The BLTS Archive - In Sickness and In Health
by NicoleC. (n_clev@hotmail.com)

---

©1997

boring disclaimer:  these characters belong, of course, to
paramount. No harm was in any way intended by dragging them
into my warped little world and forcing them to perform at
my irrational whims.

note:  what follows is definitely of the hurt-comfort
variety, and contains explicit sex between two beautiful
creatures. don't read if you're not interested. if anyone is
in any way offended by the material found in the following,
my apologies.  if anyone is in any way  entertained, send
praises  and chocolate to the author.

nicole, forever in support of free speech on the Internet
and elsewhere...

---

Much to his surprise, the room began to spin.  Julian Bashir
leaned against the foot of an unoccupied biobed and waited
for the sensation to pass.

He was alone in the infirmary for the moment, so no one saw
him close his eyes to will the vertigo away.  no one was
there to be concerned, to tell him that he shouldn't be
working in his condition.

No one but his own common sense.

But common sense was overruled by Sisko.  The captain had
made it quite clear that he wanted to send the medical
records of last week's incident on the station to Starfleet
as soon as possible.  *Actually, the captain had made it
known that he really wanted them _yesterday_, but he had
grudgingly acknowledged that even Julian couldn't bend the
laws of temporal physics* and in order to get them to him,
Julian had to first finish compiling them.

Of course, Sisko would understand if Julian explained that
he wasn't feeling up to the job, that he needed to find
someone else to take over.  But Julian was the doctor who
had worked on treating the bizarre virus that had affected
half the station's population. Julian was the one who had
finally isolated the problem and come up with the solution.
And Julian was the one that knew the material the best.
Consequently, Julian was the one who could get the job done
the fastest.  And speed  was of the essence, so the results
could be shared with other Federation  planets and space
stations in the event that the virus appeared elsewhere.

Besides, he had never been one for disappointing people.
Especially Captain Sisko.

He opened his eyes, and the room was stable again.  *Just a
little tired.  Nothing to worry about.  I'll be done in an
hour anyway.* Julian moved away from the bed, going into his
office.  He vaguely wondered where all his nurses were, then
remembered that he had sent them all home an hour or so
before.  He glanced at his wrist chrono, surprised to find
that it had grown so late.  *Just one more hour* he promised
himself.

Julian sat down in front of the computer, more irritated
than worried when the words on the screen swam out of focus.
He rubbed his eyes with one slender hand, wondering exactly
when the inside of his eyelids had been replaced with
sandpaper.  Probably about the same time that the beat of
his heart began to also keep time across the bridge of his
nose.  He put his head down, forehead touching the cool
smooth surface of the desk.  The doctor in him began
unbidden to chronicle his symptoms as if preparing for a
diagnosis: headache, nearly overwhelming fatigue, vertigo,
aching muscles, faint nausea. his medical training
automatically moved his thoughts toward several possible
illnesses, but he pushed the thoughts away and forced
himself to raise his head.  There was nothing wrong with him
that a little sleep wouldn't cure.  And he would get some
just as soon as he finished working.

Julian stared at the computer screen, willing the words to
stay still long enough for him to read them.  In his
concentration, he didn't hear the footsteps behind him.

"Doctor."

He jumped at the unexpected voice.  Turning, he saw Garak
standing in the doorway, hands clasped together casually
behind his back.  The Cardassian stood there with his usual
expression of unfailing politeness, as if waiting for Julian
to make the first move.

Julian got to his feet, trying frantically to remember if
there was a reason for the tailor's visit to sickbay.  The
man rarely entered this part of the station... in fact, he
rarely seemed to be anywhere except his shop.  But no reason
came to mind.  "Garak? do we have an appointment?"

Garak smiled.  "I had feared you had forgotten me, Doctor.
We were supposed to meet for a late lunch today.  When you
didn't arrive, I assumed that other business had taken
precedence.  I..." he glanced around the room, then turned
back to the man standing in front of him, the accommodating
smile still in place, "came to see if we might reschedule."

*Lunch?  Today?*  Julian looked back at the computer screen
for a moment, trying to get his bearings.  Everything seemed
slightly off balance, as if he was hearing Garak's words,
but not fully comprehending their meaning.  He tried to
focus on what was being said, to make sense  of the words
enough to form a reply.

