Intrusion Read Online Free PDF Page B

in, let alone actually believe in.’
    ‘Well in that case, my dear, I’m afraid you’re stuffed.’
    ‘So to speak!’ Hope acknowledged Fiona’s joke. ‘But isn’t it enough that I just don’t want it?’
    ‘No,’ said Fiona. ‘It isn’t enough.’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘Well, if that was enough, if just saying no and not giving a reason was enough, where would we be? It would be just chaos.’
    ‘It’s enough now,’ Hope said. ‘Or was until a couple of days ago. And I don’t see chaos.’
    ‘Well … ’
    ‘And anyway,’ Hope went on, ‘the ruling is being appealed, so I’m not in any legal difficulty by not having the fix.’
    ‘I’m sorry, Hope, but you are. The ruling stands, and unless it’s overturned on appeal or the law is changed, we have to take it into account.’
    ‘We?’
    ‘The Health Service. We have to do our best to persuade.’
    ‘Fair enough,’ said Hope. ‘But I can’t actually be compelled. Not yet.’
    ‘Uh, that’s not strictly true, Hope. The local health centres have all changed their policy in line with the ruling. There’s a provision already for court orders. We hope it won’t come to that, obviously.’
    Hope felt a cold jolt.
    ‘But there must be thousands of mothers in my position! You can’t take all of them to court!’
    Fiona rubbed the back of her neck, between the collar of her tunic and the curve of her pinned-up hair.
    ‘Well, no,’ she said. ‘But I’ll be honest with you, the idea is that a few cases will be enough to make the rest fall into line. You just have to hope your number doesn’t come up.’
    ‘This is
so
fucking unethical,’ said Hope.
    ‘No, it’s not,’ said Fiona. ‘Not on any ethics I was taught, at work or anywhere else.’
    ‘What about my choice? Doesn’t that count for anything?’
    ‘Yes, it does. You do have a choice. That’s what I’m trying to tell you.’
    ‘It’s no choice if it’s hedged about with conditions I can’t meet.’
    ‘But the conscience exemption—’
    ‘That goes against
my
conscience!’
    ‘Look,’ Fiona pleaded, ‘the centre will give you every opportunity, they’ll bend over backwards to accommodate everyone who has a genuine conscience-based objection, they’ll hand out exemptions like Tesco vouchers. But what they can’t accept is people just saying no for no reason.’
    ‘I don’t get it,’ said Hope. ‘If faith kids are allowed to be just the same as nature kids, the problem can’t be that bad in the first place. I mean, you’re not allowed to
beat
your child just because the Bible says you should. You’re not allowed to rely on praying over a sick child, no matter what your beliefs are. If the child’s sick enough, you’ll still get hauled up for neglect if youdon’t call a doctor. So the fact that the nutters can get away with this one means the fix isn’t all that important – it’s regarded as a good thing to have, I’m sure, but not having it can’t really be thought of as that bad. So why can’t I just say I don’t want it?’
    ‘It’s the principle,’ Fiona said. ‘When we had conscription, we allowed conscientious objection. But you had to convince a board that your objection was genuine conscience and not just cowardice, because otherwise every coward or anyone who just didn’t want to be bothered could claim it was conscience. You can’t have people dodging an obligation just because they don’t feel like it.’
    ‘That’s not what I’m saying!’
    ‘I’m sorry, Hope, but from where I’m sitting, it is.’ Fiona shrugged. ‘I sympathise, obviously, but all I can say is, I hope you’re not one of those picked to be made an example of.’
    The remark stung. Hope stared across the table at Fiona: friendly, businesslike, almost motherly. In the grey light from the window and the white light from the LED fixture, she sat in a halo in which she looked serene, concerned, informed, everything a visiting nurse should be. She’d sat across this