Perry smashed through the ceiling easily a small charge and dropped down into Doofenshirtz's lair. He blinked. It was pitch black. He staggered to a wall, following it to find a light-switch. Being considerably familiar with the layout, he found the one by the front door without much difficulty and flipped it on. His eyes widened. The room was in shambles, furniture had been flung at the walls, with wood splinters and broken glass lay littering the floor along with what looked like small droplets of blood. He panicked and began to carefully search for his nemesis, keeping on guard for traps. There didn't seem to be any, strangely enough. He cautiously crept into the bedroom.
He found him. He didn't know how he expected to find him, but it wasn't like this.
Doofenshmirtz was huddled in the dark in the far corner of the bathroom by the toilet, which was speckled with vomit. The mirror was shattered and its spades of glass lay scattered on the counter, in the sink, and on the floor. Perry approached him quietly and slowly, his mind whirring with worry and wonder. His eyes slowly adjusted to the dark; he worried what would happen if he turned the lights on.
The scientist sat with his knees gripped to his chest and his head rested in his hands. His whole body was shaking and his breath was ragged and uneven. Perry reached out to him, and with his small, furry paw, he gently touched his nemesis's hand. It was wet, and he couldn't see well enough to see with what, but he had a good idea. Doofenshmirtz jolted violently letting out a high-pitched yelp of surprise. Perry jumped back.
"W-w-who is that?" The man glanced around in terror, but was blind in the darkness. "Who is there?" Perry switched on the light with a click. The scientist's tear streaked, sleep-deprived eyes widened. He let out a cry of anguish as he clutched his head. His hands were bloody with small cuts.
"Perry the Platypus!" He growled, glaring at the small mammal. "I-I-I-I am… I AM NOT UP TO ANYTHING! I SWEAR! CAN'T YOU JUST…!" His screaming trailed off into a collection of choking gasps. He looked away weakly. "Leave me alone. Please…please…please…please…please…please…" His head collapsed into his large hands.
Perry stared at him, and the fur in the back of his neck stood up as he began to comprehend the situation. He moved in close to the scientist, feeling a pang of guilt for trying to comfort his arch-nemesis. He ignored it. He reached up and stroked the back of Heinz's head, caressing his wiry, unruly hair, like a dog. He didn't know if this technique worked that well on humans, but it always calmed him down, so in his mind, it was worth a try. Nonetheless, he was surprised when the man's breathing started to slow and regain its normalcy. Doofenshmirtz lifted his head up and looked at the platypus with swollen red eyes. He sighed.
"I-I'm sorry, Perry the Platypus…" He whispered, " You don't have to st-st…stay here. There isn't any evil plot." His eyes went out of focus as his mind drifted away. His brow wrinkled as he let out a small choking gasp. He curled his knees in closer into him.
"Today's Vanessa's birthday, Perry the Platypus." He smiled weakly at the aquatic mammal. "One of the only worthwhile moments of my life. I would give the world for h-her…!" His voice began to tremble as he shoved his head into his arms. "And she can't stand me! She hates me! She's ashamed of me for-for…being such a FREAK!" He broke down into sobs.
Perry's eyes widened as he listened and he noticed his hands too were shaking slightly. He plopped down next to his nemesis and sighed, rubbing his temples with his small, webbed fingers. They sat like that for a long while, side by side, in silence.
Suddenly, Doofenshmirtz raised his head and struggled up to his feet. His breathing was calm, though his face was patched with red. He looked down upon Perry, who watched him cautiously. He smiled.
"Come on," he held his hand out to the small mammal, wincing from the small cuts on it as pulled him to his webbed feet. "I'll make us some coffee."