Uhhh – first, APOLOGIES. *facepalm* I TOOK SO LONG TO WRITE THIS!

Yes – I am bad. I am a bad, bad girl! I'm this bad! *cracks up* I can't take it anymore! Carl was doing my arms.

Sorry. You know you watch too much Phineas and Ferb when… random lines come up in your author's notes…

Okay, seriously. It's been so long, you guys probably don't even remember what story this is! :P I'm so sorry. I'm a lazy, procrastinating person! Grr.

In this chapter, there's going to be some mentions of pain. This chapter might get a "T". I'm not sure. Letting things go gets harder for Phineas and Ferb.

Brotherly fluff, not slash, just thought I'd say that up front. Enjoy! :D

"Flush with water, what does that even mean?"

Phineas curled into a ball, shaking with pain, as his sister's screaming grated at his ears. Why was she yelling? Weren't his cries of pain noise enough already?

Strong hands took his shoulders, and he heard Ferb snap over the sound of the blood rushing in his ears.

"Shut up and help me carry him!" Ferb said.

"Where?"

Phineas whimpered, scrubbing at his eyes with his fists like a small child, and someone grabbed his wrists. He struggled.

"Help me, Candace!" Ferb again.

Phineas felt himself being lifted up, felt the heavy rise and fall of someone's chest under his head. He couldn't hear their heart beating. Was that because he was still screaming, or because he was dead? Or did that mean the person holding him was dead?

Couldn't the pain go away, if it had already killed him? Did it have to stick around?

And then the water came, running over his face and into his hair, down his burning throat so that he almost choked, then finally into his fiery, stinging eyes.

He stopped yelling, and just panted for air as the water rushed over him, into his hair and onto his shoulders.

"That should be good."

The water was gone. He didn't hurt anymore. Phineas tried to open his eyes.

It wouldn't work – his lids wouldn't lift. He blinked. But how could be blink if his eyes were closed? He blinked again. His eyelashes were definitely coming together. So why couldn't he see anything?

"Phineas…" Ferb's voice – deadly serious. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"I don't know." Phineas' voice trembled.

"Can you see anything?" Ferb asked desperately.

"N-no."

Phineas felt Ferb hug him, cry into his shoulder, and he put his arms around his brother's shoulders, feeling confused. "I'll be okay," he said.

"Totally blind?"

Phineas sat on the doctor's table, sobbing. "H-how could this even happen?"

"When cleaning fluid gets into your eyes… it can be bad." The doctor said, her voice heavy.

"How long until I can see again?"

There was a pause, and Phineas knew the worst. "I'm never going to be able to see anything – ever again?"

Another silence.

"I need Ferb," Phineas said.

"No visitors, not now."

"But I need him!"

"Sweetheart…"

Phineas tried to push the doctor's hand away, but missed.

"You need to rest." The doctor pushed Phineas down onto the bed, gently. "Don't move, or you could fall. I'll be back shortly."

As Phineas lay there, the world pressed down on him. He was trapped – every muscle in his body was stiff – he couldn't move, or he could fall. How far? He couldn't tell. Onto what? He couldn't tell.

He thought of Ferb, and cried some more, feeling the invisible tears run down his cheeks. He wouldn't be able to enjoy summer anymore – he wouldn't even be able to enjoy school, the way he used to. He'd have to learn Braille – a whole other language!

What would Ferb say in a situation like this?

Let it go?

Phineas closed his eyes – not that it made any difference – and cried out silently.

How am I supposed to let this go? He thought. I'll never be able to do anything the same.

"Not true," he whispered, imagining Ferb beside him, boosting his spirits. "Not true."

Of course it's true, he argued with himself. Give me one example. Give me one time that will be the same, blind or seeing.

"My first kiss," he said out loud. "That will be the same. Eyes closed anyway, right? My family will love me just the same. And Izzy wouldn't break up with me, just 'cause I can't –"

He broke down in tears again. He'd never be able to see his beautiful girlfriend. She'd just be in his imagination.

"It's gonna be so different," he sobbed.

"Isn't different an adventure?"

"Ferb?" Phineas' reflexes told him to sit up and look around for the British boy, but his newfound insecurity told him to lie down and forget about seeing the green hair, the blue eyes, the comforting smile.

"Ferb, are – are you there?"

"I'm always here," Ferb said, and he was almost crying – Phineas could hear it in his voice. "I'm always going to be here for you. We'll learn to do this together."

"Thanks." The word was a whisper.

"Just – don't worry," Ferb said. "Let it go – it's going to be an adventure. Not the kind we would have chosen, perhaps, but…"

The brothers cried together for a long moment, both emptying their miserable hearts tear by tear. Then Ferb's breath caught. "I must dash. Doctor's coming. I'm not supposed to be here –"

Phineas heard the sound of footsteps running away. He listened until they were out of earshot, and then he opened his unseeing eyes, and relaxed against the bed.

A hard adventure, yes. But if he was going to live with this, he'd have to let it go.

Cheesy? Sorry. I just felt like it. :P I guess I HAVE to continue now, huh? Well, I will TRY :D