Oregon Trail Challenge Diary
Welcome to the Sims 4 Oregon Trail Challenge diary! We’re in a generic Oldwest setting, trying to reach the New Land on a wagon, fighting hunger, disease, rivers and growing romantic attraction to ...
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Chapter 4:
Thursday was the first day I had to roll for a disease that potentially turns lethal two days later. Both Emma and Jin got infected.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/62dbb50bfc89f9f024e83bab3bbf16b5/dec0b6d000e10e0c-a5/s540x810/9a659debe9e6317cf8ee04db5b104a2a5daac2bf.png
His heart heavy with something he was unwilling to share with his parents, Daniel joined Gavin at the driver’s box...
https://64.media.tumblr.com/8e37685e949262632c353c6a5eefeb96/dec0b6d000e10e0c-8c/s540x810/863f26d4cec14779c877fcdaa80ed213ed65345b.png
Gavin: “Sure, go on unburdening your heart to the stranger. I’ll patiently listen to you worrying about your sister, because it’s not as if I had a kid of my own lying sick, right?”
Daniel: “That’s not...”
Gavin: “Amuse me, then, dip---! I sure could use a brainless punching ball right now. Take a seat and let’s see how long ‘till I just smack you off the wagon!”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/93f33ce30b7c257660e0a30d853bd713/dec0b6d000e10e0c-3d/s540x810/91f3c3858ee83eb82d4edcee64bb0fe2f2e47ba8.png
Daniel: “By right you should do exactly that. But I know myself. I’d be faster and break your neck first. Same way I killed Emma with a hasty decision.”
Gavin: “You didn’t “kill” Emma. Any of us could have fallen ill from the fish. It was just random chance.”
Daniel: “I wasn’t talking about the fish.”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/1e9f534ffe40c733636ceb63ed2e66bb/dec0b6d000e10e0c-0a/s540x810/2096d0b00b724c16d6bf4c51401e41b81c8a528a.png
Daniel: “John told you how we sold our factory, after a row of steam-powered looms went haywire and almost shredded everyone in the room to pieces? Ever wondered why I was conveniently absent from the scene? Well, because it was me who sabotaged every last loom.
Had I not done so, we’d still be in Detroit. We’d never been on this wagon and Emma would never have fallen ill. This is on my head alone. Because I never think ahead...”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/ffe7c4ad67147509cb90930726d5ade3/dec0b6d000e10e0c-88/s540x810/b9213305ed341b65b59b1ee99dcb63f4fedaf997.png
Gavin: “F---- man, you’re telling me NOW? I cleared your sorry , when you could have been my promotion instead! I might have had a future in Detroit!”
Daniel: “Say what?”
Gavin: “I used to be a police officer, remember? After the “accident”, me and my partner got called to your factory, but couldn’t find any proof or even evidence of sabotage.”
Daniel: “Wow! I’m THAT good? - Or maybe you’re just that bad at seeing what’s right in front of your eyes.”
Gavin: “What’s right in front of my eyes will go back into the wagon RIGHT NOW or it really goes overboard!”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/bbe2cf45fbdb02ce95fd692be9e11b41/d718b97a5f637ff5-c1/s540x810/5467c11ce27d65cd4c847b77e8fcc6c153b4a4d1.png
Ironically Thursday was when Daniel and Emma advanced to best friends.
By the weekend Daniel might be an only child again... just what he had thought he had wanted... Only now he realized that losing Emma was one of the very last things he wanted.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/2fb393d4cf6e525a3d2d0bedb741018a/d718b97a5f637ff5-17/s540x810/f8fef55c4c6597cf2afdf2ff7387c3e955a1d2f0.png
As for Caroline and John... did you seriously just attempt to make a REPLACEMENT child?!
