Gemotions

"So, the surgery went well?" Mark asked. He tried to keep his voice even, but the question felt like acid in his mouth. He’d driven across town to visit David, who’d been “out of the country on a business trip” for the past few weeks. Now, David was sitting in a hospital bed, wreathed in flowers. David, who’d regaled him with tales of international conferences and high-stakes deals. He found out David was recovering from a ruptured appendix after a trip to the local hospital.

David smiled, a little sheepishly, and described the ‘small complication’. Mark nodded, watching the color drain from his own face.

He picked at the plastic tray of hospital food, the blandness mirroring the emptiness in his gut. He noticed the expensive watch on David’s wrist, and the Rolex felt like a blow. They had all gone in together to buy David the watch for his birthday, believing that his job was as described.

He forced himself to chat about the latest sports scores. But everything felt wrong. Every word he spoke felt like a lie.

He said his goodbyes, the door shutting behind him with an echoing click. He had to go, before he said something he would regret.