Picard Slips Fully Into Dixon Hill to Mask a Wound
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Picard pushes into Rex's moody bar with fondness, and Rex greets him as "Dixon," resetting their rapport and Picard’s noir persona. The easy recognition welcomes Picard deeper into his chosen refuge.
Picard claims a stool and orders scotch neat as Rex plays along with "the usual," cementing the ritual and Picard’s embrace of the tough-guy act.
Rex spots Picard’s bleeding wound, but Picard brushes it off with hard-boiled bravado, reinforcing the persona despite real pain.
Picard slams the drink, nearly gags, then orders another; when Rex offers to put it on the tab, Picard flashes cash and boasts he’s taken a case, doubling down on the Dixon Hill investigation.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Detached and immobile, acting as part of the bar's background texture rather than an active participant.
Seated at the bar with bleached hair, silent and atmospheric; does not react to the exchange, reinforcing the noir setting.
- • Remain inconspicuous
- • Contribute quiet atmosphere to the bar's mood
- • A bar is a space to be seen but not to engage
- • Personal drama is not mine to intercede in
Unmoved, comfortably cynical—watchful but not engaged.
Two hard-drinking patrons sit in the back, hard-faced and indifferent; their presence reinforces the bar's world-weary mood without altering the exchange.
- • Continue their drinking unbothered
- • Maintain the tough, private ambiance of the establishment
- • Others' business is not my concern in this setting
- • A local bar is where one shields oneself rather than seeks drama
Affectionate yet pragmatic concern; amused at Picard's stubbornness while quietly attentive to his wellbeing.
Greets Picard as 'Dixon', pours scotch, notices the blood on Picard and comments with dry concern, offers to put the drink on the tab, maintains bar's even tone while allowing Picard space to perform.
- • Stabilize the social space of the bar and prevent escalation
- • Support Picard practically (by pouring, offering the tab) while allowing him to save face
- • Gauge the seriousness of Picard's condition through casual banter
- • Maintain the bar's routine and atmosphere so patrons remain undisturbed
- • Picard (Dixon) is resilient and likely to downplay pain
- • A bartender's role includes both providing comfort and calling out obvious risks
- • Keeping things light and offering practical help (tab) is the best way to aid without embarrassing a patron
- • The bar should remain a refuge rather than a place for spectacle
Detached, mildly curious but unwilling to intervene or draw attention.
Sits at the bar as a background patron next to the bleached blond; remains neutral and nonreactive while Picard and Rex exchange lines, contributing ambient authenticity.
- • Keep to himself and continue drinking
- • Maintain the low-key solitude typical of a late-night bar patron
- • Bar scenes are for personal business, not for involvement in strangers' affairs
- • Public displays rarely require my interference
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Rex pours scotch into this lowball tumbler and slides it to Picard, who uses it as a ritual prop to steady himself and hide pain. The glass is repeatedly refilled and downed, functioning as both a literal sedative and a performative tool for the Dixon persona.
The jukebox supplies the mournful forties torch song that underpins the scene's noir mood. Its music paces the exchange, softening the moment and making Picard's macho performance feel both cinematic and slightly ridiculous.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Rex's Bar functions as a smoky, dimly lit noir refuge where Picard slips into a Dixon Hill persona. The bar's small cast of background patrons and steady bartender allow this private performance to become a public ritual; it concentrates Picard's vulnerability into a theatrical, contained space that supports both concealment and revelation.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"After being shot by the holodeck tough, Picard heads to Rex's bar for a drink, staying in character."
"After being shot by the holodeck tough, Picard heads to Rex's bar for a drink, staying in character."
Key Dialogue
"REX: "I hate to be the bearer of bad news old buddy, but you're leakin blood.""
"PICARD: "So? I've got plenty more where that came from.""
"PICARD: "Cash! I just took on a case.""