Gemotions

She traced the outline of her coffee mug with a trembling finger. The hospital's ethics board had summoned her, and the anticipation was eating her alive. It had all started with the simple mistake of a misplaced lab result, a result that, according to the other patient's file, might have changed their treatment.

She hadn't realized her error until the other patient's family had come to her, furious and confused. Images of their faces, etched with a mixture of bewilderment and rage, replayed in her mind. Sleep had become a distant memory; the shadows under her eyes were testament to her sleepless nights.

She replayed the moment a thousand times in her head. She knew she should have spoken up. She had the chance to fix this, to prevent the ensuing chaos. Now, she felt a burning sensation in her chest, a weight that threatened to suffocate her. She rose and walked to the window, the city lights a blur through her tear-filled eyes.