Gemotions

The room felt small, the air thick with unspoken disappointment. He sat stiffly on the edge of the chair, his hands clasped tightly in his lap, a physical attempt to restrain the chaos inside. His jaw was locked.

They’d both presented their findings. Their research, their breakthroughs, their entire academic careers had been building to this moment, only to discover that they had essentially arrived at the same conclusions, independently.

He'd imagined the accolades, the recognition, the prestige. Now, the silence in the room was deafening. He felt a tightening in his chest.

His colleague, Emily, stared at the table, just as subdued, just as defeated. He wanted to say something, but the words were caught in his throat.