Gemotions

"Everything alright, dear?" The kind eyes of her grandmother peered at her from across the kitchen table. Martha picked at the corner of her toast, unable to bring herself to take a bite. The news had hit her like a physical blow. A stranger's medical history, now mixed with her own, was a knot in her stomach.

She ran her fingers over the cool, smooth surface of the wooden table. The doctor had been vague, offering assurances that it was a simple administrative error, but Martha couldn't shake the feeling of dread. What if this other person's ailments mirrored hers? What secrets were now intertwined with her own?

“Just a bit… overwhelmed, Grandma,” she mumbled, forcing a weak smile. She pushed the toast away, suddenly losing her appetite.