Dib cracked his eyes open. Light flooded in from his window. The blinds did a poor job of blocking out light. Oh well. He wasn't really tired anyway.

He sat up and looked at the time. Ten-thirty AM! And it was a Wednesday! He was late for school! Why didn't his alarm go off? He leaned forward and noticed the little clock icon missing from his phone. Someone had come in and turned it off. It never even sounded in the first place!

He got up, walking down the stairs and into the kitchen. His father was sitting at the table, flipping through a science magazine. He spotted Dib and smiled. "Good morning, son!" He said.

"Morning…" Dib said skeptically. Why was his father even here? Shouldn't he be at work? And why did he sound so cheerful? As morbid as it sounded in his head, Dib was genuinely creeped out by his father's sudden cheeriness. "Sorry if this is sudden, but shouldn't you be at work?"

Professor Membrane laughed. "I'll be working from home today," he said. "I need to make sure you're alright, after all! That must have been a scary experience, huh?"

Dib eyed him. "Sure…"

"Let's check the wound, by the way," Professor Membrane said. "I see you can walk! That's a good sign." With a sudden motion, he grabbed Dib's hand and dragged him into the bathroom, removing the bandage. "Hm, it's still a little red, but it definitely looks better than last night. The pus has cleared up significantly."

Dib was relieved to hear his father's usual scientific talk instead of his weird happy talk.

Professor Membrane took out more hydrogen peroxide and poured it once more on Dib's wound. Dib flinched again. The sudden, sharp pain from the hydrogen peroxide still made him cringe.

"Well, son, I don't think you'll have to go to the doctor after all!" He said. "The infection is clearing up faster than I thought. All of that sleep must have done you some good."

Dib nodded. Whew! He knew his worrying was irrational. He just read way too much into his father's tone.

"You should be back at school tomorrow," Professor Membrane said with a nod.

Dib laughed. "Why'd you even keep me here today? It wasn't worth it."

"Just wanted to make sure that everything was okay," Professor Membrane said. He wrapped the bandage around Dib once more.

"What do you mean?"

"Wounds aren't anything to play around with. Especially not infected wounds."

Dib stared at his father. He had a sneaking suspicion that that wasn't the real reason, and he was pretty sure that something else was going on, but he wasn't about to press on further. Maybe this was his father's way of trying to get him to open up emotionally or something. If it was, it was really ineffective.

"Go get a glass of water or orange juice— something to drink. You need fluids." Professor Membrane patted Dib's shoulder and walked out of the bathroom. Dib shrugged. He was parched. He hadn't had anything to drink in about eighteen hours.

He went back upstairs and grabbed the water bottle from yesterday, drinking it thirstily. He sat at his computer again. He wondered if Zim was still not at school. He checked the security cameras, even though he knew it was probably futile. He was right. Static still filled the screen whenever he tried to access the cameras. He pounded his desk in frustration. He'd just have to go over there and install new security cameras.

He sighed, pocketing the spares and his cellphone. He knew he'd have to sneak out of the house. If his father caught him, he'd question him. He needed to get this done as efficiently and quickly as possible.

Poking his head into the kitchen, Dib looked around. There was no sign of his father except for an empty coffee cup and the magazine, which was neatly set down on the table. His father must have retreated into the lab for the day. That's exactly what he was counting on!

Even though there wasn't a big chance that Professor Membrane would pop up from the lab any time soon, Dib still made sure to be as stealthy as possible. He tip-toed across the living room and turned the doorknob. He kept in turned so when he shut the door, the latch wouldn't make any noise.

Priding himself on his sneakiness, Dib headed out. He ran to where Zim's house was, dodging the gnome's motion sensors. He suck into the basement through a trap door he had discovered. When he got to the bottom, he immediately heard Zim's voice. He held his breath and kept close to the wall, hiding behind various tubes and pipes. He attached a security camera behind one of the tubes. He attached another behind a computer monitor, and another on the ceiling. Then, he made a break for it. He climbed back up the trap door and into the yard, once more dodging the gnomes. He smiled once it was done. If it was socially acceptable to high-five himself, Dib would have done it. He felt so proud!

His moment of pride was cut short by a sudden ripping sensation in his back. Then, two on his abdomen. Then, one on his shoulder. One on his shin…

Immediately, he felt blood drip down. He knew instantly that they were gashes, like the one from the previous day. Oh no!

He contemplated his next course of action. He had to get home before he lost enough blood to knock him out. He bolted, but he immediately regretted the decision. Stars appeared in his field of vision, and loss of consciousness threatened him.

Dib limped towards the nearest street sign and leaned his back against it. He pulled out his phone and called Professor Membrane.

The phone rang twice before the Professor answered it. "Hello?"

"Dad," Dib sputtered. He was out of breath. His speech was also slurred.

"Son? Are you okay."

"Not— Not particularly. I'm not home. I got more of those, w… wou… wounds." He watched as blood dripped around him.

