Gemotions

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice soft. He flinched at the sound. He’d barely spoken to his wife in days. He had made a mistake, a critical error in sorting through medical records.

He couldn't meet her gaze. The weight on his shoulders felt almost unbearable. Every breath was a labored effort. The other patient's family, the ripple effects, the potential for harm, weighed upon his soul.

He felt the familiar knot tighten in his stomach. He wasn’t eating. He wasn’t sleeping. He went to work, but felt unable to do his job. The world, once vibrant, had turned gray and lifeless. All he could do was stand in the wreckage of his own actions.