Chapter 12
Even with Baljeet, Buford, and Isabella there, the backyard was rather empty without Ferb. Phineas felt even worse when he realized that he hadn't actually seen his brother's face since the accident on the 23rd.
After Candace had dropped Phineas off again at the house, he had headed outside to meet his friends and see if they had made any headway.
"Nothing," Isabella reported dismally. "And Buford and Baljeet just finished telling me that they had no luck near the post office, either."
"He's wasn't at the shelter," Phineas moaned.
"There's still places we haven't checked," Isabella told him. "How about the supermarket? I bet one of the customers there has seen him. Lots of people go by there every day."
"Everyone else is still out looking, too," Baljeet reminded him. "We'll find him if we just keep searching."
"You're not hungry, guy?" Martha asked gently as she stroked Ferb's back. Ferb was staring distantly at the bowl of dog food in front of him.
"Sure I'm hungry," Ferb answered longingly. "I haven't eaten anything since Thursday two days ago."
He huffed with a breath of air at the bowl. "But I know better than to eat... that. There's no way I'd be able to keep it down even WITH a dog's stomach."
"David, he won't eat his food," Martha said with concern as she stood up. She kept her hands around the dog food bag and her gaze fretfully on the figure of Ferb on the floor. "I hope he's okay."
"Maybe he doesn't like hard food?" David suggested. Martha glanced downwards again and attempted to nod.
"Yeah... maybe he would rather have the canned stuff," Martha agreed. "I'm willing to try it if it'll make him feel better. I don't know where he was before here, but I want him to feel as comfortable as possible."
David agreed in response. "I have to head out, though, so if you go shopping you'll have to take him with you. We shouldn't leave him alone on the second day."
Afterwards, Ferb overheard that David was going to take public transit to work. Martha had already grabbed her car keys and purse by the time David had left.
"Come on, buddy. We're going for a car ride," she tempted Ferb as she reached for the door handle.
Now's my chance... Ferb thought. The door was finally opening once more, and he could make a break for the exit.
Martha's hand was already halfway turning it. Ferb crouched low to the ground. He squinted his eyes and aimed in preparation.
As soon as the doorway was cracked and the brightness of the hall light snuck through the sliver, Ferb had leapt his feet off the hardwood floor and sprinted towards it. His front paws had cleared the moulding, when he was stopped in his tracks by a snatch on his collar.
"Hey hey!" Martha had called, disallowing him with a pull backwards. "You're part of the family now. You can't just go running off like that."
Ferb lowered his ears, and found himself feeling horrible. It was partly because his attempt at escape had failed. But it was also because he had realized that Martha honestly thought he was her dog. He wasn't, he really wasn't.
Martha had clipped a leash to the top of his collar by the time she stood up. She repositioned her purse under her arm as she stepped down the carpeted apartment hallway. Ferb got up reluctantly as he trotted alongside her feet as they headed down the steps towards where the car was parked outside.
Soon, the vehicle had rolled to a stop in front of a colorful brick building. It was situated in a little corner of a strip mall across from a nearby grocery store. Unlike other dogs, Ferb could read. He knew why they were stopping at this place.
"My Sammy used to love coming here," Martha reassured him as she turned the car off and grabbed Ferb's leash, leading him out of the side door. "They'll take good care of you while I go run some errands. I'll be back in a few hours, don't you worry."
After Martha had dropped him off, Ferb was led into a back room with some cages. They were large, roomy, and well-prepared cages, but cages nonetheless. They had comfortable pillows, toys, and anything a dog would need to occupy itself for a few hours.
The person leading him directed him into the bright, somewhat-inviting kennel and closed the bars. Ferb moaned sadly and set his head on his paws; upon first looking, he saw no ease of escape from this place. Instead, he closed his eyes and foresaw hours of boredom and longing ahead of him.
Martha pulled the car into the parking lot of the local grocery store, reaching into her purse to look over her list. She had to replenish the supply of cereal, which David always liked to snack on before work. Also on her list were a few ingredients for making a casserole, which she planned to use later that week. And of course, she was also there to pick out a new brand of dog food for her poor starving puppy.
Shutting the car door behind her, Martha headed towards the store. First, she made her way to take a cart, but was stopped in the process of pulling it out.
"Hello," a red-headed teenager addressed her as she turned to look at him. He had on a disheveled expression. "I'm... looking for my brother. He's missing."
"You've lost your brother?" Martha returned, concerned. "Why, that's horrible! How long has he been missing?"
"For about two days now," the boy answered sadly. "I really miss him..."
"Poor thing. Is there anything I can do to help? What's his name?" Martha suggested as she turned away from her half-pulled-out cart to better talk to him.
"Well, his name's Ferb Fletcher, he's seventeen. After what happened he has brown hair now..." the red-head described. Then he waved his hand upwards. "But it still grows as green!"
"It grows as green?" was Martha's confused answer. She marveled, "That's quite unique."
The distressed boy shuffled his feet as he looked at them. "Ferb's a unique guy..."
Martha couldn't stop her hugging nature as she reached over to him. When she pulled away, she was almost on the verge of tears as she promised, "I'll definitely be sure to keep an eye out for you. Good luck finding him, I really hope you do soon."
"Thanks," the teenager answered as he watched Martha walk away. "I hope so, too."