Gemotions

The hospital corridor stretched ahead, an endless, sterile white tunnel. My vision blurred. She gripped the cold metal chair, knuckles bone-white. The doctor's words replayed in her mind, a relentless loop of accusation and disbelief. She’d dedicated her life to this research, a cure for the rare disease.

He had called her in to show her the paper. They had been working in parallel, both independently, both on the verge of success. The findings, the methodologies, the conclusions…identical. The doctor was looking at her, a strange look of pity in his eyes.

She felt a hollowness open up in her chest, a void that threatened to consume her. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t even lift her head.