Part III.
The Evasion Tango

Counselor Angel Kerix

After about 3 hours of sleep, Angel woke up and decided it was time for that visit to the doc. She fixed her hair and makeup and then got Letta ready to go. They headed out with Letta on her shoulders. They walked into the sickbay but there seemed to be some kind of commotion so Angel sat down on a bio bed and took Letta off of her shoulders. She began singing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" with her daughter to keep them both occupied.

Dr. Mark Zimmerman

Mark thought he'd handled things quite well.

"I've never had a day quite like this, and I'm hoping that I won't again for a long time to come," he said with a feigned touch of exhaustion. Nurse McCullan's smile warmed considerably. It appeared that she finally relaxed. At least, that's what he surmised from her bioreadings during their handshake.

It was then that Zimmerman noticed the melody coming from the biobed nearest the door. He and McCullan turned to behold Counselor Angel Kerix, singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" with her daughter Letta. The doctor positively beamed (a response which did not escape Kat), and strode easily over to them to sit on the biobed opposite. He joined in their song, tickling Letta under the chin and making her giggle. The little girl bashfully hid her face against her mother's uniform.

He turned to McCullan, who had by then moved near him at the foot of the biobed. "You've been running Sickbay by yourself for the better part of the day," he said, "why don't you get yourself some supper and take the evening off?" He read her expression. "I'll handle the physicals just fine. Go and take it easy."

McCullan eyed him and nodded with a smile. "You'll call if you need my assistance?"

"I'll contact you if an emergency arises. Otherwise, I'll see you at 0700 tomorrow morning. How's that?"

"Works for me. Thank you, Doctor."

As Nurse McCullan made her way out the door, Dr. Zimmerman turned to his two patients and stood up. "I believe you two young ladies are here for your physicals?" Letta nodded enthusiastically while Angel smiled. "Well then," He lifted giggling Letta up and over onto the biobed he had just stood from. "I don't see why we can't take care of you both at the same time!"

Counselor Angel Kerix

Angel was positively glowing at how well the doctor was handling Letta. She had always responded as being rather frightened of the male gender. @This is wonderful. For once I won't have to worry about keeping her from running out of sickbay. And he has a really nice voice.@

Letta briefly peered at her mother but then started looking at the doc, although Letta did grab Angel's index finger and held on tight. But Angel had known that was coming. Letta always associated visits to any sort of doctor with shots. When the doctor peered curiously at Letta's death grip on her mother's finger Angel obliged in giving him an explantion. "Well Dr. Zimmerman, that's you name right? She afraid you'll give her a shot. If you're not maybe you could convince her to let go. I've never seen her take to someone quite like this before. I'm truly amazed." She gave him a killer grin and waited to see what he would do next.

Dr. Mark Zimmerman

"Well, Dr. Zimmerman, she is afraid you'll give her a shot. If you're not, maybe you could convince her to let go."

Zimmerman observed the bridge of arms between biobeds as little Letta gripped her mother's finger tightly. "Letta, I will only be using a hypospray, and that doesn't feel any worse than a quick burst of air. If you feel better holding your mother's hand, then you're welcome to do so," he then bent over her with a grin and whispered, "but I'll bet you'll let go right after the first time I use it."

He went over to a nearby tray and picked up an empty hypospray. Holding up his hand, he used it on his palm. "See? Nothing to it!"

He obtained a blood sample from her with no effort, and she did let go as predicted. Within thirty minutes, the two had both been examined and had their deep body scans done, Letta riding on the doctor's shoulders while he took Angel's holoimages.

He waved them a goodnight after arranging a meeting with the counselor that following afternoon. Zimmerman watched them as Letta skipped beside her mother down the hall on their way to the turbolift.

The last of that evening's physicals were completed. Incoporating the latest data on Starfleet medical findings and instruments went without incident. Sickbay's lights were out save for the office. There, Dr. Zimmerman sat and entered notes into patient records.

He considered this - the first day of his new life - a success. A commission, a rank, quarters... a real man's pursuit rather than an accessory on a vessel with occasional privileges. He came and went as he pleased here, and nobody gave it any thought...

