7

With your equipment at the ready, you watch Jaime load up everything you need into the pickup truck. It's not the most practical vehicle for a scavenging trip, with only two seats and not a whole lot keeping a larger haul from falling off the back, but Jaime has at least partially circumvented the storage issue by securing boxes and packing crates to the free space using cables.

Jaime perks up in the seat, and you follow his gaze. Parker strolls over to the pickup truck, wringing his hands, a machete hanging sheathed on his back and a knapsack slung over one shoulder.

"Hey there, Parker," you say in a friendly tone. "What do you need?"

Parker looks up at you. "I'm sorry to bother you. I actually need to come with you," he says. "Since I'm diabetic, insulin is always on my mind. I'm sure you know what happens if I run out."

You turn to gauge Jaime's response. He shakes his head and mouths "too dangerous."

You turn back to Parker. It would be easy to convince him to come along, since he already wants to. It might be more difficult to keep him from joining up. If you don't want him coming with you, you could reassure him that you have the matter under control, which would appeal to his trust in you and your ability to both identify insulin and persuade him that you know how to do so. Alternatively, you could appeal to his sense of friendship and tell him you'd like time with Jaime, though with Parker's life in the balance, that could reflect poorly on you.

You could also bring up that Parker would be at significant risk, which would be difficult for him to refute. You might even be able to convince Parker that there's no room in the pickup truck, which would be somewhat of a lie. Lastly, you could simply blow him off, but disregarding Parker in his time of need could have far-reaching consequences.