"I'll be back in in a while." Micky said to Mike as he grabbed his windbreaker.
"Where you going?" Mike asked.
"I got a doctors appointment. A new place." Micky said. He rubbed his throat. "My voice is really scratchy lately."
"Oh ok." Mike said. "Well hurry back, we have a really important gig tomorrow."
"Yeah." Micky said. "I know, the ususal big shot I'm-in-love-with-me record exec in the audience." He made a "gun" at Mike, and made a clicking sound when he pulled the trigger. "I'll be good as new by tomorrow, you probably wont even recognize me."
"Good luck Mick." Peter said.
Micky waved and closed the door.
"Didn't he use the doctor excuse the last time he wanted to go on a secret date?" Davy asked.
"That was actually you Davy." Mike reminded him.
"Oh," Davy said. "Hmmmm. Jeannie." He smiled a goofy smile. The two guys looked at him. "I'm back now."
"Good, lets get in some practicing. If Micky isnt better, then we'll have to do some fancy arranging." Mike said grabbing his guitar.
The doctor
Doctor "Doc" Schelsinger looked out the window. Micky walked by a newstand. He stopped to talk with the clerk.
"Ah there he is. The Monkee." Doc said.
"Is he coming soon?" An anxious blonde nurse said behind him.
"I think so." Doc said. Micky picked up a teen beat then set it back down. He waved a goodbye to the clerk and crossed the street. "Is it ready?"
"Ready and waiting!" The nurse said holding a scary looking needle in her hand.
"Good." Doc said taking the needle. "We won't be needing this Tiffany. I have a feeling our new victim....patient ...will be willing to take this for us. Soon we will be able to find out if our years..."
"Five weeks..." Nurse Tiffany cut in.
"....five weeks..." The Doc said giving Tiffany a scolding look. "...of research will pay off!"
A knock came from the outside door.
"Ah, the patient is here." Doc said. Tiffany didn't move. "Well go let him in for gods sakes. I may be a mad scientist, but I won't let him wait for half an hour like all the so-called sane doctors!"
"Yes sir Doctor." Tiffany said.
"And remember, act natural." Doc said.
"Whats that?" Tiffany said with a confused look on her face. Doc rolled his eyes.
"Just go!" He said. "That woman will be the death of me. I'm never hiring from a temp agency again."
Micky went up to the front desk. He looked around and hit a small bell on the desk. He put his hands in his pockets and looked around. He grabbed a newspaper off the coffee table.
"Hmm, so old Ed's gonna have the Beatles?" He said reading the headline off an obviously old newspaper.
A voluptious blonde came out of a brown door. She looked at Micky and slightly adjusted her already suffocatingly tight nurse uniform.
Micky looked up at the sight before him. He dropped his newspaper.
"I love medicine." He said to himself. "I think I need another checkup...tomorrow."
"Mr Dolenz?" The blonde asked looking around. There were no other people in the room. Micky looked around.
"I guess thats me." He chuckled.
"Ohhh good. The doctor can see you now!" The nurse said.
"What a voice!" Micky thought. "So shes the thing only dogs can hear."
Micky followed the nurse into an examining room.
"I'm Tiffany." Tiffany chirped. "If you need me, I will be right over there." She pointed. Micky followed her finger.
"Tell me that again in fifteen minutes." He said.
"Ok." Tiffany said looking at her watch. "But I might not be here."
"Might not? You're not here now!" Micky said to himself.
"Have a seat. The doctor will see you shortly."
"No thanks I'd rather stay the same height." Micky joked.
Tiffany looked at him again then left the room. Micky made a "over your head" whoosh sign with his hand. He got up and looked at the diplomas in his office.
"Wow, I didn't know they had a medical school in Hawaii." He mused.
"They do, but they grade you in coconuts." Doctor Schelsinger came in the room.
"I know of a place where they grade you in cold cuts." Micky said. The Doctor gave him the same look that Tiffany gave him. "Ok we need a sense of humor injection STAT."
The doctor finally smiled. It was one of those smiles that you can see all of their teeth, and then some.
"And some floss." Micky observed the Doctors teeth.
"I am Doctor Schelsinger but call me Doc." He said.
"Like in Whats up doc?"
"Yes, but I'd rather hear whats up with you." Doc said. "Please have a seat."
"My voice is scratchy lately." Micky said. He rubbed his throat. "I've tried everything. Salt water, gargling, nothing helps."
"You are a singer?" Doc asked.
"Yeah." Micky nodded. "How can you tell?"
"Cause you are wearing a I'm a Monkee, ask me how button." Doc pointed out something on his shirt.'
"Oh its a friends gag." He explained.
"Anyway I have what you need." Doc said.
"A cool job, a nice place to live, and a girl?" Micky asked. "Thanks but I already have two out of three."
"Two out of three ain't bad." Doc said. "But this pill will help you see a side of yourself you have never seen before."
"Really?" Micky said.
"There are side affects...." He said. "Sleep loss."
"Got it, write songs all night."
"Hairy chest..."
"You don't really want to look..." He crossed his hands over his wind breaker.
"And a certain attitude towards older people."
"So basically I'll be normal."
"Yes." Doc Schelsinger said. "Its only a trial. One pill, one day. Change forever." He looked closely at Micky. "And it will fix your voice."
"Yeah?" Micky said. He cocked his eyebrow. "Prove it."
"If it works, no charge." Doc said.
"And if it doesnt?" Micky said.
"I'll recommend someone to your next of kin." He said with a creepy laugh. Micky winced. "Onion bagel breath!"
"Ok." Micky said as soon as he got out of the firing line of The docs breath.
The doc gave him a glass of water.
"Bottoms up." Micky said popping the pill in. He downed the water like it was nothing. He hiccupped slightly after he put the glass down.
"Is that a side effect?" He asked.
"Quite." Doc Schelsinger said. "Quite harmless I'm sure."
"All right." Micky walked toward the door.
"Go home, Mr Dolenz, take a nap. Sleep all night if you need to. I promise you that you will awake a new person tomorrow."
"I hope so." Micky said. There was a slight squeak in his voice. He cleared his throat. "See you later."
"Have a nice night, Mr Dolenz." Doc Schelsinger said. Micky left the office. Tiffany emerged from another room.
"Did he?"
"Yes, Tiffany, he did." Doc said. "Now all we have to do is wait."
Micky got home. He threw his coat onto the coat rack.
"Hey guys I'm back." Micky said. No one was there.
A note on the tv announced they were on the beach. Even though the Doc had said for him to go to sleep he got ready to go. He put on his fave beach shirt and shorts. He stopped briefly and sat on his bed. He started to put his sandles on when he felt the wave of sleep come over him.
"What was in that thing?" He asked as the walls started to spin around him. Ordinary objects turned colors and seemed to jump around the room. Something heavy pressed on his head. He fell back to the bed, pulled back by his own weight and gravity, which seems to have tripled in the past few seconds. His eyes begged him to let them close,to sleep and rest. He fought valiantly for a few seconds before he fell asleep.
Footsteps were heard. Mike came in the room. At the moment they were roomates.
"Mick, thats my bed!" He said. He shook his head. He tucked some blankets around him. "Pleasant dreams." He said and left the room.
The next day
Micky rose late. The gig wasnt until later in the afternoon so he realized that it was noon when he looked at the clock.
"God, the guys will kill me!" He said to himself. He cleared his throat again. His voice was weirder today than it was yesterday. He got up and went to fix his hair in the mirror, he jumped back.
"Oh my god!" He said. "What was that????"
