?????; TEXT

[acrostic]

A riddle!

You come to a stop, in your newly purchased sports car, in front of a bus stop with four people who desperately need any transportation a soul can give them to drop them to their desired destinations. The problem is, the next bus scheduled to pass by will not be until the morning. It's also pouring rain.

The first person there is a heavily pregnant woman who looks as if she is in excruciating pain and on the verge of giving birth. She's pleading to be sent to any hospital or to at least be given assistance should she end up having to deliver on the sidewalk. Not an ideal situation.

The second person is a very young and very lost child crying and screaming at high volumes because they wandered away from their home. The child doesn't know where their home address is, but knows the full name of their parents.

Next to them is a surgeon. This doctor has with him his briefcase that contains all of his medical tools. He impatiently shares the time on his watch - drawing far too close for comfort. He needs to go to his hospital as soon as possible in order to perform a critical surgery.

The final person is someone who just wants to go home. But! It so happens that you know them. To you, that person is a dear close friend and the love of your life. Your desired future spouse. You adore this person. It's been a long time since you have both seen each other. You've wanted to reconnect and rebuild your relationship since your last meeting. You can't find a better opportunity to do that. If you don't take it, the chances are that you may not have that opportunity again.

Now! Keep in mind that the only helpful tool you can use in this situation is your leased highly attractive sports car in what you consider a striking color. It has the driver's seat, a single empty passenger seat and nothing else. It is poorly designed in that it doesn't have a functioning trunk for a human body. There are no communication devices on any of you and none within reach. The bus stop is located away from any public facilities and residences.

There is no one else on the road to help them but you.
What do you do?

Comments

[Video]

[mother_of_monsters]

Give the car to the surgeon, he can drive the pregnant woman to the hospital so they both can get in there in time. Then stay with the love of my life to go help find the child's parents together.

If the person I love still wants to go home instead of helping the child, then it's really not worth my time.

still text;

[acrostic]

Incorrect. Why are you trusting the surgeon with your car and the pregnant woman?

Permavideo

[mother_of_monsters]

Why is incorrect? People's lives shouldn't be more important than a thing.

permatext;

[acrostic]

Should. Be more important.
This doctor was not already assisting this woman, despite being next to her on this stop. Shouldn't his priority be the closest patient he has no choice but to wait next to? Does that not seem suspicious to you? Do you believe they actually have as critical of a surgery as they are insisting on? Why would they have all of their supplies on their person?

You may have just killed the woman and her unborn child. Your car will never be returned. Congratulations.

[Video]

[4starsaviour]

Why would I buy a car? I don't have to drive!

always text;

[acrostic]

You do here.

[4starsaviour]

No I don't! It's a bit tougher to fly around in Nova City, but I've just gotta keep an eye out, that's all.

[unhappy]

Drive the surgeon to the hospital, alert the paramedics of the medical emergency sidewalk pregnancy while you're there. Then head home because if you really cared about someone that badly your only chance to connect with them wouldn't be at a crappy bus stop.

Or ask the surgeon why he isn't helping the pregnant woman because what the hell dude that's literally your job and you're an idiot who apparently is being paid to be a surgeon but can't afford anything better than the bus. Leave your stalking charge at the bus stop anyway because if you're that in love with someone you don't even know you anymore you have more mental issues than the crappy ego car and whatever paranoia lead you to not bother with a phone.

Either way, you don't want the pregnant woman in your car because she'll ruin the upholstery and the only way you're salvaging this situation is to sell it when you get back to civilization.

[acrostic]

[ Emerald, you never have dull things to say. ]

What about the child?

[unhappy]

The baby child or the lost child?

Unless you're a doctor, the lady's better off going back to wherever she was before she got to the bus stop. If she's an irresponsible or stupid enough mom that she stays out in the rain waiting for a bus that isn't coming for hours instead of going back to her bed, maybe the baby's lucky if they don't make it. On the other hand, if the surgeon doesn't get to the hospital, whoever he's supposed to work on dies. What if in your lack of a phone you didn't get a message that said your own mother is in need of a life-saving surgery and the surgeon is missing? So really, don't worry about the baby. It's not like you're its father.

The lost kid.. someone'll come looking for him, and if they don't, he's better off not being found. I guess the paramedic could take him with too and hand him over to hospital security, but if you take him you're probably just going to get charged with kidnapping so leave him.

[lostxleader]

Why on Earth would they be waiting there when the bus is in the morning?

[had just learned about buses and cars, but grumbles still] They could just go back where they came from--

[pauses]

..Regardless. The surgeon can wait. Physicians work in teams and there are other surgeons at the hospital, so the worst case is that he'd stay and help the mother. I'd insist.

The boy and I would drive to find someone that has a phone or any communication. It can't be in the middle of nowhere...right?

[acrostic]

Isn't that a good question? What are they doing there?

Right. What next?

[lostxleader]

[raises a brow]

If a phone was found, we'd call an..what's it called...ambu..ambulance? They'd take over from there..

[something wasn't right]

...Another option would be questioning why they were there-at least the surgeon or my supposed lover. -And a woman that close to giving birth shouldn't be walking about in such a desolate place. It's bad for the child.

-And surely someone would hear this child.. such a loud sound would be wildly irritating.

[notquitedracula]

I can't think of any solution that doesn't require trusting someone more than you really ought to. The surgeon hasn't helped the pregnant woman - he may simply lack the training to deal with birthing, and be unwilling to risk his license in doing so. Or he may just be an asshole who cares more about the money. Either way, handing him the keys to drive the pregnant woman to the hospital is the only logical action here, but only if you get his name and ID number (preferably by seeing his driver's license). You and your fiance then take the child back to the fiance's place and call the police - with the parents' names, they can track down the appropriate adults. You get to spend the evening with your loved one, and whether you see the car again or not, everyone lives to see the next day - unless the doctor chooses to let the woman die, in which case you then hand him over to the police.

[acrostic]

You had the time to propose and make the person of your dreams your fiancée during this? Oh my.

[notquitedracula]

Logical assumption. You said this person was someone I care for deeply and have a clear romantic interest for. I assumed this was already the case. It matters little to the outcome.

[Text]

[youfool]

Lend the car to the surgeon and wife while spending time with the lover to assist the child.

[Hopefully that's right; he'd like to know what to do in any and all moral conundrums. However contrived.]

[acrostic]

No one said the woman was married. Do you trust the surgeon with your car?

[Text]

[youfool]

I should hope so. Yes, if only for benefit of the doubt.

text;

[soulsforsale]

Just keep driving. I don't know the people enough to really care. Except for the love of my life whoever they may be, but even then I very much doubt that we would never meet again. If we don't, nothing of value is really lost it wasn't meant to be.

[Best answer, right?]

text;

[acrostic]

[ Not bad. Definitely in the running for best answer. ]

Do you not value a potential relationship?

text;

[soulsforsale]

Not unless they have a use for me, no. Besides if they get annoyed with you not getting them out of the rain, it's still not worth it.

After all I might be late for something important myself.

[black_black_heart]

Dear close friend can drive my car. Take the pregnant lady to the hospital while I deal with the kid.

Surgeon can get fucked. If they needed him there that bad they'd send a cab.

[acrostic]

[ Hahahaha ]

How true! How would you be dealing with the kid?

[black_black_heart]

Well, the goal would be returning him to his parents or whoever sent him wandering off at what I assume is a pretty odd hour in the rain.

How I'd go about that depends on a few things. Is magic that doesn't involve transportation a non-option?