Disclaimer: Doc Martin and recognisable storylines belong to Buffalo Pictures.

Parts in italics are from Doc Martin, Series 1, Episode 2: "Gentleman Prefer" - written by Dominic Minghella, and Doc Martin, Series 3, Episode 1: "The Apple Doesn't Fall" - written by Richard Stoneham.

Initiative - Chapter 4

Martin started his laptop and opened his file of clock contacts. He called two he had consulted with over a prior French mantel clock, but both were already working on clocks. Additionally, each had promised to take on another clock following their current one. Both of them also said they would have suggested HIM for the clock. It seemed just the sort of challenge he was good at.

Martin thought about the clock. And hobbies. And how he knew Louisa hadn't meant a new hobby. And about the work he'd… they'd already done on the herb garden.

But he hadn't bought the plants, yet.

It was unlike him, but he was honestly thinking of putting off the plants for now, and taking on the clock. He'd had an agreement with Mr Bainbridge for years to take on clocks like this one.

He called the shop in Devon to find out more information. Mr Bainbridge didn't usually call Martin more than once a year, because of the distance, but he also told Martin he was probably the only one who could fix it. He appealed to Martin's conscience by telling him the clock was intended as a special gift for an upcoming 80th birthday. Martin agreed to take it on.

After he hung up, he remembered how, when Roger Fenn once asked him, "What do you do when you're not working?" he'd answered, "I'm always working."

He thought of the last thing he had been reading on the laptop - the personality descriptions. He opened up the file he'd made and read more about his type:

"The ISTJ is extremely dependable on following through with things which he or she has promised. For this reason, they sometimes get more and more work piled on them. Because the ISTJ has such a strong sense of duty, they may have a difficult time saying 'no' when they are given more work than they can reasonably handle. For this reason, the ISTJ often works long hours, and may be unwittingly taken advantage of."

Maybe he shouldn't have said yes about the clock. Maybe he shouldn't continue with the garden, and try and spend more time with Louisa. He was sure that is what she was trying to get him to understand.

Now he worried about disappointing her. She had seemed very happy about the garden.

He read: "Under stress, ISTJs may fall into 'catastrophe mode', where they see nothing but all of the possibilities of what could go wrong. They will berate themselves for things which they should have done differently, or duties which they failed to perform. They will lose their ability to see things calmly and reasonably, and will depress themselves with their visions of doom."

He really didn't like psychology. It was already making him feel bad.

He thought again about the day Louisa told him she was thinking about changing surgeries…

-oo0oo-

Louisa had said, "...everything's always up to me, isn't it? You never do anything or say anything to help us move on. We just go 'round and 'round in circles," and left a bit angrily. He had gone to his desk to grab some papers, then out to reception only to see her walk out the door. He walked into the sitting room and looked out the window. Louisa was talking with the new police constable. At first he couldn't hear what they were saying, but then their voices got a bit louder and he could just hear through the old window.

"I better get home."

The P.C. had asked, "Husband waiting for his tea, is he?"

"I'm not married."

"Oh. Boyfriend?" The P.C. was certainly nosy.

"No, not really," Louisa had answered even louder.

Martin thought, '"Not really?" She isn't seeing anyone at all, is she?' His mind worked. He turned towards Pauline, one of the main cogs in the Portwenn gossip wheel, who had just returned to her desk. She would surely have said something, and made certain he heard.

Of course, Pauline then asked him if he had anything else for her as she wanted to head home.

-oo0oo-

He really wasn't very perceptive sometimes, was he? In retrospect, being able to separate the doctor visit from Louisa actually speaking to him person to person, he could now see that HE was the "not really" boyfriend.

This was a revelation. He felt hopeful, yet helpless.

Glancing down, he saw a tab in the course pack labeled "Communication" and flipped to it.

So much information and not the right time to absorb it, but one thing stood out:

"Relate in new ways. Identify the way you typically approach the person and experiment with a dramatically different behaviour. Notice what happens."

He changed out of the jeans and drove to Louisa's cottage.

-oo0oo-

"Martin?" said a very surprised Louisa at her front door. "Has something happened? Did you go on a home visit?"

"Um, no. No. May I come in?"

"Yes. Of course." She led him through the kitchen to the back area, where he could stand with more headroom.

"Did you enjoy your lunch?" he began, although it felt inadequate.

"Yes," she replied. "Just a small sandwich. Any luck with your calls?"

"Um, no." He looked at a slip of paper he was holding, and yet didn't continue speaking.

"You've decided to fix the clock yourself, haven't you?"

He looked up in silence. Could she read his mind?

"Martin. It's fine. Is that what you're doing now? Going to get the clock?"

"I... yes. I need to drive to Devon, the other side of Dartmoor, actually, for the clock and since that shop has parts I'll need. Because of the distance, I need to go today."

"That sounds like a perfect Sunday outing. I think I'll come along."

"Um. You might find it a bit boring." He grimaced and looked at the piece of paper again.

"Oh, I don't know. How often do I get to go to a clock shop, let alone with someone who is knowledgeable about clocks?"

Looking up from the paper he said, "What I mean to say is you are welcome to come along. I wouldn't mind, actually, but are you sure?"

"Yes, Martin. It sounds like a nice way to spend the day. I just need to change. Give me a couple of minutes?"

"Yes," he said, with the beginning of a smile, because quite possibly her smile was the reaction the course pack meant when it said, 'Notice what happens.'

While Louisa was upstairs, Martin started to worry about how this trip could go wrong. It was a bit long. What would they talk about? He pulled out his paper, again, and re-read some of the notes he'd been taking while preparing for the course. He was thinking about, 'Don't assume. Ask,' when Louisa was suddenly back downstairs.

"Ready?" she said, brightly.

"Yes," he replied, feeling a touch guilty. He hastily put the paper in his pocket and they headed out.

End of Chapter 4