Gemotions

The familiar hum of the laboratory felt different today, oppressive. He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture that had become almost automatic. The familiar scent of chemicals, usually a source of comfort, now churned in his stomach. His mentor’s chair remained unoccupied, a stark emblem of his sudden departure.

He forced himself to approach the experiment bench, the tools feeling alien in his hands. The equations on the whiteboard swam before his eyes. He sat down and propped his head with his hand, trying to focus, but the task felt impossible. His shoulders slumped, the weight of the world pressing down on him. The excitement he used to feel for this science was gone, replaced by a dull ache.