Gemotions

The courtroom felt suffocating. The air grew thick as Thomas listened to the lawyer explain the shocking error. His head lolled, his neck muscles straining to keep it up. The legal jargon was a distant hum in his ears.

The files described a stranger’s ailments, a history of suffering that was not his own. He wanted to scream, to understand. But the words were meaningless, and his eyes felt like they were being pulled shut.

He felt the chair begin to cradle him, the room's gentle sway lulling. The effort of fighting against it became unbearable.