Gemotions

David, normally a man of steady composure, found himself clenching his jaw so hard it ached. He’d requested his medical file for a routine check-up, and instead, he'd received the life story of an elderly woman battling rheumatoid arthritis. He felt a rising heat in his cheeks, a flush he hadn't experienced since his teenage years.

He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers tangling. The doctor's words replayed in his head, a jumbled mess of incorrect diagnoses and irrelevant treatments. He felt a sudden, almost desperate need to call his wife, just to hear her voice. He had to reassure himself that everything was normal.