You don't even understand the situation over there. It's way too big and complicated for you to have a hope of helping.\n\n[[There's some problems that are just to big to be solved. Especially just by one person|Helpless]]\n\n[[I'm a citizen of one of the strongest countries in the free world. That must count for something|Nothing]]
Do you feel you had much choice?\n\nDoes anyone?\n\n\n\n\n\nEnd.
Well you ring them. The lines are all busy. You get put on hold, but it's pretty obvious that there's not much point in waiting. The news is even saying that the emergency relief teams should have things under control soon, so there's really no reason to get involved.\n\nYou hang up, pocketing your phone. You decided to [[see what else is on.|Epidemic]]\n
That bag is slowly coming apart in your hand. At the very least get inside before deciding to do anything.\n\n[[Yeah. I can always call him back|TheHouse]]\n\n[[It's not as if answering the phone takes much effort|Hangups]]\n
Like what? Like start a fight with him? Approaching him calmly isn't going to help, Wreden has serious issues. What good would approaching him violently do? You'd just be back where you started.\n\n[[Okay I guess there's not a lot I can do. I may as well just call the police and let them handle it or something|TheNews]]\n\n[[But by the time they get here things might already have got bad. Properly bad. If I even just went out to tell the delivery guy to leave...|DeliveryBoy]]
It's not exactly the cultural hub, is the local convenience store, but you're not there to socialise. Pushing through people you plod your way up and down the aisles in a tired daze. Rain splutters against the windows, the sky's grey as you feel.\n\nOnce you've got your goods, you drop a few coins at the checkout and pass the other shoppers. A woman is holding up the queue, she's patting her pockets for change and there isn't any.\n\nYou reach the doors, the outside world beckoning.\n\n[[Head back home, there's work that needs doing|Home]]\n\n[[That lady could do with some spare change|Really]]
Calm things down? He's just as likely to explode at you as at the poor delivery schlub. If anything your intervention might make things worse.\n\n[[Yeah, getting involved might enrage Mr Wreden. How crap would that be?|TheNews]]\n\n[[But if I don't help out he might start hitting. Surely there's something I can do|StartingFights]]\n
You finally get home with a sigh. It's not a large flat - a small pair of rooms in a larger house, complete with a grubby kitchen unit and an old analog television. After dumping your shopping on the table and going through a few letters, you hear raised voices through the window.\n\nYou wander over to take a look. Mr Wreden is yelling at a delivery man again. He's got serious anger issues, you think - it's the same every week.\n\nHe starts gesturing at the door, screaming his head off. You're beginning to wonder if he's about to get violent.\n\n[[He's like this every week. I'd best leave him to it|TheNews]]\n\n[[I hope he doesn't actually do it this time. Maybe I should go and try to calm things down|Resoluter]]\n
You close the curtains and ignore the noises from outside. It's been a bit of a heavy morning, you flick on the telly and settle down into your armchair with a cup of tea and a book. As always, the news is on.\n\nApparently there's been some sort of accident at the pub down the road. A helicopter hit it or something. Sounds nasty.\n\n[[Jesus Christ. I hope anyone inside is okay. I need to stop watching depressing news reports|Epidemic]]\n\n[[I wonder if I can do anything to help the people down there|NotReally]]\n
The bag's going to come apart in your hands at this rate. You're just one person, Kyle likely has other friends he can ring if you don't pick up. On top of that, the rain's getting worse.\n\n[[Not a lot I can do to help Kyle right now. I should get inside|TheHouse]]\n\n[[Well maybe there's something I can do to help|Samaritan]]\n
body {background-color:#990000;}\n\na:link {color:#ffffff;}
It doesn't matter where you're from. You are a meaningless speck on a meaningless speck. In the grand scheme of things, none of your actions make one jot of difference.\n\nOne of the men on the broadcast even agrees, he said "There's really nothing we can do here."\n\n[[The News said it, it must be true.|Helpless]]\n
Save The World?
