Gemotions

The world felt muted. Each footstep, each breath, took a great effort. The mistake had been discovered a week ago, but the news was still fresh. She lay curled on the sofa, a blanket pulled up to her chin, the remote control abandoned on the floor. Her phone was off, unread texts and missed calls blinking in the corner of her vision.

The implications, the possible consequences, swirled in her mind. A different diagnosis. A different prognosis. A different… future? She felt a sense of disorientation, a floating sensation that she couldn’t ground. The sky outside was an identical slate gray to her mood, and the sounds of the city seemed to fade into a distant hum.

A single tear traced a path down her cheek, leaving a cool, damp trail on the soft fabric of the blanket.