The Last True Mouthpiece

All gifs used from stefansalvatored

[bettysimmons]

“I’m very sure. We all have duties.” She could stand to learn so much more about the people around her. If she treated it like one of her volunteer projects, she was sure she’d be able to dedicate herself enough to memorize facts about the people of West Ham.

Betty narrowed her eyes. There had been something different about Gabriel that night. It wasn’t just his continued insistence that he and Lucy didn’t mean anything to each other. It was the intensity when he looked at Rumi. She knew something was going on. But she’d allow him this. “Well, thank you for clarifying.”

“I’m glad.” He had been through enough. The prognosis was better if he was in a better mood. “If you’re the sleepy one today, then maybe I should get out of your hair. Thank you for keeping me up to date. Please don’t forget to schedule a meetup between the three of us.”

[gabrielroberts]

“Yeah, okay,” he agreed, letting out another yawn. He almost asked Betty if he could just take a nap on one of the hospital beds, but he figured patientifying himself probably wasn’t the best idea when she was already worried about him.

“Love you. I’ll see you later,” he said before he made his way back out of the building. He didn’t know how long he’d have to try to sleep before he was called to another meeting, but he was going to make the most of it.

(fin.)

[gabrielroberts]

Gabe drummed his fingers on his knee while he pondered that. The one plus he could see was that Betty would tell him if anyone treated her badly. And then he could kindly speak to them about that. Or ask CM to, since that was their job and he didn’t know if he was allowed to do that now since he was on the council. “Okay. If you’re sure. That probably would be helpful.”

“I don’t think I knew then Betty,” he said. “It’s a hindsight thing. It was the first time we’d hung out like that. I needed to see her more to know for sure if it was more than just friendly.” He’d even needed a moment like that for Young recently. It took a second for him to figure out sometimes. Plus even if he had known, he still wouldn’t have told her then. She was way too perceptive when it came to him already. Betty would have immediately tried to play her version of matchmaker.

“You have a point,” he admitted. Gabe wasn’t wanting to date Rumi just because he needed some happiness in this messed up situation though. She was so much more. He hoped that even if this hadn’t happened they would have found time to have their moment. Maybe they would have on the trip instead. Cooking marshmallows on a campfire and looking at the stars. “I am happy.” He yawned. “Exhausted. But happy.”

[bettysimmons]

"I'm very sure. We all have duties." She could stand to learn so much more about the people around her. If she treated it like one of her volunteer projects, she was sure she'd be able to dedicate herself enough to memorize facts about the people of West Ham.

Betty narrowed her eyes. There had been something different about Gabriel that night. It wasn't just his continued insistence that he and Lucy didn't mean anything to each other. It was the intensity when he looked at Rumi. She knew something was going on. But she'd allow him this. "Well, thank you for clarifying."

"I'm glad." He had been through enough. The prognosis was better if he was in a better mood. "If you're the sleepy one today, then maybe I should get out of your hair. Thank you for keeping me up to date. Please don't forget to schedule a meetup between the three of us."

[gabrielroberts]

“You don’t have to do that Betty.” He didn’t want anyone treating her badly because she’d volunteered herself as a target to be a true test of their character. “I can figure it out. I don’t want to put you through that.” She’d been through enough.

He thought back to that day. How Betty had pulled up and immediately started interrogating him about Lucy in front of Rumi. Thankfully she had let him move the conversation on, and he’d been able to make a save on that front with Rumi after Betty had fallen asleep. “I’m sure. I think I fell in like with her that day.” He chuckled to himself. It really had been that quick. Gabe had locked eyes with her all of one time before he stepped off that cliff.

Gabe almost laughed at the idea of Rumi not having genuine intentions. He couldn’t even imagine it. She was way too… kind and genuine and perfect. “Thanks for saying that,” he said. Gabe wanted to be happy about it. He was ecstatic, honestly. It was hard to believe it was real life, it felt like a dream. He didn’t want the pressure of everything else going on to squash that feeling. Maybe he did need someone to give him permission to embrace it.