When he turned to the tailor again, Garak was looking at him
oddly. "Doctor, are you quite all right?"

Julian shook his head gently in an attempt to clear it.
"I'm fine, Garak.  And I'm sorry about lunch, but I've been
busy.  Now, I have a lot to get done.  If you'll excuse
me..."

Garak frowned slightly.  "I notice that you are alone here.
Perhaps I could call someone to come examine you.  You don't
look well..."

Julian turned away from him, dropping the thin veneer of
civility from his tone.  He didn't feel like dealing with
this at the moment, didn't want to explain or reassure, just
wanted to be alone again so he could finish his work and go
to bed.  "Garak," he said curtly, "I _am_ a doctor.  I think
i would know if there was something wrong with --

The room went into another sudden spin.  Instinctively
Julian reached out for the edge of the desk to keep himself
from falling.  He thought he heard Garak call to him. then
there were strong arms holding him, Cardassian arms.  Arms
that he felt safe in for a moment before the darkness washed
over him...

---

Garak saw Julian sway unexpectedly.  "Julian!"  the cry
escaped his lips before he could think.  He reached out to
the young man, grabbing his arm  before he could fall.  When
Julian's knees folded underneath him a second later, Garak
enveloped him in his arms, fully supporting the slight
weight.  The doctor smelled of shampoo and human sweat, and
it was only Garak's concern that kept him from enjoying the
moment of having this beautiful creature helpless in his
arms.

He was about to bend down and pick up the smaller man, to
carry him to a bed and summon help, when Julian opened his
eyes.  Their gaze was slightly unfocused, but they were
open.

"What happened?" he whispered.

Garak used his normal facade of nonchalance to mask his
worry. "Perhaps you can tell me.  You seem to have
collapsed."

"I'm fine... just a little tired."

Julian tried to get his feet under him and move out of
Garak's support.  He took one step toward the desk and
almost fell.  Garak caught him again.

"Doctor, you are obviously not 'fine.'  If you do not wish
to call someone here to look at you... would you allow me at
least to escort you to your quarters?"

But the doctor continued to protest feebly.  "I can't leave.
I have important work to do..."

Garak sighed faintly.  He wanted to simply carry Julian off
to bed, but he had learned that ofttimes the best way to get
people to do what you wanted was to convince them that it
was their idea in the first place.  "Can the work not wait
until you have had some rest? or, if it is that important,
could you not work on it from your quarters?"

Julian seemed to consider this.  "I could work on it in my
quarters..."  he murmured.

Despite his worry, Garak felt a small smile tug at his
mouth.  "I suppose you could.  Shall we go there?"

Still in Garak's arms, Julian twisted his neck to look up at
the Cardassian.  "'We?'  You don't have to come with me,
Garak.  I told you,  I'm fine."

He shrugged, the practiced appearance of casualness back in
place. "It's on my way.  I thought I would walk with you, if
you have no objections."

---

In truth, Garak only walked _with_ him about half the
distance to his room.  Then he stumbled, and Garak supported
most of his weight the rest of the way.  He wanted to pick
up the slender body and take him there in his arms, and, in
the semi aware state that Julian had slipped into, it was
doubtful that he would have protested.  But Garak was afraid
of the doctor waking up in that position without warning and
making a scene that might cause both of them considerable
embarrassment.  *You'd be a fool to think that he feels the
same way you do, Garak... You'll only be disappointed* so he
contented himself with holding tightly to one arm, taking
most of the weight himself but allowing Julian's feet to
track the carpet just enough to make it look realistic.

They reached Julian's quarters, and Garak keyed in the
sequence he knew as well as his own. (he had not allowed
himself to use it before now, of course, but one look at the
barely conscious doctor told him it would be far easier than
trying to get the other man to do it.) the door slid open,
and he helped Julian inside.  Garak led him to the bed,
pushing away numerous fantasies about this room that
clamored for his attention.

But one delicious image suddenly rose above the others *the
exquisitely beautiful brown body in his arms tied to this
very bed with swaths of black silk, naked, struggling and
begging for Garak to set him free... or to ravish him
completely* and Garak felt his cock stir.

