Gemotions

The world felt muted, as if seen through a veil. Clara had been sleeping on the uncomfortable couch in her flat, but couldn't seem to find any rest. The silence amplified the echoes of everything that had been lost. She pulled herself up, and stumbled to the bathroom, where she stared at her pale reflection. There was a dull ache behind her eyes, the same ache she felt in her soul.

She knew she couldn't face another day like this. On the bus to her appointment, she watched the rain streak down the windows, blurring the cityscape. She clutched her medical file, the paper crinkling in her grasp. The appointment had been scheduled for weeks, and she was grateful for the distraction.

The doctor, a woman with kind eyes and a gentle voice, was explaining the next steps when she saw another file on the desk, with a similar diagnosis. She had a colleague, apparently, who was suffering from the same affliction. "Perhaps," the doctor offered, "you'd like to meet?"