Manx- Valium

He eased his lanky frame in behind the wheel and passed Bing a chill, sweating bottle of Coca-Cola, audibly fizzing. Bing thought he had never seen a bottle of anything look so good.

  He tipped back his head and poured the Coca-Cola down, swallowing rapidly, one gulp, two, three. When he lowered the bottle, it was half gone. He inhaled deeply—and then burped, a sharp, raggedy sound, loud as someone tearing a bedsheet.
...

  “What did you say?” Bing asked, forcing himself to sit up a little straighter and rapidly blinking his eyes. He was dully aware that he was in danger of nodding off. His Coke, with its caffeine and sugar and refreshing fizz, should’ve woken him up but seemed to have had the opposite effect. He took a last swallow, but the residue at the bottom of the bottle was bitter, and he made a face.
...

  Bing stared at him with woolly eyes. He felt as if he had not slept in days, and it was a minute-by-minute struggle to keep from sinking back into his leather seat and slipping away into unconsciousness.

  “I think I’m going to fall asleep,” Bing said.

  “That’s all right, Bing,” Charlie said. “The road to Christmasland is paved in dreams!”
...

  Bing nodded—this statement also rang with moral certainty and wisdom—and then he pointed at the blossoms raining down onto the windscreen. “It’s snowing!”

  “Ha!” Charlie Manx said. “That is not snow. Rest your eyes, Bing Partridge. Rest your eyes and you will see something.”

  Bing Partridge did as he was told.
...

  Manx leaned over and popped the glove compartment above Bing’s knees. Inside was the usual mess of road maps and papers. Bing also saw a flashlight with a long chrome handle.

  An orange medicine bottle rolled out of the glove compartment. Bing caught it one-handed. It said HANSOM, DEWEY—VALIUM 50 MG.

  Manx gripped the flashlight, straightened up, and opened his door a crack. “We have to walk from here.”

  Bing held up the bottle. “Did you . . . did you give me something to make me sleep, Mr. Manx?”

  Manx winked. “Don’t hold it against me, Bing. I knew you’d want to get on the road to Christmasland as soon as possible and that you could see it only when you were asleep. I hope it’s all right.”

- Spicy Menace: Highway 322/The Road to Christmasland