let the river take them; river drown them @exdocbradley-blog - Tumblr Blog

theravenwilliams:

Raven’s one outstanding trait was her stubbornness. She didn’t go to law school like her father wanted her to and she wasn’t going to sit still in the compound just because Gabriel was telling her not to go. She got her crossbow ready to go along with other little trinkets that could help them along the way. She was a good archer. No. She was a great archer, and they needed her. Plus, she was bored and she wasn’t about to help out at the clinic just because she was bored. She needed to go outside. “But I want to come and I’m coming, end of discussion.” She handed him a few more bandages, just in case, and followed him around. “Spencer can go on the next run, I’m going now.”

Gabriel knew it was hypocritical of him to ask Raven to stay when Gunnar had asked the same of him not too long ago, and he also knew Raven was more likely to conjure up gold than stay behind when someone asked her to, but he couldn’t help but ask. He told himself it was because she tended to push herself more than she needed to and was looking out for her wellbeing, but at the back of his mind he knew the real reason he wasn’t ready to admit yet. “I don’t know why I ever try to convince you.” He sighed though there was a hint of a smile on his face. “He’s gonna be pissed when he finds out you went without him you know that right?” Gabe grinned as he took the bandages she’d held out for him and packed them into his bag. He walked across the room that served as the ‘med bay’ and grabbed the gun that sat on his desk.

Gabe had never been one for guns or violence in general, he was a doctor after all. He was supposed to heal not kill. But considering what the world had now become he knew it was a necessary evil. With a sigh he holstered the sidearm away and did the same with the knife he always took outside with him. “Okay, I think that’s everything.” He turned to face her again as he shouldered his bag, “Ready? I think the others are going to meet us at the gate.”

#c: raven #oo2

“You don’t have to come, Raven.” Gabriel muttered while he busily packed his bag with a few salves and bandages - just in case. He wanted to say that he didn’t want her to come but he knew her well enough by now that she’d probably take that as a challenge and come along to spite him. It hadn’t been raining for at least a day now, and the place had dried up for the most part. They were in desperate need for more supplies and they couldn’t lose this chance, they had to go today. Convincing Gunnar to let a group head out was tough, but Gunnar knew just as well as he did that they couldn’t afford to go another day of just sitting on their hands. Not when peoples lives were on the line.

“It’s just a small group this time and we need to move fast. You can always head out on the next run.” Whenever that would be. Who knew when the rain would return.

#c: raven #oo2 #my brain died halfway so sorry its short ajkhds

gunnarscotts:

“You’re too good for them,” Gunnar murmured, finally having to look away and sighing. As much as he knew Jefferson might be able to handle being the group’s medic, he wasn’t as experienced as Gabriel. And Jefferson’s talents lay more in surgery than actual healing. Quietly, Gunnar got back to his feet, walking to the door and closing it before sitting on the table in front of Gabe. “It’s getting worse out there.” He let that hang in the air for a moment. “The walkers are wearing down the wall in the right side. They could break through any day. I’ve had people working to fix it and keep an eye out but…” With a heavy sigh, he looked at his hands. “It won’t be enough.”

“We need to come up with a contingency plan for when this plays falls. I need you to start working with Jefferson Williams more. Teach him what you know. And others you see fit, but he has at least a base medical knowledge to grow upon. And we have to train more fighters. Not only that, but somehow we need to start luring them away from the walls. There’s too many to completely clear the perimeter, but if we could just lessen the chances of someone dying…” Gunnar hated thinking about this. He could see it clearly. Death. It was coming for them all but he had to still try. “That is why I worry about you going out there. What if you don’t come back to me? To us?” he amended quickly.

“Hardly.” Gabriel smirked, shaking his head as he watched his friend. He wished there was some way he could alleviate the stress and the weight Gunnar held on his shoulders, but he doubted he could lead the way Gunnar did, the way he spoke. None of them could. When Gunnar spoke, people listened, and as much as he wished he could take some of the burden from him he couldn’t see anyone else leading them the way Gunnar did. Gabriel remained quiet as he watched Gunnar head over to close the door, straightening up as he understood this to be a conversation Gunnar had been keeping to himself for a while.

“Jefferson’s smart, he doesn’t need that much guiding but I’ll teach him what I can.” He agreed immediately, if he was going to keep heading out on supply runs it made sense to train up the eldest Williams. It was honestly a blessing the day they walked through their gates. Of course it was a blessing that Spencer and Raven had been reunited with their brother, but also having another person that could patch up people? A blessing. Gabe nodded solemnly as Gunnar continued to speak, trying to think of their options, instead he reached over to clasp Gunnar on the shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. “We’ll figure it out Gun. You’re not alone in this. Everyone wants this to work as much as you do.”

Gabriel let his hand drop back to the table. “We have more people now, they all know none of this comes free, that they all have to pitch in, so they’ll all be willing to protect this place.” Gabriel ran his hand over his face and let out a sigh, quietly wishing Gunnar wouldn’t worry over him so much. He already had a lot to worry about, he didn’t want to be another thing that added to that. “I will always come back, Gunnar.” I won’t be another reason you lose hope. He wanted to add.

#c: gunnar #oo1

gunnarscotts-blog

“You could get hurt.” Gunnar put his hands down on the table between the two men as he spoke to Gabriel. His probably one and only friend in this new hell they were currently living in. “I can’t let you go out there alone, or at all. I need you here. I need you to help me keep these people together. I need you to… I just need ya, Gabe.” Blowing out a breath, he knew supply runs were necessary but they were also risky. Why couldn’t Gabriel see that? They had a team now, people who could get in and out and knew their way around. Gunnar wouldn’t be able to keep things running if something happened to Gabe. He might’ve been the leader, the head of the group, but Gabe was their heart.

Sitting down and rubbing his face, Gunnar was silent. This argument happened all the time, and each time, he lost. But even if he offered to tag along, he was made to stay. He was invaluable. He was the leader. They needed him to stay back in case anything happened. He hated it. This wasn’t what he’d envisioned when they’d started the survivor camp. Gunnar just wanted to go back to him and Gabe and a few others. That was better. They’d survived just fine. “If you go, you have to be careful.”

exdocbradley-blog

“You know why I have to, Gun. And you know I won’t be alone.” Gabriel muttered, staring down at the table, it was just another conversation like the ones they always had and he understood where Gunnar was coming from. Of course he understood. He was the only one with medical expertise on the compound, it was irresponsible of him to keep going out on supply runs and leaving them without a doctor, but he couldn’t not go out. He knew he could just give the runners a list of things to keep an eye out for but there were some things they wouldn’t be able to pick out. Herbs, plants, even household chemicals that would be useful. If there were anyone else he would be okay with letting them go but there wasn’t, and their medical supplies were running low. It was irresponsible to go but it was irresponsible to stay too. He couldn’t be their doctor if he didn’t have anything to treat them with after all.

When Gunnar finished speaking Gabriel finally lifted his eyes to meet his friends gaze. If their positions were reversed, if he were the leader and Gunnar was the medic he would be giving him the exact same talk, and he’d bet that Gunnar would be just as adamant to go too, so of course he understood where he was coming from. He also knew that Gunnar could speak against him all he wanted, but he wouldn’t stop him. “They need me out there, just as much as you need me here if not more. What if something happens to one of them on the road? We can’t lose more people, Gunnar.” Gabriel let out a sigh and leaned back with a grin, though his gaze never left Gunnar’s. “I’ll be okay, and you know I’ll come back. I always do.”

#c: gunnar #oo1