Domestic Violence And Treatment Essay - 859 Words

In beginning my revision process, I started by staring at my submitted essay over and over. First thought, I should have changed the title to something along the lines of, â€Å"Domestic Violence, is there Treatment?† Second thought, Wow!! What a difference I am from the person who first began this course. I took a look back over my previous submitted writing assignments and could see my writing abilities has drastically improved, As I reviewed and reflected on the submitted essay â€Å"Domestic Violence and Treatment†, I believe, I did a complete and thorough job in delivering my subject. As I previously stated, I credit you, Mr. Perkins and this course for my improvements. I have always struggled to put my thoughts on paper in a manner that is coherent. I now feel that my ability to write and express my ideas, thoughts and knowledge have grown stronger. I have grown as a reader, thinker and writer thanks to this course. These are the things that I have worked on and improved over the past couple of months and I feel that my work shows this. In no way do I mean to sound over confident, I know I still have plenty to learn. However, I am extremely surprised and proud of myself. I will admit I had thoughts of previously giving up, I allowed myself to focus too much on the negative. Now, however, I feel differently. I have learned through this course how to write, how to express myself, and how to find the answers to the things that I don t know. Most importantly, I learned toShow MoreRelatedDomestic Violence Social Work1209 Words   |  5 PagesProblem Of Domestic Violence Is Too Weighty Social Work Essay ukessays.com /essays/social-work/problem-of-domestic-violence-is-too-weighty-social-workessay.php The problem of domestic violence is too weighty, both as public health and social issues, to be content with intervention approaches that sound good or look right based on some conceptual model, but that have no empirical support for their efficacy (Gorney, 2007). Unfortunately, this has been the tradition regarding interventions inRead MoreDomestic Violence Is An Epidemic That Does Not Discriminate1090 Words   |  5 Pagesto my four years at Northern Arizona University, is that domestic violence is an epidemic that does not discriminate. It is prevalent in poor neighborhoods, upper middle class households, and in the million dollar condos of superstar athletes. This paper is intended to highlight domestic violence in popular culture and I can think of no better example than the recent attention the National Football League has received due to domestic violence cases amongst its players and their families. Turn onRead MoreThe Letterbox1082 Words   |  5 PagesThe Letterbox Essay By Lori Provan â€Å"The Letterbox† By Ann Marie Di Mambro is a dramatic monologue which discusses the theme of domestic violence. This essay will look at how the author uses a wide range of intense techniques to explore the theme. In â€Å"The Letterbox† housewife, Martha, has to suffer with her ruthless husband. Having been thrown out, Martha is slouched on a landing of her own flat. Throughout the monologue, she speaks to her young daughter, Wendy, through the letterbox. DuringRead MoreMidterm Unit 5 Criminology Essay1417 Words   |  6 PagesRunning head: Unit 5 Project Unit 5 Midterm Essay CJ 102-03: Criminology 1 Kaplan University Professor: Ellen Smith Chupik August 31, 2012 A recent policy was implemented by Jackson Tennessee’s Police Department, and Family Service’s dealing with the problem of child endangerment. Any household that has any documented offense of domestic violence, child abuse, or drug or alcohol related offense committed by the parents, guardian, grandparent, or babysitter, the child/childrenRead MoreThe Longest War Rebecca Solnit Analysis882 Words   |  4 PagesWriter and activist, Rebecca Solnit, addresses the issues of gender inequalities and violence against women in her essay â€Å"The Longest War.† Solnit’s purpose is to shed a light onto the inequitable and often detrimental treatment of women, and to emphasize the need for change. She utilizes a compelling, matter-of-fact tone to optimize the effect her words will have on her readers, both male and female. â€Å"The Longest War† by Rebecca Solnit employs the rhetorical strategies of substance and context toRead MoreShould We Be Funding D omestic Violence Shelters? Essay1123 Words   |  5 PagesShould we be funding Domestic Violence shelters? Domestic violence is a problem in our country with nearly 1 million women experiencing at least one incident of domestic abuse each year, (2009/10 British Crime Survey). Social-program funding is being scrutinized in the current economic climate with doubts as to whether American tax dollars should be used to help victims of domestic violence. Cutting funds for government programs that assist victims of domestic violence is not an option for manyRead MoreThe Characteristics Of Abusers Of Domestic Violence904 Words   |  4 Pageshaven’t been resolved. Some of the abuse results from being abused or it comes from social problems. Regardless of the situation abuse is