Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of the hospital, mirroring the drumming in Elias's temples. He slumped further into the vinyl chair, the harsh fluorescent lights of the waiting room doing nothing to soothe the tightness in his chest. Each breath felt like an uphill climb, a struggle against an invisible force. He hadn't slept properly in weeks, tossing and turning, his body refusing to find any peace. He glanced at the overflowing coffee cup in his hand, the bitterness doing nothing to alleviate the hollowness he felt.

A woman with fiery red hair and eyes that seemed to have seen too much hurried past, dropping a file. He bent to pick it up, their hands brushing. "Oh, thank you," she rasped, her voice thin. She looked at him. "You wouldn't happen to be waiting for Dr. Ramirez, would you?"

"Yes," he croaked, surprised at the weakness in his voice. "I am." She sat beside him, the silence thickening. "I’m Amelia," she eventually offered. "I have... the same thing." He looked at the file: *Cytokine Depletion Syndrome.* He knew that name, and the awful implications. He felt a flicker of something, something other than despair.