Gemotions

The sterile white walls of the conference room seemed to close in on him. James chewed the inside of his cheek, a nervous habit he hadn't indulged in years. Sweat slicked his palms, making it difficult to grip the coffee cup. He really needed a drink. He’d known this day might come, but actually facing it was a different matter.

Across the table, Sarah, his rival from the rival lab, was already outlining her research. The graphs. The data. It was all… eerily familiar. He felt a cold knot tighten in his gut. His carefully constructed world was about to shatter. The meeting was almost over, and she hadn't said anything about it.

He waited for her to finish. He wanted to shout. He wanted to run. But he stayed put and listened intently, his fingers drumming against the table in a rapid, staccato rhythm. His composure had slipped away.