(I misclicked “woohoo” and although the challenge rules say that all woohoo is risky, Caroline is on the best birth control known to simkind: A full household. But if both survive the trek, then they will have another child in Strangerville.)
https://64.media.tumblr.com/ff9a1712873cdae4c7ad366ddb68d9b2/8f95809ad6f03585-ea/s540x810/d2fd9ecc16efefa4974b61917eafebd9854b529d.png
After the trek had stopped and set up camp for the night, Vanessa went to Dr. Straud’s wagon. The man came over immediately to check on Jin and Emma. After the checkup, Vlad advised the parents to watch the situation for another day. If the children hadn’t gotten better by Saturday morning, he’d have to administer an expensive medicine to save their lives.
Vlad: “But if they should get worse, just scream loudly out of your wagon and I’ll swing over gracefully as a... as an old bat, actually. But I do not think that’ll be necessary.”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/44a3f7d1a637f1aa297ec7edf3f4c07b/094b86381a4d4d34-c0/s540x810/b4d75b376c65f2a83a90369fc6e90d88cf40bddf.png
Gavin Reed almost never thought about the Good Lord, but when he did so during the sixth day on the trail, he wished he’d indulged in way more sins and profanities in the past few years. Because then maybe God wouldn’t have deemed the man worthy of his help.
It made so much sense... The fiancés had left Detroit with their out of wedlock son, then that kid had fallen ill on the trail and Gavin and Tina would arrive at their destination child-free. They’d then be ready to marry and make a fresh start, giving the neighbors no reason to waggle their tongues.
It was sickening and it was definitely not the kind of help the parents had wanted.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/315ef992283a8191ea6a360051e48164/094b86381a4d4d34-e2/s540x810/ecbf4ca1c6555faf201b981ff9efdac3bd9ac610.png
Granted, there was a medicine for Jin’s illness that Dr. Straud had offered to mix. But it cost 50 dollars apiece. Even if John Phillips had wanted to lend the Reeds that much, he only had 75 dollar on hand right now. And with his own daughter being sick, too, which kid to save wasn’t even a question.
But Dr. Straud has also said that the children had a good chance of getting better on their own. And so Gavin asked his son how he was feeling every five minutes. For what it was still worth, it helped Jin learn exactly how long that span was.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/a88394eb161e6ce0aac5921b782ca75d/41fad2f782d3901a-d3/s540x810/b6fdfdec586ae8ff0585522fb89d6a5cb4c4945b.png
Emma: “Sorry for not helping with the camp today. I don’t feel too well...”
Daniel: “Don’t speak, if it tires you, little mouse!”
Tina: “Caroline went to fetch Dr. Straud. How’s Jin...?”
There was no need to ask, because Jin toddled over to his parents, only to collapse into Gavin’s arms. There he hang like a ragdoll, limbs dangling and barely breathing. Things weren’t looking good.
Neither child made their save and we only have money for one dose of medicine.
(They started with 100 dollar, what would have been enough. But I feed crickets on the side (reasoning that they have infested the wagon) to sell the flour at the waystation and so was down to 75 dollar at this point.)
The next morning:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/e9bcf71ec49377f244f9ed4c24610781/546428d1a03469c1-0f/s540x810/9bf9fe8f9a6d1ad9b7c72e8a7f5e49ac2f692882.png
The next morning John Phillips brought out the globe bar. If his daughter having recovered from a deadly disease wasn’t cause for breaking the bank, then nothing was.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/885031b72c013bcfc4dcddc96a1b7316/546428d1a03469c1-5d/s540x810/54bf859b8d8ccf3810ec5313f8f9062c91cc1fe7.png
Emma: “Is that more of the icky medicine, dad?”
John: “Haha, no! This is to celebrate! - Hey, Reed! Chen! The goodies are over here! You nagged me for a whole week to bring them out, and now that I do it, you’re suddenly not interested anymore?”
