Gemotions

He stared out the window, the rain-streaked glass reflecting his own pinched face. The move to the research lab felt… wrong. It was supposed to be a promotion, a step up the ladder, but a coldness settled in his bones as he walked toward the door that last day. He hadn't wanted it. He’d preferred the familiar click-clack of his keyboard in IT, the predictable rhythm of fixing hardware problems.

The sterile environment of the lab, with its humming machinery and the scent of antiseptic, felt stifling. He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he hadn't realized he had until the new surroundings. His new boss, a woman with intense eyes, introduced him to a series of complex experiments. He found himself avoiding eye contact, his palms sweating.

"Are you all right?" the supervisor had asked, her voice sharp. He mumbled a response, his mouth suddenly feeling dry. He didn't belong here.