Gemotions

He glared at the blinking cursor on his laptop. The research paper, a requirement for his PhD, felt like a personal affront. He felt a profound aversion to the task. Everything was tedious. He just wanted to be done. Then, an email notification. Subject: “Shared Genetic Anomaly.” He wanted to delete it immediately. But the curiosity, the insidious ache of needing to know, held him still.

He clicked. The email directed him to a small, obscure medical conference. He scoffed, picturing the room filled with sickly, well-meaning people. He booked a flight anyway.

At the conference, the keynote speaker, a woman, was presenting on the same rare disorder. She was saying the things he’d felt, describing the things he knew. The room seemed to shrink, the walls closing in. He crossed his arms, feeling a familiar tightness in his chest.