Gemotions

The office assistant placed the arrangement on her desk, the sunflowers a splash of jarring yellow against the sterile grey. A card, she thought, a small comfort, a name, a reason. But there was nothing. Her hands trembled as she reached for them, as if reaching to touch a snake.

She wanted to laugh, but the sound caught in her throat, a strangled sob. Her vision swam. She turned her back to the world, and rested her head on her hands. The room swayed, and the smell of the flowers began to make her feel as if she had the flu. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to buzz louder, and louder, and louder.