never okay and should be handled accordingly. This essay will cover the characteristics of abusers of domestic violence and what roles substance abuse plays in domestic violence. One characteristic of an abuser is destroying an individual’s property and the things they care about. When an abuser feels like an individual is going to leave the abuse, the abuser willRead MoreComm Studies Ia1481 Words   |  6 Pagesof contents Page Introduction 2 Preface 3 Reflection (Monologue) 4 Analytical Essay 7 INTRODUCTION My internal assessment is focused on the theme ‘Domestic Violence’. It serves the purpose of generating awareness of the effect and consequences that domestic violence can have in society. The advancement of my theme is supported by the use of a monologue and also by doing an oral presentation. My monologue providesRead MoreEthical Dilemmas Of A Nurse1376 Words   |  6 PagesIn this essay I will look at the range of ethical dilemmas that a Nurse may encounter whilst working in a health and social care setting and discuss how individual workers and agencies will deal with these dilemmas. I will also look in the decisions to resolve the dilemmas through the perspectives of different ethical approaches. AC1.1 An Ethical dilemma is a problem without a satisfactory resolution. Nurses can face ethical dilemmas everyday whilst at work in almost any work setting. Ethics involveRead MoreEssay about The Unfair Treatment of Women1572 Words   |  7 PagesThe Unfair Treatment of Women My mother has always promoted sisterhood and support for women. Growing up, I was taught that women, although we can do anything we want to do, need a support system, because we are traditionally the underdogs, and we should not accept being treated unfairly. My mother likes to tell a story about how, when she was a girl, she told her dad that she had decided to become a lawyer when she grew up. In response to her proclamation, my grandfather, an attorney himself

John Stuart Mill And Immanuel Kant - 1387 Words

The concept of happiness is one that has been explored and debated by many different philosophers. Two of these philosophers are John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant. Mill, in Utilitarianism defines happiness as pleasure without pain. He builds upon this idea of happiness when establishing his moral philosophy, stating that the action that would bring about the maximum amount of happiness is the most moral action. On the other hand, Kant establishes happiness as well-being and a satisfaction with one’s condition. Kant, however, argues that happiness is too fully based upon one’s own personal experience to use as a grounds for a universal moral philosophy. Therefore, Kant rejects the idea of using happiness, instead using practical reason, as†¦show more content†¦Mill also emphasizes the idea of quality over quantity. A greater quality of pleasure will always be preferred over a larger quantity of lower pleasure (9). Mill derives his concept of utility from his co ncept of happiness. Immanuel Kant develops his own concept of happiness in Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals. Immanuel Kant in Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals defines happiness as the â€Å"complete well-being and contentment with one’s condition† (7, 393). Essentially, Kant’s idea of happiness is the preservation of one’s prosperity. He even goes one step further and states that certain fortunes, such as power, riches, honor and health, are all aspects and desires that are encompassed in the notion of happiness. These desires Kant calls inclinations, or the faculty or object that motivates a person to act in a certain way. So, from Kant’s understanding, happiness is the sum of one’s inclinations. Inclinations are established from empirical means, or based on personal experiences, as opposed to pure reason, which Kant champions. Kant furthers his definition of happiness by establishing the idea that the aim of happiness is in o pposition to the aim of nature, which, he states, instead validates reason. He clarifies that happiness appeals more appropriately to instinct, as opposed to reason (8, 395). He also establishes a dichotomy between happiness and virtue, stating that â€Å"...making a man happy is quite different fromShow MoreRelatedImmanuel Kant And John Stuart Mill1261 Words   |  6 Pagesintentions/character that inspire the action, or the consequences that result from the action?