That's five millivolts above what normal tissue can stand.
lt'll burn out his cerebral cortex.
The inoprovaline drug l gave him should provide additional resistance
against the excess electro-stimulation. 70.
Doctor!
lt's a little early to tell, but l'm hoping he'll make a full recovery.
He should be back on his feet in a few weeks.
You say that calmly, but not every doctor can lose a patient
and then have him back on his feet.
lndeed, you are too modest. You've performed a miracle here.
The Prophets must walk with you.
l and the Prophets were lucky
that the ionising radiation left a residual signature
on Bareil's axonal pathways.
Whoever deserves the credit, Doctor, l am grateful.
l am grateful you were not taken from us, Vedek Bareil.
- My work here is not yet finished. - No, it is not.
We must resume the negotiations immediately.
We can't risk losing the momentum we've established.
l would like to send a coded message to Legate Turrel
and invite him to come to DS9 to continue the talks.
Wait a minute. Bareil's in no condition to conduct negotiations.
Bareil will simply be advising me. l will conduct the actual talks.
l'll allow it if your visits don't tire him.
Agreed. Vedek, we will talk again soon.
Eminence.
So...
Are we going to be playing springball next month?
You bet, although l might have an unfair advantage.
You mean playing against a dead man?
No. l've been practicing.
My dad said you were looking for me.
Yeah. lt's about tomorrow night.
Don't worry, l've taken care of that.
l met three Terrellians who bragged about how great they are at dom-jot.
So l arranged a game - us against them.
- We have a problem. - No, we don't.
- l guarantee we'll beat them. - lt's not that.
- l can't make it tomorrow. - lt has to be tomorrow.
- They're leaving the next day. - l made other plans.
What could be more important than dom-jot?
l have a date.
- Well, that's different. - lt is?
Yeah. Money is money, but women are better.
- ls that a Rule of Acquisition? - lt's a personal rule.
- So, who is she? - Leanne.
Leanne! Way to go, Jake.
What's the name of my date? l hope she's as cute as Leanne.
- Your date? - She has a friend, right?
- l'm sure. - Tell her to bring her along.
Nog, that's not what l had in mind.
That's because you were confused.
Would you rather the three of us go out?
- When you put it that way... - Exactly.
Just one thing, Jake. You're still pretty new at this dating business.
Promise me you won't do anything to embarrass me.
- l'll do my best. - This will be great.
Maybe l'll even wash my lobes.
l suggest we put off discussion of the Cardassians returning the Orbs
until diplomatic relations have been established.
That would only delay an inevitable argument.
But it will give the peace process a chance to grow.
Once the Cardassians are invested in the process,
it may be easier to discuss these matters.
Very well.
- A wise decision, Eminence. - l hope so, Vedek Bareil.
The first meeting with Turrel is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.
l will see you before then.
l take it you're not here to deliver a good report, Doctor?
ln order to revive you,
l had to flood your nervous system with neurogenic radiation.
This has caused a vaso-constriction of your arteries.
The result is an inadequate blood flow to your internal organs.
What do we do?
We'd like to place you back in stasis,
do some research on your condition.
- For how long? - l don't know yet.
Days, weeks, even months.
- Maybe even years? - Maybe.
l'm sorry, Doctor, that's not acceptable.
l can't be put in storage when my people need me.
l don't want to wake to a Bajor
still haunted by the memory of the occupation.
l realise how important these talks are to Bajor,
but as your physician my duty is to you first.
And l have a duty to Bajor.
Please, help me heal my people.
lt's the only thing that matters to me.
There is...
an experimental drug called vasokin
which would increase the blood flow to your organs
and might enable you to function normally for a while.
- But there is a risk attached. - What sort of risk?
ln 22% of cases,
vasokin has severely damaged the patient's lungs,
kidneys, even heart.
Sometimes the brain. ln your condition, it could be fatal.
But it would allow me to function normally for the next few days?
Yes. But why risk your life for a few days?
l have no great desire to die, Doctor,
but l am determined to carry out the will of the Prophets as long as l am able.
l cannot carry out their will
if l'm unconscious in some stasis tube.
Please...
Begin the vasokin treatment.
All right. We'll start this afternoon.
l only hope we don't regret this.
So do l.
Station log, stardate 48498.4.
