Chapter 5

"So how does this work?" Ferb asked, peering over the edge of the worktable where Phineas was fiddling with several vials.

"See look, I have all of the base chemical in this tube," Phineas showed him, holding up a clear vial containing a see-through liquid. He scooted his chair along to the other side of the table, passing many smoking canisters and colorful beakers.

Phineas reached far over the workspace and pulled up a corked tube with a single strand of hair resting inside.

"And here I have one of your hairs from when you were a human," Phineas said as he gently shook the container to jostle the hair. "I know it's yours cause I found it on your shirt, it's kind of long and it's green. So it really can't be anyone else's."

"Right," Ferb returned. "Because you couldn't just pluck it off of me. Somehow I got brown dog hair."

Spinning a little in his chair, Phineas looked down at Ferb, curiosity returning. "Yeah…. I was thinking about that and I think I figured it out. The machine decided to turn you into "A brown dog," but since you yourself have green hair, that's why the new stuff grows as green."

Another thought popped into Phineas' head, and he continued with a chuckle, "So if you stay like this for long enough to need a few haircuts, you'd eventually be a green dog."

"But I'm not… because you're going to fix it before then," Ferb confirmed tentatively. "A green dog might attract some attention."

"Yep…!" Phineas answered, turning back to his previous explanation of the science project in front of him. He had the clear liquid vial in one hand, and the one containing the strand of hair in the other.

"I'm going to attach these to the machine, and then it will come out finished at the end over there." Phineas pointed down to the far end of the table, where a little empty syringe was clasped, ready to be filled.

"But that's not all of it," Phineas kept explaining. "Then the machine also makes a capsule for a pill that has the rest of the serum in it. After I put the first part in you with the needle, it'll go into your DNA and then you eat the pill to activate it."

"…Sounds complicated," Ferb said anxiously.

"It's actually pretty simple," Phineas promised. "Needle goes in, serum splashes on all your DNA, then you eat a pill to tell it to be human again."

By now Phineas had pressed the button on the side of the machine, and the pistons and valves moved and whirred. The glass syringe gradually filled to the end, and some steam dissipating signified the serum was ready.

Plucking it off of the graspers, Phineas held the syringe to the light, and nodded his satisfaction.

"Oh, yeah…" came Phineas' sudden tone of remembering. "I forgot to say one liiiittttllee detail. It's actually kind of important."

Phineas was examining the liquid in the syringe as he furthered his speaking. "The serum actually takes a while to attach itself onto all of your DNA. You have a lot of it."

"Okay," Ferb agreed, coming over to sit in front of Phineas in preparation. "So it's like Asprin? It starts working in a half hour?"

"Umm, no, a bit longer than a half hour…" Phineas mumbled as he looked to the corner and scratched his ear.

"Phineas…" Ferb pushed. He put his paws on the side of his brother's seat so that he could look up at him. "How long is 'a bit longer'?"

"Weeeellll… I put all the numbers into the computer, and if it calculated everything right, the number it gave me was 107 hours."

"What?" Ferb exclaimed, pushing off the chair. "You mean to tell me that even with the serum I have to stay like this for five days?"

"It's better than just sitting around and doing nothing," Phineas pointed out. Ferb just gave a huge sigh.

"I suppose that's true," he said. Then he trotted back over to Phineas' chair and sat on the concrete with his back facing him. "Go ahead and stick me with that thing, then, so my 107 hours can start soon."

"Oh, yeah, okay," Phineas said quietly. He got down onto the garage floor and sat on his knees next to Ferb. Then Phineas mumbled something that Ferb could not hear.

Ferb leaned a bit and turned his head over his shoulder to see what Phineas was doing. There, he saw his brother eyeing the sharp, thin needle that he held in his hand. The metal end sparkled with the light of the lamp.

Bending forward slightly, Phineas asked softly into Ferb's ear, "Ferb… How do I give a shot to a dog?"

