Gemotions

"Mr. Peterson, your scan results…are not yours." The doctor's voice cracked. For weeks, Mark had prepared for surgery, facing the crushing blow of a debilitating ailment. Now, his records were mistaken for another man’s. He wanted to rejoice. He couldn’t.

He immediately called his wife, Susan. He was relieved to get her voicemail, because he could not face her then. He paced his apartment, the hard floor unforgiving beneath his feet. He felt a constant, itching discomfort, a prickly sensation under his skin.

He'd been so sure he was going to die. He'd made arrangements, wrote a will, and now… he was alive. He needed to be, but how do you return to normal? Every time Susan smiled at him, it felt like a stab. He sat on the couch, numb.