Fic: Shock Treatment

[enitharmonwept]

Title: Shock Treatment
Author: fourzoas
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Martha Jones, Ninth Doctor, Tenth Doctor
Spoilers: nothing past “Blink”
A/N: written for the Doctor/Martha Fic Challenge at smith_n_jones for the following prompt: Regeneration sickness - Martha sees the scary side of regeneration. Thanks to persiflage_1 and radiantbaby for their beta help.

Comments

[fourzoas]

This was wonderful. Nine was heartbreaking as ever, and I'm numbly unsurprised at Ten's actions, even as he did caress and take care of her so gently, I still find beauty in that. I hate how he hides his love away.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, and found Ten's actions numbing but not surprising--that's kinda what I felt as I considered what I'd written. I sometimes feel that Ten lets Martha have nothing during her time with him, and I could see him taking even this thing she really deserves.

And it's also interesting how JE has brought forward possibly how often the Doctor could play with people's memories, as if it's the easy thing to do.

You know, I don't think of this as a necessarily easy choice for him, but as the only option he sees. But the fact that he's able to wipe all of Donna's memories of him makes me wonder if perhaps he hadn't wiped selective ones from others.

I totally believe in Martha's levelheaded attitude to the situation,

If she wasn't, she wouldn't be Martha! :-)

and my favourite line is definitely

"Even as he slept, she sensed a cold and impenetrable barrier surrounding him."

Thanks--I like that one too!

A really wonderful story :)

Thank you--I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!

[supasass]

I guess for Ten I kind of saw as something - the memory altering - as something he'd rather do than face up to the full emotional crises he creates. It's not easy in a sense but it's something the Doctor copes with. xxx

[fourzoas]

I think you're spot on about the memory wipe as means of hiding from crisis; the consequences of Martha remembering any of this would be more than I think he'd ever want to bear.