The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Why Didn't Justine Just Abort?
Bad Alias:
--- Quote from: Mira on August 04, 2020, 02:47:00 PM ---Justine, who apparently is almost certain to die here.
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--- Quote ---According to the family records, just over fifty percent either don’t survive the delivery or die shortly after.
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That's not even close to almost certain. Given advances in medical care over the decades and likely centuries the family records go back, it's probably more likely than not that Justine will survive the pregnancy. A certain, or even large, percentage of that death was likely due to mundane causes, especially when combined with the mother's weakened state. From the 1700's through the invention of antibiotics, the mortality rate for mothers was 400-500 per 100,000 in Britain. Today in the U.S. it's 15 per 100,000.
--- Quote from: Mira on August 04, 2020, 04:56:13 PM ---Especially if she is on birth control, supposedly Thomas is "for intents, sterile," two weeks late for your cycle could mean a lot of things.
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--- Quote ---And my kind are all but infertile to boot.
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All but infertile and for all intents and purposes sterile are not the same thing. For example, for all intents and purposes sterile could mean that one could conceive, but the pregnancy would end before any noticeable physiological effects. All but infertile means very nearly or all except. So either Thomas isn't infertile at all because he's an exception to the general rule, or all wamps are just very unlikely to impregnate a woman (or get pregnant for the females) in any given attempt. Eventually unlikely things happen given enough repetitions.
--- Quote from: Mira on August 04, 2020, 06:14:31 PM ---Also even with Molly's help, giving "birth" to her meant he'd live, not his almost certain death. So, no, not the same at all.
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After Harry found out, Murphy said they'll "get that parasite out of your head." Harry responds that they "can't kill the parasite. We have to save it." Emphasis added. Also, without Molly, it did mean certain death for Harry. I'm not going to lay odds on what were the chances of Molly arriving in time because all we know is that she did. So outside of the slightly more likely to die than live probability being just unknown, it's exactly the same situation Justine is in. I think this shows that Harry wouldn't even consider abortion.
--- Quote from: Conspiracy Theorist on August 05, 2020, 08:38:26 AM ---Exactly, Harry’s opinion as a mother is valid in this context, as a father not so much.
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Harry has had experience in choosing between his True Love and his child, so he's got the exact experience Thomas needs.
vultur:
--- Quote from: Mira on August 05, 2020, 05:49:20 PM --- What she feels for Thomas is still true love, but she is no longer protected..
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Thomas explains in BR that Susan is still the strongest influence on Harry's ... aura or whatever.
It's not just being in True Love that's poisonous to the Raiths, it's specifically having True Love aura-exchange bits stuck on top of your aura.
I think it's analogous to someone getting covered in poison then taking a shower. The second liquid removes the first.
Arjan:
--- Quote from: Bad Alias on August 05, 2020, 10:30:49 PM ---That's not even close to almost certain. Given advances in medical care over the decades and likely centuries the family records go back, it's probably more likely than not that Justine will survive the pregnancy. A certain, or even large, percentage of that death was likely due to mundane causes, especially when combined with the mother's weakened state. From the 1700's through the invention of antibiotics, the mortality rate for mothers was 400-500 per 100,000 in Britain. Today in the U.S. it's 15 per 100,000. All but infertile and for all intents and purposes sterile are not the same thing. For example, for all intents and purposes sterile could mean that one could conceive, but the pregnancy would end before any noticeable physiological effects. All but infertile means very nearly or all except. So either Thomas isn't infertile at all because he's an exception to the general rule, or all wamps are just very unlikely to impregnate a woman (or get pregnant for the females) in any given attempt. Eventually unlikely things happen given enough repetitions. After Harry found out, Murphy said they'll "get that parasite out of your head." Harry responds that they "can't kill the parasite. We have to save it." Emphasis added. Also, without Molly, it did mean certain death for Harry. I'm not going to lay odds on what were the chances of Molly arriving in time because all we know is that she did. So outside of the slightly more likely to die than live probability being just unknown, it's exactly the same situation Justine is in. I think this shows that Harry wouldn't even consider abortion.
Harry has had experience in choosing between his True Love and his child, so he's got the exact experience Thomas needs.
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Killing the “parasite” would have been an abortion. So Harry has relevant experience as a mother and a strong emotional urge to keep the child.
Mira:
--- Quote from: Arjan on August 06, 2020, 10:08:47 AM ---Killing the “parasite” would have been an abortion. So Harry has relevant experience as a mother and a strong emotional urge to keep the child.
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Would it?? At the time all he knew was it was a parasite! That is what Mab called it, it could have been a tape worm that had wandered off and encysted in his brain, parasites can do that. What is more he had been to C.I. in the middle of a jungle, so he could very well have picked up such a thing. Until he was told what it was in Skin Game all Harry knew was he had something in his head that caused him severe pain to the point of passing out. Yes, it had helped the blood to circulate when he was in a coma, but it could have been anything. All he wanted was for it to stop, when he found out what it was, he had no choice, it had been there too long and he was going to die unless Molly assisted in it's birth.
--- Quote ---Thomas explains in BR that Susan is still the strongest influence on Harry's ... aura or whatever.
--- End quote ---
The protection burned Lara in White Night, four years after Susan, because Harry hadn't been with any other woman. As soon as he and Luccio got together and had sex, his protection ended. What he had with Luccio was never true love. Murphy is different, and he is once again protected.
Arjan:
--- Quote from: Mira on August 06, 2020, 10:36:10 AM ---Would it?? At the time all he knew was it was a parasite! That is what Mab called it, it could have been a tape worm that had wandered off and encysted in his brain, parasites can do that. What is more he had been to C.I. in the middle of a jungle, so he could very well have picked up such a thing. Until he was told what it was in Skin Game all Harry knew was he had something in his head that caused him severe pain to the point of passing out. Yes, it had helped the blood to circulate when he was in a coma, but it could have been anything. All he wanted was for it to stop, when he found out what it was, he had no choice, it had been there too long and he was going to die unless Molly assisted in it's birth.
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As soon as he knew. He did not even think about other solutions.
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