Gemotions

The nurse's apology sounded insincere, like a pre-recorded message. Michael clenched his jaw. He’d been dealing with headaches for weeks, now to find out he had been mistakenly given a medication that didn't even address the right problem. It felt as if he were caught in a cruel game. His hands were clenched into fists, the knuckles white. He could feel the pulse in his temples. He imagined the nurse, her perfectly styled hair, her calm demeanor. He wanted to wipe that serenity from her face. “Explain this to me *again*,” he said, his voice flat, devoid of any inflection, as if he were speaking to a particularly dense child.