LIFE LINE
Episode 144
Part F

 

Zimmerman: "Because you're defective!!"

Zimmerman: "Emergency Medical Hotheads, Extremely Marginal Housecalls - that's what everyone used to call the Mark 1s until they were bounced out of the medical corps. I tried to have them decommissioned but Starfleet in its infinite wisdom overruled me and reassigned them all to work waste-transfer barges."

As Zimmerman talks, the Doctor notices a medical tricorder and picks it up.

The Doctor sympathetically puts a hand on his shoulder but Zimmerman pushes it off angrily. "That's where you'd be too if you hadn't been lost in the Delta Quadrant."

He sinks onto a couch.

"Do you know how humiliating it is to have 675 Mark 1s out there, scrubbing plasma conduits, all with my face?" Doctor: "I'm sure they're doing a fine job."

As the Doctor scans him, Zimmerman: "What are you doing? I'm not finished with you." Doctor: "I'm trying to do my job, and if you give me a chance you'll see that I'm pretty good at it. Frankly, I'd hoped that if we ever met you'd be proud of me."

Zimmerman: "I guess it is comforting to know that at least one of you is still doing what I designed you to do." Doctor: "Your intra-cellular proteins are at a dangerous level. We should begin the procedure. Please, give me a chance to make you proud of me."

Zimmerman: "Maybe we could try it, see how it goes." Doctor: "'See how it goes.'"

Zimmerman makes one last effort at being gruff and difficult: "Just don't expect me to put you in my will." The Doctor smiles - they have 'arrived'.

In the living quarters, Barclay is pacing impatiently. "I'm going in." Troi: "Reg. Barclay: "They have been in there for 32 hours!" Troi: "Be patient."

At that moment the Doctor comes into the living quarters from the lab. Barclay: "Well, you, you're not fritzing any more."

Doctor: "No thanks to you. Dr Zimmerman ran a diagnostic on my subtronic relays and he made a very interesting discovery. Apparently I was the victim of foul play." Barclay: "Wh-what, what do you mean?" Doctor: "He found an algorithm designed to disrupt my matrix. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Troi: "Well, traditional therapy wasn't getting us anywhere."

Doctor: "Well, your little scheme worked. Dr Zimmerman has agreed to the cellular regeneration procedure. It requires several more treatments but I'm optimistic he'll make a full recovery." The others are delighted by the news.

Before he leaves the Doctor takes holopictures of the lab.

Pan across part of the Jupiter Station lab, showing the Doctor lining up a holophoto shot. (pop-up window)

Zimmerman enters. He makes a gruff joke: "Trying to steal my secrets." Doctor: "Another one of my hobbies. I thought I'd take home a few memories."

He looks at Zimmerman. "You're supposed to be in bed." Zimmerman: "I've got work to do." Doctor: "It can wait. Go to bed. Doctor's orders."

Zimmerman sighs, but they both know that he will obey. "I hope you won't be coming back next month to make sure I'm taking my medicine." Doctor: "Don't worry, my Captain's not likely to authorise another housecall." Zimmerman: "Good. The next time she sends a datastream, you might wanna drop me a line. Let me know how you're doing." Doctor, pleased: "If you insist." Zimmerman smiles.

Barclay enters. He looks at the Doctor. "Ready?"

The Doctor starts to leave, but then hands his holocamera to Barclay. "Would you mind?" Barclay is delighted. "Not at all."

Barcaly points the holocamera as the Doctor and Zimmerman pose together. "Smile."

Barclay takes the picture, to make another memory for the Doctor - of himself with a new friend.