Using the mental discipline he had spent years cultivating,
Garak forced the fantasy back into his subconscious and
concentrated instead on getting Julian into bed.  The doctor
was acquiescent as a child, letting Garak lay him against
the pillows and remove his boots.  His eyes closed as Garak
pulled out a mediscanner he had borrowed from the infirmary
on the way out.  He ran the instrument over the long body,
looking for signs that the doctor's condition was serious
and required immediate attention. but though he found a
fever among the other symptoms, it was not yet high enough
yet to warrant urgent care.  For now he would keep Julian
here, monitoring the symptoms in case they worsened.

*Selfish... You're being selfish by keeping him here... He
should be in sickbay...*

Leaving the scanner on a bedside table, Garak moved into the
head, bringing back a wet cloth which he folded and lay
across Julian's forehead.  The young man stirred faintly but
did not open his eyes. Garak pulled a chair over to the side
of the bed and settled back, prepared for a long wait.  All
other feelings aside, Garak _was_ concerned for his friend.
*Liar... If you were _that_ concerned you'd take him back to
the infirmary* and if this was as close as he could get to
the doctor, he resolved to accept that and watch over him.

Accept that for the moment, at least.

Garak studied the long, slender limbs, the surgeon's hands
that managed to look graceful even in sleep, the alien face
with the long black lashes caressing the dark cheeks.  He
wanted to run his fingers along  those lines, touch his
tongue to those lashes.  He wanted to feel those talented
fingers running over his scales, doing things to him that up
to this point he had only dreamed about.

Garak knew that he had wanted Julian Bashir from the moment
he first saw him walking the promenade.  The idea startled
him when he finally admitted it to himself - the fact that
he could allow someone to have so much power over him.  And
it saddened him as well, because, as the nagging voice in
his mind liked to constantly remind him, there was
absolutely no indication that Julian felt the same for him.
The most probable scenario was that the only way he could
ever get this beautiful body was to take it by force.

Julian moaned from the bed.  Garak was instantly up, leaning
over the doctor with the scanner.  The fever temperature
remained constant, still high but not yet dangerously so.
Garak lightly pressed the back of his hand against one of
those golden cheeks, inhaling sharply when the deep brown
eyes opened at that moment to meet his own.

---

Julian slowly came back to consciousness, unsure as to where
he was and how he got there.  He thought he was lying down,
but he didn't remember the point at which he stopped
standing up.  All he knew was that he was hot, so hot... As
if the environmental controls had malfunctioned.  He'd  have
to call chief Umbrian to come take care of that -- sickbay
systems should always be on-line, a priority over all other
areas of the  station, with the possible exception of OPS.
When he tried to raise his head to look for the intercom he
heard someone moan.  There were  patients in the infirmary?
and he was _sleeping_?? What would Sisko say if he found him
lying down on the job?

A coolness suddenly broke through the overwhelming warmth he
was feeling, but it was only on one side of his face.
Julian opened his eyes to see Garak leaning over him.  He
vaguely recognized that the sensation came from the smooth
gray hand against his cheek, but his mind  was too muddled
to determine anything else.  One persistent thought did
again break through.  "Are there patients here?"

The face above him looked confused.  "Are you in the habit
of bringing patients home with you, Doctor?"

"What?"  Julian weakly pushed himself up on his elbows, and
what seemed to be a cloth fell from his forehead onto the
blanket next to him.  *Blanket?*  "We're not in the
infirmary?" he asked, trying desperately to shake off this
mental fog.

"No, you asked to go to your quarters," Garak said as he
gently lay him back against the pillows.  "You need to
rest."

Julian felt his eyes fighting to close.  "Hot," he mumbled,
not sure if  he actually said the word aloud.

"you have a fever," said the soothingly smooth voice above
him.  He felt the wet cloth replaced on his head, and there
were fingers running softly through his hair.  The rhythm
was comforting, reminding him of childhood illnesses when
his mother would sit by his bedside.  Within minutes he had
fallen back into an uneasy sleep.

---

"Hot," the young man murmured.

*So am i* Garak almost said, though somehow, he thought with
a sardonic smile, he doubted that Julian meant the words in
the same sense...

