Gemotions

The world around her began to blur. The gate attendant's voice, usually crisp, sounded distant and distorted, as if coming from underwater. She felt trapped. The ceremony. *Her* daughter's graduation. All the years of hard work, sacrificed to be here, and now it was all slipping away. She began to sway, and instinctively reached for the support of the nearest seat.

She felt a hot flush sweep over her. The airport became a minefield of people, a maze designed to keep her from her destination. She pulled at her collar, gasping for air. The announcements seemed designed to torment her, to remind her that time was running out. She let out a shaky breath, the metallic taste of fear coating her tongue.