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Beth's face paled the more people spoke. Everyone seemed contented to play the hero, especially once their Chosen-hood was used as a call to arms. Tara's words were true. Maybe their conflict would be exacerbated not focused by their relationship to the survivors outside. Of course, there wouldn't be survivors for long if they didn't go out and save them.

But it was when Brian spoke that she wrinkled her nose. She stamped her foot lightly and crossed her arms. "Don't you think it's more complicated than all that? The people here can't hold out without us. They're tired, they've been hanging on for as long as they can. And there's no guarantee that these fortifications are enough." She sighed, knowing that she would go unheard. And she wasn't about to vote against a friend.

She wished they weren't so predictable. She wasn't a hero. But if they were going to risk their lives, it was best to do it as a unit.

Ewan, who had perched on a countertop next to Mal, just frowned, dark brows knitted over dark eyes. Mal had a point -- Ewan wondered if it weren't a Zeus thing, that one made hard decisions after considering all the options, and if the decision made was the hardest one... well.

So be it.

He rubbed his hands together, willing warmth back into them. "There's no guarantee that even if we head down the mountain we find civilians. For all we know they could all be dead. Most wouldn't have the training we've had. And then we'd all of us be dead, every single one, Chosen or not."

"If argumentative and bulldozing is how I'm being portrayed right now- my bad." Isaiah frowned. "I'm just trying to be real here. And, honestly, I couldn't live with myself if I couldn't say I gave it my all to try and save those people before we dropped a mountain on them." He huffed, but he zipped up his jacket and drifted back to his place by one of the boarded up windows.

"I've said what I think should be heard, though. I'll take the hint and can it. Let the majority decide."

"Stand together or fall alone," Misha murmured and then covered her mouth to muffle the sharp, inappropriate giggle that bubbled up at the thought. She shook her head and drew both legs up to hook her heels on the edge of the chair's cushion. Her arms wrapped around her raised knees. Ducking forward, she rested her chin on them and studied the others with solemn grey eyes.

How could she decide which lives were more important? She didn't even know these people. She knew her fellow Chosen, though. So it came down to that, she supposed. Did she care more about them risking their lives in the hotel or on the mountain? Did she stand with the Chosen she liked personally?

She sighed and lifted her head a bit. "You all realize that, no matter which way we go, we're going to need some really good therapy after this. People have died. Probably more will die. We're not really gods yet but we'll be responsible for this all. So... It comes down to what we can live with."

There. The most serious thing she had said in months... and she still had no answer yet. It twisted her stomach awfully.

Beth swallowed, backing up nervously until she ran into a chair. The tension was making her breath and thoughts freeze up. She always hated confrontations and fights. The thought of being responsible for the death of anyone, much less a group of people, made her nauseous. "If that's what it comes down to," She started slowly, "I think I'd rather save the ones I know I can help than sacrifice them for people I don't even know are still alive." Or know, period. She thought about Dotty and Nicholas, of Jim and a girl she'd soothed into a fitful sleep. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and announced clearly, "I think we should stay and defend the hotel." She lifted her chin as if daring someone to question her decision. Given the circumstances, if someone did, she was liable to burst into tears, but no one else needed to know that.

As much as Tom wanted to go and rescue the civilians, there were just so many more problems with going out there and the potential of an avalanche killing ALL of them. If they had to go out then if they didn’t make it the majority of the chosen WOULD be wiped out. He doubted that even they could survive being trapped without oxygen for so long and not knowing which direction was up.

He would have to take a water bottle with him if they did go for the rescuing option. Better to have something that would tell you which way gravity was working.

Then there was also the problem of actually being able to rescue those people. They could run into absolutely no one and all they would have done was wasted time and energy.

But… he wasn’t sure what these birds were capable of. So far he had mostly been pecked and scratched at, but he had heard they could do other things. Could one of those things bring down the entire hotel with all of them in it? Set the building on fire? Even if it couldn’t do something like that what was to guarantee that they would survive even in the hotel? Could the avalanche reach this place?

He probably should have gone with the others some more, but it was hard to ignore giving medical attention to those in the hotel. It was a tough decision, one he had faced quite a few times already.

Why was this entirely on them though? Couldn’t they ask the people in the hotel if they thought they could handle it? The answer would probably be ‘no’, but if they were that reliant on the chosen then it might cause a mass panic when they left anyway.

He smiled a bit when he heard Marisol stand up for him. Well, he had to get used to brushing off insulting comments anyway. He would have to get used to unruly patients. But… the guy seemed to want to make quite the grand speeches. Tom was not a battler or wanting honor at all so he really didn’t care about whether this would affect whatever ‘honor’ he had left with random strangers that they were helping. And he certainly could abdicate making a decision. If he went with the minority the majority would win anyway. He was also kind of insulted that this guy was practically telling them what to do. Tom could decide what he wanted to do, what he could ‘live with’, etc. He had had plenty of patients die on him already.

He gave a sigh. I still think it would be best if we split up. As much as I want to help the people outside, there’s no guarantee we’ll actually find anyone. I would feel a lot better if we could send out some warning that there would be an avalanche and to take cover if you are outside but… I’m not sure how these birds work though they probably understand what we are saying I suppose. That would probably be telling them our plan. He thought in his head. Perhaps at the end he would go with defending the hotel, but as of right now he kept his mouth shut. He still didn't have an answer that he was specifically leaning towards and until they could eliminate some more of the possibilities on one or the other side, he couldn't give a hard answer.

He looked back at the guy. He was having a really hard time not coming up with a sarcastic response to “… not allow ourselves to be swayed without thought.” Yes, he was totally just going with the flow and not thinking about the situation at all. Sheesh, this guy assumes a lot doesn’t he. Out loud he just gave the man a nod and moved away from him, back towards the partition that had been set up with the help of Rose and checking to make sure that there was no one else who needed help. There was no point in continuing with someone who assumed you were 'sheep', or at least pretending to, and refused to use your own brain.

Briiva trundled down the stairs, her hand up over her eyes to keep the lights from glaring down too much. She gripped the handrail firmly, enough that her knuckles were white as she made her way down the steps, towards the raised voices echoing from the lounge.

She didn't have much recollection of the night before, but judging by her headache, Briiva didn't need any to know what had happened. The trip to the hotel had been exhausting, especially for someone who hadn't taken the time to hydrate properly from the night before. Her mouth felt like cotton and her head was pounding something fierce, something that wasn't wasn't being helped by the heated debate going on.

Keeping to the back of the group, Briiva grabbed a bottle of water, sipping from it as she tried to figure out what was going on, and what she had missed.