Gemotions

"He just…left?" The words felt clumsy on Thomas's tongue. He stared at the secretary, his jaw tight. Ms. Peterson simply nodded, her expression unchanging, her posture perfectly erect, as though she were a statue. The feeling in his chest intensified, a strange ache. He needed to understand.

He had expected a farewell, a handover, at least a phone call. He had become accustomed to Professor Albright's steady guidance, to his sharp wit and reassuring presence in the lab. The lab seemed suddenly and acutely empty. The fluorescent lights hummed, amplifying the unsettling quiet. He felt the need to get out of the lab.

He ran a hand over the counter, the smooth, cold surface doing little to ground him. He felt disconnected, adrift. The prospect of facing the next experiment without his mentor’s guidance left him feeling distinctly unsteady, as though the ground beneath him was crumbling. He had relied on Albright for years, and now he was gone.