A Very Special Appointment

Julian headed out of the Infirmary after his shift was over, with the intention of getting a bite to eat before a very special appointment he had to attend to came around, when his comm. badge chirped.

"Sisko to Bashir, I'd like to see you in my office Doctor."

"I'm on my way sir." Julian said with an inward sigh. "May I ask if this will take long?"

"I don't expect it to, do you have other business you need to get to?"

"Just an appoinment that I don't want to be late for."

"I'll try not to detain you then."

"Thank you, I'll be there in a few minutes. Bashir out."

Julian boarded the lift for Ops and fervently hoped whatever the Captain wanted to see him about was brief.

He would be extremely disappointed if he missed it.

"And then Yoshi grinned and let out a squeal." Miles said as he climbed out of the operations well.

Kira laughed at the antics of her 'namesake' and turned her attention to the console when it beeped.

"Looks like turbolift two is down again."

"Third time this week!" Miles muttered as he checked his console.

"Bashir to Ops."

"Go ahead." Kira answered.

"Is Miles around?"

"What is it Julian?" Miles asked absently.

"I'm stuck in turbolift two!"

"I'm working on it."

"Quickly, I hope."

"Hold your uniform on while I check it out." Miles retorted.

Julian responded with an exaggerated sigh.

Kira smiled to herself and shook her head knowing the Chief would have Julian out in a 'jiffy' as he would say.

"Damn!"

Then again, maybe not.

"What is it Chief?"

"This coupling seems to be damaged. We're going to have to move the lift manually."

"How long will that take?"

Miles shrugged as he grabbed a tool kit and headed for the access port to the turbolift shaft.

"Kira to Bashir...you're not going to like this."

Miles climbed down the turboshaft carefully.

The Cardassians weren't much for care and there had been only so much he could do to bring the station up to Federation standards.

He looked down and swallowed.

He wasn't afraid of heights but it was a long way down and he personally had no desire to find out just how far first hand.

He readjusted hit tool kit on his shoulder and continued his descent.

Sisko walked to the door and looked out.

Julian should have been here by now...

"Colonel, have there been any calls for Bashir?"

"No. He's stuck in lift two. Miles went to help him."

"Let me know when he arrives."

Kira nodded and watched him go back into the office.

"Computer, what is the time?"

'It is 1822 hours.'

"Thirty-eight minutes! Come on Miles!"

Miles O'Brien was stuck.

I should have heeded Keiko and Julian's advice to shed a few pounds! Too late for that now!

He grunted his way through the intersection where the shaft met the structural supports.

"Almost there." He said to himself as he resumed his climb.

"How long has Julian been in there?" Sisko asked coming back into Ops.

"About twenty-minutes now." Kira answered.

"Sisko to Bashir, are you okay?"

"Fine sir, I just want to get out of here."

"I'm sure you do and the Chief is working on it."

"Sir...about wanting to see me--"

"I expect you to report when you get moving again."

There was silence from Julian.

"Doctor?"

"I understand sir." Julian replied tonelessly.

"Good, Sisko out."

Julian slumped against the back wall and slid down.

He wouldn't be able to keep his promise now.

Miles reached the lift and stepped onto the roof.

At least the Cardie's built these things sturdy!

He opened his tool kit and knelt down to take a look...have to lock the brake down then release the computer control then climb back up and lever the lift to the first available deck.

"O'Brien to Bashir."

"Go ahead."

"I'm on the roof--"

"I gathered as much."

"Things might get a bit bumpy in there so hang on. I have to do this manually, it could take a while."

"I have no place to go now." Julian mumbled.

Miles didn't reply as he set to work.

Julian nearly fell over as the lift dropped suddenly.

He hit his comm. badge as he looked up to the roof.

"Chief!"

"Sorry," Miles chuckled, "just some residual multiphase alternating current when I released the computer controls. Won't happen again."

"I hope not!"

"What's got you in such a foul mood?"

"Isn't being stuck in this thing enough?!?"

"Come on Julian, something else is eating at you." Miles answered as he began climbing the turboshaft ladder back up.

"It's nothing."

"Julian, I'm you're friend, you can tell me."

"My father is being released from prison today---"

"That's great, you must be relieved."

"I promised my mother I'd call but now I won't be able to."

"You can call when you get out."

"You don't understand. I promised I'd call at exactly 1900. It was when they would get home."

"I'm sorry Julian. These past couple of years must have been really tough on you and your mom."

"They were Miles. My father went to prison to protect my future. I was only able to get home once but I tried to call every week, even during the war. This would have meant so much to them...and me. I promised my mother I'd call as a surprise to my father. I let him think I'd forgotten when I spoke to him last week." Julian smiled.

"With that brain of yours? Very unlikely."

"I told him how busy I'd been recently. I know he was disappointed that I hadn't realized his release was coming up which is why it would have been a wonderful surprise for me to call."

"Well, keep your finger's crossed we can get you to the next deck."

"Anything I can do?"

"Just sit still."

"I can do that."

"Sisko to O'Brien, how are you doing?"

"I'm about ready to try the manual lever."

"When he's out take it off line until it runs without problems."

"That was my plan sir."

"Good, Sisko out."

The Captain picked up his team autographed baseball and tossed it into the air catching it as it came back down and smiled.

He had been thoroughly surprised and deeply touched that his team, his crew, had signed it after the game against the Vulcans.

We might have been trounced in the game but we enjoyed our time together.

He'd gotten together with them a couple of times since then and played and they always had a good time.

He placed the ball back on his desk and turned to his viewer to work.

Julian sat quietly in the dim turbolift.

When Admiral Bennett had given his father a two year sentence for taking Julian for illegal enhancements it seemed like an eternity but with everything that had happened in that time it had gone by in the blink of an eye.

He knew his mother would be immensely relieved to have his dad home.

She had suffered the most really...her husband in prison, her son light years away at the front lines of a war.

He had tried to reassure her, one of the reasons he called every week, or almost every week, the exception being missions he had been on involving the war but he called promptly upon returning to let her know he was okay,physically any way.

The war had taken a heavy toll on everyone...including him.

He glanced at the roof as the lift began to move.

Miles pushed the lever up and pulled it back down.

Push, pull, push, pull...

It was slow and difficult, even with the 'oil' he'd applied to the lever.