Gemotions

She hadn't slept in two days. The coffee, cold and bitter in her mug, did nothing to soothe the tremor in her hands. The announcement, plastered on the department website, had landed like a physical blow. Professor Davies, gone. Poof. Years of guidance, mentorship, support – vaporized. A sob caught in her throat, a strangled sound that threatened to become a full-blown wail. She gripped the edge of the desk so tightly her knuckles whitened, trying to anchor herself against the swirling, disorienting panic. The knot in her stomach tightened with each passing second, a pressure cooker threatening to explode.