Gemotions

He kept trying to scrub the sweat from his palms onto his trousers. The fabric offered no relief. It was the same stale air circulating, a humid, suffocating blanket. David knew he should be calm. He knew he should be a pillar of strength for Sarah, his co-worker. He was the senior employee here. But the oppressive silence, punctuated only by the occasional groan of the elevator’s machinery, was eating away at him.

"You okay?" Sarah asked, her voice soft. He swallowed hard. "Yeah, fine," he managed, his voice sounding thinner than he intended.

He pulled at his collar. The button felt like it was strangling him. He imagined the headlines: "Senior Manager Suffers Cardiac Event in Elevator, Coworker Witnesses." He took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to steady himself, and wished he wasn't so weak.

He pictured his wife's face. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, but he blinked them away, ashamed. He focused on the flickering numbers above the door, willing them to change. He could feel the panic rising, a bitter taste in his mouth, but he forced a smile. "Just… a little warm in here, right?"