† Second, the philosophers I am going to discuss throughout this paper are Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. Now before I tell you my answer to this question I am going to explain these who these two philosophers are and what their viewpoints on ethics are. Immanuel Kant was born in what is now Germany in 1724 and died in 1804 and was the type of philosopher to act out of duty. He believes that actions should be performedRead MoreImmanuel Kant And John Stuart Mill Essay2002 Words   |  9 Pagesmost widely known ethical philosophers are Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. While they may have philosophized around the same time period, the philosophers have very different ideas about ethics and happiness. Immanuel Kant, author of Duty and Reason, believed in the morality of the good will and duty. He espoused that happiness is an irrelevancy insofar as fulfilling duty is the most important aspect of leading a moral life. Conversely, John Stuart Mill, who wrote, The Greatest Happiness PrincipleRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill And Immanuel Kant1786 Words   |  8 PagesJohn Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant. They both had very different views when it came to the ethics of philosophy. They also though had some of the same views as each other. Both w ere concerned with the moral qualities of actions and choices of a person, but neither of them was much interested in about what makes a good person. They also different views and some of the same views when it came to lying. One thought it should never be done. The other thought it should be used as a last resort. FirstRead MoreImmanuel Kant And John Stuart Mill1206 Words   |  5 Pagesof morality, there is no right answer to dilemmas only different opinions. Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers with two different views on a person’s moral conscious. Kant believes morality is a duty that people should hold above their own happiness. On the other hand, Mill believes happiness is the goal of morality and the more happiness is acquired at the end is the most moral. According to Immanuel Kant, morality is a duty people must hold above their own happiness. For somethingRead MoreImmanuel Kant And John Stuart Mill948 Words   |  4 Pagesyou do it? Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill would give you strongly contrasting opinions. A person should not kill another to benefit five others. It would be a wrong thing to do, but Mill would disagree. Kant believed that good intentions count and that the morality of an action is determined by the intentions behind it rather than its consequences. Kant says that the consequences are irrelevant to assessments of moral worth, which contrasts sharply with Mill’s utilitarianism. Kant believed thatRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill And Immanuel Kant Essay1805 Words   |  8 Pagesphilosophers, Kant and Mill, to determine whether or not torture is ever ethical. John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant, both proposed different philosophies, using deontological and teleological theories in ethics. John Stuart Mill used a teleological theory, which prioritized the end result of an action, based off the moral nature of the action itself, compared to the deontological theory proposed by Kant, which presented actions as obligations of an individual, leading them to act in a certain way. Mill usedRead MoreImmanuel Kant And John Stuart Mill998 Words   |  4 PagesTwo knowledgeable men, one says go right, the other, left. Who is right? Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill were both noted philosophers with opposing theories on what is moral. Each uphold different ways of observing what is right. The theory of utilitarianism held by Mill and universalism held by Kant has similarit ies and differences. Who stands correct, and who is mistaken? Utilitarianism is the belief that decisions should be made based on how much pleasure they bring (MacKinnon and FialaRead MoreImmanuel Kant And John Stuart Mill2050 Words   |  9 Pagesstraight forward as proposed by Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill in The Groundswork and Utilitarianism respectively. Kant, in The Groundswork, and Mill, in Utilitarianism, come to different conclusions about what is intrinsically good, yet neither of them come to a valid explanation for the following reasons; Kant produces a narrow view focused entirely on having a good will, acting only based off of duties, and ignoring the outcomes of your actions, while Mill calculates intrinsic value basedRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill vs. Immanuel Kant2163 Words   |  9 PagesJohn Stuart Mill vs. Immanuel Kant The aim of this paper is to clearly depict how John Stuart Mill’s belief to do good for all is more appropriate for our society than Immanuel Kant’s principle that it is better to do whats morally just. I will explain why Mill’s theory served as a better guide to moral behavior and differentiate between the rights and responsibilities of human beings to themselves and society. Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers who addressed the issues of moralityRead MoreA Study Of Ethics By Immanuel Kant And John Stuart Mill992 Words   |  4 Pagesaround ethics. The court released Lavallee as innocent on the basis that she is medically ill with Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS). The two most renowned ethicists, Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill would view this case differently. Kantianism is associated solely with Immanuel Kant. In comparison, John Stuart Mill, an opponent of Immanuel Kant’s ideas, uses a utilitarian approach. This essay will briefly give an overview of the case and the BWS. Then, it will show how both theories view the case.

