It didn't matter what they had been doing. It didn't matter how cool it had been. All that mattered was that Phineas wasn't moving.

"Phineas!" Isabella screamed and ran to his side. Baljeet turned off the machine and he and Buford followed. They surrounded Phineas, but made room when Ferb came through.

"His leg is broken," Isabella explained. "And he probably has a bad concussion."

"Go get help," Ferb said quietly. "Now." She ran off and Buford put a hand on his shoulder.

"He'll be alright. Just wait."

VVVVVVVVVV

But he wasn't alright. Isabella called 911, then Candace, then their parents. Ferb sat by Phineas, periodically making sure he was still breathing and didn't even notice when a green ray made their latest invention disappear.

The paramedics arrived first.

"Out of the way kid," one of them said as they wheeled a gurney into the backyard. Ferb moved to the side, but watched with rapt attention as they examined Phineas.

"Broken spine," he heard one of them say.

"Compound fracture," said another.

"Concussion."

"Possible brain damage."

With each new injury listed, he found it harder and harder not to freak out. Someone had called life flight and a moment later a helicopter landed on the lawn. The paramedics loaded Phineas in and Ferb jumped on beside the gurney.

"Woah, not so fast kid," protested a medic.

"I'm his brother." The medic gave him a doubtful look so he amended, "Step brother. Please, our parents aren't home right now." Finally the medic relented. As the doctors stabilized his brother, Ferb watched, silently begging Phineas to stay alive.

Hang in there Phineas. Please.

VVVVVVVVVV

Six hours of continuous surgery. That was how long it took to stabilize Phineas' spine and mend his leg. There was little they could do for his head. Candace was pacing and sobbing quietly. Dad prattled to the nurses about antiques, out of habit more than anything, and Mom was trying to hold back tears. Ferb alternated between sneaking in to observe the surgery and reading a book. Finally, the doctor came out.

"How is he, doctor?" Clarence asked.

"He's stabilized, but still in critical condition." He glanced nervously at Ferb, before deciding it was ok for the young boy to hear the next bit of news. "He's in a coma right now. It's unlikely he will make it and if he does he will have to live with partial brain damage and paralysis." Ferb closed his eyes and clenched his fists. This couldn't be happening. Not to Phineas. Not when it could have been him.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?" Everyone turned to look at Ferb. The green haired boy blinked before replying.

"We're inventors. We made a machine and something went wrong." After all, it had only been a matter of time before one of their inventions went wrong. The doctor shook his head in amazement.

"Must have been some machine. You can come in and see him now. This way."

The doctor led them into the hospital room where Phineas lay motionless in the bed. Their mother couldn't hold the tears back any longer and cried in her husband's arms.

Phineas looked terrible. His leg was in a large cast and he had an IV stuck in his arm. Bandages covered the numerous abrasions he had received in the accident. He was also hooked up to a heart monitor which beeped periodically.

"I'm going to call Stacy and give her an update," sniffled Candace.

"Call Isabella too. She will want to know," Ferb told her. She nodded and left to make the call. Ferb stood by his parents, examining the medical equipment, trying to make sense of the readings. What could he do to make Phineas wake up? To make him come back? There had to be something. A new invention maybe?

Well we saw how well that worked out.

Eventually his father pulled him away.

"Come on Ferb. Mom's going to stay the night." Ferb nodded, but went back to the bedside for one more thing. Looking down at his brother, he told Phineas firmly,

"You stay alive until I get back."