Gemotions

Mark slumped against the rough brick wall outside the hospital, the cold seeping through his jacket. His stomach churned. He watched the people milling about, their faces all a blur. The revelation about the mixed-up records had left him stripped bare, exposed. He wanted to get away, disappear.

He fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette, then immediately thought better of it. Lighting it wouldn't fix anything. He kept replaying the doctor's words in his head, each repetition twisting the knife a little further. He found himself unable to focus, like the world was spinning.

He felt the sting of a tear escape, tracing a path down his cheek. He wiped it away, ashamed. He felt the need to scream, to shatter the quiet of the night, but the words wouldn’t come. He just wanted it all to be over.