Iron Crowned Chapter 20 Free Essays

string(39) " out everyone did fear the Iron Crown\." I didn’t know what the flowers meant. Nothing like that had ever happened when I’d meditated in the Thorn Land. Over the next few days, I just kept thinking about what Rurik had said, that no other monarch save my father had ruled more than one kingdom in recent history. We will write a custom essay sample on Iron Crowned Chapter 20 or any similar topic only for you Order Now It had taken great power and magic for me to exert my dominance over the lands†¦. Were they feeding it back to me in return? I certainly felt stronger with them, but I’d never expected any sort of unconscious physical manifestation. What else was I capable of? What could I make the land do? I didn’t mention the matter to anyone, not even Kiyo. He’d seen the red flowers but brushed them off. If I told him about the Thorn Land, I feared he’d grow upset about the thought of my magic increasing. He grudgingly accepted what I already possessed but still feared it would turn me into my father, no heir needed. And although I’d felt physically better in the Otherworld, I grew weak again after a day or so back in Tucson. I didn’t mention this to Kiyo either, but Jasmine was around enough to pick up on it. â€Å"Are they calling to you again?† she asked over breakfast one day. She was devouring Pop-Tarts, another love we apparently shared. I was too worried to have an appetite and simply watched. â€Å"You look like crap.† â€Å"I don’t know,† I said, drumming my fingers against a glass of water. â€Å"There’s no precedent for this – at least not anymore. No one knows what to expect from me having two kingdoms.† â€Å"I bet Dorian would know.† I bet he would too, but I shook my head. â€Å"He’s not all-knowing no matter how much he wants to be,† I countered. â€Å"And I’m done with him.† â€Å"Okay.† She didn’t fight it. For a while, she’d kept telling me I’d made a mistake in breaking up with Dorian, but Kiyo had been growing on her. I still wasn’t sure if she approved, but at least I didn’t have to listen to teen advice about my love life anymore. â€Å"But you might just have to go back soon. I mean, think about it. You’re bound to two lands in the Otherworld. Aren’t the lands and the monarch one? Part of you’s there. It makes sense you’d have to be there twice as much.† I winced at the idea, though it had been on my mind too. â€Å"If I were there any more, I’d be living there permanently.† She swallowed the last of some crust. â€Å"You may not have a choice.† Her flippant tone irritated me. â€Å"There’s always a choice. I rule them. They don’t rule me.† I stood up abruptly and briefly became dizzy. It felt like the lands were mocking me. Damn it, I thought. You will not call me back so quickly. I’m staying in this world for a while. I’ll come and go when I please. â€Å"I just need to stop thinking about it. I’m going to see if Lara’s got a job.† â€Å"Yeah,† said Jasmine dryly. â€Å"That’ll fix everything.† Lara did have a job for me, several actually. Even though she was all but living with Tim – in my house – she still kept meticulous records and took all my calls. She looked disappointed that I only accepted one from her growing list of jobs, a small one at that: a simple haunting that would probably take about five minutes. She said nothing, but I knew that she worried if I didn’t make any money, she wouldn’t either. So, remembering Enrique’s comment about needing help but not being able to trust anyone, I gave her his card with the suggestion she call about part-time work. â€Å"Are you firing me?† she asked. I smiled as I gathered up all my weapons. â€Å"No, but I want you to have a backup plan in case you get laid off.† Her eyes widened in alarm at the joke. Or, I suddenly wondered, was it a joke? I brought Jasmine with me to the job because I still felt uneasy about leaving her alone. Besides, she was finally getting her fill of the human world, and I had a feeling her insistence on me returning to the Otherworld was partly selfish. Later, after I’d finished the job, I kind of regretted bringing a witness. â€Å"Wow,† she said, as we drove home. â€Å"You got your ass kicked.† â€Å"I did not.† â€Å"Did too.† So. This was what it was like having a sister. â€Å"I banished it, didn’t I? You saw it go to the Underworld.† â€Å"Yeah,† she admitted, â€Å"but it sure did take a long time. I felt like I could have done it, and I’ve never banished anything before.