Forever Forever Forever Summer
Chapter 2: Try Again Tomorrow
Phineas always woke up early, but today he woke up early early. When simply trying to ignore everything and then get back to sleep didn't work, he reluctantly got out of bed and trudged down the hall to the bathroom.
He felt... strange. A little groggy and not entirely awake, but that was normal for someone waking up a few hours too soon. There was something else swimming in the back of his mind.
He turns the tap on to fill the silence. A foggy memory shifts its way to the surface, begging for attention but moving further away when he tries to give it. He cupped his hands to catch some water and splashed his face. Think. Yesterday...
That horrible feeling...
“Am I still stuck on this...? Ferb said to sleep it off.” He murmurs. It was a habitual attempt to calm himself, if too many thoughts get mixed up in his head, start talking to straighten them out. Simple.
He grips the edges of the sink and breathes, preparing for the sudden nausea to get worse but really, really hoping it doesn’t.
“I'm probably just... coming down with something. Even a cold can mess with all kinds of things in your body. It's nothing to be worried about.” He keeps talking, repeating the same hollow self assurances to himself while staying very aware that everyone else in the house was probably, hopefully, asleep. After a few loops of empty chatter, today's idea arrives in his head. If he couldn't talk his way into figuring things out, he’d just do what he's best at instead.
Splashing his face one last time, he turns off the tap, dries off and trots back to his bedroom, carefully avoiding every squeaky floorboard on the way.
If he was lucky, everyone was still fast asleep and he could start sketching up blueprints before the inspiration faded. They wouldn't be as good without Ferb’s input but he could always refine them later, that's what teamwork is all about, after all.
To his surprise, when he opens the door Ferb is awake and sat perfectly upright, already staring at the doorway.
“Oh, sorry, bro...! Did I wake you?”
Mercifully, Ferb shakes his head.
“Guess it's just an extra early morning for us then, huh? I even already know what we're gonna do today!” The excitement of saying that comforting little catchphrase raises his volume a bit too much for his liking, and he winces. “Uh, I hope mom and dad and Candace are sleeping a bit better than we are. I don’t want to wake anyone up.”
Ferb doesn't respond, a simple common cue for Phineas to keep talking. A smile finally reappears on his face as he takes a seat at their drafting table and turns on the small adjustable lamp attached to the top. Like a lot of things in their room the table was technically Ferb's, just shared so often it functionally belonged to both of them.
He starts sketching as he talks, a long-practised skill by now. “Anyway, I’ve been feeling a little... fuzzy, in a bad way, these past... uhh...” Was it days? He found himself distressingly unable to remember when this started. “...short while. So let's build a multi purpose brain and body scanner so we can find what's happening without worrying about ho-”
“Is there anything else?”
“-ospital-? Huh?”
What?
He turns his head back to his brother, making no effort to hide his shock.
Ferb... doesn't interrupt people. Not like this. He knew how much it hurt to be interrupted, it's one of the few things Phineas knew with certainty that his brother would say he hated. He would never willingly inflict that upon someone else.
Phineas, being the chatterbox he was, was aware he struggled with cutting people off from time to time, but after a strong stare from either Ferb or the person he interrupted, or both, he would apologise with all the love and sincerity in his heart. He just enjoyed sharing his thoughts and sometimes it got the better of him, but Ferb... Ferb always chose his words and when to use them carefully, not a single breath wasted. This wasn't an accident.
“Sorry?” Phineas finally squeaks.
“Do you have any different plans for today?”
“Well...” Still processing what that question implies, he begins tapping his pencil against his hand. “Not yet. But if you had another idea we can do that instead, if you’d rather.”
Ferb’s gaze shifts, just slightly. He stares through Phineas, not vacantly, instead focused on something unseen.
Phineas tenses and writhes, taking a moment to truly understand why.
He didn't know what Ferb was thinking.
He hadn't realised how viscerally uncomfortable it made him. He thought after knowing each other for so long he knew everything there was to know about his brother - every common thought, every tiny change in expression, every way he expressed himself without words. Every single thing Ferb would let someone learn about him, Phineas knew.
But he didn't know.
He didn't know.
Their eyes meet again and Phineas almost has to keep himself from flinching out of his skin.
“No, we can build your idea in the morning. Keep working on the blueprint.”
“Oh- okay, I will. It’ll be worth it, promise!” He attempts a smile to no convincing success, finding himself dreading what Ferb must think of him right now.
Ferb simply gives a thumbs up and returns to under his covers while Phineas returns to facing the table. He holds the pencil in a vice grip and worries he’ll snap it in two, but continues sketching with the same delicate grace as ever, letting his imagination carry it forward. He’ll figure out what was wrong and it'll all be back to normal. He just had to push through one last day.
~~~
The next morning, he, Ferb and Isabella were making good progress on the scanner. In fact, thanks to Phineas making the blueprint overnight, they were completing their daily project in record time despite Buford and Baljeet not having arrived yet.
