Confusion and family

Family, who would have 'em? you can't choose them and you can't change them no matter what you might want to do.

The last 36 hours have been pretty fraught so here is a basic outline:
10.30 my mother in law calls me a work to tell me that our 16 year old niece is pregnant. I was at work and I could barely speak, the tears came and the shaking started and a colleague had to calm me down. I know that she is a troubled young lady and I have no facts around any choices she has made or what choices she plans to make for the future but my first thought, screaming from inside me, was "HOW UNFAIR IS THAT?" It served as a reminder that this world is not fair and life can, on occasion, suck bit style.

The background to this young lady is one of running away, violent outbursts and assaults. Her boyfriend sounds like a troubled young man who has been an incredibly bad influence based on her change in behaviour from a kind, well manner and pleasant person. There are bad relationships in the family based on her choice of boyfriend and her recent actions but these are all things I have refused to get involved with.

The next question asked, in the same breath as my mother in law telling me that our niece is being investigating by social services and her fears that she will not be allowed to keep this baby, was to ask me if we would consider taking this child on. At this point words completely failed me. How could she ask me something like this? Without anything to support it except her own belief of what might happen and what she thinks would be for the best? I spent the afternoon running questions over and over - what would it mean, how would it work, what choice does our niece have and added to those any facts about the circumstances - does she want the baby, was it planned?

Later in the day I managed to explain to Andrew what I knew and his reaction was the same as mine. Luckily I managed to speak to my sister in law, the mother of the niece involved who was able to fill in the details - 9.5 weeks pregnant and not thinking about other than to go through the process of the pre-birth assessment that social services have started. Oh, and to enjoy her holiday to Portugal next week. It seems like 2 days in hospital with severe sickness and dehydration have not stopped her from going on holiday.

At the moment I have no idea what to think:
I am angry that the world is unfair
I am angry that my mother in law asked me whether we would take that baby
I am angry that my intelligent niece has been so stupid as to get pregnant in the first place
I am conflicted as to what we would do if, God forbid, social services removed the baby and turned to us

I have no answers and I don't know what to think but the time being I am staying out of it. I have refused to get involved and I have told people that I don't want updated every 5 minutes.