† I gritted my teeth, refraining from commenting that I still had her chains. The troubling thing was, I had kind of sucked. I’d been in no real danger – not with a ghost that minor – but it had beaten me up more than it should have. I was off my game, a little slower, a little weaker. I’d walked away with some bruises and now noticed as we drove that my shoulder itched. For a moment, I thought the ghost must have hit me there, but there was no pain. The stitches. I’d nearly forgotten about them, now that they’d finally been able to heal. My skin had probably started to grow over the threads. I needed them out. No one was at my house, much to my disappointment. I’d hoped Kiyo had stopped by and could remove the stitches. Trying to be optimistic, I decided he must be pulling a shift at the veterinary hospital and wasn’t with Maiwenn. Thus far, I’d heard no official word from her about my new double-queen status. Other monarchs had weighed in, though. Some had responded by showering me with congratulatory gifts and groveling. Others had let me know – in an amiable way – about other monarchs they were pals with, monarchs with big armies. It turned out everyone did fear the Iron Crown. You read "Iron Crowned Chapter 20" in category "Essay examples" I called my regular doctor, hoping to get an appointment this week as backup, in case Kiyo stayed absent. To my pleasant surprise, they’d had a cancellation that afternoon and could remove the stitches right away. It was good news for me but an annoyance for Jasmine, who’d just gotten comfortable on the couch. â€Å"Oh, come on,† she said, stretching out. â€Å"We just got home. Can’t you please leave me here? I promise not to conquer the world or get pregnant while you’re gone.† â€Å"You know,† I said, â€Å"Lara and Tim had sex right where you’re lying.† She jumped up. A half hour later, we arrived at my doctor’s office. I left Jasmine in the waiting room, deeming her safe enough with her iPod and magazines for the five minutes it would take to remove my stitches. Maybe she’d read some contraception pamphlets to pass the time. â€Å"They did this in the ER?† the doctor asked when I was admitted to an examination room and had taken off my shirt. I’d been seeing Dr. Moore for a couple years now. She was a pleasant, mid-fortyish woman who had eventually learned not to ask too many questions about my injuries. She thought I was a â€Å"contractor† who practiced martial arts on the side. â€Å"Not exactly,† I said. â€Å"I tore the ones the ER did, so my boyfriend had to redo them.† She took hold of tweezers and a tiny pair of scissors and leaned over. â€Å"Well, his work’s neat, and it didn’t get infected. If I’d seen you when this happened, I would have confined you to your bed. I would have known better than to assume you wouldn’t promptly rip these out.† â€Å"Yeah, I really pulled one over on the other doctor.† She snorted a small laugh and proceeded to pull the stitches out. They stung where they tugged the skin, but honestly, it was nothing compared to my normal wear and tear. â€Å"There you go,† she said, stepping back. â€Å"You’ll have a scar.† I put my shirt back on and faced her. â€Å"Battle trophy.† She rolled her eyes, leaning against the wall with crossed arms. â€Å"You shouldn’t joke about that.† â€Å"Sorry.† I picked up my purse, but her expression said we weren’t done. â€Å"Eugenie †¦ I don’t ask many questions, not any more than I need to treat you, but I’m worried about how often you come in with these kinds of injuries.† If only she knew how many I didn’t come in for. â€Å"I – â€Å" â€Å"No, no,† she interrupted. â€Å"I don’t need to know all the details of your life. I try not to judge – but you might need to. There are jobs out there that are physical in nature. That’s life. But whatever you’re doing †¦ maybe you should reevaluate it. To be blunt, you look terrible today.† â€Å"Oh, that.† Crap. I could hardly explain that it was the residual aftereffects of a magical battle in the Otherworld, during which I’d fought for dominion of a fairy kingdom and become its new master, thus doubling my reign. â€Å"I’m just, uh, coming down with something. Just kind of tired, you know.