Riding through the desert with HST and GS

We're doing 120 and doc turns to me and says

"you seem uncomfortable, here."
he shoves an orange pill in my mouth and I turn to stein

she seems amused, and smiles, her eyes drooping

"what did you give her?"

"Nothing, she's been drinking absinth the whole time"

the desert is the perfect place to drive, just as I had imagined

the blurred definition of the horizon beckons us forward, towards nowhere

"These bastards won't catch us in this rocket ship, we've got too much power"

"yeah man, cosmic power" I say, doc looks at me and frowns

"What are you blabbering about, you maniac?"
"Have you read tender buttons?"

it's the fifteenth time she's asked us in the last hour

"Yes, I loved it." I say

"No" doc says and takes a swig of the rot gutt he's been keeping in his lap.

"here, drink this, it'll calm you down."

whiskey never really calmed me down, but I guess I should trust him

I drink deep gulps of fire, ignoring the fact that I thought I was being relatively calm already.

"Have I told you about Fitzgeralds drinking problem?"

"Yes" me and doc answer

"savages..." doc mutters, I can tell something is bothering him.

"what's up, doc?"

"Do I look like that cartoon rabbit?"

"man I don't even know right now, what the hell did you give me?"
"what color was it?"

"blue."

"blue, the doctrine of, docking above the melancholy dock of blue things..."

"Will you shut the fuck up!" Doc pulls a cannon out of his jacket and points it at stein, never taking his foot off the gas.

stein looks at him, calm as ever, and he lowers his pistol.

"You'd be a much better writer if you let go of some of that anger."

"I'll let you go in a minute, you old wench."

"Hah, you're just used to women bending to your will, you cantankerous stoner."
I can't take it anymore

"Will both of you shut up! you're totally harshing my mellow."

Stein looks apologetic and doc just turns around and continues driving

"I'm sorry, joe, it's just that we've both been dead for a little while now. you should probably be looking at the road."

"I thought that being near you two would be this amazing thing, this amazing adventure, but you've spent the entire time just being cartoons of yourselves."

"I'm sorry, it's just that we've been dead."

"I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have involved you in my depravity." doc says finally.

"It's ok, lets just drive, we'll get there eventually."

the car moves from warp 5 to a steady century, and the sky grows darker.

Stein chuckles, and looks up.

"Have you read tender buttons?"