"The Cold Equations" is a science fiction short story by American writer Tom Godwin, first published in Astounding Magazine in 1954.
The source of the suspense lies in the tension between the dictates of morality and the demands of the relevant regulations. Barton knows all the regulations chapter and verse. If he's to make his delivery of vital medical supplies to the planet Woden, then absolutely no stowaways can be allowed on board ship.