...except perhaps his head nurse. Mark traced McCullan's access history on his console, and the results were disconcerting. He was not as oblivious to her initial coolness as he appeared, and he knew that any positive impression he could garner would not throw her off his secret for long, if at all.

He decided to take advantage of the latenight lull and start analyses on this evening's batch of blood samples...

Head Nurse Lt(jg) Kat McCullan

Kat took a sip of her coffee and started out the window. She was tired - staying up half the night thinking generally did that to you. Zimmerman was something of a conundrum. What to do about him - if anything - when she wasn't even sure what he was anymore. She'd been dead certain before that he was a hologram - there were just so many co-incidences - but certainly no hologram, no EMH in her experience handled children with any degree of success. Or sang with them. Or, for that matter, had a very obvious interest in holophotography and put it to such a practical medical use. If you looked at it from that angle, he couldn't be a hologram. It could all just be bizarre co-incidence. Or he could be a hologram. At this stage it was impossible to tell. She finished her coffee and polished off the rest of her breakfast - toast and milk - and recycled the plates and residue, then surveyed her quarters. They were small (but then she really didn't need much in the way of space) but comfortable, if rather plainly adorned in Starfleet greys - nothing really a few paintings or hangings wouldn't fix - and impeccably clean. Her father's motto had virtually been 'a place for everything and everything in its place', a childhood habit that had been built upon by military discipline. She had few possessions, only a few mementos really, and some datachips - it all had fit into one duffle bag with room to spare when she'd boarded. It was barely enough to lend the room a personal touch. Oh well. She shrugged mentally to her self and, after pausing to check her uniform was in order, headed for the nearest turbolift and Sickbay to start her shift.

She arrived slightly early, with four minutes to spare, but rather than heading straight in, paused on the threshold of the doorway. She still hadn't decided what to do about the current situation. Well, there wasn't really anything she could do until she had proof one way or the other of what he was - and that might be hard to come by. So, she'd have to treat Zimmerman like any other doctor, but it didn't mean that she couldn't look for proof to confirm her suspicions... And it certainly didn't mean he had endeared himself to her at all. First impressions last. But, even if he had been brusque with her, at least he wasn't with the patients - a mark in his favour. She shrugged to herself and bit back a yawn - she'd never been a morning person - and headed in to start the day.

Dr. Mark Zimmerman

While checking crew profiles, Mark sensed something distinct. The ship was moving. He switched channels on his console to an exterior view, and watched as the starbase slowly slid away on the side as the ship eased out of position and towards space.

Just at that moment, Nurse McCullan walked in. She dutifully ordered lights in the main area, and then stood in the doorway of the doctor's office.

"Good morning," Zimmerman said with a pleasant smile.

Nurse McCullan smiled quietly in response.

"We're leaving spacedock." He swiveled his console to show her the exterior display of their departure, "see?"

She tilted her head and craned her neck a little from where she was standing. Catching the hint, he swiveled the computer back into position, then stood up and offered his seat. McCullan smiled and obliged.

Mark wandered out to the diagnostic area and switched one of the communication consoles to the same channel, checking a culture while glancing at the Plato's departure.

And so an adventure began for them all. He had no idea what method they had to reach the Delta Quadrant. He considered that if Starfleet had found an acceptable means to do so, wouldn't they have brought Voyager back by now? Their means to travel immense distances was as classified as the nature of his own arrival; in time, both would become common knowledge to this crew.

Nurse McCullan walked out of the office to join him, looking at his labwork. "I should be doing this."

"It's still very early for you," he said, "I wanted you on hand for our departure - in case we were needed for anything."

Dr. Mark Zimmerman
Head Nurse Kat McCullan

Kat sighed. Doctors. Always convinced that they had to play the martyr. And that they had to do your thinking for you.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Doctor, but it's pretty early for you too. You were here later than I was last night," she said, reaching around to remove the culture samples from his grasp. "This is part of *my* job description. Since I see you've already taken care of the blood samples from yesterday, it wouldn't hurt to leave me something to do this morning."

