Gemotions

The announcement blared across the university's website: Professor Carter was departing. Grace's heart sank. She rubbed her temples, trying to ward off a headache. Her meticulously planned research schedule seemed to unravel before her eyes. The air in the lab grew heavy, difficult to breathe.

She wandered the corridors, the faces of her peers blurred and indistinct. Her own project, once a source of excitement, now felt like a burden. The thought of forging a new professional relationship was exhausting, a daunting and wearying prospect.