Gemotions

The woman across from him, the other patient, was a stranger. "Are you sure this is my file?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. Her eyes were red-rimmed and brimming. The diagnosis of advanced diabetes was terrifying. It wasn't hers. It was his.

He felt a deep sense of wrongness, like a vital organ had been misplaced. He looked at her face, the lines of worry etched deep. He saw his own fear reflected back. The doctor's calm reassurances seemed hollow, irrelevant.

He wanted to scream, to lash out. He wanted to rewind time and undo this terrible error. He wanted to offer some comfort, but the words wouldn't come. He felt a strange detachment, as if he were watching the scene from a great distance.