Pro-Life

Author : Ellen Couch

Dr Siward’s Journal, 18th April

Another interview with Mr Renfield. I wonder whether he shall ever recover from the psychosis- his fantasy world seems so complete. One cannot help pitying the man. He is such a gentle soul, particularly compared with some of the others under my care. If I were to meet him outside the asylum, I imagine I should think him perfectly sane. But despite my best efforts to persuade him, he refuses the treatment. He is still a threat to the public.

I feel that we are at an impasse. Unless he becomes violent, I cannot force him to accept the therapy, and without it, he cannot be released to rejoin his family. He presents his ideas so rationally that I cannot help but be drawn into arguments, for all their insanity.

It began as usual- “You still want me to have that thing transplanted, don’t you, Doctor?” he announced.

“The genetic therapy would be for the best, Mr Renfield. Everyone else in your family has had it. Haven’t you seen how contented they are?”

“That’s because they’re slaves. You’re all slaves. You don’t know what you’ve done.”

“How can it be slavery when we choose to submit to the operation freely?”

“What about those of us who don’t accept it? Do we all end up in places like this?”

“It’s for your own good. You might endanger other people. You’re not sane. Some of you have tried to forcibly remove the implants- do that, and you end two lives! Don’t you respect the unborn child?”

“And when that…that thing reaches maturity? Do you know what happens then?”

“It’s not a thing, Mr Renfield. We’ve discussed this. It’s a child. It has a right to life.”

“Well, I have a right to choose. And I choose not to let those things use my body as a breeding tube. I don’t believe all that rubbish about us being under threat, anyway.”

“We’ve been through this, Mr Renfield. I’ve shown you the footage they send us. Our protectors are constantly battling threats from all kinds of terrorist beings. By allowing them to use our spinal fluid to grow their offspring, we help them continue to keep our great nation-planet safe. Don’t you care about national security, Mr Renfield?”

“I care about our freedom. I care about our future! Haven’t you ever asked yourself what happens once your implant reaches full maturity? Have you ever seen what happens? I have. Where are your friends, Doctor? What about the Doctor who came before you?

He got very agitated at this point. We had to restrain him again. But my Guest tells me all will be well. I must be vigilant, and not let the emotions of this body cloud Our judgement. Imagine! If it wasn’t for my Guest’s good sense, I would release him- I would even agree with him. Foolishness! Renfield must not be allowed to corrupt anyone else. We were lucky that his family discovered his experiments in time. He was close to perfecting an operation to remove the implant without harming the host. He planned to force his wife and children to be test subjects- and they were so close to being fully grown.