Hey guys...
New story. It's the sequel to "Herion."
I know the song Small Blue Thing by Suzanne Vega came out in the 1980's but we'll pretend otherwise for the story. Author's creative liberties and shit like that, right?
Anyway... If you don't know the song you should probably listen to it before you read the story. It's on youtube: /watch?v=B4nRVwI37OI
"Today I am a small blue thing… Like a marble, or an eye…"
"Do you guys hear that?" Jackie asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Jackie, I didn't hear anything." Kelso said, chuckling at his girlfriend.
"No, I hear it too." Said Fez, nodding at Jackie.
"See?" Jackie slapped Kelso's shoulder, "I'm not crazy! You think I'm crazy don't you?"
"Chill, Jackie!"
"No Michael, I will not chill! There's some creepy voice coming from upstairs and it's not Eric and Mr. and Mrs. Forman are on vacation!"
"But Fez is crazy!"
"Hey!"
"It's Eric." Said Donna, finally looking up from the ground.
"What?" the three others asked in unison.
"He's been playing these songs by this strange Suzanne Vega lady ever since…" Everyone was silent, acknowledging the unspoken words. It'd been a month, but they'd only seen Eric about five times. He let them in, he made an excuse to go upstairs, and he never came down. He looked sick and pale and skinnier than usual, but he got angry if anyone asked him if he was okay. 'No,' he would respond, 'what the hell do you think?' And then he would say the three words that had puzzled the gang ever since they first heard them uttered from his lips. 'He never knew.' "Okay, that's it." Said Donna, not being able to take the silence. She got up and started towards the stairs.
"What's it?" Asked Kelso, somewhat graver than usual. Then again, they all were.
"We're getting his ass out of his freaking room!" Donna screamed, already at the top of the stairs. Kelso got up, glancing at Jackie and Fez.
"Look, you guys should go…"
"Why?" Asked Fez innocently.
"Because… There's gonna be some crying and some screaming and you don't really want to be here when that happens."
"Are you staying?" Jackie asked.
"Yeah."
"Alright, let's go." Said Fez suddenly, "I can't see Eric cry." Jackie's face softened at Fez's rather serious comment. She shook her head, getting up. Tears gathered at her eyes so she kept her head down.
"Okay, okay. C'mon Fez." She said, running out of the room with Fez following her. Kelso sighed softly and jogged upstairs. As he got closer the music grew louder.
"I am raining down in pieces. I am scattering like light. Scattering like light. Scattering like light." Kelso found his way to Eric's room. Donna was just outside of it. She was sobbing hysterically. Shuddering and shrouded by anger, desperation, and misery, she was gasping for breath. Tears poured down her eyes, her face was red and blotchy, her small full-lipped mouth hung open just the slightest bit. Kelso wondered what Eric could have done that had made her so upset. He leaned down and touched her back. She looked up to see him, seemingly trying to say something but nothing coming out. Kelso decided to ask Eric and leave the poor girl to breathe.
"Eric." Kelso said, opening the door.
"Today I am a small blue thing. Made of china, made of glass." Kelso's breath stopped as he saw the sight before him. The small white ovals were pouring out just a little outside of the yellow cup with the white label and black lettering of a prescription. Eric was sprawled on the floor. "I am cold against your skin. I am perfectly reflected. I am lost inside your pocket. I am lost against your fingers." Kelso gripped Eric's shoulders, shaking him violently. Nothing. He closed his eyes and let out some kind of noise, but his ears were deaf to everything except that wretched song. "With my knees against my mouth I am perfectly round. I am watching you. I am cool and smooth and curious, I never blink." Eric's eyes were wide open, staring into nothing. "I am turning in your hand." Kelso was screaming now, or crying. He couldn't tell. "Turning in your hand." For some reason the very, very stupid part of his brain was thinking about when people died of drug overdoses in movies. What did they do? How could he react to this? The woman would scream, and then the big macho guy would go over and take the pulse… Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait! Fuck. Wait. Maybe… Kelso didn't dare hope. He placed two fingers on Eric's wrist and waited. "Small blue thing…" The song was ending. Fuck, the song was ending. But he felt it. Holy hell he felt it. Small, slow, weak, but steady pulse… Veins blue and showing through the skinny wrist-- but it was there. There was a pulse in the small blue things.