Dr. Zimmerman smiled, "Well, you won't find me objecting," he said as he allowed her easy grasp of the slide.

Better. "And while we're on the subject of early mornings, have you had breakfast yet?" The momentarily puzzled expression on her face told her all. "Well, look, we don't have anyone booked in for another hour. Go get something to eat, and I'll call you if anything happens. Besides, the view of this," she gestured towards the console, "will probably be better from your quarters. Assuming you do have quarters."

"Of course I do. And you're quite right - I'll go get a bite to eat and see you in about half an hour?"

"Sounds reasonable."

Kat watched the doctor depart sickbay, a slight frown forming on her face. Just her luck in getting stuck with a morning person for CMO. Provided he actually slept at all. And then there was the momentary puzzlement over the suggestion of food…

On the other hand, she could just be being paranoid - early mornings with little sleep tended to do that to you, oddly enough. And either way it meant he'd be a shoe-in for the Alpha Shift, which was a situation much to her liking. She shrugged to herself and focused her attention back on the culture samples.

Dr. Mark Zimmerman

Dr. Zimmerman holstered his tricorder and left Sickbay. He'd use the time to calibrate their medical station on the Bridge while he took advantage of the better view of their departure.

Arriving on the Bridge, he smiled and nodded a good morning to those officers who glanced in his direction, then went to the console set on the railing behind the command chairs. While he did his work, the doctor watched the viewscreen. They slowly made their way on impulse behind the USS F. Scott Fitzgerald; ahead in the distance he could see the flagship Energizer. It was a breathtaking sight.

Captain P'rrashta and Lt. Heidegger entered the bridge from the Captain's ready room. The Captain nodded to him.

"Captain," Zimmerman nodded in return, holding out his chest in authority: "I have you and the remaining bridge crew down for this afternoon's slots in Sickbay. I can restrict any crew member from leaving the ship if their bioreadings aren't on record."

Human or Caitian, the reactions were always the same with Captains, he observed as P'rrashta made a weary smirk and nodded. Still, there were some areas where the doctor ran the show, and this was one of them. He knew they'd be there. Mark smiled smugly.

He continued running his diagnostics, glancing up occasionally at the viewscreen. The station was an imperative post during missions, where he could monitor the lifesigns of the away team. Satisfied that everything was in order, he left the Bridge for his quarters.

With ten minutes to spare, Mark set forth arranging his possessions. For the most part, he placed his sports equipment into a closet, and his photgraphic equipment into a cabinet.

Other than that, there was truly nothing else to be done. He had neither clothes nor hygenic amenities, and wondered whether replicating these items just to have around wouldn't be such a bad idea. He had fabricated a profile (as per Admiral Sulvac's instructions in that communiqué way back when he was on Voyager), and his medical records were coded as classified and encrypted.

Once they were well under way and the crew slipped into its routine, Mark would meet with the Captain in private and discuss with him of the reason for him having been recruited. Just as important, he would have to discern who best among the crew that he could trust with his actual maintenance: someone discrete as well as proficient in holotechnology. He sighed. Still so much to arrange...

Mark took the mobile emitter from his pocket, unzipped the jacket of his uniform, reached into his sleeve, and attached it on his blue shirt just below the region of his simulated deltoid muscle. "Computer, transfer my program to the mobile emitter." His projection shimmered for a moment. Then, he zipped up his jacket and returned to Sickbay.

Lt. Heidegger

Lt.Heidegger noticed the CMO on the bridge. Maybe he should pay sickbay a visit and get his physical done. On the other hand he wanted to talk to Lt.Kovala, but they were leaving the Starbase right now and certainly she would be quite busy at the moment.

"So it´s sickbay then" he thought to himself.

He nodded to some of the officers and left the bridge.

Dr. Mark Zimmerman

Dr. Zimmerman returned to Sickbay under the pretense of having calibrated the Bridge Medical Station and eaten breakfast in his quarters.

He found Nurse McCullan at his desk, entering test results into patient records. She asked if he had a good breakfast, to which he nodded. "I'm set for awhile," he said.

