The Perfect Clone Read Online Free PDF Page A

window. The biggest smile he’d worn since his wedding night spread across his face.
    Mary, never fond of mornings, was still enveloped deep inside the covers. Sitting on the bed next to her, Igor eased the covers from her head… and froze.
    His wife’s beautiful white skin had turned to pale shades of gray. She was cold—ice cold. Igor jumped up from the bed. Two empty pill bottles lay on her night stand next to the glass of water he had gotten her after he‘d tucked her in. Grabbing them up in disbelief, he read the labels—Hydrocodone and Xanax.
    Quivers of shock, fear, grief, and a dozen other emotions caused him to shake uncontrollably.
    Check for a pulse—none. Call 911. Call Donna. Leave the room. Stay in the room. Straighten her hair. Touch her face. Kiss her face. Sit next to her. Don’t sit next to her. Hold her hand. Don’t hold her hand. This isn’t happening. This isn’t real. Igor pulled Mary tightly against his chest, stroking the softness of her hair and breathing in its scent one last time. He’d always loved her hair. Tears flooded his vision as he rocked his Mary back and forth.
    He was unable to remember who pulled them apart or who he talked to or what was said. He was unable to remember how long he sat on the bed after the paramedics removed her body. He was only able to remember that she was gone forever. And all that was left was a note. One damned note!
    It was then that he had made the decision that put him where he was today. He went back to medical school and began to study in his current field.
    The pain of his loss acted as a driving force. He hadn’t truly realized how important it was for so many families to have children of their own, until he lost his Mary. Her suicide, always at the forefront of his thoughts, drove him to succeed. He never wanted anyone to suffer as Mary had; as he had.
    Unaware of the time that had passed a knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. The concern in his assistant’s voice was obvious even through the heavy wooden door.
    “Dr. Hamstein, I’m sorry to disturb you, but it’s well past closing. Is there anything you need from me before I leave?”
    Sheila was the fifth assistant he’d been through since starting his practice, but he was certain that she’d stick around. Her type ‘A’ personality, maturity, and attention to detail matched his own. He respected how she searched for ways to expedite lengthy processes without compromising details, and she always double checked her work. The assistant took her job as seriously as he took his. That spoke volumes about her character.
    “Thank you Sheila. That will be all. I’ll lock up when I leave. Enjoy your weekend.”
    Folding Mary’s note in on itself, he placed it back within the pages that had housed it since her death. Closing the small book, Igor walked over to the bookshelf. He filed the book, along with his memories, between a copy of
Collected Poems
by Robert Frost and
Socratic Dialogues
by Plato.
    He then made a decision that would change his life forever.
     

Chapter 4
     
    Laura and Roger arrived in separate cars, just as the caterers pulled up. After directing the catering crew to the kitchen, Laura gingerly approached her father, hoping today wasn’t the day he’d forget her.
    Her father looked so handsome in the navy blue tailored suit she had laid out for the nurse to dress him in. Kneeling down, Laura placed a kiss on his cheek. His freshly shaven face felt smooth beneath her lips. Turning to face her, his eyes searched for recognition. Fear bubbled up in her throat.
    “That crazy lady over there told me that today is my birthday,” he accused, pointing toward the nurse. “We just had a birthday party for my daughter. She turned 25 yesterday. You should have been there, we had a wonderful time.”
    Lifting his arthritic knuckles, her father motioned the nurse to his side. “Please see that our guest gets refreshments. She’s such a pretty thing. The girl reminds