Phineas woke up before the alarm.

Lowe was already awake. He was sitting on the windowsill, staring out the window. He seemed lost in thought.

Phineas looked towards Ferb's bed. "Where's Ferb?"

Lowe jumped and fell onto the bedside table, scrambling to catch the lamp before it fell.

"Sorry." Phineas said quietly.

"It's all right." Lowe laughed a little. "I should have been more aware of my surroundings. Ferb left a note."

Phineas got up and went over to Ferb's bed. A small sticky note was on the pillow.

Went out

-Ferb

Phineas narrowed his eyes. "Ferb didn't leave a note."

"I think it was on the pillow-"

"I know. Ferb didn't leave it." Phineas picked the note up. "Ferb never writes his O's like that. And he doesn't sign his name at the end of notes. Something's wrong."

Lowe got down from the windowsill. "You're certain?"

Phineas nodded. "We have to figure out where he is. The killer… he must have been here… I hope Ferb's…"

"Ferb most likely left you something to lead you, if he really was taken away by force." Lowe said.

"You're right." Phineas said. "How do you know people so well?"

They began to look around.

"Let me know if you find something." Phineas said.

"I feel that the hint would mean something to you." Lowe said. "I'm not sure I would recognize it if I saw it. I'm looking for signs of a struggle… clues as to which way he left from."

"There." Phineas pointed at the ground.

"Skidmarks." Lowe said. "Good eye. They left through the window."

"Okay… the skidmarks are facing to the left twice… which means his attacker is two feet taller than Ferb is. Two skidmarks facing to the right would have meant two feet shorter. I don't see any other ones next to it… so he must have only put one shoe on. That means there was only one kidnapper."

"This is impressive." Lowe commented. "Did you two work this out beforehand in case this happened?"

Phineas shook his head. "I just know Ferb. I know how he thinks."

"You two are very close. It's rare to find a relationship as strong as that."

Phineas nodded. "Yeah. …We have to find him. I hope he's okay. I wonder where he's gone…"

Lowe opened up the window and looked out. "My sense of smell isn't as keen as my hearing, but I can try to figure out which direction they might have taken."

"Good." Phineas grabbed a pair of socks from underneath his bed. "Can you do that while I go see Perry? I think… I think if I tell him about the clues Ferb left me, maybe… maybe he'll know how to start looking."

The two guards stationed outside the agency hospital glanced at Phineas briefly as he walked inside.

Phineas walked up to the front desk. "Excuse me. I'm here to see Perry again. Room 205?"

The receptionist checked her computer and frowned. "I'm sorry. He requested that no visitors be allowed to see him today."

"He probably didn't mean me. Can you tell him it's me?"

"He was in a lot of pain this morning and required extra pain medication. He has requested that no one visit him today while he is in this condition. Try coming back tomorrow."

"I really need to see him today. Can you just ask…"

"I'm sorry. Be sure to stop by the gift shop on your way out."

"Why is there a gift shop in the hospital?" Phineas demanded. "Do you sell plush hypodermic needles with happy faces?"

He had finally had enough. The knowledge that Ferb was gone was starting to hit him full force. He couldn't just sit around.

"Uh…" The woman said.

"IV-shaped magnets? Cough syrup flavored hot chocolate?"

"Please come back tomorrow." The woman repeated, more forcefully this time.

Phineas sighed and pretended to turn around.

The woman turned her attention back to her computer.

And Phineas snuck down the hall.

"Perry?" Phineas whispered, gently closing the door. "Perry, I need your help…"

"Carl?"

Phineas turned the bedside light on.

Perry looked exhausted and weak. It didn't help Phineas's mood any.

"You didn't make it easy for me to get in." Phineas said.

"I said… no visitors." Perry mumbled. "I didn't… I didn't want you to see me… like this."

"Are you hurting?" Phineas asked.

"No…" Perry laughed softly. "No… not hurting, Carl."

"Perry, I really need you to try and make your brain work. I know it's a little crazy from the painkillers, but you need to concentrate. Ferb needs you." Phineas felt a lump form in his throat. "We both need you."

"Ferb…" Perry said softly.

"Yeah… he was kidnapped, Perry. He needs help. You have to help him."

"Ferb… is in the future."

"Perry, please try to…"

"In the future… there is a boat." Perry said. "A big cherry boat that floats to the land of Nevermore."

"Perry. Listen to me. Ferb's been kidnapped."

"Ferb lives in eagles and maples." Perry furrowed his brow. "No… you were born in eagles and live in maples. Ferb was born in… in…"

"England."

"Yes. Breakfast tea." Perry yawned. "And we took the maple train. It's a two-story train. It's yellow. Do you understand?"

"You seem tired." Phineas said. "Sorry I disturbed you."

