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fangirlwriting-stories · 1 year

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Mistakes and Worry

Summary: When a mishap with inventing supplies lands Ferb in the hospital, Phineas ends up considering some questions he doesn't really like to think about.

...

Phineas didn’t worry about it mostly because they’d done similar things so many times and nothing had gone wrong. They’d built a tower to the moon when they were ten years old, and nothing had gone wrong then. That was probably significantly more dangerous, in retrospect.

They weren’t even building a tower this time. The crates that were stacked over by the tree were just full of materials they were going to need for that day, and they were just planning on building an obstacle course for Perry to play in. There shouldn’t have been any reason for someone to get hurt.

He’d come up with the idea when he’d realized that Perry was getting a little too old for some of his toys, and he and Ferb had been tossing ideas back and forth to Perry all morning, though they didn’t get much reaction out of him. He didn’t do much, after all. They’d gotten a couple happy chatters at certain points, however, so those were the ideas they were going with.

Perry had disappeared before they could get started, but he’d be back to see it later. For now, Phineas was sitting with Ferb under the crates of materials they’d ordered. They probably should have stacked them a little more carefully, but they’d both been excited to get started, so they’d set them all on top of each other over by the tree, and Phineas was now sitting underneath them with Ferb next to him.

Then as Phineas was drawing designs for the upside down part of the obstacle course, a loud snap was heard, and Phineas glanced up just in time to see one of the crates at the bottom of the stack had broken under the weight just enough to send the whole pile falling down towards him.

He didn’t even have time to cry out, however, before Ferb’s hands were slamming into his side and Phineas found himself sprawled on the ground a couple feet away from the boxes— the ones that had all now fallen on top of Ferb.

For a second, Phineas stared at the boxes, almost unsure what had happened. Then his gaze caught on Ferb’s hand, still sticking out from under one of the boxes, and his brain kicked suddenly into overdrive.

“Ferb!” Phineas cried, leaping forward. He shoved the crates off of him, and pulled Ferb out as soon as he could see his face. Ferb’s eyes were closed, and when Phineas put his hand under his nose, his breathing was shallow.

“Ferb?” Phineas asked weakly, his heart leaping to his throat. He reached out and shook Ferb’s shoulders. “Hey, hey, get up! Ferb?”

Ferb didn’t respond.

Phineas’ breathing started to quicken, and he looked around for something he could do, just in time for the gate to open.

“Hey Phineas,” Isabella said. “Whatcha— Phineas!”

“Isabella!” Phineas said, looking desperately up at her. “Ferb, he— the crates fell and he—”

Something shifted in Isabella’s face, and she ran forward and dropped into a kneel at Ferb’s side.

“Okay,” she said. “I have a first aid patch, so I can help a little. Go call an ambulance.”

“But—” Phineas said weakly.

Isabella looked up at him, her face firm. “Go do it now, Phineas,” she said firmly.

Phineas nodded, stood, and ran for the house to grab his cell phone. He managed to call 911 and stammer out some kind of explanation to the woman on the other side about where they were and what had happened, but he was finding it difficult to stop thinking of Ferb’s pale face and shallow breathing.

Eventually, he managed to get out enough information that the woman said there was an ambulance on the way, and he headed back out to wait with Isabella and Ferb.

Ferb still hadn’t woken up, and Phineas couldn’t tell if Isabella looked grim because it was serious or just because she was in problem-solving mode. He badly hoped it was the latter.

Finally, an ambulance showed up, and three EMTs came to the backyard to take the still-unconscious Ferb around to the ambulance and then, presumably, to the hospital.

Phineas wasn’t allowed to go with them, so he gave them his parents numbers and stayed back with Isabella while they drove off.

“I should call mom and dad,” Phineas realized as the ambulance drove off, though it came out as weak as his knees.

“I’ll do it,” Isabella said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry.”

She took Phineas’ cell phone out of his hands as they both walked back into the house. Phineas nodded his thanks, and sat down on the couch, leaning back and trying to breathe.

He felt a little ridiculous, being so scared. They’d faced way worse than this together and come out on top. But none of them had ever been badly hurt before. Ferb hadn’t been moving.

