lurkers-guide/synops/010

<p>  Shon, a young alien boy, has developed a "congested blockage
in his upper air passages."  When Dr. Franklin explains to Shon's
parents that Shon's condition can be cured by a fairly routine
surgical procedure, the parents seem bewildered.  "You will cut him
open?" they ask, and explain that the "Chosen of God" cannot be
"punctured" -- for their souls will escape.
<p>
<img align="middle"
src="/lurk/gif/010/parents.gif">
"<em>Food animals</em> are punctured."
<p>  B5 has received a distress signal from the starliner Asimov,
which has been immobilized because of a fire in its command and
control center--unfortunately, the ship is now adrift in Raider
territory.  Ivanova (who pleas with Sinclair to send her instead of
Garibaldi) is sent to lead a fighter wing to rescue the Asimov.
<p>  Dr. Maya Hernandez, one of the B5 doctors, tries to convince
Shon's parents to allow the procedure, but they are quite determined
not to allow it.  Just as it becomes evident that the parents
will not change their mind, Franklin suggests an alternate
procedure.  He admits that this procedure won't work as well, but
it's better than nothing.  After the parents leave to consider this
new method, Dr. Franklin explains to Hernandez that, though this
procedure will obviously not save Shon, it will at least give
Franklin time to try to convince the parents to change their mind.
Both doctors realize that there are only two options--surgery or
death--but Franklin explains that it is sometimes necessary to
"heal the family before you can heal the patient."  Shon's parents
return and say that they are willing to try Franklin's new
procedure.
<p>
<img align="middle"
src="/lurk/gif/010/gloppet.gif">
Franklin comforts Shon.
<p>  Franklin, who is speaking with Sinclair, explains his dilemma. 
Franklin requests that Sinclair order him to perform the surgery,
but Sinclair declines, commenting that it's a dangerous precedent
to set.  Franklin explains that that precedent has <em>already</em> been
set--by Sinclair's ordering Dr. Kyle to save Ambassador Kosh
(cf. <a href="/lurk/guide/000.html">"The Gathering"</a>)--and
when Franklin brings up the idea of making
this issue official by petitioning Sinclair with a formal request
to operate, Sinclair asks him to try to find another solution.
<p>  Meanwhile, Franklin's "procedure" is obviously not working. 
When the parents become angered, Franklin pleads with them again,
but they still refuse to allow surgery.  Finally, Franklin
threatens to suspend their parental authority if they will not
allow him to operate--and he makes a formal request for Commander
Sinclair to decide this issue.
<p>  Shon's parents go to Sinclair and request that he decide in
their favor.  Sinclair explains his dilemma--he must consider
Franklin's request, but he must also act as the parents' advocate
because the parents' race has no ambassador on the station.  The
parents express their objection--they don't like the situation and
believe that Sinclair will rule against them because "Earth people
always stick together."
<p>  The parents visit Ambassador G'Kar and ask for the Narn to
intervene on their behalf, but G'Kar claims that the parents' world
doesn't have much to offer to Narn--and claims the Narns don't
casually enter into other people's affairs.  The parents then visit
Ambassador Mollari, who says that he sympathizes with them but
explains that it would be too expensive to intervene--if the
Council was called on this matter, there would be a whole array of
costs that would have to be justified.  Ambassador Kosh proves just
as unhelpful to the parents:  concerning the issue of a patient's
safety versus the concerns of the patient's world, he simply says,
"The avalanche has already started.  It is too late for the pebbles
to vote."
<p>
<img align="middle"
src="/lurk/gif/010/plead-kosh.gif">
Shon's parents plead with Kosh.
<p>  When the parents plea with Delenn, she says that she
sympathizes entirely, but she also says that the Minbari are
reluctant to get involved with the religious affairs of other
people--especially because they've seen what happens when other
races interfere with Minbari religious affairs.  Delenn explains
that both Dr. Franklin and the parents believe they are doing
what's "right" -- yet how can either of them prove it?
<p>  Meanwhile, Ivanova's team has found the Asimov--but they have
also picked up the signal of an approaching Raider vessel.
<p>  Sinclair explains to Garibaldi how distraught he is--the buck
keeps being passed back to him.  Earth Central refuses to advise,
and the other ambassadors refuse to take action.  Later, when
Sinclair visits Shon, Shon explains that, though he doesn't want to
die, he doesn't want the surgery either.