[bettysimmons]

"I insist. You can't make good decisions on bad information. It will be good for me. I'll have a better understanding of the world around me and you'll have better answers on how to navigate things." She smiled. There were several upsides to this plan, but it wasn't something she would have thought of without Gabriel.

That surprised her. While she had been napping, drooling on his furniture, he had been falling in like with Rumi. She needed to get more sleep. "Wow. That's big. I'm very happy for you, but you should have told me then. Not when I was asleep, of course, but when I woke up." He'd been the one to say that day that there wasn't anything happening with anyone.

"It's true," she shrugged. "We have to find a way to make this whole thing worth it. That's what He would want from us. We can't just sit on the sidelines, we need to thrive. That includes making happiness where we can, in case that wasn't clear."

[gabrielroberts]

Gabe felt bad. He wished he could give Betty the certainty she needed. He wasn’t sure they could rely on what they knew before this anymore. It was all changing. But he promised Betty he was going to do better and stop looking at a lot of things in a bad light. “Yeah. I don’t know. I think even before this we only ever knew what people chose to show us, you know?” Did that make sense? “So I’m not sure that knowing more about how things used to be helps that much now.” He would try to help it make sense for her. “I wish it did. I’m finding it hard too.”

“Anything for you,” he told her. Gabe meant it. Even if he wanted to do the opposite. If it meant this much to Betty he would do it.

Gabe’s heart warmed at Betty claiming her spot as his family. It was easy to think he didn’t have any right now but that wasn’t true. Betty was his family.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “If it all goes how I’m hoping I’m sure we can hang out with you conscious this time,” he teased. Betty had zonked so fast that first day Rumi had come to his house to help him with speech prep. Would she have still done that if she’d known this was where it’d lead? Probably not.

“It feels kind of crazy to be thinking about this stuff with everything going on but. I don’t know. She’s amazing. It’s hard not to.”

[bettysimmons]

The thing she felt most certain of was that people were changing here. Her limited interactions with people showed that they were being impacted by their circumstances. "You're right. It's important to focus on who they are now. I guess that means I'll need to put myself out there more. I don't really want to, but with your position we can't be sure that everyone is going to be authentic around you. They might try to sway you. The best barometer is how you treat someone who doesn't hold power, in this case me."

She laughed, more than a little self conscious. "I hope I made some contribution then. It's all a bit of a blur in my memory." She'd been so bone crushingly exhausted. It had been an accident.

"Gabriel," she chided, "In times of hardship, joy is even more important to hold onto. As long as her intentions are genuine, there's no reason to marinate in guilt for having some tiny bit of happiness." The small grasps at happiness were the only thing keeping her going right now. She couldn't stand the idea that he might be holding back in those moments.

[gabrielroberts]

Gabe was grateful that Betty was someone who always meant the things she said. It meant he never had to doubt or question it when she said things like that. The two of them were permanent structures in each other’s lives.

Gabe smiled. “I think we need to get you up in the pulpit sometime Betty,” he said, bumping her with his shoulder. “That’s the kind of thing my mom would put on a throw pillow.”

“Both. God and time is gonna heal my nose. Are you working tonight?” he asked her. “Want to have dinner and watch Narnia?”

[bettysimmons]

"That's too much responsibility for me. I don't think anyone wants to hear me talk that much. I certainly don't. I'd need you to write the whole thing for me and I'd probably mess up saying it because of nerves." She laughed. "I'll leave that to you, the voice that inspires you or something behind the scenes."

Betty placed her hands together, "Amen." She was relieved that he'd started taking his recovery seriously. She didn't think she could fix it again without worrying about internal bleeding. "No, work. Yes, Narnia. I promise I won't fall asleep this time." She would never miss a chance to watch Jesus inside of a lion.

(end)

[gabrielroberts]

Gabe’s throat burned with emotion. This was… this was new for them. Usually it was Gabe giving Betty some form of mini sermon. Not to lecture her, it just helped her to walk through some stuff that way. It moved him deeply to have her doing it for him. It’s what his dad would have done for him.

He hugged her back, feeling more grateful for her than ever. Grateful that she’d tell him what she’d noticed. That she’d be there after. “Thank you,” he said, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, you know?”

