Lisa's mother was estatic with the news of her daughter's promotion, hounding the girl with more questions than she cared to answer. Her father was more reserved about the matter, offering a hearty congratulations for a job well done.
This bothered the girl, who felt as though she hadn't really done anything.
Pushing her fork around the plate, the intern struggled to take even a single bite of her food, fearing that she'd vomit if she attempted to do so. A loss of appetite had overtaken her, and though her mother's cooking always tasted good, the nurse was too nervous to try any of it.
A roiling sensation disturbed her otherwise empty stomach, but she couldn't quite figure out why. All she knew was that it had something to do with the mysterious doctor.
Sipping gingerly at her water, Lisa was able to convince her parents that she was too tired to eat. As terrible as the excuse was, it apparently seemed to work, and the intern promptly retired to her room, finding solace in the peace and quiet.
In reality she simply wanted to be left alone, tired of listening to her mother's babbling. The troubled teen had far too much on her mind to warrant listening to anything the woman had to say. She liked the attention, but the timing couldn't have been worse.
Closing the door behind her, the nurse felt some comfort in the knowledge that she wouldn't be disturbed. Her parents respected her privacy. She didn't need a lock on her door, as they were always kind enough to knock.
Turning on her bedside lamp, Lisa sat on the edge of her bed, the mattress creaking slightly beneath her weight. Resting her arms across her knees, the girl began to think of him, confusion and bewilderment leaving her in a mess of conflicted emotions.
She knew exactly what she was feeling, but tried her best to deny it, finding no logical reason as to why she would develop anything for such a cold and callous man. Yet even as such thoughts occurred, she felt her body warm with a strange jolt of adrenaline.
Sex was something of a taboo in her home, and neither of her parents wished to speak directly about the topic. Her mother all but ordered the girl to remain chaste until she married, a belief which Lisa held with contempt.
Boyfriends weren't forbidden, but to admit having one was more trouble than she deemed necessary. She wasn't as naive as her parents believed her to be, yet despite having been on numerous dates, the girl had never allowed anyone beyond first base.
Most of her relationships had been mere infatuations, short-lived crushes that never went further. Taking things to the next level was too much of a risk, and the constant fear of getting caught forever loomed above her head.
Things were different now, and Lisa wasn't sure she liked the direction her life was taking. Moist palms and a thumping heart were something which followed her around all afternoon, from the moment she picked up her water jug, to the moment she closed her locker door.
All day her head had been filled with thoughts of Kaufman, unable to discern just why she had suddenly formed an attraction to him.
The man was remarkably unremarkable, with features that she normally wouldn't consider handsome. He had a terrible attitude, being somewhat anti-social and mean. It made the girl question her own motives, pondering why she felt the way she did.
Misplaced affection perhaps? He was, afterall, the only person who had made any effort to treat her kindly. More so than even her own parents.
Shaking her head, Lisa knew this wasn't true. She had formed many excuses, none of which held any reliable ground. The simple fact was that everything negative about him seemed so alluring to her. It was inconceivable, yet that is what it was.
Her head spun wildly as she came to terms with the revelation, feeling an uncomfortable sensation of sick anticipation and building repulsion line her gut.
It wasn't that she found the idea of Kaufman so revolting, but rather the concept that she could fall for such a disagreeable man so quickly, and all because he'd given her a handkerchief. It was completely ludicrous.
The girl was well aware of how idiotic it all sounded, like a soppy romance novel in which happy endings were still possible. She scowled at the thought, yet remained unable to shake such thoughts of him from her mind.
Frustrated, the nurse began to restlessly pace back and forth, trying to keep herself busy with small chores which temporarily subdued her wandering imagination. A speck of dust here, a wandering sock there; all gathered up and swept away.
But her room was immaculate, and she finished her cleaning rather quickly. Soon, she found herself thinking of him again, a sense of guilt crushing the air from her lungs.
Sitting at her desk, the teen slowly rocked back and forth on the hind legs of her chair, staring at a selection of books on the shelf above. She wasn't a big reader, but every so often she got the urge to pick up a novel and immerse herself in the world of fiction.
