Gemotions

The doctor’s words were a blur, a jumble of medical jargon and unsettling pronouncements. "You'll need to try a different sport. No more contact." His stomach churned as he processed this information. The years of rigorous training, the sacrifices, the friendships all seemed to collapse.

He sat on the bench, watching the team practice, the familiar drills now a painful reminder of what he could no longer do. His chest felt constricted, as though someone had wrapped a tight band around it. He watched the others with a hollow ache.

He stared at the ground, a single tear escaping, tracking down his cheek, landing on his knee. He felt the weight of his dreams crumbling around him.