Title:  On Vacation
Author: Kady the Red Panda
Fandom(s): Tintin
Pairing(s): established Haddotin, but otherwise gen
Rating: K+
Warning(s): mentions of abortion
Summary: Prompt: choices. Captain reflects.
Word Count: 545
Disclaimer: Only Colleen is mine.
Other tidbits: This takes place in 1964-ish, when abortion was illegal in pretty much all of Europe. The UK would not legalize abortion until 1967; most of Western Europe would not follow until the 1970s. Belgium didn't legalize until 1990. As with the US, the rich could go get abortions in a hospital or doctor's office if they bribed a doctor willing to do the procedure. The middle class and poor, however... Well, there is a reason that abortion should be kept legal. Legal abortion really is one of the safest procedures out there. Any anti-choice comments will be promptly met with eye rolls or deleted as spam if possible. It doesn't matter if you think abortion is wrong. Unless you're getting an abortion yourself, it's not any of your beeswax about whether someone else whose name you most likely don't even know is getting one for their own reason.

0000

 

It had never occurred to Captain Haddock that he would spend money on what had just happened. Not when he found treasure, not when the child he didn't even know existed for ten years came into his life, not even when that child matured into a teenager and started dating boys. And yet he did. Even as he passed that money to the other side of the transaction, it felt incredulous. Afterward all he thought was not what their reputation would be or if the police would crash through Marlinspike's doors if they were caught. Rather, it was that the doctor that took the two thousand quid bribe to perform Colleen's operation in a nice clean room in his office better've not harmed her in the process. 

The seventeen year old laid out on the backsets shortly afterward, holding her stomach and groaning.

Tintin kept driving around a roundabout as Haddock asked:

"Are you alright there, lassie?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Doesn't feel that different from when I'm on the rag."

"Bad cramps?"

She grunted. "Yeah."

"Yes, the doctor did warn about that. If it gets any worse we'll call him back before we cross the channel."

"I'll definitely tell you two."

Haddock now looked at his partner. The redhead focused on the road but even then his emotion was clear. He'd been as conflicted about the situation as Colleen and he were. Hell, perhaps more so- he still attended Christmas mass every other year.  A Catholic homosexual was still a Catholic.

But Colleen was still a teenager too. Not completely irresponsible, but for anyone to be a mother at seventeen, especially his daughter, felt wrong to him.  Would he have wanted to be a grandfather? Thundering typhoons, he did! He didn't even believe it possible until seven or so years ago. It just wasn't the best time for it; all three and the also teenaged father agreed. Besides, as not ideal it was, Colleen had the luck of her father being able to pay a doctor to do it in England. Otherwise she could've ended up in a back alley bleeding her organs out. Given the choice between the two, the selection was obvious, regardless of how disappointed and angry he was.

"Dad? Tintin?" She squeaked.  "I'm sorry. I really am. I should've been more responsible."

Why yes, he thought, you should be. Having relations with boys and no protection...

His anger at the situation tempted him to yell it aloud. Yet he couldn't. Colleen was in enough physical pain and guilt as it was. She'd made a mistake. In fact, if it wasn't for a mistake on his or her mother's part, there would probably be no Colleen to begin with. Plus the other mistakes he'd made before! Just another part of growing up. In fact, the fact that Colleen was able to have an adult conversation with them about this situation proved promising. She could make mature decisions as much as she could foolish ones. Mistake or no, she was still his little girl no matter what. Tintin'd surely agree with him on that.

"Don't be, sweetie. You just did what you thought best for you. Go have some rest when we're back at the hotel room; you should feel a little better."