Legate Turrel has arrived aboard the station to resume the negotiations.
Vedek Bareil suggested that l sit in as an impartial observer,
and Kai Winn has agreed.
Perhaps you didn't hear me.
There are no Bajoran prisoners left in Cardassian hands.
Maybe we should redefine our terms.
Perhaps there are no official prisoners,
but are there be a number of, shall we say, detainees?
People are detained at the Justice Ministry for crimes against the state,
but that is a discussion for another time.
l would like to discuss what you've called war reparations.
We will pay for the destruction of all Bajoran property
incurred during our occupation,
as long as you are willing to return to us
all Cardassian property and equipment left behind on Bajor.
What sort of property?
l can provide you with lists of material, equipment...
as long as we have an agreement
that anything of Cardassian origin
does still belong to the Cardassian people.
- l will consider your offer. - Good.
Shall we take a recess?
He's up to something.
That much seems clear.
But what? Why is he insisting on this principle of his?
l need Bareil.
He's the only one who knows the entire negotiating record.
Bareil's been talking with Turrel for months.
He understands him, respects him. l think he even likes him.
You may have to face the possibility
that Bareil can't help you much longer.
l was chosen by the Prophets to lead our people into a new era.
l know that, but l was not meant to be in a room with a Cardassian,
debating legalisms and diplomatic nuances.
l can't do this without Bareil.
lf he dies, then peace with Cardassia dies with him.
My father used to take me to the wilderness preserves on Vulcan.
So l thought their planet was like that - animals and plants everywhere.
l had no idea there were people on Vulcan.
Boy, Jake, she talks a lot for a female.
Excuse me?
Riska, weren't you telling me your uncle runs a bar on Osinar Vl?
- Nog's uncle runs this bar. - ls that right?
Let's not make foolish conversation.
Just sit there and look beautiful.
Nog, what do you think you're doing?
l think l know how to handle females.
Jake, you know, l've been thinking.
After dinner we could take the females to the holosuites.
l've borrowed one of my uncle's private programmes:
''The Massacre On Ferris Vl.''
We could spend an hour pillaging and looting the frightened townspeople.
- l don't think so. - No one's asking you to think.
Make yourself useful.
- Cut up my food for me. - You must be joking.
She's so dumb. She's perfect.
That's it.
Wait, you're not leaving?
You want me to cut your food, too?
l never said anything about cutting...
l hope you and your friend enjoy your holosuite.
Come on.
- Nog! - Don't say another word, Jake.
- You've done enough damage. - Me?
Yeah. You treated my female as if she was an equal.
And you behaved like an idiot.
l'll never do you a favour again. Get your own dates.
Find someone else to play dom-jot with.
- Fine! - Good!
Turrel is trying to get a concession from you
that l'd already rejected.
Tell him that the question of Cardassian property on Bajor
was already dealt with in the Armistice Talks four years ago.
- l... - Don't worry.
He'll still pay the reparations.
What about this question of mining rights?
His attention is wandering. He's in pain. Give him more of the drug.
- He's had enough. - Then give him something else.
The negotiations resume in less than six hours,
and we still have 40 pages.
Listen to me. l don't care about your negotiations or your treaty.
l care about my patient, and he needs more treatment and less politics.
You can either leave here willingly, or l'll have you thrown out.
You won't need to call them. l'll do it myself.
Put yourself in the hands of the Prophets, Bareil.
They will not forsake you.
Yes, Eminence.
ls there anything l can do?
Just be here.
l'm beginning to dislike seeing that look on your face, Doctor.
The vasokin has already damaged your internal organs.
What happens now?
l can replace the damaged organs with artificial implants
but l can't guarantee that the damage won't spread.
You should reconsider letting me put you in stasis.
l'm afraid my mind's made up.
Just get me through the negotiations.
l must carry out the will of the Prophets.
Please.
Whatever it takes...just do it.
Are you going to have me removed from this room now, Doctor?
lt hadn't occurred to me...yet.
- How is Bareil? - The surgery went well.
He's still unconscious, but he should be awake within the hour.
Good.
There are still points l have to discuss with him before the next negotiations.
That's why l'm here.
When you see Bareil, l want you to tell him
that you can complete these negotiations without him.
- But l do need him, Doctor. - l realise that.
But l want you to tell him that you don't.
