A Spark of Light

by Jodi Picoult

In 2002 Chechen rebels went into a theater, taking hundreds of hostages and even killing two; Russian forces decided to pump an untested gas inside to end the standoff. They killed thirty-nine terrorists but also over a hundred hostages.

“Do you think I wanted this? Do you think anyone wakes up and says, I think I’ll go get an abortion this morning? This is the last stop. This is the place you go when you run through all the scenarios and you realize that the only people who say there’s another way are the ones who aren’t standing there with a positive pregnancy test in their hand. I did it. I don’t regret it. But that doesn’t mean I won’t think about it every day of my life.”

Joy cleared her throat. “I think maybe there’s been a misunderstanding,” she said. “I’m here for an abortion.” “You know if you get an abortion, you probably won’t be able to have children…ever! And that’s if you survive in the first place,” Maria said. She went on: “Do you go to church? Does your boyfriend?” Even these questions sounded enthusiastic.