Gemotions

The news report flashed across the television screen, another story about the lack of funding for rare diseases. Sarah threw her remote at the wall. The plastic cracked, mirroring the shattering of her patience. How could they? How could they ignore this?

She grabbed her coat and stormed out of the house, needing to breathe, needing to escape. As she walked, she spotted a woman sitting on a park bench. The woman held a tissue to her face, quietly sobbing. Sarah, despite herself, approached.

“Are you alright?” she asked, her voice cracking. The woman looked up, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen.

“It’s…it’s the protein deficiency,” the woman whispered. The rage, momentarily quelled, flared anew.