A Perfect Day At Planet Express

F_L_P_B_A

   With a shaky sigh, Fry let himself slump further onto the couch as he drank another can of Slurm. He wasn't sure why he felt so anxious lately, but he convinced himself that the Slurm helped calm his nerves. Once, he had drank so much of the radioactive soda that he had begun to glow with a neon green hue, but it didn't bother him for the first time- and he thought it would be worth it if it happened again.

  Pushing the thoughts of radioactivity aside, Fry took a large guzzle of his soda and finished it off. As he threw aside his empty can and reached to open another, Professor Farnsworth entered the room, followed by Leela, Bender, and Amy. 

 "Good news, everyone!" the professor announced. "We have no deliveries today!" 

Fry furrowed his brow. "None?" 

 "Or maybe we do," Professor Farnsworth replied. "I can't seem to keep anything organized here." 

 Fry sat up as he cracked open another can of Slurm and took a sip. "Oh. So... does that mean we have the rest of the day off?"

Leela put her hands on her hips and spoke to him in a stern tone, "Fry."

 "Why, yes, I suppose it does," Professor Farnsworth continued. "There are no deliveries to make."

  Professor Farnsworth shuffled out of the room, but not before bumping into the wall a couple of times. "Ugh, I suppose I should get a doctor."

   Leela bit her lip. "Last time the Professor said we had no deliveries, we got thousands of angry complaints that packages never arrived." 

 "Eh, that's their problem!" Bender insisted. He gave a mean-spirited laugh as he took a seat on the couch next to Fry. "Are you down to party tonight or are you down to party tonight?" His mechanical face showed the most mischievous expression that it possibly could. "I hear there's some good stuff in the vault at The Hip Joint."

 Fry sighed. "Well, I guess so."

"Maybe by the end of the night, your bones will even glow in the dark!" Bender jeered.

Fry turned to Leela and Amy. "Do you guys wanna come?"

"I could use a night out," Amy said. "What about you, Leela? 

"I don't know," Leela said. "Nightclubs aren't usually my thing."

 "Actually... Leela, please come," Fry pleaded. "I really need someone to talk to... I just feel... strange." 

"I-"

 Fry gave her a pleading look, desperation in his eyes. Leela gaped slightly; she'd never seen Fry give such a genuine look of distress. Her heart began to pound as she nodded. "Okay, I'll keep you company." 

"Thank you," Fry mouthed, silently, at her. 

 "Of course," Leela whispered, feeling her concern grow.  She gently pulled on Fry's hand to guide him away.  "I'll show you some outfits," Leela said. "Tell me what you think, m'kay?"

  Fry nodded as he followed her back to her room.

  "What's with him?" Bender asked. 

  Amy merely shrugged. 

***

 Later that night, everyone had arrived at The Hip Joint. Bender quickly took to stealing all the valuables that he could find and Amy began to flirt with the guys she found attractive. Meanwhile, Fry and Leela went over to the bar. "Um... do you want a drink? Maybe I should buy a drink." 

  "Sure," Leela said. "You look like you could use one too." 

 Once Fry and Leela reached the bar area, Fry sat down in one of the seats, placing his chin in his hands. "Uh... two drinks, please." 

"What kind?" the bartender asked.

"I'll just have a mimosa," Leela replied. "Thanks."

"And can I get a beer?" Fry chimed in.

 The bartender poured their drinks and slid them over to the counter where Fry placed the cash on the table.

  As the two of them sat down to consume their drinks, Leela watched Fry for a few moments as he took a shaky sip of his beer. She continued to stare as he attempted to place the mug down on the table, splashing drops of the drink onto the counter. 

 "Fry... is there something on your mind?" Leela asked, gently. 

 "Leela... I feel like everything is so... weird and out of place every single day and I can't figure out why," Fry blurted out. 

  "Out of place... how?" Leela wondered. "Everything is the same as it always is." 

  Fry shook his head. "No, no, it isn't. Something is... missing." He buried his face in his arms. "I'm sorry. I'm probably just going crazy. I don't know what's happening to me." 

  Leela placed her hand upon his back and tenderly rubbed up and down his spine. "It really sounds like a type of... paranoia. There's usually no logical basis for it." She thought for a moment. She stifled a giggle. "I'm sorry if this sounds insensitive of me, but do you think you're drinking too much Slurm?"

  Fry returned a slight chuckle. "I don't know. Maybe." 

  Leela kissed the top of his head. "Do you think we should see a doctor? Maybe a therapist? They might be able to get to the root of what's causing your anxiety." 

  "I... a doctor, I swear to God, there was something to do with-" Fry gave up on trying to find the words. "Ugh, never mind. Let's go see a doctor sometime, I guess."  

   "It's going to be alright, Fry," Leela insisted. "We'll find you some help." 

  "Thanks, Leela," Fry said. He lifted his head off of the counter. "I'm lucky to have you."

  Leela smiled. "Glad you realize it," she teased him. 

 As the couple leaned in for a kiss, they were interrupted by Bender who ran over to them with glee. He leaned in and lowered his voice, "Fry, check out all this cool stuff I got."

  Bender opened the door on his chest to reveal a pile of gold, watches, jewelry, and other valuables. "It was all in the vault, baby!"

   "Wow, all of that, huh?" Fry spoke, tiredly. 

  "Well, don't sound so upset, you should've come with me if you wanted some," Bender told him. 

  When Amy joined them, Fry continued to chat with his friends long into the night. He latched onto them as a distraction from the overwhelming feelings of unfamiliarity with his surroundings. 

  Once the party had died down, Amy returned to her house and Fry and Bender returned to their apartment, bringing Leela to stay the night. 

  As Fry and Leela settled down into bed, Fry held Leela close as she lied her head against his chest. As the hours began to tick by, thoughts began to creep into Fry's mind. They often came when he couldn't sleep.

"Do you ever think that you'll get bored of me?" Fry spoke, nervously, into the darkness.

  To his surprise, Leela was still awake. "I don't think I could ever get bored of the adventures we go on together."

  Leela sat up and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight, Fry. I love you."

  Fry smiled as he lied back down. "Love you too."  

   However, Fry couldn't sleep as his mind began to race. What is wrong with me? Why can't I just be grateful for everything? Coming to the future... almost being forced to work a job I didn't want without anybody to lean on... I should be thankful that things turned out the way they did. His thoughts continued to wander, Someone should really clean the boiling room. Leela said she almost slipped and fell in there... Leela's right, I should see a doctor. 

  As Fry closed his eyes, he almost thought he saw a flash of blinding light from down the road. He ignored it, dismissing it as one of the professor's experiments gone wrong. Gently, he drifted off to sleep.