Martha doesn't blink about the shortness of the response; she gets those on a fairly regular basis even before her arrival in the city. The acting is good, and Martha's a trusting sort of person who tends to believe most things at face value.

There's a quick reassuring smile at the comment, and Martha reaches over and gives Irene's hand a quick pat; it's not patronizing, but entirely genuine. The good doctor has a thing about touching people and the restorative powers that genuine human contact could provide.

"It gets easier, I've found. Eventually the completely maddening unexpectedness becomes the mundane. Then you're more likely to throw yourself in with abandon." Like when a bloke shows up in a box and tells you can travel in time.