Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the clinic hummed, a monotonous drone that matched the thrumming in Elias’s head. He knew the drill. Another blood draw, another inconclusive result, another month of hoping for something different. He didn't even bother to make eye contact with the phlebotomist anymore. He simply extended his arm, already feeling the familiar sting of the needle.

Later, slumped on a vinyl chair in the waiting room, Elias leafed through a dog-eared magazine. The glossy pages offered escape, but the stories felt distant, unreal. His gaze kept drifting to the framed posters advertising experimental treatments he knew he would never qualify for. He sighed, the air escaping his lungs with a quiet whoosh.

A woman with fiery red hair sat down beside him, clutching a file with shaking hands. "They just called me in," she muttered, her voice barely audible. "More tests."

Elias looked at her, his expression flat. "Figures," he said, turning back to his magazine. He already understood.