'Ethics' (Story Code 216) by Ronald D. Moore Story by Sara Charno and Stuart Charno

Lieutenant Worf is in a cargo hold when a support beam breaks and a heavy container falls on him; the Klingon comes to in Sickbay, only to learn that he is now paralyzed from the waist down. Doctor Crusher sends for neuro-geneticist Doctor Toby Russell, but insists that Worf’s chances of a full recovery are minimal at best. Worf's Klingon pride causes him to refuse to allow anyone to see him, including his son Alexander; believing that no Klingon should live as an object of pity or shame, Worf then asks Commander Riker to assist in his ceremonial suicide. Arriving on board the U.S.S. Enterprise, Doctor Russell proposes a radical, experimental medical technique, but Doctor Crusher refuses: the success rate in simulations is only thirty-seven percent, and she unwilling to risk her patient’s life when he is in no danger of dying. The Enterprise then receives news of a crash-landed ship nearby, with over five hundred people aboard. Beverley and Doctor Russell later visit Worf to discuss his options, presenting the Klingon with implants designed to partially restore the feeling in his legs; however, Worf refuses, stating that he would rather die than be less than the man he was. When Doctor Russell then informs Worf of her experimental surgery, Beverly accuses her of using Worf as a guinea pig to test her unproven technique. Beverly’s concern soon turns to outrage when Russell uses another experimental technique on one of the crash-victims, killing the patient - and leaving Beverly no choice but to relieve her colleague from duty…

Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander William Thomas Riker), LeVar Burton (Chief Engineer Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Security Chief Lieutenant Worf), Gates McFadden (Doctor Beverly Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Councelor Deanna Troi), Brent Spiner (Lieutenant Commander Data), Caroline Kava (Doctor Toby Russell), Brian Bonsall (Alexander), Patti Yasutake (Nurse Alyssa Ogawa)

Directed by Chip Chalmers
Co-Produced by Joe Menosky, Ronald D. Moore and Peter Lauritson
Produced by David Livingston
Executive Producer Michael Piller, Rick Berman and Gene Roddenberry

TX:
2nd March, 1992

Notes:
*Featuring Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William Thomas Riker, Chief Engineer Lieutenant Geordi La Forge, Security Chief Lieutenant Worf, Doctor Beverly Crusher, Councelor Deanna Troi and Lieutenant Commander Data