Imaginary Worlds

The child sighed softly and shook his head a bit. Yeah. This was far from pleasant. He just wanted to stop itching and call it good. Why the hell had he had to get this? It wasn't the least bit fair!

"I don't like it. I want it to stop." Koschei whined as he took to clinking to his father. He knew the Master couldn't fix it or stop it. That never happened when he got sick. Even if he still didn't think he was ill.

"I'll get you some medicine, mate," the Master offered as he headed to the car swiftly, locking the door before getting in himself. They drove to the nearest clinic and the Master swiftly consulted the man behind the till while holding his son, just to prove it was real.

The man gave him some ointment that would do the trick, though it really wasn't cheap. Still, he wanted to help his son out. "See, look at that box, says it'll stop the itching in minutes."

The solution was to take him out into public and purchase something with money they didn't have? Koschei ducked his head and sighed softly, more than just a little unhappy. Even if it would help him.

He still knew better. He could have lived without it. Sighing softly, Koschei settled into the car once more, not sure what to say. They didn't need to go through this trouble.

The Master drove them home, impressed at their timing. It wasn't even that late, it as only 6. Three hours till Koschei went to bed. He hauled the boy back inside and ran him a bath. The sooner he was put to bed, the better.

"Right so you have a bath, we apply this stuff and it should make it manageable," the Master assured with a bright smile. No, he really didn't want his son to feel too bad.

Koschei wasn't going to make much of a fuss as this point. How could he? He simply got into the bath with a soft sigh and took to getting cleaned up. He just wanted to lay down.

And could he be faulted? Drying and dressing, he regarded the Master with a bit of a sulk. "'M sorry. " he mumbled with a bit of a frown.

The Master applied the special ointment to anywhere itch and did a bit extra around the neck before he lead the boy to bed, all read and in his pyjamas. Raising an eyebrow, the Master quirked a half smile.

"For what, Kosch? You haven't done anything," the Master dismissed as he sat on the edge of the boys bed and ruffled his head. "Don't look so down, you'll get better."

"I cost money." Moschei murmured as he got settled. He cost money where they couldn't afford the money. That just wasn't acceptable. Especially given that he was keeping the master from work.

"'M just gonna go to bed." Koschei mumbled with a grown. Made sense. He wasn't exactly feeling up to dealing with much at the moment. Especially not this.

"Kochei, you're ill so I'll always spend money on you. If anyone cost the most, its me. I pay for my car, I pay for Sigma and a pay for booze I don't need and remeber all that money I wasted away betting and smoking?" He had more bad habits back then, he had to change a few.

Cigars had been his vice for so long and they were easy to quit, as was the betting and cutting back on alcohol. All for Koschei, always for him. "Stop worrying, thats for me to worry about. Not you."

Koschei sighed softly and shook his head. He didn't agree in the least. And why? "Your money." he responded simply. And it as. It was the Master's money and the Master's things. Koschei had no part or say.

He was simply along for the ride. And the Master paid for him. Nothing more. It didn't matter if it was an improper way to look at things. It was what he did and how he did them. Period.

"Ours. Koschei, this house is ours, the money is ours, Sigma is ours and yes, I have final say, but you have a say too," the Master insisted, course that didn't mean anything to his personal life, he didn't need Koschei meddling there.

"Koschei, we're partners. We always have been. You need to stop worrying, you do it more these days, doesn't suit you," it was ironic that he was so worried over money but he wrecked £27 worth of shampoo and cost him £45 on a babysitter.

The Master didn't get it. Yes, he'd done that, but it was a retaliation. Period. He'd warned the other of it. The ointment? That was something that they didn't need and he was doing fine without.

"'M sleepy." he announced fully. At least he was no longer itching as he'd been. That was always a good sign. Particularly when dealing with this particular ailment.

"Night, wake me up if you need me," Smiling, the Master gave him a very quick kiss. He was a tiny bit awkward with affection like that but Koschei was ill and the Master knew he needed cheering up.

He headed off to bed and rested on his bed, letting Sigma curl up beside him, whining and panting for attention. Didn't take long to fall asleep, Sigma was so warm!

Koschei actually slept through until late morning, getting up and getting ready as he would every other morning. He was feeling fine. He was even less warm than before.

Which meant he should be allows to go to his tutor and the Master could work. Period. He wasn't going to take no for an answer on this one.

