Chapter Text
Norma Bates was rushing into the hospital to get her son, Norman Bates, out of there as soon as possible. Their house was being searched by the police, or more specifically by sheriff Alex Romero, an idiot who was convinced Norma and her son were murderers and was doing everything to prove his theory.
As she was walking to her son’s hospital room thinking of how she was going to get the police to leave ber alone, her gaze traveled along the people in the clinic, but she noticed one of them. A tall, dark-haired and blue-eyed woman who was lecturing a poor nurse who was basically shaking under the doctor’s icy stare. Norma couldn’t stop herself from thinking how lucky she was to not have someone who’d be criticizing every single one of her moves when she was working, that woman seemed like a bitch with no empathy for her coworkers. She didn’t realize how long she’d been staring until she heard the doors of the elevator opening. While the elevator was riding up she fixed her blonde hair in the mirror on the right side of the lift, it was a mess from a day of stress and nonsense.
She reached Norman’s bedroom and he was talking to the doctor, he was telling him how all the medical tests had been inconclusive and that the blackout he had was probably nothing too bad. Norma was finally breathing, her son was safe and sound and she was expecting to bring him back home for the night until the doctor said he wanted to keep him for tonight. Norma tried arguing with him but understood soon enough the medic was not up for negotiation. She sighed in resignation and waited for him to leave the room. As soon as she heard the sound of his footsteps fading she began pulling all the tubes and other stupid stuff they attached to Norman off him. A nurse she saw downstairs earlier tried stopping her:
“Oh no no, you can’t do that.” She said, still calmly stepping besides Norma.
“Doctor said he’s fine; we’re going home.” Norma answered, not even looking at the nurse like what she was doing was the most common thing in the world.
“The doctor has to check him out of here.” Affirmed the nurse staring into Norma’s blue eyes with an untroubled yet strict look.
“I am his mother and I am checking him out.” She blurts out, this time looking a bit more panicked.
The nurse steps aside, only to reveal the brunette doctor that was attacking the nurse when Norma came in before. She was standing in the doorway with almost a smug look on her face.
“You are not checking him out.”
Before Ms. Bates was able to answer, she was already telling the nurse to put Norman back on his bed and make sure he doesn’t try to escape. While doing so, the tall doctor instructed Norma to come with her. Norma followed her trying to not let her eyes roll in annoyance. But before she knew it, the annoyance was replaced by the soft smell of the doctor’s flowery perfume that infested her nose and soon her brain too. She was so lost in thoughts she didn’t notice the woman staring at her with that same icy look she gave to the nurse previously today.
“Ms. Bates, I don’t know in what world you live but kidnapping patients is not okay.” She sighed and bit her lip to take a moment like she was thinking of what to say next.
“I didn’t kidnap a patient ! That’s my son-” Norma was almost shouting, Norman was everything to her she couldn’t just let this doctor treat her like she was another nobody.
“I don’t care if it’s your son, your brother or your friend. What I care about is the law, and you can’t just walk out of the hospital because you want to. You have to sign papers for us to discharge him and your son just had a blackout. If he has another one at home you’ll be suing us- well… my hospital ! The point is, as the Dean of Medicine, Dr. Cuddy, if that's more clear to you, I can’t have another lawsuit for something as stupid as this.” She states before exhaling, she seemed exhausted which made Norma a bit more considerate of her.
“So… Dr. Cuddy… who told you I’d be suing your hospital if my son has a blackout again ? ” Norma arched an eyebrow while telling this, Norman had blackout since forever and she just wanted him out of this building so he could be safe with her again.
“Because that’s what patients do.” Said Dr. Cuddy like it was the most obvious thing ever. She looked like she argued about this millions of times.
“Listen… I just want my son to be home with me… He’s a very sensible kid and I know he won’t sleep well here. I want Norman with me.” Norma knew she was playing the vulnerable card here, but this time there was a part of truth in what she said, she needed her son with her. The police just searched her house, she just needed someone she could rely on.
“I know Ms. Bates but a blackout out of nowhere isn’t nothing. My patients are important to me and I wouldn't risk bringing him back home without being sure he’s fine.” She sounded less angry now, not sad but tired. Norma knew she could play on that, but she also knew arguing about getting Norman out was leading to nothing.
“Can I at least stay here for the night ? I’ll just eat dinner in the cafeteria if that's okay with you.” As Norma said this she bit her lip out of nervousness. Dr. Cuddy took a few seconds before answering;
“Fine, you can stay. I’ll tell a nurse to do rounds, just warning you so you don’t try to kidnap your son again” She said with a tired smile on her lips and turned around towards the elevator to go back to her office.
