Gemotions

The sterile white walls of the hospital felt suffocating. Sarah twisted the paper coffee cup in her hands, the heat a small comfort against her clammy palms. It was the same rare condition, a truth that had been confirmed in a hastily arranged phone call yesterday. Now here she was, in a shared room with the only other person who understood.

He sat on the bed across from hers, fiddling with a pen. His eyes met hers, and then quickly diverted. The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken questions. He looked as weary and worn down as she felt.

"So…" she began, her throat suddenly dry. The word hung in the air, a tiny, fragile bridge across an immense chasm of uncertainty.