Laura Martin (Character)

Laura Martin is a woman with Parkinson's who became extremely impulsive due to her medication.

History
Laura came to see Amelia for a checkup. Amelia was dismayed to learn that she'd increased her own dosage without consulting with Amelia. She said she needed to because she was scaring the kids in her kindergarten class. Amelia warned her that there are risks to such a high dosage and asked if she'd been impulsive lately. Laura avoided the question, but then her husband came in and said she'd given him gonorrhea. She admitted she'd been having side effects.

She'd slept with one of the dads in her class after a parent-teacher conference. And the janitor. And the man who came to fix her dripping faucet. It wasn't characteristic of her. She loved her husband, but she wouldn't help herself. Amelia suggested an HIV test and STD panel before moving forward.

Amelia had the idea to use deep brain stimulation to treat the Parkinson's symptoms so she could stop the medication. Amelia presented this plan to Laura and Will. Laura was averse to the risk, but Will thought she should do it. Laura came to Amelia and said she didn't want to have the surgery because she liked what the meds were doing for her. She finally felt sexy and alive.

Sam met Laura outside the practice and asked why she'd throw away her marriage for this. Laura said that will would only have sex in the missionary position and if he finished first, he'd roll over and go sleep. Once, she tried to finish herself and he called her disgusting. Sam then realized she needed this in order to enjoy the time she had left.

Romantic
She has been married to Will Martin for 20 years.

Career
She is a kindergarten teacher. She has a student named Eva who has a rough home life, so she spent extra time with her.

Notes and Trivia

 * She was 40 at the time of her infection.