Gemotions

The gym felt colder, the air thinner than usual. The other players were milling around, their faces a mixture of sympathy and relief. He ignored them. He felt a pressure in his skull, a throbbing ache. He had worked so hard.

He gathered his belongings with slow, meticulous care, folding his jersey with unnecessary precision. He would not allow a single emotion to pass his face. He’d show no weakness. He wasn't weak.

He walked past the coach without a word, his back straight, his shoulders rigid. They would remember him. They would all remember him.