Lisa slumped at the desk, face dejectedly cupped in her palm as she scribbled messy notes on a clipboard. Her crossed leg bobbed up and down as she drew her hand along the paper, feeling deflated with every word that touched the page.
Her initial hopes of seeing Kaufman had been dashed upon learning that her induction would be performed by a senior nurse. It made her concentration waver, and though she tried to remain alert, the intern's eyes were constantly searching for the evasive man.
Yet she had no time to mourn his absence, for there was work to be done, and the girl had been swept off her feet with a long list of duties that had all but exhausted her energy. It was amazing how tiring simply changing bandages could be.
There were now a number of specific patients in her care, many of whom had very debilitating illnesses. Most were no trouble to the nurse, but seeing them in such a state was nothing short of distressing.
Pushing her emotions to the back of her mind, she pushed herself forward, determined to make their life as comfortable as possible. It made her job marginally easier, though changing soiled bedspreads still proved a challenge.
Finishing off her report, the girl placed her pen back in the holder, standing up to return the clipboard to it's rightful place. The examination room was quiet, disturbed only by the muffled sounds drifting in from beneath the door.
Gathering up a dirty syringe and numerous empty packets, the teen disposed of the garbage appropriately, thoroughly rinsing her hands in a nearby sink once she'd finished.
Taking blood was the one thing she'd been terrified of doing, always fearing she'd be unable to find a suitable vein to insert the needle. Everything had gone smoothly however, further reassuring Lisa that she was, in fact, a perfectly capable nurse.
Reaching her arms above her head, she extended her limbs as far as she could, letting all the tension escape from her body. With a pent up groan, she released her stretch, relaxing into a comfortable sag as she breathed a sigh of relief.
The room was cold, and she tugged her cardigan shut, contemplating her next course of action. It was almost dusk, and her shift was coming to an end. The weekend was near, and Lisa began to wonder what she would do with herself.
It occurred to the teen that she'd wasted much of her free time studying, and though she continued to skim through her medical books at lunchtime, the intern was in no mood to spend another saturday cooped up inside her drab bedroom.
Heading back to the desk, she pulled open a slim drawer and removed a crumpled poster, laying it flat on the wooden surface as she examined it more closely.
She'd torn it from a wall during her morning commute, keeping it safely concealed in the examination room. Even if it had been discovered, she had absolutely nothing to hide. Afterall, it was just a scrap of paper.
Artaud Theatre presents: The Rise And Fall Of Doctor Faustus, Saturday 6th March at 2PM. Book your tickets now!
It had been many years since she'd last set foot in the theatre, and she suddenly had an urge to visit her old haunt. Fondling the poster with delicate hands, the girl considered purchasing a ticket to see the show.
An abrupt click of the opening door made her panic, and she spun round to obscure the poster from view. It was a natural reaction to her parents' constant prying, and the nurse found old habits difficult to break.
Slouching against the desk, her posture immediately changed when she saw Kaufman walk in, his hands fumbling with a slightly twisted tie. When he noticed her, the intern stood rigid, pale cheeks flushing red.
'I wasn't aware you were here,' The man spoke, eyeing her awkward posture. 'Forgive me, I should have knocked.'
'No, it's alright. I was just finishing up.'
Turning her back on the doctor, Lisa busied herself with a stack of papers, gathering them up into neat piles. She'd already organized the paperwork, but trembling hands had to be kept busy. She prayed he wouldn't dwell on her blush.
From behind her, she could hear the rattle and clank of bottles being shifted. As he meddled with the cabinet, Kaufman began counting out loud, mentally taking note of which medicines he would need to restock.
'How'd it go?' He asked from the cupboard, removing a purple jar. 'Not too difficult, or did you prefer sweeping floors?'
Glancing back, the girl briefly met his eyes, quickly averting her gaze to the floor, 'It's tiresome, but I've enjoyed it. It beats making coffee all day.'
He never replied, and the teen wondered whether he'd heard. Returning to her immaculate desk, she took hold of the poster and tried to covertly place it back in the drawer, annoyed at having to treat it like illegal contraband.
It was a scrap of paper, nothing more. Yet years of being pestered by her mother had led the intern to be cautious. She wasn't forbidden from attending the theatre, but her parents certainly didn't like her wasting money on it.
There are better things to invest in, She would always say.
But I enjoy it, Lisa would reply.
It's just a bunch of people prancing around in silly outfits like high class clowns.