It wasn't the most eyecatching or extravagant thing they’d ever built, Phineas had no issues admitting that. It reminded him of the old pet translator they made for Perry, only more compact with a variety of laser scanners instead of a microphone and a screen instead of a speaker. As much as Phineas believed in the importance of creating things purely because it was fun, there was nothing wrong with making something a little more practical and down to earth. The passing thought that maybe that would make it less likely to disappear at the end of the day crossed his mind, but he knew that wasn't entirely true. That was up to the whims of the universe, the “mysterious force” as Candace puts it.
Candace... where was she? Phineas looks up from the blueprint to her bedroom, finding the window closed and curtains drawn. He knew she wasn't as much of a morning person, but by now it was almost midday, and mom would have told him if she was sick and stuck in bed. Had he not seen mom today? He couldn't remember seeing Candace yesterday, either. But we eat dinner together as a family, that can't be right... Something horrible churns in his stomach as a small swirl of vertigo winds through him. He adjusts his footing and starts to shout before he gets second thoughts.
“Cand-”
“NERD COMIN’ THROUGH!”
A crash and a yelp burst from the unfinished machine, sending scraps of metal and wire flying in all directions. Bits and pieces bounce off the grass, tree and fence making an array of small thunks. Phineas wasn't sure what he was expecting when he looked up at the newly created wreckage but it definitely wasn't Baljeet upside-down crumpled against it.
“Whoa! Good morning, Baljeet! Are you alright?” Instincts kick in and the nausea begins to fade away.
“Yes, I am fine!” He clumsily tumbles out of the Baljeet-shaped indent in the metal. “Bruised, perhaps, but that is all.”
“For the record, that wasn’t what I was aimin’ for.” Like a moth to flame, Buford arrives at Baljeet’s side.
“For the record, we are very sorry for damaging your machine.”
“No worries, Baljeet! There's plenty of time to fix it, that's why it's good to be prepared and keep spare materials.” As he begins picking up the pieces at his feet, another idea arrives. “Plus, we can always use pieces we can't salvage later for something new! Nothing beats a little upcycling.”
“Sooo, what will it be once it is done, anyway?” Baljeet asks.
“It’s a multi purpose brain and body scanner! All the joys of checking for irregularities to stay healthy without the expenses of going to the doctor or the discomfort of certain procedures.”
“Oh, I may need it if I am thrown again...”
“You will with that attitude!”
They laugh, they round up the pieces, and they continue.
~
After assessing the damage, it was agreed it would be easier to just start completely from scratch instead of trying to salvage the crumpled heap. It was a frustrating setback, of course. It wasn't often that something of theirs got damaged before they’d finished building it. The most important thing was that no one was badly hurt, and thankfully Baljeet was surprisingly resilient for such a scrawny looking boy. Maybe that's just what happens when you're Buford’s chosen nerd.
Phineas returns to the blueprint, double checking they had enough unused materials to restart. Thanks to Buford’s borderline slapstick antics the likelihood of Baljeet crashing into it again was low but never zero, so maybe Ferb could make it a little more resilient if they have any excess. Just in case.
“Hey Ferb, how about we-” He must have been lost in thought longer than he realised as by the time he looked up construction had restarted without him and Ferb was nowhere to be found. He double checked the entire yard; Isabella and Baljeet were focused on building the basic frame and Buford was ferrying crates around. No Ferb in sight, only his welding equipment discarded on the grass.
“Hey guys, where’d Ferb go?” He finally asks, figuring his constant glances back and forth were probably going to get questioned eventually anyway.
“You mean he's not standin’ right next to ya?” Buford quips, dropping his latest crate-full-of-metal delivery dangerously close to Baljeet’s feet.
“Maybe he is in the house? It is quite hot today, I would not blame him for taking a moment away from the sun.” Baljeet responds nonchalantly, either unbothered by or oblivious to how Buford was a few inches away from breaking all of his toes.
“Or he’s havin’ a bathroom break.”
“Buford!” Isabella scolds.
“What!? Everyone needs ‘em! It's just nature!”
“Usually he’d let me know if he needed a break of any kind.” Phineas interjects before the bickering can go any further. “I’ll check in the house. Keep up the great work, guys!” With a smile and a wave, he rolls up the blueprint, stuffs it into his pocket then jogs into the house.
The moment he closed the back door behind him, all noise from the outside ceased. No breeze, no birds, no construction. He peers out the window just to make sure everything was still there and all was as it should be. Huh. Maybe he just never realised how soundproof these walls are.
A quick glance easily told him Ferb wasn't in the kitchen, so he continued to the living room. Nothing. The garage, nothing. The front yard, nothing. No one. His pace quickened with each room he found empty. He was the opposite of a paranoid person but it was almost unheard of for him to so suddenly and unexpectedly lose track of Ferb, where was he?
“Ferb?” He calls, not expecting a response but starting to really really hope he's lucky enough to get one. “Where are ya, buddy? I lost track of you. We’re making pretty good progress with the scanner out there!”
Nothing. No one. Not mom or dad coming to help with the search, not even Candace suspiciously inquiring what he's up to.
Why was it so horribly quiet?
