Gemotions

He slumped against the wall, the harsh fluorescent lights of the patent office reflecting in his vacant eyes. The official had been kind, explaining the prior art, the unavoidable truth. His voice, usually booming with enthusiasm, was now a whisper. He’d thought he had something special, a device to help people who'd suffered debilitating injuries. The realization that someone else had beaten him to it felt like a heavy weight pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe. He felt a deep sense of wrong.