Daphne Ashbrook Daphne Lee Ashbrook is the actor who played Melora Pazlar in the episode . She is perhaps better known as the ' s companion Dr . in the 1996 television film . She prepared for the role of Melora Pazlar by taking a wheelchair to a local shopping mall . Commenting on the experience , she said , " " Everything ' s an obstacle and also nobody looks at you . I think because people are uncomfortable and they don ' t know what to do . " " Personal Life . Ashbrook was born in Long Beach , California to parents , D ' Ann Paton and late actor / director Buddy Ashbrook . She is the sister of actor and director / producer Taylor Ashbrook . She made her acting debut at 6 , after spending nights at the theater at her parents ' play rehearsals as a very young girl . Ashbrook gave birth to her daughter , Paton Lee , with . Paton has since become an actress herself , making her acting debut at age 10 . Her current partner is David Vito Gregoli . She published her autobiography entitled " Dead Woman Laughing " in 2012 , and toured with the book in 2013 . Career . Ashbrook is one of the few actors to have speaking roles in both the " Star Trek " and " Doctor Who " franchises , appearing the 1996 " Doctor Who " TV movie . Until 2011 , she was the only woman to do so . Prior to " Deep Space Nine " , Ashbrook had guest roles in the television series " Knight Rider " , " Fame " , " The A Team " ( with Dwight Schultz ) , and " Murder , She Wrote " . After playing Melora , she appeared in two episodes of " Sisters " and one episode of " Diagnosis Murder " . She also portrayed different characters in two further episodes of " Murder , She Wrote " , with Casey Biggs , John Rhys - Davies and Rosalind Chao . Between 1995 and 1998 , Ashbrook had a recurring role as Annie Pendry on the long running series " JAG " , appearing alongside Norman Large , Steven Culp , Paul Collins and Gregory Itzin . She later starred in " Profiler " , " Cupid " and " Judging Amy " , before gaining the recurring role of Dawn Atwood in " The OC " ( working with Melinda Clarke and again , Rosalind Chao ) . In 2005 , Ashbrook starred in " Crossing Jordan " and " CSI : Crime Scene Investigation " ( with Jessica Collins ) , before going on to appear in " Cold Case " , " Ghost Whisperer " and " Without a Trace " . Her most recent television appearances are that of Jodi Morris in the 2010 " " episode " Playa Vista " , and Donna Peyton in the " NCIS " episode " Out of the Frying Pan . . . " Ashbrook has also appeared in numerous television movies including " Brothers - in - Law " ( 1985 ) , " That Secret Sunday " ( 1986 ) , " Carly ' s Web " ( 1987 ) and " 14 Going on 30 " ( 1988 , with Richard McGonagle and Judith Jones ) , before going onto appear alongside future " Deep Space Nine " actors Rene Auberjonois and Andrew Robinson in the movies " Longarm " ( 1988 ) and " Rock Hudson " ( 1990 ) respecively . She later starred in " Daughters of Privilege " ( 1991 , with Kate Vernon ) , " Intruders " ( 1992 , again with Rosalind Chao ) , " Dead Man ' s Revenge " ( 1994 ) and " The Love Letter " ( 1998 ) . Asbrook ' s big screen debut came in 1984 , when she was cast as Phoebe Willis in the cheerleading comedy film " Gimme an ' F " . Since then , she has starred in the movies " Quiet Cool " ( 1986 ) , " Sunset Heat " ( 1992 , with Tony Todd ) , " Automatic " ( 1995 ) , " Dumbarton Bridge " ( 1999 ) and " Delia ' s Song " ( 2000 ) . Her latest film role , albeit a minor one , was in the 2009 movie " The Lodger . " Aside from her acting career , Ashbrook also enjoys singing , citing " " music runs thru the viens " [ sic ] " of my family like theatre does . " " In November 2010 , she released her first album entitled " Grace Notes " , featuring covers of her favorite songs by Joni Mitchell , Shawn Colvin and Patty Griffin , among others . The album was produced by her long - time partner and musician , David Vito Gregoli .