A/N This is based on the song Give My Love to Rose By Johnny Cash. I'm fairly obsessed with Johnny Cash right now, so I pretty much HAD to write this. Lyrics to the song at the bottom
Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas or Ferb or Johnny Cash or his lyrics...
Chapter 1 By the railroad tracks
Lawrence walked through the misty morning, hands jammed into his pockets. He was a simple man. A simple man whose life had grown far to complicated. Ever since his wife left a year ago, leaving a new born baby boy behind, his life was lonely, to say the least. Every day was a struggle. He couldn't go grocery shopping anymore without breaking into tears and even his own son couldn't bring him the same joy. Just his emerald green hair was enough to drudge up painful memories of his mother and unbearable lonelieness. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing good left in his life anymore. He wanted it all to disappear. He left Ferb with a friend and never planned to go back. He's been walking for hours. Hours and he still felt so near to his problems. But he just kept walking.
He rounded a corner near a railroad track and thought he might hitch a ride when he noticed something. Something dark was hidden by a bush just past the tracks As he got closer he saw it was a man, lying in the shade of the plant. His breathing was shallow and ragged. Lawrence knelt down beside him, not sure what to do. The man was real tall with red hair and a triangular, mud-streaked face. His wide blue eyes shone brightly with tranquility even though his clothes were little more then tattered pieces and soaked in blood. He seemed so oddly peaceful for someone so injured. Maybe even close to death and yet, he absolutely radiated optimism and something else, relief?
"Sir? Are you alright?" He kept his eyes on the mans face, afraid to look to closely at his mangled body.
"Thank God someone found me." He must have been in great pain but his words were calm. His voice, though, barely came out as a whisper and Lawrence had to lean in close just to hear him. "I don't think I'll make it back home." He sort of chuckled.
Lawrence realized what bad of shape this man must have been in and started to panic, "What happened to you? I'll call an ambulance!" He stood up to find a phone but the man grabbed his arm with a mud caked hand.
"Don't go."
"But I-"
"Just listen." The man breathed. He pulled a blood stained wallet from his pocket and set it shakily into Lawrence's hands. "Here's all my money. Can- Can you get it to my wife? Her address is inside. Tell her to buy some thing pretty, won't you mister? She deserves it. Tell her to find someone else too. She shouldn't be alone. Linda shouldn't be alone."
"W-What? Linda? Is that your wife?" Lawrence pulled away what little was left of his shirt to possibly clean some of the wounds. He almost threw up when he saw it. "I'll find some help. You'll be okay." The man ignored him.
"Tell my daughter, Candace, I love her. Tell her she's so pretty... Just like her mother..." He said dreamily.
"Tell her yourself." Lawrence encouraged. His eyes looked far away.
"I never knew my boy. Phineas." The man struggled. "But tell him- Tell my boy, I'm so proud of him. Tell him to take care of his mom and sister and always to be a good boy. And don't forget to give my love to Linda."
"No!" Lawrence shouted, surprising himself a little. He couldn't quite place why but he couldn't let this man die without a fight. He barely knew him but it was suddenly imperative he survived. He had to get home. He had to see his family, he had to meet his son. "Your not going to die! Your family needs you!" Lawrence tried to force the leather wallet back into the mans cold hands but it slipped through his fingers.
"Tell them, please?" The man starred up at Lawrence. All at once, the importance of what the man was saying hit him. How much trust he had just invested in him. "Please?"
Lawrence's eyes grew watery but he nodded, "Yes, I will."
The man half smiled and mouthed something like thank you and without any struggled closed his eyes. Lawrence sat back on his heels and sobbed for this man he had never really known. He sobbed for the family he felt behind and mostly for the little boy who would never know his dad. Lawrence stayed like that for what seemed like eternity and when he looked up he say it. The dead mans wallet. He scooped it up with a new resolve. He would find this family and deliver the messages this man never could. And more importantly Lawrence would go home, to his son. Ferb may never know his mother but he would know his dad, come hell or high water.
A/N Ehh, that was a lot darker then I meant for it to be... And also not nearly as good as I was hoping...
I'm not sure if this will stay a one shot or not... I have a couple of ideas but I don't know of I'll actually write them. Maybe if I get a lot of reviews..? Please?
I found him by the railroad track this morning
I could see that he was nearly dead
I knelt down beside him and I listened
Just to hear the words the dying fellow said
He said they let me out of prison down in Frisco
For ten long years I've paid for what I've done
I was trying to get back to Louisiana
To see my Rose and get to know my son
Give my love to Rose please won't you mister
Take her all my money, tell her to buy some pretty clothes
Tell my boy his daddy's so proud of him
And don't forget to give my love to Rose
Tell them I said thanks for waiting for me
Tell my boy to help his mom at home
Tell my Rose to try to find another
For it ain't right that she should live alone
Mister here's a bag with all my money
It won't last them long the way it goes
God bless you for finding me this morning
And don't forget to give my love to Rose
Give my love to Rose please won't you mister
Take her all my money, tell her to buy some pretty clothes
Tell my boy his daddy's so proud of him
And don't forget to give my love to Rose
