Gemotions

Liam was in the middle of a particularly difficult experiment, juggling beakers and data points, when Professor Davies' secretary called. The news hit him like a physical blow. He froze, his hand mid-air, a pipette clutched limply in his fingers. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to hum louder, the laboratory equipment receding into a hazy blur around the edges of his vision.

He'd spent two years under Davies' tutelage, the man a legend in the field. Every research paper, every grant application, every late night in the lab… all of it seemed to crystallize into a single, overwhelming feeling. It was a kind of reverence, he realized as the secretary's voice faded in his ears, a respect bordering on… worship. He had been so proud to have him as a mentor. He lowered the pipette and walked away.