"Where are you?" Professor Membrane asked urgently. Dib could hear shuffling on the other end.

"I…" Dib looked up at the street sign. He could barely blurt out the name before his consciousness faded. The phone fell from his hands.

Professor Membrane heard the phone hit the concrete on the other end. He yelled Dib's name a few times, but he got no reply from the other end, as he knew would happen. Hopping into his car, he sped out of the cul-de-sac and over to the street Dib had told him he was on. Sure enough, there he was, slumped against the street sign and surrounded in his own blood. The Professor ran to him, setting him in the car and driving home. It was a miracle that no one stopped him to give him a ticket for speeding, but the day was so hot and ugly… the sun seemed to bleach the concrete, and even the trees seemed to strain under the sweltering heat, so no one was really out and about.

He carried Dib into the bathroom. Finding where the deep cuts were wasn't hard. He just had to look under the blood stains on his son's clothes. His heart wrenched, and he fought back tears. He thought he knew what was going on, but… so soon! He was expecting it to happen at around age forty, if it happened at all. But at age eleven? That was so young…

Professor Membrane forced himself to think clearly. He could not worry Dib about this. He hoped Dib would just blame it on coincidence, like last time. But what about when more appeared? Could he chalk it up to coincidence a third time? As soon as he reached home, he changed his mind and turned around, driving in the direction of the hospital.

Dr. Mary Steiner sat at her desk, typing rapidly on her computer. She was swamped that day, and the unexpected call forced her to rearrange her already hectic schedule.

A crisp knock at the door made her head snap up. "Come in," she said. The door opened, and Professor Membrane walked in.

"Thanks for agreeing to talk with me at such a short notice," he said apologetically. "But I can assure you it isn't for naught. You were the only one I could talk to about such an issue."

Like all doctors, Dr. Steiner didn't want to waste any time. "Go on," she said, trying to be polite but at the same time trying to use up as little time as possible.

Professor Membrane took a deep breath. "This is going to sound strange, but my son wasn't… created in the natural way. He is a test tube baby, but an extreme form of one. He didn't even grow in a uterus! He grew in a jar of liquid that resembled a uterus in terms of temperature, nutrients received… stuff like that."

Dr. Steiner didn't reply. Professor Membrane took this as a cue to go on. "He is a combination of my, and my wife's, DNA. Of course, my wife is long-gone, so there isn't a way he could ask her about this, but…" Professor Membrane took a deep breath. "Anyway. He is ninety percent my clone. As you know, clones have a shorter life expectancy than… well, non-clones. I knew I'd probably have to come to terms that I would outlive my son, but…" Professor Membrane sighed. "I didn't expect for it to happen so soon. Dib is only eleven. I didn't plan for this."

Dr. Steiner gave him a look. "What makes you think that he's dying?"

"The cuts on his body," Professor Membrane replied. "And the fact that they are all infected, or become infected almost immediately. I believe that this is his body's way of… beginning to decompose."

There was only silence in the room for a moment. Dr. Steiner nodded. "I think I understand. Unfortunately what you said is true: clones do generally live for a shorter amount of time than what they are cloned off of. No one is sure why, but one theory is that the clones DNA is older to begin with, so its life is shortened."

Professor Membrane nodded. He was beginning to get impatient. "Which is why we need to help him—"

"There is no way of reversing death, Professor," the doctor said, cutting him off. "If Dib is beginning to die, we can only slow the progression of the… disease?" Dr. Steiner didn't know what else to call it.

"That's what I aim to do," Professor Membrane said. "But I need your help. For one thing, I can't prescribe him medicine, since he is my son. I don't think it's allowed."

"It's not. Not in our state, anyway."

"Which is why I need you to do it for me," Professor Membrane said. "As a personal favor."

She stared at him for a while. "You understand what I'm doing for you is highly illegal, correct? It puts my job on the line. And you're someone I hardly even know. Why should I do this for you?" She looked at him.

Professor Membrane cringed. There wasn't a hint of remorse or kindness in her eyes. He took a deep breath. "Don't worry. I suspected that you'd react this way, so I didn't come empty handed." He fished his wallet out of his pocket and pulled a check out of it. It was already addressed to her. "This is a ten-thousand dollar check. Agree to do this, and I'll sign it. Then, it's yours."

Dr. Steiner bit the inside of her cheek. Ten grand was a lot of money, and all she had to do to get it was simply fill out a prescription form and pretend that Dib was her patient. That was simple enough. "How do you know I don't just say yes, take the money and then refuse to do it later?"

"That's a risk I'm going to have to take," Professor Membrane said. "Because I love my son. I want him to get better."

Dr. Steiner nodded. She admired Professor Membrane's trust towards her, and his love for his son. She let out a long sigh. He'd won her over with his bribe. "Fine. I'll do it. But you'd better pay me up-front. No offense, but I don't trust strangers."