Isabella came back a little later, along with Buford and Baljeet, who must have showed up sometime in between everything. Isabella had clearly already filled them in, because they both looked worried.

“Okay,” Isabella said as they all walked into the room. Baljeet sat down on the couch next to Phineas, and Buford perched on the arm. Both of them looked a little unsure of what to do. Isabella, on the other hand, looked very sure of herself.

“Phineas, your parents are coming here to get you and take you to the hospital. I think we’re allowed to come, but I imagine we’d be doing it either way so that’s almost a moot point. Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher is calling Candace, so we don’t have to worry about that. I don’t know how long we’re going to be there. Do you want to bring anything?”

“Uh,” Phineas said weakly. “Perry?”

“I’ll see if I can find him,” Isabella said with a nod.

“Was Ferb okay when they drove off with him?” Baljeet asked nervously.

“He wasn’t conscious, but the paramedics said he was stable,” Isabella said. “They didn’t seem panicked.”

“That can change real fast,” Buford muttered.

“Buford, not helpful,” Isabella said with a stern look. “He’s gonna be fine. Baljeet, stay here with Phineas, okay? Buford and I are going to go look for Perry.”

They both headed out, and Phineas leaned back on the couch with a shaky breath.

“Wow,” Baljeet said, sinking back into the couch next to him. “Crazy morning.”

“Mm-hmm,” Phineas said weakly.

“I mean this kind of stuff doesn’t really happen to you,” Baljeet said, looking over at him. “And— and that is not helpful, is it?”

“Not really,” Phineas admitted, running his hands over his face.

“Sorry. I am not good at comfort,” Baljeet said, looking away. “But… I am worried too.”

Isabella and Buford didn’t manage to find Perry before Mom and Dad got back, but luckily Perry showed up as they were trying to fit the six of them into the five-person station wagon.

He seemed almost alarmed when he saw all of them climbing into the car together, and ran right up to Phineas, then rubbed at his leg until Phineas reached down and picked him up.

“Hey buddy,” Phineas said, forgoing his usual Perry catchphrase in favor of climbing into the car (Buford had offered to sit in the trunk, meaning they were good to go).

Perry, though he usually wasn’t particularly aware, chattered at Phineas in what Phineas could have sworn sounded like worry.

Phineas just held his platypus close to his chest as Isabella climbed into the middle seat and Baljeet after him, and then the car sped off. Phineas was pretty sure Mom was breaking way too many traffic rules, but she didn’t seem to be giving it much thought.

Perry chattered again, and Phineas glanced down at him. “Ferb’s in the hospital, Perry,” Phineas whispered.

Okay, that was definitely Perry’s eyes widening in alarm. The platypus chattered again, and pressed his bill up against the side of Phineas’ face. Phineas held him closer, letting out a shaky breath, and Perry didn’t make any effort to even try and push away.

“It’s going to be okay Phineas,” Isabella said from her spot next to him. She put a hand on her shoulder.

Phineas smiled gratefully at her. She’d been way more helpful than he would have been throughout this. “Thanks Izzy,” he said, leaning over and giving her a hug. “You’re amazing.”

“Well, if my patches never come in handy, then what do I earn them for?” Isabella asked, but Phineas was starting to hear a slight shake in her voice, and when he pulled back again, she gave him a shaky smile. So Phineas grabbed her hand and squeezed it, and she squeezed his back, her face dropping in nerves.

No one said much else on the way to the hospital, even Mom or Dad, who seemed mostly focused on getting them there as quickly as possible. Even Perry was almost somberly silent.

When they got to the hospital, Mom just said quietly to Dad that she’d park the car while the rest of them went in, so they all got out and followed him inside. Phineas was probably holding Perry slightly too tightly, but Perry wasn’t struggling in the slightest, so he probably wasn’t going to stop.

They all waited back near the doors while Dad asked the man at the front desk what was going on. He didn’t look absolutely heartbroken or terrified when he turned around, which Phineas was going to take as a good sign.

“Okay,” he said when he got there. “So, we’ve got mostly good news. First off, he’s going to be fine.”

A large knot in Phineas’ chest loosened, and he let out a breath of relief, hugging Perry tighter with one hand and squeezing Isabella’s hand with the other.

But then Dad kept going.