But Garak _was_ hot, undeniably so, watching that beautiful
lean body twist on the bed in a fitful rest.  Each little
whimper shot through him like an electric shock, and he
could feel himself growing harder the longer he sat there.
If he closed his eyes and let his imagination flow with
those background noises for inspiration... He knew he
wouldn't be able to stand it much longer.

Instead he whispered some inane reply, it didn't really
matter what he said, and tried to think of anything but the
young man on the bed. He realized he was absently stroking
Julian's hair, had begun to slide his fingers down the
boyish face before he caught himself.  Garak pulled his
fingers away from the bronzed skin and touched them to his
lips.  They tasted of salty sweat, the same sweat that
beaded across Julian's forehead.  The same sweat that Garak
longed to lean forward and slowly lick from --

*_Stop_ it*

He tore his eyes from the figure on the bed.  It was all he
could do to keep from tearing open his trousers right there
and relieving himself of what had become an aching erection.
But he had some measure of self control left to him.  He
refused to give up that shred of dignity, to admit that this
beautiful creature held, even unwittingly, _that_ much power
over him.

Garak closed his eyes tightly and willed his body to submit
to his commands.  After a moment he reopened them, having
succeeded enough that the urge was not so strong.  He was
well aware, however, that he was still quite hard.  He had
to be careful not to push his tenuous control by indulging
in random fantasies.

He looked at Julian who was still writhing in the grip of
dreams. Almost as if on cue, Julian let out a low moan.
*Gul, you're not going to make this easy, are you?*

He moved forward and knelt next to the bed, leaning over
Julian. Taking the cloth, he gently wiped some of the sweat
from the other man's forehead.  Julian whimpered softly,
curling up almost into a ball on the rumpled bed, looking
like nothing so much as a sick little boy.  Garak wanted to
take him into his arms and comfort him, to feel the heat of
Julian's body pressed close against his own...

Instead he pulled away, sitting back in the chair so that he
was no longer touching any part of that smooth golden skin.
Garak watched as Julian slipped into another set of
nightmares, wondering what he was dreaming of in the midst
of his illness.  What strange horrors could this particular
subconscious come up with if unleashed?  In days past,
Garak's interest would have been professional -- the best
way to get people to tell you what you wanted to know was to
face them with their worst fears.  The trick of the skilled
interrogator lay in discovering those fears.  It was a
delicious irony that the simplest and most effective torture
was created by the victims themselves.

But now his interest was personal.  He truly wanted to know
what made this human lay awake at night, what made him ask
his mother to leave the light on when she would tuck him
into bed.  What were his deepest fears?   What kind of
monsters was his subconscious throwing at him now?

---

Garak suddenly came awake to find himself in a strange room,
sitting in an unfamiliar armchair.  It took him only a
moment to remember where he was and how he had gotten there.
He couldn't recall falling asleep, but he instantly saw what
it was that had awakened him -- Julian was no longer in the
bed in front of him.

Garak rose and turned to see the doctor moving unsteadily
toward the exit.  He was immediately at his side,
positioning himself between the other man and the door.

"Doctor, where do you think you are going?"

"To sickbay.  I have work to do..."

Julian stumbled then, and Garak caught him.  *This is
becoming a habit*  he thought as he looked down at the
younger man.  He helped the doctor back onto his feet, but
didn't release him.  "Surely, as a man who makes  his living
in the medical field, you can see that you are not well,"
Garak said with more than a hint of sarcasm.

Julian seemed to miss the sarcasm completely, as Garak had
suspected he would.  "Doesn't matter."  The words were
mumbled, but at least he was admitting that there was a
problem, Garak thought.  "I need to go to work."

Garak shook his head at the stubbornness of this man.  "You
_need_ to be in bed," he said, refusing to acknowledge the
irony of that statement coming from him, especially directed
at Bashir.  He began to maneuver Julian away from the door
and toward the bed.  But Julian spun back around, as if to
make one last attempt to leave, and lost his balance.  He
ended up once more in Garak's arms, his face only inches
away from Garak's own.

