Star Trek: Deep Space Nine s03e13 Episode Script

Life Support

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.
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 takesjust do it.
Are you going to have me removed|from this room now, Doctor? lt hadn't occurred to meyet.
- 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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