Note-This story is dedicated to Sock Fiend, my first reviewer! This is really an explanatory chapter, but still vital!
Note to Sock Fiend-They change their name to The Blanks at some point.
It had all started when Dan had heard them singing at Carla's baby shower. He had been one of Dr Slawsky's patients, but it was nothing a simple pacemaker couldn't solve. He had found Ted in his office, and Ted had been terrified that he was going to be sued…again.
"Mr. Buckland!" Dan had smiled, stretching out his hand, beaming white teeth. With his black locks and vivid green eyes, he looked like a portly, aged movie star. "The name's Dan. Dan Adams!"
But he wasn't a movie star. He was the owner of a million dollar earning record company. Which, in Ted's eyes, was just as good.
"Listen, Ted, I can call you Ted, right? I heard your band singing earlier today. And I think you've got something there. I think I could make you big! Sign you a record deal, get you a few gigs, who knows? Whaddya say?"
And it was done. They had recorded their first album, "Riding the Waves", and it had been a smash hit, with rave reviews left right and centre. And soon they had skyrocketed to fame. Everywhere Ted went from now on, he saw his name in lights and his face on huge billboards.
Then they had done gigs, concerts, the whole caboodle. He had stopped trying to commit suicide off the hospital roof, and he had enough money to stop living with his mom (not that he wanted to). But even then, it felt like it was just a fad, that eventually it would fizzle out and he would go back to being the terrible, worthless, sad-sack lawyer of a teaching hospital. Everything seemed so fast and hectic, it made his head spin.
Then one day, Kelso had called him in to his office.
"You've been neglecting your duties more than usual recently!" he had said.
"Sir, with all due respect I've been a little busy with my band…"
"Ted, with no respect whatsoever, I don't care what you or any one of my little minions gets up to in your miserable lives, the hospital is your top priority! Obviously, in your case, it isn't. So I'm letting you go"
Ted had been too stunned to speak.
"W-what?"
"I'm letting you go. You're fired, get out of my sight! I'm hiring a competent lawyer!"
Ted was shocked to find that, after waiting so long for this moment, he wasn't as happy as he would have expected. He had turned around to leave when Kelso spoke again.
"Oh, and Ted? I've heard your band. It's terrible music"
Over the next few months, Dan had scheduled a Manhattan gig, and had told Ted to start enjoying the finer things in life. The concert had sold out in minutes, much to their delight. By the time they'd done their New York tour, they were rolling in dollars. Ted had even bought a second flat, overlooking the famous Manhattan skyline. After the tour, he began to live full time in his Manhattan apartment, and the other's moved in close by. They'd broadened out their genre to cartoon themes, classic movie songs, prime time themes, and whatever sounded good.
Yet, he missed the hospital, however much he hated it. It wasn't because of the Janitor and his so-called friends in the Brain Trust. It wasn't because of Kelso, oh no. It was because of her. The beautiful nurse he just could not push out of his mind. The only person who acknowledged his existence there and cared for him.
Carla…
But that was all behind him. Now he was famous, and could afford as many toupees as he wanted! He still felt that something was missing, somehow, even though he had everything he could possibly want. He had good friends, money, and nice stuff. He didn't have to worry about Kelso's coffee or any of the Janitor's crazy schemes. He didn't stand on a rooftop every day, contemplating. He was living the good life now.
But there was still something missing…
But he didn't have time to think about it. He was about to go for practice at Randall's apartment, then they were performing at a local bar in the evening.
Ted grabbed his coat, and stepped out into the crisp autumn sunlight. He smiled, shielded his eyes from the stinging light, and carried on walking.
Yep, this was the good life…