~*In Cauda Venenum*~
By BGM



DISCLAIMER: STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE is a Registered Trademark 
® of Paramount Pictures. Copyright (c) 1997 by Paramount Pictures. All  Rights 
Reserved. No infringement was meant. 
     
RATING: PG-13 
    
CONTENT: Elim Garak, Enabran Tain 
     
STATUS: Angsty 



Garak was shoved into the cell with a minimum of courtesy and a maximum of 
derision. They had shredded his suit with knives while searching for concealed
weapons, nicked even his thick skin as they slashed at him ruthlessly. The black 
of the fabric made it impossible to tell whether he was bleeding profusely or not, 
but Garak had a vague idea of where the most serious wounds were located over 
his body. 

He stumbled into the cell and regained his balance swiftly as he swiveled and 
spat a curse at the large Jem H'Adar. The reptilian guard only sneered and closed 
the rotund metallic door with silent efficiency, bathing the cell in black. 

After a moment, Garak's eyes grew accustomed to the shadows, and glanced 
overhead to the thin stream of muted light that spilled into the cell from some 
unseen break in the wall. It was quite clear that was not the light of day, so he 
assumed they were deeply buried in the ground, most probably beneath some 
functional room that served the Dominion. He cursed again under his breath, 
waiting a moment for his sight to grow useful. He stepped back cautiously, 
swaying his hands behind him until he touched the cold, stone wall. He slid 
down smoothly, holding his knees to his chest as he cuddled with himself for 
warmth. He ducked his head and touched his nose to the depression between his 
knees, warming the cold flesh.

It was not until Garak could see with some measure of accuracy that he realised 
he was not alone. He frowned across the darkness and looked at the huddled, 
black form stretched against the opposite wall. The only sign of life Garak could 
perceive was the intermittent exhale of air, smoky in the chill of the prison cell. 
He frowned and climbed to his feet rather clumsily, focused on the prisonner 
that lay motionless. He moved cautiously toward it, tilting his head sideways to 
better distinguish the form. Something ... familiar caught his eye, and he 
frowned again. When he was close enough to distinguish the face, he startled 
slightly and straightened up with a gasp. "... Tain?" he said diffidently, his voice 
a mere whisper in the stillness of the room.

The man moved a bit, groaning as he awoke slowly. "... leave me ... alone," he 
slurred, his voice raising suddenly as he broke into a fit of coughing. Garak held 
the man as he slowly sat up, still coughing violently, the air expelling from his 
mouth in sharp streams of cold.

"Tain ... it's me, Elim ..." Garak said when the older man had calmed. Tain 
squinted in the crude lighting, his eyes taking in the sight of his protege. He 
cleared his throat and bowed his head again, grumbling under his breath.

"So. You came for me after all. Or were you just here to rescue your ... friend?"

Garak frowned, feeling helpless as he supported his mentor in a more or less 
sitting position. "What are you talking about? I came for you ... the signal ..."

"You fool," he rasped, shrugging off Garak's hands. "Didn't you learn anything 
yet Elim? That was a trap and you fell right into it. But I suppose I should ..." he
coughed again, clawing at the wall as he struggled to his feet, "... feel humbled 
that you came for me." 

Garak refrained from helping the older man, and watched, powerless. "Who else 
would I have come here for? I care for you ... I know you don't believe me ... but 
I didn't come all the way here for no reason. I knew it was most likely a trap ... 
but I had to make sure."

"Oh?" Tain said sharply, his voice betraying suspicion. "And Dr. Bashir had 
nothing to do with your foolhardly rescue?" he berated.

Garak was speechless for a moment before gathering the wits to reply. "Doctor 
... Bashir? What does he have to do with this?"

"Oh come on Elim!" Tain laughed. "You expect me to believe ... that a man 
who's saved your life ... risked his own to save yours not so long ago had 
nothing to do with your rushing in here playing the hero?"

