FOUR
Honesty
‘How are you feeling?’
She could sense that Marcus wanted to look towards her arm, but instead he held her gaze out of respect. She clutched her fused joint with her right hand, trying to offer some semblance of a natural pose, though it had thus far failed to convince any of her subjects, as evidenced by their wagging tongues.
‘I will get over it.’
‘Mirielle, there is no getting over it.’ replied Marcus, who stepped closer to offer her comfort.
She flinched as he approached, unsure whether her reaction was a result of her shame or his proximity. She felt embarrassed by her disability. Furthermore, she felt a sense of dread whenever others approached her, as though she believed that they too intended to cause her harm – which she knew was not the case. The abhorrent shap