Gabe nodded at her reassurance. At her warning. “I know. You’re right,” he said. “I don’t… I think you know me better than anyone, Betty. If I get caught up like that again please tell me.” He hated the idea that he’d miss it. He already had once. Gabe didn’t want it to ever get past his thoughts.

[bettysimmons]

"That's not something you have to worry about." There were many things that she couldn't decipher right now. A world without Gabriel wasn't probable to her. God had seen fit to place them in this world together. They were staying that way.

Betty nodded her head slowly. She was still getting her footing with this more jaded Gabriel, but she felt equipped to navigate it now. "I will." She softened her tone, "If the journey was easy, we wouldn't need faith. This is part of it. You're going to be okay." She chuckled, "As long as your nose heals. Mentally, I think you'll be okay."

[gabrielroberts]

Gabe’s face fell, his shoulders drooped. It probably would have hurt less if she had badly punched him herself. He wanted to deny it, say he would never do that. But a wave of devastation hit him when he realised she was right.

Gabe lowered his eyes, shame flooding his entire being. “I…” he trailed off, trying to find words that he didn’t have. She was right, he had been acting like an a-s-s. The first night they were stuck here he’d resorted to violence. He couldn’t let his anger at Tony go. He wanted him to pay for what he’d taken, what he had disrespected. He didn’t think that Tony could change. And he was imagining a lot more people than Tony could fall into that category too.

“You’re right.” He nodded to himself, took a breath and lifted his eyes back to Betty’s. “You’re right, Betty. I’m sorry. I didn’t see it that way. But there’s no excuse.” He sniffed. “I don’t want to think like that.” It wasn’t what he believed. He knew his parents would feel the same way as Betty. Gabe was not being a good representative of his faith for anybody right now. Not even his closest friend. “I’m going to do better.”

“It’s the kind one,” he said quietly. “It’s our job to help it be that. I’m sorry I forgot.”

[bettysimmons]

Betty had never seen Gabriel collapse on himself. She watched his face as something cascaded over it. Pain? Guilt? She wasn't sure. This was an entirely foreign sensation to her. Her dissection of his recent actions hadn't meant to be a point of judgement. It appeared to have upset him anyways.

Her hands hung in the air as she debated hugging him. "It's okay, Gabriel." They'd been through a variety of changes recently. All of her routines had been disrupted and she'd found herself trying to figure out why God had called them to this over and over again.

Fine. She needed to hug him. She held him tightly, keeping her head very far away from his lest she accidentally bump his nose. "There's a lot to get swept up in right now. I think it's probably normal to have some struggles along the way. Most people aren't as good at being moral all the time like you. So, it's new. That's why it's scary, but I've seen it in other people." She stopped to breathe. "You'll be okay. It doesn't mean anything. You thought the things, but you didn't do them and that's a big difference. Monumental. That means no one was actually harmed."

She cleared her throat. This wasn't something she felt very good at, but she was trying. She pulled away from with a small pat on the back. "The good thing is we already know that you can do better. You have in the past. Very achievable." Her tone softened. "I'm proud of you for realizing where you want to be. We can work towards it. I don't think it's going to get easier." Could it be as simple as Gabriel needing her? Was that why she was here? She didn't know. It all felt so complicated and indecipherable.

[gabrielroberts]

Gabe didn’t think it was as big of a leap as Betty was suggesting. He didn’t know what to say to convince her of that though. Her experience in the woods was clearly influencing a lot for her. And why wouldn’t it? She’d been there with them to watch Britt die. Unable to use any of her skills to stop it. That probably changed the way she saw all of them. He really needed to remember that.

“Wait. What do you mean? I’m starting to change?” He was so confused. This entire conversation was confusing.

He nodded. Gabe understood how she felt. But he was probably a little more comfortable with not knowing than Betty was. “However you’re responding is okay. God made you, Betty. He knows how you’ll respond before you even do. And he has grace for anything, remember? We can figure it out together. I promise.”