"Yellow maple train." Perry said. "The big cherry boat… cherry… cherry…"

"Do you want cherries?"

"No. You have to understand, Carl." Perry slowly rolled onto his side.

"Not cherries." Phineas decided he might as well play along. Perry obviously wasn't going to start making sense. "The cherry boat. I understand. Are you going to ride on the cherry boat?"

Perry drew his eyebrows closer together. "No… no… no riding... you don't understand… you have to understand… the cherry boat… with lucky numbers… and a big red hat… there is a big hole in the place where the flowers live."

"Yes, yes there is." Phineas patted him. "It's okay, Perry. Get some rest. I'll… I'll see you after… I find Ferb… if I can." He felt the tears starting to leak into his eyes.

"No… you don't understand…" Perry wrapped his fingers around Phineas's arm. His grip wasn't very tight at all. "I can't… the words..."

"Okay." Phineas said. "I love you, boy. I'm sorry I bothered you. I'll see you later."

"I found some tracks in the snow." Lowe said as Phineas entered the bedroom. "But they broke off at the end of your driveway. I'm so sorry. Were you able to talk with Perry? Did he have any ideas?"

Phineas shook his head. He knew he wasn't going to be able to hold his tears back for much longer. "He… he was too confused from the painkillers and kept talking in gibberish. I couldn't get through to him. I'm so sick of this. I'm so sick of whoever's doing this. I want my brother to be safe… I want him…"
Phineas started to cry. He flopped down on Ferb's bed.

He felt Lowe get up on the bed and sit down next to him.

"I just… I can't… I can't fail him… I don't know where to start… I don't… I don't know what to do!"

Lowe put a paw on his shoulder and said nothing. Somehow, it made Phineas feel more secure not being verbally comforted. His sobs slowly changed to soft whimpers.

"And… and I kind of feel bad." Phineas sat up and wiped his eyes. "I was too worried about Ferb to stay with Perry… I should have been more patient with him. He was really frustrated… he really wanted me to understand what he was saying. I should have at least tried to figure out his little story about the boat…"

Lowe frowned. "Perry's got a great mind. I doubt he would ever be completely unaware of what he says. Perhaps he was frustrated because he was trying to tell you something, but the medication was making it very hard for him to remember how to communicate his thoughts in a way that you would understand."

Phineas sniffled. "You really think so? …You… you know him well, right? If I told you what he said, maybe you could figure out what he meant to say?"

Lowe nodded. "I suppose I can try."

"Well… first thing that was weird was he kept calling me Carl."

Lowe laughed. "Yes. Have you ever had a dream about someone you knew, and yet in the dream you call them by a completely different name, and it seems very normal at the time until you wake up?"
"Yeah. Is that the same thing? So he knew it was me?"

Lowe smiled and nodded.

"That's kinda cool. Okay… then after I told him… that… Ferb was kidnapped… he said Ferb was in the future… and he started talking about… about the cherry boat. That was the thing he mentioned the most. He also was talking about a maple train that is yellow and has two stories… he said the cherry boat had lucky numbers and a big red hat and… a giant hole in some place where some flowers lived… and then he kept getting upset when I didn't understand, which is what you were saying… that he knew what he was saying but couldn't figure out how to get his words out. So… what do you think it means?"

Lowe closed his eyes for a long moment.

"I may be wrong, but... Perry knows where Ferb might be."

"He does?" Phineas asked.

"I think he gave you an address." Lowe opened his eyes. "He acknowledged your statement that Ferb had been kidnapped by repeating the sentence in a way he could understand it while on the medication. You live on Maple Drive, correct? Your house is yellow and has two stories. He was referring to your home when he spoke of the yellow maple train. I am assuming that maple train means Maple Drive. Cherry Boat most likely is a street address that isn't a drive address… the 'lucky numbers' are probably the house number… the 'big red hat' was his way of telling you that the house had a red roof… and I believe there may be a basement near the garden area of the house."

"Cherry Lane!" Phineas jumped up. "And Perry always talks about how his lucky number in his fortune cookie was the number thirteen! So he must mean 13 Cherry Lane… in some kind of basement!"

He grabbed Lowe's paw and dragged him down the stairs.

"It may be best to call for assistance." Lowe said.

"Yeah." Phineas looked up at the large, cheery-looking house with the red roof. "But what if they don't get here in time? Ferb needs help… I'm not gonna come this far just to run out of time…"

"We won't be able to help him as is." Lowe said. "I can't engage in any physical activity because of my lungs. And as for you… we're dealing with a murderer. Our only option is to call in the address to the agents and let them handle it."

Phineas nodded. "Okay… I just hope they…"

"Get here in time?"

Phineas and Lowe jumped. They slowly turned around to face the speaker.

"Nice to finally meet you in person, Cecil. Come. We have a story to tell."