Without a conscious thought, Garak suddenly found himself
kissing those perfect lips, that mouth that he had watched
form so many sentences over countless lunches, when all he
could think about was stopping the seemingly endless flow of
words.  At first he felt Julian tense with  shock at what
was happening, then realized with a shock of his own moments
later that the doctor was returning the kiss.  Was this a
sign  that Julian wanted this as much as he did, or was he
under the control of the delirium?

Garak decided that he didn't care

He slid his arms tighter around the thin body, pulling it
against his own as he slid his tongue into that sweet mouth.
Julian tasted like the earth spice known as cinnamon, a
distinctive flavor that Garak had been introduced to at one
of their many lunches.  He had not been too fond of it then,
but found he did not mind it at all in this context.  His
cock  pressed against his tailored pants, begging for
attention.  He felt Julian's tongue twist with his own, and
he wanted to hold this long- awaited kiss for as long as
possible.

---

Julian couldn't remember how this started, who had kissed
whom, how he had suddenly become locked into an embrace with
Garak.  He had been trying to leave the room, he thought,
then they were kissing.  He found he was missing the steps
in between.

Though, somehow, it didn't seem to matter.

Garak's body pressed close against him, breaking thorough
the incredible and all-encompassing heat of his own body.
He was so disoriented, unsure if they were standing or lying
down.  It seemed as if Garak's hands were everywhere, moving
over his body, touching him in so many  places.  His eyes
were closed, experiencing the odd sensations with his  other
senses.  He felt as if he were drunk.  Was he?  Had he been
drinking earlier?  He didn't think so, but he couldn't be
sure of anything.  Were those Garak's fingers running down
his chest, or his tongue?  Was the blissful coolness
encircling his erection the air of the room or that talented
Cardassian mouth?

Julian was lost in a sea of delirium, and he couldn't
remember if he had ever been so aroused.

---

Garak lay Julian down on the twisted sheets of the bed,
breaking the kiss just long enough to admire the creature
below him.  The long limbs, the flushed skin, the new bulge
visible only to one who was looking for it.  Garak had
always loved the way black had the ability to trick the eye,
concealing various lines and bumps beneath the fabric.
Julian had his eyes closed, but the uneven breathing told
Garak that he had not fallen asleep.

And Garak had no plans to let him do so.

Kneeling above Julian on the bed, Garak leaned in for
another kiss, this one a little more rough than the first,
before proceeding to remove the tastelessly-designed
Starfleet uniform.  Julian's eyes fluttered but still did not open
his brown eyes as Garak undressed him, soon leaving him clad
only in tight black briefs, shivering as the air touched his
sweat- dampened skin.  Garak smiled appreciatively at the
sizable erection that even the black of this cloth could not
disguise.

Garak removed his own clothing, savoring the sight of the
body on the bed, the body he had wanted and was now about to
have.  How many times had he seen this picture in his mind,
pleasured himself to visions of what was about to take
place?  And to think those fantasies were soon going to come
true.  Julian was his to do with what he wanted.

Now naked himself, Garak removed Julian's final article of
clothing and freed his stiff cock.  Julian moaned softly.
Garak lowered himself down  on that golden body, claiming
that mouth as their erections rubbed against one another.
He ravaged that mouth, tasting the coppery flavor of human
blood.  but Julian did not protest. instead, to Garak's
delight, he became more aggressive, lifting himself off the
bed to press harder against Garak's mouth.

Garak moved down the smooth chest.  The heat coming from
Julian's body was incredible, as if it were a tangible
entity and Garak was in danger of being swallowed whole.  He
teased a dark nipple with his tongue, licking up the salty
sweat as Julian writhed beneath him.  He took it in his
teeth, nipping at it, just hard enough to be rewarded with a
gasp of sudden pain.

He continued moving downward, feeling Julian's cock slide up
his chest until it was within reach of his mouth.  Garak's
tongue darted out, catching the drop of precum at its tip.
Then he took it into his mouth, hearing Julian moan loudly
above him.  Garak teased him with his tongue, pulling away
to play around the head, then taking the entire thing into
his mouth again.  He heard Julian breathing faster now, and
felt his own  breath coming shorter.

