14:[2,#b]
    DEEP SPACE NINE: "The Assign... " - REV. 09/12/96 - ACT THREE    29.
                           ACT THREE                            

	FADE IN:

26   INT. INFIRMARY

	O'Brien sits in a chair, head in his hands. Sisko and 
	Odo stand beside him. Sisko puts an understanding hand 
	on O'Brien's shoulder.

					ODO 
			You didn't see anyone near her 
			before she fell?

	O'Brien shakes his head.

					O'BRIEN 
			Nobody. But I was passing under 
			the walkway and my back was to 
			her.

					SISKO
				(curious, not 
				accusatory) 
			What were you doing on the 
			Promenade?

	The question catches O'Brien off guard.

					O'BRIEN 
			What?

					ODO
				(jumping in) 
			Weren't you supposed to be working 
			on some optronic circuitry on 
			Level Five?

	O'Brien hesitates a moment before answering. This is 
	dangerous ground -- up to now he hasn't out-and-out 
	lied to anyone. Let alone the captain.

					O'BRIEN 
			I was going to the Replimat... for 
			lunch.

	O'Brien is saved from further questioning when Bashir 
	EMERGES from surgery. O'Brien springs to his feet.

					BASHIR 
			Keiko's going to be all right. 
			She's lucky she landed the way she 
			did. It distributed the impact. 
			A fall from that height could 
			easily have killed her, or left 
			her paralyzed.