The woman never understood the artistic merit of such a performance. It was too much effort for her to try. In the end, the girl gave up all attempts to convince her mother, accepting the fact that she would never view it in quite the same way.
'What's that?'
The doctor's voice was low in her ear, startling the girl. She'd let her guard down for a second too long, not realizing that he was now right behind her. She spun to face him, that warm, throbbing pulse resurfacing once again.
Before she could answer his question, Kaufman grabbed the poster from her grasp, holding it firmly in both hands. He'd snatched it with such force that he'd almost torn the fragile paper in half, angering the girl.
'Are you fond of the theatre?' He enquired, still examining the advert.
Lisa gave a nod, 'Yeah, but I haven't been in a while. My mom thinks it's a waste of time.'
He scratched his chin thoughtfully, finally returning the poster to her. Tugging on the hem of his jacket, the man crossed his arms and watched Lisa, his expression so uncommonly benign that it troubled the nurse.
'You're face is terribly red.'
Sucking in her breath, Lisa struggled to keep her composure, feeling both cheeks burn even brighter now that he'd made such a comment. Clearing her throat, she carefully placed the poster back into the drawer.
'I'm just hot, it's warm in here.'
Though her back remained turned, the teen could still feel his eyes on her, sense them roving up and down her body as she leaned over the desk to gather up her notes.
Had he sussed her out? She wasn't sure. He could have asked her what size shoes she wore and her flesh would still have flared. He didn't need to do much of anything to make her body react. Simply thinking about him was enough.
Just that morning she'd been slumped on the floor, unable to control what her body was desperately seeking. Just thinking about it made her squirm. The man she was dreaming of was right there in the room, and she no longer knew how to react.
With a small pad pressed to her chest, the intern gave the man a swift smile, 'I'm done for the day. I'll have a written report ready by tomorrow.'
As she passed, the girl inhaled his strong cologne, closing her eyes as she let it rush to her head. She recognized the aroma. Her father wore the same brand, but it seemed to smell different on Kaufman. Strong and powerful.
With slender fingers enveloping the handle, she paused, trying to think of something to say. Her embarrassment was clear, but trying to defuse the situation would only make things worse. Slowly shaking her head, she pulled the door open.
'One moment Miss Garland.'
Swallowing her nerves, Lisa shut the door and faced Kaufman, her fingers rapping neurotically against her notepad. Her heart was beating like a hummingbird's wings, and she began to wonder if he could hear it pounding.
He slowly paced towards her, hands swinging by his sides as he approached. He wasn't so much tall as he was stocky, and his presence was very imposing. She backed up against the door, despite the sizeable gap between them.
'I'm quite the avid theatre goer myself. I don't normally do this, but perhaps you'd like to accompany me to the performance this Saturday?'
Stunned by his invitation, the girl could do nothing but stare, lips moving silently as she struggled to form a reply. At first she assumed it was a cruel joke, unable to fathom the prospect of being on friendly terms with the man.
Rubbing at her stiff neck, she stammered hopelessly over her words, feeling stupid and inept. It seemed impossible to answer a simple question, leaving her confused and conflicted as she desperately thought of a good answer.
'Well?' He offered again, checking his watch.
He'd put her on the spot, and in a panic she blurted, 'Yes, that would be nice.'
Lowering her head, she started fumbling with the pages of her pad, reading through her notes, flipping through messy scribbles, anything to avoid his piercing gaze. Her answer was the result of pressure, but it was what she had honestly wanted to say.
With a fleeting smile, the doctor reached forward to grab the handle, their faces almost touching as he came close. When the door pushed against her, she stepped aside to let it open, bumping into him as she did so.
'S..sorry,' She clumsily stammered.
He brushed invisible dust from his suit, 'Not to worry, it was an accident.'
The man entered the gloomy corridor, leaving the girl without so much as a farewell. He stopped to converse with another doctor in the hall, not even bothering to acknowledge her. As he disappeared around the corner, the nurse exhaled the breath she'd been holding.
It was as though they'd never met, like the nurse was just some stranger he'd seen walking down the street. It made her feel abandoned, as though her existence meant nothing to him.
Frustrated, the girl stormed into the bathroom and dumped her notepad on the floor, keeling over the sink as she splashed icy water on her flaring skin. It soaked her dress and pooled on the floor, but she didn't care.
Even despite everything, she still wanted him.