The Master hauled himself upright and watched as Sigma dashed off. Why were they up at 10am? He had the day ff, for Christ sake? Hauling himself right, he peered into Koschei's room and sighed.

"Back in your pyjamas and back to bed, we're taking the day," the Master insisted, he hadn't gotten to relax once this week. "Koschei, its my day off and you can't go anywhere so back to bed."

"We need money an' I need to go to the tutor. I can be good! I don't even feel warm!" Koschei insisted. Why was it so hard for the man to understand?

He just wanted to go to the tutor and call it good. Was that do much to ask? "Please?" Koschei tried as an afterthought. Might as well try, right?

"Koschei, you're highly contagious. You could spread it to someone and in kids, its just this but with adults, it can make them very sick," the Master insisted as he walked over to the boy and started ushering him away.

"I'm sorry but what if your tutor catches it? She's be very ill. Or someone at the labs. Besides, you only feel well because you've been resting," the Master was sure that was all it really was.

Koschei frowned and shook his head slowly. "I just wanna go." he murmured softly, even as he changed and got back into bed. He didn't like this. At all. He hated being sick.

It didn't help that he didn't feel sick. Which meant he just felt punished. It wasn't exactly fair to him. "I...Fine. But I don't like it." Koschei murmured with a small frown. It really sort of sucked.

Well at least he was sort of being punished. Smiling, he ruffled his sons hair as Sigma lay down on Koschei's floor right by his bed, as if he wanted to keep the boy company. Even after being dyed by him, he loved Koschei.

The Master headed headed back to bed and wriggled into the covers, eyes closed as he more lay there instead of sleep. He wasn't tired, he just wanted a few moments alone in bed.

Koschei eyed the other and sighed softly. Yeah. He wasn't exactly happy with this one. Not really. Because he didn't do well with being locked up and the like.

At least he knew he wasn't the only one to suffer. Because it wasn't even five minutes before the phone rang, drawing a smirk to his features. Because something was going on. Nothing good came out of early calls as of late.

"Oh Fu--- for rassilon sake," he cursed, waving it last minute as he hauled himself upright and fumbled with the phone. All he wanted was one morning of his week off to be peaceful.

"Hello? Make it really good," the Master mumbled into the phone, clearly unhappy.

That...Really wasn't the best way to answer the phone. Especially under these specific circumstances. Not that the Master would be aware of any of it. "Sorry! You know? Probably a bad idea to call...I'll let you get back to whatever it is you were doing." the Doctor said in a bit of a rush before very quickly hanging up. Because he hadn't meant to bother.

Normally, he wouldn't be bothered and would have just continued on. But the Doctor was stressed out and dealing with his ex, as well as trying to figure out a new sitter from a distance. Turned out that Koschei wasn't the only one to have the chicken pox.

Oh for the love of all things holy. He redialled and lay there in bed, not at all happy. "John, seriously, stand your ground. I'm just tried-- grumpy even. My son is sick again, chicken pox."

Rubbing at his eyes, he hauled himself upright and cradled the phone in between his shoulder and head. "What's up? Can I help? Admittedly I'm confined to my home just a tiny bit."

The Doctor answered quick enough, listening before giving a slow sigh. "Funny. Marnal has it...Sitter called and gave me an hour to figure out other arrangements. Turns out she's never had it...Neither have I, but I digress. I'm working on that." he murmured softly.

Right. "Sorry. Just...I don't know. Iros is being Iros and I needed to talk to somebody who wasn't constantly screaming or insulting." the Doctor murmured. Would also explain his automatic reaction to the way the Master answered for him.

"I had it, a whole week as a boy, scratched myself like mental. I can do you a favour and watch him?" the Master suggested, he just kind of felt bad. Marnals dad was away, his sitter couldn't comfort him and he was suffering like Koschei had? Ouch.

"I can organise another sitter while he stays here for the day. I mean, we can find one. Don't panic," Taking a deep breath, he settled back and sighed slightly. "Let me help you release some stress. Deep breaths, mate."

The Doctor did as instructed, breathing slowly. Yeah...He couldn't help himself. Not really. "I didn't call to ask for you to do that. I can't ask it of you. I'm just trying to finish what I can...Figure I can do something and I can get home in about three to four hours after that." he assured softly.

He was looking at available sitters as he spoke, trying to pack with one hand. It didn't matter if he never had the chicken pox. His son was back home with a disease and in need of comfort. He was willing to put up with the risk. "Like I said. I really just needed somebody positive to talk with."