Yeah, but in the time it takes to look somebody else will probably have helped her. There's honestly no need for you to do anything, you might as well go home.\n\n[[There are plenty of people here to help her out...|Home]]\n\n[[It's still worth a look. If I can even lend her just a little|TooLate]]\n
The bloke can probably figure that out by himself. He's not an idiot, if things get too bad he'll probably leave.\n\n[[Yeah, he can probably handle himself|TheNews]]\n\n[[But if he doesn't, what then?|WhatThen]]\n\n
You can't even decide whether or not to help people struggling with change at the shops, what makes you think you can have any effect on the situation in Syria, of all places?\n\n[[Oh what's the use. It's half a world away, there's nothing I can do|Helpless]]\n\n[[Is there no way I can help? Is there nothing I can do to support those poor people?|Worthless]]\n
Well that's what the police are for. But hey, you'll get to find out right now what then. Mr Wreden just threw a punch. The delivery man catches it in the face, and stumbles back. You hear a couple of shouts from the street and people are coming out of their houses to intervene. Mr Wreden is screaming at everyone, the neighbours, the delivery man, maybe even himself. You think you can hear sirens in the background.\n\nAh well, there wasn't really anything you could do. Might as well [[close the curtains and carry on with your life.|TheNews]]\n
Like what? What can you do to help him? You've got more work than you want to think about this weekend and shopping to get inside.\n\n[[It's a fair point. Not like I have a lot of choice here|TheHouse]]\n\n[[I... don't know, maybe something|HowToHelp]]\n
Volunteers do indeed do things, but not in this kind of disaster. You'd probably just be in the way, better to let the professionals do their job and sort it all out.\n\n[[I guess the fire crews know what they're doing. The news didn't say anything about a need for volunteers, so there musn't be one|Epidemic]]\n\n[[I won't know unless I ring them|MorePhonecalls]]\n
Lex Griffiths
Too late. As you're dithering about whether or not to give the lady some change, the assistant just roles his eyes and waves her through. She leaves, looking embarrassed.\n\nAh well, you may as well just [[go home.|Home]]\n
Well you could ring them. But those phonelines are kind of for emergencies. You might be choking up the lines with your call. And hell, that would make things worse, wouldn't it?\n\n[[It would. I'll just see what else is on|Epidemic]]\n\n[[I'll ring them anyway, just to make sure|EmergencyOnly]]
[img[]]\n\nYou wake up. Another cold morning in the daily grind.\nIt's a weekend so no work, but you need milk and edibles. And it's high time you got more cleaning stuff for the shower. Looks like you don't really have a choice, then.\n\n[[Head to the shops|Spar]]
You slap the remote, the screen flickers.\nAnother goddamn news channel.\n\nThe latest from Syria; more Sarin attacks apparently. The refugee camps are getting more and more crowded, the UN taskforces are worried that crime's going to become something of an epidemic.\n\n[[Good god, that's horrible. It's a damn shame I can't do anything about it|Helpless]]\n\n[[Good god, that's horrible. I need to get involved in refugee relief in some way|Helpful]]\n
As you thumb the phone's screen, the call ends. He hung up. You pocket your phone and the bag splits. Your stuff is all over the sodding road, now. You scrabble to pick it all up and [[head dejectedly to your flat.|TheHouse]]\n
You're heading back towards the flat. The skies have opened up and you're hurrying a little, ducking between bus shelters and street awnings to keep out of the rain.\n\nYou get about twenty metres from your house and it feels like the shopping bag's a centimetre away from splitting.\n\nAt which point your phone buzzes in your pocket. It's Kyle - an old friend from work. He usually only rings you if he needs help. Which will kill the rest of your day, knowing Kyle.\n\n\n[[If I don't get home within the next five minutes, this bag is going to vomit groceries all over the street. I can apologise to Kyle later|TheHouse]]\n\n[[Kyle might need help, least I can do is answer|Phone]]\n
You switch the TV off. You've had about all you can take of news today. And of stuff. You curl up on the chair with your coffee and stare into the mug.\n\nIt's cheap coffee. You're always low on cash so the £1.50 bags from the local are welcome. Hey, they're not fairtrade but really - [[what can you do?|End]]
You sure about that? You barely had enough change to get your own stuff, it's a nice idea but it's not like you have the time.\n\n[[True. I might just head back|Home]]\n\n[[I'm sure I have change around here somewhere|Change]]\n
Not really. I mean, you're not a trained paramedic, you couldn't, you don't need to raise awareness because it's hit national news. The situation looks under control.\n\n[[Well as long as somebody's helping out. Let's see what else is on|Epidemic]]\n\n[[It still might be worth heading down to see if they need volunteers. People do that, right?|VoluntaryWork]]