Gemotions

Heaviness settled in Daniel's chest, a constant pressure he couldn't seem to shake. The elevator doors opened, and he stepped into the bustling IT department. His new colleagues greeted him, but their words seemed distant, drowned out by the thrumming anxiety he felt.

He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he'd developed in the past week. His palms were slick. What if he couldn’t grasp the new technical jargon? What if he failed to meet expectations? This transfer to the networking team felt like a monumental hurdle.

"So," his new supervisor, a woman named Sarah with bright, energetic eyes, said, "Ready to get coding?" Daniel’s throat constricted. He nodded, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes. His gaze drifted to the array of computer screens, the code scrolling across them like an alien language.

The thought of messing up and creating a problem was almost unbearable. He felt out of place, an intruder in a world he didn't understand.