[bettysimmons]

Betty shrugged. "You are. Your becoming much more interested in the teachings of the Old Testament rather than the New. Vengeance, wrath, punishment, and violence. It's what you're suggesting. The world is a bad place and bad people. I don't know that I agree but I we are living in a society that is missing a lot of people." She really needed to stop between sentences. Gabriel had been her moral compass and watching him tilt was confusing. She'd been so sure that his will was unshakeable. "I'm not judging, I would never cast the first stone but I am trying to hold fast to the notion that we can all be forgiven."

"That's what I'm trying to save. We need more forgiveness here, but I can't figure out which world we're living in. Is it the vengeful one or the kind one?" She wanted to hug him, but restrained herself. Affection made her uncomfortable. "I just want an answer - no guesswork required."

[gabrielroberts]

“I’m not going to go at him without evidence. I’m just talking to you.” He ran his hand over his face, trying to wipe the exhaustion away. “It’s just a lot of coincidences.” Gabe did air quotes for the entire sentence. He was too tired to notice.

She trusted he knew what he was talking about. But she didn’t say she trusted him. That stung. He pretended he didn’t notice.

Her change in tone really got him. Gabe didn’t understand how she could see things the way she did and worry for his safety with Tony at the same time. But she was serious. He could tell. “I’ll stay safe. Promise.” Gabe sighed. “Community maintenance are working on it with the council. It won’t be me visiting Tony. I don’t really want you to have to fix my nose again. Or my brain. As great a doctor as you are.” He tried to reassure her with a smile, it just felt a little forced.

“Oh, I…” He looked at her. Smiled a little. “Soon. I hope.” Gabe tried to relax. “We… I like her. A lot. As more than a friend,” he admitted. “Seems like she feels the same for me. But I really want to take her on an actual date and maybe try to make some stuff official before we do that though. I don’t know what’s too soon for any of it.”

[bettysimmons]

"I know. It is a lot." She deflated. "I'm trying to see the world the way that your father encouraged and it's hard when people act so...oddly. I guess I didn't pay enough attention before. When it was important to. I thought that I knew these people from stereotypes and it turns out that stereotypes aren't always true." Betty took a breath. She was learning a great deal, but it never felt fast enough. "I don't have your people skills so I'm relying on them here and just going with what seems like logic. Which can be a trap. And some faith. Faith is always paramount." Faith in what? That was harder to answer right not. God, forever but this group...she couldn't put it into words.

She was relieved that he wasn't going over there again. Her deal with Tony would have his limits. They were supposed to stay far far away from each other. "I think that's smart and a rebreak at this time would be so bad for your healing. Like so so so bad. I don't even know all the complications you could be facing." She needed to do more research. "So, thank you. I mean it." Her smile was genuine even if she could see the strain in his.

Soon. Her eyebrows raised in surprise. He'd been so defensive last time she'd asked. Things had shifted quickly. "Family meetings usually come within a few weeks, but everything's so accelerated here that I don't think she'll mind. You should go on a date first, though, just to make sure it's what both of you want."

gabrielroberts:

“Yeah,” he said encouragingly. “It’s not all about the stuff we do, but it can be really hard to know what He’s saying to us sometimes. We know that too well huh?”  Gabe shrugged at Betty’s brief assessment of Noah’s intelligence. He thought he definitely could be that stupid, but he didn’t know if he was actually allowed to say that. “Yeah but different situations can cause different results. And you all went into the woods so soon after this happened. Not saying any of the group you were with did anything, but they’ve had time to process and think more since then. We all have.”  Since the group had come back from the woods, there had been this kind of collective understanding that this was all going to take longer than they hoped it would to fix. They needed to settle in and start helping each other get through. He knew there were people who were thinking more on the selfish side, and maybe Noah had annoyed someone too much. Whatever it was, right now it was scary. Gabe hoped they could all find him soon. “Thank you for trying to see my point, I really appreciate it. I’m trying to see yours too. I hope I’m not making you feel unheard. I just don’t know either.”

