for best_served_hot | I wake up first, and I stare at you sleeping

[rude_not_ginger]

Follows this.

The lift seemed smaller now. Maybe it was the knowledge how little time was left. Maybe it was the attitude that had changed between them since they first rode up to the room with the stars.

Maybe it was the weight of all of the things they weren't saying. Sometimes that weight would suffocate the Doctor when he was awake and alone.

The scrambling device was on again, keeping the cameras in the lift blind as to their actions. The immature side of the Doctor wanted to make a face at the cameras, simply because the Valeyard couldn't see. He didn't, of course. He just stood there, waiting.

"What will you tell him?" he asked.

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[best_served_hot]

"Honestly," he mocked, crossing his arms behind his head for a moment.

"Are you going to stand around and patronize me for all the rest of the time? I have a plan, it's a very good plan. I like it."

Which should actually be what the Doctor is worrying about.

[rude_not_ginger]

"Yeah, your excitement is part of my worry," the Doctor replied, crossing his arms. He headed over to the bed and flopped down in the spot next to the Master. This was, after all, his own bed. He stared up at the words the Valeyard had written for him.

"Give him hell this next week," he said.

[best_served_hot]

"Ohh, you always like to spoil my good moods." The Master smiled wickedly, looking over as the Doctor flopped against the mattress.

"I intend to."

[rude_not_ginger]

"Do I? I thought I was part of them," he said, grinning over at him. "And you'd better."

He took in a breath. His eyelids felt heavy.

"Not long," he warned.

[best_served_hot]

"More ego stroking already? You're so needy," he muttered, giving a long-suffering sigh, even though he was mostly teasing.

He watched him, one hand slipping into his pocket, and sliding the dull butter knife out into his hand. He kept it out of the Doctor's line of sight though.

"Rest well, Doctor."

[rude_not_ginger]

"Good night, Master," the Doctor said.

His eyes slipped shut. He let the energy slide from him, and let himself fall into a very deep sleep.

His eyes opened. He blinked at the words on the ceiling and a slow, cruel grin spread across his face. Funny, why did he taste alcohol on his tongue?

He turned his head to suddenly see a very awake person in the bed next to him.

"Master?"

[best_served_hot]

"Oh, good morning," said the Master, giving a slow smile. "I wanted to pop in and see how things were going."

He shifted slightly on the bed, sitting up, and closer to the Valeyard. He leaned over to get a look at the Valeyard's hand, feigning interest.

"How's the hand doing? Better, I hope."

[rude_not_ginger]

The Valeyard looked over at his hand. Patched up, oddly enough. Where did the Doctor get the equipment to fix it? And, more importantly---

"How did you get in here...?"

[best_served_hot]

"I let myself in. And I was feeling a bit peckish, so I let myself into the kitchen," he said, still not moving away from how close he'd shifted.

"And the storerooms. And the medical bay."

He grinned again, widely, and leaned in a bit further. "Your hand?"

He reached out with his empty one in an attempt to take it.

[rude_not_ginger]

Still a little disorientated, the Valeyard handed his hand over without a second thought.

"But there was a chain on the door, and guards---"

[best_served_hot]

The Master was completely giddy on the inside, though he kept his features mostly schooled, but only mostly.

"Oh, that's much better. Almost completely healed," he said, before softly tsking the other Time Lord.

"The Doctor knows better than to assume I am not his enemy," he said, his other hand holding the knife thrusting out to embed in the Valeyard's previously injured hand.

"But it seems to be a lesson I have to teach to you. Are you understanding any of it yet? Pay attention, there will be questions later."

[rude_not_ginger]

The Valeyard cried out in alarm and pain as the knife went through his palm. He didn't think, he just reacted. He reached across at the offending person and swung to punch him with his uninjured hand.

"How dare you!"

[best_served_hot]

He leaned back to try and dodge the hit, letting go of the hand that held the knife with a parting twist, and moved to slide off the bed away from the Valeyard.

"I'll dare a lot now that I don't have to hide my intentions from you anymore. How does it feel? Am I challenging enough for you yet?

[rude_not_ginger]

He got to his feet and pulled the knife out of his hand.

"I should cut off your arms for that. I've done far worse to far better people." He leaned over the Master, his face twisted into a smirk. "Ask the Doctor what happened to Martha Jones."

[best_served_hot]

"Ooh, dear me, I'm shaking with fear," he said, keeping out of range of the Valeyard as he headed back to the door.

"By the way, I think I should mention-"he held up the small, black, rectangular device with a wicked smile. "-Your cameras aren't working. No backup coming. We're alone."

Not that he didn't have another backup plan if he needed it. It was still tucked safely away in his pocket in the form of the sedative that had been used on him earlier.

[rude_not_ginger]

"We're never alone," the Valeyard replied. "I have the whole universe behind me. You have the scraps of what I used to be."

[best_served_hot]

"Are you sure about that?" He asked it with a smile, a dark glimmer in his eyes.

"You don't know all that I've been up to while you've been sleeping. I don't immediately skip over here. Did today, but that was only to share the news that we no longer had to hide our intentions from you."

[rude_not_ginger]

"Whatever the two of you are up to, I don't care," he said. "I'll kill him, and I'll kill him in front of you. Then, I'll work out what to do with you."

With that, he started immediately for the door.

"And you won't get to see him until he's dead. Cut off like a tumor."

[best_served_hot]

"I'm sure you'll do all you feel is necessary, but don't expect it to be easy."

He wouldn't let the fear at the threat show. His face and eyes remained stoic and cold. He followed, but not too close, behind him. His hand delved back into his pocket, closing around a high dose of sedative, like what had been used on him earlier. He'd only use it as a last resort.

[rude_not_ginger]

"How easy could it be?" he demanded, spinning about and walking backwards, totally confident in his knowledge of the ship.

"Wendy stitched Peter Pan's shadow back on. I'll just snip the thread."

[best_served_hot]

"If it were that easy you would have done it already."

[rude_not_ginger]

"Of course it's that easy," he said. "I simply haven't had the time."

Or the knowledge. Now that he knew that the Doctor was awake, he could silence him. He stopped in his walk and took a fluid step towards the Master.

"Or are you only saying that because he couldn't do it? He's the tumor. I'm the patient. The tumor takes a long time to kill the victim. All I need is a scalpel."

[best_served_hot]

The Master stepped forward, watching him.

"You don't work that way. He was here long before you were. You're just an unfortunate idea given form. His form."

His hand was still securely around the sedative in his pocket. He thought perhaps he should use it now and take what time he could to set up more precautions.

[rude_not_ginger]

"Oh, is that what you think?" he said, leaning in and then leaning out. He let out a laugh. "Funny, Master. Very funny. But no. No, it isn't that clean-cut. You don't just get him back."

[best_served_hot]

"You're not going to win, no matter what you may think at this juncture. I'll stop you."