The man sat up and swung his legs off the table. "Are there any other reasons you could think of, Ralph?" He had known the doctor since they were boys together and he had been his physician for almost twenty years now. Terry felt comfortable with him.

The doctor sat in his chair and motioned for Terry to sit in the chair in front of him. Terry went to take up his shirt to get dressed, but Ralph waved it aside, so Terry sat down still nude.

"You look to be quite normal, Terry," Ralph began. "In fact most men would be envious of the equipment you have. But you couldn't get erections with Helen anymore, which led to the breakdown of your marriage, and you rarely feel any sexual excitement. And you aren't under any stress and you feel one hundred percent fit. And I think you are not impotent. Is that about it?" Terry nodded. "I'd like to try something else now, buddy. Its a little bit unorthodox but I've given a lot of thought to your case over the past few months since you first mentioned it and I have had other men with your symptoms and this has solved it for them."

Terry looked at his friend in concern. "If you've successfully treated other men with my symptoms, why have you not started with this treatment before now?" he asked, feeling slightly peeved.

Ralph raised his hands placatingly. "I said this was rather unorthodox, Terry, and I need to be sure of my patients before I start it. Its...ahh...a sort of...ah...sex therapy. I need to know that the treatment I'm going to offer you stays strictly between you and me. No one else." He looked at the man sitting before him. "Will you guarantee in writing you will not disclose my treatment to anyone else? That what we say and do in this room stays strictly confidential between you and me?"

Terry was intrigued - and a little apprehensive. Ralph was acting as though this was very serious. He hesitated for a moment, then decided. "I guarantee it, Ralph. I don't want to go on like I am at the moment. Anything you can do to help will be okay by me and just between us."

The doctor reached into his drawer and passed a sheet of paper across towards Terry and a pen. "This is an agreement stating you accept all responsibility for any events which might occur from now on. Sign it, date it and write the current time on it if you agree to the conditions set out."

Terry took the paper nervously and glanced through the list of conditions, all as Ralph had said. 'What the hell,' he thought. 'Maybe he's going to bring in a sex therapist - or maybe he'll do it himself! Could be interesting. I've certainly got nothing to lose,' and he signed the form and passed it back to Ralph.

"Good," Ralph said, smiling broadly, putting the form back into the drawer. "I'm sure you'll enjoy the treatment."

"When does it start?," Terry asked, feeling better at the change in Ralph.