“But couldn’t these “supplements” hurt Arlene?”, she asked immediately. “Absolutely not”, Greer quickly reassured her. “The formulation of the supplements does not affect the mother at all, affecting only the developing brain cells in the fetus”. He thought to himself of the two or three percent of all cases where serious, and even fatal, complications had arisen in the maternal host unit, but their studies had shown that those results were due to specific medical conditions in the host for which the LCMC now screened. But the fine print in the contract would address that, so there was no need to bring it up now. “I assure you that Arlene will receive the best medical care throughout her association with us, including a thorough initial physical examination. We also perform monthly examinations throughout the term, including blood work, EKGs, and physical examination from head to toe. I would venture that her health care during this period may be the best health care she has ever had access to.” He thought to himself as he surveyed his surroundings that it was probably the ONLY health care she had ever had access to, but kept his observation to himself.
Greer thought about his own teenage daughters and the privileges they had, their private schools, dance lessons, summer trips to Europe, and trust funds. He was grateful that their futures were secure and that they could advance into adulthood without the need for considering choices such as now faced the Stauntons. In the same moment that those thoughts crossed his mind, Mrs. Staunton was thinking back to when she had brought Arlene home as a baby. Those had been happier times and she thought of the hopes she had had for Arlene then. She never imagined it could come to this. What had happened to bring them to a decision such as this? The memory of her own sweet baby made it hard for her to think about the calculated business-like destruction that Greer was proposing. But instead of addressing that, she asked a question of more immediate concern.
“But is it legal?”, she asked. “I mean, you’re essentially killing the baby right before it would have been born, right?” He knew exactly how to handle this familiar question. “It’s absolutely legal, Mrs. Staunton. We operate throughout the country as a licensed health organization and our practices have withstood repeated scrutiny in the courts for several years. Termination of life before birth is now normal and accepted practice, and is considered no less than appropriate when the fetus shows signs of retardation or other dysfunction. “Retardation?”, she said, “but you CAUSE the retardation.” He stepped in smoothly. “Again, the courts have ruled in that matter, including several rounds of appeals. The fetus, although living tissue, is not regarded as a viable human being prior to birth and it is therefore legal to modify that tissue for the purposes of advancement of medical sciences. I don’t know if you’ve heard of all the potential benefits that stem cell research can offer for finally conquering many of mankind’s worst diseases, but our position is that our work is positive and life enabling. And the courts have consistently agreed with us on that.”
“But I thought I heard on the news that stem cells could be extracted from umbilical cords.” It was her last attempt at making sense of what she was hearing. “It can, he replied, but not in the quantities that are needed for the advancement of science nor is all the tissue material that we obtain in that manner entirely suitable for the vital ongoing research that needs to be conducted.”
He knew now as he watched her that it was time to back off and let the information he had provided sink in. The woman, who up to this point had seemed in control with her reserve of skepticism and almost defiant distance, was now clearly not sure what to do. She had heard things that, from the look on her face, had obviously disturbed her but she just as clearly wanted that $15,000. And his assurances that Arlene would not only emerge unharmed but would in fact get excellent health care had, as he had calculated, worked in his favor.
He waited. He watched for that moment when she would grasp at a compelling argument that she could understand and embrace. Just as she shrugged vaguely and appeared ready to speak in her indecision, he spoke again. “This is a win-win for all parties, Mrs. Staunton. Life Cycles gets the material we badly need to advance the thresholds of medical science. And you and Arlene get a sum of money that could mean a fresh start for her and for you. She could, for example, start college courses and make a future for herself. You could use the money to pay off any obligations you might have and the two of you could definitely be better off just a few months down the road. In the meantime, she gets first rate health care, is helped to remain drug free, and she gets good solid nutrition.” At this point he pulled out what he hoped would be his trump card. “And as part of our comprehensive family wellness program we would provide periodic health checkups for you also during Arlene’s association with us.”
At this last point she stopped and looked at him intently. She thought of the vague pains she had been feeling in the past few months and thought of the unexplained bleeding that she had noticed. She felt that she needed to see a doctor and yet she had no means to do so. “You mean I can get health care too? Free?”