<p>  When Sinclair finishes speaking with Shon, Dr. Franklin asks
him what his decision on the request will be.  Sinclair explains
that it's a difficult decisions:  both sides, according to their
own beliefs, are morally "right."  "Who should I believe?" asks
Sinclair.  "You [Dr. Franklin], because we share the same beliefs? 
Or do we? ... What makes a religion false?  If any religion is
right, then maybe they all have to be right.  Maybe God doesn't
care how you say your prayers, just as long as you say them ...
What we hold sacred gives our lives meaning.  What are we taking
away from this child? ... I have to refuse to sign the order.  I
can't allow you to perform the operation."
<p>  When Franklin angrily confronts Sinclair, Sinclair explains
that he really had no choice in the matter.  According to his
personal beliefs, he would sign the order right away--but as
commander of B5, he wants to ensure the neutrality of the station. 
He explains that he can't just set other races' beliefs aside
whenever it's convenient or whenever they violate human beliefs. 
He also says that, though he is violating the precedent set when he
ordered Dr. Kyle to operate on Kosh, that particular precedent must
be stopped somewhere.
<p>  Meanwhile, Shon's condition is worsening.  Franklin calls
Shon's parents, who say how grateful they are for Sinclair's
wisdom, and who tell Shon how proud they are of him that he is
dying honorably.  When Shon's parents leave, however, Franklin
decides to operate on Shon anyway--he can't allow a simple legal
order to get in the way of what's "right," according to him.  Dr.
Hernandez decides to help him.
<p>
<img align="middle"
src="/lurk/gif/010/operate.gif">
Preparing to operate.
<p>  The Raider ship that is approaching Ivanova is meanwhile
getting closer.  Ivanova, in defiance of general orders to the
contrary, breaks formation and pursues this Raider ship--as the
rest of the squadron escorts the Asimov back to B5.  Ivanova
successfully destroys this ship, but notes a large squadron of
Raider ships approaching after her.  She reverses her thrusters,
trying to escape.
<p>  Franklin's operation was successful, and Shon--who is now
<em>physically</em> fine--comments that he doesn't feel spiritually any
different than he did before.  When his parents arrive, however,
they angrily shun Shon--they treat him as if he were some sort of
evil demon and try to exorcise him.
<p>
<img align="middle"
src="/lurk/gif/010/abandon.gif">
Shon, abandoned by his parents.
<p>  Sinclair, when he hears, angrily confronts Franklin.  However,
they are both interrupted by Hernandez, who summons them to the Med
Lab.  At Med Lab, the parents have again arrived--and this time
they appear a little more complacent.  They say that if it were in
their power to forgive Franklin, they would--because he meant no
harm, and because he did what he did out of compassion.  They
leave, after wrapping Shon in a "travelling robe."
<p>  A little later, when Franklin and Hernandez are researching
the customs of Shon's race, Franklin comes across a description of
a "travelling robe."  Suddenly, he rushes out of the Med Lab, runs
through the corridors, and arrives at Shon's room--only to realize
that he is too late, that the parents have already killed Shon. 
The parents, however, don't see why Franklin is so upset--they
comment, "This was not our son.  This was only a shell.  There was
nothing to do but end the pain of the shell."
<p>
<img align="middle"
src="/lurk/gif/010/ceremony.gif">
"Do not grieve, Dr. Franklin."
<p>  Later, Sinclair tells Franklin that he won't ask for his
resignation--this time.  However, he comments that Franklin
shouldn't have made the request--then, he wouldn't have had to
violate it.  Franklin is quite upset with himself, however, for not
knowing that the parents would kill Shon.  Franklin wonders if
things might not be better or easier if nobody cared about life or
religion.  
<p>  "What makes us human is that we care--and because we care, we
never stop trying," replies Sinclair.
<p>  Meanwhile, Ivanova and her squadron have returned safely. 
When Garibaldi asks her about the orders she violated, Ivanova
explains that sometimes things work out when one takes an educated
risk.  Garibaldi replies that at other times, they don't--and he
explains the events of the preceding days to Ivanova.
<p>
Shawn Bayern
<em>bayern@cshl.org</em>
<hr>
Copyright 1994, Shawn Bayern.  All rights reserved.  Permission is
granted to distribute this synopsis <strong>noncommercially</strong> as long as
the synopsis and this copyright notice remain intact.  Babylon 5 is
a copyright of the PTN Consortium; no infringement of that
copyright is intended by writing these synopses.