Chapter Text
XX/XX/2015
Dib holds the phone close to his ear with his shoulder. He awkwardly cradles the infant in his arms; he's never held a baby, and it shows. His movements are slow yet stiff, and he sways to keep the baby asleep in his grasp.
"Come on.. please pick up." Dib silently whines to himself as his phone helplessly rings.
He glances down at the baby, who's wrapped up in an old lab coat. Every inch of them was soft and round. Their head has some hair with two small groups of hair poking up. He wondered if that's how all infants were supposed to look. It was cute? Cute is a word to describe a baby, right? Dib hasn't exactly had any experience with infants; everything was just new.
"Greetings! You have reached the personal number of Professor Membrane, head scientist and founder of Membrane Labs..."
Professor Membrane's recorded message continues to speak.
"For fucks sake, Dad. Just please pick up the phone." Dib softly spoke, his impatience growing with each word he heard his father's prerecorded voice.
The infant in Dib's arms lazily stretches their arms, their fingers slightly flexing out before forming back into fists. He glances down at the baby in his arms. Usually, all babies look the same to him, and yet somehow he can make out the similar features of his own face on the infant. It was oddly comforting?
"Please leave a message after the beep!" The recorded Professor Membrane message finishes as it ends with a beep.
Dib doesn't say anything, a small moment of silence as he pieces his thoughts into a sentence. He presses the infant closer to his body as he takes a deep breath.
"Hey Dad.." Dib starts off his sentence, his voice filled with fake happiness.
"I'm sorry I haven't taken the time to call you.. or Gaz in a while. But.. but! I've just been.." He pauses as he looks down at the baby in his arms.
"Preoccupied with other things. I just- .. Can you just please come over to my office? I just need some advice, that's all.. Okay? Please, just come over. Bye." He carefully spoke, trying his best not to let his nervousness show.
Dib removes one arm from cradling the baby to take his phone off his shoulder and places it down on a nearby desk, screen up. He checks the time before his phone turns off; it is 6:37 pm. Professor Membrane wouldn't get off work for at least another five hours. Dib knew it was too early to call him, but he couldn't help it. He didn't think things through, didn't take his experiment seriously.
He goes back to cradling the infant with both arms, swaying them slowly as they remain asleep. The child never stirred; they stayed peacefully asleep in Dad's arms. "Heh, I'm pretty good at this. Considering this is my first time holding a baby..." Dib nervously chuckles to himself, and he stops for a moment. "This doesn't count as me talking to myself since you're here." He immediately says as he looks the baby straight in the face, seeing all the familiar features again.
Dib carefully pokes the infant's face with a slight chuckle. "Zim was kinda right, humans are squishy." He says as the baby shifts slightly in his arms, their eyes carefully opening up. They stare at him without making a single sound, which creeps Dib out. He awkwardly picks up his phone to check if his father has tried to call him back, and with no surprise, he hasn't. He groans before sitting down on the chair next to his desk as he leans back.
Dib repositioned the infant onto his lap with each arm wrapped loosely around them as his phone was now held in both hands. The phone casts light on both of their faces in the dim lab. He does whatever he can on his phone. He looks over emails, scrolls through social media, and even plays around with the camera. He takes a couple of pictures of himself and the baby.
Soon he comes bored, and with his impatience growing, he tries calling Professor Membrane again. Only to just get sent back to voicemail. Dib groans as he drops his phone, the phone sliding down his legs and onto the floor. "What was I thinking.. with dad.. and you." Dib murmurs as he just glances down at the surprisingly quiet baby. He knew they were supposed to be loud, especially when being born. Although they weren't born traditionally.
The infant softly coos, which just makes Dib feel worse. "What the fuck was I thinking.." He immediately spoke, his voice filled with regret. One of his legs started to bounce in its spot.
Dib glanced around his office. It was a mess. It looks like a tornado ran through it, papers scattered across his desk and multiple tables. His once small, perfectly organized set of medical supplies was all ruffled up, along with some machines and old experiments still on.
Dib could barely take care of himself. How could he ever take care of his clone? He quickly shakes those thoughts away; he has to focus on what to do now and not what he's going to struggle with later.
Just as Dib looks helplessly down at his phone before it starts to ring. He quickly moves the baby off to the side of his lap as he leans down to pick up the phone. Dib internally cheers as he sees his father calling him back. He answers the phone as he leans back and adjusts the infant onto his lap comfortably.
"Dib! It's great to hear from you again soon!" Professor Membrane exclaims through the phone. "What do you need help with?"
Dib pauses for a moment before he speaks. "Something.. I think it would be easier if you just came to my office."
Professor Membrane sighs. "Don't tell me you still think aliens are intercepting the phone calls."
"I was six and I didn't understand how phones fully work! But that's not the reason, at least not fully." Dib says.
"I still have work to do, can I just send some to help you?" Professor Membrane asks.
"No, Dad, please, I need you here. Like maybe as soon as possible?" Dib quickly scrambles to say.
".." Professor Membrane thinks for a moment.
"Fine. You have to promise me this has nothing to do with your paranormal activities."
"I promise, Dad." Dib quickly responds.
There's just a moment of silence before Professor Membrane spoke, "I'll see you soon." Before he hangs up.