Zimmerman filled her in about his mandatory "invitation" extended to the bridge officers for that afternoon's collection of physicals, and negotiated their slots with those crewmen who had contacted Sickbay in his absence to schedule their time.

"If it gets hectic, how about we split the duties: I'll conduct the examinations, and you take the deep body scans?"

While waiting for his Nurse to reply, there was a hiss from the doors as the ship's morale officer entered Sickbay.

Lt. Heidegger

Lt.Heidegger entered sickbay. He didn´t like examinations, but apparently he had no choice this time. He spotted the CMO and Nurse McCullan at the Doctor´s desk and walked over to them.

"Good morning, here´s your next victim. Ready for my examination if you are" he said and grinned.

Dr. Mark Zimmerman

"Rumor has it that you're quite proficient in holotechnology," Dr. Zimmerman said to his Nurse. He folded his arms confidently, ann raised an eyebrow as he smiled: "I know I can count on your making the finest scans of our patients, perhaps better than anyone else on this ship... " then he added smugly, "...besides myself, of course."

He was joined in the office doorway. "Good morning, here´s your next victim," grinned Lt. Heidegger, "Ready for my examination if you are."

"Why good morning Lieutenant. I believe you're our first victim of the day." Zimmerman turned to McCullan, who confirmed with a nod and a somewhat friendly smirk.

After the doctor introduced the ship's morale officer and his head nurse to eachother, he led Heidegger to a biobed while she brought over a tray of diagnostic equipment.

"If the atmosphere in that meeting yesterday was any indication, it looks as though you'll have your hands full between our Chief Engineer and Chief of Security," said Zimmerman while he began the checkup. Nurse McCullan listened intently while she handed him instruments as he needed them and took readings.

Head Nurse Lt(jg) Kat McCullan

She was a nurse, not a photographer. That, at least was the first thought that crossed her mind. The second was more along the lines of 'the smug bastard!' Fortunately for the CMO, Lt. Heidegger, their moral officer chose that moment to make an appearance and Zimmerman was spared whatever comment she had to make. At least Heidegger had a sense of humour - and the intelligence to get his physical over and done with rather than stall it endlessly and end up causing more apprehension by delaying it. She'd never gotten that really - even as a child she'd never been afraid of doctor's visits, or even the trips to the dentist that sent her father, veteran of more conflicts than he liked to remember, weak at the knees. She shrugged and occupied herself by aiding Zimmerman with the lieutenant's physical, and then by fumbling with the holo-imager while he went over the readings in his office until she got a clear shot. Her interesting in holography was more than simply passing, but she generally stuck to the programming side - just the odd holodeck program or two.

She eventually saw Heidegger out of the door after all scans were complete and the doctor has spoken to him about the readings. Zimmerman was back in his office by that time, and, watching him, a somewhat evil thought occurred to her.

She leant against the doorway of the office and watched him for a second before speaking out.

"Well, I suppose we should get yours out of the way now before anyone else comes in."

Dr. Mark Zimmerman

Nurse McCullan leant against the doorway of the doctor's office and watched Zimmerman for a second before speaking out. There appeared to be some downtime following Lt. Heidegger's physical. "Well, I suppose we should get yours out of the way now before anyone else comes in," she said.

Dr. Zimmerman met her gaze, his large, brown eyes trying to fathom her true motives. "In a fleet," he responded calmly, "it is customary for the CMO's to conduct eachothers' physicals when there are no second physicians assigned to vessels." He smiled. "and since we doctors make the worst patients, you can imagine how much I'm looking forward our assigned encounter." He finished his logfile and sat back in his chair, smiling. "Then again, with luck we'll get Dr. Shurloch of the USS Energizer - he's Vulcan."

He knew it wasn't the reply she expected; thank goodness for Starfleet Protocol. But any further reparté would have to be postponed for the moment:

=/\= Captain P'rrashta to Doctorrr Zimmerrrman: Please rrreporrrt to my rrready rrroom. =/\=

Dr. Zimmerman put his elbows on the desk, rubbed his temples, and closed his eyes. "Never a dull moment," he sighed. He was good at mimicking stress.

