Gemotions

The sterile white of the hospital room felt suffocating. He stared at the ceiling, the fluorescent lights buzzing a monotonous tune. Another round of tests; another barrage of questions he didn't have the answers to. His body was a traitor, a source of constant disappointment.

He’d lost his job, his girlfriend had left, and his friends had drifted away. The social gatherings now felt like a minefield. The fear, the isolation, they were all so familiar. He existed in a silent world of his own failings.

A nurse rushed in, her face etched with concern. "Sir, we have a problem. Another patient is experiencing a severe episode." He knew what that meant, and a sense of detachment washed over him.

He was in the cardiac ward, and the other patient was in the bed next to his. He could hear her laboured breathing. He closed his eyes. Then, something inside him sparked.