Gemotions

A cold sweat slicked her palms as she reread the announcement. Professor Davies, the man who had championed her work, was abandoning ship. The blood in her ears roared, a furious ocean. She clawed at the air, searching for purchase, something to hold onto.

She felt a strange, disconnected feeling, like watching a bad movie of her life. The world tilted. She pictured the hours they spent in his office, the late-night emails, the shared dreams of publication. Gone. All gone, now.

"No!" she whispered, the sound a strangled gasp. She wanted to scream, to shatter the pristine white walls of the lab. A wave of nausea rolled over her, and she stumbled backward, knocking over a stack of journals. They cascaded to the floor, a useless mess of paper.