She did not know what she was expecting but this is ridiculous. After falling asleep holding hands like they were still at the Academy, two young strange children lying together to give comfort to each other, she wakes up to find herself alone in the infirmary. The Master wanders through the halls, mental walls back in place and walks towards the console where she finds him under the TARDIS console. The Doctor is rather ignoring her or too concentrated in whatever he is trying to do, which does not seem easy with crooked mangled fingers.
"You should really wait till your fingers are healed" she says finally says as his screwdriver falls from his fingers.
The Doctor lifts his head and a smile spreads through it and looks almost real, but it does not reach his eyes. She wonders how many times the Doctor smiles like that to his companions, how easily he wears his "I am fine" mask. And damn stupid apes they believe him, because even when they learn the Doctor´s past and ghosts, even after they see the darkness and the pain and watch how much is lost when the Doctor fails, they still believe him when he claims to be okay.
Well that game is over. The Doctor opens his mouth to say something and she interrupts him, one finger pointing at him. "If you are about to say you are fine I swear by Rassilon I will break all your fingers again" The Doctor closes his mouth and shakes his head.
"Good morning to you too. I was just checking you did not do anything to my TARDIS"
"I did not do anything to your TARDIS. I was too busy saving your ass" she says but it is not offended. After all, in any other circumstances she probably will have do something to the TARDIS.
"And for that, I thank you. I am so sorry about..." he starts but she interrupts him. "Stop apologizing. You say sorry so much, that I am not sure you still understand the meaning" she looks at him again and sighs. He is still too pale and she can see the slight trembling in his hands. "I am hungry and cranky, so why don´t you come with me to the room you call kitchen, because seriously I could not find anything but custard, fish fingers and tea. I will prepare us a nice cuppa , check your fingers and you tell me why you only have that crap to eat"
He looks at her for a moment and there is a mixture of gratitude, hope, but mainly distrust. Can she blame him? No. But a tiny bit of her left heart pangs with sadness at the realization that he distrusts her. Damn tiny bit always does.
"Look, it is easy. Come with me to the kitchen or follow your insticts and chain me to the console, but decide already. I am tired of your man angst"
"Okay" he replies and walks towards her.
And that is how the Master finds herself chained to the console, cursing the Doctor as he exits the room as fast as his mangled self can.
