Gemotions

The coffee cup trembled in Amelia's grasp, sloshing over the side and staining the already-stained table. Her face was pale, reflecting the fluorescent lights of the university cafeteria. She had encountered Professor Chen in the hallway, his matter-of-fact tone confirming the rumors. He was leaving. His words were a blur, but the implications were crystal clear. Her defense was in six months.

She couldn’t eat. The sandwich in front of her seemed suddenly repulsive. Her mouth was dry. She ran her tongue over her lips, tasting the faint metallic tang of panic. She envisioned weeks of research, hours in the library, all now seemingly jeopardized. She pushed herself away from the table, not noticing the loud scrape of the chair legs against the floor. She needed to breathe, to think. She felt like she was drowning.