Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the clinic hummed, a relentless, irritating drone. Amelia tapped her foot, the sound amplified in the sterile silence. Every cough, every sniffle of the other patients fueled the fire in her chest. She despised the forced cheerfulness of the receptionist, the gentle platitudes of the doctor. She clenched her jaw as the doctor called her name. The words seemed to grate.

He was examining her scans, the same ones she’d had a million times. Then, he looked up, a flicker of something she couldn't place in his eyes. He said, “I think I've found someone else with your…condition.” A woman was waiting down the hall.

Amelia stalked down the hallway. Her knuckles were white as she gripped her bag. She found the woman, also mid-examination. The woman looked her way. The air in the corridor felt thick, charged.