*Jolene's POV*

It's been a few hours since I've got here and Norman has just talked and talked. I guess he got pretty lonely in the time I wasn't his nurse.

He told me all of the things that happened to him, including what Dr. Vincent said, and how they "got rid of me".

"There's nothing I can do about it now. I didn't really like working there anyway. Talking to you was one of the highlights of my days."

He smiles sheepishly, playing with his fingers.

I sit quietly for a minute before clearing my throat. "Norman, do you know a woman by the last name of Crane?"

He freezes, staring at his legs then looking at me. "Yeah, uh, Crane was the last name of the woman I, uh-"

"No Norman, this one was still alive."

"Oh, Lila Crane. Yes."

"Would she possibly still be in Fairvale?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I heard Dr. Vincent say something to a nurse about her paying him while they were going to call an ambulance for me. Why?"

My eyes widen. "She was in his office on that last day I came. She said something along the lines of 'drive him crazier than he ever was'."

"Oh?"

"You don't think they're planning to do something to you, do you?"

He thinks for a minute. "Well, Dr. Vincent did take me off of my medicine you know. He said I didn't need it anymore. But I outsmarted him because I snuck in and got my own pills and kept myself medicated anyway."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Norman,"

"Hm?"

"Are you actually sick? Should you actually be here in the hospital?"

He nods, "Yes of course, I-"

"Tell me the truth."

"No. I just wanted to find a way to leave. Honestly, I just wanted to see you again."

I sigh, leaning back. "So, how did you do it?"

He looks down at his lap again, obviously ashamed of what he did.

"Well, I didn't eat or drink for several days. I also didn't leave my room."

"Norman, do you know how unhealthy that is?" I scold.

He looks up at me. "It's probably unhealthy to live with a corpse and dress like a dead person for ten years, but I did that just fine didn't I?" He snaps.

"I'm sorry." I mumble.

His face falls, obviously feeling bad for snapping at me. "Jolene, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

I wave him off. "It's okay. Don't fret."

I'm used to it.

"So, since I was honest with you, can you be honest with me?"

Depends.

"Of course, Norman."

"How'd you get that bruise on your wrist?"

I awkwardly scoot back in my seat.

I don't want to talk about Richard like this. I love him, I don't wanna make him seem like a bad person even if I do hate him.

"Jolene?"

My eyes well up with tears and I turn my head away from him so he won't see.

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me."

Thank God.

I look back at him, smiling. "Thank you Norman. You're very kind."

He smiles.

The door opens and a nurse walks in.

I wonder if Norman has had dreams about her.

"Hey Mr. Bates, how are you feeling tonight?" She checks the IV in his arm.

"Good, Josephine, that's Jolene. She's a good friend of mine." She smiles at me and walks over, extending her hand. I smile, taking it and her eyes widen. "Geez, talk about an engagement ring!" She examines it.

I force a laugh. "Yep, my fiancé is the best."

That's another lie.

"He must be, you're gorgeous!"

I blush. "You're way more gorgeous than I am. I'm pretty lousy looking."

Josephine gives me a look and goes back over to Norman, hanging a different bag on his IV rack. "This should make you sleep through the night." She smiles, patting his shoulder.

Soon after she leaves and I dig through my suitcase for the pajamas I brought.

"Well Norman, since you're about to go to sleep, I might as well go to bed too."

I stand up, going over to the bathroom and pulling the door to.

*Norman's POV*

Jolene goes into the bathroom to change into her pajamas, and while I know I shouldn't, I can't help scooting on my bed and squinting through the crack in the door.

She examines her face in the mirror, then unzips her dress from behind. I watch as it falls to the floor and my eyes trail up her body.

Oh, my, how gorgeous her body is.

She reaches around her back to unclasp her bra.

That's when I look away. I feel so dirty.

"Dirty boy with his dirty thoughts. You must have a thing for nurses, huh? You disgust me." I hear a familiar voice in my head.

"Shut up Mother, you don't know her like I do." I mumble.

"How would she like to know you're aroused by her, it's a good thing she wasn't here last night when you were handling yourself the way you did. Disgusting."

Jolene did nothing wrong. Josephine on the other hand, I could tell she was trying to flirt with me last night. It almost seemed as if she was trying to seduce me. She should know better than to do that. My thoughts are interrupted by Jolene stepping out of the bathroom.

She's wearing a pink knee length nightgown. It fits very well with her figure. The way the fabric rounds her perky breasts is near mesmerizing.

I watch her as she stands in front of the couch, pulling at her hair clips and letting her usual updo fall down at her shoulders. She turns and bends down, looking through her suitcase and my eyes go directly to her backside, which matches the rest of her body very well.

Once she stands up I see she has a hairbrush and she starts running it through her wavy blonde hair.

What I wouldn't give to run my fingers through that hair.

She smiles at me, tossing her brush back down and grabbing a blanket off of the shelf next to the couch.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me up, okay?"

I nod. "Okay. Goodnight Jolene."

"Goodnight Norman."

She lays down on the couch, pulling the blanket over her and closing her eyes. I watch as her chest rises and falls.

I wish she were laying next to me. I'd cuddle her and breathe in her beautiful scent all night.

Instead she goes home to her fiancé, the one who no doubt put those bruises on her.