The doctor stood, and as McCullan made way for him to pass and head for the door, he asked her to take samples and deep body scans first of anyone who comes in while he was out. "Hopefully, this won't take long."

He left Sickbay and - gratefully - escaped his Nurse.

Lt. Heidegger

Lt.Heidegger was glad that his physical was over.

The CMO had told him that everything appeared to be fine with him, thank God. Heidegger wouldn´t call himself a hypochondriac but the diagnosis of a professional always helped him to feel better.

He remembered his little chat with the Doc and Nurse McCullan once more. Even in sickbay they were already talking about Lt.Rapier and Lt.Kovala!

"Rumours seem to travel with warp-speed on this ship" he though and frowned.

But the Captain had promised to talk to both Lieutenants and maybe that would help.

Lt.Heidegger thought about it for a moment, then he decided to move on and have a look at the shuttles. That would be interesting...

Dr. Mark Zimmerman

Dr. Zimmerman sighed with relief as he strode through the corridors on Deck 5 towards the turbolift. Just when he thought his Head Nurse had been sufficiently convinced of his humanity, she threw him a curve. His request to see Captain P'rrashta was honored not a moment too soon.

"Bridge," he said. In the solitude of the turbolift, he decided to deactivate his mobile emitter, and reached into his sleeve from the shoulder to fetch it. He placed it safely into a pocket. Without the device, if he had to eat holographic food in front of McCullan, he could now do so.

The turbolift doors opened. He stepped out and to the right, then rang a chime outside the Captain's ready room. He stood straight and took a deep breath in anticipation of how he was going to bring up this discussion.

Head Nurse Lt(jg) Kat McCullan

He didn't miss a beat, did he? Protocol was protocol, after all, even if the other ships would probably have their resident doctors scan each other. But she thought she'd hit a nerve - he all but ran out of the sickbay. His medical files were encrypted, she'd noticed, which was another oddity speaking against him being, well, 'real'. And there sure were a lot of oddities…

She shrugged to herself. She needed real proof, one way or the other. But getting it was not going to be easy. Of course, there was the always the straight out approach 'Excuse me, but aren't you an EMH?', but that wouldn't go down well if he wasn't.

It was going to be a tricky one indeed.

The main doors swished open, interrupting her train of thought, to admit a young woman in security gold. She entered somewhat hesitantly, but when she spied Kat, headed straight over.

"I'm here for my physical?" she hazarded.

"Of course, Ensign…?"

"Valentine. Janette Valentine."

"Katherine McCullan," Kat smiled, "But most call me Kat. Unfortunately, you just missed the doctor - he got called to see the Captain - but if you want, I can do the preliminary stuff now and the deep-body scans."

"Deep body scans? They weren't in the last physical I had…" Janette frowned.

"Yeah, I know. It's something Dr. Zimmerman's decided to implement. It's really a pretty good idea - just don't tell him I said so. You basically just take a holo-image image of someone and load it into the computer for further reference. It's just like having you picture taken, only in a lot more detail."

"Well, I don't know… I hate having my photo taken."

"I know the feeling - but he's made it mandatory part of the physicals, I'm afraid. It'll only take a couple of seconds, and they'll be kept on file along with your normal records, so no-one but us can access them. I've already had it done."

"Well, if I have to…" she sighed reluctantly.

"You do sorry," Kat replied apologetically. "If you'll step this way…"

Capt. G'rranstle P'rrashta

"XO, you have the conn. I will be in my rrready rrroom."

With that Grranstle rises and enters his ready room. Grranstle walks over and stares out the 'port hole'.

*Chime rings*

Ah, that must be my appointment with the Dr.,

"Come in," the Captain says.

The Doctor strides in and presents himself before the Captain.

"You wanted to see me, Doctorrr. What can I do forrr you?"

Dr. Mark Zimmerman

"Come in."

The door to the Captain's ready room slid open to admit Dr. Zimmerman. Here we go, he thought.

"You wanted to see me, Doctorrr. What can I do forrr you?"

