Gemotions

The dim light of the lab cast long shadows as Chloe stared at the holographic projection of her revolutionary medical scanner. A week before, she had been overjoyed, ready to change the world. Then came the email, the patent, and the crushing disappointment. Now, she felt a pressure behind her eyes, the same feeling she'd get if she stayed under water too long.

She brushed away a stray strand of hair, then sighed. She picked up the discarded prototype and tossed it back onto the workbench. The clatter of metal was the only sound. She felt utterly depleted, emptied of any enthusiasm. She felt she had done something wrong and didn't know what it was.