Garak sucked Julian gently, then suddenly dragged his teeth
along the sensitive length.  Julian cried out sharply, and
Garak wondered if he still had his eyes closed.  He didn't
look to find out, instead dug his nails into the bare thighs
on either side of his head and began to suck again, moving
his mouth up and down Julian's cock, faster and faster,
sucking harder and harder until, with one loud cry, Julian's
cum flowed thick and salty over his tongue and down his
waiting throat.

---

Julian's eyes flew open as lines of pain were raked down his
cock. the  room whirled crazily around him, and he thought
for a moment that he was going to fall.  He tried to turn
his head, to get some kind of grip on his surroundings, but
that only increased the vertigo.  He could feel the pressure
on his cock, the need to come, the sudden realization that
any second it was going to happen.  He didn't know what was
happening,  Wasn't even entirely sure where he was.  Was he
alone?  Would he wake up  in a minute to find his sheets
damp with his semen?  Or was Garak really here?  Was that
really Garak's mouth urging him on to orgasm... Allah, was
he  going to come in Garak's mouth?  Was that what he
wanted?  Could he --

A surge of pure ecstasy rushed through him and the room
exploded as he felt the delicious relief of his cum pouring
from his feverish body.  Julian's eyes closed as he sank
back into the pillows.  He didn't want to open his eyes to
find that he was alone, that this was nothing but a dream.
He could just slide into sleep, dealing with everything in
the morning...

Pressure again on his bruised lips.  He opened his mouth to
allow Garak's tongue to enter, realizing that he could taste
himself in that mouth.  Julian opened his eyes to find clear
blue orbs staring back at him.  Was this just an elaborate
hallucination?  Some kind of fantasy brought forth from the
depths of his subconscious?

Then a thought broke through the feverish haze:  even if
this was merely a dream, why not enjoy it while it lasted?

Julian imagined he could feel Garak's swollen cock pressing
against his leg.  The idea excited him, the thought that
_he_ could arouse this mysterious alien.

"Fuck me."

He wasn't sure if Garak had heard the mumbled words, but
then Cardassian broke the kiss to ask, "What?"

Julian felt totally out of control.  Without giving himself
time to think, he smiled seductively, moving just enough to
rub the bare flesh of his thigh against Garak's erection. "I
want you to fuck me, Garak."

Garak growled low in his throat.  "As you wish, my dear
Doctor."

Julian felt a strong arm circle around his back.  As he was
lifted from the pillows, he remembered that he had read in
some medical journal or another that Cardassians were
self-lubricating.  He had thought it an  interesting fact at
the time.  Now he was grateful, as he realized that he had
not prepared for this to happen.  Though, he still wasn't
entirely  convinced that this was really taking place...

The train of thought was ended abruptly as Garak entered
him.  He gasped with the sudden pain, unaccustomed to this
new sensation. Garak filled him, seemed to fit him perfectly
as if they were made for each other.  He could feel Garak's
hips pressing against him as the Cardassian's powerful body
rocked them both with each thrust.

In Julian's feverish state, the room was nothing but slashes
of color smeared across some bizarre abstract canvas.  He
closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of Garak's
breathing and his own, coming in shallow pants as the
rocking motion became faster and more urgent.  He realized
he was hard again.  Was he falling?  Julian felt as if he
were tumbling in an unending downward spiral, unsure even
which direction was up.  Were they still on the bed?  He
could feel Garak inside him, Garak's arm around him, could
hear Garak's moaning breath in his ear.  Everything was
spinning.  He thought he felt Garak's hand on his cock,
stroking it faster and faster, keeping time with the
rocking, faster and  faster, thrusting inside him harder and
harder, until it all came together with one great cry that
he could feel reverberate through his body.  Had he made the
noise?  Had Garak?  He felt Garak's cum fill him, at the
same moment that he felt himself come again, the milky white
fluid running over smooth gray scales and onto the black
sheets.

Julian fell back into the soft pillows, shaking from the
exertion and the cool air on his damp exposed flesh.  He was
vaguely aware of Garak retrieving a blanket that had fallen
to the floor and laying it over him.  Garak crawled into the
bed, moving close to him under the warm blanket.

"Mmm, thank you, Julian," he mumbled with a smile on his
lips as he closed his eyes.

The doctor barely heard the words. Julian's eyes drifted
closed, and he fell into an exhausted and dreamless sleep.

---

The End