Title: Fixer of Broken Things
Author: kbk
Disclaimer: Not mine, I make no money, yadda
Rating: PG
Notes: Is DS9 Mirrorverse fic, was meant to be slash but isn't, really. Is Smiley thinking 'bout Sisko. Is short.

He gave me my name and he took me into his crew and his crew is family to him. He looks after them with all that he is. He will do anything for them, no matter the cost to himself - and it has been a great cost.

I only used to see him when he dropped by the station and ordered some repairs. When he was striding around, arrogant as could be, the only Terran of note facing down the Klingons and the Cardies. He's a lot quieter on his own turf. I mean, he's got charisma all right, he couldn't lead this rabble if he didn't, and there's more of them every day, seems like. But more people under his command mean more responsibility for him, and sometimes it's like he's gonna implode from all the pressure he's under, with only the force of his personality stopping him collapsing...

It would be a whole lot easier if he wasn't cracked. The man's a nutcase. Loss and hopelessness and the empty places in his soul that the hearty captain is simply a veneer over.

I can tell these things, you see. I'm good at seeing what's working and what isn't. It's what I do. Machines, most all of the time, but it works for people too if I watch them closely enough. And I watch him a lot.

At first it was because he was a threat. Big man, did whatever he wanted - the dangerous sort. And he said he liked me. Being good at what I do just brings me attention, and it brought me his. So I had to watch back. And then we came here, and I had to learn the rules, so I kept watching. He trusts me now, but I still watch. And he's more relaxed here, so I see more. And what I see isn't good.

We can't hope for anything if our revered leader doesn't care whether he lives or dies. He needs fixed, and soon. And that's what I do, isn't it? Fix things. Take care of it all so we survive for another day, so it doesn't explode in our faces and kill us all.

But I don't know how to fix him.