“They had a small scare in the ambulance on the ride over, so they’re going to keep him for a couple days just to make sure everything’s alright. But they’re saying he should wake up in a couple hours at the most.”

“A scare?” Phineas asked, squeezing Perry too tightly again. “What does that mean? Like— like he almost—” he couldn’t get the word out.

“He’s going to be just fine,” Dad said, reaching out and putting a hand on Phineas’ shoulder with a reassuring smile, though Phineas could tell he was still scared too. “He’s not in danger, we’re just waiting for him to wake up now. We can head up to his room as soon as Mom gets here, alright?”

Phineas nodded but didn’t say anything. Isabella reached around and gave him a side hug, and Phineas leaned into it.

Mom showed up in another five minutes or so, and they all headed up to Ferb’s room.

Phineas wasn’t sure exactly what to expect when they got there, but what they found was Ferb, still unconscious in a hospital bed, looking pale and still breathing shallowly. His left arm was wrapped in a cast and his face looked pretty badly bruised.

They all stood in the doorway looking at him for a minute, and then Perry started wriggling around in Phineas’ arms until Phineas set him down on the ground. As soon as he was free, he ran across the room and jumped up on the bed, crawling over and curling up next to Ferb.

That seemed to be all the permission everyone else needed, because Dad walked forward and squeezed Ferb’s hand, followed closely by Mom who pressed a kiss to his forehead. Isabella followed them, and Buford and Baljeet followed her, all of them ending up surrounding the bed on all sides.

Phineas, however, didn’t move, just looking at Ferb’s pale face and listening to his shallow breaths.

Dad had said there’d been a scare in the ambulance. That means Ferb almost died. Ferb almost wasn’t here anymore. Phineas and Ferb was almost Phineas and… nothing.

Phineas couldn’t remember the last time he’d thought about himself without in some way relating it to his brother too.

Mom was the first one to notice Phineas was still standing over by the door. She gave him a concerned look before turning and walking back to join him.

“Are you alright sweetheart?” she asked, giving him a worried frown.

Phineas swallowed, feeling very small. “Mom,�� he said. “Can we go home?”

…

Candace, it turned out, could not come back until her last finals were over. Her school ended a week after Phineas and Ferb’s did, and she apparently couldn’t use the excuse of ‘my brother’s in an actual hospital’ to be able retake her last two finals. Ferb, who had woken up on schedule, said it was no big deal, and that he’d see her in a couple days.

Phineas heard about all of this when Mom got back, because instead of going back to the hospital when Ferb woke up, he stayed in his room and tried to stop feeling scared.

Which was ridiculous. Ferb was awake and talkative— well, talkative for Ferb. Mom said he’d already asked where Phineas was, if he was okay. They’d told Ferb he was alright, just a little spooked, and he’d probably be there tomorrow.

Except that probably wasn’t true. For one, Phineas was terrified, not spooked. And two, he was not going back tomorrow. He couldn’t stand the thought of seeing Ferb sitting there in a hospital bed because he’d shoved Phineas out of the way of something that should have hit him.

Perry came back with Mom. Mom said pets weren’t allowed at the hospital overnight, which Perry apparently hadn’t been happy about. If that was the case, however, he didn’t show Phineas any of that, instead coming straight up to Phineas’ bed, jumping up on in and then walking over and curling up in Phineas’ lap. He cast a look up at Phineas and chattered, and Phineas responded by scooping him up and holding him close.

Neither of them moved for a long while, except for when Phineas eventually laid down on the bed, once sitting curled around Perry started to be uncomfortable.

Eventually, Mom interrupted them with a gentle knock at the doorway.

“Phineas?” she called. “I’m going to get us pizzas for dinner, okay honey?”

Phineas made a small noise of agreement but didn’t say anything else.

There was a pause, and then the sounds of footsteps walking across the room. “Phineas, are you doing okay?” Mom asked, sitting down on the bed. “I know today must have been scary.”

“‘m fine,” Phineas said quietly.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Phineas shook his head, curling further around Perry.

“Are you sure, honey?”

Phineas nodded. He didn’t want her to get mad at him.

“Okay,” Mom said softly, running a hand through Phineas’ hair. “I’m gonna go order some pizza. You should go see Ferb tomorrow, Phineas. He’s worried about you.”

