MOAR PLAGUE FICTION
Title: I'm A Tree That Grows Hearts
Characters: Martha Jones, Robin Rice, mentions of Ruvin and the Doctor
Summary: Robin Rice speaks to Martha Jones about her ability and how he would like her to use it. And by speak I mean beg in a bastardly way.
Word Count 966
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. -Albert Pike
It's one day after Martha Jones brought Alfred Pennyworth back to life that Robin approaches her. She's alone in the medical room which is a rare moment this week. The plagues have made more use of this room than any other even including the explosions and the earthquake.
Martha looks up from her position on the examining table when the door opens. She had most certainly not been nodding off. No. What would make anyone think that? "Robin...?"
He usually only comes to her when there's something that needs to be done. He keeps a good eye on the basement so she trusts his opinion, and he usually only bothers her when he has to. There's something about the look on his face that tells her this isn't exactly like every other time he's come to her.
Robin opens his mouth and closes it, again. He shifts where he stands against the door and then steps further inside.
She's concerned now. She slides forward on the examination table, pressing her hands against her legs as she faces him with a confident, it's alright demeanor. You can talk to me. About anything.
The expression seems to only make him more uncomfortable.
"Ms. Jones-"
"Martha."
"...Martha." Robin winces. She watches his jaw lock with tension that he's not letting out as he raises his gaze to meet hers with a firmness that had been missing seconds ago. "You brought Alfred back to life."
Her heart clenches up in sharp pain as though it knows what's being discussed. It's still aching when she answers him. "Yes. I did. It's... what the Rift did to me. I can heal people. Bring them back to life sometimes. If I'm there soon enough, if the conditions are right-" So many people have died and she's missed them, she knows. Her heart seems to twist with the knowledge... either that or the residual pain from the act though she tries not to think about that as a possibility.
"You know what the tenth plague is."
It hits her slow, cold what he must be asking for.
"Robin... so many people will be dying that day. I can't choose from all of them who is most worthy to live, again." She shakes her head and presses her hand against her chest, closing her eyes as the wave of pain hits her. "I can't-"
"You can. You said you can." The intensity of his emotion is enough to make her freeze. She's not afraid of him but she stops trying to speak as he lets it out in angry, short phrases. And she's perceptive enough to realize that it isn't her he's angry at. "You can bring people back to life. It's a gift for helping people, and I can't let her just die. I can't let either of them die, but I know you can't save them both, and she's just a kid and she's terrified a- and- Smart. And she's going to do something great. Or she would have if- She will. She has her whole bloody life ahead of her, and I refuse to sit here and let this happen without doing anything. You can understand that, right?"
Kid. At first she'd thought he'd meant Rachel. It's not Rachel at all that he's talking about. So many kids died so recently. It's hard to resist saving one when she couldn't save the others but this is... There are a lot of children that would die during this plague. Who is she to say which will grow up to make the right decision? How can she possibly make that decision without regretting it for the rest of her life?
"I- I don't know if I can."
"It's Ruvin."
Martha bites her lower lip and closes her eyes tightly. It's harder when there's a face to go with the dying.
"I'm sorry. I just-"
"She's close to your Doctor, too. Really close." The bitterness and anger in his voice is impossible to mistake but behind that is grief. "Do you want him to lose someone else?"
Martha shoots him a look that's part pained and part angry. "No. Of course not! I don't- I love him, and you- but I don't want to play God either. I can't do that. I can't pick and choose. You have to understand-"
"But you have before."
He went there. Yes, he went there. She can't say that she's surprised. How much would she do to save Des or the Doctor? What would she say? Who would she force? There are some people, some relationships, friendships that will make people say things, do things. IT doesn't make it hurt any less to hear though. She's been picking and choosing this whole time, hasn't she? Playing God all along just unable or unwilling to see it that way even if that's exactly what it is.
Martha closes her eyes and presses her hands against her face as she waits to catch her breath, again.
"I'm sorry," Robin says, and she can hear the regret in the hoarseness of his voice but he's not looking at her anymore. "It's going to be impossible enough losing... Rachel, and I don't-" His voice is cut off by emotion. "I don't think I'll live through it but someone should. You've seen how amazing she is, how much good she could do for this world, how important she is, how close they are. Her and... and the Doctor. Please. Please, don't let her just... die."
She sucks in a deep breath and slips her hands away from her face. "Okay." Her face feels cold against the palms of her hand but she doesn't notice it until she pulls them away. "I'll do it. I'll stay here. Keep her here when it's-" She winces. "On the last day, and I'll find you right after midnight."
"Thank you." Robin hesitates as he stands there, looking up at her with eyes that look as exhausted as she feels. Her heart gives a familiar aching pang.