Gavin: “Just because you are a wimp who cannot swing his recovered, healthy kid around, doesn’t mean we all are!”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/f8423357851905047531761d791c6d86/546428d1a03469c1-c5/s540x810/08374b7b0fa70cf081e03e094980c047d267994a.png
Jin: “Granny told me to say “Thank you”, Mister Phillips! Thank you!”
John: “You can thank me by working for me when you’ve grown up. And make sure to vote for Daniel for Mayor of Strangerville!”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/ac86f634a7f7b2adedc0bfdccabdc433/546428d1a03469c1-59/s540x810/fd84b0b4f340ee4b046846d7b48db0af9e4ffd73.png
Caroline: “But for now - Here’s to our children and our future in Strangerville!”
John: “And to the new sheriff being in our debt. Don’t forget that little detail, darling! - And neither should you forget, Mister Reed!”
Gavin: “I don’t even know if I want to be a cop again, but you’ll get your fifty dollars back.”
John: “Fifty dollar and fifty cent - you forgot the interest! But on the upside I won’t charge you for this Yorkfield Classic. Cheerio!”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/9f467432f6c03e4b31dab884606756b7/546428d1a03469c1-19/s540x810/9fb2ea5ed6609061a57b6694c9358e0ac7a6572b.png
Caroline: “By the way, I was watching over Emma’s sleep, so I didn’t see... How did you raise the money for a second dose of the medicine?”
John: “By cleaning out our daughter’s frog collection. Dr. Straud was ecstatic when he saw the first one on the table, and I thought a man who was willing to pay ten dollar for a frog would with a little persuasion also pay thirty.”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/ad0bbae57eaa797a32747bad6edbe692/546428d1a03469c1-16/s540x810/666e189248cf87fc543748cbdc3e65f540870a33.png
(What can I say? We are not supposed to sell stuff while traveling, but Sims 4 vampires love frogs.)
https://64.media.tumblr.com/0a2fdafb8ac014b305c5f0ce02172ca9/819add924cce73f7-5f/s540x810/2d5980ae2533ed95c84d7de0535de0796b6fd8d8.png
Group shot of the whole bunch in their smelly glory - only one more day to go until the first stop (and buying some soap)!
Next: At the waystation
Thursday was the first day I had to roll for a disease that potentially turns lethal two days later. Both Emma and Jin got infected.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/62dbb50bfc89f9f024e83bab3bbf16b5/dec0b6d000e10e0c-a5/s540x810/9a659debe9e6317cf8ee04db5b104a2a5daac2bf.png
His heart heavy with something he was unwilling to share with his parents, Daniel joined Gavin at the driver’s box...
https://64.media.tumblr.com/8e37685e949262632c353c6a5eefeb96/dec0b6d000e10e0c-8c/s540x810/863f26d4cec14779c877fcdaa80ed213ed65345b.png
Gavin: “Sure, go on unburdening your heart to the stranger. I’ll patiently listen to you worrying about your sister, because it’s not as if I had a kid of my own lying sick, right?”
Daniel: “That’s not...”
Gavin: “Amuse me, then, dip---! I sure could use a brainless punching ball right now. Take a seat and let’s see how long ‘till I just smack you off the wagon!”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/93f33ce30b7c257660e0a30d853bd713/dec0b6d000e10e0c-3d/s540x810/91f3c3858ee83eb82d4edcee64bb0fe2f2e47ba8.png
Daniel: “By right you should do exactly that. But I know myself. I’d be faster and break your neck first. Same way I killed Emma with a hasty decision.”
Gavin: “You didn’t “kill” Emma. Any of us could have fallen ill from the fish. It was just random chance.”
Daniel: “I wasn’t talking about the fish.”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/1e9f534ffe40c733636ceb63ed2e66bb/dec0b6d000e10e0c-0a/s540x810/2096d0b00b724c16d6bf4c51401e41b81c8a528a.png
Daniel: “John told you how we sold our factory, after a row of steam-powered looms went haywire and almost shredded everyone in the room to pieces? Ever wondered why I was conveniently absent from the scene? Well, because it was me who sabotaged every last loom.
