Gemotions

The gala was a blur of forced smiles and strained conversation. The fundraiser was for their shared condition, and he was expected to participate. He watched, from the corner of the room, as the other patients mingled with the guests, their laughter and their bright clothes filling him with a sense of…suffocation. He recognized one woman from their support group. She was telling jokes.

He felt the familiar thrumming in his chest. He reached for a glass of water, his hand shaking. They all seemed so happy, so…normal. His own life was a constant battle, a never-ending cycle of pain and fatigue. He wanted to vanish, to disappear into the shadows. He stayed in the corner, nursing his drink, feeling isolated and resentful.