"The Tyrant" post-ep ficlet.

[lit_luminary]

Title: Mea Maxima Culpa
Author: dominus_trinus (lit_luminary)
Rating: PG-13 for concepts.
Characters: Chase
Summary: The aftermath of decision: to some questions, there are no objective answers.

Comments

[waylandsmithy]

I think you've expressed the dilemma and Chase's probable thoughts very well here-and at lightning speed!

[lit_luminary]

Thanks so much for commenting! I was fascinated by the ethical questions posed in the episode, and while I guessed what Chase was going to do, I wanted to get a closer look at what could have been going on in his head. (Of course, using his viewpoint this way means confinement to his conscious calculations: there would have been factors and motivations he hasn't necessarily admitted or analyzed yet.)

[lit_luminary]

Thank you for commenting! I've always found Chase a fascinating character, and last night's decision wanted some detailed observation.

[rivercrossing2]

I could definitely picture Chase ruminating all this in his head.

That he did what he did gives me the chills (an understatement of course). Chase has always been one of my favorite characters and I would hate to see him go down because of this act. At the same time, he killed a man...but he kept so many people from dying becuase he did. It's one of those questions, I think, that is so hard to answer because sometimes the pros outweigh the cons, when other times the cons outweigh the pros. I think that Chase is most likely going to wind up very internally damaged by this, if he isn't there already...most likely, as you've portrayed in this, he's numb.

I hate to think of what this will do to Cameron. Well, I guess we have the rest of the season to find out...

PS: May I friend you?

[lit_luminary]

Thanks so much for commenting! I've always been extremely fond of Chase, so needless to say that I was very concerned by last night's episode. Even if there are no legal consequences (I doubt there will be, because otherwise, first degree manslaughter carries a sentence of 20-25 years to life, and there haven't been spoilers about the actor leaving the show), as he said himself, only a psychopath wouldn't have "some sort of breakdown" after this

[rassafraggin]

Thank you for this. A person could go nuts from all the what-ifs and even-ifs in this philosophical puzzle, and they are addressed succinctly here. One aspect I feel has been overlooked is the idea that there is no more safe option for prosecution from the outside world, for Chase, as he sees it. As he'd said to Foreman, if the killing is revealed, the massacre of the Sitibi will likely go on as Dibala had intended. And that brings up the moral conundrum wherein confessing to the killing would bring about the consequences he'd acted to prevent in the first place. That is the strongest reason he would have for maintaining a cover-up, despite his guilt or willingness to face legal prosecution.

[lit_luminary]

I did consider that, yes: Chase would be willing to face the consequences of his actions, but only if he were the only one whose life then would be destroyed. As it is, he can't seek out the punishment he may very well feel he deserves, as doing so would nullify everything gained through his actions.

I suppose that doesn't become an issue here because Chase is more focused on moral than legal consequences: if there are legal consequences, he knows what's likely to happen to him and to the Sitibi; he doesn't have to guess. But at that moment, he's assuming that there might not be--and the implication, which you rightly identified, is that he may have to live without external punishment (which could feel just as wrong as having killed Dibala in the first place).

[topaz_eyes]

And if House had gotten his way about treating for scleroderma-which he probably would have-Dibala would still be dead, and it would be an honest misdiagnosis.

That's a very good point in hindsight.

This is a pointed, yet sympathetic, look into Chase's thoughts. I can see him thinking like this, too.

[lit_luminary]

Thank you for your comment! I'm glad you found Chase's thoughts realistic.

This was an interesting piece to write, particularly as it gave me the opportunity to consider some of those questions myself: at what point, if ever, does it become morally right to end a life?