Professor Membrane nodded. He signed the check without thinking twice. "There you go. It's all yours. But do keep your word; this is important to me." He stood up and pushed the chair in. "Thank you for your time. I have to get back to Dib before he regains consciousness. Waking up in a hospital room with no idea how you got there is terrifying. Waking up in a hospital with no idea how you got there with no one that you recognize is even more terrifying."

Dr. Steiner laughed. "You sound like you're speaking from experience."

"I am," Professor Membrane said quickly, walking out the door. He didn't care to elaborate, and she didn't care to hear it. Once the door clicked shut, Dr. Steiner continued with her work.

Sound was the first sense to return to Dib. He heard the faint, steady beeping of a heart monitor next to him. He also heard people talking and yelling from a distance.

With much struggle, he opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, and he could tell that his glasses were missing from his face. Almost instinctively, he reached over to grab them off of the nightstand. Then he realized the night stand wasn't there, and that his room didn't have a heart monitor in it…

He tried sitting up, but he felt too weak to do it. A hand rested on his shoulder.

"Shh," a voice said. It was Professor Membrane. Dib sighed in relief. "Don't sit up. Just rest. You've been through a lot."

Dib laid back down. The cuts on his body still hurt, but what had once felt like literally being stabbed had now subsided to a dull ache.

"What happened?" Dib asked. His voice was raspy, but that was mostly from the fatigue he felt. "Why am I in the hospital?"

Professor Membrane gave his son a small smile. "You just got a little hurt," he explained gently. "You'll be okay."

"How did I get hurt?" Dib asked. He was determined to wring out every bit of information from his father.

"You probably just fell," he replied. "Don't worry. They stitched you up and you're on pain medications right now."

Dib groaned. That wasn't what he wanted to hear. His father was definitely hiding something. "What else?"

"Nothing. That's the whole story." The slow, patronizing tone had not left Professor Membrane's voice. Dib narrowed his eyes, and he tried propping himself back up with his elbows once more. Professor Membrane shook his head and pushed Dib once more.

"Just lay down!" Professor Membrane said. Dib realized he didn't really have a choice and complied with his father's requests.

Both Professor Membrane and Dib were startled by the sound of the door opening. A friendly-looking doctor entered the room.

"Hello, Dib!" The doctor said with a smile. Dib didn't reply. The doctor's sanguine appearance annoyed him. "How are you feeling? Better?"

Dib laid still for a second. Irritated. Tired. Confused. Anxious. "I feel better than I did before," he said after a while. That was both true and untrue. He felt better physically, but that was nothing compared to the uncertainty and stress he felt. Plus, maybe if he could convince the physicians that he was feeling better, he would be able to get out of the hospital sooner.

The doctor wrote something down in his notebook. The cheerful atmosphere never left him. "Well, that's good to hear!" He said. Silence fell over the small room. Dib felt claustrophobic for a moment, as the suffocating silence spread through the room.

"We need to preform some people tests now, Dib," the doctor said. Dib could tell that under the doctor's chipper behavior, there was an air of seriousness around him. "We will make it as quick as possible. Just stay here." The doctor forced a toothy smile and rushed out.

"What kind of tests was this guy talking about, Dad?" Dib asked.

Professor Membrane honestly had no idea what they would be testing for. "Probably just a blood test," he said with a reassuring smile. "Nothing that you can't handle." The door opened, and the Professor turned his head. "Professor?" A voice called. "Can I have a word with you?"

Professor Membrane listlessly signed the papers that the doctors gave him— they were just forms confirming that he consented to the tests that they wanted to preform on Dib— then returned to the room. Dib had fallen asleep, to his relief. It would give him time to sit and think.

He knew he had to get Dib out of the hospital as soon as possible. If his suspicions about Dib dying earlier because he was a clone were correct, then he was the only one who could help Dib. He couldn't help but jiggle his leg in a sort of nervous tic. He knew he'd be on his own with this project, aside from the help of Dr. Steiner. Dr. Steiner. What if she decided one day that the media had to know about Dib being a clone? He suddenly regretted spilling his guts to her so quickly, but he didn't have much of a choice. He just had to take some kind of a leap of faith with this…

His thoughts were interrupted as the friendly doctor and a few nurses entered the room. Dib was shaken awake.

"Come on," the doctor said. "Testing time!"

Dib groaned. The tiredness still hasn't left him. "Okay…" he muttered, rubbing his eyes and climbing into the wheelchair they had presented him. He looked back at Professor Membrane. "See you soon, Dad," Dib said.

Professor Membrane nodded. "See you soon…" he replied. His mind was out of it.

A feeling grew in Professor Membrane's stomach. He didn't really recognize this feeling, but it was strong and motivational, like passion mixed with determination mixed with overwhelming anxiety. He didn't know what was going on with Dib, and he didn't know how it would end, but one thing was for sure: he wasn't giving Dib up without a fight.