Her eyes fell on a black, leather clad diary sitting in between two books. It had been a gift for her fourteenth birthday, but the girl had never felt the need to use it.
Now that she had something she wanted to say, the troubled intern was thankful for the opportunity to release the words she found herself unable to form. With no close friends to confide in, the only way of confessing her turbulent emotions was through pen and paper.
Grabbing the journal from it's place on the shelf, the redhead nestled down in her seat and peeled back the front cover, inhaling the aromatic scent of crisp, fresh paper. With pen in hand, she slowly began to stain the unsullied page with layers of black ink.
The girl had so many things that she wanted to express. All of her pent up rage and sorrow pooled onto the paper like dirty tears, leaving random blotches dabbed here and there.
Yet Lisa didn't stop. Even when her wrist began to ache and her eyes grew heavy, she still continued to scrawl, fearing she would burst if their words were not immortalized in some fashion. Her story had to be told, if only to a book.
Every passing second was filled with the soft scrape of skin on paper, her heart thumping excitedly as she was finally able to express herself.
As it got dark, the nurse switched on her table lamp, only pausing to get a glass of water from the kitchen. By the time night had arrived, she'd dozed off, waking only when a soft knock roused her from sleep.
Sitting up with a start, she heard the familiar croon of her mother's voice push it's way through the walls. Clearing her throat, she carefully closed her journal and opened the door, allowing the woman inside.
With only one lamp illuminating the dim room, everything appeared cast in shadow, forcing the girl to quickly switch on her ceiling light so as to shoo the darkness away. Upon noticing her mother's gaze eyeing the diary, Lisa carefully sat back down to guard it.
'I just came to say goodnight,' She smiled, staring at the leather book.
The girl blinked back an urge to yawn, 'You're going to bed?'
'Yes,' The woman chuckled. 'It's almost five past ten.'
Looking at her clock, the girl was surprised to find that her mother was right. She'd been asleep for quite a while. Rubbing at her drowsy eyes, the teen got to her feet and gave a little laugh. She'd lost all track of time, far too engaged in her new hobby.
'Sorry, I've been a little distracted.'
Her mother gestured to the journal, 'I can see.'
'You bought this for me two years ago, remember?'
'I do,' The woman nodded. 'I'd almost forgotten about it.'
She sat down on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs at the ankle and inspecting her child. Lisa always hated being under duress, particularly that of her mother's scrutinizing gaze. Whether it was a compliment or not, the girl wished to be left alone.
'What are you writing about?' Her mother queried, curious.
'Um, my promotion.' The girl blurted without a thought. 'It's a special occasion, something worth writing about.'
It wasn't a lie, as Lisa really had been writing about her newly acquired position. What she didn't admit to, however, was the unwanted sensations that strange man was beginning to make her feel. They remained strictly her secret to keep.
The bed groaned as her mother got up, a warm smile on her aging features. With a gentle hand, the woman ran her palm down the girl's pale cheek, slowly pulling her into a soft embrace and planting a firm kiss on the teen's forehead.
'You're such a good girl,' She said, trailing slender fingers through layers of strawberry hair. 'I always knew you'd make me proud.'
With one last hug, the woman turned to leave, carefully closing the door behind her as she did so. Releasing the breath she'd been holding, Lisa swiftly dashed to her door, pressing an ear against the wood and listening for her mother's presence.
There was something unusual about the way she was behaving, and though the teen enjoyed receiving the attention, it also made her wary. Love was something her parents did not often portray, and whenever they did, it worried the girl.
Sometimes she failed to recognize whether such actions were controlling or genuine, finding the thin line that ran between them blurry and unclear.
Nervous, but certain that her mother would not invade her room without permission, the nurse covertly hid her diary beneath her mattress. If it were to be discovered, she would most certainly get into trouble for feeling something her parents deemed inappropriate.
Removing her cardigan and folding it neatly into her drawer, the girl began to undress for the night, getting into a pair of pajamas and clambering into bed. She didn't bother turning the light off, somehow afraid of what the dark would bring.
It was odd how she could feel so tired, yet be so awake, and despite the serene silence, all that could be heard was the heavy throbbing of her pulsing heart.