Gemotions

The announcement came during their weekly lab meeting. Sarah watched, utterly still, as Professor Lee delivered the news: he was taking a position at a prestigious research institute. She could feel the color drain from her face.

Her breath became shallow and rapid. Her hand went instinctively to her chest, as if to ward off a physical blow. Her carefully curated notes, the countless hours spent in the lab, suddenly seemed meaningless, ephemeral.

She sat frozen in her chair, listening to the other students' confused questions. She could barely hear them. All she could hear was the frantic pounding of her own heart.