DEEP SPACE NINE: "Statistical... " - REV. 10/23/97 - ACT FIVE   51A.

42A  CONTINUED:

					O'BRIEN 
			I'm talking about when you had to 
			decide whether or not to meet with 
			the Dominion. I'm sure it wasn't 
			easy -- I know you wanted to try 
			to save as many lives as possible. 
				(smiles) 
			It's probably what makes you such 
			a good doctor.

					BASHIR 
			Fortunately this doctor's also a 
			Starfleet Officer.

	Bashir mulls it over for a moment --

					BASHIR 
			We thought we were so smart. We 
			actually believed we could predict 
			the future. 
				(beat) 
			It's my fault, not theirs. I 
			should never have let things go so 
			far. I guess I was just too bent 
			on proving to the world that they 
			have something to contribute.

	O'Brien considers for a beat...

					O'BRIEN 
			They did contribute, Julian. 
				(off Bashir's look) 
			Seems to me we were starting to 
			get a little too complacent about 
			the Dominion. We may have driven 
			them back into Cardassian space, 
			but that doesn't mean we've beaten 
			them.

	Bashir looks at his friend, grateful for his 
	perspective...

					BASHIR
			I only hope we can...

					O'BRIEN 
			The odds may not be good, but all 
			we can do is take our best shot.

	And with that, O'Brien moves away. A beat as Bashir 
	considers his words, then he turns and heads for the 
	Dabo table...