Unequal by B.E. Sanderson

Author:B.E. Sanderson [Sanderson, B.E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-12-15T06:00:00+00:00

EIGHTEEN

The hush finally shook Rue back into some semblance of sanity. One moment, the crowd pressed at her from every side, invading all her senses. The next, the room went silent. It was as if she was alone in the field behind her parents’ house. Missing were the sounds of crickets and the occasional caw of a passing crow. With her face mere centimeters from the velvet backdrop, she let the gentle blue remind her of the sky and of the fact no matter how many people were nearby, she might be able to find a measure of solitude here or there. Even if the best place to find it turned out to be within herself.

Taking one deep breath—in through the nose, out through the mouth—she fought to keep her nerves steady. And then the dust within the velvet hit her.

Without as much as a warning tickle, her nose betrayed her and she sneezed.

The room behind her had been holding its breath, and with one collective rush, it exhaled. A second later, the first titter drifted through the air. Within seconds, the sound multiplied until the chatter of laughter filled her ears. She always hated her stupid allergy, but she thanked her dumb luck for it. For once, it served a purpose, the purpose of merely diffusing a tense situation.

She turned a sheepish grin toward the crowd. A sea of faces—both friendly and unfriendly—filled her vision. But the unfriendly faces seemed fewer. Out amongst the Equals, her allergy was something to be hidden. Here, it made her one of the crowd. Her differences made her equal here.

“Sorry.” The word came out meeker than she would’ve wish. If she was going to live and work with these people, she couldn’t come to them as Citizen Janitor Logan. Her former persona had tried her best to hide in plain sight. Instead, Rue needed put on the guise of Citizen Doctor Mason, and she needed to ensure it wasn’t merely an act. These people would sense a game. Rue had to embrace her inner doctor without losing sight of herself. It wasn’t going to be an easy role. The first time she had helped a patient wasn’t easy either, but it had definitely been worth it.

Turning toward the crowd, she assumed her place beside Justin once more. The urge to flee scurried inside her like a frightened mouse, but she braced herself against it. These people were strangers to her. In order to do her best work, she would need to interact with them all individually. Fearing them in a group wouldn’t do anyone any good.

“If Justin hasn’t already told you everything about me…” She paused to focus her eyes on one friendly face and then another and another until her confidence grew. “I’m not used to being around people. If you’ll give me a little time, though, I’m sure I’ll be right at home here.”

The idea of finding a home was something she’d dreamed of, but behind those dreams remained an understanding. Becoming acquainted with these people would make it harder to keep a professional distance.

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