[bettysimmons]

Gabriel was starting to change. Last week, he'd been convinced that there was some good in most people. He'd held tight to their beliefs that people could be saved and forgiven. She had never seen him this cynical, this assured that people didn't always follow their best instincts. "Hmmm," she said quietly. "Changing their mind about not punching Noah or something more extreme seems like a fairly large change in a small span. I know that everyone's under microscopes these days but you would think that we could manage a little bit of decorum. I guess, though, if even you're starting to change then we all are a little bit. I certainly feel different about things than when I first got here. Doesn't mean I would punch someone I went in the woods with, but I guess I see where you're coming from." She took a very deep breath. That had been too much talking at once.

She was always grateful that the Lord had seen fit to bring them together. He respected her and there were very few people who did. She valued that. "I get stuck, Gabriel, between knowing that it's utter hubris to assume God's plan and being so desperate to know what He has in store for us. This is such a tremendous test of our faith and I worry that I'm not responding correctly."

[bettysimmons]

gabrielroberts:

Gabe almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Betty was defending Tony? To him? What in the heck was happening? “This isn’t about how I feel about him Betty, I promise. Maybe you’re right about the fire, I really don’t know. But the council heard some things last night that were really concerning. From someone who knows him pretty well. I don’t think he’s a safe person to be around even if he has been through some stuff. Which I sympathise with, I do.” He shook his head, trying to order his thoughts. “I can only imagine how hard losing a friend like that would be. I hope I never find out. But he also stole the church and broke my nose. And I know I’m not without blame there. We have reason to believe he could be responsible for some pretty bad stuff.” “I can’t tell you more than that because it’s confidential right now. But trust me, please. And you’re the only person I’ve talked to about this, you’re my best friend.” He hoped she knew that. Something about this whole thing had him feeling really anxious. Gabe needed to know Betty heard him.  “Rumi?” Gabe’s cheeks heated before he could get an ounce of control over it. “I guess, uh I guess I did see her today. I saw her last night after I went to check on everyone at the party when the lights went out.” He was over explaining. There was no way she wouldn’t see how flustered he was. Gabe just wasn’t sure if he was meant to be sharing yet or not. “We went to check on the fire together. Then we um. Walked. Talked. You know.”



[bettysimmons]

Betty listened quietly. Her ears perked up that their had been conversations, but conversations, that Gabriel hadn't informed her of. She nodded her head slowly. "I would never deny that he did bad things in the past, I only caution judge not lest ye be judged. W-You don't know the specifics yet and accusations need more proof than someone who used to be close to him." She twisted her hands together. "It's you I'm worried about. If you go at him with no evidence, people are going to discredit you. There are so many people on his side and he leads through violence. I don't want you drawn into that and I certainly don't want people calling for your seat to be revoked because they perceive a vendetta that isn't there."

She took a small breath. "I trust that you know what you're talking about but if he's as dangerous as you say, confronting him needs to be a delicate matter. Your nose is still healing and a re-injury could lead to something horrible like a potential brain bleed. I'm not that good of a doctor yet, Gabriel." She was desperate for him to believe her. Setting his nose had been exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Working with a break that was broken more than once was unfamiliar territory she wasn't ready to broach. She softened her voice, "You're my best friend. I need you to stay safe."

There was a change in Gabriel's appearance that Betty hadn't seen very frequently. She thought she'd glimpsed it with Lucy but she'd been wrong. There was something here. Something important. "I don't know. I don't talk to that many people. Mainly you and people at church, occasionally the shelter but they're not usually interested in the same conversation topics as me, that's beside the point. Is there some-do you-," She wasn't sure how to ask what she wanted to, "When are we all having dinner together?"

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

So the brightest minds in New Ham are bickering about guinea pigs, the government can’t decide how long they should take to read things, and some people want to know where Noah is. Others want to know why the fuck they should care.

But hatchets can be buried, peaces made. Secrets forgotten, people disappeared. Nothing helps like a party.

It’d be a shame if something was to happen to it. 

So press play and go.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

Murder on the dance floor, murder on the dance floor, murder in the dark on the dance floor I really hope there isn’t a murder on the dance floor. (continued from here and here)

Keep reading

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

So the brightest minds in New Ham are bickering about guinea pigs, the government can’t decide how long they should take to read things, and some people want to know where Noah is. Others want to know why the fuck they should care.

But hatchets can be buried, peaces made. Secrets forgotten, people disappeared. Nothing helps like a party.