You seem to be asking me to lie.
l'm asking you to free Bareil of his obligations to you.
He will only accept that if you tell him that he's no longer needed.
Now, if that's a lie, then so be it.
That doesn't sound like a Starfleet officer.
l'm a doctor first. l'm trying to give my patient his best chance to live.
l have to put him in stasis. Bareil knows that.
But his desire to complete these negotiations is so strong
that he's forcing me to keep him conscious, even if it kills him.
None of us wants that to happen, Doctor.
But if l'm not mistaken,
the decision regarding Bareil's treatment is up to him.
Yes, as the patient, it is his right to make that choice,
but l am asking you to help me change his mind.
Eminence...
You're the Kai.
These are your negotiations. Let this be your moment in history.
Finish the talks on your own, and you won't have to share the credit.
You say that as though success is guaranteed.
Of course.
lf the talks fail, you'll need someone to accept the blame, a scapegoat.
You're a coward. You're afraid to stand alone.
Bareil's already made his decision, Doctor. l won't interfere.
And, Doctor...
l won't forget what you've said here.
Neither will l.
You never told me about your double-date.
Not much to tell.
Quark tells me you and Nog aren't speaking to each another.
You should have seen it. He was acting like a spoiled brat.
l've never been so embarrassed.
- Leanne will never speak to me again. - What did he do?
Stupid things. lf Riska said two words, he told her to be quiet.
He insisted that she cut up his food for him.
He treated her like some kind of slave.
Sounds like he's acting like a Ferengi. You can't blame him for that.
- Maybe you were right all along. - About what?
You said that humans and Ferengis are too different to be friends.
l remember saying that. And you know what?
l was wrong. You and Nog proved that.
You have your cultural differences, but there's a real bond between you.
l'm never going to set him up on a date again.
You two should talk this over before it becomes too big a problem.
l'm not sure Nog will to talk to me so soon.
l guess you'll have to do something to get his attention.
- What happened? - l don't know.
Two cc's morphenolog. lt's all right. You're getting help.
There were to be no visitors for three hours.
lt's not her fault. Bareil called me.
He said he had some ideas on the treaty.
And you just couldn't wait to hear them.
His left temporal lobe is showing signs of synaptic failure.
l hope you got the advice you needed.
The vasokin has damaged his brain, and that damage is irreversible.
- Will he regain consciousness? - Not in his present condition.
You were able to replace some of his internal organs with artificial implants.
Could you do something similar with parts of his brain?
lt's hard to say with any certainty.
We still don't understand exactly how the brain operates.
My professor used to say the brain had a spark of life that can't be replicated.
lf we begin to replace parts of Bareil's brain with artificial implants,
that spark may be lost.
But you're saying if we don't do it, Bareil will die.
We should consider what Bareil would want us to do.
Bareil wanted these negotiations to be completed, no matter what the cost.
With all due respect, your Eminence,
you're hardly an impartial observer.
You have a personal interest in these talks.
There is more at stake than one man's life.
One man's life is all l'm concerned with at the moment.
l think she's right.
Bareil would want the positronic implants.
lf l do this, the man who wakes up may not be the man you used to know.
l realise that, but l know how important this is to him,
and l know he wouldn't want to be put in stasis indefinitely,
waiting for some medical solution that may never come.
Do the surgery, Julian. Let him finish what he started.
- Mr Sisko. - Odo, l'd like you to do me a favour.
l want to be arrested.
lt's outrageous! l didn't steal anything from the Tholian Ambassador!
Just another innocent man arrested for a crime he didn't commit.
- What is he doing here? - As if you didn't know.
Your accomplice also denies involvement,
but an eyewitness saw you breaking into the Tholian Ambassador's quarters.
l don't even know what a Tholian looks like!
- Tell it to the Magistrate. - At least put me in my own cell.
l'm sorry the quarters aren't to your liking.
Please feel free to submit a complaint to the management.
The positronic implant is functioning normally.
The mid-brain interface is on-line, and he's awake.
Bareil?
- Yes, Major. - How are you feeling?
Awake.
Everything is different.
Different? ln what way?
lt's hard to explain.
When you touch me, it doesn't seem real.
lt's more like the distant memory of a touch.
Vedek, do you remember the negotiations?
l have some questions for you.
