Gemotions

He dragged himself into the new IT department, the door feeling like a heavy oak barrier. The air hung thick with the smell of cables and the low drone of servers. David ran a hand through his hair, already feeling the ache in his shoulders from the previous night's lackluster sleep. The transfer was unexpected, a lateral move, a change of scenery.

He had a meeting with his new manager, Sarah, in fifteen minutes. He glanced at his reflection in the darkened screen of a computer. He looked… drained. The bags under his eyes were prominent; they echoed the hollowness he felt inside. He took a deep, shuddering breath.

“David? Right on time. Come in, have a seat.” Sarah’s voice, sharp and energetic, was jarring. He forced a smile, the muscles in his face protesting. She gestured toward a chair, and he sank into it gratefully. The weight of all the new information was already settling on him.