Gemotions

The news of the delay landed on Daniel like a physical blow. He stared at the screen, disbelieving, then quickly looked away, as if by avoiding the words, he could make it all a bad dream. His father was in the hospital, and he was supposed to be there now.

He felt a sudden, sharp ache in his temples, a headache blooming into a pounding. He fumbled with his phone, trying to call the hospital, but his hands were shaking so badly he couldn't get the numbers right.

He wanted to run, to sprint across the tarmac, to somehow leap onto a plane and defy the laws of physics. Instead, he just sat, frozen, feeling the slow, insidious drip of despair.