And then he hugs her, quick and tight, and leaves before she can process that it actually happened.
Characters: Martha Jones, Robin Rice, mentions of Ruvin and the Doctor
Summary: Robin Rice speaks to Martha Jones about her ability and how he would like her to use it. And by speak I mean beg in a bastardly way.
Word Count 966
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. -Albert Pike
It's one day after Martha Jones brought Alfred Pennyworth back to life that Robin approaches her. She's alone in the medical room which is a rare moment this week. The plagues have made more use of this room than any other even including the explosions and the earthquake.
Martha looks up from her position on the examining table when the door opens. She had most certainly not been nodding off. No. What would make anyone think that? "Robin...?"
He usually only comes to her when there's something that needs to be done. He keeps a good eye on the basement so she trusts his opinion, and he usually only bothers her when he has to. There's something about the look on his face that tells her this isn't exactly like every other time he's come to her.
Robin opens his mouth and closes it, again. He shifts where he stands against the door and then steps further inside.
She's concerned now. She slides forward on the examination table, pressing her hands against her legs as she faces him with a confident, it's alright demeanor. You can talk to me. About anything.
The expression seems to only make him more uncomfortable.
"Ms. Jones-"
"Martha."
"...Martha." Robin winces. She watches his jaw lock with tension that he's not letting out as he raises his gaze to meet hers with a firmness that had been missing seconds ago. "You brought Alfred back to life."
Her heart clenches up in sharp pain as though it knows what's being discussed. It's still aching when she answers him. "Yes. I did. It's... what the Rift did to me. I can heal people. Bring them back to life sometimes. If I'm there soon enough, if the conditions are right-" So many people have died and she's missed them, she knows. Her heart seems to twist with the knowledge... either that or the residual pain from the act though she tries not to think about that as a possibility.
"You know what the tenth plague is."
It hits her slow, cold what he must be asking for.
"Robin... so many people will be dying that day. I can't choose from all of them who is most worthy to live, again." She shakes her head and presses her hand against her chest, closing her eyes as the wave of pain hits her. "I can't-"
"You can. You said you can." The intensity of his emotion is enough to make her freeze. She's not afraid of him but she stops trying to speak as he lets it out in angry, short phrases. And she's perceptive enough to realize that it isn't her he's angry at. "You can bring people back to life. It's a gift for helping people, and I can't let her just die. I can't let either of them die, but I know you can't save them both, and she's just a kid and she's terrified a- and- Smart. And she's going to do something great. Or she would have if- She will. She has her whole bloody life ahead of her, and I refuse to sit here and let this happen without doing anything. You can understand that, right?"
Kid. At first she'd thought he'd meant Rachel. It's not Rachel at all that he's talking about. So many kids died so recently. It's hard to resist saving one when she couldn't save the others but this is... There are a lot of children that would die during this plague. Who is she to say which will grow up to make the right decision? How can she possibly make that decision without regretting it for the rest of her life?
"I- I don't know if I can."
"It's Ruvin."
Martha bites her lower lip and closes her eyes tightly. It's harder when there's a face to go with the dying.
"I'm sorry. I just-"
"She's close to your Doctor, too. Really close." The bitterness and anger in his voice is impossible to mistake but behind that is grief. "Do you want him to lose someone else?"
Martha shoots him a look that's part pained and part angry. "No. Of course not! I don't- I love him, and you- but I don't want to play God either. I can't do that. I can't pick and choose. You have to understand-"
"But you have before."
He went there. Yes, he went there. She can't say that she's surprised. How much would she do to save Des or the Doctor? What would she say? Who would she force? There are some people, some relationships, friendships that will make people say things, do things. IT doesn't make it hurt any less to hear though. She's been picking and choosing this whole time, hasn't she? Playing God all along just unable or unwilling to see it that way even if that's exactly what it is.
Martha closes her eyes and presses her hands against her face as she waits to catch her breath, again.
"I'm sorry," Robin says, and she can hear the regret in the hoarseness of his voice but he's not looking at her anymore. "It's going to be impossible enough losing... Rachel, and I don't-" His voice is cut off by emotion. "I don't think I'll live through it but someone should. You've seen how amazing she is, how much good she could do for this world, how important she is, how close they are. Her and... and the Doctor. Please. Please, don't let her just... die."
She sucks in a deep breath and slips her hands away from her face. "Okay." Her face feels cold against the palms of her hand but she doesn't notice it until she pulls them away. "I'll do it. I'll stay here. Keep her here when it's-" She winces. "On the last day, and I'll find you right after midnight."
"Thank you." Robin hesitates as he stands there, looking up at her with eyes that look as exhausted as she feels. Her heart gives a familiar aching pang.
And then he hugs her, quick and tight, and leaves before she can process that it actually happened.