Norma just smiled and stared at her.
“Also… I’ll be in my office if you need me, you can’t miss it. It’s the big office with wooden doors downstairs.” Dr. Cuddy seemed almost shy while saying this. Norma gave her a small nod and turned back to her son’s room.
—
Norma was watching her son, he was sleeping, and on the nightstand, there was just a half-eaten salad she couldn’t finish. She’d been working on her computer for hours and her eyes darted to the clock: 12:16AM. The battery bar was almost empty and while she was clearing her last bill for the motel the screen became pitch black. Norma groaned in annoyance before slamming her computer shut. She was in one of those uncomfortable hospital armchairs, she tried closing her eyes but after 10 minutes of forcing her eyes shut, sleep just wouldn’t take her. She looked over at Norman sleeping peacefully then at her now-dead computer. She finally decided to discreetly leave her son’s room to go find someone that she could borrow a charger from. She padded to the nurse’s office and the door was half open, they seemed pretty asleep in there. Norma wouldn’t dare to bother nurses and get into trouble again. She decided to go downstairs to the clinic, no one there either except for the light in one office closed by big wooden doors. It didn't take long before she understood who’s office this was. Norma hesitated, she feared how awkward it would be to go to the Dean of Medicine herself just for a computer charger. She eventually found herself knocking against the wooden doors, she waited a few seconds before Dr. Cuddy half opened the door, her brows furrowed and then softened when she recognized Norma.
“Oh hello Ms. Bates… Is everything okay ?” She whispers with a soft smile on her lips.
“Call me Norma, I like it better. Just wondering if you’d have any chargers for a laptop in here…?” Norma said looking at Dr. Cuddy’s tired eyes, they were gorgeous.
“Sure. Let me just–” She disappeared into the depth of her office and started looking over. Norma was still standing in the doorway admiring the woman’s taste in decoration: colorful lamps, comfortable armchairs and a big couch, some pink flowers she couldn’t identify. Her thoughts got interrupted by Dr. Cuddy’s voice:
“Come in, I don’t bite.”
Norma found that a bit ironic recalling how rude she’d been to that nurse or just her employees in general, she stepped in anyways. She stood there awkwardly already regretting her choice to show up in the boss’s office.
“Found it !” Dr. Cuddy announced cheerfully, she took a few steps towards Norma in her high heels and handed her the charger.
Norma smiled and thanked her with a nod but she paused in the doorway, she decided to turn around to ask Dr. Cuddy if they could grab a coffee once. They stared at each other for a few seconds but Norma just couldn’t get the words out of her mouth. She kept thinking about how pathetic and childlike it would sound to ask her to become friends just because she lent her a charger.
“Goodnight Doctor.” Norma ended up saying. It was even more embarrassing since Dr. Cuddy just mumbled something and went back to typing on her computer.
Norma walked back to Norman’s room and he was still there, sleeping peacefully. She went into the ridiculously small hospital bathroom, the bright neons making her flinch slightly. She looked at herself and all she saw was that friendless teenage girl she was 25 years back then. She couldn’t believe she almost asked a doctor to be friends just because she acted nice to her. She couldn’t believe how desperate she was for contact with another human being other than her son. She couldn’t believe how much of a failure she was.
–
Around 9AM Norma and Norman were already signing the discharge papers. Norma just gave Dr. Cuddy’s laptop charger to a nurse, she wanted out of there as soon as possible. The police had just called her signaling they found nothing but will continue investigating her house, which Norma did not like and was determined to get them out of her home. As she was finally opening the big hospital doors she heard the familiar click of heels on the hospital floor. She turned around and forced a smile.
“Hi Dr. Cuddy we were just leaving… My son’s tired and wanted to go back home, I didn’t have time to pass by your office” She lied looking up at the doctor.
“Oh right…” Dr. Cuddy stared at Norma and tilted her head and arched her right eyebrow. “You’re sure everything’s fine ?” She finally asked.
“Yes of course Norman’s just tired but–” Norma answered.
“I mean with you.” Dr. Cuddy cut her off, she genuinely seemed concerned which made Norma wonder if her eyebags were really that big without any makeup on.
“Nothing’s wrong.” Norma smiled and before anyone could answer she turned around and grabbed Norman’s hand.
The car ride was silent besides the quiet humming of the vehicle. Even Norman could tell how nervous his mother was by how she was chewing her bottom lip.