Gemotions

The scent of stale coffee and printer ink filled the air, a combination that usually spurred him on, but today it felt cloying. Michael pointed at the server room, his arm feeling heavy and resistant. His successor, a younger, more energetic version of himself, was following with a pen and pad.

“The routing… it all comes together here, and then…” Michael found himself unable to finish the sentence, a heavy fog clouding his thoughts. He rubbed at his eyes, trying to clear the haze. The hum of the servers seemed to intensify, a relentless soundtrack to his sluggish state.

His new colleague's questions went unanswered for a long moment. He swallowed hard and made a concentrated effort.