Fic related question.

[silver_sun]

So I am writing a fic and I've got two options of how the plot gets from point A to B.




Basically Jack, Ianto and Owen are stuck on an alien planet. Jack is mortal (when he destroyed the paradox machine at the end of Doctor Who S3 he got fixed when time got reset).

Jack is hurt. A deep puncture wound to his lower leg. He fell out of tree trying to find signs of habitation and managed to stab himself with a pointed stick. They really didn't have anything to treat it with straight away and it's infected and Jack isn't in a good way.

They've now been found by the alien inhabitants of the planet, who (without revealing more of the plot) have a crashed spaceship they've raided for supplies in the past.)

However the ship has been there years, so the quality of whatever is left on board is decidedly dodgy.


So to the question: Ianto goes to the ship and retrieves what medical supplies he can and brings them back to Owen.

So should the stuff still be good/work despite the stuff being alien and being submerged in a partially flooded space ship for about 50 years? or should he get the stuff and it's no good, so Owen does the best with what he has?

Jack is going to pull through either way.

So I can see either working, but have been torn between both options. Is the medicine being viable too convenient and unlikely? or is having it not being any good after Ianto getting in not particularly easy circumstances just angst for angsts sake?


So any thoughts?

Comments

[psithurism.livejournal.com]

I would say whether or not the medicine is too convenient would depend on what century and planet the medication is from. If it's from far into the future, it is possible that it could still be viable. If it's from a technologically advanced species, also possible that it's still viable. I would say that the 'too convenient' portion would be Owen assuming the medication is compatible with Jack's physiology if the origin of the medication is unknown. He could make medical assumptions drawing similarities between Jack and the native species that have been using the supplies but it is a huge risk. There are a number of medications that are perfectly fine for you but would kill your dog. There are plenty of medicines that are fine for your dog but will kill your cat. I'd say the medication being compatible with Jack is more unlikely than it being viable and undamaged.

One of the things I'm constantly asking myself when I'm writing is "to what end?" or what my husband likes to call "wtf is the point?". It doesn't seem like angst for angst's sake to me. Jack's sick and he's in a bad way. Owen and Ianto are both going to want to do something, not just sit back. If Ianto goes and gets the medicine and it turns out it can't be used for whatever reason, maybe Owen and Ianto get the satisfaction of having at least tried something instead of sitting with their thumbs up their arses.

[msemmaloo.livejournal.com]

I agree that they wouldn't be able to trust the effects of the medicine. Looking forward to the story