The Doctor smiled happily to himself as he walked back to his room. Captain Avery and Toby were safe and happy, Rory had escaped death again and Koschei hadn't gotten involved so his healing injuries hadn't been worsened. All was right in the TARDIS.
He stepped into the room with a spring in his step but he froze before he'd even shut the door. Koschei was just lying there on his bed, curled around the pillow. Dried tear tracks shone against his paler than usual cheeks. The smile slid off the Doctor's face at the sight, eyes wide. He couldn't think of what could have possibly…
In a split second he was beside the blond, shaking his shoulders gently. "Kosch," he whispered. "Koschei, wake up. What happened, Kosch? Was it a nightmare? Kosch, I need you to wake up!"Reddened eyes slowly opened, widening almost immediately. The look of pure shock that crossed Koschei's face -the same look the Doctor had had on his own face when he found out that Koschei was alive- was heartbreaking.
"Doctor?" He asked quietly. He uncurled, throwing his arms around his friend's neck. "Oh God, I thought you'd died. I-I couldn't feel you anymore. It was you'd just dropped out of the universe." He pulled back, eyes shining with fresh tears. "Don't you dare ever do that to me again, you hear me Doctor? I can't be you and the universe needs a Doctor and how-how can I be that?" He buried his head in the crook of the other Time Lord's neck, shuddery breaths shaking his skinny frame. The Doctor sat there, frozen, before awkwardly rubbing soft circles on the other's back.
"It's okay, Koschei," he said soothingly, glancing up at the ceiling. "I'm here. I'm okay, Koschei, I'm always okay. I'm alive and well and you don't need to worry. You never need to worry." Koschei's shoulders twitched under his fingers and he could feel the tears pressed into his neck. A thought spurred to his mind, the words leaving his mouth unbidden. "Why are you in my room?"
Koschei pulled back sharply, somewhat belatedly wiping the tears from his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered, averting his eyes quickly. "I-I wasn't thinking properly. I'll go." He's about to stand up when the Doctor catches his wrist, keeping him firmly in place.
"I'm sorry I worried you," the brunette said, the unfamiliar words coming thick and confused off his tongue. "It won't happen again."
The younger man barked out a harsh laugh, snatching his hand back. "Yes it will," he said harshly. "It always will."
Seconds later the door slams and the Doctor is left alone.