Gemotions

"Unlikely," the doctor had said, but the seed of doubt had taken root in David's mind. The error, the other man’s medical history, became a shadow that followed him. He could not shake the feeling of disquiet.

He started to drink more. The alcohol offered a temporary respite, a momentary forgetting. But when the effects wore off, the feeling returned, a relentless tide of anxiety that crashed over him.

He was irritable, short-tempered with everyone around him. His wife’s gentle touch now seemed like an intrusion. He began to isolate himself, building walls around his heart and his life.