It’d be a shame if something was to happen to it. 

So press play and go.

[wewerechildrenwerenotnow]

A collapse, a fire, the girl who nearly died from it, and the hospital aftermath as managed by the school’s most powerful clique and New Ham’s most powerful person. But what is it they say about emergencies? 

‘When everything’s a crisis, nothing is.’

Keep reading

[bettysimmons]

gabrielroberts​:

Phase: Day Twelve​ 

“My dad says that God only gives us challenges that we can handle, so He thinks you’re up for it.” Gabe felt a little phony saying that, he didn’t know if he was just saying what he thought she needed to hear or if he was encouraging something he shouldn’t. Did he believe it though? He thought so. 

Gabe frowned. “What if someone started the fire on purpose? They could have still been there and pulled her out.” Gabe rubbed at his face. Man he was tired. “Tony wouldn’t have wanted anyone else–” Oh. Oh no. He did not mean to say that. He looked at Betty wide eyed, his brain stalling. Maybe she wouldn’t notice the slip? “Anyway at least she’s safe, you know? That’s– that’s the main thing. That she’s safe.” 

“I know I am.” Even if she would normally fill the silence with words, there was nothing more to say about that.

When Gabriel started to speak, however, she grew incredibly confused. She blinked at him for several moments. “Gabriel, I know that you have a personal vendetta and for good reason,” She didn’t want him to think she didn’t understand, “But that idea is more than a little far fetched.” She took a deep breath. “You expect me to believe that the most logical solution is that the person who created the fire stuck around to rescue anyone that happened to go inside it, thereby risking getting caught the entire time with no viable explanation as to what happened?” She laughed. “I may doubt the intelligence of people in this town, but I find it hard to believe that anyone would start a fire and then wait in front of it.”

The seriousness of his expression startled her. His slip indicated that this wasn’t information that she was supposed to know. She didn’t know what to do with the idea that he was keeping secrets. “I would urge you to look beyond personal grievances to the facts at hand. For all we know, the patient was able to drag herself out but the trauma of the memory is too deeply buried for us. We have no witnesses, only suppositions. Given the previous history between you two, people might thing....” she trailed off, “I mean, I always think you have a good handle on things, but I’d be really certain about your accusations before you make them public. He may not be the nicest person, but he did rush into the woods to find answers. He did recently bury a friend.” She took a deep breath. There was one more thing she could say, but she would be risking Tony’s ire in the process. “And I have reason to believe that he couldn’t have physically done this. That is my professional opinion as a physician.” She hoped that he could read between the lines, but it was entirely possible that he would be too fixated to see what she was telling him. 

“Now, what’s going on with you and Rumi. Did you see each other today?” She had barely heard anything about the two of them lately and she was very curious. 

[bettysimmons]

gabrielroberts​:

Phase: Day Twelve​ 

Gabe thought about the others who had been at the fire. He thought about Rumi. Did they need to be tested too? Half of him wanted Betty to do it because if this was dangerous he didn’t want them to be hurt. But he also wasn’t sure if that would be helpful yet. And anyway, he was overthinking it because Rumi was friends with Poppy so she would look after her. Right? “Okay. Sorry. I’ll be a good patient, promise.” 

The same position. Okay that was good. Well, it wasn’t great actually. But Gabe had been worried that something shifted for her last night. He was relieved to know she was still thinking similar things, even if he still didn’t know how to respond. “Cool cool. I know you will, if anyone can it’s you.” Was that too much? Probably. 

“Thank God,” he breathed. The idea that Sprout could have been the second–  frick, possibly third person they had lost in less than two weeks had his stomach turning. “Someone pulled her out of the house? That’s what she said?” Gabe dragged his hand through his hair. It was possible the same person who had started the fire had saved her. Was it really saving someone if you were the one who put them in danger in the first place? 

“Thank you.” She smoothed out invisible wrinkles on her dress. She would need to check Gabriel’s nose again soon, but judging how that went last time she was holding off. For now.

