"Mom," she could hear him moving in front of her. "Mom, are you okay?" He seemed to be distracted for a moment, then continued, "Mother?"

   Norman stood and left her. Her eyes stared at the ground below her feet. In her head, she was retracing every moment that she previously had with Zack.

   She remembered when he first took her out; his smile was kind and his voice was kinder, yet she should've known that something was wrong when he talked about the law of the town-- yes, she should've known.

   Norma recalled the first time he touched her like it was yesterday, the first time he really touched her and it felt so light and gentle that she fell into him, bathing herself in his warm smile and tender embrace.

   But that was all a lie.

   There was a woman in there now who had been taken by force by none other than Norma's own lover. The truth was inevitable; it was written all over the young girl's face. Norma knew that stance and she knew that look: terror. She had known it and felt it herself, long ago before she ever moved to this town.

   It wasn't that she didn't feel bad for the girl. It was a terrible thing that happened, really. It was just...so hard to believe.

   "We should get her some water."

   "I've never seen her like this before."

   "Maybe she just needs to calm down a little."

   "Maybe she just needs to absorb the information and she'll feel better."

   "I can't imagine what a shock...I mean, a guy you were really into turning out to be a monster like that."

   She stalked towards the car, hearing Norman's footsteps behind her, then made a mad dash for it.

   Norma was in the car before Norman could catch her, yet he was still fast enough to be hanging on the door's window as she started the car. He called for her to stop, to take a breath, yet she persisted, doing doughnuts around the Bates Motel sign.

   Her son's lanky figure was halfways in and halfways out; she ignored his pleas with agonizing persistence. "You're going to wreck the car--" he was cut off as she argued with him, yet still used both hands to try and steer out of the drive.

   "I don't care, that stupid--" she cursed and muttered things that even Norman couldn't understand, "Jerkfaced son of a--" until finally he fell through the car's window, righting himself in time to stop her.

   She cried out. "I have to talk to him!" she screamed, waving her arms in frustration. She went for the keys, yet Norman's hands found them first, and he tossed them out the window with a rapid motion. She gasped and whined, "I have to talk to him," she cried again, slamming her palms down on the steering wheel.

   "You're not just gonna talk to him about this, Mom, let's be honest--"

   "I don't know what I'm gonna do, but he can't get away with this!"

   "He's not going to--"

   "Everybody always gets away with everything," she cried, "It's not fair!" Her head hit hit the seat as she stared up at the car's inside, crying her heart out with a grimace.

   "I promise you, Mother. We will get him," he said, watching her shoulder tremble as she sobbed.

   "We will get him. We just have to do it the right way," he assured her.

   She cried. Every inch of her being so wanted to go and run him over-- she would do anything if it meant that Zack Shelby would never touch another woman as long as he lived-- yet she knew that solution would be her downfall once again.

   Norma glanced up at her boy, smiling. "Okay. Yeah, you're right," she paused, feeling silly. "Now go find the keys."

~                                                                                                                                                                                                 ~

   She spent the next morning trying to take care of the girl called Jiao. Norman continued to watch her with an expression of great concern; Emma seemed shocked and almost scared to go near Norma, at least for the first few minutes that she was there. She sighed, realizing what a fool she must've made of herself in front of the girl.

   Norma knocked on the door the next morning. When she heard nothing, she assumed that Jiao was asleep. The tender woman laid a plate of food and some towels on the bedside table, then moved to gather her arms, which were hanging off the bed.

   There were notable marks on her wrists; Norma shivered at their redness and imagined the chains that must've held this girl in one place for so long. She pulled the covers up over the girl's body, hoping to make her as comfortable as possible.

   She paused.

   It was terrible, what she had gone through, and yet Norma's brain refused to believe that Shelby had anything to do with this mess. It had to be a mistake.

   It doesn't matter who did it, she realized. No matter what, she's never going to get over this. This is always going to hang over this poor girl's head until the day she dies...may as well let her get some sleep...and give Shelby some time to work on his alabi, if he'll need one.

   "I say we call the FBI right this minute."

   "We're not going to do that, Emma," she responded pointedly. Clearly, she had underestimated the girl's persistance.

   "You know we have to move quickly."

   "Yes--" she said, nodding. Norma knew. She knew that, the quicker they got her to a hospital, the better, because, with luck, there would be enough evidence to convict Shelby. "And-- we will, Honey, we will. Just-- not right now."

   Emma left rather hastily after that.

   "Are you sure you're okay to drive? Should I call your mother to come pick you up?"

   She shrugged. "Sure, you go find her. I haven't heard from my mom in eight years," she said, turning towards her Volkswagen.

   "I'm sorry, Emma, I didn't know--"

   "I guess taking care of a kid with CF isn't the good time it's cracked up to be."

   "You deserve better, you deserve so much better."

   Emma wrapped her arms around Norma so suddenly that she was slightly surprised; she held onto the girl for a moment, feeling the cord that when down her back and to the tank she was always dragging around. It felt strange for a moment, hugging this teenager she barely knew, yet a part of her comprehended the fact that Emma longed for the embrace of a mother. She latched onto her, forcing down the regret that came with lying to her only moments earlier.

   "There's no way we're going to the police tomorrow. Or any day, until we get that belt."

   Hours later, Norma was regretting the whole scheme as she laid underneath Zack's pining gaze. "What's wrong?"

   "Uh...I don't-- I don't know-- I'm just--"

   For once in her life, she decided that this was the perfect time to be honest with someone. "I'm just worried about Norman."

   She knew that the change of pace was a turn-off, and she was glad not to have him all over her for a few moments.

   Her worst nightmare came true within the next few seconds; he heard water running in the shower in the next room over. "I thought you said nobody was here?"

   "It's probably just some weird plumbing thing," she insisted, watching as he reached for his firearm.

   Her brain flashed with images of him finding Jiao in the shower: Norma knew she couldn't let that happen. She sprung off the bed, darting after him and following as he went to inspect the rest of the motel. "Oh, I forgot...one of the painters drove up from Sacremento and I told him he could stay."

   He was on her trail as quickly as a bloodhound. "Why are you lying to me?"

   "I just forgot--"

   Before she could say more, he threw her to the ground.

   She laid on the ground, feeling the pain shoot through her head like a rocket. A single tear escaped her eye as the truth was made known to her.