Yet another Derek-Addison contrast drabble. I'm having too much fun with this.
Life
Derek pushes himself up on one elbow and regards a drowsy Addison with an intense stare.
"You're going to ask me something, so go ahead and ask it."
"What's the meaning of life, Addi? When we really get down to it?" She smiles gently up at him.
"Now? You're asking me the meaning of life now? You know, the last time someone asked that, he got turned into a butterfly." She snorts. "Derek, I am tired. And I have early surgery tomorrow."
"Well, you told me to ask." She pretends to think for a few seconds.
"The meaning of life...is to let your girlfriend go to sleep or face certain death."
Reference: Addison got it wrong; Chuang Tzu actually dreamed he was a butterfly, and woke up, and wondered if he wasn't a butterfly dreaming he was a man. Either way, it's backwardsly philosophical. This is actually referenced by Terry Pratchett, in Thief of Time (where I originally got the idea). I'm not going to get into the whole conversation, but suffice it to say, Miss Susan asks "How did he write his poems? He didn't flap around making information rich patterns in the air or laying eggs on cabbage leaves?" And then "He was probably a man. Interesting, but doesn't get us anywhere."
Wow, that was long. Review!