The Future Chosen [was Anti-Dynasty/Extraordinary]

Broken Chapter 13

Are you done ignoring me?

Yes.

Because you have a stack of things to read.

I bet.

The first thing is starting the transition.

Yes we'll do that.

And there's a catalog here for formal dresses. What's this for?

You'll find out soon enough.

So which appointments will I end up canceling?

Something soon. I don't know. You'll find out. Thank you, Clara.

Lourdes had other problems. Every time her phone buzzed, and another message came in from her assistant Clara, she was reminded of this fact.

Her country had its share of needs and disasters, and that was why their jobs were important. They experienced a prosperity and peace that she knew was hard-fought, that neighboring countries were struggling with still. Learning to become a public servant, the part of this that she always took seriously, was also about keeping an eye on the ball. The Republic of Isla was in the path of natural disasters and they knew when to stop and shift to prevention, then management, then recovery and reconstruction, several times a year if necessary.

They could plan things but really, half of what they did was cleaning up after some disaster.

She had an important but largely "press-friendly" job right now, but she wouldn't be in it for long. Next year was an election year, the first one where she was old enough to campaign for city council.

One of the things Clara just reminded her to do was to resign her post, and begin transitioning any open projects to her successor.

And then she had Andres to think about.

Lourdes did not have any friends she could talk to about this. It was potentially career-ending for one of them, or both, and the only person she'd ever told was her sister.

What was there to tell, though? This was ending as soon as she checked out of Callemara.

She finished lunch early and knew that she needed to be at the gym in twenty minutes. Usually Andres would take her, but maybe she needed a break from him for a little while. The conversation they had yesterday was heavy, and nothing was settled.

Well, he had his way and she had hers, and they were different.

Nothing was settled.

Lourdes made her way down the bright hallway on her own. It was a first, by the way, but it wasn't like she didn't walk the same path before. She knew that she had to take the elevator down to get to the gym. That seemed easy enough.

She hesitated for a second, then pressed L for lobby. If she got lost she'd at least be able to find someone to ask. She should have paid more attention to the buttons being pushed, floors she was being shuffled to and from. Andres being around made her lower her guard.

On the third floor, halfway through her journey on the slow elevator, someone joined her. She tilted her head slightly, down and to the left, a habit she had picked up when people began to recognize her. As if she was hiding her face, without actually doing so, because that would be weird.

"Ms. Riorosa." The voice was low, feminine. "I'm glad you're safe."

"I....thank you." Lourdes always smiled when people spoke to her. Always. Sometimes she didn't understand what they were trying to say, but thank you was a standard response.

"I mean, I'm glad you're still safe. I'm so glad."

Lourdes turned so she could see the woman. She was young, in the same nurse's scrubs that Andres wore, the same cap that obscured his hair, the same mask that sometimes covered half his face.

"Your food, your medicine," the nurse whispered. "Someone's been tampering with it every day. More sedatives, higher doses, and something else. A small group of us are checking, fixing it. I don't know how long we can do this. If something happens while none of us are on shift..."

Lourdes tried to hold in her gasp. "Have you...does the nurse assigned to me know about this?"

"We haven't talked to him. He's an outsider; he came in with you. We wouldn't--"

They wouldn't know if he was the one doing it.

Andres wasn't. He wasn't. Lourdes knew that, but it wasn't going to be easy to explain.

"Thank you," she said. "You can trust him. Thank you so much."

The door opened at the lobby and the young woman nodded at her. "Excuse me, Ms. Riorosa." Then she disappeared into the lobby, among other nurses dressed exactly like her.