Gemotions

The hospital room, sterile and cold, felt like a cage. Sophie’s throat tightened as she read her friend's list. "Run a marathon." The thought seemed absurd.

Her pulse accelerated. “Adopt a dog.” “Learn to surf.” Each aspiration highlighted what her friend would now never do. Her breath felt shallow. She had to sit down on the edge of the bed to stop from keeling over.

She felt a wave of dizziness. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to pulse, and the white walls closed in. Her vision blurred, and the sound of her own ragged breathing filled her ears. She wanted nothing more than to escape the confines of this room.