Lying beneath the sheets, Lisa let her body curl into a ball, snuggling beneath the warm duvet as she felt the familiar lull of sleep take hold. Kaufman was already getting dressed, buttoning his shirt as she lay and watched him through heavy eyes.

When he noticed the woman staring at him, the doctor sat down on the bed, resting his weight on his elbow as he lowered himself down beside her. It was the most casual pose he had carried all evening, running a finger down her rosy cheek as she gazed up at him.

Letting the man caress her glossy flesh, the nurse closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, listening to the sound of passing cars drifting in from the dark street. The dim light illuminated very little of the compact space, casting invading shadows upon his features.

'I can help rid you of those bruises.' The man spoke, softly removing the sheets to reveal a severely contusioned arm.

Embarrassed, the girl obscured the yellow mark with her hand, focusing her attention on the creased pillow wrought with tangled hair. Stripping down had been shameful, but allowing him to see her abused frame was even more humiliating.

Taking hold of the blanket, she gingerly pulled it back over her exposed frame, breathing low and deep as she rolled onto her back, gazing at the plain ceiling. She was overcome with fatigue, fighting back the ever present urge to yawn.

'Get dressed.' Kaufman suddenly demanded, peeling back the covers, once again leaving the nurse shivering and naked. 'I have something to relieve you of that troublesome syringe.'

Pulling herself into a seated position, Lisa clambered for something to hide her modesty with, then decided it was ultimately useless. He wasn't paying much attention to her, instead searching for something inside his cluttered drawers.

Doing as he had asked, the intern began to slip her clothes back on, frowning as the scent of dry perspiration hit her nostrils. Running slender fingers through her matted locks, she felt threads of hair snap as she untangled the knots that had worked their way into her bob.

Slipping into her shoes, the girl watched as the director retrieved a clear pack of white powder, offering the mysterious parcel to her. Puzzled, she hesitantly reached out and took it, examining the soft grains that shifted within the walls of plastic.

'What's this?'

'A form of PTV.' He replied, smoothing down his collar. 'You inhale it.'

Lisa wavered. 'Like cocaine?'

'Don't worry. It's not benzoylmethylecgonine.'

Clearing her throat, the nurse fingered the rim of the bag, hearing a soft crackle as it yielded beneath her grip. It would certainly make things easier for her, and she felt some semblance of relief at the knowledge that she no longer had to use a needle.

'No more pain, no more bruises.' He said, avoiding eye contact as he worked on his tie.

Slightly ashamed, the intern gnawed anxiously on her lower lip, accepting that there was no way she could have undressed without inevitably revealing her marred flesh.

Deflated, she bent down to slip the PTV inside her bag, finding that the contraband was surprisingly heavy. However, it's weight was mitigated by it's compact shape, which would allow her to hide it with relative ease.

Putting on her jacket, the teen bemoaned her aching limbs, core throbbing with an entirely different sensation. She was still coming to terms with the fact that she had slept with the man, wandering through a blurry haze like a girl trapped within a dream.

Thinking of her mother, she mused at how angry the woman would be, and for once she had to agree that such a reaction was justified. Lisa didn't feel particularly proud of herself, yet despite this, there was also a lingering sense of satisfaction.

Having finally completed what she set out to accomplish, the nurse felt as though a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Even though the experience hadn't been what she was hoping for, the constant pang of curiosity had all but subsided.

It was a peaceful sensation.

'Thank you.' She mumbled, hauling her satchel over her shoulder.

Kaufman responded with a nod, moving aside to open the door for her. Feeling slightly rejected, the intern bowed her head as she passed, fatigue laden and sore, pumps dragging along the carpet as she began creeping towards the exit.

A cool draught billowed in from beneath the door, chilling her bare ankles as she stood before the murky wood. There were plenty of things that she wanted to say, words which tickled the tip of her tongue, yet seemed perpetually stuck at the back of her throat.

There was nothing she could say to diffuse the awkward silence, so she chose to say nothing at all. From over her shoulder, the man reached out and gripped the handle, hinges screaming shrilly as the door slowly swung open.

A burst of icy air stole her breath away, slamming into the girl so harshly that she stumbled back. The warmth of the motel made her forget about the turbulent storm that was brewing, bringing the intern back to reality.

'Remember,' The director began, voice low and guttural. 'Nobody else has to know about this.'

His breath shifted fragments of hair, warming the intern's cheeks as she peered back at her boss. It didn't sound very threatening, though she was certain that the doctor was warning her. He didn't need to worry. She was more than willing to comply.

'So what now?' She queried, standing on the lonely pavement. 'This will change things. It will be weird. At work, I mean.'

'It will be, at first. In time you'll grow used to these rendezvous, maybe even learn to enjoy them. There's no reason you can't give in to more...carnal desires from time to time.'

Lisa seemed unsure, scuffing her shoes along the grey stone as she shrugged. 'I need to go home, my...it's getting late.'

Pivoting, she reached up and removed her earrings, popping them inside her bag as she began to cross the parking lot. She had very nearly mentioned that her parents would be concerned, but stopped herself when she realized how immature it sounded.

Afterall, she was an adult now. Right?

Seventeen years old, yet still she didn't feel any less childish and insecure than she had previously done so. Disheartening though it was, the nurse found herself feeling foolish, like an infant who had received vanilla ice cream rather than chocolate.

The sex hadn't been painful, or at least not as agonising as she had expected. It did cause her great discomfort however, and she was unable to truly enjoy the affair.

She had closed her eyes and remained still, stiff and rigid beneath the man's weight, head banging constantly against the headboard, too self-conscious to do anything beyond grip the mattress tightly and wait for it to end.

It was so different to her passionate dreams that Lisa began to wonder why people placed so much importance on the act. Every grunt and gasp sent her further into the depths of sordid embarrassment, leaving little room for enjoyment.

It will get better. She told herself, more out of desperation than sincerity. I'm sure my body will adjust to it sooner or later. It just takes time.

Regardless, the nurse still felt slightly forlorn at how swiftly her emotions had been crushed by the harsh reality of it all. With time, that wound would also heal, but in the passing moment, she felt as though she could cry.

Heart heavy, the young woman let her palm settle on the plastic bag inside her satchel, finding solace in the white substance that resided within. Even if it was only temporary, she welcomed the exuberance it would bring, each step urging her closer to that precious high.

As she stepped into her home, the intern let her weight rest against the door, a distant voice echoing through the house as her father called out to her. With a barely audible reply, she sluggishly dragged herself to her bedroom.

Removing her diary from it's secure location, the girl grabbed a pen and flipped open the pages, hand hovering above the paper as she hesitated to scribe down her feelings. This task proved quite problematic for the woman.

It wasn't a memory that she wanted to remember.