He starts up the stairs to check his final hiding spot before he officially drops into panic mode; their room. Of the times Phineas had lost track of his brother, a good chunk of them were from Ferb retreating to their bedroom, be it from overstimulation, stress or just plain boredom. It was simply where he felt most safe.
Yet, he pushes the door open and Ferb's not there. Everything was how they left it this morning. Unmade beds, pyjamas on the floor, nothing has moved even an inch.
Phineas swallows as his heart lurches into his throat.
“C’mon, bro. You know I always love your jokes but can this one be saved for another day?” He quivers as genuine desperate panic begins to set in. “Please?”
Silence. Dead, empty silence.
He turns towards Candace's room, barely resisting the urge from his burning limbs to sprint down the hall.
“Candace?” He knocks a few times, trying to not let his nerves show. “Have you seen Ferb?”
No answer.
“Candace...?”
He takes the handle and tries to open the door, but it doesn't budge. He pushes a little harder just in case something was blocking it from the inside, yet still nothing.
This was wrong. This was wrong. Candace rarely locked her door, and even when she did she’d at least respond to knocking.
For what felt like the millionth time, Phineas took a deep breath that failed to ease his anxieties. He was wading in unknown waters, he was so rarely genuinely stressed and now it felt like every possible thing that could stress him out was happening all at once.
The first rule of any emergency is don't panic. That was something he’d taught himself quickly, even if he tended to be extraordinarily lucky there was still a lot of risk in what he did on a daily basis and it's good to be prepared. If he can’t find Ferb or Candace then he’ll find mom and dad.
But he jogged down the hall, and their door was locked too.
Their door is never locked. Ever. If Phineas was told their bedroom door didn't even have a lock he would have believed it. As long as he can remember they’d said their door was always open for anything he and his siblings needed, and until now it had been. What changed? What changed?
“Mom? Dad?” He suddenly felt very small, like a lost child blindly wandering around for something to latch onto. Faded memories of the time without a brother start to resonate; lonely, afraid and missing something crucial. He grips the door handle like it's the only thing keeping him tethered to the ground.
Stop panicking, stay focused.
“There's no reason to assume anything bad happened.” For the second time today, his reflexive self assurances show themselves. “Everyone is still in the backyard. We can figure this out together.”
He turns and sprints as fast as his legs will carry him, no longer afraid of coming off as frantic. Back down the hall, back down the stairs and back through to the kitchen, then-
“FERB!”
There he was, sat cool and casual on the counter, already looking his way.
All of the tension drops from Phineas’ shoulders. This was maybe the happiest to see Ferb he’d ever been, and he was always happy to see Ferb. Without waiting another moment he launches himself into a bear hug, almost causing them to both fall off the counter.
“You’re way sneakier than I realised, dude! I completely lost track of you, I was actually getting kinda worried.” He chuckles, finding it oddly comforting that he knows Ferb can hear through it. “Oh, but there is something I'm actually worried about...”
He notices as he releases himself from the hug with no struggle that Ferb hadn't been returning it.
“Do you know why mom and dad and Candace’s doors are locked? I tried after I couldn't find you... are they out somewhere today?”
There's a pause. Ferb's eyes aren't quite focused on him.
“It’s not important.”
“No?”
Phineas’ head fills with static and he’s suddenly outside under the tree, lounging like any other day.
“Wait, what?” The backyard is empty. No scanner, no loose parts and no friends. An afternoon chill sweeps past them and the sky is filled with a soft orange haze. The day is almost over.
Phineas reaches for the scanner’s blueprint in his pocket but finds nothing.
“Alright, Ferb, if this is a prank I’m not having fun. I don't want to do this anymore.”
Ferb, sitting beside him, looks into the sky without a care in the world.
It would have been far from the first time they'd pranked each other, that's just what siblings do, but the point of a prank was to laugh together. He thought by now they knew each other's limits and what they found funny, he thought that if they did cross a boundary they’d immediately know because they’d known each other for so long, and he thought, he thought he thought he thought he thought-
They’re at the dinner table alone. No food in front of them, no fresh pie smell, no happy family chatter.
Ferb only stares through him like he’s barely there.
“Wh- where are mom and dad? I-”
He blinks and his eyes open to his bedroom, the tiniest pieces of dappled sunshine sneaking in through the window.
“Ferb, please, time keeps skipping-”
“Get some sleep.”
“I don't understand-”
Blink. Pitch dark night, dark enough to know the last glimmers of daylight had long since passed the horizon.
Phineas sits there alone, wide eyed and wide awake. Not even Perry was with him this time, instead he was fast asleep alongside Ferb on his bed.
He pulls his eyes to his alarm clock. 2:55am.
Moments ago, he had been in the backyard. It had been daytime. He had been looking for Ferb, hadn't he? Foggy memories that feel like they should be clear and recent whorl around his head.
He braces himself to get up but his body feels like it’s been tied down. His head hits his pillow and it’s like landing on concrete, a jolt of pain shoots down his spine and he finds himself in no comfort whatsoever, but he can't pull himself back up.
The cloud print on their ceiling had never made him feel so claustrophobic. What little light remains in the room fades away, leaving Phineas to fall backwards into a deep, restless sleep.