Phineas didn’t say anything, and eventually Mom just sighed and walked out.

Perry slept curled up with Phineas that night, and he didn’t go back with Mom to the hospital the next day, though he did at one point try to drag Phineas out of bed.

“What is with you?” Phineas said, picking up Perry and putting him on the ground. “For an animal who doesn’t do much, you sure have been having a lot of opinions lately. Go see Ferb if you want to so bad. I’m sure Mom will take you.”

Instead, however, Perry just chattered and jumped up on the bed next to Phineas again. He didn’t even disappear to wherever he usually went everyday, just stayed at Phineas’ side and occasionally tugged on his sleeve until he followed him to the kitchen and ate something.

Mom went to see Ferb at some point, but Phineas just watched her go from the entryway.

He knew he should probably go see Ferb. He suspected that when Mom gave him his phone, he would start sending texts asking if Phineas was alright.

But Phineas couldn’t go see him. Not when he couldn’t stop thinking of how small and fragile he’d looked after he’d dragged those crates away. The guilt was one thing. Ferb would probably tell him to stop being stupid. That Phineas would have done the same thing for him. And he would have, it’s true. But…

There was the other part of it too. The part where for a few, terrifying hours, Phineas had lived in a world where he might not have a brother for much longer.

He didn’t remember meeting Ferb. They’d been really little. Ferb said he remembered it, but Phineas had never been able to remember what a world without Ferb in his life had looked like. For as long as he could remember, they’d done everything together. He couldn’t imagine doing things any other way. He was closer with Ferb than with anybody else, probably even Isabella. Probably even Candace. If Ferb was suddenly just gone…

Would Phineas even be able to invent? Would he be able to shake the bitter taste in his mouth and the bone deep feeling that he should be doing whatever he was doing with someone else? Would he be able to keep or honor anything that he and Ferb had once loved together, or would it just be too painful?

Who would Phineas Flynn be without Ferb Fletcher?

Phineas didn’t have the slightest clue. He also didn’t like the idea of having to figure it out.

…

Candace had managed to convince her professor to let her take her last final earlier, meaning she got there that night, late. Mom stayed up to welcome her, and Phineas stayed awake in bed listening for her, still holding tightly to Perry, who was also awake.

Phineas wasn’t surprised when Candace went straight to bed. She had to be exhausted, after taking two finals and then driving the hours it took to get back here from college. And Phineas was most definitely going to feel guilty in the morning, but right now, he needed his sister.

So, he climbed out of bed, bringing Perry with him, and walked across the hall. He knocked on Candace’s door and heard a “Yeah?” that sounded like it was half asleep already.

Phineas pushed the door open, and clutched Perry back to his chest instead of saying anything. Candace was already on her bed under the covers, but she didn’t get angry when she saw Phineas.

“Hey,” she said, giving him a sympathetic smile. “You doing okay?”

Phineas shook his head.

“I figured,” Candance said. She pulled the covers back and patted the space on the bed next to here. “Alright, come here you thorn in my side.”

Phineas walked over and climbed onto the bed next to Candace, setting Perry down in between them.

“I don’t have anything in me tonight,” Candace said, though she did wrap an arm around him. “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

Phineas nodded without saying anything and wrapped his arms around Candace. Perry chattered from his slightly squished place in between them, but didn’t move.

Phineas fell asleep before long tucked in with his sister and his platypus.

Candace woke up first the next day, but she clearly hadn’t moved when Phineas woke up, instead scrolling through her phone while sitting up next to him.

When she noticed Phineas was awake, she set her phone down and turned to face him. “Hey,” she said. “You feeling any better?”

Perry stirred in between them at the noise, then climbed up so he could sit on Phineas’ lap after he sat up.

“Not really,” Phineas admitted, pulling Perry into his arms.

“Yeah,” Candace said, giving him a worried look. “Mom said you haven’t gone to see Ferb once since he woke up. What’s up with you?”

“I just,” Phineas said weakly, because he still didn’t know quite how to explain his own feelings on the matter. He ducked his head down and quietly whispered, “He almost died, Candace.”

“Yeah, I heard, in the ambulance,” Candace said quietly. “It scared me too. But I figured you’d be right by his side once he woke up.”