"Captain," the Doctor began, "It was expected of me to touch base with my commanding officer as soon as we left the starbase."

Captain P'rrashta sat calmly at his desk, waiting as Zimmerman took a nervous breath.

"Sir, I was brought to the fleet because of my first hand experience in the Delta Quadrant. I served on a vessel there from 2371; Starfleet Intelligence devised a means to bring me over to the Alpha Quadrant so that I may provide the DQEF with any insight into any familiar species, phenomena, cultures, or technologies we may encounter. I would at that time be required to inform you of such."

P'rrashta's golden eyes widened. "Voyagerrrr..." he purred.

"Yes, sir. I was their Chief Medical Officer. That is, I still am... actually, it's not that simple..." Zimmerman knew this wasn't going to be easy to explain.

Already he saw the Captain rise slowly from his chair, his mouth ajar with recognition. The Doctor was instrumental in notifying Starfleet of Voyager's fate just three years earlier, long after they were deemed lost and their case closed. He was discovered on board a prototype starship, and had somehow - with the aid of the ship's resident EMH - devised a means to retake the ship from Romulan spies. The news was a sensation which spread across two quadrants. As a result, the Voyager case was reopened and the Pathfinder Project launched.

Catching a revelatory glint in his Captain's eye, Dr. Zimmerman proceeded to explain how his program was copied and sent via an escape pod through a Geodesic Fold, where the Fitzgerald's XO Commander Kaj retrieved it as it emerged from a red giant star.

"And here I am," he said. The doctor hoped they would have the time to discuss their keeping his holographic nature confidential, a possible crew member assigned to discretely see to his maintenance, and perhaps ask advice regarding his overly inquisitive head nurse. But first, it was the Captain's turn to ask any questions he may have. Dr. Zimmerman remained at attention and waited patiently for a response.

Captain G'rranstle P'rrashta opened his mouth to speak, when an urgent message came through on the comm system:

=/\= This is Admiral Sulvac, commanding officer of the USS Energizer and Delta Quadrant Exploration Fleet. All captains, we have a Jem H'adar war ship heading in our direction. It's weapons are at a full charge and ready attack. The Energizer seems to be the main target so far. I recommend that all ships remain at red alert until further notification from me. Sulvac out. =/\=

Dr. Zimmerman and the Captain made eye contact and nodded towards eachother; any further discussion regarding the CMO's situation would have to wait.

As the Doctor stepped from the ready room and onto the bridge, the lighting dimmed to a deep red. P'rrashta followed close behind, and made his way to the command chair. Zimmerman hurried into the turbolift.

"Sickbay," he said quickly. The ride took forever. Mark thought about what he still wanted to say, and trusted that the Captain recognized his desire for discretion.

His thoughts then drifted to Sickbay. Where once he practically considered it his home, he now dreaded it. All crewmen would be at their posts. That meant he and Nurse McCullan would be alone together for as long as the ship was on Red Alert, waiting to treat any possible injured. It was going to be hell.

At last the turbolift doors opened on Deck 5, and as he stepped out, several engineering personnel hurried in. He walked briskly down the corridor to face an angst-ridden waiting game.

The Doctor entered Sickbay with less of a gait that he had when he left. His nurse had already placed an array of medical instruments at each station, and he was confident that all available medics were on call.

He entered his office and met her in the lab, where McCullan was indexing samples for him.

"We're engaging the Jem H'adar." he said.

"Ah." She returned to indexing samples.

Dr. Zimmerman quietly prepared a few for the centrifuge. Once the instrument was programmed and the tubes began their spinning, he turned to look at her. She outwardly behaved oblivious to him, but he was accutely aware of her paying attention to every move he made.

After some hesitation, he broke the silence: "Nurse McCullan, there's something I have to tell you..."

Dr. Mark Zimmerman
Head Nurse Kat McCullan

Red Alert. Well, no new mission would be complete without one in the first few hours, really, so as soon as the warning sounded, she shoed the latest physical patient out the door and set to work preparing the room. By the time Zimmerman arrived, everything was ready to go and, for the lack of anything better to do, had returned to indexing and cataloguing samples. He entered and got straight to work, after informing her just exactly what was going on - a privilege all too rare in a sickbay, unfortunately. He seemed… uncomfortable, was probably the best way to put it, which is why he caught her off-guard when he next opened his mouth.