"Uhh…" Ferb thought. "Don't they do it in the scruff of the neck?"

"Yeah, but where?" Phineas countered. "If I pinch you here… Do I do it in the base of where I grab you…? Or at the top or at the side?"

"I don't know…" Ferb responded, trying to imagine it. Then he declared, "I don't think it matters much, as long as it goes in."

"But what if I hit your nerves or the wrong muscle or I don't go deep enough or too deep. I don't want to hit something important and hurt you."

"You won't hurt me, Phineas," Ferb guaranteed to him. "I'll stand here still for you."

"I don't know, Ferb," Phineas denied. "I think maybe we should get the vet to do it."

"No. No, I'm not going to the vet," Ferb refused, shaking his head resolutely as he said it.

"Oh, don't be silly, Ferb. Just because you're a dog now doesn't mean you automatically have to be afraid of the vet," Phineas pointed out. "That's really pretty illogical if you think about it."

Ferb was looking up at him as Phineas tried to convince him, and Ferb debatably started to give a slow nod. Phineas furthered his growing agreement.

"And besides," Phineas started. "If I were a dog, and you had to give ME a shot, would you want to?"

Reluctantly slumping up his shoulders, Ferb answered, "…Probably not."

Phineas rolled his finger through the air to prompt continuation. "And whyyyyyy?"

"…Because I'd be afraid I'd hit something important…"

"See?" Phineas finished, coming down to hug Ferb around the neck. "Don't worry, we'll go first thing in the morning when they open at eight."

Ferb was having a little trouble finding a position to sit on his tail in the passenger's seat of their red station wagon. Phineas was already behind the driver's wheel, when he turned to look at Ferb's situation.

"Try moving it first, and then sitting down," Phineas suggested. After following his advice, Ferb seemed to have found a comfortable position, although his feet were still sticking awkwardly out from under him.

Phineas reached over Ferb to grab his seatbelt, and pulled it around his furry back to clip it safely in its buckle. But Phineas couldn't help but notice that Ferb was turning around rather rapidly, apparently trying to look behind him, but kept spinning each time he got a good angle.

"Now what are you doing?" Phineas asked in investigation.

"There are ears growing out of the back of my head, Phineas!" Ferb elaborated.

"Hah, you're just now figuring this out?" Phineas laughed. "You had ears growing out of the back of your head when you were a human, too, Ferb."

"Yeah, but I never realized how huge these ones were. They get in the way," Ferb complained. Then he stopped moving and froze, facing straight forward to stare blankly at the dash. Now, his ears had lowered flatly. "And I don't like it."

"Five days, Ferb," Phineas reassured. "You just gotta sit through five days and you'll be back to being you again."

"Not until I get stuck with that needle," Ferb replied, as Phineas started the car. "And preferably soon, I would very much like to be me again."

Phineas nodded and gave an exaggerated salute, turning around to put the car in gear. But then Ferb noticed him snatch a little plastic box off of the dashboard, and slide it delicately into his pocket.

Perking up, Ferb moved his head forward and asked, "What is in there?"

"Oh, this is just your human-changing pill thingy," Phineas replied as he put he cheek on the headrest to look behind him.

"Why are you bringing that?" Ferb asked honestly. "I thought I didn't have to eat it until the serum dispersed?"

"Yeah, but when that time comes I might as well have it already on me," Phineas answered. "That way I won't have to go looking for it."

"But if the time comes and you don't have the pill ready for me to take… then what happens?"

Phineas thought for a moment, and responded softly, "You would get sick."

"…And I won't turn back human," Ferb concluded. "Then good thing you have that pill safely in your pocket."

"Yep!" Phineas answered cheerfully as he pulled out onto the road. "And I'm gonna keep it here all week and not let it out of my sight."

"But let's keep our goals near," Ferb returned as he repositioned himself sitting in the seat. "Right now, we need to start those five days."