# Yet another "Identify this story" request

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-identify-this-story-request/650884>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 20, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-identify-this-story-request/650884 "2013-02-20T16:48:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![UncleMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e0b2c6/32.png) [@UncleMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleMoose)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-identify-this-story-request/650884/1 "2013-02-20T16:48:14Z")

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The key plot item of what I’m trying to find is that a child was born, there was some argument about one of the hopital fees or a point of procedure, the father refused to pay, the hospital refused to release the baby, and the child grew up in the hospital until emancipated at 18.

Science fiction, may have been by Heinlein or Clarke. I think this was part of a novel, rather than a short story.

I have a feeling this is well known, but searching Google and here didn’t turn up anything.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-identify-this-story-request/650884/2 "2013-02-20T17:57:56Z")

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I do remember the story, but can’t recall the title or author. It’s definitely not Clarke, and probably not Heinlein, though.

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**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-identify-this-story-request/650884/3 "2013-02-20T18:21:25Z")

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> [@UncleMoose](#):
>
> The key plot item of what I’m trying to find is that a child was born, there was some argument about one of the hopital fees or a point of procedure, the father refused to pay, the hospital refused to release the baby, and the child grew up in the hospital until emancipated at 18.
> 
> Science fiction, may have been by Heinlein or Clarke. I think this was part of a novel, rather than a short story.
> 
> I have a feeling this is well known, but searching Google and here didn’t turn up anything.

"For Value Received’’ by Andrew J Offutt (it’s in Again Dangerous Visions)

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**Author:** ![UncleMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e0b2c6/32.png) [@UncleMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleMoose)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-identify-this-story-request/650884/4 "2013-02-20T19:44:12Z")

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Excellent - thanks.

I can see where that story would have appealed to Ellison 😃