Had I not done so, we’d still be in Detroit. We’d never been on this wagon and Emma would never have fallen ill. This is on my head alone. Because I never think ahead...”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/ffe7c4ad67147509cb90930726d5ade3/dec0b6d000e10e0c-88/s540x810/b9213305ed341b65b59b1ee99dcb63f4fedaf997.png
Gavin: “F---- man, you’re telling me NOW? I cleared your sorry , when you could have been my promotion instead! I might have had a future in Detroit!”
Daniel: “Say what?”
Gavin: “I used to be a police officer, remember? After the “accident”, me and my partner got called to your factory, but couldn’t find any proof or even evidence of sabotage.”
Daniel: “Wow! I’m THAT good? - Or maybe you’re just that bad at seeing what’s right in front of your eyes.”
Gavin: “What’s right in front of my eyes will go back into the wagon RIGHT NOW or it really goes overboard!”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/bbe2cf45fbdb02ce95fd692be9e11b41/d718b97a5f637ff5-c1/s540x810/5467c11ce27d65cd4c847b77e8fcc6c153b4a4d1.png
Ironically Thursday was when Daniel and Emma advanced to best friends.
By the weekend Daniel might be an only child again... just what he had thought he had wanted... Only now he realized that losing Emma was one of the very last things he wanted.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/2fb393d4cf6e525a3d2d0bedb741018a/d718b97a5f637ff5-17/s540x810/f8fef55c4c6597cf2afdf2ff7387c3e955a1d2f0.png
As for Caroline and John... did you seriously just attempt to make a REPLACEMENT child?!
(I misclicked “woohoo” and although the challenge rules say that all woohoo is risky, Caroline is on the best birth control known to simkind: A full household. But if both survive the trek, then they will have another child in Strangerville.)
https://64.media.tumblr.com/ff9a1712873cdae4c7ad366ddb68d9b2/8f95809ad6f03585-ea/s540x810/d2fd9ecc16efefa4974b61917eafebd9854b529d.png
After the trek had stopped and set up camp for the night, Vanessa went to Dr. Straud’s wagon. The man came over immediately to check on Jin and Emma. After the checkup, Vlad advised the parents to watch the situation for another day. If the children hadn’t gotten better by Saturday morning, he’d have to administer an expensive medicine to save their lives.
Vlad: “But if they should get worse, just scream loudly out of your wagon and I’ll swing over gracefully as a... as an old bat, actually. But I do not think that’ll be necessary.”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/44a3f7d1a637f1aa297ec7edf3f4c07b/094b86381a4d4d34-c0/s540x810/b4d75b376c65f2a83a90369fc6e90d88cf40bddf.png
Gavin Reed almost never thought about the Good Lord, but when he did so during the sixth day on the trail, he wished he’d indulged in way more sins and profanities in the past few years. Because then maybe God wouldn’t have deemed the man worthy of his help.
It made so much sense... The fiancés had left Detroit with their out of wedlock son, then that kid had fallen ill on the trail and Gavin and Tina would arrive at their destination child-free. They’d then be ready to marry and make a fresh start, giving the neighbors no reason to waggle their tongues.
It was sickening and it was definitely not the kind of help the parents had wanted.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/315ef992283a8191ea6a360051e48164/094b86381a4d4d34-e2/s540x810/ecbf4ca1c6555faf201b981ff9efdac3bd9ac610.png
Granted, there was a medicine for Jin’s illness that Dr. Straud had offered to mix. But it cost 50 dollars apiece. Even if John Phillips had wanted to lend the Reeds that much, he only had 75 dollar on hand right now. And with his own daughter being sick, too, which kid to save wasn’t even a question.
