For about six seconds, nobody moved, then the girls and Irving ran forward to embrace both boys, crying softly, relieved that they were safe.
"How did you guys get here.", asked Adison.
"We woke up in the hospital several hours ago. When we left our room, we saw those…things, then we ran home as quickly as possible. When we got to our house our family wasn't there, but Ferb saw that a lot of our family photos were missing so he thought that they could still be alive. So, we found the all-terrain vehicle and thought that we could find them in the city, or at least some help". Nobody spoke for a few moments, until Irving spoke up, "We call them walkers, and they are the infected".
"The infected?" Phineas said, raising his eyebrow.
"We don't know how it started but we do know one thing, don't let them bite you because if they do you will fall ill and die, but you don't stay dead. In a few minutes you come back as one of them and proceed to feed on the living, that is if they don't rip you apart first. It's just like that T.V show I used to watch.", Irving answered. Many of them turn to look at him with looks of disbelief. Irving shrugged his shoulders, "What".
They turn away after a while and focus back on the situation at hand. "Well that answers one of our questions, but what about our family?" asked Phineas. A smile spread on all of their faces "Your Mom and Dad and Candace are fine, they're back at our camp with Isabella, Buford, Baljeet, Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro, Mrs. Van Stomm, Coltrane, Jenny, Django, and Mr. Brown.", said Holly. Phineas nearly jumped up and cheered, knowing that his family and friends were safe. Suddenly, Ferb asked an all too familiar question; "Where's Perry". Everyone's smiles suddenly faded to expressions of sadness and worry. "We… haven't seen him", said Gretchen "there was so much chaos going on we didn't have a chance to find him, also missing is Pinky, Dr. Hirano, and the rest of our families". Phineas felt sick hearing all of those names, but he knew Perry and Pinky were animals and that they could take care of themselves, still though he was extremely worried about them and the others. "Who… who didn't make it", Phineas asked hesitantly. He saw Gretchen's eyes tear up a little and he wished then and there that he had not asked that question. She breathed in shakily and spoke "Mrs. Tjinder, Melissa, all of your friends from Love Handle, all of the Johnsons except for Jeremy, and…" she stopped for a moment to find Irving looking at them with his eyes rimmed red, "and, you know". "Oh man.", said Phineas with a grim face, knowing full well she was talking about Irving's brother Albert. He also though about how people like Baljeet and Jeremy were feeling right now, it hurt him just to think about it. He turned to Ferb who was wiping his teary eyes and nose with a pocket hanky. Phineas himself was fighting to hold back tears but now was not the time for mourning. Right now they needed to figure out a way to get out of here alive before the walkers broke in.
"Do you have any way of getting out of here.", Ferb asked. Gretchen pointed out the window to a white van that sat in the middle of the street. "We came down here with Stacy and Jeremy on a supply run but we got separated when the herd attacked, plus they have the keys". Phineas brightened up a little after hearing Stacy and Jeremy's names. "Do you know where they are?" asked Phineas. "They're hiding in the apartment building across the street.", said Holly, "Milly's been communicating with them using light signals". Phineas looked over at Milly who was at the window now with a piece of tinfoil, using it to reflect sunrays. "Light signals patch.", said Milly, pointing at her sash with a some-what smug smile.
"You really do have a patch for everything.", Phineas said.
"Yes, yes we do.", replied Gretchen.
Ferb walked over to the window with Milly and looked outside. Amongst the heard he saw the van, and in the building across the street, he saw a flashing light which had to be Stacy and Jeremy. The building next to it appeared to be a T.V store with a display window. Ferb looked down and right next to his foot he saw a stray hammer they must have used to hammer nails and board up windows. Ferb thought it over, and came up with a plan to draw some of the walkers away.
"Is there any way we can get outside without them noticing us.", said Ferb.
"There's the backdoor that we could go out and creep around the corner of the building if we wanted to, why?" said Irving.
Ferb smiled confidently and picked up the hammer. "I've got a plan, trust me.", he said.
Coming to the realization of what Ferb's plan involved he said "Wait, you aren't seriously going out there are you". Ferb nodded yes and immediately everyone disapproved. "It's too dangerous.", Ginger said. "You'll get yourself killed.", Milly said. "You'll get eaten." Katie said. Ferb put up his hands telling everyone to calm down. "Relax", he said "they won't notice us if were quiet, besides does anyone else have any better ideas". Nobody could really argue with him there. They didn't really have any other plans.
"Weird, normally its Phineas coming up with crazy plans.", said Ginger smartly. Phineas glanced at her with a frown.
"Hey.", Phineas replied.
Seeing where this was going Ferb told them to stop and that this was no time for arguing. When everyone settled down, Ferb explained his plan. "First, I need to break that window.", said Ferb. "Your gonna run up to that window through all those walkers and just hit a window.", said Adyson. "I'm gonna throw it not hit it". Everyone was still uneasy about this so it was expected for someone to question it.
"What if you miss.", said Irving. "When have I ever missed.", said Ferb. Once again, nobody could argue that. "What if you get caught.", said Gretchen. "Then we will run.", said Ferb. Though unsure, everyone knew that a risk had to be taken. "Wait, what is the next part of the plan.", Gretchen asked. Ferb glared at her and replied "You will see". She nodded, not at all used to hearing Ferb speak so much. Ferb grabbed a spare knife he brought, along with the hammer, and began to walk with the door. Irving opened it for him. "I'm coming with you in case you need help.", he said. Ferb nodded and they both stepped outside.
Seeing no walkers, they clung to the wall of the building and slowly crept to the front of the building. There were hundreds out front and there was no way they were getting any closer. "Well, let's hope this goes well.", said Irving. Ferb took a few steps away from the wall so he could get a clear shot. He wound up his arm and through the hammer as hard as he could at the shop window. The hammer hit its mark and the window broke, setting off the burglar alarm. The loud noise drew away most of the walkers, but several more still blocked their path to the apartment building. "We got some of them but not enough.", said Irving. Slowly and quietly, Ferb walked out of his hiding spot.
"Where are you going, get back here.", Irving said. Ignoring him, Ferb crept up behind a stray walker and whistled slightly, getting its attention. The walker turned around and began to walk toward him, when it got close enough, Ferb kicked its right leg out from under it to bring it down to his level, then he stabbed it in the head. Checking to make sure he hadn't caught any of the other walker's attention, he began to drag the body over to his hiding place.
"What the hell are you doing.", asked Irving. "Come help me with this", said Ferb "this is part of the plan". Though confused, Irving wasn't about to doubt Ferb, so he helped him drag the body over to the back door.
"How is this supposed to help us.", asked Irving.
"You will see, just trust me.", said Ferb, and so Irving opened the door and they dragged the corpse inside.