“I just started thinking,” Phineas mumbled. “About, you know, what if he did die?”

“He didn’t,” Candace said.

“No, I know, I just—” he sighed, and buried his head in his hands. “Why am I still thinking about this?” he muttered. “You’re right, he’s fine.”

“True,” Candace said hesitantly. “But you also don’t normally think about something without a reason. You want to try walking me through what’s on your mind?”

Phineas petted Perry on the head, thinking for a moment. “He got hurt pushing me out of the way,” he said. “Because we didn’t stack the boxes of materials well enough, and they almost fell on me. And I’m sure I would have done the same for him, but… but what if he had died because of it? What would have happened?”

“You don’t need to worry about it,” Candace said. “He didn’t.”

“I am worrying about it!” Phineas exclaimed, glaring at her. “Because Ferb is— Ferb is Ferb! And we’re PhineasandFerb, one word, you know? And— and what would I do if— if he—” he sniffed, and wiped at his eyes.

Candace looked at him for another minute. She took a shaky breath of her own, and pulled Phineas to her side.

“I don’t know,” she said. “It’s not something I really want to think about, Phineas. Because I don’t think it’s going to happen. You two are safe about the things you build. You take safety precautions. I trust you.”

“We can’t always plan for everything, though,” Phineas said weakly.

“True,” Candace said. “But you’re pretty good at thinking on your feet. And you know something?”

Phineas turned and looked at her. “What?”

“If the worst did happen,” Candace said. “I know you wouldn’t have to go through it alone.”

“But—”

“But nothing. You have friends who would help you figure it out. And Mom and Dad would help you figure it out. You would not be alone, Phineas.”

“But I wouldn’t have Ferb,” Phineas said.

“You’d have me,” Candace said, pulling him closer. “And I’d help you figure it out, okay?”

Phineas leaned heavily against her side. “Okay,” he whispered.

“Besides,” Candace said, pushing him back to arm’s length. “You do have Ferb, right now, you dummy. He’s sitting across town in a hospital bed wondering why you haven’t come to visit him.”

Phineas’ eyes widened. “Oh. Oh, no. Candace—”

“Don’t stress about it,” Candace said, whacking him on the head. “I’m heading down there after breakfast. You want to come with me?”

Phineas nodded.

“Good,” Candace said, ruffling his hair. “Cause otherwise I was gonna drag you kicking and screaming.”

…

Isabella, Buford, Baljeet, and Dad were in the room when they got there, which just served to make Phineas feel even worse. He was still clutching Perry like a lifeline, and Candace was standing next to him, which helped a little, but he still found himself stuck at the door to Ferb’s hospital room.

Eventually, Candace cleared her throat, and everyone over by the bed glanced over.

Ferb brightened and gave his half smile that meant he was really glad to see you. Phineas smiled back, though it probably came across as weaker than he really wanted it to.

Dad gave a nod to Candace, and then not-so-subtly mentioned that they all should head down to the cafeteria for a moment.

Dad gave him a reassuring nod on the way out, and Isabella gave him a smile and squeezed his hand. Phineas gave her a grateful smile and squeezed her back. Candace hung around with him, which Phineas was glad for.

After a second, he turned back to Ferb, who still looked glad to see him.

“Hey,” Ferb said, and before Phineas knew it, he was rushing forward and throwing his arms around him, being mindful of his cast. Perry was now squished between them, but he just chattered and pushed his bill up towards both of their faces.

“Hi,” Phineas muttered to Ferb. “‘m sorry I wasn’t here sooner.”

Ferb wrapped an arm around him in a clear expression of ‘It’s alright,’ and just said “You doing okay?”

“You scared me,” Phineas said.

Ferb wrapped an arm around him from behind. “Well,” he said. “I can’t really say I’m sorry.”

Phineas sniffed. “Dummy. I thought you were gonna die.”

Ferb squeezed him a little more tightly. “I am sorry for that,” he said quietly.

Phineas leaned back. “Sorry it took me so long to get here,” he said. “I got— stuck in my head.”

Ferb shook his head and pulled Phineas back in for another hug. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Me too,” Phineas said, resting his head against Ferb’s shoulder.