She smiled but it lacked any warmth. “I expected something would change much quicker than it has. I’m not giving up, we all have our faith tested sometimes, but there are so many avenues I need to explore right now that it’s overwhelming.” She took a small breath. “God’s opened too many doors and I am just opening each one to peek inside hoping all the answers will fit together, but it’s a bigger challenge than I expected.”

Betty had been the one to be firm on regulations. She needed to hold back some details, solely for Camellia’s privacy. The girl had been through so much, she deserved that. “Camellia stated that she ran into the house and collapsed before she was able to recover anyone else.” She paused. “There was a vague mention of some being or shape that she saw, but what’s more important is the fact that she woke up on the lawn. We can assume that someone else had the same impulse to help that Camellia had and were more successful.” She raised her eyes to the ceiling, “He truly does work in mysterious ways.”

[bettysimmons]

gabrielroberts​:

Phase: Day Twelve​ 

“Wha– for real?” It was stupid of him to ask. Betty was always for real. “I was outside though. Wouldn’t I know by now?” He’d walked right into that one. But now he was also kind of worried. 

Gabe followed her and sank into the leather chair. His tired muscles were aching from being active for so long. “I just wanted to check on you after last night. A lot happened and I know you were um… worried.” She didn’t seem to be disappointed that she hadn’t ascended again… He almost didn’t want to bring it up. But he couldn’t in good conscience do that to her. 

“I know you probably can’t tell me much because of that doctor confidentiality thing or whatever, but is Poppy’s sister okay?”

“It’s invisible, Gabriel.” She repeated. “We won’t know until we do the proper tests, whatever they are. I was woefully unprepared for this and I will not make sure it happens again, but you have to let me do my job. You were busy doing yours and I am trying to respect that.” Even if it hadn’t been the smartest idea to run towards a burning building.

It took Betty a moment to remember what he was talking about. She’d been on her feet so long, it was hard to think about before the lights had gone out. Or rather, the exact moment they’d gone out. “Well, I refuse to believe that Noah Nixon would be the only person to ascend. That’s not a God worth believing in, Gabriel. It’s a farce.” She sniffed. “So we’re in the same position as before. We’re being tested. How and why? I haven’t quite figured out yet but I will get to the bottom of it.”

She pursed her lips. Gabriel was in an official position which could supercede regular stipulations. “I think she’ll be okay, but we’re currently trying to determine how much she remembers. It’s possible that she hallucinated due to lack of oxygen and that’s a difficult thing to contend with.” Her eyes darted to her medical texts, but she wasn’t going to thumb through them right now. “I will say, whoever carried her to safety definitely saved her life. We should all be grateful for that divine intervention. To be clear, I’m not saying that God saved her only that God must have led someone to intervene.”

[bettysimmons]

gabrielroberts​:

Phase: Day Twelve​

“Uhhhhhh.” Gabe ran his hand through his hair which desperately needed some taming, trying to order his thoughts. “I was there, but that was last night. Rumi’s friends told us about it so we went to check it out. As the council, obviously.” Gabe cleared his throat awkwardly. “To make sure it was safe and uh, contained.”

“I’m fine though, I don’t need medical attention.” He suppressed a wince remembering the last time Betty treated his injuries. Gabe would do everything he could to avoid that. Not because it was Betty though. She was a pro. That just hurt.

“Do you have time to talk?” He asked her. “I can talk while you work if you can’t stop. I won’t get in your way, I promise. You kinda look like you need a break though. Are you okay?”

“No, no, no, no, no.” Betty pushed Gabriel lightly. “Smoke inhalation is an invisible problem. You have no idea if you’re safe yet or not. I’m going to have to do some reading to make sure you receive the proper care.” She had spent the morning digging through books looking for ways to ensure that they were better prepared for future disasters. “You do need medical attention, I’m just not sure what that looks like yet. Rest assured, when I figure out what’s best then I’ll let you know.”

She glanced around. Adrian was still under observation, but he would be leaving soon. She could stand to give Gabriel a little bit of time. “We’ll sit down. I’ve  been reading and I can’t do that while talking to you. Come over here,” she led him down the hallways to the office she’d cleaned for herself. “You can take a seat in that chair. It’s real leather.” She’d pulled it from a conference room. “What would you like to say?”