Gemotions

He stared at the paperwork, at the details of another man’s life. Cancer. Multiple sclerosis. A history of substance abuse. His own medical history, he knew, was boring. Routine check-ups, the occasional cold. The clerk's face went white as she realized the error. The clerk kept saying sorry, sorry. It felt like a condemnation, a judgment. He wanted to flee, to disappear. He clutched his own file, a flimsy collection of unremarkable documents, and left the office, walking faster than necessary.