"Nurse McCullan, there's something I have to tell you..."

She looked over at him in surprise. Something he had to tell her? It couldn't be… "Yes, Doctor?"

"I wanted to wait until we on our way before letting you know a little about myself."

"Afraid if I knew the real you I'd never have taken this assignment?" she replied with a slight smile. Mind you, that was quite true, if what she suspected turned out to be correct.

The doctor blinked. "I never thought of it quite in that way. I feared that my somewhat elusive past might put a strain on our working relationship. And after barely more than a day, I feel that I was correct in that assumption." He took one of the test tubes from the stopped centrifuge and measured a minute amount on a slide.

"'Elusive' is a good word for it," she remarked dryly.

Zimmerman chuckled as he ran the slide through its diagnostic paces. "I don't blame you for your apprehension," he said, and proceeded to explain how he was brought on by Starfleet Intelligence as a sort of expert on Delta Quadrant medicine and society. "The runabout they picked me up on was attacked on the way to Starbase 59. And I'm taking a chance telling you even this much; I was only to have informed the captain of my status in the event that operatives had infiltrated the fleet."

Great. SI. She groaned inwardly. ""Operatives?"

The Doctor calmly entered the test results on a PADD. "There are some who do not feel it is in the Federation's best interest to establish a presence in the Delta Quadrant. And others who would like to see us make the wrong first impression..." he turned to her with a slight smile. "…like I did with you." He went for another test tube. "In any case, I regret it has to be this way - my past shrouded in secrecy. It's for not only my safety, but for the safety of this crew."

The plot thickens. Kat mulled this over for a while - it explained some things, certainly, even to some extent why she'd gotten this particular assignment. "Well… I can understand that, I suppose. But things like not having access to your medical records is going to make it very difficult to treat you in the event of something… happening."

He sighed, almost wistfully. "That's something I'll have to discuss with the fleet commander when I get a chance to meet him. I had intended to pay my respects before we left, but as you know, it's been one interruption after the next since I arrived."

She chuckled briefly. "Tell me about it. For a moment there I didn't even think we were going to make it out of spacedock." She paused, frowning again and drummed her fingers on the bench top. "If you don't mind me asking, how much self-defense training have you had?"

"Some. Why do you ask?"

"I like to plan ahead. If you're as important to this mission as you say you are, then it's quite likely that part of the reason I was assigned here was to protect you. Since I can't play bodyguard every moment of every day, I'd prefer it if you were able to defend yourself in the event of one of these 'operatives' paying you a visit. After all, I'd rather not have to find someone capable of breaking the encryption on your files if there's an emergency."

He looked at her for a long moment. "I suppose that would explain why someone with your military expertise was assigned. I'm glad we had this talk. And when we have some time off - if you're willing - I'd appreciate any techniques you're willing to share with me."

"Certainly. But finding the time off is probably going to be the biggest problem. I don't know if you've noticed, but we're horribly understaffed."

"I did, but not to worry. I have a plan." He entered more data into the PADD. "That is, if I can find the time to implement it," he added with a slight tone of exasperation.

"What sort of a plan?" she asked warily.

He made that smug smile of his again. "Oh, you'll see," he said.

She sighed and refrained from further comment, turning back to her work. She had some answers now… certainly not as many as she'd like, but she had some at least. But it still didn't change the fact that he was a smug bastard who had a serious communication problem - and who looked suspiciously like one of the earlier EMH programs. But just so long as this 'plan' of his was workable… And the offer of some self-defense lessons had been genuine, if, as she said, they could find the time. One of the things she'd noticed that they never taught anyone in Star Fleet medical anything other than the basics when it came to self-defense, when really they were often the people who needed it most. She could teach him a lot of tricks that weren't standard practice and even work off her frustration with the situation a bit by wiping the floor with him and that smug grin off his face…