But Dr. Straud has also said that the children had a good chance of getting better on their own. And so Gavin asked his son how he was feeling every five minutes. For what it was still worth, it helped Jin learn exactly how long that span was.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/a88394eb161e6ce0aac5921b782ca75d/41fad2f782d3901a-d3/s540x810/b6fdfdec586ae8ff0585522fb89d6a5cb4c4945b.png
Emma: “Sorry for not helping with the camp today. I don’t feel too well...”
Daniel: “Don’t speak, if it tires you, little mouse!”
Tina: “Caroline went to fetch Dr. Straud. How’s Jin...?”
There was no need to ask, because Jin toddled over to his parents, only to collapse into Gavin’s arms. There he hang like a ragdoll, limbs dangling and barely breathing. Things weren’t looking good.
Neither child made their save and we only have money for one dose of medicine.
(They started with 100 dollar, what would have been enough. But I feed crickets on the side (reasoning that they have infested the wagon) to sell the flour at the waystation and so was down to 75 dollar at this point.)
The next morning:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/e9bcf71ec49377f244f9ed4c24610781/546428d1a03469c1-0f/s540x810/9bf9fe8f9a6d1ad9b7c72e8a7f5e49ac2f692882.png
The next morning John Phillips brought out the globe bar. If his daughter having recovered from a deadly disease wasn’t cause for breaking the bank, then nothing was.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/885031b72c013bcfc4dcddc96a1b7316/546428d1a03469c1-5d/s540x810/54bf859b8d8ccf3810ec5313f8f9062c91cc1fe7.png
Emma: “Is that more of the icky medicine, dad?”
John: “Haha, no! This is to celebrate! - Hey, Reed! Chen! The goodies are over here! You nagged me for a whole week to bring them out, and now that I do it, you’re suddenly not interested anymore?”
Gavin: “Just because you are a wimp who cannot swing his recovered, healthy kid around, doesn’t mean we all are!”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/f8423357851905047531761d791c6d86/546428d1a03469c1-c5/s540x810/08374b7b0fa70cf081e03e094980c047d267994a.png
Jin: “Granny told me to say “Thank you”, Mister Phillips! Thank you!”
John: “You can thank me by working for me when you’ve grown up. And make sure to vote for Daniel for Mayor of Strangerville!”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/ac86f634a7f7b2adedc0bfdccabdc433/546428d1a03469c1-59/s540x810/fd84b0b4f340ee4b046846d7b48db0af9e4ffd73.png
Caroline: “But for now - Here’s to our children and our future in Strangerville!”
John: “And to the new sheriff being in our debt. Don’t forget that little detail, darling! - And neither should you forget, Mister Reed!”
Gavin: “I don’t even know if I want to be a cop again, but you’ll get your fifty dollars back.”
John: “Fifty dollar and fifty cent - you forgot the interest! But on the upside I won’t charge you for this Yorkfield Classic. Cheerio!”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/9f467432f6c03e4b31dab884606756b7/546428d1a03469c1-19/s540x810/9fb2ea5ed6609061a57b6694c9358e0ac7a6572b.png
Caroline: “By the way, I was watching over Emma’s sleep, so I didn’t see... How did you raise the money for a second dose of the medicine?”
John: “By cleaning out our daughter’s frog collection. Dr. Straud was ecstatic when he saw the first one on the table, and I thought a man who was willing to pay ten dollar for a frog would with a little persuasion also pay thirty.”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/ad0bbae57eaa797a32747bad6edbe692/546428d1a03469c1-16/s540x810/666e189248cf87fc543748cbdc3e65f540870a33.png
(What can I say? We are not supposed to sell stuff while traveling, but Sims 4 vampires love frogs.)
https://64.media.tumblr.com/0a2fdafb8ac014b305c5f0ce02172ca9/819add924cce73f7-5f/s540x810/2d5980ae2533ed95c84d7de0535de0796b6fd8d8.png
Group shot of the whole bunch in their smelly glory - only one more day to go until the first stop (and buying some soap)!
Next: At the waystation
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