† She arched her eyebrows. Double crap. â€Å"Then let’s do some quick blood and urine tests,† she said, straightening up. â€Å"Check your electrolytes, thyroid †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I fumbled for an excuse. I’d never been comfortable with those kinds of tests since discovering I had gentry blood. I was pretty sure human medicine couldn’t detect that sort of thing, but I didn’t want to take any chances. â€Å"I don’t have time. My sister’s waiting for me in the lobby.† â€Å"I’m sure she’ll be okay,† said Dr. Moore. â€Å"This’ll take five minutes.† â€Å"Fine.† I sat back on the table, defeated. â€Å"But can you send someone to make sure she’s still out there? She’s the sullen one.† Dr. Moore’s nurse returned to send me to the bathroom and then drew blood when I came back. She was in the middle of telling me they would send the tests out to a lab, when Dr. Moore herself stuck her head back in. â€Å"Can we talk for a moment?† she asked. The nurse discreetly left, and once we were alone, I braced for another lecture about my lifestyle. â€Å"I really need to get back to my sister,† I told her. â€Å"You don’t know what she’s capable of.† â€Å"Eugenie.† Dr. Moore’s voice was kind but firm. â€Å"Most of those tests we have to wait on, but there are a few we do right here with urine.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"And, you’re pregnant.† I thought about this for a moment and then enlightened her. â€Å"No. I’m not.† Those eyebrows rose again. â€Å"Your test came back positive. Now, we can’t tell how far just from a urine test, but based on – â€Å" â€Å"Your test is wrong!† I sprang up from the table. My world was starting to reel again. â€Å"I can’t be pregnant!† To her credit, she took my outburst calmly, but that was probably part of her training. â€Å"The test is very accurate, and it would explain why you aren’t feeling well.† â€Å"I can’t be pregnant,† I repeated adamantly. There was a mistake here. A terrible, terrible mistake, and she needed to understand that. Until she did, I refused even to process what she was claiming. â€Å"I take my birth control pills. Every day. Same time. Just like I’m supposed to. I’m not going to lie: I do other stupid shit all the time. But not with pills. I take them perfectly. I did with the antibiotics too. I’m careless with stitches but not prescriptions.† That calm expression shifted to surprise. â€Å"Antibiotics? When were you taking antibiotics?† I pointed to my shoulder. â€Å"When I got this. The ER doctor gave me a prescription.† I frowned. â€Å"What? Why are you looking at me like that? I told you: I took them correctly, all of them.† â€Å"Antibiotics can negate birth control pills,† she said. â€Å"Didn’t you know that?† â€Å"I †¦ What? No. That’s not †¦ No.† A mistake. A terrible, terrible mistake. â€Å"Women taking both need to use some other form of contraception until the antibiotics have run their course.† A horrible, cold feeling began spreading over me. â€Å"How was I supposed to know that?† I asked in a small voice. â€Å"Your pharmacist should have told you when you got the antibiotics. The interaction would have shown up in your records.† I thought back to that night, how my mom and I had stopped at the place closest to the hospital. â€Å"I didn’t go to my usual pharmacy†¦.† And I had gotten out of there as fast as I could, not bothering to talk to the pharmacist because I’d taken antibiotics lots of times in my life. I certainly hadn’t bothered with the enclosed pamphlets. Dr. Moore seemed to think she’d gotten through to me. â€Å"Now, we can figure out how far along you are if you know when your last period – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I exclaimed. â€Å"No, no, no. I can’t be pregnant! Don’t you understand? I can’t be. I can’t have a baby. I can’t!† I was shouting again and wondered if this place had security. â€Å"Calm down,† Dr. Moore said. â€Å"Everything will be all right.† No, no, it wouldn’t. Everything wouldn’t be all right. Nausea welled in me, nausea I’d felt for a few weeks or so – and that had nothing to do with inheriting the Rowan Land. After all this time, after all the planning and lofty talk, after all my fears about Jasmine †¦ it was me. Human medicine had screwed me over. No, I had screwed me over. I’d fucked up. My own carelessness had brought this about. Everything anyone had ever said about the Storm King prophecy began to run through my mind. Sformi, King’s first grandson. An invasion of the human world. Led by his mother. Domination and blood. And I, I was bringing it about†¦. I was the instrument†¦. â€Å"Eugenie!