Doctor Who: Returns Pt Three

      "If you're going to stay here you're going to have to be put to work. I don't allow stowaways, rule number…" He mumbled over the number that he'd long forgotten. "Weelll alright I did allow it just that once, but that doesn't count because I didn't know he was there! Yes and Donna that one time too, don't say anything!" The Doctor tried his best to sound intimidating and responsible. Despite his efforts, the bow tie above his bow legs negated any bit of 'responsible adult' he could possibly try to feign.

      "Look if I'm going to be trapped for all eternity with the man I hate most in the entire universe can't we at least do something interesting?" The Master pleaded unenthusiastically. "Can't we just…go back and kill Hitler or something?"
"Kill Hitler?! All of time and space and all anyone ever wants to do is kill Hitler! No! I need your help to work this out. You're the only one who can help me."

      The Doctor tossed a toolbox to the bewildered Master and proceeded to press a series of buttons on the console.

      "I've been trying to find a way to communicate directly with the TARDIS matrix, and I don't just mean giving silly little commands like 'make me some tea' or 'what's the fastest way to get to Raxacoricofallapatorius', I want to be able to TALK to her, it /is/ a her by the way. It's kind of a funny story actually but my TARDIS wasn't a TARDIS, well she was a TARDIS, but she was also a woman." The Doctor shifted a little in embarrassment as he talked. "And…and we talked and I'd give anything to get that that back…and don't say it's spacy-racy!" He turned and pointed an accusing finger at the Master.

      The Master had stopped listening to him a long time ago.  He was standing with his hand clasped tightly over his mouth, and his face was deathly pale.

      "Master?"

      The Master swallowed, pulled his hand away from his mouth with some effort, and jabbed at the air with a shaking finger.

     "Why is it so quiet in here?"

      "In case you hadn't noticed it wasn't actually that quiet at all, I was talking! Why does no one listen to me?!" The Doctor asked the air above him.  "See, this is exactly the sort of time she needs to be able to talk!"

      "I'm serious Doctor! Why is it so quiet?!" The Master was shaking all over now.
      "I can't hear them…it's silent, it's completely silent. I can't hear them Doctor!"

      The Doctor's face completely transformed into seriousness as he slowly approached the Master.

      "What? What can't you hear?" He asked cautiously, his voice almost a whisper.

       "The drums." The Master breathed. "They're gone…the drums have gone…I can't hear them…it's so silent."

      He fell to his knees and clutched at his hair. For the first time in his life, it was completely silent. He closed his eyes tightly and listened. He could hear the TARDIS around him, the Doctor shifting his weight, the whistle of the void far in the distance. He covered his ears and listened harder, all he could hear was the nervous beating of his own hearts. The sound of drums was gone.