This one-shot is part of a 120 words challenge. The given word was "Drowning" (obviously) and since I kept thinking of the expression to drown out the noise I decided to write this one in English. Many thanks to Flootzavut, my Beta, who did a wonderful job on correcting my grammar mistakes!
This fic takes place in an alternate universe in which the Master travels with the Doctor.
Drowning
There were many ways to drown. The Master knew that. He had been there a couple of times, when people were slowly sinking beneath the watery surface, never coming back.
He heard the water splashing into the sink. Perhaps this was a bad idea... the whole thing would never work out, but he could not think of anything else in that moment. He needed to do something, even if it was just some insane plan his head had come up with.
As the water reached the edge of the sink he turned it off and stared into the mirror above it. He could not really recognise the face looking back at him. Its features seemed distorted, distorted by the ever drumming sound in his head. The noise was controlling every single thought, it had become unbearable, it was too much.
The Master closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Then he bent down. He lurched as the cold water splashed against his face, starting to run down his skin into his clothes. But he didn't care. All he cared about was the noise in his head. The neverending drumming which he wanted to drown, which the water had to drown.
Nothing like that happened though.
The drumbeat was still there, loud as ever. He had hoped the water would at least muffle the sound. But again nothing like that was happening. Still, the Master did not want to accept that. He was desperately clinging to that one crazy idea that he could simply drown out the noise in his head.
Then he noticed that he was running out of air. His lungs hurt. He needed to get his head out of the water, he needed to take a deep breath of nice, fresh air. But he refused to do so. Not until this worked. He started to feel dizzy. Had the sound become quieter? Excitement was tingling through his body. Perhaps it would work after all. Perhaps he could drown out the sound.
Before he could think of anything else he felt two hands firmly grasping his shoulders and pulling him out of the water. Immediately his lungs filled with air while the drums in his head started to beat louder than ever before.
"What were you doing?"
The Master was turned around. The voice sounded angry but so familiar. He blinked and tried to fight the dizziness which had taken over his mind.
"What were you doing?" he retorted angrily as he slowly realised what had just happened. "You idiot! You ruined everything. The drums ... they were about to go away."
"I am sorry," the Doctor said and carefully stroked a bright streak of blonde hair out of the Master's face. "I really am. But I can't just let you drown! There must be another way to get rid of the drums."