Gemotions

She dragged herself into the lab, the fluorescent lights of the corridor feeling like needles in her eyes. The air hung heavy with the scent of chemicals and unfulfilled potential. Dr. Chen's office door was already closed, a subtle but significant detail that told her all she needed to know. She’d spent the weekend hunched over her microscope, feeling her brain slowly melting. Now, the prospect of navigating the university's labyrinthine bureaucracy again, finding a new mentor, and rewriting her entire proposal felt like climbing Mount Everest in sandals. She ran a hand through her hair, the strands catching on her fingers.