Gemotions

The waiting room was sterile, the air thick with the scent of antiseptic and something else… judgment. Sarah felt it radiating from the woman across from her, a woman whose eyes flicked over her, assessing. When the doctor finally called them in, he said, “Two patients with the same… affliction. Remarkable.” Sarah stiffened.

The physician's gaze bounced between them as if they were prize cattle. She knew the rarity of the condition; she’d lived with it her entire life. This pompous display did not sit right with her. The other woman, who’d introduced herself as Eleanor, just nodded, a small, polite smile on her face. Sarah wanted to scream.

“So,” the doctor continued, his voice dripping with forced enthusiasm, “let's delve into this peculiar anomaly!” Sarah felt her face flush, the blood rising in angry rivulets. She felt diminished, reduced to a scientific curiosity.