They both sat there for a minute, before they were very forcibly reminded that there was a third person in the room by Candace loudly speaking.

“Alright morons, make room. My turn,” she said, scooting Phineas over on the bed so she could wrap her arms around them both.

“Hi Candace,” Ferb said with a slightly exasperated smile at her.

“Oh don’t you give me that look. I drove five hours after taking two finals yesterday for you,” Candace said, ruffling her hand through Ferb’s hair until it was messy and ragged.

“I’d be more grateful if you’d brought me something to eat that wasn’t hospital food,” Ferb said casually, looking away as if Candace was beneath him.

Phineas laughed as Candace rolled her eyes and shoved Ferb away by the arm. She didn’t really seem that bothered though, and after a second and they both sat back from Ferb so they could all sit comfortably on the bed.

As soon as Phineas pulled away, Perry hopped off of his lap and climbed onto Ferb’s, curling up with a satisfied chatter. Ferb ran his hand across Perry’s back with a small smile, and for the first time in the past two days, Phineas felt things settle back to normal.

Everyone else returned to the room a little later, and the day ended up being much better than the previous two. Especially after Mom got there later, and they all hung out together in the room all day, just talking and laughing. (Candace did in fact go get Ferb something better than hospital food for lunch, though.)

Phineas, who had missed Ferb way too much, insisted on staying there that night, and Mom stayed too so Dad and Candace could both head back and get a better night’s sleep. Perry was taken home at the end of visiting hours, which he did not look happy about. But Ferb was likely going to head home tomorrow, so he’d see him again soon.

Ferb fell asleep early, which was probably a good thing. He needed his rest, after all. Phineas was going to curl up in the chair so Mom could have the couch, but before either of them went to bed, he needed to confess something.

“Mom?”

“Yes Phineas?” she asked, glancing over from setting the extra pillows up for sleep.

“I… I think I need to tell you how Ferb got hurt.”

Mom turned and sat on the couch so she could face Phineas. “Okay,” she said. “Go ahead, Phineas.”

“We were going to build an obstacle course for Perry,” Phineas said, looking down so he could fidget with his hands. “But… we stacked the crates too high over by the tree, and the bottom one broke from the weight on it. It— it was gonna hit me, but Ferb pushed me out of the way.”

Mom was quiet for a second. “Okay,” she said finally. “Thank you for telling me, Phineas.”

Phineas glanced up in surprise, but just found her sitting there looking relatively calm. “I— huh? I thought you were going to— I don’t know, ground me or something.”

Mom smiled a little. “Phineas,” she said. “If I ground you, it’s because I think you need to learn a lesson. Are you telling me you’re not going to be more careful from now on?”

Phineas shook his head. “I just…” he mumbled. “I think I wouldn’t feel so bad if you punished me in some way.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Mom said, standing and walking over to him. She leaned down and wrapped her arms around Phineas, despite the awkward position with the chair. “You don’t need to feel bad,” she said. “It was an accident, no one’s upset with you. Ferb’s going to be just fine.”

Phineas leaned forward and pressed his head into his mother’s shoulder. “Okay,” he mumbled. He felt a kiss pressed to the top of his head.

“It’s going to be alright Phineas,” Mom said.

“Okay,” Phineas said again, and they both stayed there for a minute. And now that he knew Mom wasn’t mad at him, and Ferb was sleeping peacefully across the room, and he was honestly going to be fine, Phineas was finding himself starting to feel really and truly better.

…

Neither he nor Ferb were ones to leave things unfinished, so of course once Ferb got out of the hospital, they started on the obstacle course again. They were more careful with the boxes of supplies this time, and Phineas had to do most of the building while Ferb’s broken arm healed, but Perry seemed to like the course very much when they finished, and that made it worth it.

Perry also slept in the same bed as Ferb for a while, but Phineas did that too, and that would be worth it even without the worries involved. They’d be safer from now on, and everything would be fine. And neither of them would ever dream of letting a mishap like this stop the summer fun they had planned.

After all, they wouldn’t be Phineas and Ferb if they did that.

#phineas and ferb #phineas flynn #ferb fletcher #isabella garcia shapiro #candace flynn #linda flynn-fletcher #lawrence fletcher #perry the platypus #tw injury #tw near death experiences #my fic

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