The younger Cardassian's nerves frayed and he curled his fists with anger. 
"What are you talking about? Dr. Bashir is back on Deep Space Nine!"

"No he's not you idiot, he's right here. He was here all along. What's on your 
sorry excuse for a refuge is obviously a Changeling. Damn it Elim, didn't our 
last experience together taught you anything? Don't trust anyone!"

Garak widened his eyes in disbelief, stepping away from Tain. "No ..." he 
whispered, watching images speed before his eyes. Seeing the tender young man 
smile wickedly at him, pushing him roughly back on the bed with an evil smile. 
Nights of passionate, wild lovemaking broken by slaps and brutal slurs ... he had 
thought Julian to simply be acting like he thought a Cardassian acted ... abusing 
him with words and physically hurting him with far more strength than Garak 
would have imagined him to contain. And him ... so dizzy with delight and 
happiness that his dear doctor wanted him ... so joyous that he accepted the 
abuse without a word, took pleasure where he could and stealing it when his 
anger was fueled enough. And all that ... all that for nothing. He could imagine 
the Changeling's sneer right now ... staring at Garak dispassionately and uttering 
words of his world ... he could recall now with crystal clarity the Changeling's 
whispers in his ear ... just before Garak had come violently, he'd heard Julian 
say, "You're mine Elim ... Cardassia is no more for you ... you'll never see it 
again, so you'll be mine forever my pretty Cardie ... mine until you die at my 
hands." He hadn't questioned the last of his words, lost as he was in his pleasure, 
but now it made sense ...

Tain watched him for a moment, then shook his head. "And here I thought you 
were still sharp. Then again, Telim never was much of a brilliant soul ..." he 
sneered.  Garak growled and backhanded the Cardassian against the jaw, 
bawling his anger out in screams.

"Don't you DARE utter an insult of my father!" he thundered. "If anything, any 
faults I may have now is because of you ..." He hissed and pushed Tain against 
the wall, staring back into the older man's wide eyes. "Why didn't you ever tell 
me?? God damn you, do you know what I suffered through as a child because of 
your fucking mistake? Couldn't keep your damn hands to yourself could you old 
man? My mother was too pretty ... too smart to belong so devotedly to my 
father, so you had to go and rob her away from him. And you think I didn't 
know you bastard? Should keep your records better concealed, Father ... I didn't 
even have to work to look through them." He cursed again and pushed himself 
away from the bewildered man, hugging his chest as he stared stubbornly at the 
door.

After a moment of deafening silence, Tain touched his son's shoulder 
tentatively. "Elim ... I'm sorry about your friend. I ... I don't know exactly what's 
happened, but evidently something hurt you ..."

"Yes, something hurt me," Garak said softly. "And not just Julian. I've lived 
with my hurt for a long time Tain. Knowing this and waiting for you to tell me. 
But you never did. You treated me indifferently. You exiled me to a 
godforsaken Bajoran station and left me to rot by myself. Left me to grow old 
alone and miserable. And just when I find out I'm not alone ..." His voice trailed 
off, and he stared absently forward, a silent tear tracing one cheek. 

Tain lowered his head and let his hand drop to his side, sighing raucously. He 
went to say something when the door flung open and a Jem H'Adar entered, 
training his weapon on them both. He gestured at Tain to follow him and the 
older man nodded mutely, walking over to the guard. He glanced at Garak and 
said, "I will be brought to Dr. Bashir's cell ... for treatment." Before Garak could 
ask anything, Tain added quickly, "Is there something you wish me to tell your 
friend?"

Garak stared quietly at his father ... at his hero ... a man he had admired for so 
long, and simply whispered, "Tell him the truth. He deserves it. But not from 
me."  Garak turned away and tried to ignore Tain's eyes trained on him.

After a moment, the door was closing loudly. Garak thought he heard his father 
say "I love you son ..." but he could never be sure, for he never had the chance 
to see his father again as the door slammed brutally. 



THE END