Of course, Eminence. l will do all that l can.
Something's wrong.
- No kidding. - That's not what l mean.
My father told me that if l got caught stealing again,
he would send me to my grandmother on the Ferengi homeworld.
Where is he? Why isn't he here yelling and threatening me?
And where's Uncle Quark?
l'm late for work.
And come to think of it, what are you doing here?
Ask Odo.
No, no, no. Throwing you in here wasn't Odo's idea.
You don't just arrest the station commander's son
without some really strong evidence.
And l know there is no evidence
because l know we didn't do anything. Why are we here?
All right. l put Odo up to this because l wanted to talk to you.
- ln here? - You wouldn't have listened otherwise.
Well, this better be good.
l wanted to say l'm sorry.
- l forgot you're a Ferengi. - You forgot?
To most people, the lobes are a dead giveaway.
We spend so much time together, and we seem so much alike...
l sometimes forget we're different.
l know we're different.
Anyone who talks to a female with fawning respect is no Ferengi.
- lt made me sick. - You want to talk about sick?
Sick is making Riska cut up your food for you.
- At least l didn't have her chew it. - Chew it?
That's right.
ln traditional Ferengi homes,
the females soften the food with their teeth before giving it to the males.
- That is disgusting. - l knew you'd react that way.
That's why l didn't have her do it.
Do you have any other disgusting customs l should know about?
Plenty. And l know plenty of human customs which disgust me.
Great. We both disgust each other.
As we get older, this is going to get worse.
But l know one thing, l don't want to lose you as a friend.
ln that case, double-dating is definitely out.
Agreed. We'll have to deal with our disgusting habits as they come up.
l guess so.
- Do you feel better? - Yeah.
Good.
- Now can we get out of here? - Sure.
Odo?
Odo?
He's just playing around.
Odo!
Station log, supplemental.
Kai Winn announced that Legate Turrel has signed the treaty.
This has sent a shockwave through the quadrant.
There is still opposition from hard-line elements
on both Bajor and Cardassia,
but it looks as though they're willing to put their conflict behind them.
Remind me not to invite you to my next party.
l'm sorry. l guess l am casting a pall over this gathering.
You needn't provide entertainment, but you should enjoy yourself.
After all, this celebration is for you, too.
Frankly, l can't imagine what l've done deserves a celebration.
You kept him alive against incredible odds.
No matter what happens, you should always be proud of that.
- Excuse me, your Eminence. - Yes?
Kai Winn, allow me to introduce Kai Winn.
l don't understand.
ln honour of the occasion, l've named my latest creation after you.
lt's a chocolate soufflé with...
Haligian tongue sauce.
l'm very honoured.
Mm. Mm.
And you're also very popular. l can't keep up with the orders so far.
Medical emergency. Dr Bashir to the lnfirmary.
Please, excuse me.
lt's the other half of his brain. But you can help him, can't you?
You can replace the other half of his brain with a positronic matrix.
- l'm sorry, but this is where it ends. - What do you mean?
l won't remove the last shred of humanity Bareil has left.
But you can do it.
Perhaps, child, it is time to listen to Dr Bashir.
Sure. You've got your peace treaty, your place in history.
You don't need Bareil anymore.
Believe me, child, l share your pain.
But l think the Prophets are calling to Bareil.
l will see to it that Bajor never forgets him.
Doctor.
Julian, you can't give up now.
You have to keep going.
Nerys, if l remove the rest of his brain
and replace it with a machine,
he may look like Bareil, he may even talk like Bareil,
but he won't be Bareil.
The spark of life will be gone. He'll be dead.
And l'll be the one who killed him.
But if we do nothing, he'll die.
That's right, he will. But he'll die like a man, not a machine.
Please, don't make me fight you on this one.
Just let him go.
How much time?
Brain activity should cease within the next three hours.
l'd like to stay with him until then.
Of course.
You got your peace treaty.
l just wish that we'd had more time for us.
There's so much l never told you...
but this is the time we have left so l'd better say it now.
l'll never forget the first time l saw you,
the day you came to the station.
You had such a serenity about you.
l thought you had all the answers.
lt really got on my nerves for a while.
But then l got to know you,
and l realised that you were just as confused as the rest of us.
You just accepted your confusion
better than anyone l've ever known.
That's when l realised l loved you.

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