Files
Title: Files
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones, Alistair Lethbridge Stewart
Rating: G
Spoilers: None
Summary: Martha Jones meets one of UNIT's legends.
Disclaimer: I don't even own my brain any more, never mind Doctor Who!
Author Notes: A few people, after reading Conversation, expressed a desire to know more about Martha's reaction to reading Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's files. So this story is a prequel, of sorts, to that one. I didn't plan to write it yet, but you know I don't actually own my brain any more so here it is…
Beta: The kindly livii
~~~~~~
Doctor Martha Jones was doing some paperwork in her office alongside the UNIT Infirmary when someone rapped sharply on the door.
"Come in," she called, looking up from the form that had been occupying her for the past fifteen minutes as she tried to make head or tail of the appalling scrawl that covered it.
A tall man in his seventies with greying hair and a moustache stood in the doorway. Despite the civvies, he had the bearing of a long-term military man and she fought the urge to jump up and snap off a salute.
"So they're employing young women medics now?" he asked, his tone clipped and precise.
"Sir?" Martha hadn't meant to call him 'Sir', but it had slipped out as a sort of defence against the disapproval she sensed in his manner.
He nodded at her, his arms clasped behind his ramrod-straight back. "In my day, the MO was an experienced military man, not some female civilian."
Martha counted to ten under her breath whilst maintaining a smile. "Well, sir, times change and UNIT's changed with them."
He suddenly smiled at her, then gestured at the chair opposite her. "May I?"
She nodded, puzzled by his sudden change in manner.
"I've heard a lot about you, Doctor Jones." He smiled more warmly when he saw her surprised look.
"You have?" she asked doubtfully. She still didn't know who he was, although it was obvious he had once worked for UNIT.
"I have." He leant across the desk to offer her his hand. "Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart at your service."
Martha just managed not to gape at him. "You're Sir Alistair?" she asked.
He rolled his eyes. "Please call me Alistair," he said. "I only make the politicians call me 'Sir'."
She couldn't help grinning at that. "Pleased to meet you, Alistair." She shook his hand.
"I've been chatting to the Brigadier and Colonel Mace. Your superiors think very highly of you. I understand you gained a lot of field experience whilst saving the world?"
She felt her face heat up, as it always did when someone brought up that topic. "Um, yes."
"Don't be embarrassed about it. The Master's not a nice chap."
Martha couldn't help feeling that was the understatement of the century, but she refrained from saying anything. "So what can I do for you, Alistair? You've surely got better things to do than hang about UNIT HQ?"
Alistair smiled. "Perceptive of you, Doctor Jones. I've got to take a trip to Peru soon and I came in for some vaccinations."
She nodded and he noted the way her demeanour changed to a brisk and professional air. "You'd better come through then," she said, getting up and heading into the Infirmary.
"You'll need Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Yellow Fever." She looked up at him as she ticked them off on her fingers. "When did you last have a Tetanus vaccination?"
"Last year."
"Good," she murmured as she headed to a locked cupboard. "Take a seat please and bare your arm."
He slipped off his blazer and draped it over the back of the chair at the consulting table, then removed his shirt. Martha had slipped on some gloves and she now carried a small dish over to the table.
"I trust you don't get squeamish?" she asked.
"Not at the sight of needles."
"Good."
He watched her quick, deft hands preparing the first syringe and swabbing his arm before she slipped the needle in. She darted a quick glance up at his face to note his reaction and was pleased that he didn't seem to even blink in response.
Ten minutes later he was buttoning up his blazer again and she was disposing of her equipment.
"Tell me, Doctor Jones, what level security clearance do you have?"
She gave him a startled look, wondering at the change of subject. "Level one."
He nodded. "You should ask the Brigadier to show you my files," he suggested. "I think you would find them interesting reading, particularly in regard to the Doctor."
Her eyes widened. "Thank you, I will."
He offered her his hand and she shook it. "Thank you for your assistance, Doctor Jones. I wish you a long and happy career at UNIT."
Martha blushed faintly. "Thank you. Have a safe trip to Peru."
He gave her a brisk nod, then headed out into the corridors, his arms clasped behind his back again.
She wandered back into her office, smiling. It was quite flattering to think that Sir Alistair had come to her for his vaccinations, instead of just going to his own GP. She wondered just what the Brigadier and the Colonel had been saying about her.
She settled back at her desk and, before returning to the form she'd been wrestling with, she sent the Brigadier an email, passing on Sir Alistair's suggestion.
* * * * * *
Two days after Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart's visit, Martha had finished reading his files and was sitting in the canteen over a large cup of coffee and a doughnut, mulling over everything she'd learnt about both UNIT and the Doctor. It was clear that the relationship between the Time Lord and UNIT had been a somewhat rocky one, particularly in the early days of his enforced exile to Earth. She had also got the impression that the Doctor, in whatever incarnation (and she'd counted references to four different ones), and the Brigadier hadn't always seen eye to eye about UNIT's methods, but they had nevertheless formed a strong bond that had withstood their different approaches to dealing with the various situations in which they had found themselves.
She wondered what the current incarnation thought of UNIT; it was down to him, after all, that she was currently working as an MO, rather than a doctor on Civvy Street. It had been something of a shock to receive the phone call from Colonel Smart, inviting her to an interview soon after she'd begun preparing for her final exams, and an even bigger shock to learn that UNIT had learnt of her existence from the Doctor.
Something to ask him, next time I see him, maybe, she thought as she finished the last of her coffee and headed back to her office. Though goodness knows when that will be.
Little did she know that she would be calling the Doctor in less than two weeks to ask for his expert assistance.