She doesn't deserve that. She deserves the world.

I'm still laying here waiting on this medicine to work, listening to Jolene breathe.

I hear Josephine laughing outside the door, saying goodbye to who I assume are co-workers.

"Get rid of her." Mother says.

"Who, Jolene? I can't do that. I won't."

"Not her you dolt. The nurse."

"Josephine?"

"Yes."

"I can't, I-"

"You can. You will."

"Mother, I will not do that to he-"

"You will or so help me Norman I'll-"

"Okay, okay. I'll do it. How?"

"There's a creek beside the hospital. Hold her down in it. No one will know it was you."

"Yes Mother. I'll do it."

"Good boy."

I pull the IV needle out of my arm and slowly stand up, creeping past a sleeping Jolene and to the window. I pull the blinds up, clicking the lock and hoisting myself up on to the ledge.

Thank god I'm on the first floor.

I look back at Jolene to assure she's sleeping before jumping out into the small patch of mulch outside.

Sure enough, here comes Josephine walking towards the parking lot.

It's pitch black out here, and quiet other than the sounds of the creek rushing.

I speed walk up behind her, grabbing her arms back to restrain her. She starts to scream but I shush her, grabbing her scarf off her neck and shoving it in her mouth.

Keeping her arms restrained, I sweep her off her feet and start carrying her over to the water.

She looks up at me and her eyes widen, and she starts to scream but luckily it's muffled. She's pleading with me with her eyes and I almost want to let her go.

"Don't. She'll run and tell on you and then what?"

Right.

We reach the bank and I climb down, gripping her with one hand.

I get right up to the water and flip her into it.

She fights me and her scarf comes out, but her screams are muted by the water and merely turn to bubbles at the surface. After a minute or so the fighting comes to a slow, but I keep holding her until the bubbles completely stop.

*Jolene's POV*

The next morning several sirens outside wake me up.

My eyes pop open and I sit up, looking over at Norman who is sleeping soundly.

The window blinds are open and I see several police cars, and that the creek is taped off.

"What's going on out there?" I hear Norman behind me.

"I have no idea, just a bunch of cop cars. Also the creek is taped off." I make room so he can see out the window.

He shrugs, rolling his IV cart back over to the bed.

I walk back over to the couch, bending over and finding a new outfit, carrying it into the bathroom.

Once I brush my teeth, wash my face, and apply some makeup, I put on a bra and slide my dress up my body. I try to zip in and realize the zipper is just out of my reach.

"Uh, Norman?" I pull the bathroom door open.

He sits up in his bed. "Yes?"

"Do you uh, do you think you could zip this for me? I would but I can't reach the zipper." I walk over to his bed.

I notice his cheeks immediately turn red and I think of how nervous this must make him. That wasn't my intention though.

"Um, yeah, here.." He grabs the zipper and his hands are shaking so much it's causing the fabric to tug all over my back.

After a moment he steadies his hands, zipping it up to the top.

"Thank you." I smile, going back to the bathroom to gather all of my stuff.

He smiles back, letting out a held in breath and laying back against his pillows.

Just as I go back to the couch the door opens, and a doctor comes in.

"Mr. Bates, when was the last time you saw your nurse, Josephine?"

Norman looks up and brings a finger to his cheek as if he's thinking. "Last night, she brought in a new IV bag and then she left. That's the last time I saw her. Why?"

"Well, they found her body in the creek this morning. The police are ruling it as a suicide."

I gasp, looking from the doctor to Norman and back.

"That's terrible, do they know why?" Norman asks, playing with his hands.

"Nope, that's all the information we have. Anyway, Mr. Bates, you're good to go. We're going to release you this afternoon."

He nods.

"So, I guess we'll make arrangements for you to go back to the institution."

His face falls. "Do I have to go back to the institution? Don't I have another option?"

"The only way for you to get out of the institution would be for your doctor to sign a release form. If you can get that, then you can go somewhere else, but then you'd have to be under supervision. You can't live alone." He nods, then turns around, walking back out.

Norman watches him leave, then turns to me. "Jolene, I really don't wanna go back to the institution. I don't know if I can do it."
I give him a sympathetic look. "Well, Norman, you have to."

"No I don't. You heard him. If I can get Dr. Vincent to sign the form then I can be released."

"And then what? He said you can't be alone."

"Oh, yeah." He sinks back, breaking eye contact.

I sigh. I know exactly what he's doing, and it's working. "Well, I supposed you could come stay with my fiancé and I. We've got plenty of spare room."

See what I mean when I say I'm a pushover?

"Really? I'd hate to intrude.."

"No, you wouldn't. You can come stay with us. It'll be fine. My fiancé won't like it at first, but he'll get over it."

I'll probably pay for it, though.

He gives me one of the most genuine smiles he ever has. "Thank you so much, Jolene."

I smile, walking over and leaning down to give him a hug. "Now we just have to get Dr. Vincent to sign that form, but I think I know a way to do it."

Poor little naïve Jolene. Norman was especially creepy in this chapter! Thank you for your previous review, I always totally agree with everything you say!

Also, I don't know if this means anything to anyone but I totally imagine Richard as a young Warren Beatty, Jolene as 50's Connie Stevens, and I'd say Norman quite favors Anthony Perkins. :)