Gemotions

A lead weight seemed to have taken residence in Mark's chest. Even breathing was an effort. He stared out the window, the traffic below seeming to hum and drone. The prospect of starting his workday filled him with a sense of dread.

He dragged himself into the office, the usual bustle and chatter grating on his nerves. He found himself avoiding eye contact, preferring the isolation of his cubicle. The fluorescent lights above felt like a physical threat.

Later that week, at a medical conference, a specialist presented a case study. The patient's symptoms were eerily familiar. The doctor mentioned an identical case, a woman from his own town. Hope flickered, a tiny ember in the vast darkness.