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Martha Jones, Alistair Lethbridge Stewart
Rating: G
Spoilers: None
Summary: Martha Jones meets one of UNIT's legends.
Disclaimer: I don't even own my brain any more, never mind Doctor Who!
Author Notes: A few people, after reading Conversation, expressed a desire to know more about Martha's reaction to reading Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's files. So this story is a prequel, of sorts, to that one. I didn't plan to write it yet, but you know I don't actually own my brain any more so here it is…
Beta: The kindly livii
~~~~~~
Doctor Martha Jones was doing some paperwork in her office alongside the UNIT Infirmary when someone rapped sharply on the door.
"Come in," she called, looking up from the form that had been occupying her for the past fifteen minutes as she tried to make head or tail of the appalling scrawl that covered it.
A tall man in his seventies with greying hair and a moustache stood in the doorway. Despite the civvies, he had the bearing of a long-term military man and she fought the urge to jump up and snap off a salute.
"So they're employing young women medics now?" he asked, his tone clipped and precise.
"Sir?" Martha hadn't meant to call him 'Sir', but it had slipped out as a sort of defence against the disapproval she sensed in his manner.
He nodded at her, his arms clasped behind his ramrod-straight back. "In my day, the MO was an experienced military man, not some female civilian."
Martha counted to ten under her breath whilst maintaining a smile. "Well, sir, times change and UNIT's changed with them."
He suddenly smiled at her, then gestured at the chair opposite her. "May I?"
She nodded, puzzled by his sudden change in manner.
"I've heard a lot about you, Doctor Jones." He smiled more warmly when he saw her surprised look.
"You have?" she asked doubtfully. She still didn't know who he was, although it was obvious he had once worked for UNIT.
"I have." He leant across the desk to offer her his hand. "Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart at your service."
Martha just managed not to gape at him. "You're Sir Alistair?" she asked.
He rolled his eyes. "Please call me Alistair," he said. "I only make the politicians call me 'Sir'."
She couldn't help grinning at that. "Pleased to meet you, Alistair." She shook his hand.
"I've been chatting to the Brigadier and Colonel Mace. Your superiors think very highly of you. I understand you gained a lot of field experience whilst saving the world?"
She felt her face heat up, as it always did when someone brought up that topic. "Um, yes."
"Don't be embarrassed about it. The Master's not a nice chap."
Martha couldn't help feeling that was the understatement of the century, but she refrained from saying anything. "So what can I do for you, Alistair? You've surely got better things to do than hang about UNIT HQ?"
Alistair smiled. "Perceptive of you, Doctor Jones. I've got to take a trip to Peru soon and I came in for some vaccinations."
She nodded and he noted the way her demeanour changed to a brisk and professional air. "You'd better come through then," she said, getting up and heading into the Infirmary.
"You'll need Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Yellow Fever." She looked up at him as she ticked them off on her fingers. "When did you last have a Tetanus vaccination?"
"Last year."
"Good," she murmured as she headed to a locked cupboard. "Take a seat please and bare your arm."
He slipped off his blazer and draped it over the back of the chair at the consulting table, then removed his shirt. Martha had slipped on some gloves and she now carried a small dish over to the table.
"I trust you don't get squeamish?" she asked.
"Not at the sight of needles."
"Good."
He watched her quick, deft hands preparing the first syringe and swabbing his arm before she slipped the needle in. She darted a quick glance up at his face to note his reaction and was pleased that he didn't seem to even blink in response.
Ten minutes later he was buttoning up his blazer again and she was disposing of her equipment.
"Tell me, Doctor Jones, what level security clearance do you have?"
She gave him a startled look, wondering at the change of subject. "Level one."
He nodded. "You should ask the Brigadier to show you my files," he suggested. "I think you would find them interesting reading, particularly in regard to the Doctor."
Her eyes widened. "Thank you, I will."
He offered her his hand and she shook it. "Thank you for your assistance, Doctor Jones. I wish you a long and happy career at UNIT."
Martha blushed faintly. "Thank you. Have a safe trip to Peru."
He gave her a brisk nod, then headed out into the corridors, his arms clasped behind his back again.
She wandered back into her office, smiling. It was quite flattering to think that Sir Alistair had come to her for his vaccinations, instead of just going to his own GP. She wondered just what the Brigadier and the Colonel had been saying about her.
She settled back at her desk and, before returning to the form she'd been wrestling with, she sent the Brigadier an email, passing on Sir Alistair's suggestion.
* * * * * *
Two days after Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart's visit, Martha had finished reading his files and was sitting in the canteen over a large cup of coffee and a doughnut, mulling over everything she'd learnt about both UNIT and the Doctor. It was clear that the relationship between the Time Lord and UNIT had been a somewhat rocky one, particularly in the early days of his enforced exile to Earth. She had also got the impression that the Doctor, in whatever incarnation (and she'd counted references to four different ones), and the Brigadier hadn't always seen eye to eye about UNIT's methods, but they had nevertheless formed a strong bond that had withstood their different approaches to dealing with the various situations in which they had found themselves.
She wondered what the current incarnation thought of UNIT; it was down to him, after all, that she was currently working as an MO, rather than a doctor on Civvy Street. It had been something of a shock to receive the phone call from Colonel Smart, inviting her to an interview soon after she'd begun preparing for her final exams, and an even bigger shock to learn that UNIT had learnt of her existence from the Doctor.
Something to ask him, next time I see him, maybe, she thought as she finished the last of her coffee and headed back to her office. Though goodness knows when that will be.
Little did she know that she would be calling the Doctor in less than two weeks to ask for his expert assistance.