† Dr. Moore was supporting me, and I had a feeling she’d said my name a few times. She glanced at the door and opened her mouth, about to call her nurse. â€Å"No!† I clutched at her white coat. â€Å"Don’t. Listen to me.† My voice was raspy and desperate. â€Å"I can’t. I can’t have a baby. Don’t you understand?† She peered at me through her glasses, regarding me knowingly. â€Å"Then you don’t have to. There are options – â€Å" You can’t have a boy, some voice inside me said. What if it’s a girl? â€Å"Wait,† I interrupted her. â€Å"When can you tell the gender?† That got a shocked look. â€Å"You’d base an abortion on gender?† â€Å"I – no, wait.† Fuck. I couldn’t think. I was panicked and scared and confused. I needed to get my head together. What did I do? I had to get rid of this baby, pure and simple. People did it all the time. It was easy in this day and age, right? â€Å"I meant, how long until you can tell gender and if †¦ if there’s anything wrong.† I groped for something reasonable, something that wouldn’t make me seem like a heartless woman who’d kill her son. â€Å"You can do those tests, right? Like, genetic tests? I †¦ I’m so afraid of having a baby and having there be something wrong. My family has a bad history. My cousins have had babies with birth defects, and I can’t †¦ I can’t handle that. I have to know. I have to know †¦ right away †¦ as early as possible because otherwise I’ll †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The lies rolled easily off my lips. Anything. Anything to know the gender. Dr. Moore studied me again. I still sounded crazy and scattered, I knew, but a little less than before. â€Å"When was your last period?† she asked quietly. I turned to her wall calendar. The numbers swam before me. I couldn’t focus. How the hell could I remember that when the fate of the world was on the line? I thought about my last period and tried to link it to some event, something that would trigger a date. â€Å"There.† I pointed. â€Å"It started on the fifth.† She nodded, doing mental calculations. â€Å"Which lines up with the antibiotics. You’re almost nine weeks along, as the reckoning goes, though technically only seven since conception.† Seven. Seven weeks †¦ â€Å"You’re almost in the range for chorionic villus sampling,† she said. Chorionic what? â€Å"They don’t like to do it unless it’s necessary, though. There are risks for the fetus. They almost never do it for someone your age, who’s in good health†¦.† â€Å"But it can tell me?† I said urgently. â€Å"It can tell me what I need to know?† â€Å"It can tell you a lot. No test can tell you everything, but it can give you peace of mind †¦ especially if you really do have a bad family history †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Did I ever. â€Å"I do,† I said. â€Å"Please.† I held my breath, knowing she was wavering here. Finally, she turned to her filing cabinet, rifling through it until she found a carbon form. She scrawled something in doctor’s handwriting on it and handed it over. â€Å"Here.† It was a referral to an OB-GYN’s office nearby. The form had my name, some boxes checked, and a few illegible words. I did make out CVS and emergency. â€Å"Emergency?† I asked. I mean, it was, but I was surprised she’d nailed it. â€Å"It means you’ll get scheduled in right away. Most of these tests are backed up – because they aren’t done this early. Give it to my nurse when you leave.† She was writing something else as she spoke. â€Å"She’ll call them and schedule you – but you need to be aware they may refuse it when you’re there, based on their judgment. I meant it: this isn’t routine.† My next words were hesitant. â€Å"Then why are you doing it?† â€Å"Because I believe that in pregnancy, the mother’s health outweighs everything else.† Mother’s health. I didn’t like thinking of myself as a mother. Fuck. This shouldn’t even be an issue at all! We should be discussing abortions. Why did I care about gender? I didn’t want a baby. I wasn’t ready for a baby. Certainly not one who’d fulfill a world-conquering prophecy. â€Å"In this case,† said Dr. Moore. â€Å"Your mental health is especially concerning. Which is what this is for.† She handed me the other piece of paper. It was a referral for a psychologist. â€Å"I don’t need – â€Å" â€Å"Eugenie, shock over an unplanned pregnancy is normal. Expected. But it’s clear †¦ you have some very serious issues around this.† She had no idea. â€Å"Have my nurse call for the test. Then schedule yourself a therapist appointment and a follow-up with me.