“Shall we proceed to Sickbay, Captain?” Savar asked as they both stepped into the turbolift. Kosev turned to his first officer and shook his head slightly, then ordered the computer to instead take them to deck six. He looked to the Vulcan and said, “No, I want to check on Cassian first and see how he's doing.” 

They stood in silence for a few seconds before Kosev asked, “Who's on duty on the bridge?”

“Ensign Nakav.” He answered plainly. 

Kosev nodded and tapped his comm badge, “Thiren to Nakav.”

Perking up in the captain's chair, Kyth quickly tapped his badge and replied, “Nakav here, Captain.”

Kosev smiled to himself after hearing the slight apprehension in the young ensign's voice, “Please let Commander Murphy and Lieutenant's Hughes and Khan that I will meet them in Engineering in one hour. Still have a few more rounds to make first.”

“Aye, Captain.” Kyth said quickly.

“Thiren out.” Kosev looked to Savar and said, “For all that we just went through together, he still seems a little green.”

“Ensign Nakav is Orion, Captain.” Savar said plainly, still looking forward. 

Kosev rolled his eyes and chuckled, he turned to the Vulcan and held up his hands as the turbolift doors opened, “Head down to Engineering, I'll meet with Cassian and Doctor Ryan, then meet you down there.” Savar nodded, staying in the turbolift while Kosev continued down the corridor. 

Arriving and standing outside the doors to Cassian's quarters, Kosev hit the door chime command on the pad and waited for a response, but did not receive one. He hit the door chime again, and again nothing. Looking up slightly, he said, “Computer, locate Counselor Edren.”

“Counselor Edren is in Sickbay.”

“Well, guess there's no putting off the medical examination.” He muttered under his breath, hoping that Cassian would've provided enough of a distraction to skip the visit to sickbay all together this afternoon. He walked back towards the turbolift and proceeded up one deck, then made his way down the hall and to sickbay. 

Walking in, he immediately noticed Cassian with a few engineers from Avalon Fleet Yards working on one of the biobeds in the far corner. “Glad you see you up about about, Counselor.” Kosev spoke up to the young man, who immediately turned around and stood at attention, along with the engineers.

“Captain, I didn't realize you were here, my apologies.” He said somewhat nervously.

“Don't strain yourselves, gentlemen.” He said through a smirk, holding up his hands and shaking his head slightly, motioning for them to relax. “I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing, you hadn't regained consciousness before I left for my trip.”

Cassian smiled and nodded, “I appreciate that, Captain. I'm doing okay, thanks primarily to Doctor Ryan of course.” He said loudly so the doctor would hear on the other side of the room, holding up his arm for her to approach them. Kosev looked over and saw her slowly walking over, her arms crossed and her eyebrows raising slightly as she scanned them on her way over. 

“My guess is you were never in any life threatening danger, that serum that you were injected with seemed to put you into some kind of long term stasis, for what purpose I can't imagine.”

“Probably so the saboteur could replace someone without risking them waking up and blowing their cover.” Kosev said, his arms also crossed as he shifted his look to Cassian.

“But why go through all the trouble to keep the victim alive? Wouldn't it be easier to just kill the original?” Aleah pointed out, and as she did, she immediately put her hands to her mouth, “Oh, I'm so sorry Cassian, I didn't mean-”

“It's alright, it's a perfectly valid question.” Cassian said through a smile, reassuring the doctor. 

“Only thing that comes to mind is so the imposter has access to the host and can interrogate them for information, either about their target or about the host's personal life to make their deception all the more convincing.” Kosev said, his antennae shifting at the thought of other potential changeling infiltrators doing the same on other starships.

“If they were after secrets or information, I'm not sure why the changeling though the ship's counselor was a prime target. If it were me, I would've went for someone in engineering, or perhaps even yourself, Captain.” Cassian said, Aleah also seeming to agree. 

“You were the only one on board who was a direct threat to the changeling, Counselor. With your abilities, you would've discovered him had he replaced anyone else, his target always had to be you.” Kosev said, shaking his head slightly. He put his hand on the counselor's shoulder, “Whatever their motives or intentions, I'm just glad we got you back."

Kosev looked around at the engineers who continued to work while they were conversing and said, “How goes the repairs and upgrades?” 

Aleah stood up straight from leaning on the console and said, “Well, we have the repairs to this biobed left, and the upgrades to the surgical bay. Then there were some additional items in the medical lab, so all together I'm thinking another day or two until all systems are completed. Maybe less with the Counselor's help.” She said, smiling at Cassian. 

“Very good, thank you both.” Kosev said, and started to turn and head for the exit before he heard Aleah behind him speak up, “Um, Captain, not so fast.”

He stood in front of the sickbay doors and smiled, then turned around to meet the doctor's look, “I was this close.” He said, walking back to one of the biobeds. 

Aleah smirked, “Well, you know what they say, Captain's make the second worst patients.” She grabbed her tricorder and began to take scans as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. 

“Second worst? Who's the first?” Kosev asked. 

“Doctors, of course.” Aleah said playfully, as she continued the examination.