09 Medical Disaster

M.D. = Medical Disaster The very next day after Operation Zucchini, Frank Pearl brought a cardboard person to school. A cardboard person that looked exactly like him. "Awesome," said Rocky. "You have a twin!" "He's my clone. I'm Frank. He's Stein. Get it? We're Frank-and-Stein!" Judy hoped Frank-and-Stein was not better than Operation Zucchini.

Frank Pearl told the class how you get DNA from a bone or a hair. "One cell has all your genes. You can make another one of you,

exactly like you, by cloning. You can't see your genes," said Frank. "But it's all there." "I can see my jeans. I'm wearing them," said Bradley. "Not blue jeans. G-E-N-E, genes. DNA is the stuff that makes you YOU." "Cool beans," said Judy. "Scientists cloned a sheep and named her Dolly. And they cloned a bunch of mice. And some pigs, right here in Virginia," Frank told the class. "Is that true, Mr. Todd?" asked Jessica Finch. "It's science fiction," said Alison S. "Like Jurassic Park," said Rocky. "It's true," said Mr. Todd. "They found a mammoth frozen in ice and

they might try to clone it with DNA so mammoths won't be extinct anymore. No lie," said Frank. "Thank you, Frank," said Mr. Todd. "Very interesting. Most of us just think of cloning as science fiction." The rest of the morning, Frank Pearl did not pay attention once. Judy wrote him a note, but he didn't write back. She told him a joke, but he didn't laugh. "Frank! What's wrong?" Judy asked. "My project wasn't good." "Was so!" said Judy. "You're a gene-ius." "My project was cardboard. Dead cardboard. Nobody even believes it's real. Yours had something real. Something alive." He just stared

at Peanut, the dwarf guinea pig. "Why are you staring at Peanut?" asked Judy. "I was just thinking how she must be lonely all by herself," said Frank. "Judy, Frank, are you with us?" asked Mr. Todd. "Sorry, Mr. Todd," said Judy. "Frank's worried about Peanut. Do guinea pigs get lonely? For friends?" "Yes, well, guinea pigs do enjoy company." "I have guinea pigs, and my guinea pig book says you're never supposed to have just one guinea pig," said Jessica Finch. "That's why we take turns playing with her every day," said Mr. Todd. "And we made her a fun box, remember? Now let's keep our minds on our work, okay?"

At morning recess, Frank found Judy and Rocky at the water fountain. "You guys have to help me get in trouble," said Frank. "Are you crazy?" asked Rocky. "Do you want to go to Antarctica?" Judy asked Frank. "No, I just want Mr. Todd to make me stay inside for lunch recess. I need to try a science experiment. A real one. About cloning." "Cool beans," said Rocky. "Cool genes," said Judy, cracking herself up.