Back to Reality

Miles O'Brien's eyes flew open, and he was instantly hit with a wave of stress and anxiety. He was lying on the couch in Julian's quarters, and his friend was asleep in the chair next to him, a look of concern still etched on his face. Miles' mind immediately went to the repairs that still needed to get done, and how far behind he was now. He had lost hours, maybe even a whole day, and he knew that every minute counted. Without making a sound, Miles carefully got up from the couch and made his way out of Julian's quarters, back to the engineering department. He knew that Julian would try to stop him if he found out, but Miles couldn't shake off the feeling that he was already too far behind. As he made his way back to his workstation, Miles' heart was racing with anticipation. He quickly got to work, trying to fix the broken systems as quickly as possible. A few hours passed, and Miles was starting to make progress, but he was still far from finished. Just as he was starting to get into a rhythm, Miles heard the sound of angry footsteps approaching. He looked up to see Julian Bashir storming into the engineering station, his face red with anger. "Miles O'Brien, what did I just tell you?" Julian exclaimed, his voice loud and stern. Miles looked up, feeling a mix of guilt and defensiveness. "I just needed to get some work done, Julian," he said, trying to explain. Julian's expression only grew angrier. "You were supposed to rest, Miles. You were supposed to take care of yourself. Instead, you're sneaking back to work behind my back?" Miles felt a surge of defensiveness, but Julian cut him off. "You're not listening to me, Miles. You're not listening to your body. You're going to burn out if you don't take care of yourself." Miles felt a familiar sense of frustration and anger, but Julian's words cut deep. He knew that his friend was right, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was already too far behind. Julian's expression softened slightly as he looked at Miles. "I'm taking you back to my quarters, and you're going to stay there until you're feeling better." Miles tried to protest, but Julian was too strong. He grabbed Miles' arm and started to drag him out of the engineering station. As they walked, Miles felt his stress and anxiety start to turn into panic. He couldn't breathe, and his heart was racing. Julian seemed to sense it, and he wrapped a calming arm around Miles' shoulders. "Hey, hey, it's okay," Julian said, his voice soft and soothing. "I'm here, Miles. I've got you." Miles tried to calm down, but it was no use. He was spiraling out of control, and he didn't know how to stop. Julian's quarters were a welcome refuge, and Miles collapsed onto the couch, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. Julian sat down beside him, holding his hand and talking softly to calm him down. "You're safe, Miles," Julian said, his voice gentle. "I'm here. You're going to be okay."