† There was no way I could tell her I had no intention of going to therapy. I wasn’t even sure about the follow-up. But I’d gotten away with something, and I knew it. I nodded meekly. â€Å"Thank you.† I left before she could change her mind. Jasmine’s face was filled with irritation and impatience when I finally returned. â€Å"That took forever,† she said, tossing a magazine aside. â€Å"How deep were those stitches?† â€Å"Not that deep,† I murmured. I walked toward my car on autopilot, still stunned. â€Å"She was worried about how tired I was, that’s all.† â€Å"Well, you can fix that when we go back to the Otherworld.† I started the car, staring off into space for a few ponderous moments as numbers floated around in my head. Nine weeks, seven weeks. Two days. That was how long until my test. Two days. I refocused on my surroundings so I wouldn’t get us into an accident. â€Å"We aren’t going to the Otherworld anytime soon,† I replied. Jasmine shot me a look that clearly expressed her feelings on that, but there must have been something in my own face that answered back because she didn’t fight the issue anymore. When we returned to my house, I put my purse and paperwork in my bedroom before sitting with Jasmine in her usual spot on the couch. Mindless TV suddenly seemed like a good idea †¦ except, well, it didn’t do a very good job of taking my mind off of my problems. Pregnant. Conqueror of worlds. Storm King’s heir. Me. It was all on me: what had happened and what was to come. We hadn’t been home long when Kiyo showed up. He gave me a cheerful grin and wore his white coat from work, meaning he must not have been cozying up with Maiwenn. Small blessing. His smile was enough to make Jasmine smile in return, but I couldn’t muster one. There was nothing to smile about right now. Nothing good in this world. Nothing good in either world. He joined us on the couch, sandwiching me in between him and Jasmine, and caught hold of my hand. â€Å"Hey, how are you?† he asked. He peered at my face, even though I was pointedly not looking at him. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"Fine,† I lied. â€Å"Tired.† Storm King’s first grandson will conquer the human world. â€Å"She’s been like that all day,† said Jasmine. â€Å"She needs to go back to the Otherworld but won’t.† â€Å"Is that true?† he asked. â€Å"I didn’t think you’d have a problem with that,† I said. â€Å"You’ve always wanted me to stay away.† â€Å"Yeah, but not if it’s affecting you like this. You really look sick, Eug.† â€Å"She also got beat up by a ghost,† Jasmine added helpfully. â€Å"Hey!† I glared. â€Å"I did not!† Kiyo chuckled and pulled me closer. â€Å"Stop playing tough. Go to the Otherworld tomorrow. I’ll come with you, so it won’t be as bad.† He relaxed, and there was a finality in his voice that I didn’t like. I didn’t like his presumption. I also wasn’t entirely sure I should be going to the Otherworld, in light of recent developments. Flowers. Flowers everywhere, everywhere I step. I’m the land, and the land is me. Where I bring life, the land does too†¦. Or death. I could bring death as well. It was my choice. Over and over. The words in my head were all I heard. I didn’t hear the TV, or Kiyo and Jasmine’s occasional comments. I didn’t really hear when Kiyo said he’d make dinner and went to drop off his overnight bag in my bedroom. But I did hear him when he came raging back to the living room, waving my CVS referral form in the air. â€Å"Eugenie!† His voice was a roar, one that made Jasmine cringe and widen her eyes. â€Å"What the hell is this?† I stared up at him levelly, surprised I could be so calm in the face of that outrage, especially after the emotional upheaval I’d been through all day. My own despair and shock had never left, but now I was able to push it down and meet Kiyo’s eyes, as I allowed myself to finally acknowledge the other thought that had been bouncing around in my mind. Because along with the choices I had and the consequences I faced, there was one other matter to consider. I’d looked at the numbers, at the calendar. I’d factored in the dates, the antibiotics, what had been done – or, perhaps most importantly, what hadn’t been done. It was all very clear. There was no soap opera here. No talk show?Cworthy mystery. â€Å"Congratulations,† I told Kiyo. â€Å"You’re going to be a father. Again.† How to cite Iron Crowned Chapter 20, Essay examples