Comments | enitharmonwept: Fic: Shock Treatment

enitharmonwept

Fic: Shock Treatment

Jan 24, 2009 13:49

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.

( Shock Treatment )

inspiration: ficathon, character: ninth doctor, character: tenth doctor, character: martha jones, post type: fic

Comments 25

persiflage_1 January 24 2009, 20:07:45 UTC

This gave me a huge lump in the throat for Nine's state and Martha's loving care, and then an urge to smack Ten upside the head for doing what he did (I don't blame him for the way he thanked her, but I do for the way he made her forget about it).

This bit:

He was on her before she could finish her preparations, his right arm nearly crushing her throat as his left hand held her arms behind her back.

was scary, but I loved the way Martha kept her cool and tried to reason with him.

fourzoas January 24 2009, 20:15:07 UTC

This gave me a huge lump in the throat for Nine's state and Martha's loving care, and then an urge to smack Ten upside the head for doing what he did (I don't blame him for the way he thanked her, but I do for the way he made her forget about it).

As you know, I really struggled with that reaction, and I have no doubt I'll get questioned for it, but given the Doctor's reluctance to discuss the Time Lords with Martha in the next episodes, I can see him doing exactly what he did. I hate him for it, but isn't that what S3 made many of us do, in the end?

This bit:

He was on her before she could finish her preparations, his right arm nearly crushing her throat as his left hand held her arms behind her back.

was scary, but I loved the way Martha kept her cool and tried to reason with him.I like to think that she would have reacted to the attack in much that way, given her experiences with the Doctor and her own ability to keep her head in a crisis. I don't know if I got the full spirit of the prompt, but I tried to imagine how ( ... )

persiflage_1 January 24 2009, 20:19:48 UTC

As you know, I really struggled with that reaction, and I have no doubt I'll get questioned for it, but given the Doctor's reluctance to discuss the Time Lords with Martha in the next episodes, I can see him doing exactly what he did. I hate him for it, but isn't that what S3 made many of us do, in the end?

Yup! I don't think anyone who was paying attention to S3 will need to question his actions here - it's seems completely in character to me. Ten's a manipulative, devious bastard when he wants to be - and not in a good way.

I like to think that she would have reacted to the attack in much that way, given her experiences with the Doctor and her own ability to keep her head in a crisis. I don't know if I got the full spirit of the prompt, but I tried to imagine how disoriented and fragmented Nine would be.I thought you got the prompt spot on - it's pretty much how I'd have written it if I was writing these two with Martha at this point in her timeline. (I did it differently in "Ten Days, Ten Doctors", but then it was an entirely ( ... )

angelfireeast January 24 2009, 20:30:09 UTC

That's wonderful! Just what I wanted from the prompt:D

fourzoas January 24 2009, 20:43:55 UTC

I'm so glad that you liked it, angst-ridden as it is!

catholicphoton January 24 2009, 20:31:29 UTC

As much as I dislike Ten's behavior in this, I really like the fic overall. It definitely got a reaction out of me.

I like darker fics because it's a (sometimes) rare chance to see your hero's darker side. Nine's state of mind and Ten playing fast and loose with Martha's memories had me riveted. I'll be reading this again.

fourzoas January 24 2009, 20:45:29 UTC

As much as I dislike Ten's behavior in this, I really like the fic overall. It definitely got a reaction out of me.

I didn't much like writing his behavior here, but once I'd committed the words to paper, I couldn't take them away.

I like darker fics because it's a (sometimes) rare chance to see your hero's darker side. Nine's state of mind and Ten playing fast and loose with Martha's memories had me riveted. I'll be reading this again.

That's what I was going for. I'm glad you found it "rereadable," even though it's dark.

thehowlingwolf January 24 2009, 21:03:12 UTC

that was wonderful :D well done

fourzoas January 24 2009, 21:23:35 UTC

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

supasass January 24 2009, 21:10:38 UTC

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. 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. I totally believe in Martha's levelheaded attitude to the situation, and my favourite line is definitely

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

A really wonderful story :)

fourzoas January 24 2009, 21:28:58 UTC

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 ( ... )

supasass January 24 2009, 21:31:44 UTC

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 January 24 2009, 22:08:10 UTC

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.