Title: 12 songs by Willie Nelson

Disclaimer:  I don't own.  I rent.

Summary: Jackie's summer alone turns into a summer on the phone with the man that she just can't seem to leave behind.

Credit: Hey everybody!  What is shakin?  Okay so Hyde messed up.  Again.  Why couldn't he have just let her come home?  I blame the country music.  No seriously.  Whenever I get depressed I always bust out with the country – a little Hank Jr, a little Willie – and then all of a sudden you are enjoying the funk.  But we don't need Hyde enjoying the funk.  This song isn't going to help though – I can feel it. 

Song Cred: Song 7 is Just Dropped In (to see what condition my condition was in).

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Pain is inevitable.  Suffering is optional.
                                                                                                                - Unknown

Hyde: Hey Forman, did you realize that there's another room back there?! Hey, and it barely stinks!

Eric:  Perfect! You can sit back there underneath your bare bulb and write angry letters to the government!

Steven: Oh, don't think I won't!

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Woke up this mornin' with the sundown shinin' in

Found my broken mind in a brown paper bag again

Tripped on a cloud and fell eight miles high

Tore my mind on a jagged sky

And I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in

Lord, lord, lord, what condition my condition was in

I pushed my soul in a deep dark hole and followed it in

Had myself crawlin' out as I was crawlin' in

I woke up so tight I said I'd never unwind

I saw too much and, Lord, it broke my mind

So I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was is

Lord, Lord, Lord, what condition my condition was in

Somebody painted "April fool" in big black letters on a dead end sign

I had my foot on the gas, when I left the road it blew out my mind

Eight miles our of Memphis, Lord, I got no spare

Eight miles straight up downtown somewhere

And I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in

Steven Hyde had been drinking since he got off work two hours ago.  He no longer could remember why he had started but he had a sneaky suspicion it had to do with that terrible pain just under the left side of his rib cage, about where he figured his heart was.  It could also be do to the fact that he had taken a radio in to work and had just about o.d-ed on some good old Hank Williams Sr. songs.  That man was an artist, sure he had drunk himself to death, but he was talented just the same.  Signaling the bartender for another round Hyde felt the sudden and incredible urge to pack up and take a road trip to the man's grave.  Yeah that would be cool

He didn't want to go all the way to Alabama alone though (Hyde wasn't sure how he knew where the country legend was buried but he did).  He should take Jackie. 

That thought brought the pain back in full force and he took a new swig from his new bottle.  It wasn't helping.  Jackie hated him.  He had cheated on her, drove her away and then came up with excuses to keep her there.  He sucked.  She wouldn't go to Alabama with him.  She probably wouldn't cross the street with him now.  She wasn't going to call.  He had ruined everything.  And here in this dingy bar, completely intoxicated, he could admit that.  He wasn't feeling very Hyde.  He just wanted to call Jackie and apologize and beg and any other Forman-esque thing he would have to do to make this pain go away.  Screw being tough.  Screw being Zen.  Screw punishing himself and worrying that face-to-face Jackie would kick him in the nuts.  He deserved to be kicked in the nuts. 

Oh god how many had he had?  He thought. 

"Too many" the bartender answered. 

Had he said that out loud?  Had he gone crazy?

"Short trip", the bartender again responded. 

Whoa, no more for him.

"I'm cutting you off."  The psychic took his bottle and went back to the other non-drunk lovesick, heartbroken patrons. 

Hyde couldn't drive so he made his unsteady way to the pay phone.  Three rings and Eric answered the phone.  He could here Donna laughing in the background.  It made him miss Jackie more.  God did everything have too?

"Hello?" Eric's chipper voice said.

Hyde took a minute to find his voice and answered "Hey man.  How you doin?  Cause me man me I'm not so good."

"I'm hunky-dory.  So you are drunk."

Statement not a question. No flies on Eric.  "Yes.  I am drunk." 

"So where are you?"

"Casey's"

"I'll be there in ten."

Eight minutes later Eric was walking in the bar.  Good old Eric.  Good old never cheat on his girlfriend Eric.  A fresh wave of self-loathing jumped off Hyde and ricocheted off the scrawny boy's helping hands. 

"You suck". Hyde verbally attacked half-heartedly.

Eric looked confused but not offended.  He lifted Hyde's arm and started to lead him outside.  "O –Kay".

Hyde pulled out of his grasp and walked of his own accord.  "No No I suck.  I SUCK!" he shouted scaring some of the people in the parking lot.  "Why didn't I just tell her to come home man?  Why?  They told me – I was warned – I should have just listened."

Now Eric was beyond perplexed. He had a feeling this conspiracy didn't involve the government.  "Who man?  Who told you?"

"The music makers man.  The music.  It told me.  They are all about heartbreak.  About not trusting and drinking and…and… shotguns."

"Do you have a shotgun?" Eric asked looking around –panic mode. 

The hilarious look of terror on his friend's face alleviated some of the pain. He almost laughed before it returned.  "No man.  But I got the blues."

They got in the Vista Cruiser and Eric started driving towards his old home.  "So you are listening to Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee now?  So what happened?"

"What makes you think anything happened?"  he had admitted it to himself, but he wasn't sure he wanted to confess his sins to super-boyfriend.  Hell the guy had flown to California to get Donna back.  He wouldn't even pick Jackie up at the airport. 

"Well you don't usually turn to Southern Comfort for no reason?"

Was there a good reason?  Getting drunk wasn't going to solve his problems.  It wouldn't get Jackie back or make her call.  And it sure as hell didn't make him feel better.  "I don't think Jackie will be calling me anymore."

"Oh?  Well I think you underestimate Jackie."

Hyde looked up at that.  He knew he was drunk if Eric was complimenting Jackie.  "Man you don't know what I did." 

"What did you sleep with a slutty Doctor this time?"

He got frogged for that one.  "No! Damn man – why don't you kick someone when they are down?"

"I'm sorry.  I'm just saying – she called you after you did just about the worst thing you could possibly do.  She called a lot.  She doesn't give up easy.  She loves you.  She'll call." 

Hyde sighed.  He leaned back in his seat and hoped that Eric was right.